No. 1 Tuesday Fifth Session 19th January, 2010 Eighth Parliament SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES THE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) ADVANCE COPY OFFICIAL REPORT CONTENTS Tuesday 19th January 2010 Prayers 6 Proclamation 6 Oath Affirmation 6 Obituaries 7 Congratulatory Remarks 11 Minutes 20 Announcements by the Speaker 21 Statements by Ministers 21 Petitions 25 Papers 28 1 Questions for Oral Answers 28 Orders of the Day 49 Motions 49 Bills 118 Suspension 119 2 THE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES OFFICIAL REPORT PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE FIRST MEETING, FIFTH SESSION OF THE EIGHTH PARLIAMENT OF SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES CONSTITUTED AS SET OUT IN SCHEDULE 2 TO THE SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES ORDER, 1979. FIRST SITTING 19th JANUARY 2010 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY The Honourable House of Assembly met at 9:20 a.m. in the Assembly Chamber, Court House, Kingstown. PRAYERS MR. SPEAKER IN THE CHAIR Honourable Hendrick Alexander Present MEMBERS OF CABINET Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, Economic Planning, National Security, Grenadines and Legal Affairs Member for Central Windward Dr. the Honourable Ralph Gonsalves Attorney General Honourable Judith Jones-Morgan Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Commerce and Trade Member for Central Leeward Honourable Louis Straker Minister of National Mobilisation, Social Development, Gender Affairs, Non-Governmental Organisations, Local Government, Persons with Disabilities, Youths and Sports Member for West St. George Honourable Michael Browne 3 Minister of Education Member for Marriaqua Honourable Girlyn Miguel Minister of Rural Transformation, Information, Postal Service and Ecclesiastical Affairs Member for South Central Windward Honourable Selmon Walters Minister of Health and the Environment Member for South Leeward Dr. Douglas Slater Minister of Urban Development, Culture, Labour and Electoral Matters Member for West Kingstown Rene Baptiste Minister of Transport and Works Member for East St. George Honourable Clayton Burgin Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Member for North Windward Honourable Montgomery Daniel Minister of Telecommunications, Science Technology and Industry Member for North Leeward Honourable Dr. Jerrol Thompson Minister of Tourism, Member for South Windward Honourable Glen Beache Honourable Conrad Sayers Member for Central Kingstown Minister of Housing, Informal Human Settlements, Physical Planning Lands and Surveys Government Senator Honourable Saboto Caesar Honourable Julian Francis Government Senator Honourable Rochelle Forde Government Senator/ Deputy Speaker Parliamentary Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office Honourable Michelle Fife Government Senator 4 OTHER MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE Honourable Arnhim Eustace Leader of the Opposition Member for East Kingstown Dr. the Honourable Godwin Friday Member for Northern Grenadines Terrance Ollivierre Member for Southern Grenadines Honourable Major St. Claire Leacock Opposition Senator Honourable Daniel Cummings Opposition Senator 5 SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY TUESDAY 19TH JANUARY 2010 ESTIMATES PRAYERS HONOURABLE MR. SPEAKER: The Honourable Hendrick Alexander, Speaker of the House, read the prayers of the House. PROCLAMATION A Proclamation by the Governor General; WHEREAS, by sub-section (1) of section 47 of the Constitution set out in the First Schedule of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Constitution Order, 1979 it is provided that each session of Parliament shall be held at such place within St. Vincent and the Grenadines and shall begin at such time as the Governor General shall appoint by proclamation. AND WHEREAS it is expedient that a session of the said Parliament shall be held at the Court House, Kingstown, and shall begin on Tuesday the 19th day of January, 2010 at 9:00 o’clock in the forenoon. NOW, THEREFORE, I SIR FREDERICK N. BALLANTYNE, G.C.M.G., Governor General of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, do hereby appoint the said Court House as the place at which the said session shall be held and Tuesday the 19th day of January, 2010 at 9:00 o’clock in the forenoon as the time at which the said session shall begin. GIVEN under my hand and the Public Seal of St. Vincent and the Grenadines this 11th day of January Two Thousand and Ten and in the Fifty-eighth year of the reign of Her Majesty QUEEN ELIZABETH THE SECOND. GOD SAVE THE QUEEN! OATH/AFFIRMATION OF ALLEGIANCE I Michelle Fife do solemnly and sincerely affirm and declare that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Her Heirs and Successors according to the Law. So Help Me, God. 6 OBITUARIES HONOURABLE RENE BAPTISTE: Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members, I rise this morning to pay tribute to Miss Zetilda and Evadnie Jacobs of Lowmans, Mrs. Verena Hamlet of Cane Garden and Mr. Jerome Burke of New Montrose. Most of us would have learnt about the terrible fire that took the lives of two persons at Lowmans Hill. They were unable to get out of the house on time. Miss Zetilda and Evanie Jacobs, her daughter is Evadnie, it was a horrific way we greeted the New Year amount other deaths on the 31st. Zetilda was well known as Mother Jacobs and mother and grandmother and a friend. She has relatives from Bequia as well as in Lowmans Hill, several children, grandchildren, neighbors and particularly the members of the Women’s Ministries of the New Testament Church of God at Lowmans Hill mourn her loss. Very nice soft spoken lady, but even at that age of over 93, she was still able to know what is going on, her house was always filled with barrels of clothing and she will say to her grandchildren, just in case something happened, I have something to give someone. With such a loss she will be sadly missed. The home on Lowmans Hill just at Gumbs Hill there is reputed to be one of the first wall houses in the area. Evadnie was a special child and some of her classmates such as the contractor Mr. O’neal Cruickshank remember that she was just loving and always love to smile a lot. She had quite a large turnout at her funeral. It was such a tragedy, may God have mercy on their soul. I take this opportunity as well, Mr. Speaker, to pay tribute to Jerome Burke, who was a member of this Honourable House 1972 – 1974 as a nominated member and Deputy Speaker, but I know him much more as a founding father of the Credit Union and Cooperative Movement in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. He was the first President of the Kingstown Cooperative Credit Union. I remember when Mr. Tommy Saunders worked with persons such as deceased Mr. Providence, deceased Calvin Nicholls and they wanted to start one for the Public Servants, Urcelle Cummings deceased, my mother Beryl Baptiste, they were all in the forefront of the Credit Union Movement. Mr. Burke goes back to 1958 or thereabout and when they started trying to get this Credit Union Movement going, it took and caught fire and it is now the second largest local Credit Union Institution, GECCU being the largest of them all. It was also one of the partners that natured the smaller Credit Unions in the outlying areas such as in Marriaqua. The founding fathers of this lending institution for “the poor people” is really something now that we realise that has helped so much in building this country. He was also a Director of Tripple C.U and a Director of now what is called “the World Council of Credit Unions.” As you would know, Mr. Speaker, that I have an intimate knowledge and affection for the Credit Union Movement in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, having had the privilege and honour to serve at the highest offices in the land, also he is a fellow mechanic, he was the grand master of the grand united order fought fellows and the grand master of the ancient order foresters and he was also a grand master of the independent order of the mechanics western hemisphere. We use to have a branch here years ago, but that is died out, but our fraternal brothers also mourn his loss and as was reminded that he had started calypso tent in St. Vincent. Sometimes we do not remember the founding people, the pioneers who put such great store in service. It is now fashionable for other reasons, but all the time, all they wanted to do was to serve. I am hoping that like the other pioneers in the Credit Union Movement, his name will be indelibly marked in the 7 history of the movement in this country. Most of us who grew up in the 1960’s must know Burke’s tailoring establishment. The son Jerome was in the Jaycees, one son is in the Cadets and it was very pleasing and fitting that the Honourable Prime Minister as leader of Government business of this Honourable House gave the instructions to the Honourable Speaker and myself and we ensured that he had an official funeral befitting his status in this country. To his relatives and friends, our deepest sympathy and we wish them to continue to trust in the mercy of God. Finally, Mr. Speaker, in relation to Mrs. Verena Hamlet, also I knew her as a young girl going to GHS, her husband was my mother’s boss because he served…, her husband Hugh Hamlet, HH they use to call him affectionately served as auditor, Director of Audit, my mother served 16 years with him and Saville Cummings in the Audit Department of her 34 years in Public Service and it was a family affair. You always knew when sister Verena was going to be around because you got sandwiches, lime balls and sugar cake. She was the mother of Michael Hamlet who served in this Honourable House as a Senator and now deceased and her husband also served in the highest office of this land as Governor General’s Deputy.