BLP 2015 Conference Magazine

1. Contents Returning Hope To Our People 77th | Annual Conference 2015 | 01www.blp.org.bb Programme | 3 Hymns | 7 WELCOME MESSAGES Message from the Political Leader & Party Chairman Hon. Mia Mottley | 8 Message from the Conference Chairman Senator Wilfred Abrahams | 10 Message from the General Secretary Jerome Walcott | 11 Message from the President of the Womens League Sandie Fields | 12 Message from the League of Young Socialists Asokore Beckles | 12 Message from the Chairman of the US Branch Jessica Odle-Baril | 13 Message from the Chairman of the UK Branch Vincent Boo Nurse | 14 COMMENTARIES Mottley Excoriates Cahill Deal Mia Mottley | 15 Timely Intervention Saves Us Dr. Clyde Mascoll | 19 The Citizenship By Investment Programme: A Model For Barbados? Ricardo Blackman | 22 Child Care Board Affair a Sordid Stain Senator Wilfred Abrahams | 23 Observing A Confused and Erratic Prime Minister Indar Weir | 26 Bad Labour Relations Affect Productivity And Progress Dwight Sutherland, MP. | 27 FEATURES Speightstown Vital to the Future of Tourism in Barbados Colin Jordan | 39 Three Possiblities To Lift The City Senator Jerome Walcott | 32 Sir Louis R. Tull One Of The Outstanding Post-Independence Ministers Of Education In Barbados Dr. Dan C. Carter | 37 Needed : Early Childhood And Primary Education Reform In Barbados Edmund G. Hinkson, M.P. | 40 BLP At Large | 42 YOUNG VOICES Youth and Hard Times | 45 A future for Barbadian youth Shanika Roberts-Odle | 49 Face Forward - Re-Imagining Governance, The Bajan Model Kevon E. Henry | 50 Past Recipients of the Milroy Reece and Grantley Adams Award | 52 Past Chairmen & General Secretaries of the BLP | 53 TRIBUTES Mr. St. Michael West - Loyal, Genuine, Man of Integrity. In Grateful Tribute To Geoffrey Cameron Roach Bishop Joseph Atherley | 54 Educator and Tower in Boscobelle Tribute to Mr. Anderson Jordan Colin Jordan | 55 Gone - Never Forgotten | 55 Gilmore Rocheford - Last Federal | 56 MP and BLP Stalwart PROFILE Q & A - Ralph Thorne | 57 AWARDEES 2015 Recipient of the Grantley Adams Award Erskine Griffith, GCM | 60 Recipient of the Milroy Reece Award Gloria Alleyne | 61 Recipient of the Chairmans Award Noel Lynch | 62 Recipient of the Special Award Indar Weir | 63 Recipient of the Cultural Award Peter Ram Yella African Wiggins | 64 Wednesday2000 Kadooment Band | 65 Recipient of the Youth Award Rodney King | 66 Recipient of the Sports Award Kim Holder | 67 Mark Venom Griffith | 68 Chelsea Tuach | 69 Jason Holder | 70 Rivaldo Leacock | 71 Ramon Gittens | 72

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3. Sports Awardees Constituency Awards Simeon Belgrave Ernesta Clarke Mark Watson Alfred Drakes Leroy Gittens Sharon Thompson Patrick Chandler Victor Oneale Nicole Thorpe Luceta Richards-Ward Cyrlene Lewis Lyndon Clarke Cicely Harris Mark Philips Doreen Glasgow Lynette Price Sylvia Cummins-Edwards Avril Crookendale Dalton Best Ceceila Johnson Juetta Prescod Aneta Morrison Mavis Greenidge Matthew Garnes Deston Howell Zuyncntb Pzruqhanz Bison Ernest Downes Sam Clarke Robert Lawrence Makala Beckles-Jordan Sherol Harte Kim Holder Mark Griffith Chelsea Tuach Jason Holder Rivaldo Leacock Ramon Gittens St. Andrew St. Joseph St. Peter St. Thomas St. Lucy St. James North St. James Central City of Bridgetown St. Michael North St. Michael North West St. Michael West Central St. Michael West St. Michael East St. Michael South East St. Michael Central St. Michael South Central St. Michael South St. Michael North East Christ Church East Christ Church West Christ Church South Christ Church West Central Christ Church East Central St. Philip North St. Philip West St. George South St. George North New York Branch U.K Branch League of Young Socialists Womens League FIRST DAY FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23RD, 2015 Cocktail Reception 6:30 7:45 Awards Ceremony National Anthem Welcome MC Prayer Apostle Lloyd Henry Welcome Conference Chairman Senator Wilfred Abrahams Address Adrian Green Remarks Hon Mia Amor Mottley Political Leader PRESENTATION OF AWARDS Constituency Awards Northern Branches Dale Marshall 1st Vice Chairman Southern Branches Cynthia Forde 2nd Vice Chairman Central Branches Pat Parris 3rd Vice Chairman Performance Majela Best Special Award Senator Wilfred Abrahams Conference Chairman Youth Award Senator Wilfred Abrahams Conference Chairman Sports Awards Senator Dr Jerome Walcott General Secretary Youth Award Senator Dr Jerome Walcott General Secretary Performance Joy Warde Cultural Awards Hon Mia Amor Mottley Political Leader Milroy Reece Award Hon Mia Amor Mottley Political Leader Party Chairmans Award Hon Mia Amor Mottley Political Leader Grantley Adams Award Hon Mia Amor Mottley Political Leader Performance Serenader Vote of Thanks Mr Adrian Forde Erskine Griffith Gloria Alleyne Noel Lynch Indar Weir Seawell Wilkinson Peter Wiggins (Peter Ram) Wednesday 2000 Kadooment Band Rodney King Party Awards Grantley Adams Award Milroy Reece Award Party Chairmans Award Special Awards Special Awards Cultural Award Youth Award Returning HOPE To Our People 77th BARBADOS LABOUR PARTY ANNUAL CONFERENCE 23rd, 24th & 25th OCTOBER 2015 CHRIST CHURCH FOUNDATION SCHOOL Returning Hope To Our People 77th | Annual Conference 2015 | 03www.blp.org.bb

5. Assembly National Anthem Prayers- Rev. Samuel Taylor Performance - Kapremes Welcome Conference Chairman Minutes of the 76th Annual Conference and Reports (Donation) Reports: General Secretary Treasurer Parliamentary Group League of Young Socialists Womens League BLP New York Chapter U. K Branch Lynette Holder - Progressive Credit Union LUNCH Delegate roll call Youth Symposium Announcement of 2015-2016 Executive Break Introduction of Political Leader Political Leaders Address 10:00 10.10 10:15 10:20 10:25 10.35 1.00 2.30 2.45 4.20 4.20 4.55 5.00 Assembly Liturgical Dance The Majestical Dancers Service of Thanksgiving - Rt. Rev. Bishop Marlon Jones Opening Hymn Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer Bible Reading Collection Hymn Will Your Anchor Hold Message Closing Prayer Closing Hymn - Battle Hymn of the Republic Remarks - General Secretary Introduction of Party Executive & National Council Covenant of Hope LUNCH Covenant of Hope RESOLUTIONS Announcement of Auditors Announcement of 2016 Conference Chairman The Majestic Dancers Vote of Thanks SECOND DAY SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24TH, 2015 Returning Hope To Our People THIRD DAY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25TH, 2015 9:30 10:00 10:40 10:50 10:55 1:00 2:30 3:30 5:30 5:35 5.40 77th | Annual Conference 2015 | 05www.blp.org.bb

7. Will your eyes behold through the morning light the city of gold and the harbour bright? Will you anchor safe by the heavenly shore, when lifes storms are past for evermore? Battle Hymn of the Republic Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord: He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored; He has loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword: His truth is marching on. Refrain Glory, Glory, Hallelujah! Glory, Glory, Hallelujah! Glory, Glory, Hallelujah! His truth is marching on. I have seen Him in the watchfires of a hundred circling camps; They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps; I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps; His day is marching on. He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat; He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgement-seat: O be swift, my soul, to answer Him; be jubilant, my feet! Our God is marching on. In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea, With glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me: As he died to make men holy; let us live to make men free While God is marching on. He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave, He is wisdom to the mighty, He is honour to the brave; So the world shall be His footstool, and the soul of wrong His slave Our God is marching on. Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer Guide me, O thou great Redeemer, pilgrim though this barren land; I am weak, but thou art mighty; hold me with thy powerful hand; Bread of heaven, feed me now and evermore. Open now the crystal fountain, whence the healing stream doth flow; let the fiery cloudy pillar lead me all my journey through; strong Deliverer, be thou still my Strength and Shield. When I tread the verge of Jordan, bid my anxious fears subside; bear me through the swelling current, land me safe on Canaans side; songs of praises, I will ever give to thee. Will Your Anchor Hold In The Storms Of Life Will your anchor hold in the storms of life, when the clouds unfold their wings of strife? When the strong tides lift, and the cables strain, will your anchor drift, or firm remain? Refrain We have an anchor that keeps the soul steadfast and sure while the billows roll; fastened to the Rock which cannot move, grounded firm and deep in the Saviours love! Will your anchor hold in the straits of fear, when the breakers roar and the reef is near? While the surges rave, and the wild winds blow, shall the angry waves then your bark oerflow? Will your anchor hold in the floods of death, when the waters cold chill your latest breath? On the rising tide you can never fail, while your anchor holds within the veil. Returning Hope To Our People Hymns 77th | Annual Conference 2015 | 07www.blp.org.bb

8. Political Leader and Leader of the Opposition Hon. Mia Amor Mottley T he hope for a better tomorrow has sustained generations of Barbadians to endure hardship and difficult times; to aspire to a better life for themselves and their children. This, sadly, is at risk today. Our people have begun to doubt themselves. Many despair of their ability to keep their heads above the water and to build a better life for themselves in this, our beloved country. Many question whether any government can make their lives better. This is the result of eight years of unrelenting economic devastation, social disorder and institutional decay. This is the result of increasing tribalism reflected in decisions at all levels across our country. This is inevitable when people feel they have been left to their own devices and that their Government simply does not care. This loss of hope is, by far, the worst crime that has been committed against our people over the last seven and a half years. Our task as a party will be to restore hope to our people and to rebuild and transform our country. It is a daunting task but one from which we cannot and must not resile. I am confident that we can do so by reaching out to Barbadians and putting Barbados and our people at the centre of all that we do. We have deliberately chosen to focus on restoring hope; for this must truly be the mission of the Barbados Labour Party, (BLP), if we are to rise again as a nation and as a people. On the celebration of our 75th anniversary as a party, I issued a Call to Arms that signaled our intention to work Returning Hope To Our People Restoring Hope to our People! www.blp.org.bb08 | 77th Annual Conference | 2015

9. with all Barbadians who shared our philosophy and values, whether they are members or supporters of our party or not. We need the will and action of the majority of people to restore our country to economic growth, to create jobs, to allow our people to share in the countrys prosperity, to protect the most vulnerable among us, to give Barbadians a voice and a role in transforming our country and to provide opportunity to all Barbadians. In many ways, our deliberations during this 77th Annual Conference will be a watershed in the history of our Party as we prepare for this historic mission in leading the rescue of Barbados. We have before us a draft document entitled A Covenant of Hope Vision and Principles of the Barbados Labour Party. This Conference is the highest decision making body of our Party. There is no more important business for us than to agree to these principles as a Party and then to share them with Barbadians across the country. I ask each of you to engage fully in this process for this defines in clear terms: who we are as a Party, what we stand for and what we will fight to achieve for our people and our country. My friends, our journey to persuade Barbadians that they do have a REAL CHOICE has started. We must work together as a party, and harder than we have ever done, to give Barbadians that confidence. We must restore the faith of Barbadians in our political system by being accountable for our words and our actions. We must show Barbadians that we care. Barbadians want a new politics. Barbadians want a better society. Barbadians want an economy that is working for them and not against them. Barbadians want a say in their affairs. Above all else, Barbadians want Barba- dos to succeed. Let us engage Barbadians face to face, parish by parish, to regain their trust and to restore hope. This will be the platform for the transformation of Barbados. We have done it before and we can do it again. There is simply too much at stake for too many. We must never be fearful of tomorrow. We must never doubt what we may achieve as we work together! Let us restore hope to our people! It is our solemn duty. Returning Hope To Our People 77th | Annual Conference 2015 | 09www.blp.org.bb

10. Returning hope to our people Senator Wilfred Abrahams Conference Chairman Hope. W e all have varying definitions of what hope means; for some, its an intan- gible quality and for others, it is the bedrock on which their dreams are built. Whatever our definition, we can all agree that the essential quality that hope engenders is a feeling of trust. Over these 49 years of Independence and, indeed, over 300 years of our current history, every Barbadian lived with a sense of hope, hope that the next generation would be better off than the previous one. This unshakable and self- fulfilling progress has guided us through the oppressive days of slavery and colonial rule. This hope planted our feet firmly on the path to Independence and all that it meant - education, health care public safety and an improved quality of living. This hope has fuelled our dreams and aspirations generation by generation. Sadly, the flame of hope in Barbados has almost been completely extinguished. Many of us would never have expected to see that within our lifetime we would be the spectators to the almost complete dismantling of our social services and economy. Crime in Barbados has reached near epidemic proportions. Our society has become more violent and has begun to cannibalise itself as we witness increased instances of child abuse, elder abuse and domestic violence. And while we all see this, the DLP Government remains silent and uninterested. Free tertiary education, the long treasured trophy of our country, has been unceremoniously ripped from our grasp and denied to our children. The doors to advancement for our most vulnerable people, our nations greatest natural resource have been effectively closed. The Government, incapable of creating innovative solutions to our woes, has defaulted to a more and more tax is better approach to the DLP inflicted holes in our economy. All the while increasing our debt servicing burden and widening the deficit with ill-conceived fiscal plans. It is against this backdrop of worry and tribulation that hope, like the sun, must rise. This 77th Annual Conference of the Barbados Labour Party, (BLP), the Caribbeans preeminent and enduring political institution, heralds the first rays of the light of hope that must shine through this gloomy landscape. Wake Up Barbados! Salute the happy morn, our forefathers are calling us to retake our rightful place as leaders. It has been too long since we have looked the future in the eye with confidence. This conference invites you to lift your head and hold it high in hope, for a change is on its way! While the theme for the conference is returning hope to our people, we must also acknowledge that we are on the cusp of a rebirth in the political landscape of Barbados; everyone tells us that the time for change is now, and that we need to once again be able to rely on the word of our leaders and the assurances of our candidates. The next government of Barbados must be prepared to make a solemn and binding oath in the form of a covenant that it is prepared to stand by. This BLP knows that nothing less than strong leadership, imbued with integrity and vision, will restore the shattered faith and confidence in our country, economy and society. This 77th Annual Conference is the starting point for the rebuilding of Barbados. The BLP has served Barbados and Barbadians faithfully and well and are prepared to do so again. We will return hope to our people. Returning Hope To Our People Every Barbadian lived with a sense of hope, hope that the next generation would be better off than the previous one. www.blp.org.bb10 | 77th Annual Conference | 2015

11. P arty members and Barbadians should take some pride in the performance of our Party in the last year as we continued to expose the misanthropic behaviour of the Government as it continued to take our beloved nation backwards down the cliff face. From Press Conferences to mass meetings, the Barbados Labour Party, (BLP), team has been unrelenting in calling out the wayward Government on its several instances of arrogance, mismanagement, improprietous conduct and inaction that have been the signal features of the Democratic Labour Party, (DLP), to the ongoing damage to country and society. Indeed, the BLP can take credit for the repeal of the notorious Solid Waste Municipal Tax, following the massive campaign it waged against that iniquitous measure. Further, the performance of the Parliamentary Group in the 2015 Budget was one of the outstanding features of the year. Leading from the front, Mia Mottley delivered a tour de force reply, one of the central planks of which was the comprehensive exposure of Government infelicities in relation to the Cahill Waste to Energy Gasifica- tion Plant. That to this day the several charges and questions have not been answered underscore the veracity of Comrade Mottleys charges. The team was prepared, re- freshing and, as required in these times, in no nonsense mood, delivering its best overall debate performance since this new parliamentary cycle began in 2013. The widespread support of hundreds of people at our various activities should inspire all of us in the BLP family to continue our work in pres- suring the Government to do better and to provide hope for Barbadians. In the latter respect, the Party has continued to provide much needed support to Barbadians buffetted by the harsh economic rule of the Government, both in cash and in kind. I wish to applaud particularly those who continue to put others before themselves and show their nationalism by contributing to our fund raising efforts, the vast majority of which is passed on to those in need. The League of Young Socialists charity initiative and the Partys immediate response to the tragedy in Dominica and its shepherding of the One Dominica concert stand out among many efforts to assist in timely and appropriate fashion, showing us empathetic with the suffering of people in contrast to the uncaring stance of our opponents. Many of our branches have also on their own launched community initiatives to help buttress the depression and practical daily effects of DLP rule. Among them, the programmes of St. Thomas, St. James North have the potential to be transformative and should be emulated by other branches. Overwhelmingly so, the work of our branches is inspiring. Voluntarily and, often, without praise, numerous comrades across Barbados continue to makepersonalsacrificeswaybeyond time and reasonable call of duty to ensure that both Party and candidates look good and maintain presence in the communities they serve. With or without candidates, whether absent through sickness or otherwise, branches keep the machin- ery of the BLP working in good and especially in bad times. Neither MPs, candidates or Party can function without the unswerving and selfless support of our branches that has been a hallmark of our Party. The notion, then, that branches should be secondary and be less than our constitution accords is as ignorant as it is self-defeating. And no member of our Party should be seen as not accepting, or seeking to remove, any democrati- cally elected branch executive. That would make us no better than those we condemn. No one, regardless of their personal quirks, is better than the BLP. Or should be supported in trumping its rules and regulations. That is not the BLP! As General Secretary and as Party Chairman, I have found our branches generally supportive and harmonious in advancing the cause of the BLP first, and I say, without contradiction, that we would not have come this far without them. They have been the incubators of many of our leaders. At this stage, when all Barbados is looking to us for a new path in the hope of a much better future in all aspects, particularly governance, let us resolve at this conference to embrace our branches and all those, in and outside the Party, who are supporting and assisting us in our foremost cause - to make Barbados better. Let us focus and advance the many positives we are too hesitant to showcase in our Party. The unity and camaraderie demonstrated in our annual picnic, which this year was the largest. The work and worth of our young people that the Party keeps attracting, whose views, as illustrated in this publication and which will be aired on the second day of conference, are worthy of note. The initiatives at fostering cohesion among the rank and file, by the rank and file themselves, as seen in the Wednesday luncheon at BLP head-quarters. We are at our best when all areas of the Party are in harmony. And that cohesion, an organisation charting a new road, one girded in a new governance, respect for democracy and our people, is what will, more than anything else, return hope to our nation that we can halt the torrent of injustice by an inhumane and insincere government of economic idiots. Let us in our every action demonstrate that we can and will return that hope to our people. Returning Hope To Our People BLP Bigger than Anyone Senator Dr. Jerome Walcott General Secretary 77th | Annual Conference 2015 | 11www.blp.org.bb

12. www.blp.org.bb12 | 77th Annual Conference | 2015 Exciting Times for League Sandie Feilds Preisdent Womens Legue of the Barbados Labour Party T his year for the Barbados Labour Party League of Women was one of revital- ization. We attempted to do a number of things including building the strength of the zones within the party by having a joint meeting with the Northern Branch. We also sought to have several discussions on topical issues with speakers such as Sandra Husbands and President of the Barbados Economic Society, Jeremy Stephens, on establishing small female owned business; Mary Thompson and MP Cynthia Forde on Domestic Violence and its societal effects. The League rekindled its community outreach and visibility programme with a highly supported food drive at Popular Discounts, Spooners Hill for the HIV/ AIDS Food Bank. Public gratitude is extended to President of the League for birthing the idea, floor member Alicia Deane who was in charge of coordinating the Drive, and staff of Popular, who allowed us to use their facilities. The League also formed a choir and visited various Barbados Labour Party shut-ins to sing and distribute hampers as a part of Christmas celebrations. The League, through its Public Relations Officer, Marsha Hinds-Layne, has also been speaking publicly to issues affecting women in Barbados, including the retrenchment exercise being undertaken by Government. There are several other challenges to be highlighted and the Executive of the League stands committed to working for the people of Barbados. Sandie Fields is an educator and longstanding commentator on social issues. She is principal of Sunbeam Baby Care and Montessori Pre-School. Returning Hope To Our People T he past year has been one of growth, both for the Barbados Labour Party and the League of Young Socialists (LYS). Our main objectives were to revitalize the League and reassert its prominence as an influential arm of the Barbados Labour Party. In October 2014, the LYS made it our number one priority to form the first charity committee led by the youth arm. This initiative was developed due to recognition of a need for urgent help for disadvantaged persons across Barbados as increasing numbers of individuals were unable to meet their physical, social and financial requirements given the economic climate. This charity was created under the theme Youth with a Purpose. Its objective was to inspire the youth to play a positive role in society through involvement in welfare and social wellbeing programmes. Throughout the year we made several donations to institutions and people in need: Thirty-seven hampers to Clyde Gollop Mens Hospice Hampers to four members of St. Philip North Assistance with home renovations and hampers to four members of St. Michael South Hampers to one member of Christ Church West Hampers to three members of St. Michael South Central Hampers to one member of St. Michael West Central Following these efforts, we also assisted our brothers and sisters in Dominica with two barrels containing items such as toiletries, food and clothing during the aftermath of tropical storm Erika. One of the major accomplishments of the League over the past year was an increase in its membership by approximately 100. This was achieved through creative measures; for example, use of social media, which allowed youth to keep abreast of the activities of the LYS. It also provided a forum where any interested person could gain more information about Cultivating Young Leaders Asokore Beckles Legue Of Young Socialists

13. 77th | Annual Conference 2015 | 13www.blp.org.bb the organization and its history. The success of these measures highlighted the need for a greater online presence; hence, the LYS website was created. The content of this website is not limited to the activities of the League but includes an outline of the partys legacy, philosophy and information relating to past and present candidates and leaders. In keeping with the mandate to support the Barbados Labour Party while being a voice for the youth, we attended several branch meetings, organized joint meetings and panel discussions and participated in mass canvasses. I was also given the opportunity to speak on behalf of the youth in St. Lucy, St. Michael North West, St. James North, St. Michael South East and the Womens League. Our final initiative was the decentralization of the League of Young Socialists. This process was brought about to encourage the involvement of more youth within the party and thereby cultivate future leaders. The framework of this project constitutes organization of the members in the three established zones (Northern, Southern and St. Michael zones). Each zone will have an executive committee responsible for rallying the youth in their respective areas, addressing issues and concerns and encouraging young people to become active in their communities. I want to thank my executive, which worked diligently and tirelessly throughout the year. I wish the new executive a successful year and hope that the League can continue its great work into 2016 and beyond. One of the new crop of young Labourites, Asokore Beckles is a statistician and Treasurer of the National Union of Public Works, (NUPW). The former President of the St. Michael South East branch, his ambition is to be in elective politics. Returning Hope To Our People In keeping with our celebration of Caribbean American Heritage Month, A BetterLifeforourPeople,NewYorkagainbroughtrepresentativesoftheBarbados Labour Party, (BLP), to network with the Barbadian Diaspora and friends. Our party leader, the Hon. Mia Amor Mottley, QC, MP and Hon. Edmund Hinkson, MP engaged and enlightened the captive audience as they shared what Barbados is now and where we can go. Though geographically separated, the principals of the BLP remain close to our hearts. Proverbs 29 tells us that where there is no vision, the people perish. Our former esteemed leader, Grantley Herbert Adams and others, were palpably aware of this. They realized the unionization of workers and established the BLP, which set the stage for the creation of one of the worlds most just and dynamic societies. As the most mature political party in the land, the Party has not moved away from our moorings and holds fast to the vision. We have in our current leader Mia Mottley, a woman who is enlightened and passionate about Barbados and its people. She is attuned to the needs of this party as a modern functioning institution, and holds a vision for Barbados and its people that is humanitarian and progressive. She re-energizes our ability to build and develop capacity within this Party and is a living reminder to Barbadians that dreams and hopes can be fulfilled. The theme for this, our 77th Annual conference, Returning Hope to our People is therefore apt. Our land is at a crossroads as we witness acts against humanity, which fall far short of brotherly love. Our people seem to have lost hope and their way, like sheep without a shepherd. The current government appears without vision, is silent on matters of national and human interest and, therefore, suffering abounds. The calypso song, Captain the ship is sinking by Gypsy, is fitting for the current state of affairs. Enough is enough! In returning hope to Barbadians, the BLP, as it has always done at times of great crises, must be fired up and steadfast behind our leader. Leadership has been our strength. Like most cohesive families, we can and will disagree; however, there is no need to be disagreeable and mar our public image and the reality of unity of spirit, vision and the cause for which the Party, our party, is known. Community and country always comes before self. Barbados needs all of its sons and daughters, at home and abroad, to help rebuild the country. This will be the task of the BLP when the reins of government are again entrusted to us. We must be unified and ready. Our mission must be fueled with the highest of integrity, to put Barbados back on track, such that our citizens are inspired to respon- sibly participate, contribute and benefit from the land we love. I am pleased on behalf of the executive, members and friends of the Better Life for our People, New York, to bring greetings and best wishes for a successful 77th Annual Conference. Lets Be Unified and Ready Jessica Odle-Baril Chairman New York Branch

14. T his years report is intended to be an appraisal of where and why we are at this point in our branchs history, more so than what we have done over the last year. Every possible effort is being made to stimulate interest in this branch. The year 2016 is perhaps our watershed year when we will seek to use the momentum of the countrys 50th anniversary of Independence to bring fresh and younger blood into the branch. However, it will not be an easy task. The older generation of Barbadians, as they settle into spending their final years in the UK, have in great numbers become detached politically from Barbados and show only a fleeting interest in the islands political affairs. Many of them have been canvassed to join the Party but they show little interest beyond basic support. It seems they do not care to be officially identified with either political group. Regrettably, second generation Barbadians show little interest in the inner sanctum of politics in Barbados. They have said they do not have a tangible connection with the political wing on the island and therefore cannot blindly support something that is not physically before them. They say they can identify only a few of our politicians and do not know, or show little interest in, what side of the fence any one politician sits. They are impressed by the ideals of our party; even more so when the records of the two parties are put before them. However, they are quick to point out that without a vote they are powerless to have a say in who governs and therefore their interest is merely an academic one. It is a difficult point to counter as we have nothing tangible to offer them in exchange for their membership, loyalty and interest. Nonetheless, I continue, and will continue, to argue fiercely to convince them of the need to be attached to our party. The battle is never lost. Despite these hur- dles, this UK Branch shall not be moved in its determina- tion to keep the BLP in the forefront of the minds of all Barbadians, regardless of age or sex, living in the UK. The year 2015 has passed much like the two years immediately before it. Membership has not increased and I am grateful to have a solid core of members whose motto appears to be Never Say Die. We are aware that interest falls for a party when it is in opposition. However, it would be helpful if we could occasionally see someone from headquarters. It is disappointing that none of our national representatives have had occasion to transit London over the last few years. Had that been so, it would have afforded our members and supporters opportunity to be updated on the vexing issues which are before the people of our country. Attempts to host/sponsor small events have been muted. There appears to be reluctance on the part of members to get involved in promoting them. We have therefore had to withdraw some plans believing they would be loss making ventures. We continued to represent the Party in the local community and part sponsored a reception which was held at the Barbados High Commission for a delegation from the USA, which was in the UK to inform on a project concerning the building of a hospice in Barbados. Small donations have been made to other bodies. The project of gifting new and used clothing, stationery and other essentials to local representatives continued and will continue for the fore- seeable future. This branch remains vibrant and loyal to the mother Party and its officers and we will support them every inch of the way as they strive to bring Barbados from the depths of its depression. Never Say Die Vincent Boo Nurse Chairman UK Branch Returning Hope To Our People www.blp.org.bb14 | 77th Annual Conference | 2015

15. S unday gone, a Minister of the Environment appeared on page 3, next to a picture of a series of people, in respect of a project to be built in the constituency of St. Thomas by a company called Cahill Energy, and we were alerted in that article by the principal of Cahill Energy that the project is now to start in September 2015. The consequences potentially for the country financially and environ- mentally are of such serious proportion that the whole of Barbados must now pause and have a conversation. The implications for the breaches of governance are such that unlike any time since Cabinet Government has been introduced in this country, has there been a situation where four Ministers of Government have been on a path that potentially has now exposed this country to millions, ten or a hundred, depending on when the Prime Minister can produce the document to the people, of this country of the money liability. On 15th March 2014 in this Chamber, two days before the estimates debate were scheduled to start, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the Government of Barbados through four ministers of the Crown and a company called Cahill Energy. The story was touted all on the Sunday and Monday to coincide with the speech of the Minis- ter of Finance at the commencement of Estimates that things were turning around and things were getting better and look how we were attracting international investors for whom there are stories on Bloomberg; the stories were made documents of the House. We were told that Cahill were investing BDS$480,000,000 in a waste to energy project at Vaucluse and it was cutting edge technology, plasma gasification, and that it would bring significant benefits to the people of Barbados and the economy of Barbados. In that same debate I indicated to this country that that company was only formed in August 2012; it was simply a name plate company in Guernsey. I was attacked and the Opposition was attached. We said then that we thought that Barbados should not a guinea pig for any cutting edge technology that was not commercially viable for more than 10 years across the world. What was the first amazing thing to us was that it became evident that that Memorandum Of Understand- ing (MOU), breaching the first rule of governance, saw four Ministers of the Crown sign the MOU, to the credit of the Attorney General without his signature or without his sign-off, to bind the Gov- ernment of Barbados into anything; and the Solicitor General also did not sign off on that MOU. It was another two months, I am told, before anything went to the Cabinet of Barbados, so the announcement is made to the Parliament of Barbados on 17th March but nothing goes to Cabinet until May 2014. On that occasion Cabinet is invited to rescind a previous decision to go out to public tender and request proposals for waste energy plants. The most amazing thing is that the MOU was not delivered to Cabinet, so the Cabinet does not see the MOU, but the Cabinet agrees that the Sanitation Services Authority should agree to enter into negotiations. Since that time, the town hall meeting took place in July 2014, the principal of Cahill also attended a meeting of a waste to energy plant at Tees Valley in England on 10th July 2014, where she stated, among other things, the following: 1. it cannot get any better than getting paid to take other peoples garbage; That is the first thing she tells the people, she then says that Cahill has been written into the Laws in Barbados as having the legal claim to all of Barbados municipal waste, municipal, hospital, shipping and sugar. Now I am a legislator, as is everybody else in this Parliament. None of us has had the privilege of being briefed, far less to write into law anything for the benefit for any company called Cahill. At that stage, she says that the Returning Hope To Our People 77th | Annual Conference 2015 | 15www.blp.org.bb Mottley Excoriates Cahill Deal In the Estimates of March 17, 2014, Minister of Finance, Chris Sinckler sprung on Barbados with the words, nothing gives me greater pleasure than to say this, that the Ministry of Environment and Drainage, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Housing and Lands and the Ministry of Energy on behalf of the Government of Barbados signed for the construction of state-of-the-art, cutting edge, waste to energy plasma gasification plant to be constructed in Barbados between Cahill Energy and the Government of Barbados at Vaucluse in St. Thomas. At the time, Barbados Labour Party, (BLP) Leader in response raised several questions about this sudden development, to the usual negative personal attacks by the Government. This year, in the Budget Reply, Mottley returned to the topic, stunning both Government members and the public with a string of revelations on the Cahill deal. ........it is smoke and mirrors and the only persons going up in fire are the people of Barbados.

16. Returning Hope To Our People www.blp.org.bb16 | 77th Annual Conference | 2015 plant for Barbados is intended to be a 650 tonne plant a day. All of sudden she says to the people: They are expected to receive cash flows of $3.7 billion Barbados dollars over a 30 year period. According to her, they expected a rate of return of about 19 percent at the time. Well you know, Sir, the truth is that on that date it was no longer a $480 million project, all of a sudden it was a $512 million project. Then in May of this year, the project was being sold by members of this Government as a $600 million project. This thing is moving faster than a rollercoaster. Lo and behold, Sunday morning, at about midnight, I get my Nation newspaper, and I now see on page three that this is now a $700 million project. Mr. Speaker, in the same article I began to wonder whether the Minister of the Environment and the Principal of Cahill were talking about the same project. She said that Cahill has had difficulties raising the investment for the project because of the constant down- grading of the Barbados sovereign credit rating, And we would have investors that were very, very interested but by the time that there was a third credit rating drop, they were not interested anymore and we would have to start again with new investors. The principal is looking for money and the Minister says the funding there. To my horror, Mr. Speaker, I learnt that Cahill Energy had hired a company called Jacob Securities, a company in the business with a mergers and acquisitions division. We are also now learning from these documents, (that Cahill) has also signed, a power purchase agreement and an implementation agreement between the Govern- ment of Barbados and Cahill Energy. If what these documents say is true, I am asking the Prime Minister to bring to this Chamber before this debate is finished, copies of the power purchase agreement, which Cabinet has not seen yet, and copies of the implementation agreement, which Cabinet has not seen yet, but for which I am told the Sanitation Service Authority has paid legal fees in excess of $700 000. All of a sudden, having gotten a license to shop and fish, off of the backs of the taxpayers of Barbados, could you believe that Cahill Energy, nameplate company is now for sale? Now for sale! It then goes, and I want you to hold your stomachs now, because this is what bothers me after I have been advised by scientists independent of my Party and independent of Barbados. Cahill Energy Barbados agreement with the Government of Barbados pro- vides that it will build a Plasma Gasifica- tion plant (hereafter PG Plant)however, the protocol itself does not provide for the project to comply with any specific environmental standards. Mr. Speaker, the beginning of the second paragraph of a cover- ing letter tells the purchasers come as you may, come as you will, do what you like, this country Barbados will not and is not enforcing for a technology that is un- tried any part of the world at this scale. Do you understand that there is nowhere from China to Timbuktu, Alaska to Antarctica to where ever, that this project has ever been done as a 75 megawatt at this scale? Worse than that, no part of the globe where it has ever been done on a coral island that depends on water through the coral system at any size whatsoever? What is plasma gasification? For the benefit of Barbadians, Plasma gasification, Mr. Speaker, is burning at 5000 degrees C or more, above where the country earns its income from the hotels that the Minister of Tourism is intent on making sure contribute to this countrys GDP. It gets worse. What does Section 4 stand and reflect as Project Highlights? It says that the Government of Barbados signed two contracts with Cahill Energy for 30 years each. Let me put that in context Sir, when these plants are due to be built and delivered, the last year of the contract I will be 83 years. Eighty-three years old, because these four ministers have bound this country until the year 2048 with this project! What does that Agreement now say? Let me go through it very clearly and comprehensively for you. Part One of the Implementation Agree- ment says that Cahill Energy now has the exclusive right for all waste to energy plants in Barbados hereinafter. So the gentleman who was on the back page of the Nation, asking for waste to energy plants on Saturday, better go to Guernsey and look for the name plate to find the lady to beg for permission to build a plant in Barbados. Nobody, from the Prime Minister back down in this Government, or any future government that we might constitute, will have the power to award a waste to energy plant to anybody in this country, because

17. 77th | Annual Conference 2015 | 17www.blp.org.bb Returning Hope To Our People these four Ministers have gone off on a frolic to give Cahill Energy the exclusive right to develop waste to energy plants in Barbados. Two, Cahill is exempt from all taxation - no Corporation Tax, hear me Barbadians; no Value Added Tax, hear me Barbadians; no Capital Gains Tax, hear me Barbadians; no Transfer Tax on shares on property, no Withholding Tax on interest and dividends. And listen to this one, please Barbadians, no import duties on the importation of waste, tyres and other supply items. Do you know that the Minister of the Environment in April 2013, when the Solid Waste bill was being debated in here, denied that there would be any need to import garbage or tyres into this country for this project? How low can we go? How low can we go? We knew from the Cabinet decision that the Government has to acquire the land from one of the subsid- iaries of Eastern Land Developments, 27 acres. So the taxpayers of Barba- dos will pay for the acquisition of that land and the Member for St. Thomas cannot get houses for her constituents, or the Member for St. George North or St. George South. Worse than that, the Member for St. Andrew cannot get his constituents in St. Andrew fixed properly with the problems at White Hill, but the Government is committing to buy 27 acres and give a contractor in this country to develop a plant that the Government is going to give them all of their cost free and then buy all that they have to sell. Cahill must be allowed, I want the Minister of Agriculture to hear this, to drill water wells on the land and that they must be done without charge or tax. It then goes on to say that the Govern- ment must supply the infrastructure, the water pipe lines and the commissioning of all water pipe lines to the Plant. Cahill must be allowed not only to drill wells, but to establish rain water lagoons. Rain water lagoons in St. Thomas. Anybody who has lived in or visited Jamaica knows that the spec- tacle and presence of lagoons and the use of caustic soda, which is one of the expense items in this document referred to, portends severe issues that we have to have answered. For a country that has a water situation, where our water comes through ground water, through a coral island? This is madness. Guess who is to deliver the En- vironmental Impact Assessment? Do you know that the Government of Bar- bados agreed to do the Environmental Impact Assessment? That is what the old people would call salt in the wound. Somebody is bringing something for you that is potentially deleterious to your people and you are going to turn around and do the Environmental Impact Assessment and pay for it, but then put taxes on the people of Barbados yesterday to the turn of $200 million. Do you understand why I tell you that this Government is for the benefit of a few? Then, the Government of Barbados is to represent and warrant, because any breach of representa- tion or warranties is the basis for dam- ages, to provide that the Government of Barbados will deliver 550 tonnes per day of municipal solid waste and then 450 tonnes per day of biomass. Do you understand that the Government cannot deliver to SBRC every year the 360 000 tonnes a year that it promised them and now is committing to a company to deliver another 1 000 tonnes a day? No wonder you are going to have to import garbage and tyres. Mr. Speaker, Sir, they no longer will take sugar cane. They have agreed, and this is how the Minister of Agriculture got drawn in, that they will now take what Bajans call Elephant Grass, what they call King Grass, that grass that grows wild by the side of the road. So Barbados is now to become the country of Myamo- see and Elephant Grass. Not cane. A Minister of Finance spends 15 minutes on milk yesterday and less than 60 seconds on the sugar cane industry, which is facing its most critical path and future for the first time in cen- turies in this country and that is what we are to be treated to in a Budget. Mr. Speaker, there are then tipping fee costs in here. Listen to this part; if the quality of the waste drops below a certain calorific value, those Ministers agreed, if this document is to be believed, that Cahill Energy is allowed to increase their processing fee from five percent to 13 per cent if the garbage is not of a certain quality. So make sure it dry, make sure it perfumed and make sure it looks a certain way, if not the people of Barbados got to get taxed more!s Do you know that the Govern- ment must also bear the cost for the commissioning and debugging of the electricity at the Plant when it finished, too? The people build a plant and now the Government must come in and carry the cost for that, too. These four Ministers have sold away everything possible to sell away. I cannot call it the mother of all sell outs, because I wouldnt want to unfair moth- ers so. This would have to be the horror of all sell outs. Mr. Speaker, it does not end there. The handling costs are to increase every three years to reflect the operational and maintenance cost of Cahill. Nothing to do with the Govern- ment of Barbados. Nothing to protect us. Any delays to the project will not affect the revenue earnings of Cahill. The Government has to establish a reserve account from now, when the financing is in place, and hold it for three years until the construction is finished and the plant is ready. The Government also has an obligation, Sir, to make whole any default under this project. So even if the Government is to walk away from this project now, the liability of the taxpayers of Barbados is potentially going to be in the tens and hundreds of millions. That is why, Prime Minister, this Implementation Agreement has to be brought to the people of Bar- bados before this debate is over. This project is intending to start construction in September. I can speak on behalf of the Barbados Labour Party, (BLP) and the Members of Parliament who represent the area and the surrounding areas and we can tell you not bout here.

18. From Foursquare Rum Distillery, the Distillery of the Year, comes one of our very finest rums, R L Seale's Finest 10 Year Rum. Join us in savouring tthis meticulously aged rum as we celebrate our extraordinary spirit. The World Celebrates our Extraordinary Spirit www.blp.org.bb18 | 77th Annual Conference | 2015

19. Returning Hope To Our People T he lack of timely and effective m a n a g e - ment of Barbados most recent economic recession that started in 2008 is responsible, more than anything else, for the prolonged period of financial drought, which persists to this day among Barbadian households and businesses. On its current path, the economy cannot recover to cause any reasonable individual to forget the misery of the last eight years. The notion that the prolonged recession was all due to the international environment has long been proven false. This is in direct contrast to the way in which previous economic downturns were managed, notwith- standing that there was some delay in addressing the 1991 economic crisis. There were three occasions in the past 1977, 1982 and 2001 when pending economic troubles were swiftly and effectively tackled by the Government. In the first two instances, the Tom Adams Administration relied on financial resources from the Interna- tional Monetary Fund (IMF) to quickly stabilise the economy. In the case of 2001, the Owen Arthur Government utilised an external loan to counter- act the challenges posed by the 9/11 terror attack in the United States of America. No wonder, there is a perception, which when properly contextualized becomes reality, that the Barbados Labour Party, (BLP), always has to rescue Barbados from the throes of economic disaster. In 1977, the Government was reacting to a sustained decline in foreign reserves as the import reserve cover, which had fallen to 11 weeks in 1975, fell to seven weeks in 1976. Having experienced very favourable sugar prices in 1974 and 1975 in particular, there was a sub- stantial drop in 1976 that contributed to the declining reserves. In addition, the economy was recovering from the 1973 oil price shock and while im- ports were growing tourism earnings were sluggish. Timely Intervention Saves Us Dr. Clyde Mascoll 77th | Annual Conference 2015 | 19www.blp.org.bb

20. Working to Build a Stronger Nation visit our website at www.williamsind.com www.blp.org.bb20 | 77th Annual Conference | 2015

21. In the immediate aftermath of the 1976 election, an unprecedented fiscal deficit added to the economic woes, but decisive economic management arrested the potential danger. In 1982, the prudent economic leadership was in reaction to severe external events that started with the 1979 oil shock. This triggered persistently high inflation at home and abroad, which was accompanied by high interest rates worldwide. There was an inevitable economic recession among the industrialised countries. As a consequence, Barbados import reserve cover hovered around eight weeks and the fiscal deficit reached uncomfortable levels. There is an abundance of evidence to show how economic problems in the past were confronted through timely intervention. There was no bemoaning the fact that the countrys earlier economic challenges were genuinely caused by external events. In 2008, there was no spiralling of inflation resulting from high oil prices and interest rates were at historical lows - and remained so to this day. Barbados import reserve cover was around 20 weeks, multiple times more than in previous recessions. Yet, Barbadians were falsely sold the impression that the countrys foreign reserves threatened the exchange rate, even though there was a persistent message of adequacy in the reserves by the Central Bank. This adequacy only became threatened in the face of the excessive printing of money by the Central Bank in 2011 which mushroomed in 2013. From the inception, the current Governments focus was never on sharing the truth with the public but, rather, on playing hide and seek with the numbers. This lack of honesty resulted in the sending of very confusing messages on the performance of the economy. Remember, there was no need to send home public sector workers prior to the last General Election, yet immediately after in excess of 3,000 were laid-off. There is still the threat that more public servants will lose their jobs. Rather than intervene to stimulate the economy in the early days of the recession, there was an insistence on there being no need for a fiscal stimulus package. Instead, the Government diagnosed that there was a problem with excessive spending and chose to match the spending with excessive taxation. Once the latter stifled economic activity, the Government opted to temporarily hide some spending by asking certain statutory boards to borrow money, not recognizing that such borrowing could not be sustained. A timely stimulus package would have restored some confidence to the consuming and investing public of Barbados and caused private spending, leaving the Govern- ment to spend on investment items rather than consumption. Rather than endure six years of frozen wages and salaries, workers would have earned some moderate increases to boost their spending power and the Government would have siphoned off some revenue from the additional spending. The need for increasing the rates of existing taxes and introducing new taxes would have been reduced or deemed not necessary. Fortuitously, oil prices have been declining over the last two years, resulting in some accumulation of surpluses in the Government-owned oil company that will be used to excite the Barbadian public sometime next year. Benefits that they should have been enjoying before and all now will be packaged as a testimony to a perceived recovery taking place in the Barbados economy. This will be done to coincide with the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of independence. It is clear that there was political will and economic know-how among the leaders in the past which permitted them to approach economic problems with confidence. It is therefore surprising that the current political leadership did not look at the lessons learnt from the past in formulating a strategy to confront economic difficulties that have been allowed to fester for well over eight years. In the circumstances, several of the economic and social gains won since Independence have been eroded by an ill-prepared and unwilling Government. The poor and indecisive economic leadership of the current Government is best reflected in the reversals in our social progress. Universal access to health and education that were major sources of pride of our countrys social engineering is now the victim of the suppression of industry by a bankrupt government. In the midst of it all there is still hope of a Better Life for our People. Putting people back in the centre of a recovery programme that emphasizes economic growth and social progress is the key to the future. The recovery will be achieved through an investment strategy that recognizes the need to encourage a prudent mixture of local and foreign investment; a fiscal strategy that balances the aspirations of the public with the reality of governments financial resources and a human resource strategy that prepares Barbadians to be more entrepreneurial through appropriate training and education that is more in-line with the needs of a new economy. The decisive difference going forward will be in the capacity of the countrys political leadership, in which case there is a distinct advantage that the BLPs current leadership brings, after several years of trial and triumph. Returning Hope To Our People 77th | Annual Conference 2015 | 21www.blp.org.bb

22. The Citizenship By Investment Programme: A Model For Barbados? Ricardo Blackman U nderstandably, a future Barbados Labour Party (BLP) Government would wish to examine a diverse range of strategies for raising revenue, to inject new life into an economy that has been literally wrecked by an inept DLP government. One such strategy, which has now been given the nod of approval by four (4) Caribbean governments (St. Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and, more recently, St. Lucia) is the Citizenship by Investment programme (CIP). The government of St. Kitts and Nevis was first to introduce the scheme in 1984. It targets high net worth individuals who are keen to invest in real estate and receive in return, residency permits and citizenship. As recent as July 28th, 2015, the Citizenship by Investment Bill was debated and passed in Parliament in St. Lucia, with Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Dr. Kenny Anthony telling the Chamberthatthemeasurewasabsolutely essential at this time. The purpose of this article is not to make a case for the embrace of the CIP by a Barbados Labour Party administration, but this writer is of the view that the turbulent journey of the programme, since its inception in the Caribbean more than 30 years ago, is worthy of clinical examination. Outside the Caribbean, countries such as Belize, Brazil, Cyprus, Ireland, Malta and Panama all run CIPs, while Australia, Belgium, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States offer temporary resident permits or golden visas granted to wealthy individuals in return for investment. Many observers con- tend that while Citizen- ship by Investment programmes may be economically viable, they are reputationally risky, the Caribbean being no exception to this theory. The journey of the CIP in the Caribbean has not been without its turbulence. Prime Minister, Dr. Timothy Harris of St. Kitts and Nevis has called for common standards and shared codes of conduct to ensure that the programmes work properly and that its impossible to play one jurisdiction against the other. Dr. Harris call came against the backdrop of a warning by the US Treasury Department to financial institutions, to be on the look out for certain individuals abusing the St. Kitts and Nevis CIP. An advisory issued by the Treasury Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) said these individuals were seeking to obtain St. Kitts and Nevis passports for the purpose of engaging in illicit financial activity. FinCEN also opined that Iranians were purchasing foreign citizenship for US$250,000 cash or through US$400,000 real estate investment, despite assurances from the then government of St. Kitts and Nevis that the citizens were banned from the programme. The government of Canada, also concerned about the need for greater transparency and due diligence in the CIP, imposed a visa restriction on St. Kitts and Nevis for all its 55,000 nationals. Antigua and Barbuda has carried out a major overhaul of its programme to enhance its management and level of investigation required to ensure its integrity. And Grenada has changed its Citizenship by Investment law so that applicants can remain anonymous. Grenadas first Citizenship by Investment programme had to be cancelled because some applicants were involved in terrorist and other criminal activities. Returning Hope To Our People www.blp.org.bb22 | 77th Annual Conference | 2015

23. And when Jesus saw them he was much displeased, and unto them said suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the kingdom of heaven. Mark 10 vs 14 B arbadians can take no pleasure in the seeming mindless unravelling of everything in our society that we hold dear. For nearly as long as the oldest of us can remember, our Barbadian community spirit and strict observance of justice in its most basic sense has been the backbone of our development and success as a nation. To the extent that we have been held up as a leading example of an enlightened society that punches above its weight. Sadly, our performance as a people has come up woe- fully short. The recent disastrous situation with the abuse of our most vulnerable our children - has laid bare some uncomfortable truths about the performance of our communities, neighbourhoods and villages, but most importantly, it has shed an uncomfortable light on the performance of the Child Care Board, (CCB). We have all expressed our outrage, shock and horror at what at first glance appears to be apathy by the members of the Board to our young people. But I ask us to step back and truly begin to com- prehend the magnitude of the social failure that has been engineered by a government that supposedly cares nothing about an economy but brands itself as a society builder. The issue is, in fact, much, much larger than one organisation. Even a casual observer will concede that this unfolding situation has to be considered against the backdrop of the recent drastic cuts to the social and welfare organizations of Barbados. The failed fiscal policies of the Freundel Stuart-led Government and the hapless financial leadership of the Minister of Finance, Christopher Sinclair, have placed Barbados with a mounting fiscal deficit and esca- lating national debt. The result of these bungled attempts at financial management has meant that rash and ill-considered cuts across the board have been made. These cuts have apparent- ly been made without consideration of the cost or consequence that will be experienced in the homes of the average Barbadian. This Govern- ment has failed to make the connection between the strengthening Returning Hope To Our People Child Care Board Affair a Sordid Stain Senator Wilfred Abrahams To some extent, it can be argued that the CIP corrects a flaw on international trade which thrives on the freedom of movement of capital across national borders, but which is unmatched by a similar mobility regime for people. Neoliberal development models promote free movement for capital but often forgets that neither capital nor people travel alone. On the face of it, it seems that the CIP is a win-win situation for those countries offering it and those buying it. But are such schemes also legitimate and just? This writer argues that the problem and the discon- tent that the CIP generates is not rooted in the fact that citizenship, a concept dear to citizens and deeply linked with other matters as democracy and identity, is for sale. TheproblemwiththeCIPisglobalin- equality. Citizenship by Investment Schemes do not themselves produce injustice, but they are unjust because they build on pre-existing large disparities in the world. If all countries were equal in living conditions, would the scheme be objectionable? If the answer is no, as I think it is, then the source of injustice is global inequality rather than policies that do not themselves produce injustice. Because staggering global in- equalities exist, Citizenship by Investment schemes have very different consequences for the worlds ultra-rich and less well-off; while the scheme carves out global mobility corridors through entangled states for the former, they confine to national borders, the latter and is in this way, nationalizing poverty. Thus the question: who really benefits? How does the Citizenship by Investment programme empower the larger majority: the less well-off? Ricardo Blackman is a renowned public relations expert and former newscaster. Among other things, he monitors political trends for a number of clients. 77th | Annual Conference 2015 | 23www.blp.org.bb

25. of the economy and the sustainability of our society. The CCB, for years, has been an understaffed and underappreciated organization tasked with a Herculean role of investigating and responding to complaints of child abuse or social and domestic situations involving children. In the past, the funds allocated were not enough but were sufficient, albeit under strain, to meet the minimum standards that were required. However, when the already limited budget of the CCB was further brutally compromised as part of an ill-considered governmental restructuring, even with the best will in the world the CCB would have been hard pressed to effectively carry out its mandate. The responsibility of those at the CCB extends further than the investigation of social complaints involving children. It is an essential and much relied upon institution for protecting the islands most vulnerable from abuse and conditions that no child should be subjected to. The Board and this Govern- ment owed a duty of care to the people of Barbados to highlight the problems confronting it in the fulfilment of its duty so that more informed decisions could be made. Barbadians should have been told that while there were austerity programmes in place, the CCB would be untouched and some other, less important departments (constituency councils, the David Thompson football tournament, Cahill, etc) would have to take a haircut in order to maintain a shield over our children. I am confident that Barbadians would have understood and welcomed the extra sacrifice. In any event, even without this collaborative and enlightened approach, the ultimate responsibility and duty of care of the Board must be to the children of Barbados and not to the Government. It would have been one thing if the board highlighted its challenges such that the public was aware that in- vestigations could not probably be done, and pressure could have been brought to bear to increase funding. Instead, the directors trod the dangerous line of trying to preserve pride above function and this danger was highlighted in dismal fashion. While the Board and its directors can, and must, be called to book for their apparent inaction, there, however, can be no excusing Minister Steven Blackett, the minister directly responsible for the CCB. Minister Blackett knew, or ought to have known, of the deficiencies at the CCB and the dangers to which our children were being exposed as a result - and evidence suggests that he did nothing. In this he was either negligent or incompetent in the execution of his duties. Worse yet since the recent scandal involving the three children came to light there has been no satis- factory explanation or statement from the Minister as to who or what was responsible other than a vote of confidence in the Board and the announcement of the resumption of the David Thompson Football Classic. In good conscience, nothing less than the resignation of the Minister should have sufficed. The convenient announcement of the resumption of the David Thompson Football Classic is typical of the politics of distraction of this Government when faced with public outcry over deficiencies in the execution of their duties. It is not only the CCB, but the underfunding and understaffing of the Royal Barbados Police Force, (RBPF), the lack of resources of the Sanitation Service Authority, (SSA), the shortages at the QEH, the abrupt termination of free tertiary education and the recently highlighted crisis with the legal aid scheme in Barbados which all herald the unfolding of a social crisis in the country. This Government has failed in its mandate. It has failed the people of Barbados and has exposed the most vulnerable in our society to their greatest fears. There has been, at best, a collapse and, at worst, a systematic dismantling of the social welfare system in Barbados. And no one is being held accountable. This tawdry affair is a salutary example of a government that is help- less at building an economy and hope- less at building a society. There is a cost to action but this Government has shown that there is an even greater cost to inaction. With the perilous state of our economy, the collapse of our social structures and the crime crisis crippling the country this is not the time to be penny wise and pound foolish. For how long must our people suffer in silence at the hands of a bungling government? Senator Abrahams is an attorney-at-law. He is head of Aegis Chambers and the caretaker of the Christ Church East constituency. Returning Hope To Our People 77th | Annual Conference 2015 | 25www.blp.org.bb

26. Indar Weir Returning Hope To Our People I t started in 2008 when political democracy erupted into a call for change. Coming head on with this was the second major threat to global economies since the Great Depression of 1929. Interestingly, these two extremities were representative of un- managed forces coming against each other at a vociferous pace, resulting in the economic crisis of 2008. The Prime Minister at the time failed to contain this potential juggernaut of human suffering that was progressing viciously across all sectors of our economy. Rather than introduce measures that may stabilize the situation, he pursued a hostile tax grab that served not only to wreck the economy but also posed a monumental threat to labour, business, social groups and ultimately Barbadian civilization. His sojourn was short but pregnant with the sins of the CLICO defalcation, increased energy cost, a baseless increase in water rates and, if not bad enough, the imposition of Sinckler to manage our economy and Stuart to take the wheel as Prime Minister before his 10/10 (October 2010) departure. Prime Minister Stuart, in his apparent confused and erratic approach to governance, maintained Thompsons status quo. He continued to marginalize Dr. David Estwick while tacitly venting a sense of rage at capitalism by keeping Christopher Sinckler as Minister ofFinance. His stewardship and policies present the likeliest chance for the collapse of the economy. They have eviscerated our society to the benefit of the wealthy. The removal of free tertiary education serves only to rip away any equal chance of working class Barbadians becoming an obvious part of the ownership structure. It is tantamount to acceding to demonic forces that are usurping and subverting the freedom of the poor, with a singular objective to reverse all our achievements since emancipation and driving us back to being menial labourers. Prime Minister Stuart presided over a cabinet that dispensed the removal of access to education for all, proper and timely delivery of health care and a botched up and unsuitable Housing Every Last Person programme. He was relentless in the Alexandra School debacle by publicly chastising our teachers and reminding them of their places in the canfields. He sided with a political colleague in a dispute with a member of our disabled community. He gave a tongue lashing and ivory tower scorning to the youthful leadership in the Labour Movement. And he continues to separate himself from society only to be heard in instances of reprimand or forced political agendas. Under his stewardship, we have seen a concerted effort at the consolidation of wealth across critical sectors of our economy: construction especially, and tourism. Weve also witnessed the economic disenfran- chisement of our indigenous capitalists and an unprecedented cleansing of the public service, forcing our middle and working class out of employment and at the mercy of a dysfunctional tribunal. Such actions are representative of fundamental errors for which the Prime Minster stands condemned. He knows better than most that it is a fallacy to assume that wealth is privately created and publicly appropriated through taxation. It is patently clear in our capitalist system that wealth is collectively created and privately distributed. Any other philosophy is bogus! There- fore, to spearhead a vicious political strategy that seeks power off the ignorance and innocence of the populace is reprehensible. Present evidence shows the dramatic shifting of wealth back to the plantocracy as a consequence of Stewarts leadership style and political posture. To my mind, the Prime Minister is lost to the legacy of the founder of the party he now leads, the late Right Excellent Errol Barrow, and in his state of confusion is seeking to defend the destruction of the fundamental pillars that facilitated his current honor: education, healthcare and free enterprise. The fact that he speaks loudly about vote buying, has also ushered several threats but has never taken action, is akin to turning a blind eye to a crime in pursuit of victory. When one contemplates Mr. Stewarts legacy, it presents a colossal challenge to find one thing which may be cited as a positive response to the demands of a 21st century existence. It appears as though he never gave serious thought to prime ministerial landmarks. His persistent silence on the impact of the policies he pursues, even though they have reversed decades of achievements by previous prime ministers, is unprecedented. His exaggerated lugubrious drollery is nothing more than mere spat in defiance of logic. The most ironic was his recommendation of legal advice against a disabled victim after previously extolling the virtues of being a pal to an able bodied Ponzi scheme architect. I believe Marxs mesmerizing dramatic script about modern bourgeois society may be a fitting tribute to his behaviour: he is like the sorcerer who is no longer able to control the powers of the nether world whom he has called up by his spells. Indar Weir is head of Indar Weir travel and other businesses. He was the Partys candidate for St. Philip North in the last election. He is Public Relations Officer of the BLP. www.blp.org.bb26 | 77th Annual Conference | 2015 Observing a confused and erratic Prime Minister

27. Returning Hope To Our People Bad Labour relations affect productivity and progress Dwight Sutherland, MP. Dwight Sutherland is the MP for St. George South and Shadow Minister of Labour. As an engineering executive, he has firsthand experience in labour relations. 77th | Annual Conference 2015 | 27www.blp.org.bb ment should not set Laws to govern conduct of private sector employees and employers and then do far worse than private sector employees to do in terms of conduct and employee rights. This is simply because there is the absence of national industrial relations policy at Government level. Such a policy would address these IR matters. Instead the Government of Barbados continues to move from crisis to crisis and the IR climate in Barbados has reached its threshold and is one of chaos and industrial mayhem. Today in a Barbados all of the professional organizations and Unions have said they no longer trust this Government. The Social Partners have also written to the Government to express concerns on the disdain the government has shown them. This is simply because of the strong arm and unfair policies of this Government and made worse by an incompetent Minister of Labour who is yet to solve any problem that has reached her desk. All this is happening at a time when Barbados can least afford it: when the country is at its lowest economic point. The formation of political organizations came about as a result of the fight for and the need to protect workers. This was done by the BLP.All of us who are members of this great party will recall that the BWU was formed out of the belly of the BLP in 1941. Early leadership of the trade unions often overlapped with leadership of the BLP because there was recognition that there could be no progress in Barbados and no national development without improving the condition of workers. Where workers are in peril the country is in peril so successive governments since 1940s worked on laws, policies and protocol to maintain peaceful industrial relations and progressive workers rights. All of Government policies post 2008 have been a declaration of war on working class people of this country. People have been betrayed: the going home by the thousands after being told by the DLP that no one will be sent home.To compound the problem, persons in the public sector have had to endure a wage freeze since 2008 while inflation has risen by 41 percent since then. Compare this style of governance with the proud track record of the Barbados Labour Party. The Barbados Labour Party introduced the Holidays with Pay Act, Workers compensation Act, minimum wage legislation, gave security of tenure to thousands of casual and temporary public workers, NIS benefits unemployment benefits for laid off and redundant workers, and under Owen Arthur made a Constitu- tion amendment to prevent salaries of public workers being cut ever again, and expanded the Social Partnership which worked to maintain relative stability in labour relations in this country. A BLP government will continue to ensure workers rights, that people are treated fairly and will accord workers of Barbados the dignity and respect they deserve, having work hard to build this nation. I ndustrial Relations or simply put the maintenance of positive relationship between employers, workers and unions are critical to national development. Recently I said in Parlia- ment that a sound industrial relations climate/system requires a labour management relations policy which must have at its core certain objectives such as job security, mini- mizing conflict, achieving harmonious relationships, resolving conflict through peaceful means and raising standard of living through improved terms and conditions of employment. Research has also shown that efficient production of goods and services depends to an extent on the existence of a harmonious industrial relations climate while productivity is largely enhanced and driven by job security and terms and conditions of employment. Research has also shown that efficiency and quality depends on a motivated work force for which a sound industrial relations climate is necessary while productivity needs a strong labour relations base. Productivity does not depend on individual effort alone. We have a labour management crisis in this country that clearly is not driven by the ILO Labour Management Policy which I outline in the above. The question to be asked is whether current Government laws and regulations are being adhered to and is this Government practicing good Industrial relations practices to foster productivity, growth and development in Barbados? The record of this current DLP administration has been one to dismantle what was a national core of Barbados development, where Government recognized that Labour was an important partner and people needed to be treated properly and rewarded for their hard work in building Barbados. The many crises in our country today have been fueled by bad leadership and ministerial incompetence in the area of Labour Management and IR relations.The Government is guided by the Public Service Act, Constitutional and General Orders, Public Service Regulations but yet they are in breach of all these Laws. This Government is trying to establish a set of behaviors in the private sector and Statutory Corporation (Employment Rights Act) but in the PUBLIC sector is chaos and mayhem as it relates to Industrial relations climate.Government is requiring a higher standard of private sector and statutory corporations than what they have set for themselves. Govern-

29. Returning Hope To Our People Speightstown Vital to the Future of Tourism in Barbados Colin Jordan S peightstown must be revived for Barbadians and for our vitally important tourism industry. Barbados first port and commercial centre, known in times past as Little Bristol, is now battling for its survival. Founded in the 1630s and named after landowner William Speight, Speightstown is a fascinating collection of people, businesses and history. The heritage of Speightstown is wide-ranging. It was the centre of schooner traffic moving tobacco, cotton, and later sugar and other produce from Barbados to the port city of Bristol in England. The jetty in the then-bustling town was a hive of activity with larger ships offshore and smaller vessels ferrying people and goods. Speightstown was the centre of an active whaling industry. Ships left port to hunt these large creatures and bring back their catch to sell. There is significant military history, in the Barbados context, surrounding Speightstown. Much attention was placed on Speightstown because of its commercial importance. The town boasted five forts Coconut Fort, Orange Fort, Fort Denmark, Heywoods Fort, and Dover Fort, which was located on a cliff to the east of the town. 77th | Annual Conference 2015 | 29www.blp.org.bb A reinvigorated Speight- stown will serve visitors by providing attractions and real opportunities for them to become immersed in the heritage and culture of Barbados.

30. These fortifications were the reason Barbados, for many months, was able to repel Oliver Cromwells forces in the only attempted invasion of Barbados. Many of the early settlers of the Carolinas, USA, left Barbados from Speight- stown, along with their slaves, and there is still great similarity in architecture between Charleston, South Carolina, and Speightstown. In spite of its early prominence and the important role played in the development of the country, Speightstown is now a shadow of its former self. As urban and suburban areas around Bridgetown become more populated and traffic congestion becomes more acute, Speight- stown will need to be a point where northern and eastern residents are able to conduct basic business activities without being forced to venture to Bridgetown or Warrens. In this regard, there will be a continuing need for some Government offices, banks, supermarkets, clothing and provision supply in the town. We must build on the strengths and attributes that still exist. There are communities of resilient and resourceful people; hotels and condominiums to the south and north; and two marinas to the north of Speightstown. There is law enforcement as well as a major public transportation hub in Speightstown. There are some sporting facilities, primary and secondary schools, an accessible waterfront, and public meeting areas. There are churches representing almost every major denomination in Barbados. A revitalised Speightstown will see residents serviced by the provision of cultural and other amenities thereby improving their quality of life. It will, maybe more importantly, see improved and increased avenues for productive economic activity which residents can engage in and benefit from. A reinvigorated Speightstown will serve visitors by providing attractions and real opportunities for them to become immersed in the heritage and culture of Barbados. If the proposed Scotland District National Park, which stretches from the eastern coast of St. Lucy through areas like Boscobelle, St. Peter, through St. Andrew to St. Joseph, is to be properly developed as the major attrac- tion for visitors to the island that it can be, then Speightstown must be developed as a major service point for the inevitable increase in visitor traffic that will result. Speightstown has the potential to become the culinary centre of the Caribbean. www.blp.org.bb30 | 77th Annual Conference | 2015

31. It can be the centre for the visual and performing arts in Barbados. Its sheltered bays can be centres for watersports. It can become a second port adding variety to cruise liners. Barbados first town can become the point of departure for heritage tours. There can be photo opportunities with replicas of William Speight and re-enactments of aspects of the town life of a by-gone era. An intricate network of gullies across St. Peter end at Speightstown and these can be significant components in developing heritage/hiking trails and geocache adventures. These are but some of the many ideas already voiced by stakeholders. To effect the restoration of Speightstown, genuine dialogue with residents, business owners/managers and other stakeholders is essential dialogue that moves beyond mere social interaction and is instead aimed at obtaining buy-in for the ideas we already have and concretising the process for their realisation. What we do know from previous discussions is that buildings must be preserved and the architec- tural heritage maintained. Government needs to signal that it recognises the importance of the town and intends to partner in its revitalisation. New approaches are needed by both private and public sectors, and public/private sector partnership opportunities need to be explored for some aspects of the towns development. Heritage and history is one of Barbados unique selling points and as such, a vibrant Speightstown, with its authentic and unique positioning, is required for the vitality of our Barbados tourism product. The time for us and our policy- makers to act to save Speightstown is now! Colin Jordan is a tourism executive, businessmen and former President of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association, (BHTA). The BLP candidate for St. Peter, one of his passions is working for an re-energised Speightstown, a community he knows very well. Returning Hope To Our People Speightstown Fish Market Arlington & BNB Building Speightstown Jetty Speightstown Esplanade 77th | Annual Conference 2015 | 31www.blp.org.bb

32. www.blp.org.bb32 | 77th Annual Conference | 2015 This is an edited version of an address to the Lions Club of Bridgetown, delivered on impactful community projects in these times to assist the most vulnerable. T hese times are clearly not the best and Barbados most definitely needs all hands on the deck now, to join the fight on the multiplicity of issues facing our nation. The economic difficulties are well known. What is becoming more apparent is the social disruption resulting from years of economic stagnation that is spreading and becoming an endemic issue on its own. I dare say that if there is not serious and urgent intervention, our social problems may well become more of a catastrophe than our economic problems - certainly they will be much harder to reverse and could well create a Barba- dos that none of us would wish to see. Already, unfortunately, there are signs of a developing underclass; indications that housing is becoming out of reach; evidence that many are falling through the cracks in our education system - or the system is failing them - and this is separate and apart from those who have had to curtail their dream of uni- versity education simply because they cannot afford it. Generally, there is a definite drift in our accepted socialisation to the extent where the block culture has become the choice for several young people, deviant behaviour in our schools is generating appalling consequences, as is seen now almost daily in the various videos which go viral via social media, while issues such as child and elder abuse are reaching worrying proportions. Thanks to organisations such as yours, Mr. President, I know that important work is being undertaken quietly and diligently to deal with some of these challenges at the personal, community and even the national level. However, there is much more

BLP 2015 Conference Magazine

Economy & Finance