GOVERNMENT, OPPOSITION PLEDGE TO WORK IN UNITY

There was a sense of camaraderie in the Anguilla House of Assembly when elected Government and Opposition Members, of the Anguilla Progressive Movement and the Anguilla United Front, respectively met on Friday, July 17, at the attractively renovated and improved Atlin Noraldo Harrigan Parliamentary Building.

They were there for the opening of the First Session of the Twelfth House of Assembly, and to take their Oaths of Allegiance administered by the just elected and sworn in Honourable Speaker, Mrs. Barbara Webster-Bourne. It is her second term as Speaker, having served in that capacity from 2010-1015 under the then Anguilla United Movement Government.

The Speaker set the tone of the statements by Members of the House in her address when she said in part: “I wish to congratulate all Members on their election to this Honourable House – both Members of the Government’s side and the Opposition’s side. I am hopeful that Members will serve with full dedication and distinction. It is indeed a unique opportunity and privilege to serve our beloved island, and I look forward to maximising the opportunities for every Member to contribute.

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“The promotion of good governance requires a Parliament that can effectively perform three cardinal functions, namely: representation, oversight regarding the Executive, and law-making. Towards this end, we must seek to eliminate the existing practice of presenting some bills in this Honourable House that have not been given any or adequate public consultation. It simply cannot be business as usual. I therefore encourage Members to give sufficient time for public discourse and opinion.

“Furthermore, the opportunity for persons to assist the Assembly exists under Section 54 of the Anguilla Constitution Order 1982. Should Members require such assistance, I will be happy to accommodate your request. Anguillians, everywhere, look up to Parliament and Government for solutions to the problems that confront them on a daily basis. This Parliament is for the people of Anguilla and they require us to be honest, accountable, transparent and responsive to their needs. I therefore ask for the full cooperation of all Members. After all, you are here to work on behalf of the people who elected you. We all owe this much to all Anguillians.”

The Honourable Premier and Leader of Government Business, Dr. Ellis Webster, led the other Members of the House in the delivery of their statements. They all prefaced their addresses with expressions of gratitude to the people, in the various constituencies, who elected them – and also spoke about the contributions they intend to make to Anguilla as a whole.

In his statement, Premier Webster said: “This APM Administration is poised and ready to tackle issues that confront us head-on. By God’s help, and the confidence of the people, this work will be done.

“Madam Speaker, we know that the Covid-19 pandemic is still a threat. I wish to thank the brave souls at the Ministry of Health, the Nurses and Doctors at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, and the Governor’s Office, for working tirelessly to keep us safe. I also want to thank the United Kingdom citizens – and the United Kingdom Government for the donations of equipment, money and technical expertise as well as the offer of financial assistance to help us get through this difficult period as we determine the way forward.

“Madam Speaker, as we address issues of reopening, repatriation, tourism and the economy, we must always be mindful of the safety and wellbeing of our people. These concerns will guide us as we analyze the epidemiological and scientific data to reduce risks. Moving forward, as we have stressed in our campaign, we must diversify the economy as the shocks of hurricanes and pandemics have shown how vulnerable the tourism industry is. We must develop fishing and agriculture – not only for food security, but also as a means of creating jobs and bringing in money from exports. To decrease the cost of living, we must transform to renewable energy. This would decrease the cost of electricity; the cost of water; the cost of doing business; and the cost of healthcare.

“Speaking of healthcare, Madam Speaker, this must be adequate, accessible and affordable in Anguilla. No longer can we continue to rely on facilities in other islands and countries. Covid-19 has shown us how difficult it is…We will advance policies and legislation for your consideration in the coming weeks and months.

“We are committed to youth development and empowerment through education, employment, entrepreneurship with incentives, to give our people an advantage. We must implement safety nets for the vulnerable in our population – the elderly and the very young.”

Premier Webster added: “Madam Speaker, there is so much work to be done and we will need the cooperation of a dedicated public service. We will need the cooperation of a dedicated House of Assembly. We have been assured of the ongoing commitment of the Governor, and the United Kingdom Government, to supporting Anguilla through these uncertain times as we implement strategies and reforms to help Anguilla become more efficient and sustainable.”

Leader of the Opposition, Mrs. Cora Richardson-Hodge, took the opportunity to trace what she described as the “significant social advances” she accomplished – as Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Labour, Education, Constitutional and Electoral Reform, Information and Broadcasting and Human Rights – during the past five years. (These accomplishments are published elsewhere in this edition of The Anguillian newspaper. They are outlined in her statement which she submitted to this newspaper for publication.)

Mrs. Richardson-Hodge concluded her address with a statement about her role as Leader of the Opposition – and that of her other colleagues, Mr. Evans Rogers, Mr. Cardigan Connor and Mr. Jose Vanterpool. She said:

“Madam Speaker, as Opposition Members in the House of Assembly, our role is not to object to everything that is before this Honourable House. To the contrary, as long as what comes to the House is for the advancement of the people of Anguilla, I, for one, will certainly support it. As Leader of the Opposition, I look forward to the continuation of the work of the Public Accounts Committee…

“Madam Speaker, I wish to once again thank you. I wish to thank specifically also: Mr. Victor Franklin Banks for all his years in politics and all he has done, [and] for his contribution to Anguilla.”

The others who also spoke but not in the following order, were: Opposition Members Mr. Evans Rogers; Mr. Cardigan Connor; and Mr. Jose Vanterpool; Government Ministers Mr. Hadyn Hughes; Mr. Kyle Hodge; Mr. Kenneth Hodge; and Ms. Dee-Ann Kentish-Rogers; Parliamentary Secretary, Mrs. Quincia Gumbs-Marie; and Ministerial Assistant, Mr. Merrick Richardson; Deputy Governor and Deputy Speaker, Mr. Perin Bradley; and Attorney General, Mr. Dwight Horsford.

The swearing in ceremony and the delivery of statements were witnessed by a large number of supporters of both the Anguilla Progressive Movement and the Anguilla United Front. They fully occupied all the seats in the gallery and applauded the speakers, adding much to the camaraderie and goodwill in the House of Assembly.