It was a shameless display of nasty and abusive politics that took place in the House of Assembly last Friday. Once again the Chief Minister and his son, the Parliamentary Secretary, launched a vicious attack on “strategic human targets” for the upcoming General Election. While this strategy is not new — it is the first time that women were so directly in the line of fire. In typical cowardly style, they used the shelter of the House to perpetrate their lies and half-truths and to say most unfair things about their opponents as well as ordinary citizens who are not able to defend themselves. The Parliamentary Secretary continues to use the line “it is a fact” while at the same time stretching the very facts on which he establishes the premises to create his illusions. He will then proceed to compare “apples to oranges” deviously leading his audience to false or faulty conclusions.
In my case, Haydn Hughes plays at encouraging me to sue him when he fully well knows that he has not made any defamatory statement. But he carefully makes all the libelous comments in the shelter of the House of Assembly. For example he chides me to sue him for “questioning my judgment”. The truth is that he is completely free to question my judgment as I am to question his quite often — but try as he might he will never take the chance to accuse me of doing anything illegal or criminal while he is outside of the House of Assembly. I challenge him to open himself to similar scrutiny. I can confidently report that no Court inside or outside of Anguilla has ever charged me for anything. And he needs to be forewarned that many persons who have predicted my arrest and imprisonment over the years have themselves beat me to that draw.
But I am not the least bit concerned about their promises of more to come. Lies flow freely from liars. And like the majority of the electorate I am also aware that these Leaders of the AUM have already committed themselves to another campaign of lies. They have admittedly adopted this kind of campaigning as a “best practice” for winning elections in Anguilla. We are determined that on this occasion they will not succeed.
There is no need for me to speak in defense of Mrs. Cora Richardson-Hodge, the Secretary General of the AUF as well as our candidate for (Sandy Hill) District 2. She has already demonstrated that she is fully equipped to speak for herself. However, I must comment on the general disrespect for women, which seems to pervade the leadership style of the AUM Party. One can bring examples about almost every Minister of this Government, including (especially) the Parliamentary Secretary, of such disrespect. And it was most obvious in the last House of Assembly meeting that the Chief Minister and the Parliamentary Secretary had planned to wage a “ground war” against the two women who are opposing them in the upcoming election. This attack was not intended to be courteous or professional. It was strictly “gutter politics”. The gutter being a place where this father and son attack team is always most comfortable. In fact one listener, after hearing that House of Assembly meeting, commented that the only thing left for the Chief Minister and the Parliamentary Secretary to do was to “hoist up their skirts”. Unfortunately, I cannot confirm whether or not they were so gaily attired.
But the main purpose of my article this week is to talk about another Government project that also seems to be proceeding in a rush, namely, the waste to energy processing project that the Government of Anguilla and ANGLEC intend to enter into with a company called Global Green Energy. To quote from an article in The Anguillian, dated Friday 28th February 2014: “The waste to energy process is a patented pyrolysis that the organic combustible waste goes under, and converts into gas that powers turbines that makes electricity”. It is also to be noted that this is “the first ever waste to energy project of its kind in the Caribbean.”
It is a well-known fact that the Minister with responsibility for Electricity has been struggling for a long time to keep his campaign promise to reduce the price of electricity to the consumers. This was a formidable undertaking, the magnitude of which the Minister was completely unaware. He tried several measures, including trying to dismiss the entire ANGLEC Board, seemingly under the naïve opinion that Board Members were conspiring to keep ANGLEC’s rates high. Having spent almost four years trying to find the solution – in the wrong places – the Minister obviously is now sold on the idea that burning certain kinds of garbage from the Landfill could reduce the cost of electricity production considerably. It means that the more eco-friendly sources of alternative energy, like solar and wind, have been temporarily placed on the back burner. While I certainly support the view that it is a sensible policy to pursue renewable sources of energy of all kinds, there is real concern about the sustainability of the proposed project.
It is obvious that the Minister and the Government would like to see some movement on this project in time for the upcoming general election. In this context there is concern, in the wider community, that enough attention is not being paid to the required due diligence applicable for such projects. It may well be the case that this could be determined to be a very safe project, but there are a number of important questions associated with its implementation that need to be answered: –
• Why is it that Anguilla has the distinction of being the very first Caribbean Territory to be considered for such a project? Does this make us winners or guinea pigs?
• Where are the prototypes of the proposed facility to enable us to have a firsthand look at one of them in operation?
• Since it is claimed that the technology was developed in the United States, why is it that no facility has ever been developed in the U.S. Virgin Islands or Puerto Rico?
• Does Anguilla generate sufficient waste to make the project sustainable? If we don’t — will we have to import garbage to make the project viable?
• Will the processing of the waste material cause pollutants of any kind to be discharged into the air surrounding residential areas, especially in Corito, Little Harbour, Long Ground, Statia Valley; the Forest; and George Hill?
• Will the findings of the Environmental Impact Assessment be made public for consultation with stakeholders and residents in the community?
• It is rumoured that the technical staff in the Ministry of Utilities have not been consulted. Why is the Minister proceeding so quickly with this project without the benefit of his technicians?
• How does the site of this plant affect the proposed development of the Deep Water Harbour and other amenities in the Corito Area?
• How will the implementation of this project affect our main industry — Tourism?
These questions are not exhaustive but I am certain that, as the project is further discussed in the community, many specific questions will arise. A number of realities puzzle me though; for example: –
• Why is it that the same Minister of Government who, in 2004, was posing for the camera on a huge pile of marl adjacent his home in Long Ground, so concerned about pollutants on that occasion – but does not seem equally concerned about the real possibility of noxious and toxic fumes being diffused from the combustion of garbage from the landfill site?
• Why is it that so much fuss is being made of a small crematory in Little Harbour, that may be used infrequently, while there is expected to be daily incineration by this project at the landfill site?
• Why is it that the same Minister of Government who held up the Education Bill, because he was concerned about the requirement that his children be vaccinated, so anxious to speed this project through Executive Council with only limited public consultation?
• Why is the same Minister so much opposed to eco-friendly and tested Solar Energy Systems, and is so much in a hurry to advance waste to energy systems that involve so many untested operational elements?
It is not my intention to point an accusatory finger at anyone as to the reasons for the hasty implementation process being pursued on this project. However, I believe that especially in the circumstances of the pronouncement by the Minister that it is not costing the Government of Anguilla anything — I must warn him that nothing comes without a price. It is certain that Global Green Energy Inc. is not a charitable foundation — it is in this for a profit. This is not a gift being granted because they love the Minister or the Government and people of Anguilla. Their involvement or non-involvement will be decided on the basis of whether or not they get a favourable agreement with ANGLEC and the GoA. That agreement, if not carefully negotiated, could become as dangerous as the Trojan Horse of Greek Mythology. In that context, it would be instructive for the Minister and the Government to read and paraphrase the timeless advice contained in that ancient story: “Beware of Greeks bearing gifts!”
