Fellow Anguillans! My People!
Just three years ago, you bestowed on our party the honor and privilege of leading our nation. It is an awesome responsibility, one that as Leader of the Anguilla United Front Party I do not take lightly.
Three years ago our country was at a crossroads. The 2015 elections was a hard fought contest, and at the end of it, you the People of Anguilla entrusted us with a mandate to lead our country in the direction we articulated in our campaign and outlined in our Manifesto.
We of the AUF were humbled by this tremendous vote of confidence. You placed your trust in our administration, and we pledged that we would work every day to make a difference in your lives, to right the ship and to ensure a brighter future for our children.
We recognized that by the mandate you gave us you had high expectations for us to deliver on our plans. We have committed ourselves to doing so over the five year period for which we were elected to govern.
For each of the past three years we had specific issues to overcome.
Our first year was dominated by the need to implement a banking resolution that protected and defended the interest of you, the depositors of our two indigenous banks, who had been among other things by the powerful negative forces of the Great Recession going back to 2009. During that time you will remember the many protest marches that threatened to create an unstable situation in our country. However, I understand the dynamics of the democratic process and the opportunity it provides to make every voice heard on every side of such issues. We should have it no other way!
My People while there continues to be some nagging issues within the banking sector, I am pleased to announce that the National Commercial Bank of Anguilla (NCBA) your bank, has made great progress in the first two years since it began operations on April 25, 2016 and is on the launch path to be the leading provider of banking services to the people of Anguilla as in the past.
We continue to face delays and setbacks of all kinds but our people have been steady in their belief that Anguilla needs these homegrown institutions as drivers of our personal and national development. It is because of the loyalty and support of Anguillians and residents of Anguilla that we have come thus far— we may have lost a few battles but the victory is in sight.
In our second year we re-doubled our efforts to bringing the best solution to the Cap Juluca issue. A solution that would be in the best interest of all concerned and one that will result in the full unification of Cap Juluca and set it on a path to return to its former glory. We achieved this objective with the sale of Cap Juluca to Belmond Inc, in June of 2017. The new Belmond Cap Juluca will proudly open its doors to the world once again in November of this year.
Under the MoU with the Government of Anguilla, Belmond Inc is to renovate and expand Belmond Cap Juluca and operate the eventually upgraded facility as a 5 star property. When completed Belmond Cap Juluca will comprise 113 hotel rooms and suites.
The project involves the construction of 5 new villas, two with 6 rooms each, one with 8 rooms and two with two rooms. Additionally, there will be a new spa, a ball room, a new pool at the arrivals building and a beach barbeque restaurant and bar. The new construction also includes a new staff building and cafeteria. All the existing villas, the arrivals building, Pimms Restaurant will be upgraded, as well as the landscaping, access roads and parking areas.
Under the MoU Belmond will maintain all existing beach access and parking for use by the public. Belmond continues to express the view that the upgraded and expanded facility will be one of which the people of Anguilla will be proud of and wish to see the facilities used by visitors and locals alike.
Fellow Anguillians, I make it a habit to visit the projects regularly. I can therefore report that my colleagues and I are impressed by the progress made to date and we are especially pleased to see the number of Anguillians employed at the project. On the construction side there are now around 300 workers employed in management and construction on site, with over 95% being locals. Belmond Cap Juluca itself has another 17 of their hotels workers employed at this time as well.
With the sale and development of Cap Juluca and other expected projects in 2017-18 Anguilla was poised to make a sharp take off. Then along came the infamous Hurricane Irma on September 6 2017. I need not remind you of the devastation caused by this monster of a hurricane. With the destruction to our infrastructure as well as to our tourism product, our nation and your government were faced with its greatest challenge yet.
With many of the hospital, clinics, most of our schools and other government buildings and infrastructure destroyed and a wide spread feeling of hopelessness prevailed. The destruction of our churches and the many private homes and business led to a state of depression and sadness.
We recognized that all Anguillians were experiencing similar emotions and therefore as a government we knew that our response to this disaster would be critical to instilling hope and courage in our people. Despite these many emotions that threaten our island, your government did not give up.
We recognized that in times like these calmness of Government leaders is paramount. The correct mix of style, attitude and approach are necessary ingredients to get the requisite support for our island. We did not and do not have the resources to re-develop the infrastructure destroyed so we needed regional and international friends and family.
I must pause here and say thanks to all those who came to our rescue and offered and gave their support. Premier McLaughin of Caymans and his Government, must be highly commended for the supplies they flew in and the medical staff they sent to work under extreme conditions after the passage of Hurricane Irma. Premier Mclaughin also organized and chaired a strategic meeting in Miami for the Caribbean OTs. At this meeting we agreed an approach to the UK Government for seeking aid for TCI, BVI and Anguilla. His foresight no doubt was one of the critical factors that helped to make the collective argument that led to a substantial financial package from the UK Government.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, flew in Anguilla just days after Irma, we thank him and the UK Government for the immediate initial support. The many international organizations and institutions and other regional Governments must also be thanked. Premier Donaldson Romeo of Montserrat and his Government who also shipped in relief supplies just days after the storm along with his Ministers and volunteers to assist in the processing.
The OECS; the ECCB; Prime Minsters and their officials also visited and we received financial contributions from the ECCB; CDB; Governments of St. Kitts and Nevis; St. Vincent and Grenada.
Permit me at this time to point out the invaluable contribution made by HE Tim Foy. He came out and bat for Anguilla and through his efforts the team was able to score grant aid of 60 million pounds from the UK Government. Thank you Governor! You have certainly earned my respect and I am sure the respect of most Anguillians. I make absolutely no apology for our public demonstration of respect and appreciation.
Our UK EU Representative Mrs. Blondel Cluff and her team at the West India Committee Office must also be highly commended for their efforts and support for us and for being at the forefront with all issues with the FCO; the House of Parliament and the British media. She also raised much needed funds for the expansion of the maternity ward at the Princess Alexandria Hospital and other important projects.
To the Community Groups in the UK, APANY, APLO and the many other diaspora organizations overseas I also say thanks for your efforts and contributions. I will not venture to single out any one in particular at the risk of omitting anyone. We appreciate all of you.
I must also thank you the people of Anguilla for your fortitude and community spirit and for joining in the challenge of rebuilding of our island. Your efforts after Hurricane Irma are well documented and continue to be a positive topic of regional and international conversation. After the passage of Hurricane Irma we were knocked down but not knocked out. So in the days and weeks that followed you got up and began the process of clean-up and social participation that helped to restore hope and stability to our communities. Thank you all.
So my fellow Anguillians though a great challenge, I am pleased to report that Hurricane Irma also provided us with many opportunities. For the next couple years, the public sector will be providing much needed employment opportunities in construction and related industries as the Government undertakes to utilize effectively the 60 million pounds of approved re-construction and rehabilitation projects.
So my people! Our three years in office were extremely tough ones for all of us, the Government, public pervants, the private sector, civil society and the entire community alike. So let me at this juncture express my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to you the people for your thoughtful understanding and your quiet and calm patience with the decisions we have had to make. Your actions showed that you continue to have the confidence in your elected government to bring our Anguilla back on track. I ask you to remain focused and unshaken in this confidence.
Fellow Anguillans, I submit that progress has been slower than we expected and desired on the delivery of our promise of JOBS and BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES. So at this juncture I want to thank you the people for your understanding and your enduring patience with your government in this enterprise.
We are also well aware that even this patience may be running thin and the frustrations brought on by Hurricane Irma did not help. However, you can be assured that we have been focused and working tirelessly to attract the correct mix of investment to our nation, to create a sustainable and expanded job market especially for construction and construction related sectors, to fill the gap until re-construction after Irma has been completed.
So your Government continues to work toward the realization of a number of other private sector projects. No developer/investors local or expatriate has walked away. We are indeed thankful for this demonstration of confidence. The Altamer project was well advanced before Irma and will now need to reschedule — but they continue to make progress.
Much progress has also been made on the negotiation of a development agreement for the Conch Bay Development Project. And with other projects at various stages of negotiations — we realistically calculate that from the second half of 2018 and onwards, things should be even brighter for us here in Anguilla. Sunset Homes and Aries Capital and their associates are carrying on active construction on at least three major sites. There is a real demand for skilled workers in the construction sector and I encourage persons seeking such opportunities to contact the Department of Labour who will have information of the needs.
In the public sector in addition to the rebuilding of government facilities we anticipate that the Anguilla Community College Project and the new jetty at Road Bay, will commence construction later this year. And we are progressing on putting together all the moving parts for the development of Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport using the Public Private Partnership financing model.
My people, no doubt many times over the past three years you may have become confused by what you have heard on the many talk shows; through the vicious whispering campaigns; or on social media by those whose sole motive is to plant fear in our minds with the hope of creating instability in our country and ultimately the downfall of your duly elected Government.
Thanks again my fellow Anguillians for your keen insights. You have refused to allow yourself to be misguided by the lies and half-truths.
Your Government welcomes a healthy debate on all issues, but such debate must be adorned with the truth and aimed at informing us accurately of all situations that affect our lives. It is surely not enough to criticize without offering any alternatives to that which is criticized. This is what we have all heard constantly over the past three years, criticism after criticism on every issue, but with no viable alternatives being offered.
I want to thank you again for continuing to ignore the many postings on the blogs, facebook, whatsapp and other social media by cowards who refuse to put their names to their writing. As a people we truly recognize fact from fabrications of the truth.
Please continue to be firm in your confidence in your government as you reject those who seek to destabilize our nation for their own gain. I want to remind all of us of the words of Bishop Brooks: “our motives should be based on love for our fellow man”. And may I add to that: “Not on hatred and division!”
I have been asked by a number of fair minded citizens in the community why do I not respond to persons who seem to suggest by their private postings that the Chief Minister of Anguilla is not entitled to manage his personal time. To be quite honest rightly or wrongly I find no reason to rebuke any such insinuation. I believe that the people of Anguilla have shown time and time again that they understand the difference between fair criticism and hate criticism. I will always rely on the decency and civility of my people in these circumstances. They always come to the truth.
I wish to thank my Colleagues in Government for the continued confidence in and strong support for my leadership. My people your Ministers and elected representatives continue to go the extra mile every day to ensure that things are done to improve the wellbeing of the residents of Anguilla. At times, things got tough among us, but we persevered. I ask you to continue to pray for us, for wisdom; compassion; understanding; courage; and His protection as we continue to lead the recovery of our island, Anguilla.
As Leader of Government, I must express how proud I am of the team. Every member fulfills his/her role with distinction.
Our Minister of Labour Hon. Cora Richardson-Hodge and her Ministerial Assistant, Hon. Evalie Bradley must be highly commended for their work and courage in advancing the process for the passage of the New Labour Code into law. They continue with the help of their present and former senior staff in the Ministry and the Labour Department, to work tirelessly to get all provisions in place that will offer a balance of protection for both employers and employees. They continue to encounter the challenge that comes from such exercises, where fair-minded persons may still have different interpretations of the intent of legislation.
Fellow Anguillians rest assured that the entire AUF team supports Minister Cora with this and it will be passed into law within the next few months.
Minister McNiel, Minister Curtis and Minister Cardigan continue to show leadership as they take the lead in their respective portfolios. They do so, in the way they see it best, seeking, at all times, the consultative consensus of the team. And contrary to malicious belief, it is not based on the dictates of the Chief Minister.
My people, I ask of you to continue to support Team AUF. We remain a team of workers who are not shaken or derailed by a few persons whose motives are not based on love for you — but on the advancement of their own agenda. I implore you to continue to reject their lies and selfish motives. Remember anything written that is not attributed to anyone is most likely a LIE and Propaganda aimed at misleading you the people. This we all must continue to reject.
My people as a government we could not have made the progress we achieved without the strong support of the members of the Anguilla Public Service. As a people we are blessed to have a civil service of highly qualified professionals, who are dedicated to seeing a better Anguilla for all Anguillians. I will not single out any particular members of my Ministries but without their collective leadership we would not have made the progress achieved in so many areas. I sincerely thank all of you!
My fellow Anguillians, we are blessed with spectacular natural resources – our pristine beaches and azure seas. But above all we are blessed with supremely talented people, Anguillians who have demonstrated time and time again that we have what it takes to succeed.
I ask you to continue with my colleagues and I and your AUF Party on this journey, to fulfill Anguilla’s destiny — the Anguillian Dream. It is what we make of it. And I believe we are destined for greatness.
May God bless our island nation, Anguilla and all her people.
