Madam Speaker, I rise as the Leader of the Opposition to give my remarks in this Honourable House to the members and to the people of Anguilla. I first want to give thanks to the Almighty God for bringing me safely thus far.
To my husband Willis Hodge and my daughters Tehya and Sanai, I know it is not easy having a wife and mother in the political arena and I truly appreciate your continuous support over the years. I would like to thank my colleagues of the Anguilla United Front for the team spirit that has been exhibited over the past ten years. Thank you to my fellow members of opposition for nominating me as the Leader of the Opposition.
Most importantly, I wish to thank my district, District 2. I thank my close supporters who have been supporting me and at times carrying me over the years. Each one of you know who you are and you must know that I truly appreciate all of your efforts. I also thank the residents of District 2 for once again re-electing me as your District 2 Representative. From your supportive words and prayers and continuous support, I thank you for expressing to me your great satisfaction in my representation of you these past 5 years. And know that I will continue to represent your interests, even from the opposition benches.
Madam Speaker, I would like to congratulate the members of the Anguilla Progressive Party for their win during this past election campaign. It was a hard fought campaign. The electorate has made their decision, and it is now time for the new Government to work for the people of Anguilla.
Five years ago, I was elected for the first time as the Elected Representative for the Sandy Hill District. The residents of District 2 decided to give me an opportunity to represent their interests in the District 2 constituency and across Anguilla as a whole. And I am humbled to say that as a result of that opportunity, significant social advancements were made over the past five years through the Ministerial portfolio that I carried – Home Affairs, Immigration, Labour, Education, Constitutional and Electoral Reform, Information and Broadcasting and Human Rights.
The Anguilla Labour (Relations) Act 2019 was a piece of legislation that was hard fought. The old labour laws were outdated and did not effectively address all of the labour issues that are prevalent in Anguilla today. But there were forces that did not want the laws to be changed, presumably because the old, antiquated laws benefited their needs. But today, as a result of the efforts made in my Ministry, the Anguilla United Front Government was able to put in place new labour laws which include: (1) doing away with the continuous one year contracts, (2) provides first preference for Anguillians who are qualified for job positions and the provisions of an understudy programme has been enshrined in law, and (3) finally provides for severance pay where a person who has been made redundant can be compensated by the employer.
There is still much more work to be done on the labour laws and I would dearly hope, Madam Speaker, that this new Government will not destroy these significant advances that have been made, but instead continue to build on the work that has started for the benefit of all of the people of Anguilla. This country is made up of employers and employees and it is only when that balance is achieved that we will see Anguilla move forward.
Our 1982 Anguilla Constitution was also severely outdated. It is the oldest Constitution of all of the British Overseas Territories. Through the efforts of my Ministry, the Anguilla United Front Government was able to not only prepare and begin negotiations on a new Constitution, but in May 2019 we were able to present an amendment to the people of Anguilla which among other things: (1) brought into effect for the first time in Anguilla’s history – the Island Wide voting, (2) finally recognized all grandchildren as being Anguillians, and (3) allows Anguillians who are also citizens of another country to run in Anguilla’s general elections. There is more work to do in relation to this Constitutional Reform and it is my hope and expectation that the new Government will continue to progress it for all Anguillians.
In Education, when you look across the landscape of Anguilla, you will see that four of our six primary schools are under construction, with the work on the remaining two already having been completed. And our Albena Lake Hodge Comprehensive School Campus A is being rebuilt in its entirety. When Hurricane Irma damaged our schools, the Ministry of Education, under my leadership, was able to put forward the case that our children are our future. And if our children are our future, then we need to rebuild our schools to not only accommodate our children, but to provide the critical infrastructure that would allow our teachers to effectively teach our children, as well as a comfortable learning environment where our children can reach their greatest potential. The elected members of the Anguilla United Front were of one mind in ensuring that our school facilities take priority. And I fully expect that this Government share these same views.
And today, I dare say, these same Education construction projects, along with the Health construction projects, are a couple of the few pillars that is keeping the wheels of Anguilla turning today, while the country is shut down and our main industry, Tourism is essentially non-existent. God Bless these health and education construction projects funded by the UK $60Million pounds that the Anguilla United Front government negotiated and successfully obtained.
On a broader scale, the Anguilla United Front government created 3 temporary unemployment benefit programmes over the previous five years. The first was after Hurricane Irma through the Anguilla Social Security board where persons received EC$1,000 for a period of 4-5 months. The second and third are still taking place – one through Social Security Board for persons who have paid social security – they receive EC$1000 – and the other through the Ministry of Finance where persons who do not qualify under the social security program can obtain EC$800.00. I understand that the amount of through the Ministry of Finance has been increased by EC$200 by this new Government. I am also happy to see that the temporary unemployment benefit program through Social Security has been extended through December 2020.
I am glad to hear that this Government has continued the good work and is building on the foundation that has been started by the previous AUF Government. I know during the previous weeks, much criticism had been levied against the previous Government about the EC$1000 and some persons had promoted that the amount should be increased. But as I am sure this new Government is already beginning to understand all of the issues and considerations that must be taken into account when making decisions. As in this case, there has always been a balancing act between making sure we provide assistance to as many Anguillians as possible and not withdrawing so much funds that we bankrupt the social security fund.
Mrs. Speaker, there is a distinct difference between not being in Government and understanding all of the nuances that form the daily decisions and being at the table where those decisions are being made. It is only when you are at the table, that you begin to understand that you will not be able to accomplish everything that you set out to do. Take for instance the EC$100 Million Dollars that was hotly criticised just weeks ago. Today, we all finally understand that without these funds the country would be in a disastrous situation. The acceptance of this EC$100 Million Grant from the UK which will float the country until December 2020. I wish to thank the UK Government for their assistance of grant monies over the years – after Hurricane Irma and again through this COVID pandemic. Thank you as well to the former Premier, the Honourable Mr. Victor Franklin Banks for his stellar work in leading the charge in negotiating these grant monies for Anguilla.
Many Anguillians will recall that I repeatedly said that the next Government would have some very difficult decisions to make. Thanks to the leadership of the previous AUF Government, a COVID-free Anguilla was handed over and this Government will have to maneauver between how to re-open the country and rebuild the economy while continuing to keep our people safe. There are indeed tough days ahead.
This is why the Anguilla United Front candidates did not and would not make promises that could not be kept. We knew that the economy was in shambles, having been closed since March of this year. We also knew that a lot of hard work would have to be undertaken to get our economy back up and running. You cannot make promises that require financial input unless the economy is properly functioning. Yes, we all have dreams and aspirations and visions for our beloved country. But anyone that is awake and paying attention would know that right now, throughout the world, we are in the midst of a global pandemic. There are business that are closing, massive loss of jobs and struggling economies. Anguilla is not immune to what is happening in the world. And that is why persons who aspire to leadership should not present a rosy picture to our electorate as it is not a true picture of our conditions in Anguilla or what any government can do at this moment in time.
As opposition members in the House of Assembly, our role is not to object to every thing that this new Government seeks to bring forward. To the contrary, as long as what comes to the House is for the advancement of the people and of Anguilla, I for one will wholeheartedly support same. But, the role of an Opposition is to question the Government of the day and hold the Government accountable. It includes serving as a check on Government’s powers and expenditure, assessing the policies of Government, and providing alternate views in the House. It is said that the effectiveness of Parliament is largely dependent on the strength of the Opposition.
As Leader of the Opposition, I look forward to the continution of the work of the Public Accounts Committee and to leading the opposition in parliamentary and policy debate in this Honourable House.
I would like to publicly thank Anguilla’s former premier, the Honourable Victor Franklin Banks, for his invaluable work, not only for the past five years, but for his 30+ years in politics. He has announced his withdrawal from political life and we salute his years of contribution to the residents of District 4 and Anguilla as a whole.
Madam Speaker, congratulations to you and to the members of this Government. I look forward to playing my part in the development of Anguilla over the next five years.
