Fellow Anguillans! My People!
Almost four years ago, you bestowed on our party the honor and privilege of leading our island. It is an awesome responsibility, one that as Leader of the Anguilla United Front Party I do not take lightly.
Four 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 committed to employing our best efforts to realizing those plans over the five-year period for which we were elected to govern.
I pause at this point to give thanks to the almighty God for spared lives and for the strength and courage with which He empowered us to manage the affairs of this our island home in the challenging circumstances we had to confront.
WE thank you the people of Anguilla for your constant prayers and words of encouragement. We thank you for trusting in us — and believing in us as we strove to deliver on these important promises.
During the 2015 campaign we established as our motto: “ its all about you” meaning that as a government all our decisions will be based on you the people as a collective — and not merely on the basis individual wants and expectations.
Fellow Anguillians, at the top of the lists of promises that we were unable to deliver is the removal of the Interim Stabilisation Levy (ISL). I must confess, that up to this day I remain tormented by the reality that we just could not deliver on that promise. To put it simply, the state of Government finances was such that to remove the Interim Stabilization Levy would have been tantamount to irresponsibility on our part. However we did as much as we could to make it fairer and more equitable. We continue to regret that given the circumstances then and even now — it would be imprudent to remove the ISL.
Because all of our manifesto objectives have not been achieved in the last four years — it is important to remind everyone that our Manifesto was for the period 2015-2020 and beyond. We still have another year in this term and we believe that our record of success is sufficient to make a strong case for a second term to continue to deliver on our promises to a deserving people.
Fellow Anguillians, you will recall that our first year was dominated by the need to implement a banking resolution that protected and defended the interests of you, the depositors of our two indigenous banks. These valuable institutions had succumbed to the powerful negative forces of the Great Recession going back to 2009. When we came into Government there were many options that were being considered for resolving the banking situation. One such option was that all customers be forced to take a “hair cut” on their deposits. This meant that a portion of customer deposits would have been used to settle the banking resolution — resulting in our people receiving a reduction/cents on every dollar they had in these Banks.
Your government strongly opposed this and maintained that any resolution must involve full protection of all depositor savings. You see “it was all about you”. Your AUF government was working in your best interests. But while we were doing this, you will vividly recall the many protests based on genuine fear in some cases — but also in other cases motivated by some very personal and selfish interests. While we were working hard with a plan for a viable and equitable resolution of the banking situation — we were actively challenged by many such protesters who, seemed intent on destroying the indigenous banking sector. Because of our firm belief in what we considered the most practical solution we stood our ground for you the people of Anguilla.
My People, while there still remains 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 three years since it began operations on April 25, 2016 and is on the launch path to becoming the leading provider of banking services to the people of Anguilla as it has been in the past. And in the face of the closure and changes in the international commercial banking sector our people have now come to realize why we fought so hard to stabilize our indigenous banks. While they talk! We deliver!
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 by doing so ensure its return to its former glory. We have achieved these solid objectives by the sale of Cap Juluca to Belmond Inc, in June of 2017. That brand new Belmond Cap Juluca opened it doors to world in December 2018.
Under the MoU with the Government of Anguilla, Belmond Inc was required to renovate and expand Belmond Cap Juluca and operate the facility as a 5 star accommodation. The completed Belmond Cap Juluca comprises 113 hotel rooms and suites.
As of today, the project comprises 5 new villas, two with 6 rooms each, one with 8 rooms and two with two rooms. Additionally, there is a new spa, a ballroom; a new pool at the arrivals building and a beach barbeque and bar. The new construction also includes a new staff building and cafeteria. All the existing villas; the arrivals building; Pimms Restaurant have been upgraded, as well as the landscaping, access roads and parking areas.
Under the MoU Belmond had to maintain all existing beach access and parking for use by the public. Belmond continues to express the view that the upgraded and expanded facility is one that the people of Anguilla are to be proud of and wishes to have the facilities used by visitors and locals alike.
During the construction phase of the project, over 300 workers were employed in management and construction on the site, with over 90% being locals. And as of today the resort employs over 350 full time employees, with over 85% being locals. I am pleased to announce that, since opening, Belmond Cap Juluca has maintained an average occupancy of 70%, the highest among all resorts on Anguilla.
Fellow Anguillians, your government worked tirelessly to ensure that the right investor was attracted to Cap Juluca and the days of millions being spent on court cases were brought to an end. While we were working hard at ensuring this, they were those doing their best to prevent the sale and development of Cap Juluca. You see for your Government it was “all about you”. Yes while we were working assiduously, others were only talking and preaching doom and gloom for Anguilla. My people! While they talk! We deliver!
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 came Hurricane Irma on September 6, 2017. I need not remind you of the devastation cause by this monster of a hurricane. With the destruction to infrastructure and in particularly that of our tourism plant, our nation and your government were faced with its greatest challenge yet.
With the hospital, clinics, most of our schools and other government infrastructure destroyed — hopelessness crept in. The destruction of our churches and the many private homes and businesses led to a state of depression and sadness. We recognized that all Anguillians were experiencing the same emotions. As a government we knew that our response to this disaster would be critical to instilling hope and positiveness in our people. So despite these many emotions your government did not give up. We reviewed the situation and came up with a plan to get us up — and running again.
We recognized that in times like these — the calmness of Government leaders is paramount. The correct mix of style, attitude and approach were necessary ingredients to get the kind of support our island would need. We did not and do not have the resources to re-develop the infrastructure destroyed.
I must pause here and say thanks to all those who came to our rescue and offered and gave their support. Premier McLaughlin of fellow OT Cayman Islands and his Government, our OECS member states and organizations; Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, flew in Anguilla just days after Irma, we thank him and the UK Government for the immediate initial support; as well as the many international organizations and institutions.
Permit me at this time to point out the invaluable contribution made by HE Tim Foy. He came in just in time as a team player to bat for Anguilla and it is through his efforts and support we were able to get the grant aid of 60M pounds and more from UK government. Thank you Governor! You have earned our respect!
Our UK EU Representative Mrs. Blondell Cluff CBE and her team at the West India Committee Office must also be highly commended for their efforts and support for us at the forefront with all the issues with the FCO and raising much needed funds for the expansion of the Maternity Ward at the Hospital.
To the Community Group in the UK, APANY, APLO and the many other diaspora organizations overseas I also say thanks for your efforts and contributions.
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 nation. And let me extend our heartiest gratitude and appreciation to the developers and investors in our tourism industry who stayed the course — and remained to rebuild better and stronger. Your efforts after Hurricane Irma are well documented and continue to be a talking point on the regional and international scene. Thank you all.
So Fellow Anguillians, though a great challenge, I am pleased to say Hurricane Irma also provided us with many opportunities. For the next couple years, the public sector will be providing many employment opportunities in the construction sector and related industries, as the government undertakes to spend the 220 million dollars on the re-construction and upgrading of projects.
Your Government with the right support fought hard that Anguilla got the necessary grants to redevelop its damaged public infrastructure. You see “it was all about you”. Our children needed proper schools in which to be educated, our patients need the best facilities in which to be attended to and treated for their ailments and our people needed proper port facilities to travel and by which their businesses could be serviced.
However, while we were working for you, there were those who were talking and spreading doom and gloom. They first said that the British would never help! Then they said we would never get the promised funds! Then they said the funds would never get it spent! Then they said the funds were tied to more taxes! But My People! While they talk! We deliver!
Fellow Anguillians, You only have to visit the Princess Alexandra Hospital and you will see some of the fruits of your government’s hard work. Very soon some of the other projects will be on tender and construction will start on these before the year of this year. Yes! Its all about you! While they talk! We deliver!
My people! I can report on many more of this AUF Government’s achievements. However, as each Minister will be giving an account of his or her stewardship over the past 4 years, on various media and platforms over the next five weeks I will leave it to them to give more details.
Permit me however, to speak on the issue of Constitutional and Electoral Reform. For almost twenty years, and through at least 4 committees, Anguillians have expressed their views on what they want in a new constitution. For the same period of time nothing was done to advance the wishes of the people. In 2018, your Government asked that the following changes be made in time for the next election while at the same time putting forward the entire report:
1. In keeping with the other Caribbean Overseas Territories, regularizing the title of Chief Minister to Premier;
2. Limiting the time a person can serve as Premier to two consecutive teams (10 continuous years);
3. Having a procedure in place for when the Premier is incapable of continuing in office due to illness or death;
4. Increasing the number of Ministers of Government to a maximum of five;
5. Removing the disqualification for Ministers of religion and persons of dual nationality to seek elected membership. A provision that will allow Anguillians who became naturalized in another country to run for elected office in Anguilla;
6. Calling us Anguillians instead of Belongers of Anguilla;
7. The automatic passing on of Anguillian status to Grand Children; and,
8. Having island wide voting for 4 seats, namely, “at-large seats”.
We anticipate that these changes will be granted by the third week of April this year.
Fellow Anguillians, while your government is pushing for these changes, there are those who oppose them and are trying hard to ensure they never happen. You see again for us “its all about you”! But while we are working there are those only talking and trying their best to ensure that Anguilla and Anguillians never advance constitutionally. I must thank the Hon. Minister of Home Affairs, Mrs. Cora Richardson-Hodge for her hard work on this initiative as well as the long awaited Labour Code. But she will have the chance to speak about that during her report.
Fellow Anguilians, sadly during the past four years, a few active persons have left the AUF party and are now very vocal in their opposition to this government. I wish to thank those persons for their support over the years and wish them well as they pursue their version of what is best for Anguilla. Let me assure them that the doors of the AUF remain open for their return at any time. I regret though, that not every one got it when we said: “It is all about you!” This meant it is about the Anguillian people as a collective and not about individual wants or preferences. So I apologize to those whose individual opinions; demands; and ambitions we could not meet. We love you! And thank you for support in 2015.
So My People! Our four years in office were extremely tough ones for all of us, the Government; Public Servants; 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 show that you continue to have the confidence in your elected government to bring our Anguilla back on track again. I ask you to remain focused and unshaken in this confidence.
Your Government continues to work toward the realization of a number of other projects. The Malliouhana is back up and running; Sunset Homes group of companies and Aries Capital are continuing to invest; Altamer is rebuilding; Ce Bleu is reorganizing; Cuisinart continues their expansion; in the wings are Rendezvous Bay Resorts; the Conch Bay Project; and many more. And with other projects are various stages of negotiations — we realistically calculate that from the second half of 2019 and onwards, things should be even brighter for us here in Anguilla.
In the public sector, we anticipate that the Anguilla Community College Project will commence construction later this year. All these projects are in addition to the projects to be implemented using the funds from the UK Grant. Those UK funded projects are:
a) a new Campus A of the ALHCS at a new site in The Quarter;
b) a new Morris Vanterpool Primary School at the existing site;
c) a new and enlarged modern ferry terminal with traditional architecture for Blowing Point Port;
d) a new jetty for Road Bay Port;
e) major repairs and new class room development at the other primary schools;
f) repairs to Government offices (some projects already underway);
g) completion of the Combined Services Building at the CJLIA;
h) further improvements to the Princess Alexandra Hospital;
i) a polyclinic to replace The Valley Health Centre; and;
J) a polyclinic in South Hill to serve the western part of the island.
Fellow Anguillians, permit me to turn for a few minutes to the local fake news. This as an aspect of today’s Anguilla that concerns me! Fake news seems to inundate the social media and other news outlets in our island. This seems to be driven by personal hate for my colleagues and I. This has taught me that it is not about our leadership or government policies that some oppose, but it is strictly personal! That is the problem! Join me in praying for the haters and let them know we forgive them all and we love them!
My people! No doubt many times over the past four 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 to you my fellow countrymen and all people of the Anguillian community. 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 four years, criticism after criticism on every issue, but with no alternatives 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.
Thank you my people! 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 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. 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 those 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 evil 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 so dedicated to seeing a better Anguilla for all Anguillians.
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 will make of it. And I believe we are destined for greatness.
In closing, I wish to express sincere gratitude and thanks to residents of Valley South District 4, for your support and outpouring of love over the past four years and indeed over my entire political career. Without you I could not have done it.
Thank you, and May God bless our island nation, and all her people.
