Last Sunday, the longest standing political organization in the Caribbean, The St. Kitts & Nevis Labour Party, held its 75th Annual Conference.
The momentous event took place in the Grand Ballroom of the Marriott Hotel at Frigate Bay.
To remain in existence for 75 years is a wonderful achievement, especially given the fact that anything over three score and ten years in the affairs and lives of men is considered to be quite extraordinary.
And for the Labour Party to hold its Conference at Frigate Bay was highly symbolic, because as recently as 40 years ago, ordinary Kittitians and Nevisians were not welcome in Frigate Bay.
It was a Labour Government which acquired the estate from the Wigley family back then, and developed it for residences, hotels, restaurants, golf and other activities, thereby opening it up to and for the people of this nation.
And, lest there be any doubt, while Labour was acquiring Frigate Bay from the Wigley family back then, PAM was making all kinds of disagreeable noises, accusing the Labour Government of being communist.
Interestingly enough, however, when Labour started to sell the land, those same PAM people were among the first to grab up their piece or two.
For those who may not know, Wigley was one of this island's plantocracy families, the same people who had created and controlled the Democratic Party, later (and, most contradictorily) to be called the People's Action Movement, and the Democrat newspaper.
And lest there be any further doubt, it was the same PAM which some 40 years later would make terribly negative statements about the Marriott, at first saying that it would not be built, then, after construction started, saying that the owners were building it with drug money.
If you don't believe me, refer to back issues of the Democrat newspaper. It's all there.
And I will never, as long as I live, forget the morning when the Marriott served its very first breakfast. It was by invitation, and as Minister of Tourism, I was among the guests.
Well, who do you think was the first person in the line to eat a Marriott breakfast that morning? A big-up PAM fellow! Don't ask me how he managed to get there, but as I looked at him I wondered if "he shame box had mash up".
And you should have seen him stuffing his face! What a sight!
Interesting how those things came to my mind as I sat in the Labour Party Conference last Sunday.
Another thing that came to my mind as I reflected on all of this was the fact that just about every hotel development that has come to St. Kitts was initiated under a Labour Government: Golden Lemon, Ottleys Plantation, Fairview Inn, Ocean Terrace Inn, Fort Thomas/Holiday Inn, Royal St. Kitts Hotel, Frigate Bay Resort, Timothy Beach, Marriott, etc.
In addition, of course, the manufacturing sector was also launched in the late 1960's-early 1970's under Labour, with C.A. Paul Southwell, the father of modern industrial St. Kitts, leading the way( as well as in Tourism).
Yet PAM keeps saying that the economic diversification of this nation took place under their rule.
While I was "in the moment" I also observed the elegance of the Hotel's Grand Ballroom, and the ease, grace and confidence with which ordinary Kittitians and Nevisians attending the Conference moved around and interacted with each other.
It was a good thing to see. The symbolization of a completed circle of achievement by the working class people of this nation.
Labour, the architect of modern Frigate Bay, and the architect of modern St. Kitts, bringing its people together at Frigate Bay, and through it to the world, in conference at an international hotel located in Frigate Bay.
The Conference itself was pretty much what Labour Conferences are like and supposed to be like.
Robust, lively and passionate. The stuff of which true democracy is made. The stuff that has kept the Party going and growing these past 75 years.
It was not a rubber stamp affair. And not an event which people attended just to say that they were there.
No, it was an opportunity for the Party to look inwards and outwards, to look back and to look ahead, and to ratchet up its energy levels for present and future challenges and opportunities.
Yes, I have been hearing talk that in my presentation, I was disrespectful to, and undermining of, the Party Leader, and that I am trying to mash up the Party now that I am stepping down.
Utter rubbish.
Unlike the rubber-stamping farces that pass for PAM Annual Conferences, where every decision is ready-made and handed down to the floor members for them to swallow hook, line and sinker, and where inquiry is stifled, Labour Party Conferences are, and must continue to be, the way they are, with everyone and everything, in the name of God and the Partys rich philosophy and heritage, having to face the scrutiny of comrades.
We in Labour, like every other organization which commits to God and to true democracy, are, and must continue to be, guided by the words of Proverbs 15:5 which say that "a fool despises his father's instruction, but he who receives correction is prudent".
With your permission, I will now move to another matter.
A fellow named Kirk Warner used to work for FINCO, which is part of the TDC Group of Companies.
Kirk borrowed some money from FINCO to buy a car, then he subsequently left the country.
Before he left, he apparently sold the car to Ashley Allers .
Ashley presumed that Kirk would have sorted his business out with FINCO with regard to the car, especially given the fact that Kirk worked for FINCO.
It turns out that Kirk may not have paid off FINCO for the car.
Well, in 2001 a car owned by Ashley was involved in a traffic accident with another vehicle which was insured with SNIC, the insurance branch of TDC.
My information is that the SNIC customer, who was in the wrong, made a claim against SNIC, and was paid out, but that Ashley was never compensated.
I am advised that Ashley spoke with the Chairman of TDC, Mr. Michael Morton, but he has still not yet received his compensation, some six years later.
It is said that SNIC has been directed not to pay Ashley his claim, because of the matter with Kirk's vehicle.
If this is true, why?
Does Ashley now have to take SNIC to court to get his money?
He recently bought a vehicle from TDC for a lot of money. They were quick to take his money. But they are still holding on to the $11,000.00 which SNIC owes him on his insurance claim.
I am told that he has already been told by SNIC that they owe him the $11,000.00 and that he was given a release form to sign by them, which he did in fact sign.
But still, he cannot even get a smell of his $11,000.00.
What is that?
And while Ashley Allers becomes increasingly frustrated in what appears to be a wrong being perpetrated against him, I can only ask if there are other SNIC customers who may have claims that are being similarly denied.
Indeed, I wonder if there are, on the other hand, claims which might not have been worthy, but which, because of friendship and other things, might have been granted.
Here's a laugh.
As far as I can recall, I still own twenty shares in TDC. And when the Company advertises it says: "TDC, your company". So I consider TDC to be my company.
Accordingly, I now hereby direct Mr. Michael Morton, who serves (yes, I said serves ) as chairman of my company, to make sure that Ashley gets his money without further delay.
But, hey, wrong is wrong, Man. Is it because Ashley is who and what he is?
As I close, let me give you the result of a little poll I did recently.
I asked about thirty (30) persons, mostly PAM supporters and neutrals, if they thought that Lindsey Grant was up to the task of running this country. Did he have the dimension, the maturity, and the ability?
At least half of them told me that it wouldn't be Grant running the country. And they gave names, some of who are members of PAM's Royal family, while others are part of the present version of yesterday's plantocracy.
Interestingly, when I asked them if they would be happy with a situation in which the small handful of people who control the economic power also control the reins of government, nearly all of them said no, seeing the great danger in it for the small man and woman in this country.
The moral of the story? Don't believe that because people's pockets might not be filled that their heads are empty.
The moral of the story is that essentially the masses prefer Labour. It is just for Labour to make sure that it does the right thing.
I gone, see! So until next time,
Plenty Peace.
