St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas

Addressing over 600 delegates and invited guests to the Labour Party's 75th Annual Conference in the Grand Ball Room of the St. Kitts Marriott Resort, Prime Minister Douglas said that the Labour Party was founded on the principles of social justice and economic empowerment.

"During the 75 years, we now recall and celebrate today, the Party has endeavored to ensure that we did not move too far away from those philosophical moorings. Over the period of the 1940's to 1980's, our great Party secured for the people of this country the right of association, which

gave rise to the St. Kitts-Nevis Trades and Labour Union in 1940 and which permitted effective worker representation and collective bargaining," said Prime Minister Douglas, who noted that it was the Labour Party, then the Worker's League, that also agitated successfully for universal adult suffrage, which secured for every adult in our Country, the right to vote and to participate in the electoral process without regard to colour, regard

to race, regard to ownership of property."

Dr. Douglas added that quite consistent with Labour's philosophy and the raison d'etre of people empowerment, it was in 1966, that the Robert Bradshaw Labour Party Administration that removed elitism from the entire education system by introducing what is now called the comprehensive education system which is now regarded as international practice, and which a number of other countries in the region and beyond are trying desperately to replicate at this time, some forty years after our people here in St.

Kitts and Nevis had been introduced to it by Labour in Government.

The Labour Party Prime Minister noted that the temptation is great to forget

the conditions that another Labour Party Administration under his leadership, inherited back in 1995 and said there are those who may even embrace the notion of there is not a fundamental difference between the two leading political Parties.

"Today, I, as leader of this great Party, wish to disabuse your minds of that; There are differences between the two parties. The approach of the two

Parties in St. Kitts and Nevis to the challenges of the past decade has been

totally different," said Prime Minister Douglas, who pointed to the Labour Party's record in housing, healthcare, education, infrastructural development and tourism.

He pointed to the housing revolution which is one of the hallmarks of the past and present labour Party Administration. ~~Adz:Right~~

"It would not have taken place, because philosophically, the other (PAM) Party, sees nothing wrong with poor people paying rent all their working lives. They (PAM) opposed our borrowing of money to build homes for the poor

people of this country. They (PAM) opposed the poor people borrowing their own money from Social Security. They (PAM) opposed our giving starter homes to victims of the various hurricanes. They (PAM) had a problem with our selling prime land so cheaply to working Kittitians and Nevisians. Do not be

fooled I emphasize today by their opportunistic mouthings at this time. That

(PAM) Party would never have built 1,500 odd homes for ordinary Kittitians and Nevisians, because they would have been pre-occupied with its impact on the rental earnings capacity of a handful of their supporters and financiers

and members and friends," said Prime Minister Douglas to the Conference.

Dr. Douglas said there would have been no urgency on the part of a People's Action Movement (PAM) party to complete the Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw International Airport as tourism for them meant Jack Tar Village and a handful of other small establishments dotted around the island.

"But they did not create Jack Tar Village even. This enterprise emerged from

the ashes of a sparkling (Royal St. Kitts) hotel and a golf course, built by

Labour, built by the Right Excellent Sir C. A. Paul Southwell, as the Minister of Tourism and Industry and built by the Right Excellent Sir Robert

L. Bradshaw, as Premier. Moreover, they (PAM) were not able to move the country beyond this solid foundation that was laid by Labour that they met in 1980," said Prime Minister Douglas, who said his St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Government which had to take back the reins of power.

"Yes, we of Labour had to take back the reigns of power and continue to build on the work of our distinguished national heroes," said Dr. Douglas, who invited delegates and the people of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis to look around St. Kitts and Nevis today and see what this St.

Kitts-Nevis Labour Party means for tourism development.

Prime Minister Douglas invited delegates and the residents of St. Kitts and Nevis to go into the Development Control and Planning Offices and see the projects that have been approved and what is in store for this Federation over the next 36 months, and understand what "we mean by wanting to complete

the transformation of our economy."

"Even the Jack Village has now re-opened, and we are committed to ensuring that it continues to play an important role in tourism development in this our blessed and beautiful Federation. I emphasize that the gap between the two Parties as it relates to tourism is wide, just as wide as the gap as it relates to housing and you must not permit anyone to convince you otherwise," touted Dr. Douglas.

"Tourism development for us (Labour) has not been restricted to rooms and the number of beds. It has also encompassed improving the number of airline seats into this our beautiful country, it comprises the development of new attractions and the improvement in facilities and amenities for shopping.

Look down there at Port Zante and you will see," said Dr. Douglas, who boasted that seventy-five years in the struggle has enabled the Labour Party

to view and approach the issue of tourism development from a totally different perspective.

"It must be seen from the perspective of the worker, the employee or the assistant, or the associate as you will call him, or our young ladies and our young men in particular, whose hospitality that is so natural is the talk of every guest who is encouraged to come here to this country and to spend some time in our hotels," said Dr. Douglas, who used the opportunity to salute all of the workers in the hotel industry and the associated industries in St. Kitts and Nevis.

He said that 75 years of planning and pursuing the Labour Party's vision for

this country has enabled the Government to approach the issue of health and health care from a perspective much more progressive than that of the opposition party. "Nowhere in their rhetoric is it suggested that they would

have pursued the modernization and development of the Joseph N. France General Hospital in such rapid time," said Dr. Douglas.

He noted that despite the demise of the sugar industry and the challenges that are being posed by both natural and man made disasters, the St.

Kitts-Nevis Labour Party Administration has forged ahead with the plans for the revamping of health services and has amassed a phenomenal record of achievement in 12 short years.

"I say 12 short years because we want another 12 short years; 12 is too short for us in Labour. Today at the Joseph N. France Hospital our citizens,

irrespective of colour, irrespective of class or creed, they can access the very latest in tertiary health care including state of the art diagnostic procedures. Even now we are upgrading the Lab to ensure that it is properly accredited by CAREC and we are introducing new Laboratory Diagnostic Tests including sugar count and treatment control which is expected to boost the efforts of the health practitioners in the prevention and in the management of diabetes and other chronic conditions," said Prime Minister Douglas, who

added: "the same, it goes for the quality of care at the various health institutions around the entire country."

He touted that the Labour Governments revolution in health care is not only about physical infrastructural improvement, it is about patient care, patient care of the highest order, pursued by the staff that is highly trained and dedicated to serve.

"And so today, let us again salute all our nurses, all our doctors, and those who support the system as staff, but in particular I want to salute today, the recently returned Cuban trained doctors, dentists, and healthcare

workers. Put your hands together, a tremendous applause some of whom are in this very room with us this afternoon," said Dr. Douglas, who quickly emphasized that patient care is linked, inextricably to his Labour Government's sustained programme of "quality, dignified care of our citizens

and senior citizens in particular."

Dr. Douglas said that prior to 1995, the elderly were made to feel as outcasts and as second-class citizens in St. Kitts and Nevis.

"Growing old in St. Kitts and Nevis in the past, was a very frightening thought and experience, given the lackluster manner in which the former

(PAM) administration approached issues of the aged. In 12 short years this Labour Government has brought 75 years of experience to bear on the issue of

looking after our elderly. As a Party in Government, we have introduced a Home Care Assistance Programme which ensures that some 249 elderly persons are visited regularly and assisted with bathing, grooming, administration of

medication, shopping, cleaning and visits to the health centres among many other things," said Prime Minister Douglas.

"We also give food packages and pampers to the elderly, those who are in need of this assistance and we have introduced a Birthday Programme to give due recognition of the birthday of persons who are 70, 80 years and older,"

said Dr. Douglas.

He noted that the Golden Years Club initiated by the proud Department of Community Affairs, has branches in St. Paul's and Cayon and provide opportunity for the elderly to socialize and interact with each other, and for them to be informed in respect of issues pertaining to healthy life styles, including nutrition, diet and exercise. It is now with pleasure that

the elderly of St. Kitts and Nevis can grow old in St. Kitts and Nevis under

Labour.