Statement made on October 11th 2012 on WINN FM's People's Forum radio show
My heart is troubled by Dr. Denzil Douglas’ selling of 1200 acres of our beautiful Kittitian and Nevisian land to his wealthy foreign friends. This is our land. This is our patrimony. This is our birthright. This land should be used to help and uplift our people. It should be used for Kittitians and Nevisians to build the farms, homes and businesses of their dreams. Instead of putting this land in the hands of our people, Denzil Douglas and his failed government are selling off our lands for generations to come. And, he’s doing it because his government failed to be a good steward of our tax dollars.
Denzil Douglas and his failed government brought us one of the highest debt to GDP ratios in the history of the world. The debt incurred by the Douglas government will have to be paid off by us and our children. What has Denzil Douglas’ failures meant for us? It has meant VAT and higher taxes. It has meant fewer jobs. It has meant a shrinking economy. Our debt now stands at $65,000 for every man, woman and child in the Federation. For every $1 in taxes we pay, 40 cents goes to wealthy bankers who own our incredibly large debt. That is unacceptable.
Our children and grandchildren will we be paying off this debt for generations to come. And, today, we are being asked to give up our lands to Denzil Douglas’ wealthy foreign friends because he drove this country off a cliff. My fellow Kittitians and Nevisians, when we threw off the shackles of slavery and colonial oppression and the sugar lands were taken over, and when the PAM/NRP government of Sir Kennedy Simmonds paid for the sugar lands we finally had the ability to have access and give title to the land on which we could build our families, our businesses and our future. After 17 long years, Denzil Douglas is now giving back our land to wealthy foreigners once again.
It seems that Denzil Douglas wants to take us back to the sugar plantation culture. In the days of slavery, wealthy whites owned all the land and our people were forced to break our backs in the cane fields. Today, Denzil Douglas is selling the land back to more wealthy foreigners who will own it for generations to come.
First, Denzil Douglas came for our passports and sold them out to his rich foreign friends. Then, he came for our paychecks by delivering us VAT and higher taxes that are crippling our families who have to do more with less. Now, he is coming for our land – not to make our dreams come true – but, to put it in the hands of his rich foreign friends.
My fellow Kittitians and Nevisians, 17 long years ago the Prime Minister entered office an average man. Today, he is a very wealthy man. He got his wealth not by looking out for you and me. No, my dear citizens… Denzil Douglas became rich by putting his rich foreign friends first while letting our country crumble into ruin.
Denzil Douglas and his government are a miserable failure. Just the other day, it was announced that our economy is in recession. It’s shrinking which means fewer jobs, lower paychecks and fewer opportunities for you and your children. Is this the kind of St. Kitts/Nevis you want to see for your children?
My fellow citizens, let me be clear – IT IS NOT WORKING. Denzil Douglas and his government are failing our people.
I drove up to Lamberts in Constituency #4 just last weekend and had a look around at our land that Denzil Douglas is selling out to the highest foreign bidder. It’s beautiful land. It’s rich land. It’s land that can be used to uplift our people. While I was looking around, I ran into a farmer there and he told me that he dreamed to use this land to plant peanuts. He told me his dreams were dashed because of Denzil Douglas’ failure in government that means that this land will now be sold to foreigners and this Kittitian farmer won’t have access to it for generations to come. I also met a farmer who herds approximately 100 cattle in the area. He too was distraught because he did not know where he would find pasture to relocate to. He was close to tears because he felt that Denzil Douglas is putting him out of business as he has done to so many others.
Later that day, I drove over to Cayon and I ran into a young woman with a child that is about the age of 3. I knew her well and I knew that her family supported the Labour Party in the past. She gestured me over and asked me if it is true that Denzil Douglas is going to sell off that land. I told her it was true and she shook her head and told me that her family has worked that land for generations and dreamed that one day that they would be able to own a piece of it. She asked me, “what is this man doing to our country?” I don’t doubt that in 1995, Denzil Douglas came into government with the best of intentions. But, today, after 17 long years, he’s out of touch, out of gas and out of ideas.
Denzil Douglas and his failed government have driven this economy off of a cliff. They’ve brought us more crime. More taxes! Fewer jobs and fewer opportunities! Our best and brightest are leaving the Federation in droves. Like my friend I ran into the other day, I know that there are many supporters of the Labour Party who are disgusted with the failures of Denzil Douglas and this government. To you, I say that you have a home in the NEW PAM that we are building. We acknowledge that PAM made mistakes in the past – after all we are all human and only the Lord God Almighty is perfect. But, today is a new day for the new PAM party that we are building together and I ask you to be a part of it.
I believe that it is time to rise above the petty politics of division and party labels. Beneath all of the anger and division, we are not Labour or CCM. We are not PAM or NRP. We are Kittitians and we are Nevisians that are proud of our country and want to see a better life for our people and we are all in this together.
I believe that it is time to turn the page. It is time to bring about a new day and a new government to this Federation that embraces new perspectives and new ideas. A good idea is a good idea if it comes from a PAM person, a Labour person an NRP person or a CCM person.
Our country is in crisis. We face an economic crisis and a shrinking economy. We face a crime and murder crisis that is the worst in the region. Virtually all of us have been touched by this crime crisis. We know the murder victims. We know victims of theft. We know victims of rape. These victims are our brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts and uncles. Denzil Douglas and his government have proven themselves powerless to stop it and crime has spiraled out of control under their watch.
When I think of the crime crisis and the economic crisis we are facing today, I think to the hurricanes that we have experienced. After the hurricanes past, we come together and help our fellow Kittitian and Nevisian regardless of what political party they are affiliated with. That is the kind of country I aspire to lead each and every day. But, we can’t achieve that level of cooperation with today’s out of gas, out of ideas government. We can only build that new St. Kitts and Nevis together.
My fellow Kittitians and Nevisians – enough is enough. Time is running out on this failed government and soon enough you will have the opportunity to judge for yourself whether or not this failed government deserves another five years to bring us more taxes, an economy in freefall, more crime and more of our passports and land sold out to Denzil Douglas’ wealthy foreign friends.
My good people, the next election will be a referendum on a failed politician and a failed government. A new day is coming, my good people. And, in that brighter day, together, we will build a new St. Kitts & Nevis.
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