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THE POOR YOU HAVE ALWAYS

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Every political party in the Caribbean prides itself in being a champion for the poor, the rhetoric increases whenever an election is near. Sometimes one wonders what will happen to the fabric of these political parties if suddenly there are no more poor people in the state. The only saving grace is the words of Jesus – ‘The poor will be with you always’. Recently, I read a document entitled ‘Poverty Assessment Report – St Lucia December 1995 – A SUMMARY DOCUMENT’. The document was part of a study that sought to understand the phenomenon of poverty in Saint Lucia. The findings were based on a National Survey, a Survey of selected communities and a review of Key Institutions and Organizations. The objective of the study was to arrive at measures to address both the immediate conditions of poverty and the underlying factors that lead to such poverty. We are now almost twenty years...

LIAT, LIAT, WHO WILL SAVE YOU?

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In a report in the Antigua Observer, Prime Minister  Dr. Kenny D. Anthony is quoted as commenting on the plans by regional airline LIAT, to streamline operations to cut cost and become more efficient as follows: ‘ The changes do provide a basis for optimism. I think some courage is finally being applied to deal with the situation with LIAT. Obviously it is not going to be easy for the government and people of Antigua, but they have to understand that governments cannot continue to pump money year after year into LIAT, despite the carrier’s losses. Caribbean people need LIAT badly’ There is a striking similarity with these comments and the position espoused in the past by the now Political Leader and former Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Mr. Allen Chastanet. Mr. Chastanet has been heavily criticized in the past for saying that no money should be pumped into LIAT until there was...

AFTER 36 YEARS – TIME TO GET IT RIGHT!

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As a nation we are celebrating thirty six years of independence and yet there are issues relevant to our existence as a nation that still requires extreme correction. We have to start with the very name of our country, is it St. Lucia or Saint Lucia? Should there be an abbreviation or should the full name be written out in official documents. Your passport would have the words SAINT LUCIA on the front and  then the first page speaks to citizens of SAINT LUCIA. However on the same page it refers to the Ministry of Home Affairs St. Lucia. So even in the most official document to travel there is the apparent confusion. We have to begin to spell it right, there is no St. Lucia, and there is only one country in the Caribbean by the name Saint Lucia. Every Government Department and every official document should begin to convey this fundamental truth of our geographical history. It is time...

ON THE HEAD

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There is a reason behind the construction of your head. You have an ear on the right and one on the left. It says to us that we must hear two perspectives, and when the head assimilates the two perspectives, the mouth then speaks.

John Peters

100 YEARS

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One has to ask whether the last 100 years of slavery and the first 100 years after slavery were any different. If the answer is no then the Reparations Committees of the Caribbean are in a major conundrum.

John Peters

CONSTITUENCY BOUNDARIES COMMISSION REPORT – RIGHT?

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The Constituencies Boundaries Commission Report raises a fundamental issue of our democracy, whether it should be embedded in selection or representation. Should there be equity in electors per constituency or should it be based on equity of population? I am of the firm view that democracy starts with equity in electors and thus as far as possible, each Member of Parliament is elected from an equal pool of voters.  It cannot be based on equity of representation of population. This Constituencies Boundaries Commission was established on June 2012 with five members, two each representing the two major political parties and with the Speaker as Chairman. There are three lawyers among the five members. The Commission drew its authority from Section 58 (1) of the Constitution of Saint Lucia, and proceeded in the execution of their task on the principles set out in Schedule 2 of the...

GFL CHARLES AIRPORT AND TAIWAN’S CRASH

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Just this week the people of Taiwan suffered an unfortunate air crash where at least twenty six people died.  I join with every St Lucian who is thankful for the tremendous assistance Taiwan has offered St Lucia, in expressing our sincere condolences to the families and the people of Taiwan. Some weeks ago I was introduced to Cdr Bud Slabbaert and Pascal Mahvi, who both had expressed interest in my comments on the closure of GFL Charles Airport. I have been a strong advocate for the airport remaining as part of our infrastructure. Pascal Mahvi is well known in St Lucian circles for his endeavours in the tourism sector in Jalousie, and I was not aware that he was also an experienced pilot with over 4,000 hrs of flying fighters, transport category jets and turbo props. Pascal suggested to me that the issue of safety should enter the discussions. He posited that Aircraft accidents happen;...

ON WORSHIP AND PRAYER

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There is something that happens when there is fusion of prayer and worship,there is something awesome that is released, It is like nuclear fusion, when the two collide something entirely new is formed and light and energy are released.

John Peters

HIGH FUEL COST – THE OTHER STORY

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Every day, new words are introduced into our vocabulary as technology and new thought emerges. I wish to introduce a new term – ‘Abaxial Thinking’, which I am copyrighting at this point. I will define abaxial thinking as generating thought processes away from the norm. It is saying for example that the price of fuel should go up when the general thinking is that it should go down. While the conversations have been focused on the reduction of the price of fuel and its possible impact on the economy, I would wish to posit that an abaxial thought would be that the price of fuel should in fact be increased at this time. Governments have seen the importation of vehicles as a source of revenue. In St. Lucia the final cost of an imported vehicle is almost the equivalent of the cost of the vehicle CIF into St Lucia. There is almost 100% add on to the cost of the vehicle. When someone goes to...

THERE IS NO MODEL!!

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“We are virtually at the crossroads. As an economist, I can tell you that it really requires a quantum leap in our thinking, in our focus and in our intervention through the kind of work that needs to be done. The fact is that we need to corral our forces – intellectual, economic and financial – and try to meet that proposition’’ The following were the words of Mr. McHale Andrew speaking last year as Chief Executive Officer of Invest St Lucia. Mr. Andrew was providing a positive picture of the results of the Investment Forum held in May 2014. It was reported by Stan Bishop that he also stated that a sum of US $ 100.0 million of Foreign Directed Investment was invested in the last six months of 2014. I want to think that my good friend Stan Bishop may have misquoted Mr. Andrew in his article. There is no way USD $ 100 million could have entered St Lucia in the last six months without...

ON ABSOLUTE ZERO

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In the theory of physics there is a concept of absolute zero, where there is the complete absence of heat and motion, it is the lowest temperature possible. Poor policies and reckless management of our economies have brought certain Caribbean countries to the brink of absolute economic zero, the lowest state of economic stagnation.

John Peters

WHY FUEL PRICES REMAIN HIGH

By in Print

Recently the Government provided its position on the reason the price of fuel has not changed significantly even with the major decreases in the price of crude oil on the international market. However, the Gov’t Press Secretary failed miserably to fully explain the reason that this has occurred. In November 2013, Mr. Everistus Jn Marie was interviewed by Ms Jada Brown, a reporter attached to HTS, on the method behind fuel prices. It was a most instructive interview. Mr. Jn Marie made some very critical points in that interview. He very correctly stated that the respective parties need to be more forthcoming in informing the public and consumers on the reasons behind the cost of fuel. I fully concur, and must state that the Government has to do more to ensure that there is transparency in the energy sector. The Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Sustainable Development must take...

THE GRAND CASTRIES TRANSPORTATION STUDY ANNIVERSARY

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This month is the anniversary of the completion of the Grand Castries Transportation Study; it will be 21 years since its completion in December 1993. One would therefore strongly suggest to the Ministries of Infrastructure and Economic Development to revisit the document and to see how the transportation model which projected traffic flow into 2013 performed and  to consider the transportation strategies that were proposed. The Grand Castries Transportation Study was initiated during my stint as Chief Engineer and remains the most comprehensive study done on our transportation system. The Report contained twenty seven (27) transportation options and strategies on the Gros Islet to Castries Corridor, Access to the south west of Castries, City centre traffic and parking, city centre land use proposals and suburban integration of the eastern communities. It is clear to me that there is a...

THE GIBRALTAR OF THE ANTILLES

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When Victor Hugues in 1795 described St Lucia as the Gibraltar of the Antilles, his words were unknowingly describing St. Lucia’s future role in the Caribbean. The historians will convey the role that St Lucia played in the Brigands War of the Eastern Caribbean, and the introduction of a type of warfare that took two superpowers by absolute surprise, despite their military strength. I believe our history guides us in our approach to our future, and we have to look at these events over the last four hundred years to understand how a small nation can survive in the swirling seas of globalization. There are a few important truths that one would wish to extract from that period of history. Firstly, the wars of that era show us that St. Lucia is more than land but also has a marine area of importance. From an economic standpoint we have not looked at our 200 mile exclusive maritime zone as...

ON DESTINY (5)

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If you understand planetary motion, you will get insight into how your life can change. The Earth revolves around its axis and we get day and night, the Earth also revolves around the sun and we get seasons, and our solar system revolves in the galaxy and we get ages. If every day you ensure that your inner core revolves around truth, then your soul will revolve and give you right seasons, and then and only then shall you enter your destiny.

John Peters