While the Prime Minister is happy to lament the woes of colonialism, he is even more happy to go begging and borrowing from the self-same colonials. This type of confused thinking permeates most of the ULP regime and its policies.

Just this month, the United Nations issued a world report on climate change stating the need for the whole world to take action on reducing emissions of carbon dioxide. The UN report predicted that the world temperature will increase and there will be long periods of drought. Yet the ULP regime still persists in a wasteful strategy of building a big airport which will increase the dangers of climate change for SVG citizens. This shows the irresponsibility and waywardness of the ULP regime. SVG needs to play its part in conserving the world for future generations. Our economic plan should be preserving our environment not degrading it. A proper Environmental Impact Assessment of the airport project would show the devastation this airport will do to our air, water, land and fish.

In the 200th year of the abolition of slavery, the ULP regime is leading the nation back in to the shackles of slavery. The modern plantation is mass tourism and the modern plantation owners are the big players in mass tourism. A bigger airport will not provide SVG citizens and their children or grandchildren with the tools for long-term independence and security. It does not provide the opportunity for the appropriate education to significantly provide high-quality human capital for SVG and the environment for strong local businesses.

The world is in a situation where we have practically reached ‘peak oil’ – where we have used half of all the world’s oil reserves. With this is mind and knowing that fuel for aircrafts will run out, it is very short-term for the ULP regime to pump hundreds of millions of dollars into a bigger airport. The ULP regime is jumping on the bandwagon of mass tourism, but in reality they have already missed the boat.

The ULP regime took office in 2001 without a coherent strategy to improve the economy of SVG and to protect and preserve our environment. Six years’ of the ULP regime in office has pushed up public debt 4 times as fast as the Cato government and 2.5 times as fast as the NDP. Presently under the ULP regime the SVG economy is import-driven, losing 5 dollars to every 1 dollar that we make from exporting. This is a strategy for economic disaster. The strongest economies in the world, such as Japan, are not based on mass tourism.

The cracks in the fabric in the country are being illustrated by more murders and more people turning to violent crime as a solution to their problems. Doctors are being induced away to ‘greener pastures’ as they are fully aware of where a brighter future lies. This is not an option though for the majority of the population as they lack the relevant qualifications and money to pursue careers abroad.

The pomp and ceremony around the visit of President Chavez is no foundation for long-term security in SVG. SVG Green Party repeats its call for fresh elections in SVG in 2007 to halt this ULP regime economic madness.