During the debate on the 2006 Supplementary Estimates in the House of Assembly, on 22nd March 2007, the Prime Minister accused the Leader of the Opposition of getting help from the Green Party to critically analyse the 2006 Supplementary Estimates. For the record, SVG Green Party has not helped the Mr Eustace. However, it is clear to see that the ULP has gained significantly from the presence and economic critical analysis done by SVG Green Party.

The visionary SVG Green Party manifesto was carefully put together after detailed profiling of the SVG economy as a solution to correct the socio-economic imbalance, so that everyone can benefit from the resources of the country. It has come to the attention of many people that the ULP government has been plagiarising the SVG Green Party’s 2005 manifesto and other ideas:

• SVG Green Party proposed to build a university in SVG in 2005 (p32-33). The ULP government announced they will build a university in SVG.

• During the 2007 Budget Address, page 44, Mr Gonsalves states that the ULP regime is ‘exploring the feasibility of installing wind-generated electricity. SVG Green Party 2005 manifesto, page 35, sets out an agenda for the implementation of renewable energy in the whole of SVG. The incompetent ULP regime did not even have the foresight in 2005 to put renewable energy in its own 2005 manifesto. Their energy policy, page 63, and focuses oil, oil, and OIL.

• In January 2007, the Ministry of Education announced they will be providing a counselling service in schools. SVG Green Party said in its 2005 manifesto, page 32, it would ‘provide mediation services in schools’.

• In May 2006, the ULP government announced initiatives, such as organic farming (The News, May 5) and bio-diesel (Searchlight, May 5). SVG Green Party 2005 manifesto proposes on page 10 organic farming, and pages 11 and 35 refer to alternative sources of energy.

• In January 2007, SVG Green Party announced that it would introduce an Open college so people could study at their own convenience. Recently, the ULP regime has announced the same.

• The ULP regime’s recent U-turn in education policy in Parliament on 22nd March 2007, is straight from the Green Party 2005 manifesto, where the Green Party calls for free pre-school to all children.

• The Green Party initiative to tackle the issue of underachievement by boys has recently been copied by the ULP regime.

It must be embarrassing for all ULP voters and ministers to see that, after all the pontificating by the Prime Minister during the 2001 and 2006 elections, all he is doing is taking SVG Green Party ideas. It is one thing to plagiarise ideas, but the ability to successful implement them is much harder. We have seen the results of ULP regime ineptitude with the stadium and prison fiascos. SVG Green Party is concerned that the ULP will make a greater mess of the SVG economy. It is innocent citizens that suffer and the life-opportunities of all people to become better-off will be severely damaged.