CHIEF MINISTER’S REMARKS AT THE ROAD TOWN NDP RALLY FOR THE LAUNCHING OF AT LARGE TERRITORIAL CANDIDATE ELMORE STOUTT

Ladies and Gentlemen: We gather this evening to launch a candidate for Territorial representative.

We are here tonight to honour our democracy and the tradition of communal involvement that we all hold dear.

And, perhaps most importantly, we come together on this occasion as a way of paying proper tribute and lasting respect to our colleague and dear friend, the late Hon. Paul Wattley.

Our thoughts and our prayers remain with his family, in particular his beloved wife Leona.

Leona wanted to be here tonight, but sadly another death in her family has prevented her from joining us. Our deepest sympathies are with her and let us all resolve to extend our hands to her and the entire family during this sad time.

And let us further resolve that the finest tribute we can offer Paul Wattley is to keep his memory alive in our minds and hearts.

Ladies and Gentlemen: Standing here this evening as we convene this meeting of the National Democratic Party which Paul helped lead and which he believed in so passionately – we are reminded that political parties and elections are not about personalities or about power – they are about fulfilling a mission.

Paul Wattley was a man on a mission. He had a vision for this Territory and he believed in that vision with every ounce of his being.

It was a vision of hope and progress.

It was a vision rooted in his enduring love of this Territory and his profound belief in the future that we could build here.

And it was a vision as bright and energetic as that wonderful sparkle that always glimmered behind his glasses.

And so tonight, ladies and gentlemen, we join together as a party, as a movement and as a community to reaffirm our commitment to helping carry out Paul’s mission.

My friends, two years ago, the people of the BVI gave this Government a clear and solemn mandate to bring change to our Territory.

After so many years of lost opportunities, of misspent tax dollars and of failed leadership – the people of the BVI said: Enough.

It is time for a new direction. It is time for new thinking. It is time for a brighter day.

And for the last two years it has been my honour and my joy to work each and every day with the people of this Territory to help deliver that change.

This work has not always been easy – but nothing worthwhile in life ever is.

But we have met this challenge with strong spirits and with glad hearts.

We have worked everyday to do the right as God has led us to know the right – and we have humbly endeavoured to do his will knowing that no effort of flawed men is ever perfect, but that only be striving for perfection can we truly fulfill duty.

We have had moments of frustration and moments of great joy – but through it all we have never wavered in our fundamental faith that the guiding hand of God would lead us on a straight and true path;

And we have never had cause to question our core belief that it is the duty of our generation to lay the foundation for a stronger future.

Because, ladies and gentlemen: above all else, this Government believes in the potential and the possibility of the people of the BVI.

And it is on the basis of that belief that we have worked with all our energy to open the doors of opportunity.

We have focused our attention on growing the economy and creating jobs.

Toward that end, we have provided unprecedented support for small businesses and new entrepreneurs;

We have revised the tax code so that the tax burden would be shared more fairly – and as a result every working family in the BVI is now paying less in taxes than they did last year;

We have made major investments in our national infrastructure including new piers and docks from Anegada to Jost Van Dyke;

We have purchased the land where the Virgin Gorda airport sits in order to allow its continued operation – and we have improved the airports on Anegada and Beef Island;

And most recently, we have taken a major multi-million dollar loan from the Social Security Board that will be used to build and improve roads here in Tortola and throughout the Territory.

This major road building initiative will not only create the modern infrastructure we need – but will also provide meaningful and important work for our petty contractors and construction companies – further expanding our economy.  

And we have made a major commitment to strengthening our vital tourism industry and making sure that its benefits are shared more widely than ever.

In order to meet that goal, we have moved forward with the new national service training program – the first of its kind in the history of the BVI.

We have amended the Hotel Aid Ordinance so that small properties of three rooms can now enjoy the same benefits as larger hotels;

We have conducted extensive marketing efforts around the world;

And we have purchased Prospect Reef – which will soon be reopened as a functioning business hotel, as well as a world-class training centre where the next generation of BVIslanders will learn the art of hotel management.

Thanks to these efforts and the hard work and ingenuity of the people of the BVI, our economy today is strong and getting stronger.

Last year we set new records for tourism with hotel occupancy rates exceeding 65%.

And as we have worked to grow the economy and create opportunity, we have reinvested the fruits of our success to provide more and better services for our people.

That starts with our commitment to provide quality healthcare for all.

To meet that imperative we have established the first Hospital Board in our Territory’s history – to staff the Board we chose some of the leading medical experts not just in our Territory, but in our entire region – and this group is already making our healthcare system more effective and more accountable to the Ministry of Health and the people of the BVI;

We have made major investments in our clinics in the Sister Islands to make sure that quality service was available when it is needed, where it is needed;

We have encouraged our young people to consider nursing and medicine as career paths and have provided scholarships to support them on their way – and we are tremendously pleased that today there are more young British Virgin Islanders studying medicine at the University of the West Indies than at any time in our history;

And we have completed the new annex at the hospital that will mean more beds, more up to date facilities and better service for patients.

Quite simply, where other Governments have talked about delivering better healthcare, talked about expanding the hospital, talked about reforming the system: we have actually delivered.

And as a doctor I could not be prouder of the outstanding work that has been done by the men and women of the public service and all those who do so much to make our healthcare system work for the people of this Territory.

And in that same spirit of forward thinking we have worked to address some of the most critical challenges we face.

We have proposed and passed the historic Immigration Law, which has finally established a fair process for dealing with those who seek to join our community;

We have taken on the challenge of making our Territory’s capital a place we can all be proud of, so we have invested in a wide ranging beautification process;

And we have delivered on one of our most important pledges from the last election: we have made education priority number one.

Ladies and Gentlemen: of all the work this Government has done over the past two years, nothing makes me prouder than the accomplishments we have seen in the effort to educate our young people and prepare them to succeed in the world.

We have invested in our schools at all levels – building new facilities, renovating and improving existing facilities and bringing new technology to our students.

We have brought the National Curriculum project forward and starting next month students throughout the Territory will be benefiting from a curriculum that is updated to meet their needs.

We have given special attention to strengthening the Community College and ensuring that this critical institution is put on the path to continue to be the thriving centre of learning that it is today. Toward that end, we have worked tirelessly to help streamline the operation and put the College’s financial house in order – and we are pleased to say that outlook for the College is now bright.

So long as we have anything to say about it, the H. Lavitty Stoutt Community College will continue to meet its vital mission long into the future.

And in one of the finest achievements of our first two years, we have delivered on our promise and created the BVI’s first Department of Youth Affairs and Sports.

In just its first year of existence, this new Department is already showing incredible promise, sponsoring after-school activities from sports, to art, to choir.

Seeing our young people compete in the recent Choir Competition - -the first in our history – and listening the pure and sweet voices of the winning Virgin Gorda team – we all saw first hand how much good can be accomplished when we make the right choices for the future.

And so, ladies and gentlemen, it is truly fitting that now as we face this special election, that we stand before you, the people of the BVI, and offer up a man who is ideally suited to helping carry on the work of building a better future.

It is a cliché to introduce somebody by saying: this man needs no introduction.

But in this case – that is literally the truth.

This man has been a rock in our community for as far back as most of us can remember.

The young men and women who will be voting for the first time on September 5th hadn’t even been born when Mr. Stoutt was completing his first decade of service in the education system.

It is no exaggeration to say that this man raised entire generations – providing his wise council, his steady hand, and his endless supply of patience, good humour and true love for the young people of the BVI.

Wherever you look around and see a strong, smart, confident young BVIslander stepping up to positions of responsibility and leadership in this community, you can be certain that this man had a hand in shaping that person and preparing them for their road ahead.

Mr. Elmore Stoutt truly embodies the best virtues of the public servant – a man who puts the greater good ahead of personal glory; a man who serves without question and answers duty’s call; and a man who will never stop working to build a better tomorrow for all BVIslanders.

We are honoured to present him as our candidate and to support him in this election.

And we ask all of you to stand with him, too.

Because make no mistake – this election is important.

We are brought to this vote by the saddest of events. The passing of our friend and colleague Hon. Paul Wattley still sits heavy in our hearts.

And we know that there is no better way to honour his beloved memory than to pick up the torch and move forward.

Paul would never have stood for us to lose our focus even in the face of hardship and tragedy. If he were here tonight, he would look us in the eye and tell us: there is work to be done.

He would have told us that he ran for office because he wanted to see his vision fulfilled. And all who knew him can testify that he would never have allowed us to stop working until the job is done.

And so that is what we must do.

We must continue to improve our healthcare system by building the hospital and bringing a new health insurance scheme to the people – and we will not stop until the job is done.

We must continue to improve education in our Territory by building the new High School and investing even more in opening opportunities for our young people – and we will not stop until the job is done.

We must continue to grow the economy by aiding our local businesses and further strengthening tourism and financial services – and we will not stop until the job is done.

And ladies and gentlemen we must, we absolutely must continue to give the people of this Territory the kind of clean, honest and trustworthy Government that is free from the failures of the past – and my friends I promise you we will not stop until the job is done.

We are going to keep on working for you because that is what you asked of us when you gave us your trust and your vote two years ago.

And with Elmore Stoutt by our side we will continue to march forward toward the better future we can all build together.

My friends: the BVI is on the move – we are heading in the right direction – and we are not turning back.

It is my pleasure to give you our friend, our teacher and your next Territorial Representative Mr. Elmore Stoutt.