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Wednesday, January 10, 2007 A new session of Parliament was opened
Tuesday 9th January, with the swearing in of members of both the upper and lower
houses. The proceedings which included a Thrown Speech by Governor General Her
Excellency Dame Pearlette Louisy also saw the historic election of two women to
preside over of the two Chambers of Parliament.
Dame Pearlette in addressing the joint session paid tribute to Sarah Flood
Beaubrun who was elected as House Speaker and Rosemary Husbands Mathurin as
President of the Senate.
St. Lucians can proudly demonstrate to the world that our women folk have
emerged from the shadows, and have taken centre stage in the affairs of our
nation and have set an example to others. The three most prestigious offices of
this nation are being filled by three ladies who have earned distinction in
their separate fields and in their own right, Dame Pearlette said.
The Governor General also listed the island's participation in the 2007 Cricket
World Cup and the reduction of crime, poverty and ill health as top priorities
for government. She said programmes to achieve these objectives will be outlined
when the the new budget is delivered in March of this year.
She said while government remains resolute to tackling these issues, the
incidence of crime and criminal activity is of grave concern to the new
administration. She said in order to effectively tackle this scourge, the
elements which impede the efforts of the nation, in that light, must be removed.
To reduce and ultimately remove this blight on our society my government will
mobilize all resources, financial, human and intellectual in this battle. Unless
it is won, our economic and social progress will be seriously retarded, she
said.
She said government will strategically attack the causes of crime; indiscipline
in schools, the streets and places of entertainment, which she said are the
result of unemployment among the youth, poverty and the illicit drug trade.
Meanwhile the government of St. Lucia will be setting up a special task force on
education. That body will be mandated to present a comprehensive plan for every
aspect of education. At the top of its agenda will be a blueprint for Universal
Secondary Education, in ensuring that each child receives an education.
The Governor General said Government is also concerned about health, and in this
regard, intends to mobilize a team of experts both nationally and
internationally, to draw upon the successful experiences of other countries in
implementing the Universal Health Care Programme.
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