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78TH ANNUAL BARBADOS LABOUR PARTY CONFERENCE Address by Party Leader, Mia Amor Mottley, Q.C., M.P.

LESTER VAUGHAN SCHOOL, ST. THOMAS October 29th, 2016

My Brothers and Sisters!! It feels so good to be in the company of the Labour Party family! Four years ago, we woke to the news of a second consecutive defeat for the Barbados Labour Party. Narrow, as it was, it was painful, nonetheless, and spirits were understandably low. Today, less than 50 months later, we are on the cusps of securing what I predict will be the largest landslide win for the Labour Party in many a year.... Many Comrades have said to me in recent weeks, they are feeling a 1976 all over again. They even said after the completion of candidate nominations this week, that there is another Great Combination in the making. Whatever it is, Brothers and Sisters, we are readying ourselves for it, and this time, we shall make good on our promise to remove this drifting, incompetent, corrupt Democratic Labour Party government from office. I know the word "corrupt" has been thrown around very freely over the years, but, trust me, when I tell you this is the most corrupt government Barbados has ever seen, I know what I am talking about...and so do many of you. Indeed, anyone who spends enough time in the company of certain business people in Barbados today, would sooner or later get to understand how business is conducted by members of this Freundel Stuart led Government. It is an absolute abomination to the memories of the founders of that political organisation. We had Prime Ministers and Ministers of government, on both sides of the political spectrum, who served for decades and who demitted office still owing on their homes and vehicles. We had ministers, after 15 years of service, who were still paying pack loans they took out to educate their children.

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Now cars and houses are the order of the day…come in Parliament any Tuesday and see the cars. All of this - happening in the worst managed economy ever in Barbados. But today is not the time and this is certainly not the place for us to deal with their shady deals and the enormous accumulation of wealth being flaunted shamelessly. The time for that will come. They are going to have to account and if they do not account in Parliament, in the media or from the public platform, rest assured, they will account from the ballot box in the political courts of this country. I am listening to the people and the people of this country are telling me they want something done about this terrible blotch on the image of the island of Barbados. Never in all our years could the charge of corruption be so deservingly leveled against an administration in this 166 square mile island of ours. The time for accountability will most surely come but today, Ladies and Gentlemen, we are here to call to arms the family of the Barbados Labour Party. We are girding our loins and preparing for battle. This is a battle not only for the fate of the Barbados Labour Party. This is a battle not only for the rescue and resuscitation of the economy of Barbados. This is a battle for the protection of the social fabric of Barbados; for a return of that innate national pride we held and cherished so dear. So the task at hand is much bigger than winning the upcoming election. The future of our country is at stake. In some respects, this upcoming election mirrors that currently underway in the United States of America. Barbados cannot survive five more years of Freundel Stuart's uninspired and uninspiring leadership. It cannot survive another five years of incompetent ministerial leadership meant. And it certainly cannot afford another five years of rampant corruption. Barbados needs a rescue team and that team is our remarkable slate of candidates who have readied themselves for the task of rebuilding Barbados. Barbadians needs a team to rescue us from the government that is willing to pursue a new kind of governance. Brothers and Sisters, we are our country's best hope! I want to repeat that, Ladies and Gentlemen....the Barbados Labour Party is Barbados' best hope! We will not just be the alternative - we must be the answer!

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I saw where poor George Pilgrim wished publicly for an implosion of the Labour Party this weekend. He said we would emerge from this conference with three leaders. That was not just George Pilgrim talking, Ladies and Gentlemen, that was the leadership of the Democratic Labour Party outlining their only hope of salvation in the forthcoming general election campaign to say that we are a disunited party. There is nothing they can do now or say to get back in the good books or consideration of the people of Barbados, so they are wishing and wishing desperately for something to emerge from this conference that would give them a glimmer of hope. The narrative they wrote and which their spin doctors are about to release across Barbados is that there was a terrible fight for the leadership of the party and that we left this conference this weekend going in several different directions, with half of the nominated candidates withdrawing their expressions of interest and that the party is in no way, form or shape, ready for an election. But what I want the media covering this event this evening to tell them is that the family of the Barbados Labour Party is focused and ready! Tell them that the 30 candidates duly nominated are committed to the cause of representing the people of their respective constituencies and that there is no leadership issue in the Barbados Labour Party. Tell them that George Payne, the longest serving member, has been elected unopposed as Chairman of the party and that he has the full support of the Political Leader and wider membership of this great party. He has the full support of Mia Amor Mottley. Brothers and sisters, coming together as a family is always good – but I want to say to you this evening that whereas analysis shows support for the DLP waning, our family is growing in size and stature. It is growing way beyond the official membership list, as recorded in Roebuck Street. There are many in our midst this evening who are not members of our party, but who felt moved to attend this conference as an expression of interest in what we are doing. There are others not in attendance here today, who have signed on to the task and who are working selflessly behind the scenes to make this victory possible. Our support is growing for many in this country know that what is at stake is the future of Barbados. Many have begun to recognize that holding fast to the Democratic Labour Party, under the leadership of Freundel Stuart and this

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current group of ministers, may be deleterious to the interest and wellbeing of our country. Many have taken a principled stand against the attitude and behavior and also lack of performance of this government. I want to say to you this evening, Ladies and Gentlemen, that we have to be warm and welcoming to them. Never mind the elitist labels flung at us in the past, we have long been the most inclusive party in Barbados. We will need the support of 70-75 per cent of the population, to effectively implement our programs and get them working in the shortest possible time. Many who have stepped forward and are supporting our party are not in need of anything, indeed, they have come as givers. They have taken the stand that Barbados' interest must supersede all others. I want us to view each person we meet as a potential convert to the policies and philosophy of the Barbados Labour Party. Do not make the error of believing that you know who the die hard Dems are. The very persons you may be tempted to write off are the ones who are giving the greatest help and assistance to your candidate. Let us make room in the Barbados Labour Party for all who would wish to join us in removing this corrupt, inept government from office. As I said earlier, our internal elections have come and gone and a smooth transition of elected officers – not the confusion predicted. I would like to congratulate all of the persons who have been elected to serve as this Party’s administrative leadership for the course of the next year. Firstly, I would like to salute the Chairman, Mr. George Payne, who has been elected unanimously by this Conference. With his clear and strong commitment to this Party, George has the experience and capacity to chair our Executive and our National Council as it works alongside the Parliamentary Party and new candidates to offer Barbadians the opportunity to rescue and transform this country. To the others who have been elected we congratulate you on your victories. And to those who were unsuccessful on this occasion, I urge you to translate your passion to serve in the administrative arm of this Party into the other areas in which we will clearly need your commitment and experience. I would also like at the outset to congratulate you the members of this Party for going out over the last year and helping us to come here to Lester Vaughan focused and ready! It is you the ordinary members of this Party who have gone out and who have helped us find a well-rounded team of Barbadians from all

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walks of life to work with Barbadians to rescue and transform this great country of ours. We completed on Wednesday this week, and ratified on Thursday, all candidates in constituencies not currently held by this Party. All that is required of us now is to have the sitting Members of Parliament confirmed as the Party’s candidates in the next election, WHENEVER IT IS CALLED. Yesterday I agreed with the General Secretary to the laying of a Resolution before this Annual Conference – this Party’s highest decision making body – for the confirmation of all of the sitting MPs of this Party. Once this Resolution is accepted we will leave the Conference with a full slate of endorsed candidates. This is one of the best political teams gathered anywhere in the Caribbean. And why do I say so? We are buttressed by the experience of 10 members of this Team who have served at the highest levels of Government in Barbados in a previous BLP Government in Parliament and in the Executive when Barbadians enjoyed a quality of life that they can only now find in their memory; when we were considered by our neighbours and the international community as one of the most successful developing countries in the world. Equally, we offer Barbadians 20 new candidates who have never served in a previous BLP Government. They, too, bring a wide range of skills and experience and passion; but above all else a commitment to serve their country – their communities recognizing that more than ever, Barbados needs honest, caring and public-spirited Barbadians to come forward and serve their country. We have completed our selection of candidates in the nick of time when Barbadians across our land have been pondering on their future given where this insensitive, incompetent and corrupt Government, the worst in our history since Independence, is leading us all to a Pathway to Poverty. Early in the new year, after Independence and Christmas, we will be formally presenting our full team to the country so that all Barbadians may see why I am so confident that this team is truly the right combination for the times! But we will not only be relying on our candidates facing the polls to rebuild and transform this country. In this room, there is also over 200 years of experience with persons who have served in previous BLP Governments – persons like Sir Henry, Sir Louis, Dame Billie, Sir Richard, Delisle Bradshaw, Vic Johnson to Reginald Farley, Elizabeth Thompson, Anthony Wood, Cappy Greenidge, Erskine Griffith, Noel Lynch and many others. And of course, there are also many of you

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who have served in other capacities nationally without bringing yourself or the institution into disrepute. And then, as I indicated in the Call to Action issued on our 75th Anniversary, that this Party shall also work with Barbadians across the board who share our vision or our objectives on individual issues that are in the interest of making Barbados a better place to live, work, rest and visit for all Barbadians and for those choosing to visit our shores. And we will do so without requiring of them membership of or loyalty to our Party. This Party does not believe that only its members are imbued with the wisdom or the right to have a seat at the table. Once you are prepared to put Barbados first, we need you! So under a new Barbados Labour Government, this vicious and self-defeating tribalism that places Party survival at the centre of too many decisions shall be a thing of the past! This excessive partisan behavior has hurt the Central Bank, the Police Force, the Law Courts, our schools and too many of our institutions that we have relied on in the past. It has alienated too many Barbadians who simply want to help to make their country a better place and their lives easier. These young and more mature Barbadians know that as we move into the next 50 years of nationhood, that better can be done. We must make room for them! And we will! And our commitment to end tribalism and to fully engage all Barbadians at home and abroad, is all the more relevant today as we stand on the eve of our 50th anniversary of nationhood. The Freundel Stuart Government would have you believe that the Opposition has been less than supportive or cooperative with the 50th Independence Anniversary celebrations. This moment in time cannot be confused with the fact that since Independence, the Barbados Labour Party has held the reigns of government for 24 years. More importantly, Barbadians have lived better under the BLP governments. The charge of the party being less than cooperative could not be further from the truth. Independence is not a moment in time, it is journey of cooperation between the government and the governed.

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In spite of their never consulting us once, we have deliberately not sought to undermine the celebrations, because we do believe that 50 is a landmark deserving of celebration. What, however, we recognize is that Barbadians are being truly reflective and are not particularly proud of where almost the last decade has kept us. We are not where we thought we would have been 20, 30, 40 years ago. Indeed, there is precious little of the last 10 years of our existence worthy of celebration. And that is what the Government of the day is not recognizing. We are in a sad, sorry state at 50....and this has led many, including a former Prime Minister and leader of the Democratic Labour Party, to ask the question “How did we get here?”

65 years after ordinary Barbadians were given the right to chart their own destiny as a democracy by being given the vote without reference to what property they owned, how did we get here?

60 years after we started the journey of all Barbadians being able to go to school and university without worrying about whether they could afford it, how did we get here?

60 years after we introduced the first suite of legislation to ensure that the descendants of slaves could no longer be treated as beasts of burden and be exploited for their labour, how did we get here?

60 years after we carried the delivery to health care to a new level with the construction of the QEH, and thereafter a network of Polyclinics to meet the primary health care needs of our people, how did we get here?

50 years after we established the National Insurance Scheme to ensure that Barbadians have an income upon retirement and 35 years after we introduced Unemployment Benefits when other developing countries could not even conceive of the same, how did we get here?

35 years after we intervened through the Tenantries Freehold Purchase Act to allow tens of thousands of Barbadians across rural Barbados to be able to own their own piece of rock at 10 cents per square foot; and almost 20 years after we allowed their families in urban Barbados to purchase at $2.50 per square foot, how did we get here?

30 years after the Barbados Water Authority had recorded surpluses, how did we get here?

More than 15 years after we laid the foundations for fairness in the 21st Century economy with the establishment of the Fair Trading Commission, how did we get here?

Above all else, after 52 years of fiscal discipline between 1955 and 2007 where we did not spend more than we earned on our normal monthly expenditure, how did we get to a place where profligacy and fiscal

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recklessness have characterized the Government’s spending every single year since 2008?

This is the common refrain from Barbadians all across the country.

It is no wonder that Barbadians are not responding enthusiastically in the way that this Government believed that it would with for the 50th Anniversary Independence celebrations. For many - those who cannot get water or have their garbage collected or who are struggling to pay their rent or mortgage or who cannot find a job – they have said they cannot summon the will to celebrate. For them, these are the darkest days of the 50 years.

And we understand why so many feel that way.

Almost every sector in this country is in crisis!

People are frustrated by 8 years of a failing economy, fueled primarily by a deep, home grown fiscal crisis that has impacted on every sphere in the public and private sector of Barbados. Bajans watch on as the same handful of people, in the now memorable words of Lil Rick “getting through” while others, including DLP supporters smelling hell from day to day. And of course, do not let us forget, the now ever-present discomfort honest and hard working Barbadians feel at the utter lack of transparency and the stories of deals

This is BARBADOS we are talking about.

And we have been saying it every year for the last few years! With each downgrade we have said it. With the increasing reliance each year on the NIS and the Central Bank to finance Government’s runaway spending and deficits. And you need to know that both of these institutions have taken up almost another $1 billion in Government paper.

Every Minister is dodging the bullet!

If we did not know better, we would have thought they were all auditioning for a re-make of Shaggy’s hit “It wasn’t me!”. From the Minister of Finance to the Attorney General to the Minister of the Environment to the Minister of Agriculture to the Minister of Housing.

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Well, if we cannot blame them – if they are not prepared to be accountable – then let us relieve them of their duties and get on with it! What makes this moment in our history particularly challenging is that while we may have faced some of these crises before, we have never had to confront them all at once! We Barbadians have now become accustomed to being close to the bottom of the ladder on every international Index – from “The Ease of Doing Business” this week where it is now recorded that we are No. 117 out of 190 countries. So as we try to attract increased investment to provide jobs for our people and to buffet our declining foreign reserves, investors the world over are being told that it is easier to do business in Jamaica and St. Lucia and a number of other Caribbean countries than Barbados! The “Global Competitiveness Index” where we have gone from No 55 to No. 72 from 2016. And St. Lucia is ahead of us. But this is what Bajans have been saying ad nauseam for the last 6 years! We feel it! In every poll that has been done, two-thirds of Barbadians say this country is on the wrong track. The problem is this does not move this Prime Minister or the members of this Government. We have learnt the hard way that unless it affects them personally or politically, and even then only when it is crunch time, will this Government speak or act! The people in the North of Barbados catching water in buckets but having to pay water bills every month know what I am saying. It is immoral. The public servants who have had not a cent in pay increase for the last 6 years but see a Cabinet try to restore 10% to Ministers’ and MPs’ salary know this. Not only do you all know this and feel this, BUT the case against this Government has already been made over and over. It will take an extraordinary effort for our Team to rescue and transform this country; to rebuild trust and to restore hope to our people. It will not be easy by any stretch of the imagination. It will take creative and innovative strategies, and the majority of Barbadians putting their shoulders to the plough to effectively implement new initiatives. We will have to share the sacrifices fairly to put us on a steady platform again, such that we can then embark on the journey of transformation and bring about the real and authentic change we all yearn for.

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This Party has done it before. The Right Excellent Sir Grantley Adams was called Moses because he took an oppressed people and put them on a path to be treated with dignity and to wrestle the horrors reflected in the Moyne Commission that led to the 1937 Riots. We did it with Tom Adams and his team who inherited an economy that was broken and 14 year olds who were being put out of school. We did it with Owen Arthur and his Team who came into office in 1994 after 4000 public servants being sent home and 8% being cut from their public servants’ salaries. Each time, we came to office, we listened, we acted and we governed in the interest of the ordinary Barbadian such that we left the country each time in far better shape and more hopeful than how we had found it! And I am here to tell you today, God willing and with the will of the people, we can do it again – and we shall! We recognize that there are many who are now doubtful – who have allowed hope to elude them. And even some who believe that we are simply a victim of the times and the international conditions – even though other countries are doing far better in the same international community. Many have come to believe regrettably that it is beyond us. I have said over and over that the greatest crime of this Government has been to shatter dreams of Barbadians and to rob them of hope! I take no comfort in saying that we saw this unfolding more than 6 years ago. It was like watching a depression leaving the Cape Verde Islands and getting stronger and stronger with time until it became a storm and now a hurricane. And while the Government failed to take early and decisive action to prepare Barbadians, we realized we had to prepare ourselves. Given the severity of the challenges, this Party last year as we met took an historic decision that Barbadians needed hope. Against that background the Annual Conference approved the essence of the “Covenant of Hope”. After refinement, we launched this document at Solidarity House on May 6th of this year. Our Covenant lays out the basis for the restoration of hope to Barbadians.

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We are of the firm conviction that our people will not gravitate to you unless they are clear about who you are, what you stand for and what you will fight for. It is in that vein that the Barbados Labour Party has produced this document to provide clarity for Barbadians so that they make their own decisions as to joining us in this mission of Enfranchisement, Empowerment and Inclusion. Further, we felt that after years of arbitrary and incoherent policies and actions from the Government, Barbadians need confidence in knowing how a BLP Government will act in its name.

At this time when many Barbadians are doubting who we are as a people and what we should fight for as a country, it is critical that Barbadians know what the BLP stands for as a political party; in other words, what are our principles in a twenty first century Barbados. We believe that hope will return to Barbadians and confidence in our future when there is clarity of purpose, creative policies and the discipline to implement them. Equally, that the transformation of Barbados requires “individuals or groups, differing in power and capacity, but each acknowledging the integrity and sovereignty of the other, pledging themselves, in mutual loyalty to achieve together what neither can achieve alone”. In simple terms, that we recognize that all of us are in this together and we need to go beyond our contractual relationships to rebuild and transform Barbados. Above all else, our Covenant of Hope sets out to restore trust in the public affairs of Barbados. Without trust, we will not get very far.

Family, this Party is focused on ensuring that these principles underpin all of our

policies and decisions that we will take as a future Government.

Many ask what is the difference between the two parties. I must confess sometimes I take umbrage at that question. The thought that we can be compared to easily the worst Government in our history is a difficult pill to swallow.

However, when I get past that moment I understand what has happened. How this Government has destroyed faith in the public space, how they have caused Barbadians to doubt themselves, how we prefer to side with our darker thoughts for fear that our hopes of a better tomorrow are exploded.

People doubt that politicians want to serve the public - they believe that

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politicians come out of a desire for self-service. They reflect that this Government has perfected the art of dictating - not communicating. It is so human to want to opt out. But it is also human to summon from within the resolve that we can conquer - and much more so when we do it together. TO A BETTER AND STRONGER BARBADOS Our success rests above all else on the restoration of trust - the fostering of confidence, the climate of stability but also the flexibility to adapt and change in accordance with the new human needs and the advances in technology. Against this background, I would like to set out in clear terms how we will be different from the Government that now robs Barbadians of their dreams and denies them of a better life. I do not intend to be exhaustive today as we are constrained by time.

However, I will address the fundamental questions of how we, as a Party, will treat to the role of Government and the need for a new Governance. For the fundamental difference between the Barbados Labour Party and the DLP is how we will address these two issues. We will chart a bold new course for nothing less will be sufficient to transform Barbados and to allow us to be the best that we can be – as a nation and as a people! That is what we had become accustomed to. We will lay out for Barbadians between now and Elections what we believe will be a very clear choice of what they now have with Freundel Stuart and his team and what they can have with this BLP Team.

At the core of our challenges is the role of Government in our fiscal affairs. As the last few years have shown, if we do not get this fiscal crisis corrected, Government does not have the freedom to deliver social services to our people, to provide infrastructure, to protect our people and spur growth in the economy.

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The biggest challenge to Barbados’ stability and our way of life is how we get out of this self-inflicted crisis. Barbadians are spending less today in 2016 than they did in 2008. This is an amazing statistic of failure. When we consider that Barbadians are at the frontline of adjustment, bearing the heavy taxation, enduring without salary increases and suffering reductions in their wealth, the sacrifice has been in vain. In contrast, our Government is spending more today than it did in 2008. The deficit is larger than in 2008, the debt has doubled since 2008 and our foreign reserves are at levels that take us back almost 20 years. Yet amazingly, the services delivered to Barbadians are at their worst ever – garbage, water, transport, health, schools. Who has benefitted from the sacrifice? It surely is not the people of Barbados. It is not the business community. It is those who govern and a few who are detached from the governed. And yes, the Government is spending more money in paying interest than it ever has. When we spend this money on interest there is less money to spend on the things that I identified that Government must do for our stability and growth. The loss of investment grade – our downgrade to junk makes it harder and more expensive to borrow what we really need to meet our genuine needs to stimulate our productive sectors, enhance our infrastructure and protect our people. So it is now absolutely urgent that we stop the bleeding; that we do all to return confidence and credible growth to our economy so that we can see a meaningful improvement in our standard of living. There is compelling evidence that the ability to deliver social goods and services to Barbadians demands effective and efficient management of our economic resources. The same way that a journey of a million miles starts with the first step; the ability to manage billions of dollars starts with the first dollar.

A BLP Government will be focused on:

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stopping the printing of money by the Central Bank and remove the clear and present danger it presents to the stability of the Barbados dollar

returning Barbados’ Credit Rating to investment grade in the shortest possible timeframe – and to achieve this, we will

a. abandon the failed policies of DLP styled fiscal consolidation of more and more taxes and focus on growth (productive sector) and job creation;

b. control the growth of our debt by both being strategic in new debt and by growing the economy

Our fiscal policies – what Government earns and spends - will be guided by determining what is essential, then what is highly desirable and then what is optional. In assessing this we must be guided by what we want to protect and foster:

a. Everyone must have access to water – water is the source of life, without which our development and growth are constrained.

b. Barbados MUST be a safe place to live, work and visit! c. No household in Barbados shall go without a living income –

whether from a job, pensions, NIS benefits or from Welfare or other Government or civil society intervention. It is the moral thing. Everyone must be able to live!

d. Every young person in Barbados must leave school with certificates or a skill – be it CXC, CSEC or NVQs. And every young person who wants to go on to tertiary training must be able to do so without worrying about how they are going to pay or the burden that they will place on their families.

e. Every Barbadian must be able to manage their own healthcare. And in that regard, our Government will make a paradigm shift in its approach to health and refocus its energies and priority expenditure to promoting wellness, preventing disease and ill-health and providing treatment demonstrated by evidence to be the best value for money. We must also protect the nation’s public health for we are too small and too vulnerable not to do so.

f. Protect our National Insurance Scheme and restore its stability and enhance its independence to give ordinary Barbadians the confidence that they had for the majority of its existence. Similarly, we will also prepare for the rainy days by strengthening our Catastrophe fund.

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g. Free Universal access to WiFi to accommodate learning and self-improvement – this is the new tool of empowerment in the 21st century just as traditional education was in the 20th century!

h. Barbadians must also be able to pay Government taxes and fees and fill out forms online at any hour of day or night, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year

i. Barbados must transition by 2030 to a clean-energy society, (starting with the conversion of all public transport and Government buildings) and we must reduce to as close to zero, what is now disposed of as garbage. It is about time that we ban plastic bags and Styrofoam as a fundamental necessity.

j. Reliable and affordable public transport remains a critical need for the majority of Barbadians.

Separate from Government’s power to tax and spend- (on which we have placed excessive reliance in the first 50 years as a Nation) we must now creatively and deliberately use other powers of Government to spur growth of our households and businesses. We recognize that the use of these powers will not add significantly to Government’s deficit or debt, but they go a long way to spurring growth. Let me explain the power of legislation; the power of facilitation; the power of regulation; the power of enpowerment and the power of investment:

a. Legislation o We will pass laws very early on in a new

administration to: a. Create new financial instruments to allow

Barbadians to use their savings to help finance public and private sector development. This will give them a higher rate of return than the current paltry 0.35% interest that they get from the commercial banks. There is too much liquidity in the banks at a time when Barbadian businesses and households need access to money to expand existing businesses and create new ones. We need to foster a vibrant entrepreneurship culture. Unless new, safe

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financial instruments are created, a typically cautious Barbadian public will not invest.

b. A framework for the introduction of reverse mortgages. There are too many Barbadian pensioners barely coping yet they have asset. These must be allowed to work for them. It will also provide a boon for economic activity given the increase in disposable income that will result.

c. We will facilitate through legislation the reclamation of 2000 acres of land for peninsulas and islands, subject to the appropriate social and environmental impact studies, to create green fields for tourism investment. This will not add a single cent in public debt, as we will use legislation to make it happen. For those who doubt that this is possible, be reminded that the Right Excellent Sir Grantley Adams reclaimed land to join Pelican Island to mainland Barbados more than 65 years ago.

b. Facilitation We must stop talking about our intention to improve the ease of doing business in Barbados and just do it! It will require a systematic deconstruction of existing structures and processes and regulations – to remove what makes no sense or has no substantive purpose. From Immigration to Town Planning to Corporate Affairs to licenses. Technology is on our side and we should use it, not only to make it easier to conduct business but to harness and use the technological skills of our young people.

c. Empowerment There has to be a mature discussion on divestment in Barbados. It cannot be done by stealth. There must be consultation and this Government must be told that it cannot be used to consolidate wealth and power nor monopolies. This Party was founded on the notion of

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economic enfranchisement and empowerment. Barbadians must be empowered and enfranchised, not only to own a piece of the rock but to also have a piece of the action!

d. Regulation Regulation has an impact on all businesses. It can aid

profits or reduce them. Regulation is necessary to protect

and to ensure fairness. The BLP will regulate under a fair

regime, proportionate to the risk, without creating undue

obstacles for people and businesses to overcome.

e. Investment The State still has an entrepreneurial role in the private economy in developing countries. There are times when it will have to lead the way in sectors where there is little appetite for the private sector to invest on their own or at all. We reserve that right but recognize the need to use it sparingly.

A BLP Government will also ensure that we use Government procurement and Government assets to assist in reintegrating persons who have lost their jobs or key contracts in any adjustment the Government must make to restore macro-economic stability. And what of the role of governance as we turn 50 and beyond! A fundamental change is needed in our governance arrangements as people are completely disillusioned with current modalities. We heard Revd Morris last night detail comprehensively why this is urgent. I must tell him that the Barbados Labour Party does not subscribe to any kind of dictatorship - benevolent or otherwise. The BLP will take the hard decisions but always respecting the precepts of democracy. We must tackle head on \key issues such as the loopholes in our tendering and contracting system that breeds corruption. We will establish a Standing Commission on Corruption for Barbados cannot allow this cancer to be part of our landscape, whether in high or low places. We will restore faith and confidence in politicians, the political process and in government. We will provide a simple regime for delivering on the promise of improved transparency and having zero tolerance for corruption and seeking consensus with the DLP and Barbadians on meaningful campaign finance

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reform. This will be an immediate priority of our Cabinet and set the collective tone for accountability. Equally, there must be urgent reform of Parliament to allow for greater consultation with the public. We recognize the need to reinvigorate the Social Partnership by including key representatives of civil society and by identifying the national priorities for rescuing and transforming Barbados. The Social Partnership is also key to restoring the industrial relations climate now spiraling out of control and threatening to undermine any gains that we will make. Labour, civil society, ordinary people want to have a real and meaningful voice in decision-making. The Social Partnership must not stand back and allow a climate of intimidation of labour leaders or members of the private sector who do not agree with the Government on issues. Our Constitution guarantees the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of association. We have to foster better relationships between generations. This is critical to reaching consensus on what Barbadians must pay back to those who have built this country and pay forward to those who must come. It is important that we understand that Barbadians want to play a greater role in shaping their society than voting once every 5 years. This emphasis on the role of government and the need for a new governance is what sets us apart. We are different from this Freundel Stuart led Government. There is no doubt about that! We would not take $28 million and build a new multi-storey headquarters in Vaucluse, St. Thomas rather than to buy a fleet of garbage trucks. I addressed the mounting garbage problems 2 years ago at this Conference in 2014! We would have bought trucks with about half of what it is taking to build this building! Same with the BWA Building. The BLP has said over and over the construction of a multi-million-dollar headquarters could not be a priority for us when we knew that we needed additional desalination plants and a Reverse Osmosis plant to address the water quality in the Belle and surrounding areas. These plans for the Reverse Osmosis plant were first advertised for proposals by us in 2007. The people of Barbados now understand where the priorities of the BWA ought to have been and must still be!

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But you know how else we will be different. We will be accountable. I can never say that all will be perfect or mistakes or inappropriate actions will not happen, but we will be accountable for what happens. You cannot want to be at the table, get there and then deny that you are responsible for what you have done or not done. Confidence in our Government must always be maintained. There is no confidence when Minister after Minister fails to talk to the public or has been offensive to the public or has presided over questionable and dodgy contracts like Cahill! Barbadians would only believe in our system of Government if decisive action is taken. We must not only hold the people of Bush Hall and the Bay Land and Parish Land and Deacons Farm accountable and haul them before the Law Courts! We must be even handed in dealing with wrongdoing wherever it takes place. We must bring an end to the elitism and cronyism that has come to characterize the Stuart administration. And let me say clearly when we have a Speaker whose behaviour raises questions then we cannot expect that people will have confidence in the institution of Parliament. And while I am on this topic, I have to say that I am disappointed that you have not come to tell me that there is confusion again with another legal matter regarding the withholding of tens of thousands of dollars for months this year. What more must happen before Freundel Stuart acts! Joe Atherley prepare yourself! WE ARE READY! So, Family, the issue will not be, nor has it ever been, competence with our Party. As I have said, we have the skills and the experience. Above all else we have the temperament to listen and to understand what individuals and businesses face. That is why we introduced the Rubbing Shoulders Programme to go across Barbados and hear what you have to say, sector by sector, from workers to employers to investors. That is why we introduced the People’s Assemblies, a platform, primarily for persons who are not members of the Party and whose views may even be fundamentally different. It is intended to be an independent platform that fosters debate.

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And let me repeat, the BLP will continue “Rubbing Shoulders” and “People’s Assemblies” once the people give us the opportunity to be their Government. We will talk with you, we will listen to you, we will lead but we will be guided by you. We have said in the Covenant of Hope, and I repeat because it is perhaps more fundamental to our success than any promise of any major Capital project, it matters not only what we do in Government, but HOW we do it AND FOR WHOM and WITH WHOM we do it. We cannot educate our children and then believe that they cannot think for themselves or cannot reason or play a part on matters that fundamentally affect how them and their families and their communities. We have to do things differently – we have to talk issues out whether it is how we promote wellness of our population or to how we protect our environment. Equally, we must create a role for Barbadians to have a say on legislation that affects the lives of the population. That is why we rub shoulders with you; that is why we facilitate a platform for the people through public assemblies – not just for the 30 in the House of Assembly. So Family what is the issue if it is not competence? What is critical to Barbadians now, as we stand less than 18 months to an election, is “Are we ready?” The late Sir Richard Haynes once said that in politics, “Perception is greater than reality”. It is true that we have had some challenges with respect to containing our internal discussions to Roebuck Street as we have sought to rebuild this party. This happens in all Opposition Parties. We saw it in the Democratic Labour Party right up to before they were given a mandate in 2008. Members of Parliament engaged in open disagreement. Entreaties from the elders were rejected and dismissed. It happened in Jamaica with the present Government right up until before they were elected. It happened in Trinidad and Tobago as they reconstituted their team of candidates. It happened in St. Lucia. That is the nature of Opposition politics where party members are far more vocal where there is disagreement. It does not look good; but equally these are political parties and persons will have different strongly-held views. So, yes, we too have had our share. However, I ask you to reflect on this last year. What our opponents described as confusion and disunity has not been our reality this year. We have remained

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focused on what is our duty and what we have to do to make ourselves ready to be your next Government. This Parliamentary team has acquitted itself well as it has sought to represent your interests in Parliament. From the Estimates in March to the No Confidence Debate in May, to the Walk for Justice, to the Budget debate in August. They remained focused and we have had unparalleled success in holding Government to account for their policies and actions – or in the case of the water crisis, the lack of action. We acted with singular purpose as we forced Government to admit their withdrawal of the Cahill Project or as we advised you of the intention to restore the salaries of the political class while we are still in the midst of the fiscal crisis that led to the reduction in salaries and emoluments or as we fought with David Commissiong to have fingerprinting of Barbadians on return home. We celebrated our proud contribution to this country with a national Exhibition we mounted in Bridgetown – and it has been mounted here again for those of you who missed it. We launched our “Covenant of Hope” to restate our values and principles for new and old members and we have moving from parish to parish to hear the public’s views as we move from the Covenant to specific polices, for we believe that must have input from ordinary people in our manifesto. Walking the walk and not just talking the talk, your MPs and candidates have worked assiduously this year to get this Party ready while holding this Government accountable. Our readiness in the eyes of the Barbadian public will be determined not simply by us asserting it but when the public sees us remaining focused and doing things, like the completion of the selection of all candidates; the launching of our website which took place this morning as an interactive and educational platform, and our MPS and candidates continuing the highest standards or representation. Let me say clearly that there will be zero tolerance for anyone who seeks to frustrate this march on the journey to rescue and transform Barbados. There is simply too much at stake for too many. This party is Barbados’ best hope. Barbadians know it and we, the members of this Party, know it. Barbadians must know us by our commitment to purpose, by our integrity, by our empathy – how much we care; by our accountability and by our accessibility. There are persons who have been members for decades who might not now reflect these values as they speak to the public week by week; and equally there

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are others who are not members but who are walking with us on this journey and reflect these values and commitment. But then again, there are many of you who have already identified those who no longer are prepared to judge this Party fairly as they interact with the public. These persons are certainly free to express their opinions but we must be clear of their motives. This is unfortunate but it is also life. But we shall not be distracted. We shall remain focused on the mission – the needs of Barbadians and the myriad challenges facing the country. So what matters most is our actions and our statements – as ambassadors of the Party. Whatever we say or do at all levels will either hinder or help this party. Last year and today, I set out clearly that the greatest focus of our candidates must be representation. That is where the Democratic Labour Party has taken the greatest liberty in ignoring the needs of ordinary people. To ensure that we rub shoulders with as many Barbadians as possible, we will be using both traditional and non-traditional methods and media. We ask you to join us – whether you would like to walk, to write, to work on social media, to fundraise. We ask you to come forward and play your part whether among your work colleagues, friends or family; in the Church Yard, in the Bus Stand or the Hairdressing Salon or the Barber Shop. Impress upon everyone that we, the Barbados Labour Party are focused and ready! Ask them to look at the Team – how well balanced it is and how committed it is. Share with them as you move around copies of the “Covenant of Hope” and discuss it with them and how different it is from the performance of this Government. Tell them to come on our website if they want to confirm that they are registered to vote or to check where they may be registered to vote. Let them know that we ask them for their time and their support – for this journey is for ALL Barbadians; they can volunteer (in person or through the same website) to be part of this march. And. Let them know we want their contributions - for this country’s future and voice must NEVER be determined by a few to the detriment of the many! Let them know that as of next month November, I will as Political Leader of this Party walk the walk as I expand how I interact with Barbadians across the Board. At least once per month, I will be taking questions and interacting on Facebook Live so that we will rub shoulders not only on the ground but also virtually. I

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encourage all of the candidates to also reach out in this way. In addition to public meetings, we will also be embarking on cottage meetings in communities as part of the Rubbing Shoulders programme so that persons are not simply spoken to from a platform but will have a chance to ask questions of our candidates. Let all know that we will also be releasing periodically from next year position policy papers for discussion on different sectors to facilitate more in depth discussions with individual sectors – with Labour, the private and informal sectors, civil society and interested individuals. My family, we must be ready not simply for election but for governing from Day 1 should the public of Barbados repose their confidence in us. Conclusion I want to say this evening that I feel Blessed. I feel blessed to be leading this great political party at this crucial juncture in our country's history. I feel Blessed because this conference will end without the blood bath that was predicted, but in a purposeful atmosphere of brotherly love. I feel Blessed because I am truly proud of the slate of candidates we have assembled and their natural disposition to the philosophy and policies of the party and to gel as a family as we saw last night. I feel blessed because every single elder in this party is on board and has, in one way or the other, signaled his or her intention to play a part in securing this victory for the Barbados Labour Party. Brothers and Sisters, this is a great day for the Barbados Labour Party. 15 months to a General Election and we are more ready today than we have ever been at this stage of a campaign. I will not say too much now, but believe me when I say, we are truly ready for Freundel Stuart and the DLP. Walk with me, my brothers and sisters. You know the opportunities and the pitfalls. You know what can enhance our image in the sight of the public and you know what can be harmful to the image and wellbeing of this organisation. Let us all leave this place this evening, committed to the task of promoting the image and wellbeing of our party and letting all know that we are focused and we are ready!

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Let us fix our gaze on the mission to rescue and transform our Barbados. Let us join forces, Brothers and Sisters....for love of country and for the upliftment of our fellow man. I thank you and God bless us all.