Joint Commemorative Session of Parliament Address by Hon. Mia Mottley

JOINT COMMEMORATIVE SESSION of the PARLIAMENT OF BARBADOS

Address by the Honourable Mia Amor Mottley, QC, M.P. Leader of the Opposition and

Leader of the Barbados Labour Party

Thursday, 26**^ June 2014

Your Excellency, the Governor General and Lady Belgrave, Madam President and Members of The Honourable The Senate, Mr Speaker, and Members of the The Honourable The House of Assembly, former Presiding Officers and parliamentarians, visiting Presiding Officer, Members of the Diplomatic Corps, distinguished guests ali; At the outset, I would like to convey on behalf of all members our gratitude to all former and current presiding officers whose commitment and diligence to the upholding of the rules of this Parliament and may I say their own personal patience, have allowed us to reach in unbroken service this significant miiestone in the iife of this Parliament.

An anniversary, as we all know, is the commemoration, in succeeding years but on the exact day of its original occurrence, of an event of particular significance to those who pause to celebrate and reflect.

And so today, June 26^^^, 2014, it gives me great pleasure to participate in this Commemorative Session of the Parliament of Barbados convened, as

is appropriate, in solemn and ceremonial observance of that day, June 26^"^, 1639, when the first Parliament of Barbados met.

No nation can truly progress if it ignores its history. Nor can a people have confidence in themselves and their future unless they come to terms with

the past, however painful that past might have been. With perseverance,

fortitude and enormous courage, a resilient people can turn a legacy of evil and oppression into a compelling force for good.

And so it is with the Parliament of Barbados. We readily acknowledge that

for the first 300 years of its existence Parliament's sole purpose was to

defend the interests of the privileged few, the plantocracy, while subjugating the masses with tyrannical precision.

It was a Parliament that legislated to enforce slavery, and created the conditions that permitted the obscene profit of the minority to coexist with the subhuman squalor of the majority.

It was a Parliament that based the franchise solely on the ownership of

land, arbitrarily and deliberately excluding 98% of the adult population, and all women, from any participation in the decisions that directly affected their daily lives. It was a Parliament in which the majority of us, and certainly the women, could not be seen nor heard - an inequity that was decried by the

Rt. Excellent Sir Grantley Adams 75 years ago today, to the day.

It was, in short, the antithesis of freedom and democracy.

Yet this same Institution has, in the last 75 years of its existence, been

transformed beyond recognition by the indomitable spirit of a group of extraordinary patriots whose names are too many to mention but whose contributions shall forever stand the test of time. Such that today we can also acknowledge that our Parliament, that erstwhile instrument of

oppression, is now a splendid symbol of democratic governance, a tool of empowerment, a guardian of the rule of law and respect for human rights, and a leading actor in the quest for economic and social betterment for all Barbadians.

Since our Parliament,

anniversary in 1939, the legislators of this, our modern have worked tirelessly to

eradicate the injustices and

inequalities perpetrated on the people by their ancient predecessors.

It is a Parliament that, through the inspirational leadership of a determined few, fought for workers' rights, and fostered the creation of the trade union movement.

It is a Parliament that brought us universal adult suffrage, gender equality and equal status for children under the law, no matter the circumstances of their birth.

It is a Parliament that legislated to turn plantation tenants into homeowners, and to invest in the development of our human capital through universal access to free education, health care and social security benefits.

It is a Parliament that fought against the Ship Rider Agreement and

defended its right to tax against the might Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

It is a Parliament that implemented progressive tax measures to foster

investment in Barbados by Barbadians, and incentives to encourage wise choices for environmental sustainability.

Above all else, it is a Parliament that across the divide reflected a common

philosophical perspective to place the upliftment of our people at the core of our mission in a modern Barbados.

Barbadians can be justifiably proud of the progress we have made over the past 75 years to build this unique Barbados brand of Parliamentary

democracy. The presence of an active and enlightened Legislature has been absolutely central to our development as a stable and well-ordered society.

But Parliament is not a static institution.

It has evolved with the times, and must continue to do so. Indeed, our

currently reality demands that the pace of evolution be dramatically accelerated if this Parliament in which we are all invested is to remain

relevant and effective for the governance of Barbados in the 21速* century.

Barbados can no longer coast on the legacy of a twentieth century Parliament and Government as we navigate our way in this second decade

of the 21速* century.

We live in a fast-paced, digital age. As elected representatives of the people, we serve an educated and enlightened population who demand of us a more transparent, more accessible, more participatory form of governance. Their expectations of us have changed. Yet the systems and structures of our Parliament have seen no real reform since the last major change, the introduction of single member constituencies in 1971.

A 21速* century Barbados requires a modernized governance structure, one that is capable of moving beyond slavish adherence to the adversarial Westminster model with its pro forma speeches and repetitious debates,

where sides increasingly often simply oppose for opposing's sake.

Hunkering down behind the traditional battle lines of political tribalism

cannot help this country. Bipartisan cooperation, led by a new generation of patriots who put the national interest above all else, is what Barbados needs. Indeed, it is what Barbadians demand. I have no doubt that they

will be happy to see us seated on the same side today, and pray that this may portend well for the future of this country.

Barbados is too small and its people too educated for us to waste even one

good idea. The solutions to our problems do not reside exclusively in the minds of the 30 elected and 21 Senators of these Chambers.

Genuine

Parliamentary Reform can and must find creative ways to embrace all talents and welcome all constructive contributions. For it is no longer proper for us to call ourselves the people's representatives, and then believe that we need only seek their views once every five years. Equally, we must

ensure that the will of the people must be capable of being exercised in

between the current outer limits of the franchise, if necessary, through a

process of recall. And in the exercise of the will of the people, we must fight

against the emerging paradox of the control of the few not by the exercise of a limited franchise of property as in previous times but through the influence of capital today on the electoral process. We as a people, have come too far since 1951 to allow the benefits of universal adult franchise to

be diluted. There is a cost to democracy. We must be prepared as a people and as a Parliament to bear it.

Simple changes in the way how we do business must now be undertaken to make our Parliament more dynamic, more participatory and more responsive to our people. A wider use of the Committee system and the

holding of open hearings on important national issues to allow our people to have their say on the scope of policies and legislation must be undertaken and not simply spoken of on grand occasions such as this. Full publication of these hearings would enhance transparency and bolster trust between those who govern and those are governed. The Legislature must always be an effective check on the power of the Executive. For let us not

forget that it is the premise of the separation of powers on which our Constitution guarantees the rights of our people.

Indeed, one of the most important constitutional responsibilities of the

Legislature is to review Government's expenditure. It is today also the most relevant of functions for our nation's stability. Yet the manner in which the 7

Annual Appropriation Act (commonly referred to as the Estimates) is

currently debated does not do service to the taxpayers of this country.

What we currently have is a soap box for set speeches cannot replace, often of dubious relevance to the central issue under debate. What we

need more than ever to restore our fiscal stability is a process admitting of the genuine examination of proposed expenditure and its rationale, and a

follow-up mechanism to ensure accountability on implementation.

Barbados' greatest asset as a nation has been its stability - political, social and economic. It is what has made us who we are. It has conferred on us a

rare distinction for a small nation within the global community to be recognised as one whose voice and actions make a decisive difference in

the quest to make our world a better and a more just place. It has permitted us to earn beyond that which we might otherwise have done given the extraordinary desire of others from afar to want to visit, live and do

business in a place reflecting stability, order and beauty. This stability has served us well. We must strive at all costs to retain it while ensuring that as we do so, we remain faithful to the precept that our people's prosperity and freedom must be pursued at all times.

375 years of existence has taught us the difference between a Parliament

that focuses only on the interest of a few, consolidating wealth for a hand 8

full to the detriment of the many, and a Parliament that treats to the protection and enhancement of all of our citizens and residents irrespective

of their station in life. We know from experience that it is only in the enhancement of the freedom, prosperity and protection of all that we allow

for a rising tide to carry us safely to the shore of success.

At this time of great uncertainty in our nation's life, we must recommit to the

solemn tasks of enfranchising and empowering our people, irrespective of the challenges. Our mission to do so for our people gathered great

momentum just over 75 years ago. But as those who led the charge realised, it would take time to reverse the consequences of centuries of

exploitation.

We

have

truly

witnessed

the

political

and

social

enfranchisement of the majority of our people and our workers. And we have started the process of the economic enfranchisement of Barbadians.

We have come far.

We still have a date with destiny before we can report mission completed.

However, our ability to reach there is being severely challenged. Our current realities render our task far more difficult but I dare say, not

impossible. Our actions today as a Parliament must be undergirded with the same zeal and the same compassion reflective of those who occupied these walls in the last 75 years, even if the climatic conditions have 9

changed and our strategies must differ. We cannot afford to place on the

altar of expediency the well-being and opportunities that ought to be the birth right of Barbadians born in an independent Barbados. This is the very

time when there exists in our midst those most in need of our support and, indeed, that of the guiding and stabilising hand of our State. We must not walk the path that provides the easiest route for some while sacrificing the gains of the many.

What we need more than ever is a National Conversation where we as a

people covenant to protect that which we believe to be critical to our stability and that which empowers as many of our people to be strict guardians of our heritage and firm craftsmen of our fate. And if sacrifice is

demanded of us, in the best traditions of the last 75 years, let that be a shared sacrifice, protecting those most vulnerable, who least have a voice to protect themselves and bolstering, not deferring, the dreams of those whom we asked to dream of a better life for themselves and their children.

On the 26^*^ June, 1989, the 350*^ Anniversary of this Parliament, when only one member today was present as a Member, the Rt. Hon. Member for St.

Peter, our National Hero and our then Governor General, the Right Excellent Sir Hugh Springer, in addressing the Joint Commemorative

Session of Parliament on Monday 26^^ June 1989, asked of God that our 10

leaders be granted clear vision of the goals which we must pursue, the

resolution and fortitude to pursue them and most importantly, the largeness of mind to rise above differences and to unite in the achievement of the

good and welfare of our country.

As we celebrate the fundamental importance of this our Parliament to our

democracy, our stability and to our people, let us recommit cognisant of his prayer on that day.

Let us recommit today to those who have not made the journey to

prosperity as yet and those whose gains are now being threatened by the unrelenting assault on the stability of our nation.

Let us treat always to the legitimate ambitions of our people who want simply to own their own house, to have a job or own their own business, and who want to ensure that they and their children receive the best education and health care possible in a safe and orderly Barbados.

Let us recognise the importance of bolstering the self-confidence and selfesteem of our people (to foster a positive self-image in the words of the Rt. Excellent Errol Barrow) if we are to ensure that they realize the true returns on the tremendous investment that has been made by our nation in their well-being.

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Let us restore our faith in this our nation Barbados to reach these heights.

And let us as a people, not just as a Parliament, recommit to those most

noble of acts of the Christian faith, giving and loving - giving always of our best to our nation and to one another and loving each other regardless of

our differences, for that is what is required of us today and always. It is only through our deeds, not our words - when we walk together in the same

direction buttressed by the same goals and considerate of the well-being of each other - that we shall arrive safely at our rendezvous with destiny.

We have known challenges. We have met them before with resilience and

fortitude. We CAN do so again. We must do so again.

I am a daughter and granddaughter of Parliament and I am a child of Independence.

I was taught and I do verily believe that with God on our side, we shall have

no doubts or fears - that we must trim our sails to move upward and onward, inspired, exulting, free. For as our history has taught us, freedom is ultimately the right of each individual to choose, whether in the small or

large decisions along the path of life.

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Freedom and hope is the legacy that this most ancient but most progressive of Parliaments in the Commonwealth of nations preserves and

confers on our people today and for all times henceforth.

Confident of our ability to succeed, let us, with urgency, all to the task rise of building this nation and nurturing our people. For this is our nation, our Barbados and we have no time to lose!

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