PAM Deputy Leader – Eugene Hamilton
Basseterre, St. Kitts
Peoples Action Movement (PAM)
May 22, 2009
Deputy Political Leader and Shadow minister of Agriculture, Eugene Hamilton has promised that with a PAM administration agriculture will regain its prominence within the federation. Hamilton was at the time speaking at a public meeting his party held in Cunningham Cayon on Wednesday evening where he pointed out a number of deficiencies and atrocities that the Labour administration has been guilty of.
Hamilton told the large crowd that the government has to understand the importance of agriculture noting that the federation has the ability to be a key player in food security for the federation. “It is a sad situation to see that countries like St Vincent and the Grenadines and Dominica producing more goods than us here in St Kitts and Nevis. Every week their boats come her with food that we can grow locally,” he said.
Hamilton urged the residents of Constituency eight to elect a new parliamentary representative for their constituency arguing that the sitting representative, the Hon Cedric Liburd had failed miserably and to give him another chance would be an injustice to the youth’s future. “he has promised and promised and still has not delivered as Liburd is only interested in friends, relatives and cronies and not you the ordinary people, let us send him a message by electing a new representative,” Hamilton urged.
He promised that once elected he will seek to ensure that significant contributions are made in new technologically advanced sectors in agro-engineering and other agriculture related sectors.
Hamilton noted that with a PAM administration there will be growth and development within the agriculture sector noting that because of the uncaring labour administration those within the agriculture sector continue to suffer significantly. “There is a bright future for you and agriculture with a Peoples Action Movement government while we would seek to make you entrepreneurs within the agriculture sector thus ensuring that you do not become a burden of the state,” Hamilton promised. He spoke about the fact that farmers have paid for their lands to be ploughed for months and that the agriculture department cannot get the job done because of lack of equipment.
Hamilton pointed out the critical importance of agriculture to our food security, reminding supporters that it was the Simmonds government under PAM who had bought the sugar lands for some 22 million dollars noting that the labour party had attempted to discourage the sale arguing that the money was too much. He went on to state that today the government has made back the money that the PAM administration had spent. He alleged issues of corruption and unethical sale of the land he spoke about the many promises of housing and business developments that have been made with no proper and concrete plans being executed.
He emphasized that although residents may have voted against him in the past he had extended a hand of invitation to them pointing out that it should not be about personality but rather about policies. “It is not about Eugene Hamilton, it should not be about Eugene Hamilton but about the issues and I say that its time that we wake up and realize that all the labour government offers is promises,” the PAM representative stressed.
On the issue of agri-business Hamilton stressed that it is critically important for the Federation. He noted that development and advancement in the sector has to stand up to climate change and globalization in addition to a world where we continue to see rapidly growing economic and financial challenges.
St Kitts and Nevis agriculture sector is critically important for the growth of the Federation and for the food security of our nation and as such, Mr. Leader (Lindsay Grant) I humbly promise to ensure that I will do what is right in advancing the Federation under your administration with you being the next Prime Minister,” Hamilton told a passionate crowd of supporters.