MARA THOMPSON yesterday unveiled her mini-manifesto at Martins Bay in St John, highlighting plans she and the ruling Democratic Labour Party Government have for the constituency she is seeking to represent through the January 20 by-election.
Speaking at a media briefing, Thompson said there would be great focus on young people and seniors. She suggested that too many elderly people were being “left to themselves”.
The manifesto outlined programmes that Thompson said would be implemented. She noted that greater thrust would be given to getting young people involved in entrepreneurial endeavours as opposed merely to seeking employment from others.
Thompson, widow of late Prime Minister David Thompson, said further development would be brought to St John, but not at the expense of the parish’s natural beauty.
“I do not see the need to turn St John into an urban sort of setting. It [development] can be done in a rustic way,” she said, adding she was quite pleased with how the campaign had gone thus far.
Reinforcing Thompson’s point, Prime Minister Freundel Stuart said development was not about creating a wilderness of bricks and mortar around Barbados.
He suggested modern infrastructure had to be balanced with maintaining what was best for the country’s physical and cultural environment.
Stuart said 30 teams had been in the field canvassing yesterday, including the entire Cabinet. He said the parish had not been taken for granted and they had fought the campaign as though their lives depended on it. He said they had
no regrets about the course of its campaign so far, and he expected a resounding victory for Mara next Thursday. (WG)
