Attaining self-sufficiency in food will require better land use, including arable land in St George and subsidised water rates for small farmers, says United Progressive Party candidate Ambrose Grosvenor.
In his first campaign meeting Saturday at Roach Village, the retired banker said a year and a half of talking to residents, working and achieving results in St George made him the best choice for representation in the November 11 by-election for St George North.
The seat became vacant following the resignation from Parliament on September 30 of Gline Clarke, who represented the constituency from 1994. He is to take up the post of High Commissioner in Ottawa, Canada.
“We need to grow our food,” Grosvenor said. “Agriculture has to be one of the planks to getting Barbados going again.”
The business and technology specialist said he had led community action to have a bus service returned to Workmans after it was stopped. He added it was not well known that St George was one of the parishes affected by water shortages, sometimes for three days a week.
Grosvenor told his audience that Barbadians had rejected the BOSS (Barbados Optional Savings Scheme) plan to raise bonds in support of Government financing.
“A spectacular failure BOSS has been. Barbadians did not buy it. Barbadians are smart people.”
He said the traffic situation at Charles Rowe Bridge, where vehicles converged from four directions, was a disaster in the making, and required attention as it had been the scene of vehicular accidents.
As to why he was running, Grosvenor told the DAILY NATION it was twofold: “One, to restore the level of representation that St George North had up to December 2007; and two, to be the principal voice in the House of Parliament holding the Government to account.” (HH)
