The following is part of the speech delivered by former Opposition Leader Mia Mottley in the House of Assembly on Wednesday morning.
Barbadians are becoming more apparent with the political tribalism that exists.
Most Bajans don’t care about B, D, G, or F and that is the reality of the existence out there.
And the truth is, Sir, we have to find a better way. I believe that we can find a better way. I believe that we have to find a better way at putting people at the centre of building a society and allowing people to give their services and ability to this country at the time when it needs it the most.
I believe Sir, that we have a duty, to remove some of the vestiges of the Westminster system that acts as a drab on our development. By its very nature its adversarial rather than developmental in terms of allowing development to take place.
And you know Sir, in my own case, I’ve had to asked myself some telling questions in the last few weeks – very very telling questions. And I would admit Sir, that apart from October 1, which is the birthday of myself and the?Minister of Finance, October was really not a month to remember – to tell the truth.
It was not a month to remember on all sides. Much has been said by them and by others.
Some has said I’m going to the Dems, I’m going as an Independent, some have even told me to form a third party. I treat all of those statements Sir, like I treat the vicious rumours, that have miraculously appeared after two and a half years again. I treat it with the same disdain.
But what has really been the reality Sir, I have said nothing other than on October 18, when I was removed from office and on November 13, when I declined to serve as Chairman of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) in the current circumstances then – I have said nothing and I’ve only said that time and God would determine the future.
I believe Sir, for me to speak and to ignore the events of the last month, would be to make a mockery of the intelligence of Barbados and it would make me a hypocrite and I would not be a hypocrite and I will not start being a hypocrite.
I’m acutely aware Sir, that much have been said about healing and olive branches and no one can deny that healing is necessary. But for healing to take place there must be mutual respect and trust and communication – that is a fact.
There would be differences, legitimate differences of policy, legitimate differences in relations to the type of politics that you want to practice. Legitimate differences in terms of leadership and principle. And what is significant Sir, is that our political parties have to reform to accommodate those differences. And that is one of the reasons why I fought for the one man one vote last month.
I say to you Sir, that we have to ask ourselves at this juncture, what really are out to achieve. I’ve committed to the principles of the Labour Party, because?I believe it is the best way to do it, but I commit to the development of Barbados because?I believe that we can’t survive without it. And I believe most in our minds and all that we do or say.
I believe Sir, that to lead, you must inspire confidence and have a vision. Some believe that to lead well you must inspire fear. I believe Sir, that we have to build a society where everybody can get a look in. Where the windows and doors of the nation are opened up and not slammed in people’s faces. And I don’t speak only about here, these are the hard realities that we have to confront in this country, in this Parliament and in my Party too. And unless we confront the realities, we are going to face difficult times.
I didn’t really come to public life for any other reason but to serve, Sir, and to help people and I will continue to help people in or out of Parliament because that is the thing that defines us as Barbadians and that is the thing that makes us better.
I want Sir to leave with words that perhaps Sir reflect how I feel and in the words of President Teddy Roosevelt; a former president of the United States and I quote:
“ I wish to preach, not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of the strenuous life, the life of toil and effort, of labour and strife; to preach that highest form of success which comes, not to the man who desires mere easy peace, but to the man who does not shrink from danger, from hardship, or from bitter toil, and who out of these wins the splendid ultimate triumph.”
Mr Speaker, Sir, my conscience is clear. My commitment to the people of St Michael North East and to the people of Barbados is steadfast and sure. With that, Sir, I can only pray that we make the right choice, not for our own sake, not for the sake of this Parliament, but for the sake of that generation of Barbadians. God bless this country and bless each and every one of us.
