By kurt Reynolds

Some may say that the work of the opposition St Lucia Labour Party was never easier. That Kenny and Co could recline as a seemingly self-destructive UWP government implodes. But the Labour Party is not taking that route. Instead the SLP has maintained incessant political meetings and conferences, protests and late night speeches, one of which on Wednesday, kept the CDC residents wide awake.

The SLP had called out from their burrows, at least a 2000 strong audience, to hear their review of the budget presentation. Red shirts covered half of Jeremie Street for the second meeting of the SLP since in opposition, at the rightfully named People’s University—the Market Steps. It wouldn’t take much to realize that the students gathered would treat the advice and opinion of their lecturers as gospel.

"Stephenson King and his government has finally learnt that they cannot govern this country," began Anthony, as he took his turn to address the crowd on Wednesday. "Stephenson King and his ministers went down to my constituency in Vieux Fort for a retreat . . . They invited an ex-prime minister to tell them how to run a government. They invited Owen Arthur of Barbados to come and talk to them and to explain how a government should operate."

Anthony said that despite having invited someone to tell them how to manage the affairs of the government, "they didn’t invite Rufus Bousquet and Marcus Nicholas to the retreat." "Stephenson King did not want Richard Frederick to say all the things he had on his chest about the budget, so he sent Frederick to represent the government overseas, but Richard did not attend the meeting," continued Anthony.

"Marcus Nicholas said that d’Auvergne must go. He told Stephenson King fire d’Auvergne . . . or else. But for a whole year the Labour Party has told Stephenson King d’Auvergne must go! But he not hearing! Bousquet had to pick up the courage to tell him again that d’Auvergne must go. If this time around he does not fire d’Auvergne from the Cabinet, I will ask our party to bring a no-confidence motion in Ausbert d’Auvergne. d’Auvergne has to go!" he said.

Anthony claimed that "King is not just a prime minister. King is a prime bluffer!" He then continued to display a rather keen knowledge of the runnings of the UWP government: "He promised Frederick NDC; he bluffing. He promised Bousquet a ministry in Cabinet more than once; he bluffing and King promise Marcus a position in Cabinet but he bluffing too."

Anthony said that the budget debate is one that should never be forgotten, especially because of the presentation by Bousquet. "He said to you that it is not King who is in charge of this country, but it is the tag team of Ausbert d’Auvergne and Allen Chastanet. He said if you, the people of St Lucia, knew that Chastanet and d’Auvergne would have been ministers would you have elected them to office?" Anthony challenged. "d’Auvergne is like the Pied Piper, singing a melodious tune to us to destroy our count and our people and that is why we have to make sure he leaves this government.

"Today d’Auvergne is organizing for investors to come into this country and we do not know their names. We are told about people from Dubai who want to invest in our ports and yet we don’t know their names. We know for a fact that there were people from Dubai who went to the US to invest. The US congress had to intervene and say that those persons were too close to terrorists and they stopped their investment," he said.Anthony claimed that d’Auvergne "is using Stephenson King."

"King allocated to d’Auvergne alone, $53 million dollars for him to spend . . . I have never in my life seen something like this. But there’s the other tag team member—Allen Chastanet. Last year Chastanet was given $50 million for marketing, this year he is given another $50 million for marketing.

"How can we engage in this extravagance at this time? We have said to King that there are hundreds of people who are unemployed and elderly persons living in homes that have no children to look after them. Instead of giving Chastanet $50 million dollars, cut back on it by $10 million and give St Lucians food vouchers.

"A budget should respond to the hard times! Yet what you see taking place is absolute nonsense. What is St Lucia doing now with the official residence? King $500, 000 to buy an official residence. How on earth can an official residence take priority in these times when you have an official residence at Vigie."

Anthony said that despite accusing the SLP of wastage, the UWP government has bought 30 new vehicles in one year. He added that "Compton approved a vehicle for d’Auvergne costing $90, 220. The vehicle was smashed by somebody at economic affairs and nobody knows how the vehicle got damaged." He said the vehicle was sent for repairs and parts ordered, but before it was repaired, "King ordered another vehicle for d’Auvergne."

Anthony added that he would preempt King’s mantra of "show me the evidence," and tell the crowd the cheque number with which the vehicles were bought: "400111 of 190407 the supplier’s invoice number 1698 of April 2007. The second one was cheque number 775666 of 27 March 2008, supplier’s invoice number 870913 of April 2008."

Anthony closed by saying that the SLP had had enough and the government must go."We stand ready to take our country back! The time has come to take our country back. If the others around us truly understand that this government must go, when the Labour Party brings that motion of no-confidence, they must vote against that government," he said.