Party tested and proven

OVER the past eight years the Democratic Labour Party has been the subject of abuse and vilification, of which Leader of the Party, Prime Minister the Right Honourable Freundel Stuart, says the Party remains unnerved.

 

The Prime Minister’s comments came yesterday morning at the DLP’s 61st anniversary service at the Covenant Life Teaching Centre, where he recalled the creation of the party back in April 1955 and some of the challenges faced and gains achieved over the years.

 

The Prime Minister said the DLP has given Barbados four of its seven Prime Ministers, transformed Barbados from a village to a nation and is more committed to securing human welfare than promoting human warfare. He pointed to several initiatives led by the DLP including the introduction of free school meals, free education, equal pay, severance payment and maternity leave with pay to name a few.

 

Noting the challenges which the Party encountered since taking over office in January 2008, Prime Minister Stuart commended the loyalty, support and commitment of the members of his Cabinet, of whom he says all Barbadians should feel proud.

 

Prime Minister Stuart used the opportunity to single out and thank Finance Minister Chris Sinckler for his work over this challenging period.

 

“The last few years of course, the Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs has been the focus of much attention, not always positive attention, but he too steeled himself for all the challenges that laid before him and he stuck to the task. He heard much about how negative the outlook was for Barbados. He heard much as we all have, about downgrades.

 

“Recently that tune changed, and we heard that the outlook for Barbados is now positive. I want to publicly congratulate and thank the Minister of Finance for the sterling work he has done in that Ministry and for the strength of character which we are shown in very difficult and challenging circumstances.

 

“The measure of a man is not how he performs when things are going well. The true test of a man’s character is how he performs in times of adversity. And [the] Minister of Finance and all the Members of Cabinet on whom we have had to rely have shown the strength of character of men and women, who are deserving of being called men and women,” he said.

 

Stuart, while outlining further gains of the DLP to development of Barbados, said: “We have a proud record and we have kept Barbados stable …You can count on the continued good stewardship and commitment to the loyalty of the DLP to the welfare of all Barbadians, particularly to the welfare of those who are the most vulnerable in the society.”

 

The Prime Minister, while effortlessly quoting from the Sermon on the Mount in which he says he finds comfort, also told the congregation that one can only appreciate the value and the meaning of Easter because of Good Friday. (JH)