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Opposition senator and candidate Kay Bacchus-Baptiste. (iWN file photo)
Opposition senator and candidate Kay Bacchus-Baptiste. (iWN file photo)
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The opposition New Democratic Party’s (NDP) candidate for West St. George in the next general elections, lawyer Kay Bacchus-Baptiste says she is leaving the comfort of her profession to fight for constituents.

“You know, unlike the retired teacher — with the emphasis on ‘tired’, I am come to fight for you!  I am come to give you hope! To heal your fears!  I am not looking for ‘food to eat’. The retired teacher said, ‘I must eat ah food’.  That is his motivation for running,” Bacchus-Baptiste told the NDP’s 41st convention rally on Sunday.

Bacchus-Baptiste told the event in Arnos Vale that Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, while paying tribute to the late former Minister of National Security, Sir Vincent Beache in Parliament in August, said, “There are lawyers who want to get into politics but don’t want to leave the comfort of their profession”.

“Well, I am leaving the comfort of my legal profession to fight for you.  My entire career I have fought for the underdog. When it comes to fighting for the poor and dispossessed you can’t find a better fighter,” said Bacchus-Baptiste, who is also an NDP senator.

The NDP’s West St. George group was hosting the convention two years after Bacchus-Baptiste “embarked upon the journey to liberate” constituents.

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An exhibitor at the NDP convention rally on Sunday. (iWN photo)

The opposition senator listed what she said were some of her achievements since then, including a town hall meeting in Dauphine in November 2017 and a Character Development and Conflict Resolution Workshop at the Arnos Vale playing field in November 2017.

At that event, she invited Alan Saunders, author of the book “Discovering The Real Me”, to conduct a workshop, Bacchus-Baptiste said, adding that the NDP will introduce character education and conflict resolution in schools and Saunders has committed to train teachers who will teach this programme. 

Bacchus-Baptiste was appointed a senator on Nov. 20, 2017 and in December of that year, she unveiled her Constituency Development Plan at a town hall meeting in New York.

Among other things, Bacchus-Baptiste said her constituency hosted a consultation for youth amidst proposed changes to the nation’s marijuana laws, which Parliament has since approved.

The senator also mentioned two free medical clinics that she held in the constituency during which two physicians contributed their services to more than 40 residents of West St. George.

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Some of the items on exhibition at the Arnos Vale Playing Field. (iWN photo)

“Look out for the free legal aid clinic and agricultural clinic, coming soon to West St. George.  We also recently launched a West St. George Medical Fund to assist anyone who requires serious surgery but cannot afford it.  The NDP believes in the health of our nation,” she said.

Bacchus-Baptiste said that she gained the greatest reward, however, when streetlights were placed on four utility poles in Ashburton after she lobbied for months.

“One elderly gentleman said, Senator Baptiste, ever since I was a child, I yearned for street lights on these dangerous roads in Ashburton and for all these years, I have never had streetlights. I cannot believe it.’ He was almost in tears. This is what you can do when you are committed, even outside of government.”

Bacchus-Baptiste said another of her achievements was the exhibition of locally produced items on display as part of the convention rally.

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Another set of display at the rally. (iWN Photo)

She said the exhibition will become an annual one.

Bacchus-Baptiste said that the NDP — which was formed in 1975 and is the oldest political party in SVG — is an institution and has a mindset to develop the people. 

“The ULP is a party of chaos and division,” she said, adding that the ruling Unity Labour Party’s time in office has been “18 years of broken promises! 18 years confused policies! 18 years of waste! 18 years of arrogance and disrespect and poor economic growth!

“When you go to the supermarket and you can’t pay the bill, when your light and water is cut off, and your children are jobless, it is not bad luck. It is bad management and bad polices of the ULP,” she said.

6 replies on “Kay leaving ‘comfort of my legal profession to fight for you’”

  1. Andre Richards says:

    So if she was not going into politics which she is not doing free all these great ideas would have never been revealed. Fools ah talk but not fools listening

    1. Rawlston Pompey says:

      FOOL’S PARADISE – POLITICAL HELL – FEATHERING ONE’S NEST

      The intellectuals with ‘…cunning traits of foxes,’ invariably believe that many people could be induced into believing that they are living in ‘…Fool’s Paradise.’

      Among the fundamental duties in the ‘…Law Enforcement Code of Ethics’ is one that states, ‘…Law enforcement officers shall protect the innocent against deception.’

      In the wider society, as in every sphere of human interaction, deception often comes in ‘…all sizes, shapes or forms.’ This, however, may not necessarily be the case.

      Do know that some regional intellectuals had gravitated and/or sucked into politics for the unexpressed purposes of;

      (a) …Ultimately wielding power and authority; and ended up

      (b) …Feathering their own nests and building dynasties upon nepotism.’

      Even though it often ‘…kills cat,’ out of curiosity, it begs the question, ‘…Why would one leave the ‘…comfort’ of a noble and lucrative legal profession for a life in ‘…political hell and political misery?’

      Well, to nobly and dedicatedly ‘…fight for the underdog; …the poor; and …the dispossessed.’

  2. Andre Richards i consider myself to be apolitical, however, it appears as if Kay Bacchus has a vision unlike her rival who is a tired and a worn out teacher who just want to supplement his pension. It is likely that he will just tow the line and maintain the status quo with his good buddy Ces Makie. They are considered to be party friends who meet every every Friday at a popular rendez vous at a private residence in Belair to have their usual cook up.

    What the constituents are looking for is real progress, not cosmetic changes and handouts at election time. Politicians are aware of the fact that the average Vincentian is susceptible to bribery. It is said that Ces Mackie is the worse representative that West St George has ever seen. All he does us to turn up to funerals. I say no more.

  3. In leaving the comfort of her legal profession, will she fight to put onto the statute books, “THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION BILL”? Such will make a good start towards her sincerity towards the peoples of SVG.

    Were here and her party to gain office, will she and her party commit to putting an end to the rampant nepotism and crony capitalism that is so endemic in this country?

    Will they commit to reducing the sky-high tax burden on us, in all forms, other than just a few percentages on VAT, sky-high taxes that has the effect of destroying Jobs and deterring investments.

    Will she commit to giving us true democracy by implementing real “local Government,” commencing with an “elected Town Board” for Kingstown and local government in other areas of the country?

    And will they commit to spend more time working here at home, on our pressing needs, unlike the existing family administration who are rambling the world on excursions and junkets to Cuba, Venezuela and the ends of the earth, while we go begging, Kingstown and elsewhere remains dilapidated, rundown and derelict and SVG disintegrates into lawlessness?

    Shall we hold her and her party’s feet to the fire for such well-needed changes?

    1. They also need to reinstate the Act PACE, which Gonsalves removed and in the removal of has been the support the police need in their continual beatings of accused and prisoners.

      People appearing in court with blackeyes and pulverised faces.

      The removal of pace also likely protected him as well.

      Also the assassination of Glenn Jackson needs reopening, there is lots of ignored and buried evidence.

      The disappearance of Servant of the Lord is another cold case that requires some new investigation. People have for years now assumed he has been assassinated as well.

      What Ralph Gonsalves said about “we will hunt the down until they exist no more” requires a full investigation and impeachment if that’s what it takes.

      There are so many legal anomalies that require investigation.

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