Leader of the Opposition Godwin Friday has dismissed as “lies” what he says is a statement that a New Democratic Party Administration would dismiss civil servants because of their politics.
He said that state employees have been telling him that they really want to vote for his party, but are scared because of rumours that he would fire government workers.
“… my entire campaign is about creating jobs. If you listen carefully; everything we do is about creating jobs,” he said, quoting what he said was his response to a woman who had asked for assurances.
“They last thing that I want to do is to take somebody job and create greater unemployment in this country,” the opposition leader further stated.
“What we will insist upon is that whoever is working, that you do your job. You serve your country, you do what you are being paid to do and that is all that people want and you have nothing to fear,” Friday said.
Friday, who has been Member of Parliament for the Northern Grenadines since 2001, is making his first attempt to lead the NDP back to government, after the 2001 routing that ended its 17-year stint in office.
“… because they can’t deal with the message, they’re spreading lies, they’re trying to create fear among people; they’re trying to make you think that.
“Suddenly, they see the end of the road coming and they say, ‘If you know what going happen come Nov. 6, then you’re going to have to rethink.’ But these are all falsehoods…”
He said that such a response shows that the Unity Labour Party, which is seeking a fifth five-year term in office, “they are tired, they have no ideas, they are expired and it is time for them to go.
“It is time for us to bring a government to create jobs, it is time for us to bring new investment into this country to create a better economy so that everybody can benefit.
“It is time for us to look out for our young people and tell them that there is hope in this country for them. It is time for us to think about what is happening in our healthcare system and say that we can do better for our people. It is time, my dear people, for us to end the spite and the bad mind,” the opposition leader said.
Friday continued:
“It is time for us to end the nepotism and the corruption that has characterised the present government. It is time for us to end the incompetence, the lack of accountability, all the things that have made our country the worst economy in the entire OECS.
“It is time for us to bring change, it is time for the New Democratic Party, it is time for this team of people here to take the reins of government so that we can move forward and not just be at the backwater in the OECS and in this Caribbean.”
He told voters that they have a choice to make when they go to the polls on Nov. 5.
“We have a big choice to make; we know very clearly what the choices are: one of broken promises, one of failed policies, one that has left the country with more unemployment today than there was when they came to office, and one that offers a future of more investments, of more jobs, of young people having greater opportunities, of a public service that works, and of a country and economy that works for all of us,” the opposition leader said.