Gonsalves criticises Leacock’s Taiwan trip

The reasons stated by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, St. Clair Leacock, for his official visit to Taiwan do not make sense, says Leader of the Opposition Ralph Gonsalves.

Leacock is expected to arrive in Taipei on Tuesday afternoon as head of an official delegation, with his wife Margaret Leacock, Social Welfare Minister Shevern John, and Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Senator Lavern King, as other members.

They are the first member of the New Democratic Party (NDP) government to visit the Asian ally since the party was voted into office in November.

But Gonsalves criticised the visit, saying that the first state visit was not being made by Prime Minister Godwin Friday or Fitzgerald Bramble, the minister of foreign affairs.

“The minister of foreign affairs will, and the prime minister will go to conferences like OECS (Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States), CARICOM, the foreign minister going to Britain for that United Kingdom CARICOM forum,” the opposition leader said.

“But you campaign against Taiwan, campaign for mainland China and then the minister of national security goes,” said Gonsalves, whose Unity Labour Party was voted out of office in November, after 25 years in office.

Speaking in Kingstown on March 10, Leacock announced his visit to Taiwan, adding that he intends to ask Taipei for a fleet of vehicles to support the nation’s crime-prevention efforts.

He said that in addition, he would seek to have three vehicles donated to be used by the National Council on Crime Prevention, for its D.A.R.E programme, and three for the Cadets Force.

However, Gonsalves criticised the strategy, saying that never in the history of the Caribbean has anyone left their country to go to another to obtain vehicles.

“You could talk to the ambassador here about it,” Gonsalves said.

He said that St. Vincent and the Grenadines has received vehicles from Taiwan before, including ambulances and vehicles to be used by the police, but those discussions were initiated in Kingstown.

“You don’t need a visit for that.”

Gonsalves explained that while he was prime minister and minister of national security,

Taiwan offered him vehicles to be used by local law enforcement and was informed about a model that was manufactured for use by the police in that country.

The issue of spare parts and the durability of such vehicles came into focus, however, Gonsales said.

If Leacock was successful in his bid, Gonsalves questioned whether the cost of the vehicles would be included in the $10 million allocated annually to fund projects in SVG or from a new financial arrangement.

He said that when the ULP was elected in 2001, the amount allocated to this country was $1 million, and through further negotiations between him and the Government of Taiwan, it increased to $4 million and eventually $10 million.

Taiwan has assisted in numerous projects, Gonsalves said, including the construction of the Rabacca Bridge, the international airport and the hospital under construction at Arnos Vale.

“You bad talk Taiwan, you want to change to mainland China and then you embarrass yourself and say that we’re going to look for 12 vehicles,” Gonsalves said.

“You ain’t got to go for that. I know how foreign policy works. You ain’t going to say you’re going to strengthen relations. You’re going to beg for 12 vehicles, that’s where St. Vincent reached now,” he said.

“St Vincent and the Grenadiers, in the context in which this discussion is taking place, that you oppose Taiwan since 2017, nine years now; let’s talk vehicle?” he said.  

The then ULP government spent EC$1.865 million on vehicles between 2024 and 2025 under the Vehicle Fleet Enhancement Project, Gonsalves said.

“We bought more vehicles in those two years, and good quality vehicles,” the opposition leader said.

However, in his comments, Leacock said the NDP government intends to equip the police force, after which it would not accept any poor performance.

Gonsalves said:

“Somehow it has gotten in the heads of police officers that if you have to walk anything more than 100 yards, then you need a police vehicle.”

He said that some police officers are decent drivers.

“But you have some police drivers, you put a government vehicle in their hand, … they will never treat their personal vehicle the way they treat the government vehicle,” the leader of the opposition said.

“Talk to the policemen, they will tell you that. Talk to the commissioner, all the senior rank and file, they complain about how some of the drivers drive the police vehicles,” Gonsalves said.

“In the same way, the way in which you may build a new station, some police officers feel they have no responsibility to take care of the station. And all they need is one or two, as we say, ill-disciplined ones in between to cause the problem.”

“When we get vehicles, we have to make sure they are the right type of vehicles, that the police officers who are driving them are responsible men and women,” Gonsalves said.