Minister’s Statement
OPENING ADDRESS –HOA LEGISLATIVE AGENDA 2026
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STATEMENT: Legislative Agenda 2026 BY: PREMIER/MINISTER OF FINANCE 14 th April 2026
OPENING ADDRESS Second Session of the Thirteenth Anguilla House of Assembly
Madam Speaker, I rise today with humility, with purpose, and with a deep sense of responsibility to the people of Anguilla. We gather at the opening of a new session of this Honourable House at a time when the world around us remains unsettled, when uncertainty abroad continues to shape realities at home, and when the burdens carried by ordinary people are real, immediate, and deeply felt.
Across our communities, families continue to feel the pressure of rising prices. Small businesses continue to work through higher operating costs. Working people continue to make difficult decisions every day about how to stretch incomes, support children, care for relatives, and hold together households in a time when the cost of daily living has become heavier than it ought to be. These are not abstract matters. They are not statistics alone. They are the lived experience of our people.
And in recent months, those pressures have been sharpened by wider global developments: rising fuel prices, volatility in energy markets, higher freight and shipping costs, and geopolitical instability that, though far from our shores, arrives here nonetheless in the form of higher bills, tighter margins, and greater strain on the people we serve.
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Madam Speaker, in times such as these, Government cannot afford to be detached. It cannot afford to be performative. And it cannot afford to mistake activity for action. It must be serious. It must be steady. It must be compassionate. And it must be prepared to act in a way that is disciplined, thoughtful, and anchored always in the national interest. That has been the approach of this Government.
A YEAR OF GROUNDING, LISTENING AND FINDING OUR FOOTING Madam Speaker, the past year has, in many respects, been a year of grounding. A year of listening carefully. A year of taking stock. A year of understanding more deeply both the condition of the island and the expectations of the people. It has been a year in which this Government has sought not simply to move, but to move wisely. Not to legislate for the sake of numbers, but to govern with intention. Not to rush into every matter in search of appearance, but to ensure that the actions taken are sound, sustainable, and properly aligned with the needs of Anguilla. And that matters, Madam Speaker, because there are moments in national life when the true test of leadership is not how loudly one speaks, but how carefully one listens.
There are moments when good governance requires not haste, but judgement. Not motion for its own sake, but the discipline to determine what must be done first, what must be done
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well, and what must be done in a way that can endure. This Government has approached its mandate in that spirit. We have taken the time to listen to the concerns of families. We have taken the time to understand the pressures on business. We have taken the time to assess systems, institutions, and frameworks that require reform.
And in doing so, we have been finding our footing; not in uncertainty, but in intention; not in hesitation, but in clarity. Because Madam Speaker, it is one thing to inherit responsibility. It is another thing to shape it into an agenda that is coherent, compassionate, and fit for the times. That has been the work of the past year. And if the first phase of this administration has been about grounding itself in the realities of the island, then the next phase must be about building from that foundation with greater confidence, greater structure, and greater purpose.
PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST — THE GST REFORM AS A MAJOR EARLY ACT OF GOVERNMENT Madam Speaker, among the most significant actions of the first session of this Honourable House was the reform of the Goods and Services Tax. That reform must be understood for what it was: not merely a technical tax measure, not merely an exercise in fiscal redesign, but one of the major early acts of a Government seeking to place people at the centre of public policy. This was a campaign commitment. It was a promise made to the people of Anguilla. And it was delivered within the first six months of taking office, taking effect on the 1st of August. That timing matters.
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Because it demonstrated that this Government was prepared not only to speak about fairness, but to act on it. It demonstrated that when we said the cost of living mattered, we meant it. It demonstrated that when we said the tax structure should not add unnecessarily to the burden borne by households and businesses, we were prepared to make the changes required. And it demonstrated that compassion and fiscal responsibility are not opposing values, but partners in responsible governance.
Madam Speaker, before that reform, the structure of Goods and Services Tax placed the burden too directly and too heavily on the final consumer in ways that affected the everyday experience of households and enterprises across this island. Under the new approach, the tax was restructured. The Goods and Services Tax was transformed into a General Services Tax, applying to services, while a separate Goods Tax was introduced at the border. In practical terms, GST was removed from goods entirely.
It means that the point-of-sale burden was eased. It means that the structure of taxation on consumption was altered in a way intended to give breathing room to households and businesses. It means that the system was made clearer, and more responsive to the pressures actually facing people.
And that, Madam Speaker, is what people-first government looks like. It recognises that public policy is not an abstract exercise. It reaches into homes. It reaches into businesses. It reaches into the daily life of the nation. And where the structure of the system is adding unnecessarily to hardship, a compassionate Government does not simply explain the burden. It works to ease it.
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That reform did not come without cost. And we have never pretended otherwise. Real relief has a fiscal cost. A more compassionate tax structure comes with revenue implications. But this Government made a deliberate choice: that the cost of doing nothing would have been paid by the people of Anguilla, and that was not a choice we were prepared to make.
So, we acted. And in acting, we affirmed something important: that fiscal strength is not an end in itself. It is meaningful only if it can be used wisely to improve the lives of the people from whom Government derives both its authority and its purpose.
A GOVERNMENT THAT HAS NOT STOPPED THERE Madam Speaker, but this Government has not stopped there. Even as we implemented structural reform through GST changes, the world shifted again. In recent weeks, developments in the Middle East have created renewed volatility in fuel and energy markets and have increased pressure on shipping and import costs. For a small, highly import- dependent economy such as ours, these are not remote developments. They have direct consequences. They threaten to magnify the cost of daily living, deepen operational pressures on businesses, and widen the strain already felt by households.
And so, Madam Speaker, this Government has acted once more. Indeed, this House has been convened at the commencement of this second session earlier than might otherwise have been expected precisely because urgent legislative and policy action was required in response to these evolving circumstances.
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We did not wait. We did not delay. And we did not pretend that global shocks could be wished away. Instead, we responded with targeted, time-bound, practical measures. We introduced the Customs (Temporary Modification of Valuation of Import Duty) Act, 2026, temporarily adjusting the basis on which ad valorem import duty is calculated so that unusual increases in freight and shipping costs do not continue to enlarge the taxable base and, in turn, the burden carried by consumers and businesses. We advanced the temporary suspension of import duty and the Customs Service Fee on gasoline and diesel, recognizing that fuel costs ripple throughout the economy and that relief at the fuel pump is also relief in transportation, logistics, and everyday household spending. Furthermore, we intervened to cushion the increase in the electricity fuel surcharge, ensuring that the impact of global fuel volatility was not simply passed through in full to homes and enterprises across Anguilla.
Madam Speaker, these are not casual measures. They are not gestures. They are meaningful interventions, and they come at real fiscal cost. But they reflect the core philosophy of this Government: that when external shocks threaten to weigh unfairly on the people, the State has a duty to consider what burden it can justly absorb, what pressures it can reasonably cushion, and what steps it can take to steady the lives of those it serves. That is the work of a compassionate government. But let it also be said: compassion does not mean recklessness. These measures have been designed to be temporary, targeted, and proportionate. They are responses to unusual conditions, not abandonments of fiscal discipline. They are stabilization tools, not substitutes for sound management. Because responsible government must do two
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things at once: it must protect people in the present, and it must protect the island’s capacity to endure in the future.
FROM IMMEDIATE RELIEF TO NATIONAL BUILDING
Madam Speaker, if the story of the past year has been one of grounding, listening, and responding, then the work of the year ahead must be one of building. Building not only relief, but resilience. Building not only better policy, but stronger systems. Building not only around the pressures of today, but around the possibilities of tomorrow. Because relief matters, but relief alone is not enough.
We must now use this new session of the House to advance the legislative, institutional, and structural work required to strengthen the island more broadly and more deeply. That work, Madam Speaker, is reflected in the legislative agenda before us. It is broad. It is serious. And it points to a Government increasingly moving from grounding to structured delivery. Madam Speaker, this list is not exhaustive. There are other pieces of legislation that we are moving forward with this year that will come to the House, such as the Public Procurement (Amendment) Act and the Sovereign Wealth Fund Legislation.
STRENGTHENING THE FINANCIAL SYSTEM SO THAT PEOPLE CAN TRUST IT Madam Speaker, a first and central pillar of the work ahead is the continued strengthening of our financial system. The people of Anguilla must be able to trust the institutions through Commented [MH1]: Add in advances over past year
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which they save, borrow, transact, and participate in the economy. That trust cannot rest only on tradition or assumption. It must be underpinned by strong laws, clear oversight, sound regulation, and frameworks that protect ordinary people when things go wrong. It is for this reason that this Government will move forward with the Payment Systems and Services Bill, which will modernise the legal framework for payments across our economy. This legislation is intended to support safer, more efficient, more innovative, and more inclusive payment services, including in a world where financial transactions are increasingly digital. We will also advance the Banking (Amendment) Bill, strengthening the regulatory and supervisory framework governing financial institutions, ensuring that the banking environment remains modern, clear, and responsive to emerging risks and evolving best practice. We will move forward with the Deposit Insurance Corporation Agreement Bill, a major regional initiative that will provide defined protection for small depositors and strengthen confidence in the financial system by establishing a deposit insurance framework across the Currency Union. That matters because a person’s savings are not merely figures in an account. They represent labour, sacrifice, hope, and security. The system must respect that. Madam Speaker, Taken together, these measures are about far more than institutional tidiness. They are about protecting savings. They are about preserving confidence. They are about making sure that when people place their money, their trust, and their future in the financial system, that trust is justified.
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And in a modern economy, there must also be fairness. That is why the broader direction of reform includes stronger attention to financial consumer protection, transparency, conduct, and inclusion, so that people are not merely participants in the system, but are treated fairly by it.
BUILDING AN ECONOMY THAT ENABLES, NOT OBSTRUCTS Madam Speaker, the second pillar of the work ahead is the creation of a stronger, more enabling environment for enterprise, investment, and economic opportunity.
Our people must be able to do more than survive. They must be able to build, create, invest, and prosper. That requires more than encouragement. It requires frameworks that are clear, efficient, fair, and aligned with the realities of a modern economy. We will continue reforms connected to the Special Economic Zones Act and the Select Anguilla Agency, ensuring that strategic investment is supported in a structured manner and that our development trajectory is aligned with national priorities.
We will continue work to modernise business licensing, because the entrepreneur seeking to start a venture, the young professional launching a service, and the small enterprise seeking to grow should find Government to be a facilitator, not a barrier. Through Business Portals legislation, we will move increasingly toward digital access to Government services, bringing greater convenience, faster processing, and greater transparency to those who must interact with the State. Madam Speaker, this is about dignity in economic participation. It is about fairness in access and it is about recognising that when Government removes unnecessary friction, it creates room for people to move, build, and grow.
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LAND, DEVELOPMENT, WATER AND THE STEWARDSHIP OF NATIONAL ASSETS Madam Speaker, no serious programme of national development can ignore the question of land, planning, and stewardship. Land is not just an economic asset. It is a national inheritance. It is tied to identity, belonging, opportunity, and the future shape of the island itself. Where the rules are unclear, outdated, or overly complex, unfairness can thrive, and development can become disjointed. This Government therefore intends to advance a set of reforms that bring greater clarity, transparency, and public confidence to the management of land and development. This includes amendments to the Land Development and Control Act, improvements to the Registered Land Act and Rules, and the progression of a modern Crown Land Act. These measures are intended to improve the legislative framework governing how land is administered, how development is guided, and how the public interest is protected. They are about reducing avoidable ambiguity and building a system that is more coherent, more transparent, and more equitable.
We will also continue strengthening the framework for water through the Department of Water Services Act, recognising that water reliability and sustainability are not peripheral concerns, but central to development, public health, and resilience. Furthermore, as part of the broader infrastructure and environmental agenda, the framework for water and groundwater management will continue to be modernized so that one of our most essential resources is managed sustainably for the benefit of present and future generations.
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And we will continue work on marine and environmental frameworks, including the Fisheries and Marine Resources Bill, ensuring that our natural resources are protected for future generations. This is not simply a matter of regulation. It is a matter of stewardship. Our marine space is one of Anguilla’s greatest assets. It supports livelihoods, contributes to our economy, sustains communities, and forms part of the natural inheritance we hold in trust for those who will come after us. Through this legislation, we intend to provide a more modern framework for sustainable fisheries management, clearer marine zoning arrangements, and stronger stewardship of our coastal and marine resources.
HEALTH, WELLBEING AND THE HUMAN FACE OF DEVELOPMENT Madam Speaker, development must never be spoken of only in the language of roads, systems, and markets. Development must also be measured by the health of a people, the strength of communities, and the extent to which Government protects the human wellbeing of its people. That is why this legislative programme also contains important work in health and community life. We will advance the amendments to the Department of Health Services Act, helping to strengthen the framework for the organisation and delivery of healthcare services. We will continue work on the Health Professions Bill, which is intended to establish a clearer system for registration, licensing, oversight, and accountability across the health professions, thereby strengthening standards and safeguarding patient care. We will progress the Tobacco Act, introducing stronger public health controls and aligning our approach with
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broader efforts to reduce preventable disease and protect the health of our people, including through measures addressing tobacco sales, display, and exposure to second-hand smoke.
We will also advance a National Sports Act. Sport has always meant more in a small society than recreation alone. It is discipline. It is opportunity. It is belonging. It is a place where young people find confidence, purpose, and community. This legislation will provide a modern framework for the governance, coordination, and development of organised sport in Anguilla. It will establish the Anguilla Sports Council, strengthen safeguarding provisions, and support a more structured and strategic approach to sporting development. And yes, it will also recognise boat racing as our national sport, because development does not require us to leave identity behind. On the contrary, a mature jurisdiction understands how to build modern systems while also honouring the traditions, passions, and cultural inheritance that make us who we are. Madam Speaker, these are not side issues. Healthy people are stronger people. A more active youth population is a more hopeful future. And a society that invests in wellbeing is one that understands development in the fullest sense of the word.
INFRASTRUCTURE, ENERGY, TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND A MODERN STATE Madam Speaker, an island cannot compete, cannot develop, and cannot serve its people well if the systems beneath daily life are outdated, fragmented, or unprepared for the future. That is why the legislative agenda also extends into the infrastructure and utilities space.
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That truth has been brought into even sharper focus by the current geopolitical situation. In recent weeks, developments in the Middle East have once again reminded us how exposed small island economies remain to external shocks in fuel, energy, shipping, and transportation. We have seen how quickly instability abroad can translate into rising prices at home, increased pressure on electricity and utilities, and heavier burdens on households and businesses across Anguilla.
It is precisely in response to those pressures that this Government has acted. Taken together, Madam Speaker, the three recent measures represent support of around EC$10 million in the near term. That is not an insignificant intervention. It is a direct fiscal response by Government to shield our people and our businesses from pressures they did not create and cannot control on their own. But let us also be clear: these measures, while necessary, cannot be the long-term solution. They are stabilisation measures. They provide immediate relief, but they do not, in themselves, remove the structural vulnerabilities that leave us exposed in the first place.
That is why the legislative agenda also extends into the infrastructure and utilities space. Because resilience cannot be improvised in a crisis. It must be built. We will advance amendments to the Electricity Act and related regulations, strengthening the legislative and regulatory framework for the energy sector, including in ways that support renewable energy integration and clearer pricing and supply arrangements.
We will continue work on the framework for fuel regulation, public utilities, and electricity supply, because energy security, affordability, and transition are no longer optional
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considerations. They are central to the island’s future. As long as we remain heavily dependent on imported fossil fuels, we remain vulnerable: vulnerable to price volatility, vulnerable to geopolitical shocks, and vulnerable to conditions beyond our control. Therefore, the work before us is not simply about managing the present spike. It is about laying the legislative and regulatory foundation for a more stable, more sustainable, and more secure future. That is the balance this Government seeks to maintain: relief where relief is needed, but reform where reform is required; action in the moment, but legislation for the long term. We will also move toward modernisation in telecommunications, cybersecurity, data protection, and associated public utilities regulation, ensuring that Anguilla is better equipped for a digital age in which connectivity, security, and data integrity are essential to both economic activity and public trust. We will also continue reforms touching transport, road safety, aviation, and related services so that the systems on which people depend every day are safer, clearer, and more responsive. This includes work connected to the Vehicle and Road Traffic framework and related regulations aimed at strengthening road safety and enforcement.
BORDER MANAGEMENT, SECURITY, JUSTICE AND THE RULE OF LAW Madam Speaker, the safety of our people, the integrity of our borders, and the effectiveness of our justice system are foundational responsibilities of the State. In an increasingly complex world, that work must be supported by laws that are modern, operationally fit, and responsive to contemporary realities.
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To that end, this Government will advance the Immigration (Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record) Bill, strengthening the island’s border management capabilities and improving the quality of information available to support immigration and security operations. We will advance the Customs (Amendment) Bill, including modernisation connected to cargo information and border processes.
We will continue work on the Criminal Code (Amendment) Act, the Criminal Procedure Rules, and related justice measures, ensuring that our criminal law and procedure continue to evolve in a manner that supports fairness, clarity, and effective administration.
Madam Speaker, we will also continue legislative work to strengthen Anguilla’s compliance and credibility in the international arena. This includes important amendments in the areas of anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism, proliferation financing, supervisory enforcement, and the regulation of non-profit organisations, as part of our continuing response to the recommendations arising from Anguilla’s Caribbean Financial Action Task Force mutual evaluation.
We will also continue to advance measures relating to international tax compliance and regulatory transparency, because a modern jurisdiction must not only be open for business; it must be trusted. It must be secure. It must be well regulated and it must continue to meet the standards expected within an increasingly demanding global environment.
MODERNISING GOVERNMENT ITSELF
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Madam Speaker, There is one final truth that must be acknowledged. No matter how well- crafted policy may be, it means little if the machinery of Government is not capable of delivering it. Good intentions do not deliver results. Announcements do not deliver outcomes. Legislation, on its own, does not change lives. It is the strength of institutions, the discipline of systems, and the quality of execution that determine whether policy becomes progress.
And so, Madam Speaker, this legislative and reform programme also turns inward. It turns to the question of how Government itself works; how it plans, how it procures, how it allocates, how it monitors, and how it executes. Because if we are to move this island forward with confidence, then Government itself must be able to function with greater efficiency, greater coordination, and greater discipline. The effectiveness of public policy will always depend on the effectiveness of the systems that carry it. It is for that reason that we will advance the Procurement and Contract Administration (Amendment) Bill, with a clear focus on supporting the continued evolution of the procurement system. Madam Speaker, procurement in Anguilla must be understood as an evolving system, one that was established to strengthen fairness, transparency, and accountability in the use of public funds, and one that continues to mature as institutions, officers, and processes adjust to its requirements. The task before us is therefore not to retreat from the framework, but to refine and strengthen its operation.
In practice, there have been bottlenecks, delays, and uneven application. In some instances, this has reflected uncertainty about roles and responsibilities; in others, insufficient familiarity with the rules themselves or hesitation in using the flexibility already available
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within the system. The answer is not to dilute the safeguards that protect public trust. It is to improve understanding, strengthen administration, clarify responsibilities, and ensure that the system functions with both integrity and efficiency. This reform is therefore about balance: preserving the standards that promote fairness and accountability, while improving the predictability, timeliness, and confidence with which procurement processes are carried out.
Madam Speaker, we will also continue work toward reform of the Financial Administration and Audit Act, which lies at the core of how public finances are managed. This reform is not simply about updating legislation. It is about strengthening accountability across the entire public sector. It is about ensuring that clear and consistent accounting standards are applied not only within central Government, but across statutory bodies, and government agencies. It is about improving the quality, consistency, and transparency of financial reporting, and reinforcing the responsibilities of Accounting Officers and governing Boards in the management of public resources. Because public funds must be managed to a standard that reflects the trust placed in Government by the people. And that requires systems that are coherent, standards that are consistent, and accountability that is real and enforceable across the full machinery of Government.
But, Madam Speaker, accountability in financial management must go beyond compliance. It must also strengthen how Government plans, prioritises, and delivers. For that reason, this Government will continue work to improve the integration of policy, budgeting, and execution. We must ensure that national priorities are clearly translated into funded
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programmes, that expenditure is monitored against outcomes, and that performance is tracked in a way that supports timely decision-making. Too often, the challenge is not in identifying what must be done, but in ensuring that what has been approved is delivered efficiently, on schedule, and to the required standard. Better planning, stronger monitoring, and more disciplined execution are therefore essential to effective governance.
It is within this broader framework of responsibility and discipline that we must also consider how Anguilla manages periods of strong revenue performance. That is why this Government is advancing the framework for the establishment of Anguilla’s Sovereign Wealth Fund. This represents an important step in strengthening the island’s fiscal architecture and ensuring that growth is managed with foresight. Responsible government is not only about how we spend. It is also about how we save, how we invest, and how we prepare for the uncertainties that lie ahead. A Sovereign Wealth Fund provides a structured mechanism through which a portion of national resources can be preserved and invested for long-term stability, rather than being fully consumed in the present. It allows us to build buffers that can be drawn upon in times of external shock, buffers that support national development over time, and buffers that provide confidence in our fiscal resilience.
Madam Speaker, we have already seen, in recent weeks, how quickly external developments can require Government to step in and absorb costs. Those measures were necessary, and they were justified. But they also serve as a reminder that fiscal space is not abstract. It must be created, protected, and sustained.
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Because the next shock will come. And when it does, we must be ready to respond from a position of strength. The Sovereign Wealth Fund is therefore not simply a financial mechanism. It reflects discipline, foresight, and intergenerational responsibility. It is about ensuring that we are not only managing the present but securing the future.
THE SHAPE OF THIS SESSION Madam Speaker, when looked at, this agenda tells a story. Not of noise. This is not a government searching for direction. This is a government moving with it. A Government that has taken the time to listen and is now moving with greater clarity. A Government that provided relief where relief was needed and is now strengthening the systems that must carry the island forward. A Government that understands that compassion without structure is fragile, and structure without compassion is cold. This agenda seeks to hold both together. It seeks to protect people now. To strengthen systems for the future. And to build an Anguilla that is fairer, more responsive, more resilient, and better prepared for the times in which we live.
CONCLUSION Madam Speaker, at its heart, the work of Government is about people. It is about whether the mother at the cash register feels some relief. Whether the small business owner has a fairer chance. Whether the young person sees opportunity. Whether the elderly person feels secure. Whether the systems of the island are strong enough, fair enough, and humane enough to support the lives of those who depend on them. That is the measure. Over the
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past year, this Government has chosen to lead with care, with discipline, and with a clear commitment to the people of Anguilla. We have listened. We have acted and we will continue to act. With compassion where it is needed. With discipline where it is required and with purpose in all that we do.
And so, as we begin this second session of the Thirteenth Anguilla House of Assembly, we do so not blind to the challenges before us, but resolved to meet them. Resolved to steady where there is strain. Resolved to reform where there is weakness. Resolved to build where there is opportunity. And resolved always to ensure that the people of Anguilla remain at the centre of the work of this Government. For it is not enough that an island endures. It must become more capable of giving its people not only stability, but hope. That is the work before us. That is the responsibility we carry and that is the work to which this Government recommits itself today. I thank you, Madam Speaker.