Minister of Foreign Affairs, Senator Keisal Peters was in combative mode at last Sunday’s rally of the ruling Unity Labour Party. But she also injected a lighter tone when she belted out “Big Deal”, an original song, to the delight of the huge crowd converged on the tarmac of the decommissioned E.T Joshua Airport.

The March 26 event was in celebration of 22 years of governance of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) by the Unity Labour Party (ULP) administration.

Peters sought to put to rest talk from the Opposition about having had a surplus during the reign of the New Democratic Party.

“Hush your mouth!” Peters said to those who make that conclusion.

“Comrades, I am a child of the education revolution,” she added.

Peters, who is this country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade said “were it not for the education revolution, I would not be here”.

She recalled that during the governance of the New Democratic Party, children’s “hopes and dreams were dashed away because the NDP did not put anything in place, but yet they talking about surplus budget”.

“Hush your mouth!” she repeated to cheers from jubilant supporters decked in red.

Peters has been a Senator under the ruling ULP administration since its return to office in the 2020 General Elections.

She is also the first female to serve as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

She told the large crowd at the rally on Sunday that the NDP has been boasting about a surplus Budget during their time in office, “but you must have a surplus Budget if you’re not spending on Education”, she pointed out.

“If you’re not spending on housing, if you’re not spending on infrastructure development. That is not something you should be bragging about,” the Senator chided.

“And when done, they want to tell us put the money where the pain is.

“They don’t have to tell us that.”

She insisted that the ULP is “not afraid to spend to assist the people.”

And she urged those gathered at the rally to disregard the negative talk coming from the Opposition.

“The future is bright comrades; don’t bother with them.”

She said one of her primary responsibilities as Minister of Foreign Affairs is to safeguard and protect the national interest of St Vincent and the Grenadines when engaging with the outside world.

“Anybody who knows me will tell you that when it comes to my duties, I don’t play.”

Peters expressed the view that SVG needs to be protected from “imperialist hegemonic forces who want to destabilize us.”

“We have to protect this country from the likes of the NDP who are in bed with these hegemonic forces.”

She charged that NDP agents “are frightening our young people and intimidating them…comrades, we have to stand with our young people and we have to accompany them… when they are going to register”.

The Senator further warned that the country has to be safeguarded from the NDP.

“You can’t allow them into office. If the NDP were to take the reins, St Vincent will be everybody’s thoroughfare. We gwine be a puppet. You cannot allow that,” she urged.

The opposite, she said, is true under the ULP administration.

“St Vincent will never be anybody’s puppet. These are difficult times, and difficult times are being felt globally.

Don’t make them fool you and don’t make them blame Ralph. We have to safeguard the future for our children,” Peters contended.

Senator Keisal Peters is slated to be a candidate for the ruling ULP in the next General Elections and she has already begun doing ground work in West Kingstown which she hopes to represent.

Peters also took the microphone on Sunday night to inject a lighter tone by rendering a song , “Big Deal” in which she paid tribute to the hard work of the Unity Labour Party.

A number of local and overseas artistes also performed on stage at the anniversary rally.