NDP says New York Town Hall meeting a success

The opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) has hailed a town hall meeting held in Brooklyn, New York last Saturday, a success.

A release from the party described the event as “immensely successful.”

The event, held on May 17 and sponsored by the St Vincent and the Grenadines Progressive {{more}}Organization of New York (SPOONY), had as its highlight speeches, first by one of the NDP’s vice presidents St Clair Leacock and then by the president of the NDP and Opposition Leader Arnhim Eustace.

Benjamin Exeter, the NDP’s candidate for the constituency of Central Leeward, briefly brought greetings and NDP’s PRO and Senator Vynnette Frederick introduced both speakers to the packed hall of Vincentians who came to hear from the NDP.

According to the release, Leacock used the opportunity to refer to the governing Unity Labour Party’s (ULP) 2001 manifesto, declaring the ULP incapable today of running on its record, and guilty of committing the same offences they promised to correct when they came into office in 2001. He highlighted corruption, the Auditor General’s report, the National Debt, and Economic Decline, along with the banana industry as being some of the areas where the ULP has worsened the lives of Vincentians in the past 13 years.

Eustace followed this presentation with information relative to the economy, which he highlighted from the Government’s Budget and proposed programmes which the NDP believes will bring recovery to the economy on youth employment and the standard of living for all Vincentians.

“He outlined the Banana Rehabilitation Programme which the NDP has been refining during consultations across the country; he spoke to the issue of crime and the challenges facing those who continue to battle poverty and a falling standard of living,” the release said.

The Leader of the Opposition addressed airport development and looked to National Health Insurance as one of the programmes which would be implemented by an NDP government.

Eustace went into the state of our nation’s health care, looked at diversifying the economy and stressed to the attentive crowd, the important role which the diaspora will be asked to play by an NDP administration, to help to improve our country and the lives of its people.

The presentations were followed by a lively question and answer segment, with persons asking a wide range of questions, which were fielded by both Eustace and Leacock.

The NDP leadership returns to St Vincent and the Grenadines this week.