Airport should be named after Gonsalves – Leacock

The member of Parliament for Central Kingstown says the international airport under construction at Argyle should be named the Ralph Gonsalves Argyle International Airport.

While debating a Bill in Parliament on August 4 to authorize a loan of an additional EC$13 million to assist {{more}}in financing the construction of the airport, opposition parliamentarian St Clair Leacock said the Prime Minister had done enough for the airport to be named after him.

“… I have no problem with that; in fact, if NDP wins, we should name it after him. He’s done enough, he’s done enough. I don’t mince my words on these things, you know. If he lost government, and we were to complete that, he has done enough….. It is a tremendous amount of work that has happened there. It is almost approaching miracles in some instances what we have achieved. I am not underestimating that…”

Leacock said his party, the New Democratic Party (NDP) has taken a position that when they come to government, they will accept the airport as is, and in any rational manner, come to the conclusion that it has to be finished.

“We have made that determination, you don’t have to do that for us,” he said.

“We have gone this far. The AIA is something that I look forward to the day when it is completed, when I can say, ‘thank God’ that the Prime Minister had the tenacity and the vision to see that it could happen.”

He, however, said all that the Prime Minister has done does not mean he (Leacock) cannot speak about what he sees going wrong.

“I would do all in my powers to see it come to fruition, but that doesn’t mean I can’t speak against the atrocities when they raise their head.”

Saying he would support to the bill with a rebuke, Leacock declared that he looks forward to the day when the airport opens and he would be thankful that the Prime Minister made it happen.