Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre has responded to comments from Housing and Local Government Minister Richard Frederick regarding the fate of the Government printery building in Castries.
“For those of you who don’t know, the printery is earmarked for demolition given its physical condition. It is challenging from an engineering standpoint to keep this property there,” Frederick said on Monday.
The Castries Central MP spoke at Monday’s regular pre-cabinet press briefing, informing reporters that he and Prime Minister Pierre had toured the City.
Frederick has also expressed concern about haphazard vending in the City and the state of the capital.
Pierre addressed Frederick’s printery demolition statement when reporters raised the issue on the margins of Tuesday’s House of Assembly meeting.
“Truth. I will not get up one morning and say to you that I am going to demolish, never,” the PM asserted.
“Here is what is going to happen. We are going to have an engineering assessment of the building. I am going to show it to you,” Pierre explained.
When a reporter told him Frederick, the Castries Central MP, had said the building was already due for demolition, the PM’s response was:
“The MP is not an engineer. He can’t say that. The engineer will decide that. The MP intends it to be demolished, yes. But he can’t say that.”
Pressed regarding whether there are plans to demolish the printery building, Pierre said a certified engineer would do an assessment.
He said the engineer would advise the government on what to do with the building.
Hahaha 😆😂😂 This is funny 😄
Now let us not take that and build a narrative which tends to imaginary conspiracies. There is nothing here but perhaps a minor misspeak by a Minister followed by a correction by the PM.
An that is good within a democratic environment, much unlike the flicker of an index finger to a sitting Minister indicating a stop to a media interview prior to a Parliamentary session. Remember that incident?
P.M. Pierre IS the PRIME amongst his ministers and is absolutely correct in handling his response.
It will be instructive to see what the detractors make of it all.
@Patriotic Lucian, clearly RF and the PM are at odds on this matter, why are you making excuses for what is plain to see. I would be surprised if they do not sit down and discuss these matters internally before making statements in the public.
🤣🤣🤣🤣 What a put down by the PM… boy Frederick, you not an engineer…..and should not be dabbling in specialist subjects that is not in your purview…..so sit your harsh down …🤣🤣🤣🤣…
The PM who is good at gaffs should have said, boy Frederick, you are not an engine-near, but I would consider you an engine-far….
On a serious note:
I know we just celebrated Nobel Laureate month and we produced the prolific literary writer Sir Derek Walcott. Even he would be busting his belly with laughter for either comedy or tragedy or farce, that passes for politics in Saint Lucia. Now, one might say it’s because our democracy is vibrant hence all this fractious issues but, I will be quick to rebut and say, politics is a theatrical act and we are mere players in it. One can either choose to laugh or be sad…because such are the masks of theatre muses….yet, the PM is right though… Frederick has no jurisdiction in this affair to proclaim that an historic building is due for demolition without approval from the certified expertise of an engineer. Frederick is usually quick in mouth and slow in thought…
All the PM said is the the building is scheduled for demolishing but an engineering assessment is required. The PM is just more thorough so do get miss understood.
As a Structural engineer, this is some funny stuff!!! I will keep watching this unfold and sip on my whiskey. Lmao
I get your drift Mr Pierre. The man is not an engineer but wasn’t an assessment done on that building, the courthouse and parliament building. Didn’t the past government spend a heafty sum on engineers, who’s report recommended the demolition of these buildings. Frederick, the SLP and National Trust created one racket about this just about 3 years ago. It slipped out of the Pitbull jaw and I guess he spoke too fast and out of turn because Pierre already have Hennicart lined up to get a big payday from our taxes to come up with what Frederick said. So now he will let the engineer do another assessment and decide. Mr Pierre your engineer will give you the same recommendations. So why waste our meagre sum of money to fatten one of your hacks.
I GUESS JOBS FOR THE BOYS AND GIRLS.
Slow news day hardy har har. It Amazes me what some finds amusing…….obviously there was a breakdown in communication by both men nothing that can’t be ironed out over lunch. For those who are looking for divisiveness within, let me unequivocally inform you that The Supreme Leadership Party Leaders are united wholeheartedly and you should stick to your interned bags of tricks of which nobody falls for. Desperate people do stupid things, so sorry to disappoint you clowns there is no circus around here.
Lol. Doesn’t the govt already employs and pays over 7 civil engineers and has a chief engineer? Why does the govt hv to go and pay any engineer to do an assessment of that building? Am sure the engineers at the ministry studied at the same universities as who they may choose to gv a consultancy to do that assessment. The only bad thing about this, is the waste of tax payers money to gv a party supporter a big pay day. This govt has increased our payment of consultancies to high. We need that money pumped into our schools and our roads. Now don’t come for me, I don’t vote, unless there is a proper debate befor elections between the respective reps and the leaders of the party. It just so ridiculous that i work so hard, pay taxes and because ppl support a party they being gvn my hard earned money to do “Nothing”
Who is the puppet and puppet master .who is the PM and who is the MP.
I don’t see the fuss being created about the statement. Federick has his view about the building, but the PM is saying that before a firm decision like that is made, he would prefer an assessment by an engineer. The PM’s position is correct. There is even a bigger point that the PM is making – technical decisions and pronouncement should be based on technical assessment. And Federick has to perhaps learn that.
The Chef, Cook and bottle washer has spoken. Minister of Tout barguy!
Your slap coming too Pierre! Wait for it! How dare you!
Basically the log ahead started from here. Pjp apparently was biting his finger nails off now probably he yam out both finger and toenails. RF will move ahead to demolish the building mark my word and if you notice they cannot find money for education, they cannot find money for universal health care, but they can find money to demolish buildings. Now remember the song pretty face and bad character. Mark my word the end is coming for the SLP leadership and Governance. These 3 individuals are going to cost them the election watch it come to reality.
Well, it is safe to say that the Prime Minister and the MP are not riding in a Honda, so they are not in one Accord. This sounds like a case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing. Actually, my grandmother told me don’t even let one hand know what the other hand is doing, so I can’t be too hard on the PM and the MP. By the way, did you realize that PM is MP spelt backwards, and the opposite is also true.
We all know once the Boss says jump you say how high so please stop the posturing PJP.
The Engineer said demolish the CDC buildings- Done
The Engineer says no vending in Castries-Done
Last year the Engineer/ Government PRO- Press Roro Officer said that he will have a march and PJP came out soon after and said before independence there will be a pro government march..
Think it easy when you make deals with the devil. Shylock will always claim his pound of flesh.
we are two and three quarter away and it has began nothing that is not of god has to reveal time must tell we are not far bob said u can full people for sometime but not all while
The Mp wishes that the building be demolished and he said so. The PM said , not so fasy, we will make that determination after a proper assessment is done, what is so difficult to understand here?. These are men , they have different opinions and some of these are strongly held. What is instructive is that the MP felt confident enough to express his preference publicly. That should be an indication of how The PM presides over his cabinet of ministers . No total submission to him here.
Last parlaay bayteeze – fix the roads and the issues with ongoing crime and criminals on island – put priorities in order.
@Small Fry it is not a fuss that is being made about the two statements. The fact remains that the previous government has an engineer report which we tax payers paid for that recommended the demolition of this building. Why is the PM still going to do another assessment and waste more tax payers dollars. In fact I’m reliably informed by a retired engineer who worked during the King’s administration, who said that a comprehensive plan was developed about 2008/09 for the redevelopment of Castries and this was one of the recommendations embedded in this plan. At that time an engineering assessment was also done. If it was earmarked for demolition then, what has changed in the past 15 years to render it safe or to waste more money on another report.
And by the way Mark Hennecart is an architect not an engineer. Please stop with y’all misinformation. Thank you.
Accept instructions from God !
God gives wisdom and understanding, intelligent in discerning in all details and plans to do what is right and do what is good…
Surrender your plans to God and seek advice !!
Be strong and Courageous to carry out your task,do not be afraid or discourage, for the LORD, God,my God is with you…
He will never fail or forsake you until the job is finished…
May the officials and the people obey your command…
GOD Bless 🇱🇨!!
o wow you all red and yellow J As are so petty. the things you will try to make political milage with shows how damn some of you lucians are. and you talking about crime in st.lucia look how foolish some of you can be. this is worse .
Guess we have normalized mediocrity to the point that we can’t even contextualize a simple comment. Translation – It does not matter if RF and PJP are on the same page as regard the demolition, a professional conclusion supercedes. Stop trying to plant seeds of discord to bolster your political agenda. We should be grateful that our scarce resources are not being used without careful consideration.
Who is running the country?🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️