Opposition Leader Allen Chastanet launched a scathing critique of the government’s 2025/2026 budget outside the House of Assembly on Friday, March 28, accusing the administration of ignoring pressing national issues and burdening citizens with increased taxes and empty promises.
Standing outside Parliament while awaiting his turn to speak in the Estimates debate this week, Chastanet expressed frustration over the timing of his presentation, suggesting the government was deliberately orchestrating the schedule to allow Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre and senior ministers Ernest Hilaire and Richard Frederick to respond politically rather than engage substantively.
“These are the two most controversial ministers in government today, yet instead of addressing the serious concerns surrounding their portfolios, the debate has been reduced to political theater,” Chastanet said.
The former Prime Minister pointed to a series of crises that, he claimed, were ignored during the first two days of the debate. Among them: ongoing controversies in the Ministry of Housing, legal developments involving Saint Lucian CIP agents abroad—including the recent detention of one such agent in Dubai—and increasing international scrutiny that has led the European Parliament to initiate action on visa suspension for Saint Lucians.
“We are facing the very real threat of losing our visa-free access to Europe and potentially the U.S., and yet not a word has been said in Parliament,” Chastanet stated.
Domestically, he cited deepening problems in healthcare, unresolved issues with Cuban medical staff, and a nationwide water crisis as evidence of a government disconnected from the realities on the ground.
Chastanet also slammed the budget itself, which he described as a “la la land budget,” disconnected from the needs of the population. He noted that taxes have risen by nearly $275 million and expenditures by over $300 million compared to 2019, yet citizens have seen few improvements.
“Do we have better roads? A better healthcare system? What’s the cost of bread, bus fares, or even a dollar today compared to 2019?” he asked. “This government has taken more from the people’s pockets and delivered less.”
Chastanet warned that if current trends continue, Saint Lucians will grow poorer under this administration, both economically and diplomatically.
“No matter how big the budget is—$2 billion or more—it means nothing if the average citizen isn’t feeling any relief. This government has failed to improve lives and is putting our global standing at risk,” he said.
