During the last campaign leading up to the General Election of July 8th 2008 in which the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was voted into office, the NDC made a number of promises to the people that should they be given the opportunity to lead the country for the next five years they will ensure that these promises will be fulfilled. It is therefore conceivable that the victory of the NDC at the polls is as a result of the people accepting these promises.

One of the promises made was the removal of the Visa restriction imposed on every Grenadian desirous of visiting Canada. In the absence of historical data from Canada, it was reasonable to believe that the remarks and allegations leveled against the New National Party Government who was in office at the time the visa restriction was imposed were true.

Upon assuming office, for over one year, the NDC said little or nothing about the issue to the expectant Grenadian public. With the population becoming restless over the silence of the Honourable Tillman Thomas led administration, the government was forced to act. On July 9th 2009, an article appeared in the Grenada Today News Paper entitled “Canada Visa Restriction could become History.” This story came about as a result of discussions held between Honourable Tillman Thomas and the visiting Canadian High Commissioner to Grenada, His Excellency; David Marshall. According to the High Commissioner, the paper reported, “the process for the removal of the visa requirement was presented to the OECS High Commissioner in Ottawa, His Excellency Brendon Browne; for review by Grenada.’

Some six months later, January 2010 to be exact; Prime Minister, Tillman Thomas in a radio address, reported to the nation that his government has received official correspondence from the Government of Canada which in part read, “… the problem now, is that there must be a reduction in the number of Grenadians who travel to Canada on a visitor’s visa and remained illegally in Canada after the visitor’s visa has expired. Additionally, the government in Ottawa also wants a reduction in the number of Grenadians seeking political asylum in Canada.

The Canadian officials see this as alarming and indicate that this rate should be reduced significantly, before any consideration could be given to a waiver of the visa requirement. This would depend to a large extent on the actions of all our citizens.” The Prime Minister took the opportunity to make a passionate plea to the citizens at home to contact their family and friends in Canada and ask them to obey the laws of Canada. But with the Prime Minister saying the problem now, seems to indicate that there was a previous problem. Strangely, the Canadian authority never reported such.

It is rather strange, that 17 months later, on May 11th 2011; the Minister for Finance, Nazism Burke at a press conference choose to repeat the lie that was told to the nation prior to the general elections of 2008. He conveniently forgot that the Prime Minister had already told the nation the real reason for the imposition of the visa requirement. The poor Prime Minister had also forgotten what he had said during the 2008 election campaign and indirectly admitted to lying to the electorate.

Further to this, Nazim Burke claimed that as a young man growing up; Grenadians just had to purchase their tickets and travel. Many went looking for better economic activities. He said “… the escape route the escape valve we had as a country to send some of our people out to the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and so on, in a way in a sense easing that social pressure and reducing the tension for young people we no longer have that.”

Is the minister for finance advocating and giving support to Grenadians remaining illegally in Canada after their visitor’s visa has expired? Isn’t this the very reason the Prime Minister told the nation that the Canadian Government said was responsible for the imposition of the visa restriction on Grenadians in the first place?

This reckless statement coming from the Minister for Finance has far reaching implications for both the Government and people of Grenada. ‘Is the Minister for Finance normal? No wonder his alias as Minister for Finance is ‘Bound to Lie.’ Why is the minister continuing to lie and seeking to deceive the people when he has the facts from the Canadian Government? Then again, no one should be surprised at the minister’s behaviour. It was Nazim Burke ‘Bound to Lie’ who openly condemned the Prime Minister, on national TV for signing the Memorandum of Understanding with the Sewang One World Co. Ltd. It was Nazim Burke ‘Bound to Lie’ who said to the nation that the Sewang One World Co. Ltd deal was not discussed in Cabinet and he had no knowledge about it. But low and behold, a letter signed by minister Burke dated November 24th 2009 appeared in which he invited the company to Grenada for talks on possible investment opportunities in country.

We must never forget it was Nazim Burke ‘Bound to Lie’ in the dark days of October 1983 who took up the post of Finance Minister when the nation was mourning the deaths of Comrade Maurice Bishop and other innocent Grenadians. How could anyone believe anything from such a character? This is a clear indication that the minister for Finance ‘Bound to Lie’ and the government will stop at nothing to lie and deceive the people for political gain. Where is the Truth, Transparency, Accountability and Good Governance the Government promised to the nation?

From the New National Party (NNP)