PEOPLE OF TCI MUST COUNT THEIR BLESSINGS, SAYS PREMIER

“We’re so grateful, so thankful, so lucky and so blessed to be living in this country,” he said during a House of Assembly meeting on Tuesday, December 19th, 2023. “I know that there is a lot that we can curse and there’s a lot that we can and could complain about, but I think I would say to us at this time is to count your blessings. If you look around the world at the hot spots places like Palestine, Ukraine and all the other hot spots around the world, we have so much to be thankful for and God has indeed been great to us,”.

He added: “I know exactly where this country has come from and sometimes we forget that. I know when Christmas was not what it is today, certainly not for persons living in North Caicos in Bottle Creek where I grew up. Christmas was certainly no turkey and no ham. You may get one chicken leg or chicken foot. I remember the days when my parents had to cut and cure sisal and burn coal to bring to South Caicos and Grand Turk in order to have something for Christmas, so I am grateful for where I am.”

“I can tell people in this country who may look at where I am today, that the first pair of shoes that I put on my feet, I bought them myself. When people say that we’re not better off… but I think that we’re far better off and we need to count our blessings, because God does not like ugly. You cannot trample on His blessings. Today I am very pleased to be able to stand here and I am very happy for what we’ve been able to accomplish and very happy that we’ve been able to give the promised relief to the public servants and to other sectors of our community,” he added.

Premier Misick assured that his government will continue to bring relief for the public servants and promised that those people who have not yet been touched will be touched in 2024 and beyond.

“That’s not a campaign promise. That is what people expect and that’s why people elect governments, to look at their best interests and there are some hard decisions that are going to have to be made. Yes, the economy is doing very well, but not everybody is touched and not everybody is paying their fair share, so we’re going to have to bring in legislations and stuff to make sure that everybody is paying their fair share. At the end of the day if we’re going to give the people the raise and say look after our old people and look after the young people and provide education, then everyone is going to have to pay. It can’t be that the middle class who has potentially been shrinking are the only persons paying,” the premier said.

He added: “I just want to make a signal out there because I am not going to make my decision purely based on elections. Right is right regardless of the timing. We’re not only required to do the right thing, but required to do it right, so at this Christmas time I want to make a solemn promise to the people of these beautiful Turks and Caicos Islands that I am with you. I will continue to do everything that I can, together with my colleagues who I have the greatest honour and privilege of working with, to make sure that to the extent and to whatever this country can afford, that you are the beneficiary of it.”

In what was the last meeting of the House of Assembly for 2023, the premier took the opportunity to thank several persons, including the opposition.

“The leader of the opposition is choreographing for my job and that is democracy, one day you’re the peacock and the other day you’re the feather duster. That’s just the way it is in politics. I am not suggesting that’s what you are, but the truth of the matter is that we’re not enemies; we’re competitors in a way, competitors for the hearts and minds of the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands. I want to welcome you, stretch my hands to you as a brother and tell you that I love you. Iron sharpens iron. I don’t expect you to sit down and take blows and not respond and I am not going to do it either. The same thing for my good Salt Cay friend (Opposition Appointed Member Alvin Garland) and of course the other members and the two governor’s appointed members.”

The Premier said the TCI is making good strides and noted that the country is moving its constitution to a place where it’s becoming more and more democratic.

He said, “I know it’s not the big step that many of us want to take, but I think that we’re on our way. More will come in the next couple of months from the representations that we’ve made to the United Kingdom. We are reviewing our legislation to look at political activities, funding of our campaigns, constitutional boundaries, making sure that all of the preparations are done so when the time comes, and it can’t happen before then, that we will have all of the pieces in places to have a smooth process, whether it be electronic machines or whatever is required in the same way we’ve moved everything up that has to be done so as well.”

Premier Misick expressed his deepest gratitude for the hard work of most of the public servants.

“Across the length and breadth of the civil servants of these Turks and Caicos Islands, I want to express my deepest gratitude for the hard work that most of public servants are doing and for those who know they’re giving the government a six for a nine, I would say that God hates robbery, so if you are one of those people who are giving the government, your country a six for a nine, please make a turn around, because its only through productivity that we can afford to continue to give you better working conditions. For those who are giving everything and going above and beyond, we want to say thank you very much and continue the hard work,” he said.

He added: “For all of our statutory bodies, all of the people who advise us both domestically and our international partners. The business communities of these islands who are committed and who are not just whitewashing in terms of their community involvement, but who actually have a genuine interest and commitment to help to move these Turks and Caicos Islands forward, I say thank you very much.”

He continued: “Finally Mr. Speaker I want to thank you for the way that you have conducted the business of the House. I want to thank all my colleagues in the Cabinet of these Turks and Caicos Islands who are not members of the House. We have been able to achieve what we have achieved with their support. Of course, the House and the political directorate set the policy and votes the expenditure, but it is the public service, including the office of the Deputy Governor, who has responsibility for the management of the public service who has been able to in the last several weeks speed up the machinery so that public servants could be able to get their increase in pay before Christmas. The same thing is true for our pensioners, and as I said earlier, there are other people who have not been touched and we’re looking at how we can touch them to make sure that at the end of the day everyone are beneficiaries of what is a growing economy.”

In addition, Premier Misick asked the Lord to bless the law enforcement in Turks and Caicos Islands.

“May God bless our beautiful Turks and Caicos Islands and bless our law enforcement people in the front end of what is happening. We have provided, and will continue to provide, the assistance, support for the law and order of this country. The National Security Council met to discuss the events of the weekend and we put out a press statement and we will have a meeting again…when we will be able to have a full report and be able to look at how we’re going to strategies to safeguard the islands over the holidays,” he said.

“I want the Turks and Caicos Islands people to know that your government is not tone deaf to the fact that the crime situation in these islands is not something that we should get comfortable with. We won’t get comfortable with it. We’re looking at how we’re going to return police presence to the communities, whether it be police stations and we have a mobile police station on order, these are all discussions that’s we’re looking at. We will spare no expense in protecting the people of these islands, protecting our livelihood and making sure that the good name of Turks and Caicos Islands is not tarnished. May God bless you and bless these beautiful islands and may you all have a wonderful Christmas,” he said.