'I Chose Labour Unapologetically': Ashma McDougall outlines vision for Roseau North

Dominica: Ashma McDougall, Dominica Labour Party's Roseau North by-election candidate said that her decision to contest on a Labour Party ticket was driven by her desire to create opportunities, solve problems and improve the lives of the people she seeks to serve.

While speaking at the party’s campaign event on Sunday evening, McDougall addressed questions surrounding her decision to enter politics with the Dominica Labour Party, stating that she made the choice "unapologetically."

One of the questions that I have been asked on this campaign trail is, why did I choose to run on a Labour Party ticket? I made my choice unapologetically. I choose the Labour Party because I know that this is where I can best serve the people of Roseau North and Dominica by extension, she said.

McDougall added that the party provides the platform through which she believes she can make the greatest impact. "This is where I can translate a lifetime of service to the people of Roseau North. This is where I can make the greatest difference for the people I seek to serve. This is where I can create opportunities, solve problems and improve the lives of the people of the Roseau North constituency. This is where I choose to stand and I will never apologise for choosing service through Labour," she stated.

While highlighting Labour’s record in government, McDougall said that the party has consistently invested in people through housing, education and infrastructure.

Which party has consistently demonstrated that it believes in investing in people? Which party has built homes that have given families security? Which party has invested in education, opening doors of opportunity? Which party has invested in roads, bridges and infrastructure that connect our communities and strengthen our economy? That is a record of investment, a record of development, a record of opportunity and a record of putting people first, she said.

Looking ahead, the DLP candidate outlined a vision which centered on youth empowerment, entrepreneurship, tourism development and economic growth. She said that the next chapter for Roseau North must create a stronger pathway from education to employment while expanding opportunities for small business as well as young entrepreneurs.

She also pointed to several of the government's flagship projects and described the cable car project as "a journey of discovery over the Boiling Lake." "Our message must always be that young people do not have to leave Roseau North. Young people do not have to leave Dominica for better opportunities because when our young people become more employable, employment will follow," McDougall said.

The Labour candidate also pledged to unlock Roseau North's tourism potential and highlighted the constituency's coastline and scenic viewpoints as opportunities for future investment and development.

My promise is straightforward. Less politics, more progress. Less excuses, more execution. Less division and more unity, she added.

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, who also addressed the rally, described McDougall as a representative of a new generation of leadership and said she possesses the qualities needed to guide Roseau North into the future.

I see young people filled with hope. I see mothers and fathers looking towards the future with confidence. I see people from every walk of life embracing the possibility of a new chapter in the proud history of Roseau North, Skerrit said.

He noted that Labour had deliberately sought younger leaders capable of navigating an increasingly complex global environment.

When the Dominica Labour Party began thinking about the future of Roseau North, we did not start by asking who was available. We did not start by asking who had contested before. We started by looking for the person who understood people, economics, innovation and where the world is going. That is where Ashma entered the conversation, he said.

Skerrit praised McDougall's ability to connect with people from different backgrounds and said that she understands the realities faced by families, business owners, professionals and young people alike.

What stood out was her ability to move comfortably between worlds. She can engage young professionals about opportunity and innovation. She can sit with business owners and understand the challenges of growing an enterprise. She can speak with educators about preparing our children for the future, and she can sit with ordinary families and understand the everyday realities they face, he said.

The Prime Minister also used the platform to contrast Labour's vision with that of the opposition, arguing that the country requires leadership capable of responding to global economic uncertainty. He defended the Citizenship by Investment Programme as a critical source of national development funding and criticised proposals to dismantle it.

No programme is perfect. Every programme can be improved. Every programme can be strengthened. However, there is a significant difference between improving a programme and dismantling it altogether. The people of Dominica deserve to know what would replace it, Skerrit said.

In the end, he urged eligible voters to register and participate in the upcoming by-election and described it as an important decision for both Roseau North and the future direction of Dominica.