Read Here: Full Speech of PM Skerrit at Dominica Labour Party’s 70th Anniversary Celebrations

Dominica: Prime Minister Dr Roosevelt Skerrit, on Sunday, June 1, 2025, addressed the citizens at the highly anticipated Dominica Labour Party’s 70th anniversary celebrations' rally held in Dublanc. He addressed several issues and also expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Mottley for attending the ceremony.  

He reiterated the party's commitment to making significant progress across various sectors. 

Read Here: Full Speech of PM Skerrit at DLP’s 70th Anniversary Celebrations 

Comrades, Comrades…Thank You very much for your very warm and energetic embrace!!  

Thank you for readily and enthusiastically welcoming previous speakers, and the mighty team of Labour, which has shepherded this country through every conceivable threat and challenge these past few years. 

Thank you, Ladies and Gentlemen, for welcoming sister Mia Amor Mottley, the Prime Minister of Barbados and Political Leader of the Barbados Labour Party. 

She braved a firestorm of criticism from angry members of the Electoral Reform Coalition and their social media colleagues in the region to be with us on our 70th birthday.  

They said she is not welcome in Dominica because celebrating with her Labour Party comrades in Dominica while she is Chair of CARICOM amounts to interference in Dominica’s internal affairs that violates the CARICOM charter. Straight and plain, unadulterated foolishness.  

So, let us show our Labour Sister and phenomenal Caribbean Leader some love, especially for the education we have been fortunate to receive from her truly inspiring presentation. Let us show the world how much we appreciate her presence among us in Dominica.   

Our heartfelt thanks to you, Comrade Mia Mottley, for sharing this landmark event and stirring the thoughts and energies of the family of Labour, gathered here at Dublanc, as well as those locked in across Dominica, the region and the world. 

Comrades of Labour, Fellow Dominicans. 

Today, we come together to celebrate a monumental milestone — the 70th anniversary of the Dominica Labour Party.  

For seven decades, three score years and ten, in and out of government, the Labour Party has stood as a beacon of hope, love, peace, progress and prosperity for our beloved nation. 

Our party served in government for 18 years from 1961 to 1979 and for 25 years from 2000 to 2025 - a total of 43 years, 61 percent of our time in the political life of Dominica. This makes us the most loved and trusted political party in modern Dominican history. 

And there is good reason for this.  

No other political party has done more to ensure that the people of Dominica can live their dream of being free, healthy, happy people enjoying peace, growth and prosperity in the most blessed green country on planet earth. 

Over the past 25 years of Labour Party governance, we have witnessed transformative changes that have reshaped the landscape of Dominica and improved the lives of our citizens in a society of shared values.  

These achievements, in an increasingly complex, expensive, risky, challenging and competitive global environment have honored the aspiration and founding mission of the party to seek better lives for the people of Dominica.  

Importantly, they underline our success in establishing citizenship by Investment as a major source of affordable development capital. 

Economic Growth Development 

In the interest of ensuring equal economic advancement opportunities for all, our government has worked tirelessly to optimize the growth engines while diversifying and strengthening the economy.  

Through strategic investments in agriculture, tourism, and small business development, we have built the foundation for a more resilient and inclusive economy. The introduction of innovative economic assistance programs has empowered thousands of Dominicans, providing them with opportunities for sustainable livelihoods and economic advancement. 

Significantly, we have opened up the country for more productive participation in the international trade of goods and services.  

When this Labour Party came into office in 2000, the current Douglas Charles Airport - now landing daily flights from North America and the Caribbean all hours of the day and night- would have been seen as utopian, a pipe dream…something that could never happen. But tonight, a 737 landing in Dominica at 10 o’clock in the night, is par for the course.  

We no longer take comfort in not having to overnight in Antigua or Barbados. We now have our sights set on flying directly to London; on receiving citizens, visitors and businessmen from Toronto and Asia.  

We are now pursuing air services agreements that would allow us to receive and send flights directly to the motherland of Africa.  

Do you remember when our only options for hotels and restaurants were Fort Young and Garraway? I am only taking you back to 2000. I do not even wish to reflect on the previous 45 years.  

Tonight, we have world-class hotels in the north, the east, the west and the south of this country and many more are under construction.   

We are building an international airport with our own money. We are building a modern marina with our own money. We are improving and augmenting local visitor attractions and amenities with our own money. 

20 years ago, for us here in Dominica, geothermal, was only what we read on Google and in the Oxford Dictionary. But in Dominica today, in 2025, geothermal is a fast-approaching reality. Geothermal is hope; geothermal is sustainable living in these times of grave uncertainty! 

Job Creation 

We salute successful self-made business persons in this country. We commend the private sector for creating opportunities for thousands in this country. We have done more for small and medium sized business development in Dominica than any previous administration.  

But many of our young men and women leave school or college and cannot immediately find jobs.  

We cannot leave them to the elements. We have a duty to nurture and guide them. 

We are constantly seeking to interest and attract investments to this country.  

We have done a lot to make Dominica attractive for investors. We have a skilled workforce that will be attractive to investors, and we are geopolitically well placed to interest and attract investment partners. But in the interim, what do we do? 

At 70, we are well aware of our duty to our young people to give them hope and opportunities to learn and equip themselves for the life ahead.  

Accordingly, the Labour Party government will resist the calls to “slam the door in the faces of the NEP workers”. We will not stop subsidizing businesses that provide training and mentorship in work ethics to our youth. We are purposefully equipping them for emerging industries, with initiatives like the Youth Entrepreneurship Hubs and the Dominica Youth Business Trust. 

I will not give up on our young people. We are working to expand the economy. We are working on creating new and lasting job opportunities. To this end, we are equipping our youth for emerging industries, with initiatives like the Youth Entrepreneurship Hubs and the Dominica Youth Business Trust. 

But while we make way and hay for tomorrow, I also want to give valour to the aspirations and the dignity of our young people. And this Labour government shall strive for as long as possible to keep them gainfully employed through these formative years of their adult lives. 

Deeper than it has seemed on the surface in the last two and a half decades, we have been laying the ground work for Dominicans to find sustainable jobs and thrive through the discipline that makes our good better and our better best. 

Education and Youth Empowerment 

The same forward thinking applies to education which remains a cornerstone of our development agenda. Over the past quarter-century, we have increased access to quality education, improved school infrastructure, and introduced scholarship programs to nurture the talents of our youth.  

Empowering the next generation with knowledge and skills for successful global citizenship is our guarantee for a brighter and more prosperous Dominica. 

When in the year 2000 we said we wanted a graduate in each home, many laughed and described us as delusional. Today, those who criticized then now expect full financing for the tertiary education of all family members.  

In Dominica today, it is no longer a case of one graduate in a house or even in a village. Now our people are demanding spots for all their children, grandchildren, cousins and other relatives!  

What seemed impossible to many, has now become regular and commonplace… indeed, the new normal, thanks to the national development contributions of successive Dominica Labour Party administrations.  

We have moved from the privilege of being able to view the Olympics live in 2000, to starring in the Olympics of 2024! You heard what I said? Dominica starred in the Olympics of 2024!  

“Gender Equality” are not just buzz words in Dominica. There is no height in Dominica in 2025 that women cannot reach. Indeed, the highest office in the land today, is held by a woman…and a proud, indigenous woman at that! 

Healthcare and Social Services 

The Labour Party government has prioritized the health and well-being of all Dominicans. Investments in healthcare facilities, training of medical professionals, and the expansion of social services have ensured that quality healthcare is accessible to every citizen.  

Programs aimed at supporting families, the elderly, and vulnerable groups have strengthened the social fabric of our nation. 

We are not perfect, and we have a long way to go, but I recall the days when every bone fracture, every abnormal growth, every heart murmur, every mention of the word cancer, abridged pregnancy or even HIV, meant automatic travel and treatment abroad. 

Today, when I go back and listen to our speeches in the formative years of this administration, I recall ministers of health promising CT scans, MRI, dialysis treatment, open heart surgeries and help for HIV positive patients in Dominica.  

Today, these procedures are no longer a promise. They are commonplace… the new normal… right here in Dominica, and most are at no cost to Dominicans.  

I know you have some concerns with respect to the level and quality of care you sometimes receive at the Dominica China Friendship Hospital and other health institutions around the country. I hear you! This too shall be coming under the microscope in the weeks ahead. 

Housing 

I hear the lament of those who say we should not have built 2900 houses and given them to Dominicans who needed them most. Those 2900 families we housed after Maria, will go to sleep tonight, the first official night of the 2025 hurricane season, more comforted and reassured than at any previous point in their lives.  

That is what we promised when we assumed office in 2000, and that is precisely what the Dominica Labour Party is delivering to the people of this great nation. 

But our housing revolution does not end there. We will continue to build houses in this country, because history and real-life practical experiences have taught us to never rest on our laurels. We live in the path of hurricanes. We are prone to disasters, natural and otherwise.  

Every Dominican must know what it is to be able to sleep comfortably during the hurricane season knowing that their home is resistant to storms and hurricanes of average strengths. 

This Labour Government will assist those who can venture out on their own and secure mortgages. We will facilitate those who can build weekend by weekend with the help of family and friends. That is how my grandmother and her generation did it.  

But I also know the harsh realities of many in this country, and I know that there are persons who would never have owned a house in this country, had it not been for this Dominica Labour Party government.  

I will never feel regret for helping less fortunate people. I come from the village of Vieille Case. I know what it means to be poor. My mission in public life is to help as I was helped.  

And we have no apology to anyone for having held out a helping hand to assist ordinary Dominicans after successive floods, hurricanes and land slippage wrecked their lives and robbed them of all their earthly possessions. This is what responsible governments do! 

Environmental Stewardship 

Recognizing our unique natural heritage, and its significance in securing a profitable place in the trade of goods and services around the world, Labour Party has championed environmental sustainability.  

We have implemented policies to protect our forests, marine life, and biodiversity, while promoting renewable energy initiatives. Our efforts to combat climate change and build climate resilience are critical to safeguarding Dominica’s future.  

So far, so good. 

As an example of our agility and effectiveness in dealing with climate issues, Hurricane Maria, just 8 years ago, destroyed most of our fishing industry. Today in Dominica, our fisherfolk are plying their trade in modern, cellular and other technologically equipped fishing vessels; thanks to the Dominica Labour Party.  

Cost of Living 

Especially over the past 10 years it has become significantly more expensive to operate in the global community. Thata reality for governments, countries and people all around the world without exception.  

At 70 we have the advantage of engaging the people centered governance approach that has served us so well to tackle this issue and explore the options for speedy resolution. 

I shop, you shop, visitors shop…everybody in this country buys groceries and other essentials. I do not think that a solid case can be made against the retail sector in Dominican for jacking up prices.  

Generally, I believe that prices in Dominica are on par, given our size, our distance from source and the overheads associated with running a business in this day and age.  

I want us to manage prices in Dominica because I know that employers, and the government is the largest in Dominica, cannot afford out of whack salary increases in this unstable global environment. 

So, I hear you when you tell me about high prices, but I want to break it down and see how, as a people, we can cut and contrive. I will see what the Minister of Finance can do, I will see what the shipping agencies can do, I will see what the wholesalers can do. 

But, very importantly, you the consumer will also have to play your part by managing your spending and focusing these days on your needs and not just what you want.  

Give priority to your health. Give priority to shelter over your head. And very importantly, shop around and make your dollar stretch.  

But I propose in the weeks ahead to convene a very focused consultation on this issue of the cost of living in Dominica and I will tell you from now, that I will ask the Minister of Finance to deal with it frontally in his next Budget Address to the nation. 

National Unity and Democratic Values 

On the occasion of the 70th Anniversary of the Dominica Labour Party, I proudly affirm our unwavering commitment to the principles of democracy, transparency, and the rule of law. 

Our party believes that true progress is only possible in a society where every voice is heard, where freedom of expression is respected, and where the rights of all citizens—regardless of political affiliation—are protected.  

Over the past 25 years, our government has worked diligently to strengthen democratic institutions, uphold the constitution, and ensure that elections are free, fair, and credible. 

We have supported the independence and integrity of our judiciary, promoted accountability through various oversight bodies, and encouraged active civic participation. Our commitment to open dialogue and inclusivity has been demonstrated through community consultations, town hall meetings, and partnerships with civil society organizations. 

It is important to recognize that democracy is not the absence of disagreement, but the ability to manage differences respectfully and constructively. While some voices may seek to paint a picture of democracy under siege, we must look at the facts — continued peaceful elections, vibrant political engagement, and a society where citizens freely exercise their rights. 

At 70, the Labour Party remains dedicated to developing a united Dominica, where all citizens can come together beyond political divides to build a stronger, fairer, and more prosperous nation. We welcome constructive criticism and encourage all Dominicans to participate actively in our democracy, knowing that our government is accountable to you, the people. 

In this spirit of unity, we call on every Dominican to rise above partisanship, to embrace dialogue over division, and to reaffirm our shared commitment to democratic values that have been the foundation of our nation’s progress. 

Conclusion 

We are 70, Ladies and Gentlemen, but we are still working! We recognize that as exhilarating as our life story is, our task ahead is even more challenging.

We are living in a world today where you cannot even see the dangers that lurk ahead. Your workload is not influenced or determined by your actions or utterances. Small countries like Dominica and Barbados have effectively, to play the hands they are dealt, as a consequence of the actions, utterances and attitudes of others.  

Our place in history cannot be undone or denied. But we are not basking in the glory of yesterday’s achievements. We are not fixated with where we brought you from.   

This Dominica Labour Party of 2025 is focused and defiant in our determination to forge ahead, in spite of the dangerous headwinds that hover around.  

Prime Minister Mottley announced to the people of Barbados a few weeks ago that she would return for another term to help steer her country clear of the social, political and economic icebergs that lie ahead. Tonight, she told you about the realities of doing business as small island states in today’s global environment.  

You see and hear for yourself, every time you turn on the television. We are not concerned with why others do what they do. Our goal is to survive and thrive in spite of what is going on around us.  

Comrades and Friends, this 70th anniversary of the Labour Party is not a one-day or one-week event. I want to turn it into a year of celebrations.  

We are on the northwestern coast tonight and I want to speak to my brothers and sisters in the south, in the east, in Kalinago territory and of course to my beloved constituents and their neighbours in the north of the island. So, there will be other rallies in the weeks ahead across this country. 

I want to say to the people of Dominica and particularly the people of Labour tonight, that I am listening to you. I pay very close attention to what the ground is saying and I have demonstrated to you in the past, my capacity to do what has to be done to keep this Labour ship sailing through choppy waters. 

I speak to you, and you tell me what pleases you and the concerns and upsets you have. I speak to you, and you tell me who around me is working to your satisfaction and who is not delivering in a manner that you would like. I am here to say to you tonight that I have heard, I have reflected, and I will act! I will not act tonight but rest assured that I will! 

Three score and ten is the number of years God has given this Labour Party. One score and a quarter is what you have given us consistently since 1999. I understand that in your eyes, this Dominica Labour Party must earn the right to another term. I understand that you are looking to us to address and resolve our shortcomings, because, deep down, I know you love your Labour Party.  

I am here to say to you tonight, we shall not disappoint you. We have a clear vision and a clear plan for moving this country forward. I am still the captain of this ship and I will do what is necessary to calm the waters. Sometimes when we are in flight, the pilot must go beyond the designated altitude to minimise turbulence.  

You have said to us what you are concerned about, and we shall address those concerns. I am not here tonight to talk about the other side. They are not ready, and they probably will never be ready.  

My focus tonight is to address matters of concern to you in a manner that would demonstrate our seriousness and resolve to best position ourselves for the task at hand. I am confident Dominica can ride the tide. I am confident Dominica can emerge from this current global setting, a far stronger and resilient nation. 

We will continue to support the vulnerable. We will continue to assist the farmers in improving production and feeding this country, at a time when food security is of worry and concern to many around us.  

I say to you this evening, stand firm with the Dominica Labour Party. Tonight is but the start of great things happening in this country.  

We have 70 years behind us and are now excitedly looking forward to the next 30 years when we shall take this country not only into its 77 years as an independent nation, but also when this Dominica Labour Party celebrates 100 years of stellar service to you the people of this small but great nation.  

Brothers and sisters, I want you to leave here tonight knowing that this Dominica Labour Party is and will always be committed to you and to our country.  That is our pledge to you!  

Thank you for coming out! Thank you for giving us the opportunity to lead this great country. Enjoy the entertainment that awaits and later this evening, drive carefully on the roads and get to your homes safely.   

Thank you for your love and warm embrace. Good night and I know that God will continue to bless you and to bless this fair land of Dominica. 

I thank you.