This, Pierre assures, in response to the Opposition expressing insufficient time to prepare their rebuttal during last year’s budget season.

The Prime Minister says this is the first time an Opposition has been handed the Budget a week in advance. 

“We gave the Opposition [the Budget] eight days before - eight days. It's the first time in Saint Lucia's history that estimates have been given eight days before. Do you know what happened to us when we were in opposition? We'd have got it on Saturday and we're supposed to be ready on Tuesday,” Pierre explained.

As such, Pierre voiced, that he expects the 2-member Opposition to be adequately prepared for their rebuttal on Wednesday, March 26th.

“We expect the Opposition to be prepared and we expect them to respond on Wednesday morning, as I did when I got it on Saturday. So Wednesday morning we expect the leader of the opposition to get up at 9 am and speak like I did.”

Last year, the Opposition complained that the order of speaking was not fair as they only had 2 members to the government’s 15.

The Prime Minister says he will not be inclined to change the speaking order, adding that the Opposition Leader will speak after the Prime Minister in the usual fashion.

“I'm not the one who put in the numbers; the People put in the two Opposition numbers.”

Despite their figures, Pierre contends, the Opposition must be prepared to do their duty.

“Numbers cannot mean that you must not stand up and do your duty. On the 24th of April, I'm going to be doing the Policy Statement, where the policy as it relates to the figures I'm going to give tomorrow is going to be discussed.”

Pierre says Saint Lucia’s economy performed well for the period 2023 - 2024.