Saint-Martin. Deputy Daniel Gibbs’ New Year Message

On Thursday, January 16th, Deputy of Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin, Daniel Gibbs, delivered a new year address to the population at the CCISM.

It was the third time this week that Daniel Gibbs had to fulfill this duty.  On Monday, 13, he acted as President of the Union for the Democracy and on Tuesday, 14,  as Territorial Secretary of the UMP Federation.

Whereas the law banning the holding of multiples political mandates is to be voted in Parliament, in spite of the French senators’ reluctances, one cannot help but reflect on this local tendency to hold several offices, which is not specific to Daniel Gibbs. Is it a symptom of some lack of leaders, the consequence of the seldomness of people’s engagement? Or does it prove a will of concentration of power? 

Numerous were the ones who had come to listen to Deputy Gibbs’ address : 

– Members of Team Daniel Gibbs, without Christophe Henocq who is no longer a Territorial Councillor, but with  Dominique RIboud who is going to replace Henocq,

– President Aline Hanson, Vice-President Guillaume Arnell and Vice-President Ramona Connor,

– Préfet Philippe Chopin ; Vice-Prosecutor Flavien Noailles ; Court’s President ; Captain of Gendarmerie Jouault ; Romain Renoux and Nicolas Maslach from the Réserve Naturelle 

– Members of the Youth territorial Council lead by Jean-Marc Gervais, who is also President of the very active  association Jeunesse Soualiga ; Junior Deputy Jonathan Hodge

– Stephen Tackling, President of the CCISM and some members as Hervé Dorvil and Didier Rouxel 

– René Mathon, Philippe Morel and Marc Chakhtoura for the ACM

– Pascal Averne, General Director of the COM, ;   Albéric Ellis, Director of Galisbay

– Former mayor Albert Fleming ; Father Charles

You may find below Deputy Daniel Gibbs’ whole address.

Victor Gibbs, Daniel Gibbs et Stephen Tackling – Remerciements à Jabiru pour la mise à disposition du cliché.

M ….. (Protocol), Dear friends, 

Allow me even before expressing, my best wishes for this new year,  to welcome you and thank each and everyone, for your presence here tonight. 

I particularly want to thank  the organizers of this event, who gave a hand in making this moment meeting possible. 

At the begining  of this  new year, please receive my most sincere  and warmest wishes for 2014. 

This evening I  would also  like to convey my wishes of success both personally and professionally, my wishes of happiness and peace, to the entire population of St Martin particularly to all the active forces of our Community and most of  all to those who, day after day, take pins in giving back a meaning to the beautiful concept of “living together”  which is the motto of our”Friendly Island”-. 

Allow me also to have a thought for the Helligar family whose son or brother the Corporal Head Rodrigue Helligar –  is officially reported missing since November  1st while he was stationed in East Africa, up to this day . I have no doubt that all St. Martiners will join my message of compassion to the family, the friends and relatives of Rodrigue Helligar. 

Through this tribute to Rodrigue, I also want to send a heartfelt message of deep respect and humility to all those who are missioned to keep us safe day after day, may it they are outside our borders or at home I am thinking of  our soldiers of course, but also our gendarmes our policemen and our firefighters our emergency task force. 

 I would like to include  the actors in the health and social field, in hospitals, in clinics, in associations in my message of great respect … the commitment and dedication of these professionals and volunteers should be commended. 

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge also the actors in the world of education and all the volunteers in the various associations, your work, especially with young people of St Martin, is precious. You are the trainers the youth of tomorrow, our future leaders, our next generation of entrepreneurs and distinguished athletes … Thank you for the quality of your work, despite the difficulties and obstacles, we are very much aware of the complexity of your respective missions. 

To our youth also, and I wish to acknowledge the presence among us tonight of our Junior deputy, Master Jonathan Hodge, my best wishes of happiness and success to you all.   May you be at your outmost best in your work and   successful in pursuing your ambitions for this New year

This list would not be complete  however, without mentioning the professionals in the Justice field whose task is also as energy-consuming as they are sensitive, all the civil servants  on our island and who work hard to  guaranty and maintain a public service of the highest quality on our territory!, and finally to our business  professionals who, despite the uncertainties of an unprecedented crisis, have not abandoned   the ship!

“We must know what we want and when we know that we must have the courage to say it and when we say it we must have the courage to do it” – Clémenceau – I would like to address this thought to all the elected in charge of our Collectivity in a friendly manner.

We elected members of the parliament,citizens involved in the public and political world,should be daring and ambitious.

 The political actions  carried out in French St.Martin have been timid  and of a short term for too long a time.We must act  far beyond that!  Let’s have big ideas!

 “A place for dreams but dreams in their place”(Desnos) Let’s have a common dream for 2014 and the years to come. a real interesting and efficient dream decided by all the actors of the collectivity to make our country better.

What do we want for St.Martin?

You won(t be surprised to know that I don’t want an adminsitrative supervision for our Island 

I refuse to see French St.Martin get the crumbs from her Dutch sister’s economic development which is favoured by several new projects.

I’m certainly not suggesting that we should copy what is being done on the Dutch side.But we should have a real and serious cooporation between both sides, we should work together, concretely.

We have to think about our own economic development, our social future, our needs in term of jobs,and different facilities in order to know what we intend to do and decide how we can work hand in hand with our Dutch sister.On the whole I want us to have a global development project on a long term.

Everyone knows the complicated task of a deputy.I have to examine and pass bills that govern our Republic. I’m also a territorial councilor, member of the opposition. I must admit that my speeches are often offensive both on national and local levels and that can be confusing for some of our people. Because of these different roles some people think I can act locally.How I would like to do so, but that isn’t the fact.! I had to clarify this. I must also say that as a member of the parliament or as a member of the opposition my only aim is to make St.Martin a better country for our people beyond all political differences I’ll always practice the policy of the outstretched hand, reaching out to the other side of the  aisle.

“We belong to the French Nation- no question about that, but now it is high time to solve our local problems. We must first reform everything that is not adapted to our particular situation and foremost our administration. Then allow the country to benefit from its natural ressources the money for his subsistence and development (…). Nothing is done in this country, it is obvious to any visitor. The Dutch side gives us an organizational lesson.  Their bridge opens and it’s a real bridge, The port, a true port, their air port, a real one. On our side, everything is lacking, we have no long-term policy, we do not know where we are going”

.”These words are not mine, they are part of a speech pronounced by Dr Hubert Petit on the 15th of April 1970 when a Minister’s visit to the Island.

Definitely a number of key achievements have been carried out since, but we struggle to follow in a very competitive environment and we have even regressed in  essential areas of our development. As I often say, while we content ourselves of dreams, our southern neighbors realize theirs … It is high time that we move to higher speed!

Together we need to think our future and we roll innings if we want in a few decades, this speech of Mr. Small, I rebuke my account tonight, is no more than a bad memory. 

We must think of our future together and roll up our sleeves if we want Mr. Petit’s words to be only a bad souvenir in a few decades!I would like to end this speech by quoting Aimée Césaire:

“A civilsation that is incapable of solving its problems  due to its governing system is a decadent civilisation.

A civilisation that chooses to turn a blind eye to its crucial problems is an affected civilisation.

A civilisation which is plays with its principles is a dying civilisation.”

 So let’s be modern in our methods; let’s have an ambitious vision for our country!

I wish you, your families and all those who are dear to you a “VERY HAPPY NES YEAR”. May this yearr fulfil your hopes and projects in every sense!

GIBBS Daniel 

Deputy of Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin 

Territorial Advisor TDG2012

President of the Union for Democracy

 Editor’s note : As you may have noticed, Deputy Gibbs has not forgotten any official or stakeholder. He wished the medias “that one often criticizes but are always helpful to convey our messages” professionalism and objectivity. This gives us the opportunity to enlighten here the efficiency of Daniel Gibbs’ communication services. We seized this opportunity to thank them and make the wish that it lasts in 2014.