Ascension : Christmas Message From The Governor 2008
Submitted by The Islander (Islander Internet Editor) 25.12.2008 (Article Archived on 08.01.2009)
Looking back on 2008, although I am sure that a great deal of progress has been made in many areas, we have been exposed to events not of our own making, and my overall impression is one of disappointment.
Looking back on 2008, although I am sure that a great deal of progress has been made in many areas, we have been exposed to events not of our own making, and my overall impression is one of disappointment. The folk on Tristan had the medical supplies problem, then the crisis over their harbour, and the burning down of their factory. As if that wasn’t enough, the growing concern over their financial situation is inevitably leading to belt-tightening. Here in St.Helena we had many plans thwarted by ageing problems with our only link with the outside world - the RMS, and we dealt well with the horrendous rock fall of 14th August, we have absorbed huge increases in energy costs only to be facing up now to renewed uncertainty over the airport. The persistently damp weather hasn’t helped to raise our spirits either. The brightest star in the sky seems to be Ascension where the election of a new Council has restored democracy.
Speaking personally, those disappointments have been tempered by the fact that both Jean and I have found the year to be one in which we have got to know this island and its people much better; and I feel that we can say the same for Ascension. It is high time we got to know the people of Tristan as well and we hope to do so (HMS Endurance permitting), early in 2009.
In getting to know people, we have been enormously impressed by the resource and commitment of so many of you. I must pay tribute to the outstanding contribution that so many Saints, incomers and ex-pats have made to the life of St.Helena and Ascension. It is easy in a sense to pay such tribute to those in the public eye but we are aware that there are many unsung heroes on both islands. A good example is the carers in those homes where some of our senior Saints and those who are particularly disadvantaged in life, live. The commitment and sheer emotional expenditure put in to the task of caring is overwhelmingly impressive and something we are most thankful for. As a community we can be proud of how we do care for each other.
Most of you have to work extremely hard in order to earn enough to keep body and soul together and provide for your families, and I am acutely aware of the fact that inflation is outstripping any rise in income by a very large percentage. Just as all roads lead to Rome, so all serious discussions about our economy come back to the simple fact that wages here are unacceptably low when compared with the western world of which we are a part. This is our biggest challenge - to get wages up whilst protecting against spiralling costs. The seeming certainty of an airport has raised all our expectations, and airport or not, now or never, those hopes remain of an improving standard of living. Genuine growth in our economy must continue to be the primary focus of our government.
I cannot leave out the Tristanians as they too have had to work very hard in outrageously difficult circumstances. Indeed, as Governor of all three islands I am increasingly conscious that we can do far more for each other than we do at present. There are obvious areas of cooperation such as fishing and the police, but there are others as well. We should work together more closely, and that will be one of my priorities for 2009.
I see Christmas this year as an opportunity to take a breather. To enjoy a time of rest and relaxation as the weather improves. And then what will 2009 bring?
It is bound to be a year of immense opportunity. I sometimes feel that the well known phrase that “There is no such thing as a problem, only an opportunity” was coined by someone who had never been to the South Atlantic. However the only sensible way to face our problems is to see them as presenting us with options for improvement. I spoke recently of the challenge facing the whole community over the unsocial behaviour of some youngsters – that must be tackled. The protection of Jamestown from the threat of further rock fall will begin soon, and we need to maintain a momentum in that activity to protect our future. But for many I know that there is a yearning for some certainty about access. If we are now entering yet another time of uncertainty as this period of “pause” is prolonged, maintaining a positive attitude will not be easy. There are many other challenges here in St.Helena too numerous to mention and equally fundamental issues must be grasped in Ascension and Tristan.
I have just paid tribute to the hard work of so many of you, and I fear that the pace will not slacken during 2009. We all enjoy the privilege of living on beautiful and relatively inaccessible islands, but these are not easy places in which to live, and there is much to be done in order to secure a sustainable future for all of us.
Both Jean and I wish you a very happy and peaceful Christmas and New Year and we trust that 2009 will bring some certainty with regard to increasing prosperity.
Andrew Gurr
Governor
18th December 2008
|
