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Critics Say Government Is Missing in Action at Home While Ministers Globe-Trot; PM Says Travel Brings “Benefits” Despite Mounting Public Outrage

In what many are calling an unprecedented global travel frenzy, Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew has attempted to defend his Cabinet’s sky-high overseas travel record — with some ministers clocking more than 30 foreign trips in just a little over three years, a pace unmatched in the modern political history of St. Kitts and Nevis.

Facing rising public fury over a Cabinet that is seemingly always abroad while critical crises at home worsen, Prime Minister Drew used his November 25 Roundtable programme to roll out a series of justifications — ranging from food security talks in Taiwan, to electric buses, to UN meetings, to yet another round of Africa–Asia engagements.

But despite his explanations, many citizens say the math simply doesn’t add up, and the excuses are thinner than the government’s results at home.

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THE GOV’T IS ALWAYS AWAY — AND THE COUNTRY IS CRUMBLING

While violent crime surges, water shortages worsen, the 2,400 Smart Home mega-project collapses, the hospital project stalls, schools decay, animal feed runs out, electricity reliability falters, and cost of living rises — the Drew administration has been busy collecting passport stamps.

The public has long complained that the Cabinet is missing in action. Now, with official travel logs showing some ministers have traveled abroad 30+ times since August 2022, the criticism has reached boiling point.

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PM DREW: “THE TRIPS COST US NOTHING” — A CLAIM MANY DON’T BUY

In his defense, PM Drew insisted that a large portion of his travel — particularly to Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Taiwan — was fully funded by host countries:

“A lot of these trips cost the government nothing… When I went to Ethiopia, it was sponsored. When I went to Nigeria, it was sponsored… and when I went to Taiwan, it was sponsored.”

But critics argue that even if airfare and hotels are covered, the real cost is the complete absence of ministers from their ministries, their communities, and the nation — at a time when every sector is under strain.

Opposition voices have blasted the remark as tone-deaf:

“The country doesn’t collapse because of airfare.
It collapses because leaders are never home to manage it.”

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PM DREW’S DEFENSE: A PATCHWORK OF “BENEFITS”

Attempting to highlight results, the Prime Minister pointed to:

• A conversation in Taiwan about establishing an agricultural fund
• A visit to a farm
• Two electric buses gifted for the education sector
• A forthcoming ICDF technical mission
• Discussions on the new hospital
• Progress on a desalination arrangement
• A pending MOU with Colombia

But nationwide frustration is growing as the tangible, measurable results of all this travel remain minimal, while domestic failures pile high.

A common refrain online:

“The only thing this government is delivering efficiently is travel itineraries.”

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THE PUBLIC SEES A PATTERN — MINISTERS CHASING CONFERENCES, NOT SOLUTIONS

One of the clearest examples is Minister Joyelle Clarke, whose official travel log resembles that of a jet-setting diplomat rather than a national minister struggling to manage climate resilience, waste management, water, land, and sustainability crises at home.

Her confirmed travel list reads like a world tour:

• New York (multiple times per year)
• London, Ottawa, Athens, PEI, Barbados, Grenada
• Kenya, Germany, Colombia, Antigua, Bahamas
• Dubai, Baku, Egypt, Brazil, New Zealand
• And more…

With trips for COP27, COP28, COP29, COP30, multiple UNGA sessions, SIDS4, UNEA, UNEP INC-4, GEF7, sustainability forums, ocean conferences, plastics treaty talks, and endless “high-level panels.”

Meanwhile, at home:

• Climate adaptation projects stall.
• Communities flood.
• Water security worsens.
• Waste management remains broken.
• Environmental regulation is inconsistent.
• The Sustainability Agenda is more slogan than substance.

Citizens ask: How many conferences does it take to fix a drain in McKnight? How many UN meetings does it take to repair a school window?

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PM DREW: “YOU CAN’T STAY HERE AND GET THESE THINGS”

In a moment that sparked immediate backlash, the Prime Minister declared:

“I couldn’t stay here and get things like that.”

To many, this reinforced the public perception that the government views St. Kitts and Nevis as an inconvenient airport they reluctantly return to — between long-haul flights.

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THE TRANSPARENCY CLAIM — A HARD SELL

PM Drew insisted he is committed to “accountability,” claiming that his Roundtable recaps are sufficient:

“I consistently provide comprehensive updates to the nation.”

But the public is unconvinced.

Updates are not accountability.
Reports are not results.
Travel logs are not development.

The people want outcomes, not itineraries.

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THE HARD TRUTH: TRAVEL IS UP, PERFORMANCE IS DOWN

The Drew administration’s travel record is not just high — it is historically unprecedented.

And the timing could not be worse.

St. Kitts and Nevis is experiencing:

• Record water shortages
• Major healthcare system strain
• A collapsing housing agenda
• High unemployment
• Rising cost of living
• Deteriorating schools and public infrastructure

With that backdrop, the optics of constant overseas trips are not merely bad — they are politically explosive.

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WHAT THE PUBLIC REALLY WANTS

Not another COP conference.
Not another UN side meeting.
Not another “technical mission.”
Not another future MOU.

The people want:

• Safe communities
• Reliable water
• Affordable housing
• Well-run schools
• A functioning healthcare system
• Jobs, investment, and stability

These cannot be flown in.
They must be built at home.
By leaders who are present, not permanently airborne.

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In the end, PM Drew’s justification may satisfy himself — but it will not satisfy a nation watching its government behave more like a travel club than a Cabinet.

SKN Times will continue to follow every trip — and every failure left behind on the runway.