Senator Michael Joseph has shared a development package for the St. John’s Rural West constituency, promising housing, education, recreation and entrepreneurship programs designed to end what he called decades of “mediocrity” in the community.

Speaking during debate on the 2026 budget in the Upper House, Joseph, who is also the ABLP caretaker for the area, outlined several people-centered initiatives set to roll out in the first quarter of next year.

In what he described as the first housing development since former MP Londell Benjamin’s tenure, Joseph announced that land distribution will begin in the first quarter of 2026.

“I’m happy to announce that through National Housing, Madam President, that the housing development, now they’re cutting up the lands, will commence within the first quarter of next year, and five islands going down after the roundabout, where the people of rural west, there’s supposed to be 100 plots, and there’s a commitment for the people of rural west to have 60 of those,” Joseph said.

He made a personal commitment to prioritize young people, drawing from his own struggle to acquire land.

“I remember running behind the former Prime Minister for almost 10 years trying to get a piece of land, and I couldn’t get it in my own community, I couldn’t get government land,” Joseph revealed. “Imagine as a young man, I had to go buy private land because I couldn’t get it. So I know what young people are facing, and that’s why I’m committing to making sure that 60 of these lots are available to young people in the community.”

Addressing concerns about educational performance in Math and English, Joseph announced a tutoring program for 100 grade six students starting in January 2026.

“I’ve entered an agreement with both primary schools, Madam President, a total of 100 children will benefit from this at grade 6. We’re going to offer them one hour every day, Monday to Thursday. Two of those hours will be specific to maths and two hours will be specific to English,” he explained.

The program goes beyond academics, incorporating health support for students.

“We’re not going to end there because again, I know the challenges of people in rural West and many of them lack vitamins and so Madam President, we’re augmenting that program. We were going to be giving them six months of vitamins, multivitamin, vitamin C, DHA to help with their brain development and brain function and elderberry to boost their immune system,” Joseph said.

The senator commended the principals of Five Islands School and Green Bay School, saying: “Mr Alden James and Miss Clairopatra Henry, they’re doing such an amazing job with those children. They’re investing time, and when people go out of their way, Madam President, we must acknowledge them.”

Joseph announced plans for a second playground in Five Islands, set to be erected by March, following the success of a similar facility in Cooks.

“I’m happy to announce I made a commitment to do three. The second will be in Antigua in March to be erected in Five Islands and so the people of Five Islands will have a green space, a playground which they can use and anybody who knows the playground in Cooks, they know that they come from all over to use it,” he said.

The initiative is part of his vision to change perceptions of the community. “I remember, Madam President, when people used to say, I don’t go to Grey Slum at all. I want to give them reason to come, Madam President,” Joseph stated.

Recognizing barriers to accessing the Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDPM), Joseph unveiled a business training initiative with startup capital.

“A lot of our people in rural West, cannot access the EDPM because they have the ideas but they don’t have the skill sets to prepare themselves to access it and so what we’re going to be doing is that we’re rolling out an entrepreneurship program to help them to the basics of what it means to register their business, marketing their business, as well as to creating financial statements,” he explained.

The program will include financial support: “We’re raising now the funds where two of these individuals, we’re going to give them $5,000 startup so that they can properly prepare these documents and then help them to submit to the EDPM to get this funding.”

Throughout his presentation, Joseph emphasized his refusal to accept substandard conditions for his constituents.

“I’m tired. I grew up with mediocrity, and I’m not going to allow the people and the children of rural west to have mediocrity anymore. That is not right. And this is not fair,” he declared.

Taking a swipe at the opposition, Joseph said: “You know I hear individuals talking about the issue of maths and English and how it’s affecting, but none of them come with any solutions. I hear the MP talk about it all the time, we need to do something about maths, we need to do something about English. Madam President, I’m happy to announce that I’m doing something about it.”

He challenged his political opponents to follow suit: “This is what, Madam President, this is what we’re talking about when we talk about leadership on this side. We don’t just come with talk, we come with solutions, we come with results and we work towards ensuring that every member on this side does the exact same thing and I would admonish the other side to do likewise.”

Despite being in politics for just two years, Joseph said his track record should speak for itself. “I’ve only been in politics for two years. So my track record is two years. So judge me on my two years. But if you walk around and tell people you’re in politics for 20 years, and all you have to show is the last five years, my question is, what have you been doing? Because the people can’t see it.”