High praise for Liz

Members of the Senate put aside their political differences briefly on Wednesday to acknowledge the work of Deputy President of the Chamber and former Member of Parliament Senator Elizabeth Thompson.
Senator Thompson was awarded the country’s highest honour the Order of Freedom of Barbados (the equivalent of Knighthood) during the last Independence celebrations on November 30.
Known as a fierce political adversary in her heyday, Senator Thompson was moved to tears as she accepted words of praise from her Senate colleagues including Opposition Senator Andre Worrell and Independent Senator Monique Taitt.
Thompson, who is Barbados’ Permanent Representative to the United Nations, described her career in public life as one filled with ups and downs but noted how pleased she was at the “outpouring of support” from Barbadians at home and abroad. She also thanked the island’s political leaders who recognised her talent and provided her with the opportunity to serve the country at an international level.
She told the Senate that she had dedicated her life to public service but lamented that public life was frequently a lonely place despite the number of people around you.
The former St James South MP told the Chamber: “Public life becomes quite a lonely place; [It can be] very, very difficult to make decisions when others present them as wrong. And in these days when the public square is magnified by the technology and all kinds of persons can say all kinds of things without any degree of censure, it is because my parents gave me a strong rooting of faith, that I have been able to stay the course.”
She added: “I’ve always worked in the best interest of this country. I want to thank colleagues in here for putting aside the political divide today to speak kindly about the work I’ve done, and the contribution I have made. [I want] to say, that difficult though it has been, I truly would not have had it any other way because it has been my honour to serve Barbados, and I really want to thank those prime ministers who have seen it fit, who’ve seen something in me . . . who’ve seen it fit to ask me to make contributions.”
While acting as President of the Senate due to the absence of Senator Reginald Farley, Thompson also heaped praise on her family for their support. (IMC1)