LDS Caucus in mourning |23 December 2023
The LDS Caucus of the National Assembly met yesterday morning to mourn the untimely loss of its member, Hon. Rosie Bistoquet. Members wanted to take this opportunity to share the ways in which she had touched their lives as a friend, colleague and fellow-member.
Hon. Bistoquet was a registered nurse and midwife. She was chairperson of the Nurses Association of 91香蕉视频 and a member of the International Council of Nurses. Caucus members remembered her dedication to her vocation as a nurse and how this permeated everything she did in her political roles. Hon. Bistoquet was an indefatigable worker, always mindful of the health and well-being of her fellow-members and those she was responsible for in her community. In everything she did, she was first and foremost a caregiver. This was evident in her presence on the ground at Cascade during the recent calamity there, and makes her untimely loss all the more difficult to bear.
As a politician, Hon. Bistoquet was active in many roles. In addition to being a member of the National Assembly and the LDS representative for Pointe Larue, Hon. Bistoquet served in numerous capacities. She sat on the LDS Executive Council and was chairperson of the LDS Women鈥檚 Association, a role in which she excelled. In committees she was never silent, but always had a point to make and a position to defend. Her clarity of thought was complemented by her strength of purpose. If she believed in something, she fought for it to the end.
As a member of the Assembly, Hon. Bistoquet was chairperson of the Communicable Diseases, HIV/Aids, Sexual Reproductive and Health Rights (SRHR) and served on the Standing Orders Committee and the Assembly Women鈥檚 Caucus. These were issues close to her nurse鈥檚 heart.
鈥淓ver solicitous of the health of our people, Hon. Bistoquet never stopped promoting health issues in and out of the Assembly, reminding everyone that personal health was paramount for national well-being.鈥�
Hon. Bistoquet was a member of the SADC Parliamentary Forum, serving on three committees there, including chairing the Human and Social Development and Social Programmes Standing Committee. In her role on SADC-PF, she was called upon to travel often. She never shirked from her responsibilities, constantly managing her duties abroad with those in her district.
In the Assembly Hon. Bistoquet brought a sense of seriousness to her deliberations, tinged often with the sense of humour for which she will be remembered. She had that rare capacity to infuse a difficult subject with a dose of light-heartedness in order to make it more accessible to listeners.
The LDS Caucus lit a candle to the memory of Hon. Bistoquet. This will remain in her place at the Caucus table until she is replaced as a member. In a few words at the end of the meeting, the leader of government business, Hon. Bernard Georges, said:
鈥淗on. Bistoquet was a mother to the whole Caucus. Her empathy was her best trait. Never tired, an excellent organiser, capable of juggling numerous activities together, Hon. Bistoquet was a model for generations of nurses and politicians. Her departure leaves a hole in the LDS Caucus which will be hard to fill. Her contributions at various levels will not be easily forgotten.鈥�
The Caucus thanks all members of the public for their messages of sympathy and support. All members express their condolences to Hon. Bistoquet鈥檚 family, friends and community at this difficult time.
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