for the record the PM never gave any details as to what Phase 2 would entail for all we know ther might have been a Phase2 one that was initiated by and agreed upon by the parties involved . However the perception left to linger in the public’s mind is that Phase 2 would entail drastic and quick methods by the removal of Broomes but any one knowing and seeing how PM Stuart thinks would know that he is a man slow to anger and most of all not vindictive and the public’s perception of Phas2 maybe tollally contrary to that of the PM.

It really is a question of the right to take industrial action. Whether the strike was legal or not. The rest is window dressing.

@ac

This is not about the statement it is how the PM manages the ‘barbecue pigtail mentality’ now that we know he knows it exist. If he wants to win an election he has to manage the expectations of the electorate in what Paul Barnes refers to as Emotional Intelligence. How as a leader does he quell the this matter as discussion point, it fact it is more about commonsense.

@ac
you are totally correct. He did not say Phase, he said Stage….big difference. Wrt the matter now being a ministry matter, it was taken out of the hands of the Ministry, in addition, CLEARLY by the statements and return to work by the BSTU something or some action has been “promised.” Redman AND Gollop are the ones alluding to “Phase 2.” As to the report, it does not and cannot suggest removal. It can suggest action but alas that action will take years…long after the election bell rings.

@David
He cannot be politically naïve

Sigh. This is one of my fears. Different times, different generations, different modes of media and information consumption. Politicians in this decade cannot operate with the mindset of 20 (or even 18) years ago. I think emotional intelligence was the term used by another blogger. The populace is different, more diverse, more fluid, and more information savvy. Whether the information is right or wrong is another story, but, the impact it can make is what matters.

David wrote “Our position is simple, as headmaster responsible for the administration of the school he did not ‘manage’ the situation effectively.”

What level of management TRAINING and Qualifications are required for the post of Headmaster of a secondary school in Barbados?

What “management” support staff does the Headmaster/Manager have at the school? Do they have a Human Resources manager. Not likely so all Human resources issues are handled by the MOE. Right?

Amused wrote “The Union had no right to strike.”
Union members can exercise their democratic right to withhold services and face the consequences of their actions.

it is not going against the grain of what people think or expect of a leader however assumptions or speculations does not cut the grade . The facts of what the PM said are crystal clear on how further measures would be implemented or dispatch. However one chooses to ignore. Never does the PM states catergorically that he himself needs to dispatch on the matters at hand. he however states that stages of ” repair ” subjected to the report would have to be pursued with dispatch and firmness and as of now those matters are being dealt by cabinet and the MOE

@ David

Have you considered that the PM may have successfully activated phase 2 as intended by demonstrating that there is in fact NO ISSUE that warranted a strike?
He may well be monitoring the situation as we blog, in order to assess any real or imagined issues, and to be better placed to decide on phase 3- (No Further Action) at which he is a past master.

The only difference between what FS did and what the Bushman would have done, is that Bushie would have DIRECTED that the teachers had no legal case and should return to work or be dismissed.
FS ‘s approach may have been the better one- in that, had there been a REAL issue, he would have had the chance to present a backup plan of action.

The passage of a month without major incident however verifies BT’s instinctive assessment.

Score for the AX issue –
FS – 80%
Mary – 20 %
Jeff – 54%
Caswell – 15% (same as he got for a certain subject in school)
BT – 90% (somewhat below BT’s average)

It is one thing to put integrity legislation on the books but it is another thing to police it. Previously I have pointed out that there are many pieces of legislation on our books that should guarantee integrity in the system but are observed in the breach. You do not have to look back very far. What was the Supervisor of Insurance doing in the CLICO affair? The Public Service Commission does not function; Public health inspectors are not allowed to perform their duties by someone who does not have the necessary authority; When has an ombudsman ever worked? I could go on but that is enough to prove that mere legislation does not work.

I well recall during the campaign there was a promise to implement integrity legislation to deal with elected officials in 100 days. They did not, and to cloud the issue. they drafted legislation to deal with everybody who they perceive to be in public life. They should have implemented the integrity legislation in phases: first dealing with politicians in 100 days; and then everyone else if they wanted to be credible. I maintain the long delay in implementation only facilitated some of the previously unemployed or under-employed paupers who attained office to catch their hands.

Finally, the biggest problem with this type of legislation is that Government always hold the view that the chairman should be a lawyer. Do they have more integrity than anyone else? I really feel that any such commission should have a legal advisor available to it, especially since lawyers should not advise themselves. If they open up the field they would have a larger pool if honest people available to them. But do they really want honest people or just the perception?

@Bushie

You might be correct but the PM has to manage public perception in true Richie Haynes fashion.

Then there is the meeting which had to be adjourned.

Check today’s Nation as well as every conversation across Barbados when AX comes up as a conversation piece, there is a public expectation which remains unfulfilled.

yes! perception is everything but being in a political climate people are aware and astute to what is being said and who is saying it and why!

david i find it hard to believe that standards of excellence have fallen so far behind in barbados that the legacy of a prime minister and former attorney general who is not au fait with the laws over which he presides can be accorded hero status for overseeing the passing of integrity legislation which was not even his brainchild. yes, he must be the beneficiary of some credit but i do not see anything so fantastic about the achievment for lack of a better word to describe it. i was shocked when i read in the paper last week that Mr stuart told the DLP faithfuls in New York that the outlawing of bastardy was achieved by the passage of the Succession Act in 1975. Furthermore, it was Mr Stuart’s advice which led to the controversy in the nomination of Mr Gibson for the post of Chief Justice for he is reported to have advised that “there is no legal impediment standing in the way of the appointment of Mr Gibson to the post of Chief Justice”

@ ac | March 4, 2012 at 10:44 AM |
“miller: another “:Pot shot” that only you can write . Now deal with the facts in the statement and try not to spin yourself out of control.

You call it a “pot shot”. Others might call it a bull’s eye”. What facts are there to deal with? You mean a promise to sort out with DISPATCH (similar to the appointment of a new GG or settlement of the Barrack claim against the Crown) -the AX confusion to ensure the children’s education remains paramount and free from stress and undermining tensions. The way you treat the CLICO exposure and the dismissal of the findings and evidence of the forensic audit can only lead to the conclusion the word ‘fact” is foreign to your biased dictionary. By the way the Oxford English Dictionary defines the word “dispatch’ as verb as: “to deal with a task or problem quickly and efficiently”. Would you, ac, agree that your hero is a keen student of the English language and does not use words of such great import “loosely”?

Integrity legislation is just another high sounding term. Using your office to acquire wealth illegally has always been a crime, with or without integrity legislation. The problem is not the absence of integrity legislation: the real problem is the lack of individuals who are prepared to do their duty. A few years ago, I reported to the police that there were a number of persons on the board of Public Workers’ Credit Union who were embezzling credit-union funds. I supplied all the documentation to prove the case, but they were not prosecuted. Instead, I received a telephone call from a person who identified himself as an assistant commissioner of police who tried to convince me that I should drop the matter since the crooks were all black people.

If a minister obtains a benefit for himself or for others because he improperly performed his duties or neglected to perform those duties. he would be guilty of an offence even now. However, no one is currently willing to prosecute corruption, probably because that person might eventually fall into the hands of the minister’s colleagues.

Something that might interest you. The Public Service Act has a whistle-blower provision where a public officer can inform on others who break the law. So far one court marshal made use of those provisions. He was acting in a senior post and they took him down and one of the persons who was paying back money that he had stolen was promoted to take his place, with the blessings of the Public Service Commission. I challenge them to deny that. I was even approached, in Super Centre Warrens, by one of this marshal’s superiors who tried to convince me that I should not represent the marshal. I challenge them to deny that as well and I will call names.

@ac
Ya all over d place pun dis one man. Let’s see how big a crowd graces haggat hall’s chilly weather and then you can argue with yourself over perception and reality. David (and when possible I) have been shouting the perception over reality argument for months. We may want to think otherwise but in the absence of clear facts and bold pronouncments, perception wins. This is 100 % truer in challenging times. One could argue too that FS used perception to get the BSTU to go back to work….lol.

@ Just Asking

Man what do what duty what?!?!
That is not even the main problem….

The REAL problem is the systemic lack of honesty, integrity and truthfulness. NOTE …SYSTEMIC….( if Bushie calls it righteousness some people will get their backs up, and worst yet…..Zoe may come in 🙂 ….)

Let’s say you are the official who has to stand up and accuse a PM of dishonesty by laundering $3.3m or by banking $ 75,000 that was not his….not as “JUST ASKING”, but as Dick Smith of Licorish Village; husband of Nancy, and father of little Dick and Betty…. Do you get the drift ???? ( just asking…)

VERY FEW OF US HAVE THE BALLS.
The situation is made worse when you consider that most people do not even consider these acts by big-ups to be ‘Grossly’ offensive, ….largely because we all do the same things on a smaller scale … AND WOULD DO THE SAME AS THE BIG-UPS IF WE GOT THE CHANCE.

Caswell Franklyn is one Bajan who has shown that he has the necessary balls – and in that regard, (despite his AX slip,) remains an outstanding national asset in BT’s book.

@BAFBFP

To confirm your view, you want to have an oversight office based a foreigner holding the office? You are using the argument those who prefer th Privy Council
above the CCJ perhaps?

You must be aware such a position has brought no joy to Jamaica?

Declare your hand man!

@Caswell

So that the issue as you described is not the systemic need for the CCJ but the operationalizing (proper staffing) of it. Do you see a parallel with the integrity suggestion?

correction on above comment: should be “people see……………….

WHY is Freundel Stuart still Prime Minister again ???
WHAT has become of the second ‘faze’ of the Alexandra Foolishness ??
WHO Freundel think he Fooling,Foolish Fools ?

Good to see more people agree with what I have been saying long time–Integrity Legislation my ass. There are 270,000 people in B’dos everybody is a cousin, friend, in law, former schoolmate etc etc, hence many decisions would be under question. There is IL and FOI in Trinidad & Tobago yet a quick read of the recent no confidence motion reveals a litany of ongoing corruption charges. A foreign Contractor General would offer a little more confidence.
Anyway the absence of IL is not the achilles heel of this government, it is COST OF LIVING et al.

David read my submission again. It was about priority not necessity!!! Are you willing to sit on the Integrity Board and declare your interests and assets?

BU believes Stuart is serious about delivering the legislation. This is a man who exudes honesty and integrity when compared to his parliamentary colleagues. He appears to be the type of man who will do what is right

Dear BU
My first post on this article as have been troubled with network problems..so maybe waaaaayy behind on this one…hope not repeating
I must say you like many Barbadians like the D word(C too)Dreamers man. You guys serious ?From a man who promise Barrack nearly 3 yrs now, one who promise to to Clico policyholders , who committ to Mary Redman,and she still waiting along with 30 other teachers…come now David and Co. get serious man…I know this post was barely to attract jokes.,,,,,ALL this in less than 10 months….Now Integrity Legislation ??Come now AWAKE will you.

On this …a man of integrity bit ..less we forget the KING….hold back on them words ..til til

@observer(DNO)

To say that one could argue that PM Stuart used perception to get the teachers back to work is not true because for one he met with the teachers and Union and both sides came to a conclusion. Absent of facts are perception but in that case both sides were available to facts. Facts always trump perception no matter who say what and how it is said

How many Public servants will declare their assets ??
DONT you know that the legislation will not be about Politicians but about Public Servants, High and Low especially working in certain (areas of Government that public monies and REVENUE is the focus ???
WUNNA think it is only Politicians ??
YUH think that Freundel will bring something (a Law) to just touch his kind ???
DONT you know that I believe that Freundel will deliver on this one ???

Quoting David the blogger ” testicular fortitude ”

Dear David it is very kind of yu to call it testicular fortitude, but some other people might call it desperation. I think that the Stuart administration has just realized that the public is pissed about the doings of David Thompson and or his administraton and Stuart/the DLP now trying its best to distance itself from David Thompson and the CLICO affair.

It seems the voting public unlike Freundel Stuart may well believe that Leroy Parris is not their freind, may believe he is a [financial] leper, and that voting public is moving away from the DLP lest it [the voting public] become infected by the [financial] leprosy that is David Thomspon’s legacy to the DLP.