BU Talkback:Nation Letter Sent to Prime Minister Stuart
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150 responses to “BU Talkback:Nation Letter Sent to Prime Minister Stuart”
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The Prime Minister said last night Leader of the Opposition Owen Arthur told him he did not agree with the Talkback. Interesting if true. We look for a response from the BLP.
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Given this is the letter other than it being addressed to wrong person there is little to fault. Seems quite clear they just ran from meeting instead of sending anyone. Not all the dlp member attended the lecture. I am sure if the pm sent one of them to be party champion at the nation meeting would mean your viewed higher than your peers that was asked to listen to the speech.
Maybe the pm though there was no one available that could debate properly against the blp in town hall format like there is no one good enough to be selected deputy pm. Food for taught
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David
How true could that be if he sent Mia. Sound like excuses to people of Barbados who are disappointed with their leader’s performance.
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@Anthony
If one judges the letter on protocol it should have been signed by Publisher Vivianne-Gittens or even Kaymar Jordan.
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What bullshit is this? Where in the world can any petite and politically biased news organisation purport to invite a leader of government to this childish prank in this manner? Essentially, the Nation Newspaper is attempting to locate the PM and his government between a rock and a hard place. If the PM avoid this charade he looks weak. If he accepts, he will be ambushed by the terrorists the Nation and its assassins will have strategically placed. This represents the absence of a cultural maturity by an ‘institution’ that sees itself as a ‘national’ or ‘regional’ thought leader. How are our young people expected to behave when Anne Gittens and her ignorant cohorts lack the sophistication to properly negotiate this matter. I would have imagined that all parties should have been consulted while this misadventure was being designed. In the absence of such a negotiation of terms – the Nation Newspaper is an ass!
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It is unfortunate our political parties feel moved to favour one media house over another.
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@Pachamama | October 15, 2012 at 7:26 AM | I agree.
@Miller. Don’t know if you have any clout with the BLP, but suggest that while at the moment they will win, a day is a long time in politics and maybe this proactive bullshit might rebound. It won’t change my vote back to DLP, but I register my dislike of that tactic and my approval of the PM’s handling of it. The message this sends is that the Nation is Barbados’ kingmaker – in other words, we are ruled over and our votes dictated to us by a decaffeinated bunch of Guyanese and other non-Bajans – and that is an extremely negative message to send to the electorate.
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Heard the PM discussing the matter of former PM’s pensions arguing that the leader of the Opposition’s salary is bigger than that of the pension of a former P M.
He is making a case for a PM pension be on par with High Court judges i.e. 100 % of salary. (Caswell to advise the facts on this one). Is it a fact that any former PM can draw a pension immediately on leaving office and does not have to wait until the age of retirement?
Maybe Freundel is gazing into the crystal ball and sees his upcoming demise win lose or draw and wants to feather his nest with as many eggs as possible.
Now why would he wish to raise such a controversial matter at this time when his administration just took away disposable income from public sector pensioners, CLICO pensions still in the dark and civil servants have not had an increase in pay since 2008 or so with a 30% increase in the COL and other impositions that have significantly eroded their take-home pay.This man is really a political liability to his party’s chances of reelection.
Not a word about the promised Integrity legislation to be put before Parliament before dissolution but he has the gall to talk about pensions for politicians. What a political laughing stock he is! -
@David
We humbly submit that the reverse may be the truth – media houses choose political parties to advance their wider interests! -
@Pacha
Maybe so, maybe so BUT the philosophical point remains whatever the cause, political parties and government favour one media house over the other. Some suggest this becomes a real challenge for civil society to efficiently run a democracy like ours given Fourth Estate’s capacity to be opinion shapers.
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@ Amused | October 15, 2012 at 8:07 AM |
I have already proffered to the DLP an antidote to the Nation Publishing Co poison.
Arrange their own TalkBack show on their own terms and conditions. They can even “buy” time on CBC TV for the whole ‘nation’ to see.That would up the political stakes and make the DLP look like a real fighting force.
But judging from what is playing out in the economic and financial department of this Country the coming elections would be a good one for the BLP to lose.
Too much shit is about to hit the fan and the BLP would be the real idiot to want to flick that switch.
How can one explain this Country having to beg to borrow a meagre US$ 33 million for balance of payment support? That is a clear case of serious things going on behind the fiscal and economic scenes. Why could this money not be borrowed from T&T in the form of 3 or so months oil and petroleum imports on a medium or long-term deferred payment arrangement? That would take some of the pressure off the BoP. But we want to splurge for Xmas and have our last party before going down like the SS Titanic.You really feel that the IADB would approve such a loan without the blessings of the IMF? In light of what took place in July/August do you really think the IMF is a happy bunny as far as Barbados’ fiscal situation is concerned?
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I think the Nation erred in the protocol of the matter of the invitation, even if they sent an essentially identical letter to the leader of the Opposition. The office of PM should, protocol wise, be treated in a different manner. However, I think it was not maliciously done but that the Editor dropped the ball.
Miller; re. your post above. If your spin is correct it would by far be the best indicator that FS is not fit for the job of PM and leader of the DLP at this time. Hoping to hear the other side of the matter from one of the DLP spokespersons here.
Is the PM saying that the pensions of former PMs is not 100% of their last salary as PM? Is he jealous of Arthur perhaps receiving the same salary as he does as a former PM instead of a lower salary of a mere Opposition leader? Why bring it up at this time. How does he intend to spend some of the vanishing political capital the DLP is still left with in addressing this “wrong”? Does he implicitly recognize that he wouldnt be eligible for a the same emoluments as OSA if the BLP wins the elections as his chances of being elected Opposition leader in that eventuality is arguably slim?
If Miller is right in his reporting he comes across as being somewhat petty.
The man continues to make gaffes that makes one wonder.
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Without having to read or see the letter the concept itself and presentation showed a total lack of respect for the office of the PM and total disregard and disrespect for the PM not surprsing at all of the way the letter was written void of signatures reflecting Editor and management. the nation credibilty continues to erode at rapid pace
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Why would PM Stuart rise the matter of the CJ pension is 100 % his salary before retirement? Is he suggesting that his pension as PM needs to be augmented to reflect the same? How unfortunate a question to raise in these most difficult times for ordinary Barbadians, notwithstanding at an elections time.A true reflection of selfish thoughts that can only point to the underlying integrity of a preemptive politician.
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It is evident that there is tension between the government and the Nation which has muddied this matter.
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@ David
To say there are tensions between the DLP and the Nation Newspaper skillfully avoid the hard truth. We all know that the Nation has beed supporting the BLP from at least the last change in government and that the Advocate slavishly supports the DLP and that in turn those parties generally spend their monies with those institutions, respectively. Both parties have vested interests. They are eager to bolster their coffers with political campaign advertising. Should one or the other party wins the lottery when elections are called the Nation might be expecting a TV license. And the Advocate – at least continued patronage. Neither one of these morally bankrupt business have the intestinal fortitude to advocate for the removal of the archaic libel laws or the incestual Public Order ActOn your point about Fourth Estate issues. Those considerations have long become non-existent for the people who were to be served when this idea became popular after the French Revolution. In fact it is fair to say corporate media like the Nation and the Advocate are interested, not so much in social concerns, but in making profit for their owners. Therefore our overarching point is that whether it is the BBC, CNN, The Walt Street Journal, The New York Times, The Nation or the Advocate it does not matter. Delivering benefit to the owners is the prime consideration, regardless of structure or long forgotten notions about democracy and mass participation. To them these ideas are anachronistic or quaint.
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Once again we are trying hard to convert a molehill into a mountain.
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All the people deserves is the truth the lack of good journalism ethics and standards can be the major downfall of nation because of tribalism journalism which is being foisterd upon the public no matter which side is being supported by the fourth estate truth must supersede everything else for it is the foundation upon which journalist can hang their head and not be held up to scrunity and desdain by the public
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I have avoided any discussion with respect to the Nation Publishing
company because I do not understand them.Having seen the copy of the letter, I am still at a loss as to how to rate the Nation Publishing Company or the Nation Newspaper. My first point is that an invitation of this kind cannot start and end with a letter. There must first be some direct contact and discussion with respect to time, place, format etc. Having received buyin from the parties, you write the formal letter of invitation.Proper manners and protocol would dictate that a letter of invitation
from a serious organization to a Leader of a political party (far less
a Prime Minister)should come from the Head of the Organization –
signed by the Head of the organization.I would be charitable enough to suggest that the Nation’s personnel either know no better OR believe that manners and protocol are too old fashioned.
BUT MY MAJOR POINT IS: WHY IS IT NECESSARY FOR A NEWSPAPER TO HAVE A TOWN HALL MEETING TO DISCUSS THAT TOPIC? When:
1. There was a POLL commissioned by that Newspaper that gave a
“scientific” assessment of the Peoples’ opinion.
2. THE QUESTION CANNOT BE ANSWERED IN THAT FORUM
3. THE QUESTION WILL BE ANSWERED IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE WHEN AN ELECTION MUST BE CONSTITUTIONALLY CALLED.The question therefore is: What is the objective of the exercise? Is
it that the Nation is now more concerned with making/creating news
than reporting news?Apart from the entire inappropriateness of the whole concept and
invitation to a Prime Minister, I am curious to know if the PM was
not already committed to the Alumni speech?I would not dream of arranging something to involve a Prime Minister
without first discussing with him and clearing the date ….But I still don’t think the idea appropriate …. with no disrespect
to the leader of the opposition it is like asking a judge to sit on a
panel with a convict to debate if he, the convict should have been
convicted. -
When I was growing up in Barbados student drivers were required to have a plastic disk with the letter “L” attached to the cars on which they were practising. I don’t know if that is still a requirement but the Nation should have a large “L” affixed to the entrance over their headquarters to denote that they are still learning.
The Nation is free to hold “Townhalls” on matters which they deem to be of national importance but they should direct their correspondence to the General Secretary of each political Party and the Party can select the representatives who will speak on its behalf. If an election is called it can propose a debate between the leaders of the respective Parties, but The Nation’s leadership has shown such scant disrespect for the present PM that it ignores protocol and sends a letter virtually demanding his attendance; would they do the same if Arthur was PM?
Another saying from growing up in Barbados comes to mind is “monkey handling gun”, the photos of the authors of this affair should be placed next to that phrase in any new collection of Bajan proverbs.
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@ David
In a scale of 1-10,this letter scores 1.Firstly,it is indicative of disrespect for the office of PM.Secondly it might have been more appropriate to have addressed it to the party secretary of the 3 political parties currently offering themselves as worthy of our vote.Thirdly no low level operative like the clerk stenographer of the Nation should be signing a letter of invitation to the Hon PM.Out of place!Fourthly,at a minimum the Editor and at a max the Publisher should see it as their bounden duty to sign the letter of invitation.Fifthly ,you could have made use of more subtle and colorful language.The PM is no mean classicist,but as I said I would not have sent him the letter and if it were me I would have folded it and thrown it in file 13…the waste paper bin.
@Miller
Once again I support your contribution.Think of it.Former PM Sandiford with his ambassadorial pay and perks plus his pension must be living well.We cannot afford an ambassador to China at this time.It should be a CSME effort to have one person represent the region.It’s a similar situation in the US congress where all the ingredients of the so called Obamacare Act is enjoyed by all congress but they do not want it at a national level.Politicians are all the same.What is in it for me.Do you think OSA would reverse any such decision,were it to be made by the FS administration?No way,but he will criticise it and use it to beat the dam lied party,which they richly deserve for the lies,cheating ,stealing and misappropriating they speak of. -
look at he man face /what do you see?
i see a funking ape from the dark ages !
discuss what? how much money he has put in of shore banks since he fell into being the prime minister.
time for a white man to come and fix your little island .kick in the arse the
slimy dogs out on their asses or better yet line them up and have a public Decapitation of this slime. -
@Miller. I agree with you. I also agree with your perspective on the timing of the elections in a previous blog. Your point about why would the BLP want to come into office at this point is well made – I certainly would not want to. But we know that they want to.
And, by the way I admire your dexterity. I wouldn’t want you to think I was not appreciative.
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@ Harry callihan
Why don’t you hide now behind this name when everyone in Barbados knows that you are Chris McHale.
@ David
These contributions (if you can call them that) by Harry callihan are not only racist but in my opinion either are or are bordering on hate speech.
You should not allow this, free speech YES, racist and hate speech NO. -
Harry aren’t you one of the recent deportees from Canada? You do sound like one and it seems that you are having problems readjusting to life Barbados.
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Well said – as is usually the case by Pachamama.
Bushie’s main point of support for the DLP is the fact that they are ANTI the Nation. The Nation is an anti-Barbados operation, whose objective is to destroy all that made Barbados special and make us ‘know our place’.
Such a disrespectful letter should not even have been sent to the bushman, far less a PM of Barbados.
Whatever we may think of PM Stuart, it is insulting to THIS WHOLE COUNTRY for the Nation to show such disrespect.
Any decent media would have:
– negotiated a suitable time and place beforehand
– sent a proper formal invitation
– given an unbiased assessment of the outcome.This is a sample of what CSME or “ONE CARIBBEAN” will mean for Barbados.
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David, I agree with you. That letter to the Prime Minister should have been signed by the publisher or managing editor/editor-in-chief.
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@Rickford
Thanks maybe you need to highlight this matter on your show and don’t invite Tony Best…lol.
Your submission received.
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Much ado about nothing. .People really expected the Prime minister to appear. Not a very realistic expectation though. When the Prime minister wants to be seen and quized he sets his own agenda and his forum is TELEVISION.
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Why would the PM appear given the tension which has existed between the government and the Nation going back to Thompson?
Also what about the revelation that Arthur told the PM that he was not attending and did not agree with the Talkback?
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The Sleeping Giant Awakens……next article I will be sending David..Priority #1…LOL
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I am amused regarding the nonsense of protocol, the excuse of availability, the stupidity regarding the team must be with the leader and so on. Historians deal primarily with history or simply reactive news. Economists or Government leaders should be dealing with pro-active news or days, months or years decision. Talk back sessions deals with proactive decisions, how we improve our economic and social positions, how will our people benefit and that is why I am firm that the Government side should have been in attendance. Stop the excuses and lets move on. BTW, you should be asking Owen why he didn’t attend or maybe he ‘fraid that the Nation would be bias to him also……..Tell me Why I should think otherwise.
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David
I am all for free speech on this blog but you cannot allow Harry Callihan to be making such racist comments. -
@Harry
Please tone it down. No need for the provocative language. We are not at war!
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@David
This man sounds like a white man to us and white people have always been at war, even with a smile on their faces, sometimes. Giving us the bible was an act of war. A propaganda war. A war, the effects of which are still with us today. Of course their have been many cold wars. For example, the giving of the Noble Prize for Peace to the EU is an act of war designed to boost the desperate economies of Europe, as peoples’ power challenges their leaderships and the one percent. At a time when NATO, and most EU countries are members of NATO, is conducting a proxy war against Syria using al-Queda and a misguided neo-Ottoman Turkey. A country that will never be given full membership of the EU because it is a non-white. This is war, for wars don’t have to be hot. For 500 years we have known nothing but war. The basic economic and financial systems are based on the theory of war. The US economy is and has always been essentially a hot war economy. Why do you think neither the Nation nor the Advocate can ever be helpful in development. They represent a Bernays/Lippmann styled propaganda war waged on the people of Barbados. CBC and the rest are no different. For it is war that gives us meaning. -
Much ado about nothing. I am sure the Nation sent the letter to him as president of the DLP out of respect and it was for him to send a representative.
They CANNOT defend their record, they cannot or do not want to speak about their sorry record and the handling of the the economy. So they are hiding behind the letter as being “insulting” to the office of the PM. Big deal!
The PM had better learn from history, he claims he is a historian. Owen Arthur took on the Nation and he lost big time. The media can make or break you! To me the DLP and the PM come over as petty, stupid and out of touch!
PM, sort out your pension and call the damn elections, we had had enough of you!
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@Prodigal Son
The PM was very clear that he will NOT accept any invitation from the Nation. All the other arguments then become moot.
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“Is the PM saying that the pensions of former PMs is not 100% of their last salary as PM? Is he jealous of Arthur perhaps receiving the same salary as he does as a former PM instead of a lower salary of a mere Opposition leader?”
The Pension Act of Barbados provides for a pension to be paid to the Prime Minister with effect from the date on which he ceases to be Prime Minister and shall continue to be paid during his /her lifetime unless that person holds the office of Governor-General or again holds the office of Prime Minister.
It further states that the pension should also cease during the period the person receiving the Prime Minister’s pension becomes a legislator again and is receiving a legislator’s salarybut should the pension of the Prime Minister exceed that which he is receiving as a legislator, then the pension is payable to the extent of such excess.
If his salary as legislator exceeds the pension as Prime Minister, he may within 30 days of again becoming or continuing to be a legslator write the Minister of Finance asking that the salary of legislator be paid.THE RATE OF THE PRIME MINISTER’S PENSION PAID UNDER THE PENSIONS ACT SHALL BE TWO-THIRDS O THE HIGHEST ANNUAL RATE OF SALARY OF SUCH PERSON AT ANY TIME A PRIME MINISTER.
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@ balance
Thank you for that. Great information.
Why again is Freundel seeking to increase it to 100%?
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Aren’t we nitpicking here. When I heard George Pilgrim on the radio challenging the Nation to print the letter on their front page and promising to resign for some manner of craziness: I expected a bombshell of nuclear proportions, some extremely offensive piece of correspondence to the PM. Instead, we have a letter which, unless you were schooled in diplomacy, would not cause the slightest offence. It reminds me of an old bajan saying about goat shit rolling up a hill.
My own assessment is that the DLP felt that I would have been outgunned and made up some silly reason for the no show. If I were the Freundel, I would simply say that I would not be siting down in any forum with Peter Wickham who has been extremely rude and unprofessional to me as PM and completely biased in his mouthings to the DLP as a whole until he first makes a public apology.
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@DavidB
Is that what he said? He said that public servants have drawn the anomaly to his attention. We will have to wait to see what he does.
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From snip CBCTV 7.05 pm
Stuart says he has wrestled with the Beast at Effethsis. Has anybody who attended Queens College please tell me what that was about. -
@Caswell
He said that last night.
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simply the letter was RUDE! ARROGANT! AND totally DISRESPECTFUL!
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@Dexter,
do you know how to use google?
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David,
Maybe he does not want to go back to practicing law! Can you imagine that after enjoying the luxuries of the life of PM that Freundel would want to go back to Marchfield or fly economy again?????
That’s why they are so desperate! An arch Dem called Mr Remarkable told David Ellis today that it ill be 25-5 in favour of the DLP! He is living in la la land!
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David (7:07)
The PM claimed that the anomaly was drawn to his attention by public servants. I would like to suggest to the PM that the public servants who draw his anomaly to his attention do not have his interest at heart. Those persons is mean him no good: it looks like Kellman is right.
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@Dexter From snip CBCTV 7.05 pm
Stuart says he has wrestled with the Beast at Effethsis. Has anybody who attended Queens College please tell me what that was about…….I think the word is Ephesus! He was waxing biblical!…… One of the DLP newbies on this blog would be able to tell you what he meant! I dont know why he is putting himself through that torture! He GOT TO call the election by February 12, 2013, no matter how much he procrastinates!
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Pray..I am not Greek scholar seemingly the likes of you or your buddy Freulingo reafilio.bare with a lowly ordinary, you must.>>>Beast at Effethsis?
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