est. 2007

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Let the Debates Begin

The Prime Minister advised that CBC should allow debates between all candidates contesting the St George North by-election.  Political parties do not have to participate in these debates.  However, we think that it would be unwise not to participate. By participating, Candidates have the opportunity to both explain their plans to voters, and defend their…

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Grenville Phillips, candidate for St. George North and Leader of Solutions Barbados

The Prime Minister advised that CBC should allow debates between all candidates contesting the St George North by-election.  Political parties do not have to participate in these debates.  However, we think that it would be unwise not to participate.

By participating, Candidates have the opportunity to both explain their plans to voters, and defend their plans from scrutiny from other candidates and the moderator.

At present, candidates are simply mentioning their plans to voters.  But neither our professional organisations or journalists are checking to see whether the plans are workable.  Neither are they questioning whether the candidates have any capacity to implement their plans.

The debates are an opportunity to expose the plans to scrutiny.  In preparation for the debates, let us review each party’s plans.  The parties can then improve the plans for the benefit of the constituents, and to better prepare for the debates.

REVIEW OF PARTY’S PLANS.

The BLP plans to bring prosperity to the people of St George North through fish farming.  The main questions are: Is this an idea whose feasibility now needs to be studied?  Is the implementation date this year, or 2023?  Who is funding this idea?  What experience does the candidate have to implement it?

The DLP plans to assist the youth in cricket, and to have a skills bank.  The main questions are:  What about the youth that do not want to play cricket?  The skills bank idea has been tried and failed, because people want to employ the best skills available in Barbados for their job.  So, what is different about this skills bank that improves its chances of success?  What experience does the candidate have to manage a skills bank?

The UPP plans to monetise the creative industries.  The example given was making money by uploading videos to YouTube on the Internet.  The main questions are:  What training is required to implement this idea?  What experience does the Candidate have in making money from YouTube videos?

The BFP plans to do construction activities.  The main question is: What capacity does the Candidate have in implementing this idea?

Audio Link of Article

The PdP plans to do farming.  Farming has been proposed by political parties in every election since our Independence.  Those who try it have to contend with monkeys and humans stealing their produce.  There is also the risk of excessive rain, drought, and limited water.  Farmers have to invest much for months before seeing a return.  So the main question is, how are these foreseen issues being addressed?

Solutions Barbados plans to employ persons in the construction of houses, and to train families to start businesses, with no start-up money.  I have 30 years of experience in the construction industry, and am the 2014 winner of the National Innovation Competition.  I already train people how to build strong and low-maintenance houses, and to start profitable businesses.  Therefore,
I welcome the scrutiny.

Let the debates begin.

Grenville Phillips II is a Chartered Structural Engineer, and the Solutions Barbados’ candidate for St George North.  He can be reached at NextParty246@gmail.com

277 responses to “Let the Debates Begin”

  1. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    Steupse David
    Getting facts from who
    Not this govt ..since May 2018 getting truth on serious matters have been left to speculation
    U can wait
    Only when Caswell opens mouth are barbadians get whiff of the deceit and lies that this govt keeps underground

  2. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    @ Hal
    I was one Modern Boy who would never impersonate of all people a Cawmerian. There were too many stories circulating about the influence some English masters had on Cawmere boys. But we would hold that for a private conversation. I happen to absolutely adore how Cawmerians look out for each other throughout the world. It’s something they learned to do from quite early to love unconditionally.
    Next time we meet up I will tell you the truth . I still got a pair of Cawmere socks…….. only kidding.
    About not wanting to write. The University in conjunction with the National Culture Foundation and the Ministry of Education should have set up a department about forty years ago to give grants to people who want to write about others from the professions as well as people who only by the goodness of their hearts did great things in their villages and communities. These books would have been written for children from nursery right up to university. They would have been found throughout the world and our present and future citizens would have had a peep into their society. But as is usual we see education in its narrowest sense and culture is being nude on the Highway .
    We go to political meetings and underage people are given alcohol.
    That’s who we are . Who the hell wants to read about the real builders of Barbados ? Only those stupid can’t run a baker shop idiots who live over and away.
    Funny thing is how we rate even those who succeed. Tom Adams , Owen Arthur and David Thompson died young. Imagine anybody could look at any of these men and call them failures. Thompson died before 50; was a parliamentarian for over two decades; had a successful law practice; engaged himself in public/ current affairs before he left high school; raised a family ; served as prime minister and leader of the opposition; won a government exhibition; was loved by a cross section of his people. And just because he wasn’t a member of your party he was a failure and waste of time. That’s who we are.
    It’s a good thing he wasn’t a cricketer because he would have been an idiot. In any other society books about Thompson.,Adams and Arthur would be in the book stores. In any other society, there would have been books out about Mia Mottley our first female PM. We have a long road to travel and every day , some try to even make it longer.
    Peace.

  3. Sargeant Avatar
    Sargeant

    Was looking at some old posts re the change of the Constitution and was reminded that DeLisle Bradshaw and John Williams were sworn in as temporary Senators to facilitate the amendment of the law allowing McConney and Adams to serve in the Senate.

    https://www.nationnews.com/2018/06/07/temporary-senators-take-oath-of-office-before-gg/

  4. Greene Avatar
    Greene

    quote] I happen to absolutely adore how Cawmerians look out for each other throughout the world. It’s something they learned to do from quite early to love unconditionally.[unquote

    one of the v best things about Cawmere. they dont call us the Cawmere Mafia fuh nothing. i can tell you some stories about wearing my Cawmere wrist band in continental Europe and north america. great stories of camaraderie. Hal must tell me how that all came about and why it has endured for so long

  5. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Is Glyne Clarke a citizen of Canada or not ?

  6. David Avatar
    David

    Dual citizenship issue
    BARBADOS IS PLANNING a major shift in its political structure by moving from the monarchical system of Government to that of a republican, but there are some constitutional issues which must be addressed before we cross the Rubicon.
    One matter which ought to attract our attention is that of dual citizenship and any impact on the right of such holders to sit in Parliament. There are both legal and political ramifications.
    It would be interesting to know whether any of the candidates handing in their nomination papers today for the November 11 by-election in St George North holds dual citizenship with any other nation.
    It would also be enlightening to know how many Members of Parliament, elected and nominated, hold dual citizenship and with which countries.
    This is not about prying into the private affairs of legislators.
    The issue has generally been ignored since Independence and there is no doubt there were parliamentarians with dual citizenship who served, without any fuss over their status, in this country’s legislature over the last 54 years.
    However, times have changed.
    The missteps in the attempts to appoint Government senators and even the recent revelation that the former MP for St George North, Gline Clarke, holds dual Canadian citizenship makes it more than a talking point.
    The situation must not be brushed aside and dismissed as being “no big thing” since it begs the question whether Members of Parliament should hold dual citizenship given that such individuals, by their own volition, agreed to be obedient, adhered and pledged allegiance to a foreign state.
    It is a matter of utmost public interest and one which the Law Reform Commission headed by retired jurist Sir David Simmons should give its urgent attention. The commissioners should indicate a legal position to ensure there is no conflict within The Constitution.
    This issue of MPs holding dual citizenship should
    also be taken up by the Commission on the Reform of Parliament being led by Sir Richard Cheltenham, which should make a recommendation to the Government on the way forward.
    Even if the matter does not call for a referendum, certainly it should require the widest discussion involving the public.
    Some influential people may argue that to demand legislators not hold dual citizenship is archaic and even an infringement on human rights. It will also be stated that to prohibit Barbadians resident outside of the island and holding citizenship of their adopted nations, will bar such people from being able to give back in representational politics in Barbados and deny the country of the best talent it needs.
    There are many benefits to being a citizen of countries like Canada, the United States and Britain which a small developing nation like Barbados cannot offer. It is not going to be an easy decision for those with or who seek dual nationality, especially where the family must be considered.
    This is not about political jostling or the zeal for power. It is fundamentally about who we are as a nation.
    Some influential people may argue that to demand legislators not hold dual citizenship is archaic and even an infringement on human rights.

    Source: Nation

  7. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    “There were too many stories circulating about the influence some English masters had on Cawmere boys./”

    a lot of them still sound nostalgic about being mentally and physcially raped by school masters in slave schools, oh yes, i heard all about it for years…

  8. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    @ William
    @Greene

    I once met a boy from the Modern, one of the brightest, posing as a Combermerian; he was found out because he could not walk and talk. @William, take that.
    Seriously, we had the wonderful Frank Collymore teaching us English, and the great thing about it was that he took us beyond the curriculum and expanded our minds. Look at Timmy Callender and what forms the Barbados canon.
    The root of Combermerian togetherness is in the culture cultivated by a tall, bending, bald Welshman, who taught those boys (and there were boys) that there had special talents; more than that, he taught that the collective was more powerful than the individual. What is remarkable is that the young women who have joined the club have lived up to expectations.
    Remember that snide remark made by Hartley Henry on Thompson’s death that in making decisions he always thought of Combermerians. That was not old school bias, but confidence in the abilities of the training they received.
    Here is Greene, an engaged legal person; we also have Ezra Alleyne, who may misinterpret the key points on legal theory, but he is also engaged. I have always admired Ezra and his brothers.
    Harold, although not a lawyer, was one of the founders of legal aid centres in the UK and a first class administrator. I remember Harold with affection and remember clearly the Friday night he died.
    He had recently returned from Barbados and was chairing a meeting at the Ralph Straker community centre in Hackney, East London, at which a lady from the Barbados central bank was speaking.
    When I arrived Harold said he had a message for me from Sir Richie Haynes, but he would call the following morning as the hall was too crowded. I said fair enough.
    The following morning I got a call asking me if I had heard; heard what, I asked. Sadly, Harold had gone home that night and collapsed. It was a light that went out. He was no Combermerian, but he had a sense of community.
    Barbadian educational technocrats did everything in their power to destroy that Combermerian togetherness, they still do. But, to my mind, the worst of that was to impose the despicable Stanton Gittens on Combermere. He was dreadful.
    I am a member of a mainly Old Scholars Facebook group, which includes former teachers, and to a man, not a single one has anything good to say about the angry, bitter and alcoholic Gittens. I sum it up by reminding people that he was an old Kolij boy and a member of Spartan cricket club. That says it all.
    But, @William, what is the purpose of the National Cultural Foundation, apart from funding a song that reinforces the silly cult of the resident; that is certainly not who we are.
    I do not think it should be disbanded, but reorganised, with a proper mission statement and clear objectives. It must first define what it understands by culture.
    I still have enormous respect for Thompson and sincerely believe that Barbados was robbed by his early death. I met him, but did not know him well, obviously. I can tell a story about a couple of our conversations, but will not, but they confirmed my belief in his sincerity.
    @William, you talk about books. Some time ago a biography of ‘Sleepy’ Smith came out just as I was about to visit Barbados and I made the mistake of promising myself I will get a copy in Barbados and read it while there.
    One of the first things I did was to go to the university bookshop, they had not even heard of it; I went to all the major bookshops: Warrens, Broad Street, etc, not one had it. The same thing with the political biography of Barrow by an outstanding old Modernite Hilbourne Watson.
    When I say we are a failed society it is not knocking the old country, it is reality. We can do so much better.

  9. Greene Avatar
    Greene

    @Hal
    Cawmere
    thanks for that. in my time the headmaster was Devere Moore affectionately called behind his back “Bumpy”. i believe his father was Cuthbert Moore after whom a primary school in St George North is named.

    whilst at school it was Harry Sealy who ingrained the Cawmerian in all of us, including the females even more so, which is his enduring legacy. the same goes for the females even more so. the girls i met in 6th from who came from other schools have embraced Cawmere like they went there from 1st form. it is truly a remarkable thing that even they cannot explain. i have managed to go back for a Cawmere week some years and it was just like at school. i met guys from my years and guys and ladies who plan their vacation around that week. it was marvelous. the thing is people from other schools attend and are astounded at how well we bond. it does not matter if you are rich or poor, brilliant or average, successful or in the dumps, we are we.

    Multiple Citizenship
    i do not agree that multiple citizenship should be a disqualification for sitting in parliament. the administration of the parliamentary or ministerial oath should be enough to ensure compliance to the laws of the land. giving up a citizenship or two does not mean one is no longer incapable of betraying your country or accepting bribes. that is archaic reasoning which do not take into account the cross border movement of people today and the ability of people to understand such complexities if it is as complex as some think. i dont think so.

    of course i am being self serving as i have about 4 passports but consider myself a bajan through and true. that being said if i am engaged in a national role in any one of those countries i would comply with and be bounded by the law that speaks to safeguarding state secrets or not betraying the national objectives of the respective countries.

    i have a lot of time for Sir David Simmons and i am sure he will get this right

  10. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    ” Canadian law allows you to hold two or more citizenships. This means that you do not have to give up your citizenship in order to become Canadian.

    Some other countries, however, will take away your citizenship if you become Canadian.

    If you are a citizen of another country, check with your government office to find out what the laws are.”

  11. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    @ Greene

    I have fond memories of both Bumpy Moore and Harry Sealy, both decent men. Harry, however, also had a presence, something about him that spoke to a higher being.
    I remember once running through the school corridors, which at the time was forbidden, and he caught me, gave me a look, not a word was said. I not only stopped running, but now I am an old man and still remember that look.
    Teachers do have an impact on children, their little asides, their words of encouragement; in fact, decent people do have that influence. It shows that they care. Harry is another of our great educationists – every Combermerian of his time will say the same and have a very high opinion of him. Where is his recognition? By the way, he was also a very good cricketer.

    As to dual or multi-citizenship members of parliament. Parliament is the guardian of national security, members make key decisions about our safety, our social cohesion and indeed of who we are.
    If a member is discussing national security matters, and at the same time is worried about the other passport in his back pocket, s/he is not focussing on the security of the nation. There is a conflict of interest.
    If someone of dual citizenship want to serve either or both of his/her countries, then they can do that in other ways than being a member of parliament. That is not archaic; the present way is archaic.
    Would you, in all honesty, give the son of a former Soviet KGB officer a peerage in the UK parliament on the basis of ownership of a couple free newspapers?
    This opinion first came to me when a former member of Tony Blair’s Cabinet, resigned from parliament and returned to head up a university in New Zealand. Does this sound familiar? Think of Donville; we have had the same in St Lucia, Grenada and Jamaica, that I know of.
    I was also a member of the National Union of Journalists black members’ council, and at one point it became obsessed with getting jobs in journalism for refugees from Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
    My concern was, and still is, getting jobs for black Brits who are brutally marginalised. I could not believe it. I left the committee. I said then, and I say now, black Brits must come first, whatever we may think about refugees. We have done a world of good for refugees by saving their lives.

  12. Greene Avatar
    Greene

    whilst i agree with much of what you said, i dont share your view re multiple citizenship, notwithstanding the example you cited. being the son of a KGB officer may be disqualifying from peerage for other reasons besides citizenship.

    a lot of these arguments relate to swearing allegiance to other countries and do not encompass where citizenship is gained by birth. whilst there may be a difference in how the law operates there is no difference in implication of allegiance to another. if one can be corrupted it matters not where one is naturalised or born.

    BTW has GP2 or any other candidate for this by election declared where they were born or how many passports they hold?

  13. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    @ Hal
    Maybe COW’s biography will do better. Excellent marketing of it in the Sunday Sun. It should be interesting reading. I have completed a very short history of my involvement in the NDP. Should have been out there a few years ago. Hopefully I’ll get it out in the near future.
    The funny thing about BU is that with a progressive modification and rebranding, it could become a tremendous force both in Bim , the region and the diaspora but sometimes people can easily see the bush in their neighbor’s back yard but not theirs.
    Up up and on my Brother but please don’t try to put St Giles above Bay Street/ Primary. Chances of St Giles producing a Sir Gary are very much way below zero! And don’t tell me about Cumberbatch because we had S O Lorde. I’ll be fair and settle for a draw.
    As for Cawmere, I give you the best public high school but you have to give MHS the best private high school
    Peace.

  14. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    @ William

    Remember that old anecdote that when the WICB sent the letter to Garry Sobers it was addressed to G. Sobers and Garry grabbed it. That it was meant for Gerald. Some of the best cricket I have ever seen, both in Barbados and the UK, was by Bayland boys, most of whom went to Bay Primary. Respect. But you are no St Giles.
    In my time, some parishes never produced any cricketers at all, that one could remember. Seriously, BU is what the owner wants it to be, but it is not what the nation would like.
    I no longer consider the Advocate a serious newspaper, and both the Nation and Barbados Today fall far short of the quality of journalism I am used to as a reader. Barbados is aa nation without a proper publication, traditional of new.
    I have told you about offering work experience at Financial Times Group, to a young Barbadian journalist, who had just finished an International Journalism course at City University, and she turned it down. I also gave work experience to a couple Barbadians, both black and white and male, and not one said thank you when they left. But that is life.
    You need a vastly improved journalism, which no one seems interested in, and better and more popular academic writing and not the mumbo jumbo a lot of them think is great.
    Another issue that puts a smile on my face was when Reifer was called just a cricketer by Braddie. It goes right back to the damage learning by rote has done to us.
    I raised a similar issue on BU before in relation to Rap/Hip Hop, the most popular musical genre in the world, one created by boys and girls on the New York, Chicago and Los Angeles blocks, turned many of them in to multi-millionaires, and instead of celebrating that, some have chosen to talk about the dirty lyrics. It is a cognitive problem.
    Same with cricket. An ordinary boy (and girl), facing a 90 MPH missile approaching them over 22 yards, in my time without safety helmets, and in that time they must spot the ball, anticipate its movement, hit it with a small wooden bat and in a stylish and entertaining way.
    Or a spin bowler, over the same distance, trying to outthink a batsman who again must anticipate the movement of the ball and hit it delicately. We take for granted the artistry, the mental skills, and dedication of our sportspeople.
    The real problem is that we have been playing international cricket since the 1920s, and when Malcolm Marshall, the greatest fast bowler of his generation, retired and was training to be a coach, he was in a class taught by an old English school teacher, telling him what being a fast bowler was about.
    When I read that in the Mail on Sunday I was hugely embarrassed, and still am. We are incapable of devising our own coaching system, even in 2020. Compare that with India.
    It is the same thing with trying to teach functional mathematics to a chap who left school prematurely. It may be better instead of talking about ratios to a young chef, if we talked about recipes; instead of talking of complex percentages etc, if we just talked about earnings and deductions.
    In other words, relate what we are teaching to people’s experience. Instead of polygons, talk about making kites.
    Simplicity, dear boy. In my craft , if someone has read a story and at the end do not know basic answers to questions (why, what, where, why, how, when) then the story has failed. How often do you see such stories in the Nation and Barbados Today?
    There is a difference between qualifications and knowledge; between information and cheap laughs.

  15. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    @ Hal
    Pure common sense writing and not pie in the sky regurgitated nonsense . I have argued for years that unless we bring our educational system into concord with our national goals ,we could as well shut the shop.
    A very good piece , Comrade. Not bad for a Cawmerian👍

  16. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    @William

    Appreciated.

  17. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    “Constituents of St George North who are offered bribes in exchange for their votes in the November 11 by-election are being urged to file formal complaints with the Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF). This was the advice from political leader of Solutions Barbados Grenville Phillips who claims to have received “credible reports” of bribery by political operatives in the constituency. I have heard credible reports of bribery in this election. I heard rumors before, but I can confirm credible reports of bribery in this election, and I don’t think people need to accept bribes in this election,” declared the Solutions Barbados Party leader just before 11 a.m. My message to the people of St George is that if you are offered a bribe, take it and then come down here to the police station and give the evidence to the police and let them charge the person that gave them the bribe and perhaps the party…. In this election, bribery could come to a halt if they do the right thing,” he added”

    William… I don’t believe Grenville understands the filth for politics that has permeated and destroyed everything on the island, his intentions may be good, but he ignores all that has been posted before about the spread of dirty politics by DBLP for the last 60 years that continues to DESTROY THEIR OWN PEOPLE, their lives and wellbeing, but what do any of them care with their lies, deceit and bribes, as long as they get that vote and their repulsive yardfowls who can be found in every corner of the TAXPAYER FUNDED SOCIETY…..are happy to comply>..that’s what you get with smallminded politicians…more of the same. Let’s see who the police will arrest for vote bribing… WITHOUT GETTING FIRED.

    see the HYPOCRISY…these are the same lowlife lawyers who want to penalize people for speaking about their cases that are SABOTAGED by both them and judges….matters that are public knowledge, you can’t speak out when they use the supreme court to VIOLATE THE RIGHTS of vulnerable people, elderly, young etc.

    “Mr Phillips needs to understand that in our system of justice, documents that are filed in litigation are public documents. So, any citizen of Barbados has the right to walk into the Supreme Court Registry and, except in family law matters, you are able to… request a copy of the documents. That is the nature of our High Court Registry because justice is something that flourishes in the light of day. So, it is not a question of leaking any document to the public or to the Press,” he added

  18. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    All i can tell them is, they better STOP violating the rights of the elderly in those personal injury cases, or Dale’s LIES will be tested in the court of SOCIAL MEDIA OPINION…..what a day that will be, can’t wait..

  19. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    Gline Clarke to give up his Canadian citizenship do states Mia
    But what about the other isdue of hom being a minister anf having dual citizenship
    Would that be swept under the rug an act which is Constitutionally deemed illegal
    Shouldnt that information be handed to the relevant Canadian officials in the decision process

  20. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    Gline Clarke to give up his Canadian citizenship so states Mia
    But what about the other issue of him being a minister and having dual citizenship
    Would that be swept under the rug an act which is Constitutionally deemed illegal
    Shouldn’t that information be handed to the relevant Canadian officials in the decision process

  21. David Avatar
    David

    The PM accuses the Opposition of running scared by refusal to a TV debate.

    Shame on DLP, suggests Mottley
    If Barbados’ Father of Independence – The Right Excellent Errol Walton Barrow, the country’s late Prime Minister David Thompson or any other outstanding political leaders were alive today, they would be embarrassed with the current state of the Democratic Labor Party (DLP).
    That was the position of sitting Prime Minister Mia Mottley in response to the party’s decision not to take part in the upcoming national debates in the lead-up to the St George North by-election.
    Meanwhile, the party’s candidate Toni Moore has vowed not to speak on her opponents as they had “diminished their own relevance”.
    Addressing reporters after Moore’s nomination on Monday, Mottley expressed disappointment with the state of the party and suggested its current leaders go back to the drawing board before attempting to represent citizens of this country.
    “This is not the party of Errol Barrow. This is not the party of David Thompson. Both Errol Barrow and David Thompson would have been embarrassed with a party that does not know how to debate and both of them would have walked away from this,” the PM told journalists at the Valley Resource Centre in St George.
    “I am saying to you that I know those men and what is now masquerading as a political party in the Democratic Labor Party is a far cry.
    “This is the first time in 30 years that I know of a government saying ‘come, let us talk. We are facing serious problems in the country, globally, and we want to discuss with the people what the issues are, and how we may come together to go through them,’ and this is the first time that I have seen people who want to represent people, who are not in government who would normally be the ones calling for a debate, saying they are not in any debate,” she further lamented.
    Of the three opposition parties that have boycotted the debates, the PM appeared to be most disappointed with the DLP, which is the country’s second oldest party and by far the most established opposition party.
    Last week, DLP President Verla DePeiza and the party’s election candidate Floyd Reifer rejected the debates, arguing that they were not focused on the interests of people in St George North. This decision was followed by the United Progressive Party (UPP) and the People’s Party for Democracy and Development (PdP) which is the lone opposition party with a seat in Parliament.
    Nevertheless, Mottley, took aim at the DLP’s decision to hosting “shop limes” and “bus crawls” at a time when the political class ought to be getting serious about “the people’s business” amid the social and economic challenges of the Coronavirus (COVID- 19) pandemic. Adding insult to injury, the PM declared that it was the first time in her 30-year political career that an opposition party has sought to “run” from debates.
    “It is of concern to me that at the very time that the country needs our political class to be as focused and serious as possible, that we have the unfortunate situation where people are not agreeing that ideas should contend.
    That is what a debate is about,” Mottley argued.
    “The opposition parties therefore have to determine whether in the third decade of the 21st century and in the middle of the greatest crisis in almost a century since The Great Depression, whether they are serving the people of Barbados well by running from a discussion on the issues and running from the debate.
    “Get serious and get back to the table. Get back to the George Street [headquarters] and come to the people of Barbados with a credible programme that represents the basic fundamentals of democracy and politics as we have practiced it in this country,” the PM suggested.
    Along with Mottley, the BLP candidate was accompanied by a multitude of supporters including sitting Members of Parliament and Ministers of Government.
    Moore, who is General Secretary of the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) was nominated by outgoing St George North MP Gline Clarke and seconded by Granville Leach.
    Meantime, Moore described the event as a “defining moment in time” for constituents and working-class Barbadians in general.
    “I am humble enough to admit that this process has fortified my commitment to serve working-class people and their families and to ensure that all Barbadians can have a better life. This is the mission of the Barbados Workers’ Union and the mission that must be in focus in the coming months and the coming years as we sail this ship called Barbados into calmer waters,” she told reporters.
    (KS)

    Source: Barbados Today

  22. David Avatar
    David

    Grenville shouts fraud!!!

    Report them!
    BY-ELECTION CANDIDATE ALLEGES BRIBERY AND URGES RESIDENTS TO GO TO POLICE
    by Kareem Smith
    Constituents of St George North who are offered bribes in exchange for their votes in the November 11 by-election are being urged to file formal complaints with the Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF).
    This was the advice from political leader of Solutions Barbados Grenville Phillips who claims to have received “credible reports” of bribery by political operatives in the constituency.
    Moments after completing his nomination at the Valley Resource Centre without much fanfare, the by-election candidate suggested it would be foolhardy to accept temporary gratification in the form of small amounts of cash while accepting poor representation in the long term.
    “I have heard credible reports of bribery in this election. I heard rumors before, but I can confirm credible reports of bribery in this election, and I don’t think people need to accept bribes in this election,” declared the Solutions Barbados Party leader just before 11 a.m.
    “My message to the people of St George is that if you are offered a bribe, take it and then come down here to the police station and give the evidence to the police and let them charge the person that gave them the bribe and perhaps the party…. In this election, bribery could come to a halt if they do the right thing,” he added.
    Phillips, who is a chartered structural engineer, declared that if elected as the Member of Parliament for the constituency, constituents would have the option of participating in a rebuilding initiative in the constituency that could pay them around $150 daily for building houses in the rural constituency.
    The details of that initiative are contained in his party’s by-election manifesto.
    “We plan to start a non-profit construction company and employ every unemployed person in St George North who wants to work in construction. A labourer who has no skills can make $150 a day… and it takes about six months to build a decent sized house.
    Therefore, a labourer could make $12 000 for each house that he assists in building and a skilled labourer could make $18 000. Why throw away your vote for $50 or $100 or $150? That is a pittance in comparison to what you could make,” he declared.
    On his chances of victory, Phillips said the outcome would be a test of the constituency’s political maturity.
    However, he acknowledged that in many cases, the public had been so “politically abused” by mainstream parties they would vote for the main political parties even if they were running “the carcass of a dead sheep”.
    “Our aim is to make St George North the most prosperous constituency in Barbados and we can do it. We tried to save Barbados in the general election with a very good economic growth plan…. The people of Barbados voted to suck salt, so they have to suck the salt. I can’t save the people of Barbados but I can save the people of St George North,” Phillips contended. (kareemsmith@barbadostoday.bb)

    Source: Barbados Today

  23. David Avatar
    David

    Caswell’s candidate:-

    Walrond: I’m the man
    David Walrond believes he will be the next Member of Parliament for St George North if the pulse of the people is anything to go by.
    Moments after completing the by-election nomination process at the Valley Resource Centre, the People’s Party for Democracy and Development (PdP) candidate told reporters he was the right man for the job.
    Walrond – who was flanked by his mother Patricia Walrond, wife Ruthlyne Walrond, PdP president Bishop Joseph Atherley and several of his colleagues who mainly donned green shirts – was all smiles as he made his way to the nomination centre.
    Veronica Price was his proposer while Sonia Phillips was his seconder.
    “I am the person that the people of St George North need right now. I’m the person that has the history of service to the people of St George North,” Walrond said.
    “My confidence comes from the people. I am met on the road by persons who are saying to me, ‘I like the message you are bringing to us. I like what you’re saying about agriculture.
    I like the fact that you are saying to us that we have hope and we have an industry that we can develop’.”
    With just two weeks before the polls, Walrond said he has no special plans to unveil and he would continue to do what he has been doing throughout his campaign.
    “I am one of the candidates that does not have this large treasure chest…. We will continue to do what I have been doing before – meeting the people on the ground and talking and listening to the people. I think what is most important is hearing what the people expect of us and being able to meet people face to face. That is what is important to me right now,” he said.
    “We will continue our spot meetings and we will continue to bring messages to the people of St George North.”
    Walrond also thanked his family for their support, saying they were one of the main driving forces behind his decision to contest the by-election.
    (RB)

  24. David Avatar
    David

    Caswell has been a lone wolf crying election fraud over the years.

    Vote-buying charge levelled
    The ruling Barbados Labour Party (BLP) has been accused of trying to “buy” votes in the St George North by-election.
    The strong charge has come from member of the People’s Party for Democracy and Development (PdP), Senator Caswell Franklyn, who has also alleged that the BLP was breaking the law by wearing branded clothing during an election campaign.
    Franklyn, the campaign manager for the PdP’s David Walrond, made the accusations this morning, Nomination Day, held at the Valley Resource Centre in Glebe, St John.
    When the BLP’s candidate Toni Moore arrived at the centre this morning she was accompanied by supporters wearing red shirts and holding placards with the slogan ‘Get Moore’ splashed across the front.
    The Democratic Labour Party’s supporters also wielded placards in support of their candidate Floyd Reifer.
    The outspoken trade unionist told members of the media that under the Election Offences and Controversies Act it was illegal to wear clothing or bear placards supporting a candidate before, during or after an election.
    He contended that the BLP was desperate and was using any means necessary to win the November 11 by-election.
    Section 10A of the Act states: “A person is guilty of an illegal practice who before, during or after an election supplies to another person, or wears any apparel or form of dress bearing a political slogan, photograph or image advertising any particular candidate or party in the election.
    Caswell, who along with his colleagues was clad in plain green shirts, said the Act was amended in 1980 by the BLP.
    “I’ve been told that the teeshirts come with $75 wrapped inside, which is illegal and wearing those tee-shirts is contrary to law. You cannot advertise a political party, a candidate or anything like that on any clothes, any shoes or anything like that at all,” he said.
    “What happened with them is that they thought this by-election was going to be a pushover until they got the reaction from the people in St George. If you go to those meetings you will find a few people from St George but all the rest come from all over Barbados.”
    Franklyn told Barbados TODAY he was at a loss as to why the Mia Mottley-led administration was so intent on winning the by-election.
    He said Government already occupied 29 of the seats in Parliament and therefore had an overwhelming majority.
    “This campaign is a referendum on the performance of the BLP in office and they are going all out to win it. They shouldn’t have called it in the first place but they did and now it has backfired because they thought it was going to be an easy walkover.
    “You cannot tell people that the law has not been used or nobody has been prosecuted for it so we can do it. You have to follow the law and the Government should be setting an example,” Franklyn maintained.
    “The Government has 29 seats, they could as well play fair because they don’t have much to lose in terms of control in Parliament.”
    (RB)

    Source: Barbados Today

  25. David Avatar
    David

    Reifer’s Plan

    Reifer shares ten-point plan for St George North
    Democratic Labour Party (DLP) candidate for St George North Floyd Reifer last night delivered the contents of a constituency manifesto outlining his plans for the constituency, if elected on November 11.
    Declaring that the plan was “a vision to take St George North forward”, he told the political mass meeting at Market Hill that it was built on three main pillars – the youth, the people and the community He said the ten initiatives he put forward are aimed at improving lives.
    “I will actively lobby to remove all outdoor pit toilets, because we must improve the lives of every constituent. This is the 21st century; every constituent in St George North deserves to live in dignity and have a good quality of life. I have already started working with agencies across this country and talking with non-profit organisations to address this matter,”
    Reifer announced.
    “When I become your representative, I will actively lobby for road repairs. We all know in St George North how horrible the roads are – Airy Hill, Market Hill, Bel Air. The roads ridiculous and people got to change their shocks and tyres in these hard economic times.
    That is not fair. People got to cut through bush to get to their homes and there are no streetlights.”
    Insisting that “money follows great ideas and . . . people with integrity and credibility”, Reifer said he will create safe spaces for young people to excel.
    “I will be lobbying for improved and safe community facilities. Our young people must have access to safe spaces like community centres where cultural activities can take place, where our young people can participate in wholesome educational activities in performing arts, music, dance, drama, sports,” he said.
    Reifer also plans to establish a youth scholarship trust, not only to assist in academics but also vocational skills.
    “We must appreciate that all kinds of people make up this country. The Uplift St George North programme will create opportunities for the youth sports and cultural enthusiast,” he explained.
    Additionally, Reifer said he would introduce an after-school kids homework and reading club with free Wi-Fi hotspots at key points in the constituency, noting that there were still several households without Internet access and children without computer devices.
    However, the cricket coach stressed that he would not only focus on the youth.
    He spoke about programmes targeted at the most vulnerable and the elderly and differently abled.
    “I will launch a helping hands project – a fund that will provide assistance to those vulnerable constituents. I will work hand in hand with our community and social groups. I will collaborate with places of worship in this constituency to make sure that food banks are adequately stocked. No woman, man, or child should be hungry in this constituency. It is a basic human right,” he insisted.
    “I am committed to introducing a home care programme. This programme will assist our senior citizens with getting their groceries.
    These are the people who looked after us and we must look after them now; not only our elderly citizens but those who are differently able.”
    Reifer told the meeting that given the blow to employment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, job creation was a priority.
    “I intend to launch a back to work initiative.
    This is intended to find creative ways to help our people find employment and feed their families. COVID has been devastating on the workforce. I will make sure that out of this crisis the people of St George North equip themselves to meet the new realities of the new norm,” he said.
    The DLP candidate also unveiled his plans for small business people in the constituency.
    “The Start-Up St George North programme is very close to my heart. It is designed to support entrepreneurship and small business,” he said.
    “The pandemic has left the country facing 40 per cent unemployment with youth unemployment at an all-time high. My aim is to work with teachers responsible for skills training and CVQ programmes, not only for [participants] to secure job training and attachments with businesses in St George, but also to equip them with the skills and knowhow to run their own businesses.”
    He also made reference to the constituency resource bank and directory which he mentioned at his first political meeting. That bank and directory will serve as a database of every business and service provider, tradesman and tradeswoman in St George North.
    “These are our plans – you spoke and I listened. This plan is about big works, practical solutions, addressing real needs . . . ,” Reifer told the crowd. (IMC)

    Source: Barbados Today

  26. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    What a shame. Here is the president attacking the DLP for not coming out to play with them on some TV panel. The DLP should tell them go and play with themselves.
    It is like someone attacking another individual because they did not take sides in a row. The TV debate is PR, a sham, entertainment, nonsense.

  27. Miller Avatar
    Miller

    Now that the DLP and PdP candidates for the SGN riding will be a ‘NO-SHOW’ whom will the other debaters be attacking other than each other on the podium?

    Any irrelevant references to the so-called Lost Decade would sound nauseatingly banal.

    That’s going to be the lousiest piece of political circus ever staged on Bajan TV.

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