est. 2007

Barbados Underground

Bringing News and Opinions to the People

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…

,
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

    Lorenzo trust u to fly off the fence to defend
    The people has a right to know why Mia would take the countries business to her house
    Mia just cant take and conduct the country business from her house without a full reason of explanation
    Under a democracy the people right to know especially under unusual circumstances as demonstrated yesterday by Mia should be respected and not be violated or rubbish with a self serving response
    Folks the tea leaves are reading right
    There is a dictator at the helm

  2. Carson C. Cadogan Avatar
    Carson C. Cadogan

    ‘……… I am superwoman, I do not get ill. Reports that I am human are misplaced.”

    ha,ha,ha.

  3. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    Hal it is mindboggling to understand how Mia can conduct sensitive and probably classified information from her home and gives no rationale reason for doing so
    Then we have a media who doesnt have the guts to ask why
    Red flags should be all over the place

  4. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    Lorenzo Verla took correct action on Kemar
    Nothing more to say

  5. Michael Campbell Avatar
    Michael Campbell

    Mariposa, classified information from her home and gives no rationale reason for doing so, meaning WHERE? Her PERSONAL residence or ILLARO COURT, which is the prime minister OFFICIAL RESIDENCE?

    So that residence only for sleeping? Man, you does come here looking for all kind of shite just to find something to criticize.

  6. Carson C Cadogan Avatar
    Carson C Cadogan

    Mia is sick and she dont want anyone to know.

    She criticized sickness in the DLP and she thought that she is INCINCIBLE. Backed by WHITE PEOPLE she was on a rampage. But what goes around, comes around.

  7. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    Most unusual circumstance
    PM not sick but using Her home as an office to conduct country business
    The question of Why needs to be answered by her If not speculation would carry the weight of why which she so far has not answered
    Furthermore her home was not designated by law to be an alternative to Parliament
    Mia needs to come clean

  8. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    “Hal it is mindboggling to understand how Mia can conduct sensitive and probably classified information from her home and gives no rationale reason for doing so”

    This comment from the intelligent one annointed by the know-it-all. Government business across the world is being conducted virtually, but it is wrong to do it in Barbados. 🤣🤣🤣

  9. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    Abstain huh!!! now ya abstain, what about big mouth Comissiong.??/

    “Washington – Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries were divided on the issue of “free and fair” elections in Venezuela, with The Bahamas, Haiti, Jamaica, and St Lucia all voting in favour of the resolution tabled at the 50th General assembly of the Organisation of American States (OAS) that ended here on Wednesday.

    Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and St Vincent and the Grenadines voted against the resolution, while Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Grenada, St Kitts-Nevis, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago abstained.”

  10. David Avatar
    David

    Caswell: Clarke in a pickle
    Former Member of Parliament Gline Clarke would be barred from representing Barbados as High Commissioner to Canada unless he renounces his dual citizenship.
    That was the latest bombshell that the People’s Party for Democracy and Development (PdP) dropped during campaigning Wednesday night at Superlative, in the countdown to the November 11 St George North by-election.
    Clarke, the former Barbados Labour Party (BLP) legislator, walked away from his seat in the House of Assembly in the middle of term after representing his constituents for 26 years and it was announced he was heading to Ottawa.
    But Senator Caswell Franklyn, who broke away from the Barbados Labour Party (BLP), said Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley had the dual citizenship holder and the people of Barbados tied up.
    “She proposed to make him High Commissioner and didn’t tell the . . . man that he cannot be the High Commissioner to Canada because you cannot be a High Commissioner to your own country; Gline Clarke is a citizen of Canada,” Franklyn said to a handful of people at the meeting.
    He assured his audience, a stone’s throw from where a few BLP supporters were interacting with people, that a person could not be a high commissioner or ambassador to any country of which they were a citizen.
    “As a High Commissioner from Barbados, you are not subject to the laws of that country, but if you’re a citizen of that country, you’re subject to the laws . . . He can’t go unless he relinquishes his citizenship,” Franklyn said.
    Dual citizenship
    Clerk of Parliament Pedro Eastmond said yesterday that Barbadians with dual citizenship were not prohibited from running for public office and sitting in the legislature.
    “We won’t ask for that [information]. If that is the case, we would not have asked him. All we would [need to] satisfy is that he is Barbadian,” Eastmond said.
    Franklyn said the BLP was using a ploy to usher their candidate in the byelection, former Senator Toni Moore, who is general secretary of the Barbados Workers’ Union, into the House in order to weaken the trade union.
    He contended that as an experienced member of Cabinet from 1994 to 2008 and then from 2018, Mottley must have known that assigning Clarke to represent the interests of Barbados in Canada was incongruous with his status.
    “Poor Gline. I know he’s aware by now, but he’s hoping that something else unfolds for him,” Franklyn said.
    Efforts to reach Minister of Foreign Affairs Senator Jerome Walcott yesterday proved futile.
    However, an official from his ministry explained that it was Clarke’s responsibility to initiate the process to renounce his citizenship and not that of the Government.
    The Weekend Nation was unable to reach Clarke, being repeatedly told that he was out canvassing for Moore.
    (SNR)

    Source: Nation

  11. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    @ Enuff

    Perhaps it depends on how you define Intelligence.

    In keeping within the standards of transparency, freedom of information and good governance, Mottley should inform Barbadians if she is ill, because they have a right to know. After all, she is Prime Minister and not an ordinary private citizen.

    What’s really “mind boggling” is not the fact that, as you correctly mentioned, “Government business across the world is being conducted virtually,” but the suggestion Mottley should not conduct business from Illaro Court, because it is not being viewed as the state-owned, PM’s official residence…… but as her personal home.

  12. David Avatar
    David

    The blogmaster was under the impression Cabinet meetings have been conducted via ZOOM since March.

  13. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    @ David BU

    So, you mean since March, Cabinet ministers were guilty of exposing “classified information” in places other than Parliament?

  14. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    Caswell is again legally right. A citizen of one country cannot represent another as its official representative, except in an honorary position.
    On this Canadian law is like the British. Any Barbadian or other Caribbean citizen, with a dual British citizenship, could not be appointed to the Court of St James. They were forced to abandon one of the citizenships.
    The Barbadian foreign office should have known this as we had had that experience a few years ago. But it goes further than this. Sometime ago I said that no one with dual citizenship or a right of residence should be allowed to sit in parliament,. I stand by that.

  15. Carson C. Cadogan Avatar
    Carson C. Cadogan

    I thank you Caswell.

    I said that the workers had a lot of people taking for the workers , but no one is speaking for the workers.
    The blogmaster told me to stop talking a lot of foolishness.

    This is maneuvering to silence the trade Movement when the PM has to make unpleasant moves in the not to distance future in favour of the WHIE BAJAN control Private sector.

  16. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Glyne Clarke can do like Conrad Black and many others do every year. However Barbados safer from Covid 19 than Ottawa and winter is starting soon.

    183 Canadians renounced their citizenship in 2011

    https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/conrad-black-returns-but-faces-citizenship-issues-1.1282428

  17. Greene Avatar
    Greene

    for a Govt made up of so many lawyers, at least 2 of them QCs, this govt makes a lot of legal procedural mistakes. that is quite instructive.

  18. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    David
    Governments’ business have continued during Covid via virtual meetings. The straw grasping wahloss. Clarke’s dual citizenship is a bombshell? Really? LMBAO!!

    Artax
    If she’s not well, yes she should say. But the reports were that she collapsed at Government HQ when it appears the Cabinet meets virtually. Up to Tuesday night she said at the public meeting she was not feeling well. Just note how it switched from collapsing to exposing government files working from home.

  19. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    U Artax u are a twisted mouth liar ( and i do not have to answer as to why i told u so)
    The gist of my question is why hasn’t Mia told barbadians the purpose of using her home to conduct govt business instead of use of the Parliament building
    I remember some months back when Parliament building had an environmental problem and govt officials had to be relocated there was no secret as to why
    Now all of a sudden those who dare question the why on this issue and as it relates to Mia home a stink is raised and those who dare ask why are called idiots

  20. de pedantic Dribbler Avatar
    de pedantic Dribbler

    @Greene, I dont get your remarks that .. “for a Govt made up of so many lawyers, at least 2 of them QCs, this govt makes a lot of legal procedural mistakes. that is quite instructive.”

    I am confused for this simple reason … how can any lawyer advise properly if the client is withholding pertinent info???

    It is absolutely ABSURD that MP Clarke would NOT know that he COULD not be an Ambassador from Bim to Canada if he held Canadian citizenship…. he would have to be perversely ignorant of law and also totally blind and deaf to the various cases which have been seen in the region over the years…

    One in Jam and one in Guyana spring to mine from the last 10 or maybe 15 years where dual citizenship caused MPs major problems…. the Giyana one was a big, big hullabaloo!

    I also recall – subject to correction on this one- where a Bajan Consul General in US had a problem with his diplomatic selection and his residency status (in NYC I believe it was). He could only take the post if he rescinded his status.

    Thus I put the blame on Clarke for his apparent folly … yes the BLP should have ‘dotted ‘i’s and crossed t’s’ but good gosh should Clarke not also know to say “oh by the way”… steeupse.

    Things like this make be VERY, very cynical about motives … I cant conceive that Clarke is either so stupid, ignorant of the law or expected this to slide as the Canadians would have caught this IMMEDIATELY his diplomatic papers were sent for review … so there must be other things up their sleeve.

    Mottley wanted her way and she got it … Clarke will be taken care of undoubtedly… blatant autocratic oneupmanship and spoils of personality governance.

    WTF is new. I gone do.

  21. David Avatar
    David

    @Dee Word

    We need to wait for clarification. How do we know Clarke is not prepared to renounce citizenship if indeed it is an issue?

  22. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    I can’t even keep up WTH…

  23. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    So if he renounces, what will happen when his tour is up, similarly, what will happen when the whole party is kicked out of parliament and he is recalled…oops, he renounced…

  24. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    He better stay where he is before he ends up stateless…lawd

  25. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    Clarke is not blind or dumb
    Clarke is one of Mia miniature men who is afraid to say No to Mia even if it makes him look like an idiot
    There is a picture making rounds across social media with Mia hands flung across Clarke shoulder and Clarke having a sheepish look

  26. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    @ Mariposa

    If a national leader is ill, then it is news. If s/he is working from her or his official residence, the nation is also told. Sometimes, a flat is flown to indicate occupancy.

  27. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    flag…..

  28. Carson C Cadogan Avatar
    Carson C Cadogan

    Anyone remember when Herbert called the former PM on personal phone while he was on his way home and told him if he don’t agree to the 23% increase there will be Social unrest in the country???

    I have not seen any Social unrest in the country, especially since Civil Servants received a 5% increase after a 3 minute meeting.

    That was a big increase for TONI MOORE.

    I feel for the workers if she get in. Crapaud smoke their pipe.

  29. Carson C. Cadogan Avatar
    Carson C. Cadogan

    How come the WHITE BAJAN and INDIAN control Barbados Labour Party have so many so called LAWYERS among its ranks , yet it makes so many LEGAL mistakes which have to be pointed out to them by a non Lawyer?????

    Are they really LAWYERS?????

    Starting from the top.

  30. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    After all the jokes, someone said “the only country in the world where leaders/lawyers pretend that conflict of interest is NOT ILLEGAL is in BARBADOS.”..only country where they ignore the repercussions…but criminalize everyone for everything..

    now the world is seeing exactly what Black Bajans have to live with, coming from “leaders”

  31. Cuhdear Bajan Avatar
    Cuhdear Bajan

    @Hal Austin October 22, 2020 11:57 AM “Once more you are right. We have no institution to protect our language, like the French.”

    Stupsee.

    Who wants to learn French? 110 million people who speak it as a second language.

    And who wants to learn English? The 1 billion and growing people who speak English as a second language.

    English including British English, Bajan English and all other Englishes is fortunately not a pure breed. English is a wonderfully accommodating mongrel. Which is why English will live, while French like Latin will die.

  32. Cuhdear Bajan Avatar
    Cuhdear Bajan

    @Mariposa October 22, 2020 8:20 AM “All knows that Canada is a hot spot for COVID and the elderly are at most high risk Which therefore must ask a moral question borne in logic and compassion Question to be asked Why would Mia send an elderly man namely Clarke in his seventies in a hot spot Covid environment to work Not to mention the frigid cold temperatures which he must endure.”

    So who is forcing Glyne to do anything?

    He is old. He can always tell auntie ‘no” and ga long home to draw his pension and help mind his grandchildren.

  33. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    Carson Cadogan
    The people of barbados have become hewers of Mottley utterances and drawers of koolaid
    That story that u mentioned of Herbert using threats against govt and people did not make much of a difference to the people
    Today evidence of his influence amongst govt elitist was shown when he was allowed to go free
    As often said there are two barbados

  34. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    In the year of WFH the BU intelligentsia are questioning the PM working from home. Y’all are a real setta clowns. Wuh I duz work from home.🤣🤣

  35. Redman Avatar
    Redman

    Now that is has been established (sic) that debates are the new gold standard for political discourse on this island.
    Two questions ( asking for a friend).
    1. Will there be a nationally televised debate for Same sex marriage?
    2. Will there be a nationally televised debate for Barbados becoming a republic?
    Asking for a friend.

  36. Cuhdear Bajan Avatar
    Cuhdear Bajan

    @Carson C. Cadogan October 23, 2020 10:05 AM “I am superwoman, I do not get ill. Reports that I am human are misplaced.”

    Well this can be true.

    In my case it was.

    Over 43 years in the paid work force and zero sick leave. I had a male colleague, the same. In his 90’s nw and still engaged in vigorous outdoor activities.

    Not all of us send in a “sick paper” for 2 or more weeks each year.

  37. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Statue of Lord Nelson to be moved November 16

    https://www.nationnews.com/2020/10/23/statue-lord-nelson-moved-november-16/

  38. Cuhdear Bajan Avatar
    Cuhdear Bajan

    https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-citizenship/become-canadian-citizen/eligibility.html
    To be eligible to become a Canadian citizen, you must:

    be a permanent resident
have lived in Canada for 3 out of the last 5 years
have filed your taxes, if you need to
pass a citizenship test
prove your language skills

    Has Mr. Clarke the long time MP lived in Canada for at least 3 years?

    If he lived in Canada for 3 years or more, would the time he spent serving as a representative of the Barbados government count as time spent in Canada?

    Maybe he is nt a Canadian citizen at all and this talk is only opposition rumor mongering?

    I don’t know.

    i am not an immigration expert.

  39. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    He served as Vice Counsel and Liaison Officer at the Barbados High Commission in Canada from 1983-1987. In 1984, he became a founding member and first President of the Barbados Overseas Community – Canada Inc,

  40. Cuhdear Bajan Avatar
    Cuhdear Bajan

    de pedantic Dribbler October 23, 2020 3:37 PM “Thus I put the blame on Clarke for his apparent folly.”

    What if he is not now, and has never been a Canadian citizen?

  41. Cuhdear Bajan Avatar
    Cuhdear Bajan

    @WURA-War-on-U October 23, 2020 3:52 PM “So if he renounces, what will happen when his tour is up, similarly, what will happen when the whole party is kicked out of parliament and he is recalled…oops, he renounced…”

    I am not he. But if I was a Bajan Canadian citizen and been offered the Ottawa High Commissioner pick, I would renounce and take the High Commissioner pick. Then if and when my party loses office and I am recalled I would return to Barbados and enjoy the beautiful sunshine and my nice, nice pension, and my grandchildren. And if I felt like applying for a Canadian Permanence Residence card again, live in Canada for 3 years again, and apply for my Canadian citizenship again.

    The man is 68 now, the BLP is likely to remain in office for another 13 years by which time he will be 81. 3 years in the future to become Canadian again, will make his age 84.

    I am not he, but if I was, at 84 I would be applying to be a citizen of heaven.

    I doubt that any 84 year old has ever applied to be a citizen of the great white north, where the winters are RH cold, and long, long as sh!te.

  42. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    Enuff
    The question asked is relevant based on her saying she was not incapacitated which therfore bares the accountability on her to say why she is working from her home and not from the Parliament
    Some of yuh do not see a trend or precedent setting that can bite the country in the arse
    Mia does not hold title to laws and regulations of barbados and dam right she owes a right to tell barbadians all changes she makes while in office as leader

  43. David Avatar
    David

    The prime minister does not work from parliament.

  44. David Avatar
    David

    https://youtu.be/xm-j-TAO2Cs

  45. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    “I doubt that any 84 year old has ever applied to be a citizen of the great white north, where the winters are RH cold, and long, long as sh!te..”

    lol….

  46. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    I guess her home is now considered an official govt office. Right..
    Yet she has every right to use Parliament as an office .
    Yes i do know that the Ministerial building on bay street is her home office
    Be that as it may the question of yesterday still lingers across social media as to reason why she worked from home stating that she was not ill
    Since u David jump in the debate
    Can u tell all what was the reason
    My objective is to relay a message that her way of doing things her way can set precedent for other PM to follow which can become dangerous and a disadvantage to people and country
    Mottley as a lawyer should know how certain irregularities placed under the guise of certain interest can become a hindrance in the long run
    Therefore i suggest that she sticks to those laws rules and guidelines that are protective of country and people and avoid barreling down a road that might place barbados into a cul de sac
    That is my opinion and i stick by every word
    Oh btw tommorow is bread fruit coucou and souse day
    Oops i took the wrong turn
    But i love breadfruit doah

  47. David Avatar
    David

    Your hignorance knoweth no bounds.

  48. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    @ Cuhdear Bajan who wrote ” the winters are RH cold, and long, long as sh!te.”

    No need to exaggerate.

    Most of us CanBajans do not live in Inuit Nunangat.

    We live in heated houses and drive cars with heaters. My car has heated seats.

    I would prefer to live in Barbados but Canada is not bad either…. unless you are broke and homeless.

  49. Cuhdear Bajan Avatar
    Cuhdear Bajan

    @Mariposa October 23, 2020 8:08 PM “I guess her home is now considered an official govt office. Right..
    Yet she has every right to use Parliament as an office .Yes i do know that the Ministerial building on bay street is her home office.”

    Don’t American Presidents work from the White House which is both their home and office?

    Doesn’t Queen Elizabeth work from Buckingham Palace which is both her home and her office?

    Illaro Court is the home of whoever is Barbados’ Prime Minister. When the people evict an occupant as they did in May 2018, then Illaro Court becomes the home of the new PM. And yes any PM can work from Ilaro Court and I hope that they all do. I would hate to think that any PM knocks off the job at 4:30 like any ordinary Joe. PM’s and MP’s also work from the Parliament Buildings, and in addition the PM and Cabinet have offices on Bay Street. I trust that all of our representatives whether elected or appointed work hard and long and well, at all of their various offices which ALL BELONG TO THE PEOPLE OF BARBADOS.

  50. Cuhdear Bajan Avatar
    Cuhdear Bajan

    Take it easy Hants, just puling the legs of the Canadian brethren.

    This morning’s fog was not to bad eh!?

Older Comments
1 2 3 4 5 6
Newer Comments

Leave a Reply to DavidCancel reply

Trending

Discover more from Barbados Underground

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading