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Dwight Sutherland ‘resigns’ from Cabinet

Minister of Sports - Dwight Sutherland

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Who believes that Dwight Sutherland resigned from Prime Minister Mia Mottley’s Cabinet raise ‘wunna’ hand.

Politicians really take us for fools. That said the blogmaster understands that the nature of politics in Barbados requires a cloak to smother transparency regarding ‘missteps by political actors.

In our political climate, resignations are rarely just resignations and ministers rarely resign. Resignations are strategic manoeuvrings especially with a general election on the horizon. In this case one suspects Sutherlands being shown the door is choreographed to protect the BLP brand, Thankfully the public is not as naive as in bygone days. Time will tell if this third ‘resignation’ from the Mottley cabinet in quick time gives currency to the saying – ‘one one blow does kill old cow’.

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89 responses to “Dwight Sutherland ‘resigns’ from Cabinet”

  1. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    Stuupse! Go away with your colonial mindset.

  2. David Avatar
    David

    The good thing about BU is that everyone has a view, even you.

  3. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    David,

    To be fair, didn’t the government promise to deal with the derelict, abandoned buildings? Didn’t they propose to utilise them for housing?

    Wasn’t that met with an outcry about depriving owners of their property?

  4. David Avatar
    David

    @Donna

    People complain about everything, doesn’t it boil down to dealing with the problem? How can we be moving full steam ahead, especially in cases where government acquires good country land for non agriculture purposes , and we have abandoned lots, buildings etc scattered all of a 21×13 country?

    The government makes a habit of announcing all kinds of policies but the devil remains in the execution.

  5. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    Very little is to be gained by way of ‘political contributions’ from cleaning up and utilizing the tens of thousands of derelict properties where roads, utilities and services are ALREADY in place.
    This would be mostly done by SMALL BLACK BB BUSINESSES, who tend to have an aversion to paying BRIBES.

    So this ONLY makes sense if we were REALLY interested in providing LOTS of available housing, cleaning up the environment, preserving agricultural lands, and SAVING taxpayers money.

    But if you have elections to win, and you KNOW that you need large sums of MONEY (the love of which is the ROOT of the MAFIA mentality), to throw around, buy elaborate PR, and to bribe idiots with corn beef politics, then converting agricultural lands into ‘developments’ is the way to go.

    This approach then makes billionaires out of various Radical players, …who in turn make millionaires out of our Judas politicians,…. and paupers (Parros) out of the remainder brass bowls….

    The most amazing spectacle is watching former opposition warriors turn into willing Juduses once elected…. it is Enuff to make you vomit.

    What a place!!

  6. David Avatar
    David

    The truth is the government for whatever reason is onboard with creating open spaces: let us look at the river tamarind trees that were ‘dugup’ along the ABC highway to facilitate a picturesque look to the area with the construction of old people home located at the centre of Barbados’ entertainment district. What about knocking down whole buildings on Fairchild Street to support an open look? It seems such a policy works for government but it doesn’t work in the context of abandoned lots and buildings scattered around the tiny island that are owned by individuals.

    Piss in the blogmaster’s pocket do.

  7. Hants Avatar
    Hants

  8. TheOG Avatar
    TheOG

    There are some things that are true and they remain that way no matter who states them. Note that being the first to state these fact does not give one sole possession of the truth and robs other of ownership.

    This not a defense of the USA. Fall it may or fall it must, but I also worry about who comes after. Those expecting a picnic may be sorely disappointed

    The wisest bit of advice I received was from my grandmother. She said “I don’t ever want to hear you say ‘if I had known”. The truth is, a person cannot know everything, but they can avoid a lot of trouble by considering several possible outcomes.

  9. TheOG Avatar
    TheOG

    “scattered all of a 21×13 country”
    I see that “2×3” will not be accepted by all.
    I am also reminded that ‘GoRoB’ was accepted by none.
    Patriotism???

  10. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    https://nationnews.com/2025/09/06/caricom-and-african-leaders-to-hold-summit-on-sunday/

  11. Hants Avatar
    Hants

  12. Cuhdear Bajan Avatar
    Cuhdear Bajan

    “Housing money goes beyond expectations: Santa Clara County, California voters approved Measure A in 2016, providing $950 million for affordable housing. Officials set an ambitious goal to build 4,800 new homes. By the time funds were nearly exhausted, more than 6,665 units are projected to be built.”
    Source: Mercury News and East Bay Times, September 6, 2025

    Don’t know what they did to promise 4,800 but set to deliver, 6,665, that is 1,865 MORE than promised.

    Maybe the new housing Minister should ask them a few questions.

  13. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    David,

    I agree with you wholeheartedly that the government should ignore the outcry and proceed with the derelict property programme. I see some fellows went examining one in my vicinity that belongs to a cousin of mine in Canada. I am hoping it was the demolition crew. It would save me the money I spend baiting it for rats every month.

    Dub,

    I don’t even think they believe in the religion.

    The OG,

    So, you believe in practising, “Know wuh yuh got; doan know wuh yuh gun get”.

    This “frighten philosophy” eventually got many women killed by their slightly abusive (at the time) husbands. Abusers tend to get worse gradually, the longer you allow it.

    The USA is getting worse. This government is openly planning nineteenth century styled imperialism. There is nothing to suggest that Maga Madness will die with him. Xi is looking mighty tempting in comparison. 🤣🤣🤣

    But seriously, I believe in being bold enough to get rid of bad and seek better. Nothing is guaranteed in life, however, cowardly settling should not be an option.

    A multipolar world seems to be emerging. I, for one, look forward to it.

  14. Cuhdear Bajan Avatar
    Cuhdear Bajan

    @David
    I still miss old onion bags. He was wise and funny on this blog. And in person. as I had the pleasure of meeting with him from time to time.

  15. Cuhdear Bajan Avatar
    Cuhdear Bajan

    @Donna September 6, 2025 at 7:08 am “…didn’t the government promise to deal with the derelict, abandoned buildings? Didn’t they propose to utilise them for housing? Wasn’t that met with an outcry about depriving owners of their property?”

    In some cases the taxes owed must be more than the derelict buildings are worth. There is at least 2 houses in my neighborhood, more than 20 years old and they have never been lived in. One was completely finished down to a very nice coat of paint. On 2 good bus routes. Easy access to the ABC highway, less than 15 minutes walk to 2 shopping malls, 3 churches, one elementary school, and 2 day nurseries.

    Still unoccupied for more than 20 years.

  16. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    @ Cuhdear
    “…Wasn’t that met with an outcry…”
    Excuses, excuses, excuses…!
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    The bottom line is this!
    Governance is DIFFICULT.
    It is about solving COMPLEX problems.
    It is about having the VISION to see possible outcomes from various actions.
    It is ultimately about performance.

    It is NOT a job for incompetent BB jokers who are looking for easy fame and fortune.
    It is not a calling for spoilt shiite-talkers, who are mere legends in their own mind.

    OBVIOUSLY standards are NEEDED for vehicle tint.
    This should have been OBVIOUS from Day 1 of any tinted vehicle and SENSIBLE standards established.

    OBVIOUSLY housing is a priority. But there is NO WAY that the treasury can provide free housing for every Bajan, Chinese and CARICOM immigrant.
    We used to have a COMMUNITY approach to home ownership, which had the POTENTIAL to develop into a workable housing system for average Bajans…. UNTIL BB politicians started offering FREENESS and ‘Housing Schemes’ that are clearly UNSUSTAINABLE… and which tend to become ghettos.

    Steupsss…
    Even people who understand linear arithmetic are NOT capable of solving complex challenges that require integral calculus. Yet we endured fine ants ministers who clearly did not even grasp the concept of FRACTIONS.
    How can we be truly surprised that NOTHING WORKS – when our drivers OBVIOUSLY CANNOT drive?
    …and just complaining that the gear shift is too stiff, …the brakes are slipping, … and that we running out of gas…?

    Would YOU apply for a pick as a fire fighter Cuhdear…?
    …and even if you did, what would you expect the BFS so say to you…?
    …not to “get your donkey back on that ZR – and go long back home!!?? ”

    The lotta other incompetent politicians we got should REALLY follow Dwight, and carry their donkeys long home …and stop embarrassing the damn place….

    …and what a place it has become…

  17. David Avatar
    David

    Today’s Nation Editorial (7 Sept 2025)

    Ex-ministers have duty to explain

    It is time for public figures to stop retreating from the mainstream media when things are not in their favour and speak frankly about matters.

    This should apply particularly when it comes to politicians who enjoy the benefits of calling media conferences, walkabouts, public relations briefings and the like when they assume positions, but once they are no longer in charge – either by choice or design – they take to dodging journalists and, because they know it is up to them to speak, they outright refuse to say anything.

    It is unacceptable that former Minister of Housing, Lands and Maintenance Dwight Sutherland – and others before him who held public office – should declare that they are not speaking to the press other than the glib comment to that effect.

    This has been occurring for a while and was repeated in February when Marsha Caddle and Corey Lane, who were part of the present administration’s Cabinet, left.

    Ask questions

    It is not the job of journalists as members of the various media houses to be part of any public relations gimmick to satisfy the ego of anyone, politician or otherwise. The journalists’ job, among other things, is to ask questions on behalf of members of the public who do not have access to the public figures.

    When Sutherland, Caddle and Lane stepped down, they owed a duty to the public to offer some sort of reasoning behind their decision, to say whether indeed it was their decision and respond to some of the burning questions about the ministries over which they presided.

    Probably the most transparent of the situations was Lane’s, as the public was well aware of his questioning by the police and therefore accepted that he did the moral thing and resigned. However, in doing so, he still should have opened himself up for questions, even though we might have thought the reasons obvious.

    When Caddle was exiting, she threw gasoline on the situation by stating that when a minister’s principles don’t align, then he/she should resign from the Cabinet. When pressed on the terse statement she issued, Caddle went no further. The former minister should have gone on to explain what she meant when she made that reference to principles.

    Certainly, we all can guess at what she was implying but for the avoidance of all doubt, Caddle needed to expand on it and take questions. She did not.

    Surprise move

    Now we have Sutherland in a surprise move leaving one of the most pressured ministries and the Prime Minister reporting that he had resigned. He is not quoted in the press as stating “I have resigned” and giving his reasons for doing so. Not so long ago, he enjoyed the company of journalists covering the handing over of keys, few as they were, to new homeowners in projects associated with the ministry.

    Therefore, journalists should feel within their rights to put questions to him – as they did – before he stated, as is quoted in the September 4 Daily Nation: “No, no I ain’t talking to the media.”

    Just as you summoned the press for your “good news” events, call a press conference to announce your resignation and field questions from the journalists. Speak boldly and honestly rather than slinking off without a proper word to the country that placed its confidence in you at one point.

    Answer

    On that note, the Prime Minister’s brief address on the matter was also inadequate. This is the third resignation and while egos may be bruised, the proper rules of engagement should follow.

    Prime Minister, you owe the public a media conference on the matter to answer questions on this problem-plagued ministry.

  18. David Avatar
    David

    Politicians must offer hope not more fear

    Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness has secured a third term in office. Guyanese President Dr Irfaan Ali has claimed a second five-year term in what some have described as a landslide.

    Putting the situation in Trinidad and Tobago aside, opposition parties in the Caribbean must do like Marvin Gaye and ask themselves what’s going on.

    Why is it so hard to unseat the incumbent even when they’re waning in popularity?

    The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development document Government at a Glance reports that in 2024 trust in government remained relatively low for Caribbean and Latin American countries with the turnout in elections being low as well. Despite this, or maybe because of it, it becomes difficult to defeat the government in the hot seat.

    Opposition parties are left out in the cold as the people’s trust, interest and willingness to participate in the democratic process, flawed as it is, refuses to thaw.

    Time-worn tactics of demonising the incumbent party as dangerous, corrupt or incompetent are not working even when there is adequate smoke to suggest fire. If the public assumes that politicians are demons by default, then politicos yelling “fire” end up pouring gasoline on themselves. In the fire is where demons and devils are expected to be. And unless life is truly hell on Earth, people will tend to favour the devil they know than the one they don’t.

    And if things are not as hellish as the opposition would like us to believe they just look silly. So, when the opposition tries to paint the party in power and its politicians as poltergeist, it is like spitting in the wind. They’ll have to make their brushstrokes precise and thin, or end up with broad strokes that get your own clothes dirty as well.

    Crash out

    There will be a small choir of converted who will sing hymns of praises when the opposition raises hell about the sins of the sitting government. But, if they make the mistake of taking the cheers of the party faithful for the attitude of the people in general, they will be like a moth mistaking a light bulb for the moon. Flying out of control without direction and ultimately crashing out and burning.

    In Barbados, Opposition parties are struggling to get a seat like they’re catching the bus at rush hour. Local political parties hoping to halt the Government bus and take over the driver seat have used one primary strategy. That is, focusing on the driver and their intended destination. That has not worked. As the saying goes, madness is doing the same thing over again and expecting different results. It might not be madness, but the inability to innovate another strategy is an indictment on the analytical ability of the Government’s opponents.

    This time around they have to try something different. Maybe focusing on what their own destination and route look like.

    Opposing parties need to correctly read the room, take the temperature of the people, figure out what time it is, satisfy all the cliches which refer to the skill of situational awareness, and social calibration.

    If you cannot understand, appreciate and adjust to the psychosocial state and cultural orientation of the moment, either you don’t have the necessary skills and competencies to do so, or you are so arrogant that you feel you don’t have to. I am not sure which is worse. Politicians don’t have to follow the signs of the times. Especially not in times like these. But they should be able to read them.

    Once a would-be ruling party understands this moment in history, I am convinced that they will come to this conclusion. That in an age of upheaval such as the one we are living in, faith and hope are at a low. And so, anything and anyone who can offer hope and inspire faith that there is a way out of the pit we are in, will have a better chance to win.

    This is what Trump did with “Make America Great Again”. Of course, it should go without saying that message should be built on substance, honesty, integrity and principles. The task is made more difficult because the people have heard pretty words and watched them turn into nothing or worse many times before. A political hopeful will have to find some way of backing their message of hope with something substantial. And provide a viable and plausible alternative.

    Source: Nation

  19. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    What a SIMPLISTIC editorial…
    What does a mafia ‘news conference’ look like?
    “Well I resigned because I woke up to find a horse’s head in my bed…” ???
    or..
    “I will be living beyond my wildest dreams in London / NY for the next few years doing squat for a fat tax free salary….”
    SMH.
    The Nation is yet another foreign owned joke.
    This problem goes MUCH deeper than someone holding news conferences and press briefings.
    The problem is that we have a mafia organization where we need a DEMOCRATIC government system. THIS is what the Press should be probing…

    – WHO EXACTLY is holding up the functioning of the PAC? …and why?
    – How hard can it be for a reporter to dig into the various RESPONSIBILITIES of those persons who were accountable at HOPE? There was a BOARD? a CEO?, an accountant? Auditors????
    – Who the Hell is East West (or is it North South?) Construction that scammed us with the STEAL houses? Is the Corporate Registry closed? … They had auditors?

    Steupsss…
    It is pretty obvious why the mafia rejects are silent….
    The REAL QUESTION is – why does the PRESS appear to be dumb, deaf and especially mute?

    What a place!

  20. David Avatar
    David

    @Bush Tea

    The local media is ‘bought’. The sorry state is that it has reneged and or refused to accept that it is an opinion shaper. We have discussed this exhaustively in this space.

  21. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    “The local media is ‘bought’…”
    …and often for just a ‘food’, or with a loan ‘to pay the electricity bill’…

    What are the typical qualifications and salary levels of our so-called journalists?
    If they are paid peanuts, then who did we think would apply?

    Brass Tacks is a significant opinion shaper in Brassbados.
    What would you guess the moderators are paid…?

    Can you see the problem?
    Ask One Caribbean Media why they CHOSE to establish such low professional levels by the shiite salaries that they offer.

    One would expect that the editorials however, would step up a bit…

    If sell all that you own, expect to spend you life paying whatever rents are demanded by your chosen new owners.

    What a place!

  22. David Avatar
    David

    Sutherland lost magic touch in Housing

    By Antoinette Connell

    antoinetteconnell@nationnews.com

    Dwight Sutherland had all the magic as a candidate, easily wiping out all three of his opponents when he entered elective politics in 2013.

    However, that enchantment faded when he undertook the various ministerial assignments, especially the Ministry of Housing, Lands and Maintenance.

    Shock over Sutherland’s resignation last Wednesday had more to do with the revered leadership reputation of Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley being badly affected by a third departure in six months from her Cabinet, since his performance in the high-maintenance Ministry of Housing had been under scrutiny for a while.

    Tellingly, the Prime Minister took less than a minute to address the surprising development, and, in the same breath, replaced Sutherland with Chris Gibbs, Member of Parliament for St Michael West.

    It was a cold dispatch of a man who was in the Cabinet from the time the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) captured the Government with all 30 seats in 2018.

    St George South

    The former engineer with the Arawak Cement Plant first came to the attention of Barbadians in 2013 when he contested the St George South seat and while his party went down in that close General Election, he restored its standing in the constituency by capturing 3 642 votes to secure the seat.

    In 2018, when he again went up against his former schoolmate Dr Esther Byer Suckoo, Sutherland gained a resounding 5 363 votes to her 1 100, one of the widest margins of defeat inflicted on a candidate.

    The career engineer made similarly light work of the Democratic Labour Party’s (DLP) Dawn Marie Armstrong in the 2022 poll, with 3 834 votes to her 982.

    But while Sutherland was comfortably knocking over political opponents, that aptitude did not extend to the ministries entrusted to him and his failure to deliver emerged over the course of his last assignment.

    Roadside vending

    As the Minister of Small Business, Entrepreneurship and Commerce from 2018 to 2020, he may be remembered for his expressed vision to rid the country of “illegal vending” through a “comprehensive vending policy”. He regarded himself as a product of a vendor and got Cabinet to agree to a policy to decriminalise roadside vending, a move hailed by those affected.

    In the Cabinet reshuffle of 2020 when Sutherland became Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, one of his promises during the 2020 by-election in St George North was that of a new hard court and pavilion for a St George community, and later assurances of upgrades for community facilities, aiming to make sports a pillar of the economy.

    His most visible event in that ministry was the talent competition Baje To The World, and out of that ministry also came the vision for the Getting To Get Hired programme.

    It was not until he took up the housing ministry in 2022 that Sutherland’s performance attracted the type of scrutiny that dogged his predecessors, as he not only echoed Government’s boast of providing 10 000 houses in five years, but went a step further and suggested 20 000 structures.

    From the outset, there were problems and Sutherland sheepishly admitted four months into the position that the steelframed houses from China, under East-West Solutions Barbados, had not met the December 2021 deadline and it was looking more like August 2023.

    At the time he took up the post, the ministry had already signed an agreement for 74 single-unit houses, nine quads (36 housing units) and 20 duplexes (40 units) complete with photovoltaic panels to be delivered and installed at a cost of $22.6 million.

    Sutherland cited bad weather, immigration issues and theft of materials as the cause for the delay in shipping and constructing the houses, which were an emergency response for 150 families displaced by Hurricane Elsa.

    The Auditor General’s Report of 2024 stated that by October 2023, only 22 houses were completed and it would take more than $52 million to complete the project, an overrun of more than $23 million.

    Leader of the Opposition Ralph Thorne said such wastage was indicative of the level of inefficiency that destroyed any hope the public had that the Government had any credibility to preside over the country’s financial affairs.

    Sutherland was forced to concede that some mistakes were made in relation to the due diligence on the project, but insisted it was $19 million in overruns and 61 units completed. Even his colleague Dr Sonia Browne, Member of Parliament for St Philip North, took a swipe at the project, describing the homes as more rust than house.

    Sutherland was similarly flayed over the inherited Home Ownership Providing Energy (HOPE) Inc., a Government-owned company expected to be financially selfsufficient. However, that became an easy target for political foes who pointed to its failed target of 2 000 homes by 2024, building on land it did not own and signing a $64 million

    Source: Nation

  23. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    David
    “The good thing about BU is that everyone has a view, even you.”

    Yes everyone is entitled to their own view, but not their own FACTS. Added to this, one’s view does not mean it makes sense. With a NHC waiting list of 18,000 here you are asking government to forego the use of “good country land” and focus on derelict properties. With such a large waiting list and future demand, both approaches are essential and government has been doing both. Projects at Whitepark Road, Sargeant Village and Haggatt Hall are all on abandoned properties. Secondly, most of the derelict properties are owned by private landlords, some with estate issues and some not big enough to build in accordance with standards you and the BU intelligentsia would criticise if not done. Thirdly, the “good country land” is being gifted to or is owned by government or is cheaper so from the outset the input costs are comparatively less. Fourthly, this “good country land” is larger and can accommodate more and larger residences–economy of scale. The BU intelligentsia complains about saving the “pristine” while sitting at home in the previously “pristine” heights and terraces. The intelligentsia says tower blocks are too foreign yet want government to focus on small properties to address an 18,000-unit shortage. Mek it mek sense. All yuh too reductive.

  24. TheOG Avatar
    TheOG

    Dwight almost solved the 18,000 problem.
    I was reading an article which stated that he doubled the promise of 10,000 to 20,000 houses.

    What a world. Not only pie falling, houses falling from the sky. You cannot make this stuff up.

  25. TheOG Avatar
    TheOG

    “your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams”

    Twenty frigging thousand! Twenty thousand!-*-
    There was a time I wanted to bring Maury and his paternity tests to the island. Now, I am coming with drug testing kits. I am convinced that smoking marijuana is now the national past time. Who isn’t high is even higher.

    The first two tested will be BT and enuff. And you, don’t think you will get away.. I am testing you until your test come back positive… Bring snacks and have a seat.

    The only person that will not be drug tested is cuhdear. I would give her enough money so that she can hop on and off as many ZR as she like and route them all through the mental institution.

  26. Hants Avatar
    Hants

  27. TLSN Avatar
    TLSN

    OFF MESSAGE

    I have just heard an incredible story leaking out of South Africa. Israel and Ukraine with the aid of some South African whites appear to want to ring fence the entire western cape of South Africa and claim it as there own.

    It is alleged that a number of Ukrainian military personal are already in South Africa. Israel and the Ukraine appear to be drawing up plans to move some of their population to South Africa.

    There has been a huge influx of both nationalities entering the country. So what’s is going on? What of Mia and her plan to add an extra 75,000 people to our population. There clearly is something afoot going on in both of these countries. Let’s monitor Mia and ask her to be transparent on this issue. Foundational black Barbadians have been warned. Remain vigilant people.

    We have lost both of our west and south coast to foreigners. BT, Donna, and the rest of you domestic Bajans remember Mia’s famous words after she won her first election ” watch muh”.

  28. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    TheoGas
    Your response shows you’re still just all gas with a sulphide smell. I don’t even think you qualify for being reductive, just plain lost. Poor soul.

  29. Cuhdear Bajan Avatar
    Cuhdear Bajan

    @Enuff September 7, 2025 at 10:12 am “With a NHC waiting list of 18,000”

    That is 18,000 minus 1. As I applied to NHC in 1987 and I haven’t heard back yet. They may as well take me off the list as I am so old now, that soon I will be in that place where the street are paved with gold.

  30. Cuhdear Bajan Avatar
    Cuhdear Bajan

    @TheOG September 7, 2025 at 11:01 am “The only person that will not be drug tested is cuhdear. I would give her enough money so that she can hop on and off as many ZR as she like and route them all through the mental institution.”

    Don’t smoke. Anything. Never have.
    Don’t drink. Except maybe ONE ONLY for Christmas and my birthday.
    Don’t take money from men [nor women]. Earned my living by the sweat of my brow for nearly 50 years. Always remembering my mummy saying
    “don’t be a gimmee, gimmee women, always longing out ya han’ for men’s money.”
    Still growing my own food. Fresh and delicious.

    So no please. Don’t want anybody’s money.

    Sorry to disappoint you.

  31. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet

    I had a new name to call The0 which DofBu deleted as it was a bit Catty
    but the post also axed the message if the monkey is a spy

    The Monkey Is A Spy (Sinsemilla)

  32. David Avatar
    David

    Marshall: Housing got a pass by media

    MAINSTREAM MEDIA has been accused of continuing to give the Ministry of Housing and Lands a pass by not challenging political leaders on the controversies surrounding projects connected to it.

    Professor Don Marshall levelled the criticism last Friday during a segment on Starcom Network’s

    radio call-in programme

    Down To Brass Tacks,

    after posting similar comments on his social media platform.

    He said he raised the issue of the role of the media in providing vigilance in a democracy following the third resignation from the Cabinet of Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley when Dwight Sutherland stepped down on Wednesday as Minister of Housing, Lands and Maintenance.

    Marshall, director and senior research fellow of the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies at The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, said he was not excusing academia either, but was examining the Fourth Estate.

    “I’m very much aware the academy does not escape criticism as part of that Fourth Estate. We in the academy could do more by way of offering quality public discourse and questioning when it becomes necessary in order for Government and Government-related agencies to answer in keeping with their pledge to honour the public trust,” he said.

    ‘Free pass’

    “The thrust of my post was the free pass the mainstream media tends to give to public officials, because we’ve had three resignations in less than 18 months. In one of those resignations, you had a minister saying, ‘If principles don’t align, you must resign’ and that was a telling admission for an outgoing minister to leave behind, and to just be allowed to hang there.”

    The sociologist said he thought journalists would have seen it as red meat and go after it, but that did not happen.

    “Now you have a shock resignation by a minister beleaguered by the questioning he has had to receive in a portfolio which he inherited and a portfolio which he tried to robustly defend in terms of failed promises.”

    Marshall referenced the Home Ownership Providing Energy (HOPE) project which has been mired in controversy over money spent and lack of houses completed.

    “All and sundry know about HOPE, the errors made and we heard the Prime Minister last year in her [Budget] wrap-up indicate . . . the points made by the Opposition merited an inquiry. It’s been over a year and we haven’t heard any development. So you have an opportune moment for the mainstream media . . . to press the minister not necessarily about his plans with his constituents and his love for his constituents – and we understand that – but he was serving in public office and he has left behind unanswered questions.

    “I thought an opportunity was lost by the Press to ask him serious questions. I also thought the opportunity was lost for the media to also ask the Prime Minister about the inquiry,” he told moderator David Ellis and listeners.

    He added that there was a new minister whom he had not heard speak much and he did not understand how he could escape critical questions about the post he inherited.

    Ellis said the role of the Press was expressed in different ways and while one was to ask questions, there was also a forum for others to do the same. He pointed to the Auditor General’s Report, out of which a number of issues were highlighted.

    “I’ll not run from the criticism that we in the media can do better, but I also think there are other institutions that can do better in terms of bringing the Government under some degree of scrutiny on these matters, especially in light of how our House of Assembly is made up right now,” he said. (AC)

    Source: Nation

  33. David Avatar
    David

    The failure of brand DLP

    by DEVARON BRUCE IN RECENT WEEKS, Barbadians witnessed what is likely to be the final annual conference for the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) before the next General Election.

    This conference will solidify the DLP’s team, narrative and approach as it makes its bid to form the next Government. Yet, over the last 15 years, reflecting on the state of the party shows a DLP that is unwilling to address questions of leadership and the quality of brand DLP.

    Failed strategy

    The ineffectiveness of brand DLP was most recently reflected by the party’s dismal showing in the St James North by-election where it captured a mere 15 per cent of the vote. Yet, despite this performance, the party continues full steam ahead with what is a failed strategy. Notably, since this election, the party announced a series of candidates, published initiatives on crime, and engaged in the usual cut and thrust of oppositional politics.

    Under conventional political circumstances, these activities would serve the party well. However, unfortunately for the DLP, it does not have the political luxury of playing by conventional rules, as brand DLP remains politically undesirable in the eyes of the electorate.

    This is the case as the DLP confronts the political ramifications of the “lost decade”, four failed leaders in seven years, significant political fracturing and concerns regarding legal challenges of senior members and leaders.

    These circumstances have publicly created brand DLP and how it’s electorally perceived. Yet, despite this branding problem, strategically, the party has prioritised continuation over a reset. Therefore, in the absence of a reset, the DLP is akin to the proverbial voice in the wilderness, which although may present “honest voices”, nevertheless, are voices left ignored.

    This is the case as in politics, being listened to is hinged upon likability and the perception of competence, and as it stands, in both instances, the DLP trails its competitor.

    Furthermore, the DLP’s reliance on conventional politics will be politically and electorally ineffective. Simply put, fewer voters desire brand DLP.

    Party engagement

    Statistically, this is evidenced by voters’ brand loyalty, which has shifted away from the DLP, as only four in ten voters supported the party since the turn of the century. This circumstance is also reinforced by the recently concluded annual conference, which saw a 60 per cent decline in party engagement from 2023.

    These circumstances are a direct consequence of the party’s avoidance of the discomforting question of brand appeal and the effectiveness of its scattered-shot politics, often void of any real perspective or forward-thinking agenda. In recent years, this scattered shot politics is reflected by the few and far inbetween wins attributed to the DLP.

    A recurring case of this is the DLP characterising the administration as a “pull back” Government in reference to its retreat on, or redressing its legislative agenda.

    Yet, despite the DLP seeking to capitalise on these pull-backs, the party is no better positioned for an electoral victory. This is the case since politically; we are witnessing an end of politics era where there is a significant political and electoral sidelining of viable political alternatives including the DLP.

    Hence, these scattered shot wins borne out of issue-based dissatisfaction with Government will only be temporarily felt until such dissatisfaction can be permanently housed. Yet, when given a choice, few voters will opt for an unattractive house built on a poor foundation.

    Devaron Bruce is a political scientist. This article was submitted as a Letter to the Editor.

    Source: Nation

  34. David Avatar
    David

    Keys to nowhere

    IN BARBADOS, the biggest shortage in the housing sector is not lumber, cement or steel – it is trust. For years, governments have rolled out promises of thousands of new homes, streamlined mortgage systems and the easing of “family land” headaches.

    Each Budget brings another pledge.

    Each press conference offers another set of figures. Each new minister promises urgency and efficiency.

    And yet, for the average Barbadian trying to find a roof over their head, the only thing delivered in abundance is disappointment.

    This is the housing trust gap: the yawning distance between what Government says and what people experience. It is the gap between ground-breaking ceremonies splashed across the evening news and the empty lots that remain untouched years later. It is the gap between a pledge of 2 000 homes a year and the reality of 11 houses handed over in May. It is the gap between the rhetoric of urgency and the bureaucracy of delay.

    The recent resignation of Dwight Sutherland as Minister of Housing was not simply about one man. It was a symptom of decay. His successor, Christopher Gibbs, inherits more than a ministry; he inherits a crisis of trust. His pledge to restore public trust is not a mere talking point – it is an act of political necessity.

    Because without trust, even the most carefully drafted housing policy is little more than paper.

    Housing is not an abstract economic statistic. It is the foundation of household stability. Families cannot live in promises. They cannot raise children in blueprints. They cannot create generational wealth through headlines. Each missed target chips away not just at the credibility of the Ministry of Housing, but at the credibility of the entire Government.

    If Government cannot deliver something as basic and tangible as housing, why should anyone believe its promises on crime or education reform? That is why the trust gap matters. It is not only about houses.

    It is about governance itself.

    Accountability

    To be blunt, Barbadians are tired.

    They are tired of being told that delays are inevitable. They are tired of hearing about global supply chains when the real bottleneck is local inefficiency and poor accountability.

    They are tired of being promised the world and handed a key to nowhere.

    Minister Gibbs has an opportunity, but not time. Barbadians are watching closely. They are not waiting years, but weeks and months. That means more than photo ops and ribbon cuttings. It means actual delivery, measured in houses built, families housed and communities strengthened.

    And delivery is not enough. Trust will not be rebuilt by houses alone.

    It will be rebuilt by honesty. When targets are missed, the public must be told why. When budgets are overrun, the public must know where the money went. When contractors fail, the public must see consequences.

    Candour is not a luxury – it is the foundation of credibility. Barbadians will forgive delays; they will not forgive deceit.

    The trust gap also raises hard questions about accountability. Who measures progress? Who ensures that contractors deliver on time? Who holds the Ministry itself accountable?

    Without strong oversight, housing policy will remain a revolving door of promises and disappointments.

    Parliament must step up. Civil society must demand answers.

    Journalists must follow the money.

    Cultural problem

    There is also a deeper cultural problem at play. For decades, housing has been treated as a political currency. Houses are treated as symbols, props and bargaining chips.

    They are showcased at rallies, used to score points and dangled as rewards.

    When housing policy is reduced to political theatre, the people lose.

    And the trust gap widens.

    That culture must change.

    Housing must be treated as what it is: a human right and an economic necessity. It should not matter who is in office; the programme should be steady, consistent and insulated from political cycles. Barbadians should not have to wonder whether the government will actually deliver on its housing commitments.

    Delivery should be the default, not the surprise.

    The irony is that housing could be one of Government’s greatest success stories. Done right, it creates jobs for the entire value chain. It stimulates virtually all sectors. It strengthens communities. It reduces crime.

    It supports generational wealth.

    Housing policy could be the engine of national confidence. Instead, it has become a case study in how not to govern.

    Barbados is not lacking in ambition. The numbers are always big, the targets always bold. What is lacking is credibility. And credibility comes not from press conferences, but from performance. Not from numbers on paper, but from keys in hand.

    Professor Troy Lorde is an economist and Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus. Email troy. lorde@cavehill.uwi.edu

    Source: Nation

  35. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet

    I have just heard an incredible story leaking out of South Africa. Israel and Ukraine with the aid of some South African whites appear to want to ring fence the entire western cape of South Africa and claim it as there own.

    perhaps a more toned down honest balanced approach to carrying news should be adopted to turn down the temperature instead of stoking up the fire with exaggeration or misinformation

    e.g.
    Russians, Ukranians, Israeli’s are leaving their country in large numbers to escape wars and/or conscription and are setting up communities in certain areas in various nations with their own shops and businesses which can cause resentment with locals

  36. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    @Cuhdear
    “….I am so old now, that soon I will be in that place where the street are paved with gold.”
    ~~~~~~~~~~
    You betta check your visa….
    Last time Bushie checked, the streets THERE were melting…

    LOL
    ha ha ha

  37. David Avatar
    David

    https://youtu.be/i83tU4sQzgg

  38. David Avatar
    David

    https://youtu.be/J5ZLXwbCEKQ

  39. Dwight Sutherland 'resigns' from Cabinet – Carribwyre

    […] Professor Troy Lorde is an economist and Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus. Email troy. lorde@cavehill.uwi.edu […]

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