The passing of Lady Gladys Bustamante has taken from us the most enduring icon of Jamaica's political struggles. She was the widow of our great National Hero, The Right Excellent Sir Alexander Bustamante, but she was a heroine in her own right, having been in the front line of the fight to secure and defend the rights of the worker...

Mr. Speaker and Members of this Honourable House, It is indeed a pleasure to be standing here once again and to be privileged to be a part of the 2009/2010 Sectoral Debate. You will recall that over the last twenty two (22) months I was the subject of a court case regarding my legitimacy in the House. I stand here...

1.0 The Historical Context of AccessThe historical underpinnings of education in Jamaica, from slavery through to emancipation, through de-colonization, self-rule and finally independence; to the establishment of the Ministry of Education and the Education Act of 1965, to the New Deal in Education 1966, the 70:30 policy for reserving secondary places for public primary schools, the compulsory attendance policy, the...

Mr. Speaker,1. The intensification of the global financial crisis since September has underscored Jamaica's vulnerability to changes in the external economic environment. The country faces an up-hill challenge if it is to maintain domestic stability in FY 2009/10 and restore the conditions that can support recovery and sustainable growth into the medium-term. 2. The recession in the global economy is...

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Audley Shaw, will be making a statement in Parliament today (July 21), regarding the recent discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington. The results of those talks were reported to the Cabinet at its weekly meeting on Monday. During his budget presentation, Prime Minister the Hon. Bruce Golding stated that...

Mr. Speaker:I am honoured to once again stand in this Honourable House to report on the performance of the health sector over the last financial year and to share with the people of Jamaica some of the priority areas for this current financial year. First of all, I would like to thank my Constituents who gave me the mandate to...

I note with concern the statements made by both the Opposition Spokesman on Finance and the Leader of the Opposition, with regards to the recent Government Of Jamaica Team's visit to the International Monetary Fund(IMF) in Washington; and consider them to be mischievous and full of cheap political opportunism Here are the facts: 1. Last week Tuesday I informed Parliament...

Mr. Speaker, let me begin by thanking those who have directly or indirectly contributed to the efforts of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries over the past year. To the Honourable Prime Minister and the Cabinet for their guidance, my colleague Minister of State, JC Hutchinson, the Permanent Secretary and the thousands of staff members in the Ministry, for their...

Mr. Speaker, the global economic crisis which began in 2007, will go down in history as one of the defining moments of our time. I will not attempt to engage this honourable house on matters best addressed by my colleague Minister of Finance, but I am constrained to mention the global economic crisis for two reasons. Its impact on the...

Mr. Speaker, it is indeed a humbling experience as I rise to speak in this Honourable House not only as a second term Member of Parliament, and first time Cabinet Minister, but at a time when the people of Jamaica have embraced and voted for change, ability and performance. They have voted for a team committed to, and leading the...

Mr. Speaker, permit me to begin my presentation this afternoon by expressing again my gratitude to the Honourable Prime Minister for his continuing confidence in me and for allowing me to serve my country in the capacity of Minister of Tourism. I thank my Cabinet colleagues for their support. I especially thank those Ministries with which I collaborate on issues...