More Speeches

Naturally, I am very disappointed that an athlete who was selected for our team to the Beijing Olympics has tested positive for a prohibited substance. There is a process involved which includes the right of appeal by the athlete and I will reserve further comment until this process has been completed. I am in discussions with both the Jamaica Olympics...

I am delighted to see that our netballers have shone so brightly once again defending the AFNA Championships which concluded in St. Vincent and the Grenadines on the week-end. The fact that the Sunshine Girls won all matches en route to retaining the crown has reinforced Jamaica's dominance in the sport of Netball in the region. Special acknowledgement must be...

The Ministry of Education would like to reject claims that Principals of Secondary schools were not consulted on the issue of auxiliary fees. The Ministry would like to place on the record the fact that in early July, a bulletin with the guidelines governing auxiliary fees was dispatched to Principals of all Public Secondary schools. In addition, the Honourable Minister...

The House will recall that on June 17th, in my intervention in the sectoral debate, I outlined a number of measures that had been taken and were being contemplated to tackle the problem of crime. Our initial response was to intensify policing efforts both by increasing patrols and security presence in vulnerable areas across the country and by targeting crime...

I am truly elated and extremely proud of our young athletes following their outstanding performance at the just concluded 12th IAAAF World Junior Championships in Poland. It is truly astounding that a tiny island like Jamaica can remain at the forefront in athletics at all levels. A very special word of congratulation to young Dexter Lee, the world's fastest Junior...

I take this opportunity to inform the House of the outcome of the 5th Extraordinary PetroCaribe Summit which was held in Maracaibo, Venezuela over the weekend. The summit considered the unprecedented increases in oil prices which have more than doubled within the last 10 months and the impact this has had on member countries. Members will be aware that under...

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 a change. They have voted for a team committed to, and leading the charge to...

Ten months is a relatively short period of time in the life of any Administration, but since my appointment as Minister of State in the Ministry of Water and Housing in September 2007, I have seen what can be accomplished with vision, planning, focus and commitment to the task at hand. For these, and many other reasons, I want to...

Mr. Speaker, this Honourable House will recall that precipitated by the reform of the EU's Sugar Regime, translated into a 36% cut in sugar prices between 2005/6 and 2009/10, as well as the huge debt burden of The Sugar Company of Jamaica, the previous Government articulated in this House in October 2005, a new Strategy for the transformation of the...

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members of the House,It is a privilege and honour to report through the Parliament on the activities and strategic plans of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade for the period September 2007 to the end of the financial year 2008/2009. In doing so, I must first place on record my appreciation to the Prime Minister,...

Mr. Speaker, Members of this Honourable House, I consider myself privileged to make this contribution to the Sectoral Debate and to outline the activities of the departments, divisions and agencies which fall within the portfolio of the Ministry of Information, Culture, Youth & Sports with responsibility for entertainment, community development and women's and gender affairs. Privileged, because I have the...

I begin my first Budget Presentation as a member of the Cabinet by expressing my gratitude to those who have traveled this journey with me to this point. Some, from the beginning. To some of my friends, that journey started as early as high school when we organized fellow students in activities ranging from visiting infirmaries and children's homes; to...