More Speeches

My Fellow Jamaicans, in keeping with our tradition, we pause at this special time of year from our busy round of activities to celebrate Christmas and the birth of Jesus. His entire life was devoted to peace, tolerance and love for all humanity. His message still resounds among us, even more so as nowadays we see a world in turmoil....

More and more Christmas is becoming only a few days of merriment rather than the usual month long preparations and celebrations for the big event. Contraction of the timetable is not due to any cultural change in the pattern of celebration but the availability of money to spend to promote the Christmas spirit through the giving of gifts and enjoyment...

I am sure the media are aware that I have been one of the Government's representatives on Air Jamaica's Board of Directors for some time now. As such, I can profess some amount of knowledge on the airline. Over the past three months, questions have been raised in the public arena on the role of government members in relation to...

The current situation of Air Jamaica, in particular the airline's debt to the Government of Jamaica and other creditors, has received a great deal of publicity in recent weeks. The details of the actual level of indebtedness and the main reasons for this were articulated on November 19, by Minister Burchell Whiteman, Minister of Information, in response to questions posed...

Parliament will recall that following the historic bi-partisan Parliamentary Resolution on education in October of 2003, I appointed a fourteen member Task Force on Educational Reform to develop the blueprint for the transformation of the country's education system. Yesterday, the final report considered by the Cabinet and its findings and recommendations approved. The Report is being laid on the table...

I wish more than anything else that I could be present with you to share another ceremony to reward youth excellence and celebrate the young people of Jamaica. Regrettably, this is not possible. Your very presence here this evening sends a powerful message to every Jamaican: You can make a difference if you have vision, commitment and if you take...

The HIV/AIDS pandemic has had a devastating effect on societies all over the world with millions of people having lost their lives since the disease was first recognised. Approximately 30 million people worldwide have died from the disease over the last 20 years, with another 40 million said to be living with HIV/AIDS. The situation is equally disturbing in Jamaica,...

This Honourable House will recall that Hurricane Ivan struck Jamaica as a Category 4 Hurricane between Friday September 10 and Sunday September 12 2004. I made a Prime Ministerial statement to this House on Tuesday, September 21st and since then several Ministers have reported to Parliament on their respective portfolios. I am of the view that the time has come...

The Government has taken note of the views expressed by representatives of Human Rights Watch by way of a press briefing to present a recently concluded report of their research activities in Jamaica. We find the approach of this organization unacceptably insensitive for the following reasons: To link the homophobia issue to the response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic is inappropriate....

Issues concerning law and order looms large on the public landscape in Jamaica and as we tackle the challenges presented by those issues, I wish to re-emphasise the indispensable values of freedom and human rights as we look to the future. History has taught us - and continues to do so - that one of the primary functions of government...

We are already beginning to experience the effects of Hurricane Ivan and it is clear that the severity of this hurricane will have extremely serious effects as predicted. Flooding has already begun in some places. In accordance with our constitution I'll be advising the governor General today to issue a proclamation declaring a period of public emergency in the island...

I am gravely concerned that our schools are once again being transformed into volatile battlegrounds on which petty differences are being settled through violent and fatal means. I refer to the senseless fatal stabbing of a 17-year-old student at Happy Grove High School by his 16 year-old cohort. I commiserate with both parents who now mourn the fate of their...