Madam Speaker, I rise to bring this Honourable House an update on vaccination as an essential component of the National COVID-19 Response. With more than 66 million people globally having become infected by the virus and more than 1.5 million having lost their lives, vaccination as a response to containing the disease cannot be overlooked. Here in Jamaica, Madam Speaker,...

Madam Speaker, I rise to speak to this Honourable House and the people of Jamaica on a day that this globally recognized as World AIDS Day. Today, we remember and salute persons, who would have died and to the many others, who are living with HIV. Madam Speaker, the COVID-19 global pandemic has presented a myriad of challenges to the...

Madam Speaker: Yesterday we got up to the very sad news of the horrific killing of a grandmother and her two grand daughters in Tryall Heights in Spanish Town, St Catherine. As a St Catherine Member of Parliament, as a Minister, as a mother, as a grandmother, as a woman, as a citizen, I feel the pain of this vile...

Madam Speaker, Today I will speak to three topics, namely, the tragic incidents involving some of our students, an update on the Missing Children’s report and an update on a partnership with Microsoft. Madam Speaker, I must note that unfortunately, we continue to mourn the atrocities meted out to our children. This week our hearts ache for two (2) more...

Madame Speaker, I take this opportunity to update the House on two subject areas: - the first week of the pilot face-to-face in-school teaching project - Registration for the eVouchers under the OYOD Initiative. 1. EVALUATION OF PILOT OF FACE TO FACE RESUMPTION OF SCHOOL During the two week pilot, the process is being monitored. The goal of the monitoring...

Madame Speaker, As Minister with portfolio responsibility for Gender Affairs, I rise in this Honourable House to acknowledge the commemoration of International Men’s Day (IMD), which is celebrated annually on November 19. International Men’s Day was first celebrated in Trinidad and Tobago and is now celebrated in other countries such as Canada, the UK, Singapore, USA, Australia, Haiti, India. As...

Madame Speaker, It is with great sadness that I report the deaths of a few of our children over the past few days: • Jade-Ann Mclean, 13-year-old student who attended Brown's Town High School (daughter of Kadean Howard) • Rihanna Howard 14-year-old student who attended Marcus Garvey Technical High School along with their relatives Kadean Howard 34-year-old (sister of Rihanna)...