My fellow Jamaicans, it is a great joy as our Nation comes together to celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of our political independence from colonial rule. As we observe this diamond jubilee along our journey as a nation and a people, I wish a Happy Independence Day to all Jamaicans, at home and abroad. It is a time to celebrate the...

So many milestones and episodes make up the Jamaican story. However, we can agree that the proclamation of Emancipation in 1834, after over 300 years of both Spanish and British enslavement, is pivotal to understanding our current situation and future trajectory. We commemorate Emancipation Day not only as the culmination of the struggles of over 10 generations of our ancestors...

Emancipation Day is of great historical significance to Jamaica and many other countries across the world that were formerly part of the British Empire. Plantation slavery came to an end at midnight on July 31, 1838, and so the 1st of August is the anniversary of the day when slavery came to an ended. It is the day on which...

Madam Speaker, today I am making my fifth presentation to the Sectoral Debates as Minister of National Security. I assumed portfolio responsibility for this Ministry four years ago, with a newly appointed Commissioner of Police and the Government’s strategic decision to prioritize citizen security. Madam Speaker, this meant prioritizing budgetary support and institutional reorganization, in order to combat the persistent...

Madam Speaker, it is a privilege and an honour to once again stand before this Honourable House to report on the performance of, and present the upcoming plans for my new portfolio responsibility, the Ministry of Transport and Mining. Indeed it is also a blessing to be here today, given the challenging period from which Jamaica, and indeed the world,...

Madam Speaker… I am feeling a great energy as I stand to address this House today. It is an energy driven by the desire to do more in service for my fellow citizens. It is also an energy unleashed by the decision by the Government, following two years of careful management of COVID-19, to withdraw the pandemic restrictions. I have...

Our workers are the backbone of our country; they keep the wheels of our economy turning. We know that our continued economic recovery is dependent on our people, and we are committed to preserving the hard-won rights and liberties of the Jamaican worker to include proper wages and working conditions. The Government is actively pursuing ways to increase workers’ benefits,...