ON BOARD
by TREVOR YEARWOOD
HAMILTON LASHLEY, who was Minister of Social Transformation in the previous Barbados Labour Party (BLP) Government, has landed a top job with the present Democratic Labour Party (DLP) administration.
Read full article in the Nation Newspaper
Mr. Hamilton Lashley - St. Michael South East MP
Updated – Audio Clip, Hami Resigns
Member of Parliament Hamilton Lashley is scheduled to appear on the Sunday Brasstacks Show on VOB92.9 FM today. Click on the following link VOB92.9 FM link and follow the discussion.
BREAKING NEWS: Hammie an Independent
Populist politician Hamilton Lashley has declared his independence.
The St. Michael South East parliamentary representative announced on Thursday that he will be sitting as an independent when Parliament reconvenes on October 7.
Speaking at a press conference at the Parkinson Community Centre located in the heart of his constituency, the popular grass roots politician broke ranks with the Opposition Barbados Labour Party. His departure reduces the party’s numbers in the House to just nine seats. In explaining his decision to leave, Lashley said:
“I have searched my heart and soul for reasons why I should remain a part of the parliamentary group of the BLP. I certainly observed in the dying stages of that administration a shift from the policies and emphasis that I promoted in the interest of the less fortunate and downtrodden, which in my view became less important to those persons of influence.”
Lashley’s declaration ended months of speculation which reached a fever pitch in the last 24 hours with rumours of his imminent departure spreading throughout the island. As recently as August 23, Lashley indirectly addressed the rumours, saying that he was “a B- a Bajan.”
“I solely fight for the rights of poor people and the underprivileged and it is that that guides me,” he said then in an interview with the NATION.
He said then that the time for partisan politics in Barbados had past and during his announcement Thursday, he dedicated much of his time to that position.
“There is not another time in this country’s history that Barbadians need to rally more as one and as a people. There are too many challenges and the world is now a global village. If we continue to play partisan politics in this country, we will continue to be a declining nation.”
His support of the governing Democratic Labour Party in the Budget debates in July stirred talk that he would re-join the DLP which he left in November 1998, after initially winning on their ticket in the 1994 elections. However, at the very end of his presentation yesterday, he made his position clear, stating:
“There are people in this country who think that because you are poor, you can be bought but I am not for sale and my beliefs are not for sale. The perception is that I will be going over to the DLP and it may surprise some people but when Parliament reconvenes in October, I will still be on the opposite side but this time as an independent member of Parliament supporting any social policy or measure that is beneficent to the poor people of Barbados.”
Courtesy of www.nationnews.com
Barbados Underground 
I said in previous blogs that Mia Mottley was not going to last this term as Opposition Leader and Hammie-La’s departure is just the beginning of the end. It is known that George Payne and Dale Marshall don’t have too much love for Mia. There were times when the BLP was able to mask its internal problems giving the public the perception that it was united. This is no longer the case. This is a new day. The cracks are becoming bigger and bigger. Look for a bye-election or two soon.
I hope that the DLP left that deceetfull so an so out. Hamila is not to be trusted,he backrase us once before.
Tony Hall you are perfectly correct in your reading of this situation it will also be the day when the rest of them finally set themselves free of the harassment and hassle that they endure from the mottley thing.
The truth is that mottley will continue to struggle as within her grouping she is seen as one serving the wishes of the rich and famous so much as was done by Owing See Thru Arthur.
She is going to sink to her lowest level while going thru this period and yet she will not still learn the reasons why she is in the dump heap as she is presently.
Lord help mottley should arthur dismiss her and retake the reins of leadership as it appears that he is master minding from the sidelines in his brand spanking new BMW.
Adrian Hinds // September 11, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Q // September 11, 2008 at 1:05 pm
NEW MATHS
10- 1 =8
===========================
ha ha ha ha ha ha,….. still not use to counting George Payne present. 😀
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A little bird is telling me it isn’t George Payne and that indeed 10 – 1 = 8!!
….. so I guess I’ll have to wait and see if Hammie La does resign his seat as I think he should and run as an Independent.
It may come down to a choice of timing.
The BLP is in a bit of a pickle because it has to figure out what exactly Hammie La’s motives are and whether it will have a war to fight on two fronts!! ….. that is if the little bird is right.
Life goes on, …. you can’t hold it back.
A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do and I say,…… just do it!!
I cannot and will not attack Hammie the man. As a politician, it is obvious he has two major problems. He is a leader who has the incapacity to follow; and he by his actions has transformed himself from community helper to the independent post of crumb-snatcher. On both counts I will suggest Hammie’s mileage as a politician is quickly approaching zero. As a man, a reasonably good man, I suggest he bows out of politics before the tarnishing becomes more widespread. A word to the wise is sufficient. If you continue to hunt with the wolves and eat with the pack, there is nothing independent or noble about your motives or intentions.
Someone said the ‘BLP Stalwart’ // September 13, 2008 at 4:03 am
If you continue to hunt with the wolves and eat with the pack, there is nothing independent or noble about your motives or intentions.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
You got that right, but in Barbados anything goes.
With other matters up in the air he may feel to put a little pressures on his former masters but his former masters need to bring those matters to a head or remain in a pickle.
It doan look good.
I do hate when people speak “in tongues” or as if this blog is a signatory to the Barbados secrecy act. Guys the cold war long been over. Stop wid de little birdie tell me something and be out wid it. Bajans too love to hoard information and play king pin wid it. 🙂 Lookuh lookuh I know someting that you don’t, dah fuh lick yuh!
John (From 12th Sept 2008 9:18 am)
I am not against Independent Politicians, but the politicial graveyard in Barbados is full of them…and most have been very good men.
Politics is not only about being good, honest etc (Politic: shrewd; artful) the politician must be able to accomplish. The success of a politician can be judged by what he has achieved for his constituents; are they better provided for than they were before his representation, and how he/she has influenced change for good on the National stage.
I will suggest Hammie’s mileage as a politician is quickly approaching zero.
Someone said the ‘BLP Stalwart’ some may even suggest this was the case when he first departed the DLP to to join your clan of crooks.
What goes around comes around is what I am saying.
I wait to see which one will be next to give mottley the bye, bye as what we see left in opposition really are not her loyal supporters like pretty boy Blarney MM Lynch that would have supported her every move and her every wish, she has none like that ( I mean loyal supporters and I do not refer to Gay or Lesbian) in her camp any longer, she is nothing more than a sitting duck or others may suggest a sitting elephant either way she is an easy target to be brought to its knees and new well liked leadership installed by her removal from the post.
After all what will Duguid think about his position of having to be an opposition politician for the remainder of his political life?
When he could be making real money in his dental office where he is known to charge for implants that are unsucessful ( they should be someone to appeal to when he does this kind of slackness ) but will he want to continue under the hopeless mottley with no success or opportunity to get more contruction contracts from gov’t for his fly by night construction company.
Much to ponder on, many more questions than answers for mottley and her clan.
All is well with my soul, can mottley stake claim to this as well????
Somehow I think not because she has been involved in too much wheeling and dealing so too arthur that they must be uncomfortable in their trying to rest at night, let us not forget to mention HALLAM NICHOLLS either he too has much to answer for his own voicing that he would never have to work again and he stopped counting when his person wealth reached $ 25 Million is itself a digusting revelation, I understand that he has stated that he is concerned that he will be made the scapegoat for Owing and the clan of crooks, but my friend when you make your bed you must sleep on it, you had no problem when you and Owing were raping the treasury nonstop so do not get too upset now the investigations into your actions are ongoing, remember the SSA lets start there and go forward.
I saw this coming for a while and be sure he will join the DLP. He is appearing opportunistic. It is strange that the current prime minister is willing to work with him, given the comments on Mascoll’s character during the election period, after he left the DLP. It will be interesting to see what the future holds.
As the PRIME MINISTER THE HON MR DAVID THOMPSON recently said when he was approached about the vast number of Bees seen attending the DLP Gala evening event his comment was to know was to warned, so he is no fool to this type of person after all when the place could be filled with the Glyne Bannister’s the Gray Broomes et al type we know their reasons for lurking around purely to secure work from the new gov’t.
Bannister for one should be ashamed of himself with his name firmly attached to every bad deal in the past 14 years of the life of the blp, the DOUBLING OF THE PRICE VECO OIL STORAGE FACILITY, THE MORE THAN DOUBLING OF THE PRICE OF THE VECO PRISON, HIS INVOLVEMENT IN KINGSLAND, LAND AT HOLDERS, the list is a long sad one but yet the gov’t changes and quickly enough he is seen at every political function sponsored by the DLP, he has an abundance of guts and no heart.
Wishing in Vain it is about time you change your handle. You spew nothing but negatives, personal attacks, and a venom that tells me that you are a vicious and spiteful person. If nothing else, people in Barbados have resolve through the law courts. There is also a public attorney via the agency of a consumer’s protection body. Let’s get real and deal with the issue. Last I heard, the persons whom I knew last to be calling people crooks were looking through the stained aperture of crooked eyes. Enough of you.
Jahdread, I am a loyal member and supporter of the BLP. I have respect for Hammie. However, looking at the political stage, if he remains an independent throughout this term, it is obvious he would not seek re-election. That means, party politics will be the vehicle for the next MP of St. Michael South East. Hammie, if he does make a switch will entertain more than enough opinions on his credibility and equally bad on his integrity. In the simplest of terms, I believe Hammie has committed political suicide. Any damage that may appear to threaten the foothold of the BLP in the constituency or for that matter the leadership of the party, is grossly exacerbated in the context of party politics in Barbados.
The BLP will reorganise quickly, time is on OUR side, and we will find a willing servant of the people to carry the banner in the constituency. For my own part, I thank Hammie for what he managed to contribute over the years.
@Someone said the ‘BLP Stalwart’
How is it that he is committing political suicide when it is known in Barbados that former Prime Minister had to beg him to run in the last election? Implied is he has no interest in elective politics.
BU would advise him to resign and run as an independent to test the credibility of the independent politician and possibly signal the emergence of a new politics in Barbados.
I will suggest now that your party Someone said the ‘BLP Stalwart’ will go thru many changes and alterations in the coming hours, weeks and months to try to come to grips with your rejection by the people of Barbados.
I also will futher suggest that you have no hope in hell retaining that seat and that the people of St. Michael South East wil opt to elect a person that will be seen as capable , willing and able to assist them in their needs and that can only come from one source the candidate for the DLP has it within her grasp to do so, so no amount of nonsense talk about a caretaker person being installed by the blp has any merit or sense.
As for turmoil within your party you were able to mask it when there was power and office at stake, but no longer is this the case, so much so your own MP’S were openly seen disputing the decision by mottley to reveal their accounts so much so one was heard saying to the other this mottley plan has backfired on has Toppin.
Yes you are in TURMOIL AND CONFUSION and so it will stay until you oust mottley and her entitlement feelings.
@ WIV
You are a prime example as to why most people are becoming jaded by politics. It’s this very attitude that will turn off the young people who voted for the first time last elections.
Let the chips fall where they may.
Maybe Hammie Lah was kicked out.
David,
He has no chance as an independent politician whatsoever, his best option is to seek the help of the ruling party for the people he served and then quietly remove himself from elective politics and let the electorate make the decision.
My forecast is that at the end of the process the result will be 21 – 9 and in the next roll of the dice 22 – 10 as I orginally predicted prior to the elections.
@WIV
We are not sure that Lashley could not win as an Independent. Many Barbadians voted for the DLP last election by default i.e. there is a disillusionment and cynicism which is creeping into the Barbados politics.
MP Hammie Lashley is not seen as your traditional politician, he is seen as a man who genuinely wants to help people. For the sake of our political system he has an opportunity to be a trailblazer.
Lashley was elected on a BLP platform. If he believed that he was no longer in harmony with BLP positions, he should have resigned from Parliament, the seat declared vacant, and a by-election held in which he could run as an independent. It is quite possible that, running as an independent, he would have won handily…but I doubt it.
This type of political posturing occurs wherever the Westminster Parliamentary model is followed. It is IMHO improper and allows a maverick like Hamilton Lashley to ride the coat-tails of a political party into office, and then declare his independence.
Any time an M.P. decides to change parties, resign from his/her party, etc., the seat should be automatically declared vacant and a by-election called.
Diaspora-ite I support you call fully.
You guys are too party political but independent candidates won seats in Parliament already and there is no reason why that can’t happen again.
I am only writing this because I have not spoken to him and I do not know his plans but I will risk to bet you that Hammie runs as an independent and wins too.
One wonders why the PM is willing to work with him? That is because the PM has been well advised.
You may be speaking as a middle class person but I want you to speak as a resident of the Pine because except for some staunch party supporters, they are truly fed up with politicians.
Hammie has nothing to lose and I believe that he knows that he is the best chance that any Independent candidate has to win right now and he should test it for the benefit of Barbadians.
But even if he does not win, he will score a substantial amount of votes; more than any independent candidate ever.
It is because of this party politics thing that Hammie lost a lot of good friends in the process and he will tell you that. This is something new to him, because Hammie do not lose friends and believe me, as simple as that sounds, it took a toll on him.
I am therefore not surprised at this outcome, but from here (remotely), my assessment is that he is being advised by his supporters not to look for any of the parties.
You see that photo in the newspaper where all those fists were joining at the centre. Well that photo is very instructive if you know who the people are in that photo; and you know what? They were obviously willing to take that photo.
Did you see that TV clip with the rastaman sitting or stooping. That also said a lot, especially about the feelings of the youth. Yes, that one single, sole rastaman represents a multitude of youth.
Think about the fact that Hammie has cultivated a lot of friends and well wishers within the bureaucracy of both the public and private sectors. That is how he helps people.
Hammie is not your average politician at all because when it comes to relieving poor people from their stress he would find himself in the enemy camp and all; and not for himself, because if it was, that he would not go.
Remember the principle which he holds, “No obstacle is greater than the cause”. This is a true representative of people.
I look forward to his resumption of the days before party politics (ironic enough) and once this happens the people are going to see true representation, as it is far different than the earlier days when there was no network.
So I am not surprised at the opportunistic charge being laid against him. Nor that people would say that he has come to the end of his political mileage. That is a narrow view and for sure, there is a bigger picture.
I will throw another eye opener at WIV and similar others. The Prime Minister and President of the Dems is anything but a fool. He is politically astute to know that any rash decision on his part can have implications for him, his party, and the make-up of Parliament.
1. If the PM within the space of 9 months of a general election accept Hammie back into the Dems it has repercussions for one of his Vice Presidents.
2. If Hammie then decides to call it quits and a bye-election is near, this does not necessarily augur well for the Dems. Many promises made that should have gained momentum by now are stagnating just where they started — in the minds of men with dubious motives. This would suggest that it is risky for a Government in power for less than a year to let Hammie wonder too far as an independent. They certainly would not want a bye-election and they would not cherish the thought that in a finicky way a loss is possible.
3. The young people across Barbados appeared to have supported the Dems for change; these same young people (and I am sure some of them believe they have been misled) would not necessarily choose sweetheart Undene because she has repeatedly tried and failed to gain their acceptance. In this regard, I believe Mia and the Bees’ objectives would best be served in getting a young person that connects with that constituency to set up permanent camp. With or without Hammie’s backing, more options remain open to the BLP than to the Dems or Hammie. I am sure that Thompson is aware of all that I have written.
Result: Hammie’s resignation presents a dilemma both for him and the Dems. His political standing is now seriously faltering.
Adrian
I understand that due to family commitments a man I had high hopes for may be exiting politics and a seat may become vacant.
If Hammie is playing games to see what happens he should think again because life will pass him by and his opportunity to make a mark will vanish.
He has a remarkable opportunity to act incisively to show up the party system for what it is.
He hasn’t got much to lose but he can win alot for us ignorant Bajans.
I think that this thing about Hammie being for poor people is being overblown. Could anyone fairly say that the BLP and the DLP were not for poor people? This does not mean that your measures will benefit poor people alone. What kind of society would you have then? What is Hammie doing that is any different except talking about it? It’s all a matter of ego, as far as I can see.
Juris
You can’t be in touch?? You can’t be serious?? The BLP is traditionally known for its support of the upper class over the poor and it tried to change this perception under Owen Arthur.
As to what Hammie is doing for poor people? Don’t ask him, ask the poor people.
What was Hammie’s margin of victory in the last elections? As far as I can remember, it wasn’t that much. Is it that he lost votes because he ran on a BLP ticket? I believe that if he runs as an independent, Undine would beat him, since she’s been cutting into his popularity for some time now, plus she’s working for the government doing what Hammie did for the previous one and I don’t think the P.M would use Hammie to do the same thing and cut into Undine’s support.
John
“He has a remarkable opportunity to act incisively to show up the party system for what it is.
“He hasn’t got much to lose but he can win alot for us ignorant Bajans.”
********************
Right on target and a few more Independent candidates would sure keep governments on their toes. Barbados is in a two party stranglehold, where it does not seem to make much difference changing parties in Government.
Having said that, thank God for free education and bus rides for the children to take advantage of their schooling. Fundamentally important.
On the other hand, thank God for the Ministry of Social Transformation under Hammie because a lot more people working now and a lot whose houses were caving in on them have comfortable homes and I have to wonder if he would have been given this opportunity under a DLP administration. Be honest!
ROK, you tell me to ask the poor people what Hammie has been doing for them. Are they still poor in spite of everything?
And that nonsense about the BLP being for rich people…it’s time it was put to rest. Politicians are about themselves first and anyone else thereafter.
Why are we generalizing? Is Lashley your everyday politician? Can we say that he has been motivated like your average politician? His focus even before politics has been about helping people, maybe it is his weakness i.e. his focus like Don Blackman always skewed in favour of welfare/social programs.
Maybe we should discussed Lashley’s actions in this context.
Scout
You are right that Hammie could not get Undine’s place. That would be unconscionable of the PM and downright unfair to Undine.
However, I think that the reduction which Hammie received was as a result of a swing. Consider that as it is now, taking out the party factor, he would more than likely retain the votes of party supporters from both sides who voted for him in the previous elections.
Hammie is the only politician I know who caused an inordinate amount of people to break their party ranks and vote for him. He has demonstrated that he has raw support, independent of any party from day one.
Maybe he could not have become so entrenched without prior party support, but is that a crime? Politicians are known for using people, what if they get used this time? We can now talk about opportunism in this context.
Juris,
I don’t know what you have against poor people. Being poor is a state of mind. They will obviously be still poor but better able to maintain themselves.
So because they are still poor, what are you saying? He did not give each (or any) of them a million dollars. If the BLP is for poor people, shouldn’t they be rich now?
You think that the BLP being for the plantocracy and for the upper class is a myth? Well you cannot change history. Not arguing with you on that either but what I will say to you is that whenever the DLP does something revolutionary for the people, the BLP tries to ride on its coat tail.
A good example is free education which some BLPites are trying to claim for Grantley Adams, but a selective process of bursaries could hardly be counted as free education and more like typical colonial mentality. Wonder what was the criteria for bursaries and how many could get as apposed to free for all and sundry.
You ask what has Hammie done? So what has Owen Arthur done that you can tangibly see, yet he is probably the best leader the BLP has ever had.
ROK, I am sorry that you appear to allow partisan politics top blind you about truth. Any politician, and I am buzzing bee, that tells you that one party is for the poor and another for the rich — they are liars. Deal with historical facts. Free education was introduced under Grantley Adams. It is also true that Errol Barrow extended and concretised this. I have no problems in Barrow receiving the accolades. Collectively, the greatest social revolutions in this country would have been achieved at different phases and under both DLP and BLP regimes. I do not consider ‘free busfares’ a social revolution and we also have to await the logevity and sustainability of this programme since it runs contrary to free market principles for which the country has to grapple with. I hope it succeeds and is maintained. There will be social and economic costs that may indeed lead to disruption (I hear one sector already crying out) but it is much too soon to measure its overall impact. For your information as well, the Ministry of Social Transformation played and continues to play a vital role in the Barbados economy, although from inception it is riddled with accusatory fingers. This ministry was not the brainchild of Lashley, although I know that he wanted to do even lots more to assist persons. Please bear in mind that there are rules and processes that govern the way people conduct business in government that may actually impede the delivery of social welfare programmes. It is a systems problem and not a party problem. Your very last rhetorical question is either put as mischief, or it innocently reflects your ignorance on the social development of Barbados coupled with an emotiveness which is attached to partisan politics. In the post-independence period, we have been blessed with Prime Ministers that have made some mark on this country’s progress. If you are willing to accede to a vain attempt suggesting Arthur did nothing, then you must reject Hammie as well. For it was under Arthur that he was allowed to make a contribution. If you feel that Arthur and Hammie could have done a bit more, we can find some consensus although I will point you to the fact that reduction in unemployment is no mean achievement and that in itself would have provided tremendous opportunities for people to help themselves out of the poverty trap. All I am asking, that while as political supporters we carry different views on some policies and practices, to deny the contributions made in making Barbados the number one developing country is another starting point for collapse. Give each political party and government their just rewards as well as their lashes, but stay connected with the facts less you kick down the pedestal upon which you stand.
@ Someone said the ‘BLP Stalwart’ // September 13, 2008 at 4:41 pm
Fair comment. I think you misunderstood the context of the comment though, because I actually suggested that if there was no Owen, Hammie would probably not have made the contribution he did.
One point that we will disagree on, is that awarding bursaries to some cannot constitute free education within the concept of a right to education and therefore there is no need to make a concession here to the DLP.
Actually to call that free education is misleading. If you are going to continue that argument then I would re-label and call it “free education for all”. There could then be no argument.
Additional to what you wrote ROK BU questions the sustainability of many of the jobs which have been created in the former government.
We all know that the employment numbers are still being influenced by the construction sector and several capital works projects, in fact we are starting to see a slow down and a correlation on the employment number.
While we welcome the boom in the construction sector there must be diversification in job creation if a country want to boast about low employment.
ROK wrote:
“You may be speaking as a middle class person but I want you to speak as a resident of the Pine because except for some staunch party supporters, they are truly fed up with politicians.”
ROK, I don’t know how you manage to get class involved here. Think for a moment what would happen with a party-less parliamentary system. Gridlock! Each independent would pander to the electorate and the result would be EVEN MORE special-interest political pandering as deals would have to be done to keep the country running.
The Westminster “first-past-the-post” system of elections probably should be replaced with a system of Proportional Representation.
What is needed in Barbados and elsewhere, however, is fewer politicians and more statesmen. It has been said that a politician thinks only about the next election. And that is true because the number 1 constraint in politics is to get re-elected. By contrast a statesman, like Sir Grantley Adams and the Rt. Excellent Errol Walton Barrow, thinks about THE NEXT GENERATION.
In defense of Mr. Lashley, he certainly appears to have the interests of his constituents at heart, and for this he is to be highly commended.
@ Diaspora-ite
Well maybe I should have said people who have secure, reasonably paying jobs. It is really a problem here. You see, when you are working you feel so comfortable that you can’t understand why others don’t have a job. You usually rationalise it by saying that they don’t want work or they are lazy or good-for-nothing.
Many of those who were unfortunate to lose what they considered to be a secured job, realise how hard it is in-between jobs; some never get back a job. Some are constantly in and out of jobs for many reasons and this in itself is a struggle. Then they realise how hard it must be for poor people; but don’t worry, this is short-lived because many only feel that way until they get back a job
So, many people at that level are insensitive to the unemployed, under-employed and poverty. This is what I should have really explained rather than short cut it by saying middle class. Just a question of terminology.
Has Undene been busy after elections?
Going by the numbers for the last three elections she should beat Hammie under ordinary circumstances ….. but Hammie has it in his hands to make the circumstances extraordinary.
He has to make the decision for himself if to force a by-election but the longer he waits I think the more power he loses.
John
Hammie has been used by many persons. Those can afford to pay their bills would take them to Hammie who would get them paid for them, sometimes out of his own pocket.Therefore, when the DLP lost, he jump ship so that he could carry on his duties. Now that the BLP has lost, he’s in trouble because he can’t return to the D’s to continue what he was doing, plus Undine was working steady but not as benevolent as him. The spoke in his wheel is that Undine is now also doing for the DLP what he was doing for the BLP, so he’s left in no-man-land. This is the end of Hammie because once he can’t pay these people bills they would gravitant towards Undine for assistance and dump him. This is the harsh thing about politics.
John
I am inclined to disagree with you. I think he may very well lose a bye-election now.
In the absence of party support, It would be safer for Hammie to show that he can properly represent the people as an independent.
He has four years in which he can make contributions in Parliament. For sure he will be judged on the wisdom of these contributions and his political savvy will be tested by whether or not he obtains timely and critical assistance for his constituents.
Consider also that he may very well wax as a philosopher in Parliament, now that he is on his own agenda. He has a lot of experience to pass on.
ROK // September 13, 2008 at 8:47 pm
John
In the absence of party support, It would be safer for Hammie to show that he can properly represent the people as an independent.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
My feeling is the safe way will condemn him for he did not procure the seat as an independent.
He got it representing himself to be a BLP man with BLP resources behind him.
If he stays as he is he will, I think, lose his position entirely.
No matter what he did or does or will do for the poor, he is saying to me he is not to be trusted and worse does not trust himself to stand up for what he says he believes in.
Maybe he doesn’t really believe in Hammie La.
He could as well go back to the DEMS!!
…. exept there is Undene and if he were to do this and be accepted back ….. man …….. back to the politics of inclusion.
Somebody would want locking up then.
He has little to lose by being bold.
If for one moment we believe Mr. Lashley could win the seat as an independent, we are deceiving ourselves and him.
He narrowly won it in the last election.
“On hindsight, “Hammy” was never a blue blood BLP member. His association there was a matter of convenience. In fact, when he was a member of the B”s he never criticised the DLP(Unlike the other inclusionees)
The best thing for him to do would be to: 1. Resign his seat. Or,
2. Rejoin the DLP
He will have to take one of the above options.
BLP –
This party is in turmoil. They are saddled with an unpopular leader.
Even though the BLP are masters of veiling their problems, history shows us that unproductive/unpopular leaders in this party are given little time.
As stated before, I don’t give Ms. Mottley beyond one term as Opposition Leader.
Just remembered. Mr. Arthur, as Opposition Leader (Part 2) didn’t last a week.
The scout said “Hammie has been used by many persons. Those can afford to pay their bills would take them to Hammie who would get them paid… Undine was working steady but not as benevolent as him.”
I say: Benevolent means good. It is NOT good to pay bills for people who can afford to pay them themselves. If Hammie was indeed doing this with the tax payers money or with his own, then he was NOT being good to the people in the Pine, nor to the taxpayers all over Barbados nor to himself. If indeed he did this he was creating an unhealthy dependence. In my books that is NOT good/benevolent.
That said even though I am neither B nor D. I agree with the PM as quoted on the front page of today’s Sunday Sun. When it comes to employment Bajans first. But BAJANS MUST GIVE A FAIR DAY’S WORK AND EMPLOYERS MUST PAY A FAIR DAY’S PAY. Government, the private sector, the workers and the unions must work together to weed out bad attitides from WORKERS and from EMPLOYERS.
Bajan’s first but not at CBC!
According to VOB moderators Mr. Lashley has been unable to join the call-in program. No discernible excuse has been given so far.
@ J
This question of payment of utility bills is a long standing social problem. To say that Hammie pay utility bills for those who can afford it, really, is being very petty.
Let us take a scenario of a mother with children who is working. Simply because a person is working does not mean they can foot all their domestic bills all the time. Ever heard of the “working poor”?
Well there are people who are working who sometimes need a small shot in the arm. For example, mothers/women who work for less than a certain amount, get a $500 payment through the Treasury annually.
This policy is in recognition of the working poor. So is this wrong? Government was doing it.
So for persons finding themselves in such a position, they would usually ask for a one off payment of some bill, to prevent their utilities from being cut.
The Welfare Department pays bills for people who are also working. This is after an assessment of the person and their household. This kind of relief has been going on for years.
Those people who can afford to pay their utility bills don’t go to him to pay a utility bill, their sights are set much higher. Most of them want to buy land and can’t get any, or have some problem at work, or need a letter written on their behalf to transact personal business.
These people come because the system is such that even though they have the wherewithal, the bureaucracy gets in their way.
Not all poor people come to get utilities paid. Many come becayse they too are trying to help themselves. A piece of land for agriculture or business or even housing. Some people may have accumulated all the materials for construction and rather than let the wood rot, he would send them tho UDC or even the Poverty Alleviation Bureau.
So this thing about paying for people who can afford, I can only say that I have not yet seen it. These are not rich people and when you have security guards working for next to nothing; people working in stores for minimum pay; a woman who working a tray and barely picking pennies??
I have never seen any BMWs pull up asking to get a bill paid. I have not seen any of those people who live in the heights and terraces come to get handouts; Even those who hold themselves up above the rest in the community don’t come with that. It would be embarrassing for them.
So we talking about poor people that need. Don’t think that Hammie alone pulls his pocket either. I have personally done a lot of that as well as everybody around Hammie; every last man. So are we all foolish?
That is why we started programmes such as the Meals-on-Wheels which is more than ten years old. That is also why Hammie started the Welfare to work programme to help those who became unemployable to help themselves.
To help people who were not working he started the debushing programme. The bottom line is that people are really not in for the handouts, ’cause they know that a handout is now-for-now.
The basic principle that we established early is that people do not want handouts and that we try to look at systems that allows people to help themselves.
Even with the Meals-on-Wheels programme, you had to go first and find out if the people would accept the food or foodstuffs and not all said yes.
We had to actually market the programme, and it started especially to help the elderly, shut-ins and the disabled who were getting home help from the NAB during the week but not on weekends.
So this perception of handouts is either pure speculation or propaganda. You have to be there and I am sure if you were there, you would see the situation and make a donation too. This is people we are talking about, that are suffering.
Ok ROK I was just quoting the scout.
I have nothing against helping people who find themselves in a bind and need a temporary hands-up. I have nothing agianst helping the elderly, disabled etc. who may require long term help. I agree with you that most people would prefer work so that they can help themselves. I know that many people work for low wages. I know that family emergencies and tragedies happen and that at those time paents and families will need help. I am not hard hearted. I’d like to see every last child in Barbados attached to a father. If the government has to pay for DNA testing so be it. If the father isn’t dead, or sick, or imprisoned I’d like them all to supporting their children as most men and women already do
@ J
I would suggest that you join forces with MESA as they are trying to deal with that right now. We got to start with the legislation and I am sure that Mr. Boyce could do with all the assistance he can get right now.
Needless to say, this is one of the problems that we have been struggling with (including Hammie) over the years.
As a matter of fact, Joey Harper would tell you that I was a thorn in the side of the Child Care Board for years over the way they were handling children, until they started to deal more humanely with these situations. Went to the court on a few occasions too in order to help parents deal with the CCB.
There was a Department under the AG called Victim Support and there was a lady there who used to draw our attention to a lot of these cases and seek our intervention; in some cases to try to find alternative housing for parents who were being threatened with the removal of their children from their homes by the CCB if they did not get better housing. We talking about poor people who can barely buy a mint.
I believe that a discussion on children and the relationship of parents is for another thread. It is an entire issue in itself because we would have to reflect on the social services and how they approach the problems. Bottom line is that there was no coordination of the social services and even though Hammie did a lot as Minister to bring the Departments together, the kind of service delivery required by them is still not there.
The notes which we have been receiving suggest that Hammie Lashley as a Minister was terrible handling the budget of the Ministry of Social Transformation. At this stage we are not sure if he was relieved of his Ministry because of this or his medical condition.
Whatever the reason we should make the point that the former Prime Minister created a ministry which he felt only Lashley could manage, or are we being sucked into the politics of inclusion too?
I tired of this discussion. I can’ even get a word in edgewise…
@ David
I am not sure how much more I can deal with this subject because of the wild accusations. It is becoming a kind of strain and I am not accustomed to being on the defence like this. If Hammie had a Phd and thiefing we would not know about it.
Let me say that the minister does not handle the budget. That is handled by the Permanent Secretary in any Ministry and the PS is the chief accounting officer. If he/she says no, it is no and if he/she says yes, you can be sure that it fits into some policy or law or programme which was approved by Cabinet or Parliament, which he/she is bound to follow.
In a lot of cases where Hammie tried to get his PS to mobilize funds, are those cases of funds which usually simply sit in the Ministry and not get spent. Hammie would make sure that the PS spend the money on the projects and programmes. He would come up with programmes, or ask somebody to come up with some.
Issues really came at the point of the estimates as to what would be approved or not. In some instances his own PS was cutting budgets.
I lived later on to hear a PS of Social Transformation say publicly, that anytime he was again in charge of the Child Care Board budget or could make input, he would make sure they get every cent they asked for.
This thing about the Minister mis-handling funds is not correct. Not only that, there was this mis-conception that the UDC was under the Ministry of Social Transformation, because that was a charade. The constituencies of all the Ministers and government parliamentarians were well taken care of between the UDC and the RDC in pecking order.
You wonder why Hammie did not have any control over UDC? Or wonder why OT was so much in control. Hammie used to have to beg for what he wanted. He swallowed his pride and still sent people to UDC. Let the contractors, painters, and other workmen tell you how they were treated when they were sent by Hammie??
Another mis-conception was the Poverty Alleviation Fund. I heard David Ellis mekking sport at the Fund but let me say that the Chairman of that Fund was the Director of Finance and Planning. I don’t have to tell you how a finance officer moves. He has to be transparent. Hammie had no kind of say in the allocation of those funds.
That fund also used to pay bills for people and it is the DF&P and his committee that would decide. The committee had on it, heads of departments like the Welfare department, etc.
These people would grill anybody that came before them, because all applicants were interviewed by the Committee and were required to submit all relevant information beforehand.
The Committee would then go through the information and get supplemental information where necessary, and only when they were fully armed, would they call in the applicant.
In response to David Ellis, I am fairly sure that Hammie has nothing to answer to as Minister of Social Transformation as far as UDC and the Poverty Alleviation Fund is concerned. The DF&P was also the Chair of the Social Development Fund.
That is as much as I know, but we have to understand that I really was not very close to that end of the situation. I was merely an advocate for those who I took to UDC for the then Minister, either seeking help or work, so I know the stress first hand. Sometimes you ask yourself if Hammie was really the Minister here.
There is only one thing I want to say here is that Governance is the key. Government tends to withhold too much information which ought to be public.
That is why BANGO has been on a campaign to see at least one NGO on each board and committee of Government and has been encouraging Government Departments to embrace and partner with NGOs working in their specific areas.
My experience is that one NGO on a board, considerably curtails the corruption and in many cases brings fresh perspectives to national issues and challenges that traditionally trouble these statutory corporations and committees.
Gees ROK,
Man this is why I read the blogs…
Any way I used to like Chris Sinkler. Now he looks like a true true baboon, another Euro-puppet. His broadcast this evening is one time when I feel the messenger should get shoot.
@ BAFBFP
Chris Sinkler spent at least the last five years up and down the Caribbean, all across Africa and in the EU preaching against the signing of the EPAs.
I heard him say that a lot of the concerns were dealt with. However, the text of the agreement has rally not changed between December and now but suddenly his position changed.
Now I have no problem with that insofar as he could claim not to have full knowledge prior to now, but to come on the TV and say that it is the best deal for the past thirty years is a bit too much.
The other problem I have is that the organisation which he headed over that time is still against the EPA and as a matter of fact coordinated the main NGO event in Barbados.
My concern here is that he said that he read the EPA in full and have come to a different light. Why then did he not share this light with his former NGO?
I recently saw Renwick Rose from WINFA which had joined forces with CPDC to pull off all kinds of demonstrations, not only in St. Vincent but also St. Lucia (the St. Lucians got an APB out for him), Barbados, Brussels, etc. When I asked him about his comrade at arms, he could not say a word.
Hope you see the point about information disclosure though.
J
How is poor classified? They were people, young ladies, who would have treir bills paid by Hammie but yet have money to go to fetes and buy their bling. I am saying lots of them have their piorities wrong. We have created a mendecant society and that’s not nice for this country
@The Scout
What you have written is a sweeping generalization. While it is true that some people Lashley helped may not have been worthy even his stauncest critic agrees that Lashley’s willingness to help was taken advantage of by some. Even our Welfare Department has been known to help people who don’t need it.
We need to remove party politics from our discussions when it doesn’t apply. Lashley is not a politician but he has decided to use politics in his quest to help poor people. If we had a few more like Lashley poor people would be better represented.
George Payne and Dale Marshall do not like Mia Mottley… So what about her number ine campaigner Gregory Nicholls, dey ain’ all from the same camp? Let me tell ya George Payne and Associates should be made to declare their assets before and after the last admin.
… the organisation which he headed over that time is still against the EPA and as a matter of fact coordinated the main NGO event in Barbados.
ROK, in whose interest is Chris Sinkler serving now? Certainly not mine, I am neither a Doctor nor Lawyer and I am damned sure that Rupe and Rihanna would be rich with or without an EPA.
David
I’m not saying that there are not poor people really needing help but the situation is getting out of hand and too many who don’t need the assistance is actually getting at the expense of others who really need, all depends on where you live and who is your representative. Once Hammie is not in the governing party, he is useless to most of those who shout for him. The BLP has created this mendecant spirit and it was blown out of propotion by Hammie, to the point where even the party was getting very worried.At one stage Hammie was going against the instructions of cabinet but the then P.M was lenient with him. He would not get that leniency from David Thompson or Mia Mottley. It would be better for him to resign now that he is still on top, if he remains he can become very unpopular.