At the Barbados Free Press we have a simple policy for the use of our words by anyone else…
You may freely use our words, in part or whole, for any purpose, as long as they are clearly attributed to “Barbados Free Press”.
So to our Canadian friends visiting Barbados with your Prime Minister Stephen Harper: go ahead! Quote Barbados Free Press as much as you like.
Marcus, Shona, George, Cliverton, Robert and Auntie Moses
8 Comments
July 17, 2007 at 2:18 pm
what does Barney Lynch know that the United States congress, many other governments and that the Union Network International, a global labour federation representing some 900 trade unions with more than 15 million members around the world, doesn’t know?
http://www.nationnews.com/story/304028785529909.php
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_27/b4041088.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index
July 17, 2007 at 3:08 pm
We the citizens of Barbados extend a warm welcome to you the Prime Minister of Canada Mr. Stephen Harper, and your official party to Barbados. We hope you find your stay enjoyable and apart from official duties, relaxing.
To the Canadian media we are delighted that you are here, and we know with your talent for investigative reporting you will investigate the “real” stories behind the spin you will be offically told.
We the people have been treated with “silence” to questions asked, we hope you will discover truth and do and objective and fair report to some of the concerns of ordinary Barbados citizens.
There is a question of an excess $750.000 deposited into the personal bank account of the Prime Minister. We are told it was for the Barbados Labour Party, but why was it deposited into his personal bank account.
Chinese workers are at work in Barbados, we are told they are not here legally if the Government Minister and the Chief Immigration Officer are to be believed from the statements they have made. Yet the chinese workers are working without hinderence as if nothing has happened, and no questions have been answered, there is only “silence.”
A Government Minister was asked in a studio, how he has accumulated so much wealth in a relatively short time, he left the studio in a huff and the show’s host has been verbally castrated by Government Ministers.
Private citizens have had their lands expropriated by the Government, only to see favoured persons with Government connections make use of them to build their own houses.
To disagree with the Government in open debate is to invite retribution, of the most severe kind.
Corruption is not only seen, it has become the norm under several guises, “consultancy fees” has a special meaning and legs of its own, they often run with sachels of cash strapped to their calves and the consultancy aspect is limited to how much?
Talk to ordinary citizens “in confidence”, I implore you, and the you will have a “real” story from the crevices, where accumulation of personal wealth lurks, and where the ordinary citizens who dare to ask pertinent questions are ignored, brow beaten and treated with contempt, we have become the “invisible people”.
July 17, 2007 at 7:06 pm
I can only hope that the Canadian Journalist has contacted BFP as a result of e-mails sent to the Office of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. When you consider the huge debt owed to Canada by Barbados was “written off” by a previous government that perhaps this government will be willing to examine where the money went and not make the same mistake.
July 17, 2007 at 7:19 pm
Note to Stephen Harper. You will know that the Chinese just gave a huge sum so you are expected to do it if only to keep Barbados on the side of the east. (Here we call that blackmail.)
The real story, though, is that the government and their cronies here have secreted the Chinese money and we are not to hear or see about any of it.
The trap is that along with the Chinese money comes pressure and encouragement to do away with democracy.Little by little the Barbados government have been doing just that.
So if you are going to give Barbados anything make sure it starts with assistance in implementing conflict, FOI, and transparency laws like you have back in Canada. That is the only hope for a strong, democratic country that you would be happy to call your neighbour.
July 17, 2007 at 8:01 pm
THIS, Barbados Free Press, is the real deal.
NOT the propaganda you’ll be hearing from the Bimbo Labour Party that runs this country, into the ground.
THIS is the Real Deal.
Just remember that, okay?
Our economy STINKS. It’s ONE-SIDED.
It supports the Business Labour Party and its members, pimps and cohorts.
All others can suck salt,as far as the BLp is concerned.
There are TONS of PERCEIVED CORRUPTION on this little can-of-worms island that used to be Canada’s playground back in the 70s.
Please write as frankly about Barbados as we do. climate aside!
(Can’t take the “wonderful” climate to the supermarket to pay for groceries, even if we don’t have heating bills)
July 18, 2007 at 12:04 am
Dear Canadian Reporters
We really need your help in Barbados. Freedom of the press is an illusion here. Search for “David Ellis” in the search box at the top of this blog.
Here are a few places to get you started:
http://barbadosfreepress.wordpress.com/2007/04/03/nation-news-robert-best-barbados-reporters-know-about-corruption-but-are-not-free-to-investigate-and-report-it/
http://barbadosfreepress.wordpress.com/2007/03/30/attention-barbados-offshore-investors-and-transparency-international-corruption-stories-being-hidden-by-barbados-media-government/
http://barbadosfreepress.wordpress.com/2007/03/26/barbados-tourism-minister-flees-radio-talk-show-over-question-of-personal-assets-and-integrity-legislation/
http://barbadosfreepress.wordpress.com/2007/03/22/barbados-minister-of-tourism-dictates-to-cowardly-starcom-network-adrian-loveridge-not-allowed-on-brass-tacks-radio-show-panel/
July 18, 2007 at 1:02 am
To the Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper and members of the press I would say welcome.
While in the island one book I would suggest to the Canadian press group and delegation to thumb through is the book ‘Passport to the Heart — Reflections on Canada Caribbean Relations.’ I learned a lot about Canadian-Caribbean ties from it. It is by a Barbadian author by the name Trevor A. Carmichael. ISBN: 976-637-028-1. The book has 184 pages and covers the ups and downs between the Caribbean affiliations over the last 120 + years. From trade links, to the many different flirtations of suggested political unions involving the then territories of the North Atlantic+Caribbean including Saint Lucia, Belize, The Bahamas, Bermuda, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, The Turks and Caicos and others with the Canadian Confederation and so on. The book also gives an incite to numerous examples of past collaborations between the Canadian Maritimes and the West Indies from the 1800’s to the present. The book will help gain an understanding of what Canada and the region have done in the past which may not be readily apparent and certainly cannot be absorbed in all of about 2 hectic days.
I would also note, after your arrival I would hope that you had the chance to briefly notice the redesigned Grantley Adams Airport arrivals hall. The new arrivals hall was a recent example of large-scale Canadian-Barbadian construction collaboration in the country. The Canadian company Queen’s Quay Architects International Inc. of Toronto assisted with much of the architectural work involved in the new Arrivals Hall. (Their renderings of the hall can be seen on their website http://www.q2a.net/ )
Queen’s Quay Architects is also in the process of lending their knowledge with the future upgrade of the airport to include jetway-bridges.
In the past both countries have also had ambitions to form a Canada Barbados Business Association CBBA which could also stand to be given a little resuscitation. http://www.barbados.org/business/cbba/
If you have the opportunity to pass through the parish of Saint James, one can see the local campus of Montreal based McGill University which goes by the name locally Bellairs Institute.
July 18, 2007 at 1:22 am
Hello Mr Harper, Welcome to the lighter side of life, Bim.
Did you bring any canadian beer with you? If you did’nt, turn on the Micheal Buble’ and try a Banks, its top notch eh!
Enjoy.