The Big Issues

The Big Issues

By The Big Issues Production TeamNewsNews Commentary
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The Big Issues episodes

  • St. Vincent, La Soufrière Eruption, Sixteen Days Later

    It’s been sixteen days since the eruption of the volcano in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. We talk to a teacher, a policeman and a businessman about how the country is adapting to the sorrowful conditions left in the eruption's wake. They say the panic has subsided and the focus is on providing for people wherever they are - in shelters, or in homes. Help from the region and beyond has been coming in, but the disruption caused to routine business and livelihoods, as well as to healthcare and education has been devastating. 

    An entire section of the St. Vincent remains a no-go zone since the initial eruption on April 9th. Many people's homes have been destroyed by ash.  Many have been made homeless. Many more are now without work and uncertainty about the future is the new reality. And to make matters worse, COVID-19 is still a crisis in and of itself - one exacerbated by the the fact that the eruption has put two medical facilities on the island out of use. We speak about all this and more. 

    The host is Kieron Murdoch. The guests are:

    1. Kenrick Quashie, the CEO of Squeeze Cash Ltd.
    2. Janielle Browne, a secondary school English teacher.
    3. Brenton Smith, a Station Sergeant of Police in the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force.


      4. This programme first aired on NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM on April 25th, 2021. Get the latest news from Antigua and Barbuda at the Antigua Observer online.

      41 min
    4. Gyms React to 'Devastating' 3-Month Closure, Reopening, & Athletic Club Going Under

      Paying bills without doing any business is something many are having to do amidst the COVID-19 recession. After a while, it simply can't go on. We spoke to gym operators here in Antigua and Barbuda about how they'd been impacted during the 3-month closure that went into effect at the beginning of February amidst an alarming rise in COVID-19 infections. They say it has been rough, and they reacted with dismay as one gym - the Antigua Athletic Club (AAC) - announced going out of business this month, due to the impact of February's ongoing mandatory gym closure. 

      As they prepare to reopen tomorrow (Monday, April 26), these gym operators are assuring their patrons that much is being done to make gyms safe spaces in spite of COVID-19, and they're encouraging people to make the best of the circumstances. In the discussion, we also touched on the impact that being away from one's usual outlets for physical activity and socialization can have on one's mental health. 

      The host is Kieron Murdoch. The guests are:

      1. Brent Emmanuel joins us as a spokesman for Twist Fitness.
      2. Bernard Percival joins us as a spokesman for Xtreme Health and Fitness Ltd. 
      3. Donny Roseau joins us as a spokesman for the Jolly Harbour Gym.


        4. This programme first aired on NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM on April 25th, 2021. Some portions of the original programme have been deleted to make the episode shorter. Get the latest news from Antigua and Barbuda at the Antigua Observer online.

        19 min
      4. Sexism? Poor Taste? Gaston and the 'Pretty Young Ladies'

        This episode apparently upset the Prime Minister Gaston Browne so much, that he lashed out at one of our guests afterwards through his usual means - Facebook. What were we talking about? Browne made a comment, again, on Facebook, which many had criticized as sexist, or inappropriate, or at least in poor taste. It was made in relation to the possibility of Vincentian evacuees fleeing the volcano eruption in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and coming to Antigua and Barbuda. “Me done tell Comrade Ralph to send all the young pretty ladies. We need to expand our population,” the Prime Minister said. 

        It solicited a wave or criticism and eventually made news across the region. In this episode we asked whether the PM's comments were offensive or inappropriate for any reason, and whether we need to improve on what we accept and expect from politicians, both in person and on social media. The host is Kieron Murdoch. 

        The guests are: 

        1. Carlon Knight, a political and social commentator. He’s currently a graduate student studying economics.  
        2. Dr. Kristina Hinds, a Senior Lecturer in Political Science and International Relations at The University of the West Indies (UWI) Cavehill. 
        3. Dr. Oswald Thomas, political analyst, currently director of political affairs at New York firm, paramount communications. Dr. Oswald Thomas was politically active in Antigua over many years with the Antigua Labour Party. 


          4. This programme first aired on NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM on April 18th, 2021. Get the latest news from Antigua and Barbuda at the Antigua Observer online.

          37 min
        4. Nigel Christian: Nine Months & Three Arrests Later, What Can We Say?

          The police have charged three men in the Nigel Christian murder case. It's a case they've been working on for 9-months, during which time they came under enormous pressure to catch the killers. The case was a subject of national attention. But is that surprising? Christian was kidnapped and executed in a manner totally uncommon to Antigua and Barbuda. Soon it was speculated that it might have something to do with a major fraud probe at Customs where he worked. But no one ever demonstrated that, and the police kept cautioning against the conjecture as they kept calling it. 

          Now that three men have been charged, we ask our guests about the significance of this development, and if the public might ever understand why Nigel Christian met his end in the horrible way that he did. The host is Kieron Murdoch.

          The guests are:

          1. Nuffield Burnette, retired Assistant Commissioner of Police here in Antigua and Barbuda.
          2. Rishi Maharaj, joining us from Trinidad and Tobago, he’s the Chief Executive Officer of Disclosure Today, an NGO advocating for transparency in business and in government.
          3. Dr. David Hinds, a political analyst and commentator on Caribbean affairs and is presently Associate Professor of African American and Caribbean Studies at the Arizona State University.


            4. This programme first aired on NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM on April 18th, 2021. Get the latest news from Antigua and Barbuda at the Antigua Observer online.

            35 min
          4. Who Cares If Gaston Browne Started a Farm? (Here's Why You Should)

            It's not that the Prime Minister Gaston Browne started a farm. That's not what should have gotten your attention. It's the question of whether simply being the Prime Minister gave him an advantage in getting government lands for his farm, and getting the public utilities authority's help to access water. It's the same question that looms every time a public official has a business interest that benefits from the state. We ask ourselves, did they take advantage? They invariably reply: Of course not! But in this episode our guests say that the mere assurance from a minister that he or she is beyond reproach isn't enough. 

            The Prime Minister's farm represents more than we think. It represents how we allow elected officials to operate in a very very grey area - having the power to make decisions that could benefit their business interests, but being subject to few restraints on the temptation to do so. We ought to have a working Integrity Commission in Antigua and Barbuda. We don't. It ought to inspect public officials' business interests and publicly report on them, especially in cases where those interests benefit from the state. It doesn't. 

            Where does that leave us? It means we're relying on elected officials to be on their best behaviour voluntarily. These are the issues we discuss in this episode. Our guests say Antigua and Barbuda's laws on disclosure could be significantly improved, but more importantly, those laws need to be enforced. The host is Kieron Murdoch.

            Our guests are:

            1. Akaash Maharaj, Ambassador-at-Large for the Global Organisation of Parliamentarians Against Corruption. The body is an international alliance of elected parliamentarians, aiming to combat corruption, strengthen good governance, and uphold the rule of law. 
            2. Matthew Aubrey, Executive Director of the Organization for Responsible Governance.
            3. Dwyer Astaphan, attorney joining us from St. Kitts. He has also been a Minister of National Security for St. Kitts and Nevis.


              4. This programme first aired on NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM on April 18th, 2021. Get the latest news from Antigua and Barbuda at the Antigua Observer online.

              44 min
            4. Wendel Robinson: In 3 Minutes, Lawyer Dorsett Explains Decision to Appeal

              Attorney for the Police Service Commission (PSC), Dr. David Dorsett explains why the PSC plans to appeal the ruling of the High Court which came down in Wendel Robinson's favour in late March. Robinson, the former Commissioner of Police, had challenged his sacking and denial of pension as unjust, and the court agreed. But in this 3-minute and 25-second bonus episode, Dr. Dorsett lists the issues he says are grounds for an appeal.

              The guest is:

              1. Dr. David Dorsett, attorney with Watt, Dorsett and Hewlett Law.

                2. This programme first aired on NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM on April 11th, 2021. Get the latest news from Antigua and Barbuda at the Antigua Observer online.

                4 min
              2. St. Vincent in Crisis: What is Antigua & Barbuda Doing?

                Two hundred and fifty evacuees from St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) are expected in Antigua. But where are they staying? Who is responsible for coordinating their support while they are here? Are there plans for COVID-19 testing? These are the questions we answer  in this episode (April 11, 2021). SVG Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves was in tears as he said thank you for the support offered by countries such as Antigua and Barbuda.


                Since the eruption of La Soufrière on Friday, April 9, the situation has gotten rapidly worse in SVG. Pictures and videos show scenes of blanket ash coverage. What was once green is completely grey. Homes are abandoned. Ash has destroyed property. People are in shelters. And the eruption is continuing. In this segment we discuss the regional response. We ask how ordinary citizens can help as well.

                The host is Kieron Murdoch. The guests are:

                1. Philmore Mullin, Director of the National Office of Disaster Services in Antigua and Barbuda, the agency better known as NODS.
                2. Jeremy Collymore, a former executive director of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, CDEMA.


                  3. This programme first aired on NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM on April 11th, 2021. Get the latest news from Antigua and Barbuda at the Antigua Observer online.

                  29 min
                3. St. Vincent in Crisis: The Eruption's Impacts

                  Ash, ash, ash, ash and more ash. There's ash everywhere in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) right now (April 11, 2021) and the country is in a serious crisis. Since the eruption of La Soufrière on Friday, April 9, a heavy downpour of volcanic ash has choked the air, blocked out the sun, and in many, many cases, crushed the rooves of Vincentians' homes. Terrain for miles is blanketed with the stuff. 

                  Thousands have now been moved into shelters and an entire area, known as the Red Zone, is now an exclusion site - meaning no one should go there. On this episode we talk to an urban planner who lives in SVG and is there now, about how the eruption has affected the island, and more importantly, what authorities say could happen next. 

                  The host is Kieron Murdoch. The guest is:

                  1. Allanson Cruikshank, who is currently in SVG, and is a geographer, and an urban and regional planner. He has done research about urban planning in relation to disaster risk associated with the volcano.


                    2. This programme first aired on NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM on April 11th, 2021. Get the latest news from Antigua and Barbuda at the Antigua Observer online.

                    30 min
                  2. St. Vincent in Crisis: First Hand Accounts

                    It's bad now, but it could get much worse. People need clean water in continuous supply. Rivers and surface water sources are contaminated with ash. Some worry whether food might become harder to get. The chaos has left some people without a meal for days as they struggle to navigate a landscape blanketed with ash - so much ash that rooftops have collapsed. Thousands have been forced to abandon their homes to the wrath of La Soufrière. But the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) seem intent on pressing on. 

                    In this episode (April 11, 2021) our guests are in SVG. They give first hand accounts of what it's been like leading up to, and since the eruption on Friday, April 9. They say while much has been done, much still needs doing in order to get everyone sheltered, safe and stocked. The volcano meanwhile, is still spewing, and it's not anticipated to stop just yet.

                    The host is Kieron Murdoch. The guests are:

                    1. Brenton Smith, a station sergeant of police in the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force. He has been a police officer for the past twenty-six (26) years. He is current Chairman of the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Welfare Association.
                    2. Kaville Hazlewood, a student at The University of the West Indies (UWI) St. Augustine. He is the Public Relations Officer of the UWI St. Augustine Guild of Students. 


                      3. This programme first aired on NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM on April 11th, 2021. Get the latest news from Antigua and Barbuda at the Antigua Observer online.

                      52 min
                    3. What Next After the BPM's Triumph in Barbuda?

                      The latest Barbuda Council Elections happened on Monday March 29th. The Barbuda Peoples' Movement (BPM) beat the Antigua Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) to win all five council seats up for election. What will the impact of the election be now that the ABLP has no representation on the council? Why did Barbudans embrace the BPM in this election? Why was the ABLP so roundly rejected? What will it mean for the future of Council-Government relations which were already under strain? These are the questions we tackle in this episode.

                      The host is Kieron Murdoch. The guests are:

                      1. J'moul Francis, Law and Policy Consultant. Commonwealth Scholar.
                      2. Chaniel Imhoff, entrepreneur, mental health and political activist, and a Democratic National Alliance (DNA) Team Leader in St. Peter.
                      3. Carlon Knight, Antiguan graduate student abroad. Social and political commentator.


                        4. This programme first aired on NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM on April 4th, 2021. Get the latest news from Antigua and Barbuda at the Antigua Observer online.

                        31 min

                      About The Big Issues

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                      From the remote twin-island paradise of Antigua and Barbuda, weekly guest panels discuss the biggest issues of politics, economy, people and culture, that make its sun-kissed shores famous and infamous.