The Big Issues

The Big Issues

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The Big Issues episodes

  • Hands Filled With Bribes? Charity vs. Buying Votes

    An election is thought to be very near in Antigua and Barbuda, and politicians are making their presence felt, often through charity and donations to those in need. But there is a line to be drawn, as a voter should never be influenced by handouts from candidates. In this episode, we ask: When should "charity" be considered voter bribery or inducement?

    The host is Kieron Murdoch. The guests are:

    1. Ms. Jeanette A Calder, Executive Director of the Jamaica Accountability Meter Portal (JAMP). JAMP is a non-partisan, non-government and not-for-profit company dedicating itself to improved governance in Jamaica.
    2. Mr. Don Anderson, Pollster and Political Analyst based in Jamaica. He is Chairman CEO of Market Research Services (Jamaica) Limited. And he has done work in Antigua & Barbuda. He was also a Lecturer in Research Methods at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona.
    3. Dr. Winford James, an educator and political analyst based in Trinidad and Tobago.
    4. Dr. Dalano DaSouza, Assistant Lecturer in Economics at the UWI Cave Hill. Co-host of the ‘A Lawyer & a Policy Analyst Walk into a Bar’ podcast. This podcast raises awareness about Caribbean economic, political, legal and social issues in a way that any citizen can understand.


      5. More on this episode:

      Political patronage is the practice of dispensing state resources as a reward for political and electoral support. State resources can include public sector contracts or a positions and jobs in the public service. Clientelism or client politics is the exchange of goods and services for political support, often involving an implicit or explicit quid-pro-quo. The fact that politicians across the Caribbean do this is no secret. 

      "Helping" your constituents has long become the norm. These days, few even question whether it is right for politicians to lavish potential voters with material and monetary assistance, or fund sports teams, IT centres, and community projects in their own name and from their own pockets. But what is the point of an election then? To see which party is willing to spend more? Why don't we simplify the process and just let politicians bid openly on seats in Parliament? 

      Yet, in the chronically poverty stricken communities of the region, many people welcome the "good will" of whoever may arrive in their community to fund sports, buy schoolbags, pay medical bills, help with funeral costs, or secure them a job through exerting political influence. Nonetheless, it is clear that such actions skew our democratic electoral process by influencing the support of some voters by spending money. That means that some votes in an election can simply be bought in some way or another. 

      This programme first aired on NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM on December 5th, 2021. Get the latest news from Antigua and Barbuda at the Antigua Observer online.

      42 min
    5. HIV/AIDS: Still Dogged by Static Policies & Culture

      World AIDS Day 2021 is being observed under the theme “end inequalities. End AIDS.” When it comes to a disease which has so radically impacted Caribbean society and public health, we find ourselves asking: How far has the Caribbean come in combatting AIDS and the spread of HIV, and what is essential to build on that progress in this decade?

      The host is Kieron Murdoch. The guests are:

      1. Ms. Eleanor Frederick, Executive Director and Founder and director of Antigua and Barbuda HIV/AIDS Network (ABHAN). She holds a master’s in Public Health from Columbia University. 
      2. Ms. Sannia Sutherland, Head of Programmes at the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition. She is a former Director of Technical Coordination and Programme Management with the Ministry of Health of Jamaica and brings more than 15 years of knowledge and experience in Programme Management, HIV & AIDS and Communication.
      3. Dr. Rosmond Adams, Director of the Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP) and President of the Caribbean Family Planning Affiliation (CFPA). He is a Medical Doctor, a Public Health Specialist, and a Bioethicist. He has over 12 years’ experience working in the Caribbean in the field of medicine and public health responding to new and emerging diseases and to advance the elimination of diseases in the region such as HIV/AIDS. He has also served as the National Epidemiologist in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Head of Communicable Diseases, Health Information and Emergency Response at the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and now the Director of PANCAP.


        4. This programme first aired on NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM on December 5th, 2021. Get the latest news from Antigua and Barbuda at the Antigua Observer online.

        37 min
      4. What is a Republic Worth? (Antigua)

        There are some who are eager to see Antigua and Barbuda follow the lead of Barbados in ending the official reign of the British monarchy and adopting a non-executive president to lead a Republic. Simple enough, right? Others are not enthusiastic, and think that partisan ramblings along those lines are merely a distraction from the bread-and-butter issues of the day. But does that mean that it should not happen? In this episode, we ask: What appetite is there for republicanism in Antigua and Barbuda, and could it ever get passed a referendum?

        The host is Kieron Murdoch. The guests are:

        1. Mr. Carlon Knight, political and socio-economic affairs commentator.
        2. Dr. George Brathwaite, Lecturer in the Department of Government, Sociology, Social Work and Psychology at The University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill. Former Consultant Editor at the Caribbean Times.
        3. Ms. Beverly George, an attorney at law admitted to practice in New York State, and the United States Supreme Court. Locally, she is admitted in Jamaica and Antigua & Barbuda.  She currently holds the position as Principal Court Attorney to an Acting Supreme Court Justice in New York.  She is also an officer of Antiguans and Barbudans for Constitutional Reform and Education, and a regular host of their weekly radio show Constitution Corner.


          4. More on this episode: 

          What does a republicanism even mean for us? Properly, a republic is a state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and which has an elected or nominated president rather than a monarch. For us, being a "parliamentary constitutional monarchy" means that we already ostensibly treat the people (through democracy) and our elected representatives as the supreme power. It's not as if either the monarch Elizabeth II, or the Governor General Sir Rodney Williams, actually govern Antigua and Barbuda in any way. We elect MPs for that. 

          We have long been a monarchy only in title, but in practice a republic. So for us, republicanism becomes merely an official name change and the amending of the constitution to expunge the things like "monarchy" and "heirs and successors". But some don't much like the simplicity of that. They was "republicanism" to mean far more - a serious introspection on how our political institutions function with the aim of arriving at more impactful reforms that make the system more accountable, more representative, and more just. 

          This programme first aired on NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM on December 5th, 2021. Get the latest news from Antigua and Barbuda at the Antigua Observer online.

          43 min
        4. 'You Throne Gone Down'. Barbados is a Republic

          As it marks 55 years of independence since 1966, Barbados is replacing the British monarchy with a non-executive presidency in a move well received in that country and across the Caribbean, but considered long overdue. In this episode, we ask: Why has Barbados and the rest of the English-speaking Caribbean, including Antigua and Barbuda, been so indifferent on the question of abandoning the monarchy for the last 60 years?

          The host is Kieron Murdoch. The guests are:

          1. Prof. Cynthia Barrow-Giles, Professor of Political Science at the UWI Cave Hill. Her research areas include Governance and democracy in the English-speaking Caribbean, political party and elections campaign spending, elections in the English-speaking Caribbean, Women and politics in Latin America and the Caribbean, and Corruption in the Caribbean.
          2. Mr. Dorbrene O’Marde, a noted Pan-Africanist in Antigua and Barbuda, and currently the chairman of Antigua and Barbuda's Reparations Support Commission. He is a director and producer of theatre and music. He is a playwright, a columnist; and a calypso writer, judge and analyst. Among his principal interests are Caribbean History, and Black political thought.
          3. Mr. Jomo Sanga Thomas, an attorney-at-law, journalist, social commentator in St, Vincent and the Grenadines. He was formerly Speakers of the House there. 


            4. This programme first aired on NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM on November 28th, 2021. Get the latest news from Antigua and Barbuda at the Antigua Observer online.

            38 min
          4. 'Them Days, We Suck Salt To Survive' (Food Price Hike)

            The cost of food seems to be rising in Antigua and Barbuda, amidst a harsh recession caused by Covid-19. In this episode we ask: What is causing the price hike? How seriously is it affecting consumers? And is there really an immediate solution?

            The host is Kieron Murdoch. The guests are:

            1. Ms. Petra Williams, economist and business management consultant.
            2. Mr. Vincent Cornelius, owner of Wheels Supermarket.
            3. Mr. George Purcell, a farmer.
            4. Dr. Jeanelle Joseph, Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension Faculty of Food and Agriculture, at the UWI St. Augustine. She is also the Co-chair of the Caribbean Agricultural Extension Providers' Network.

              5. (The title is a reference to the lyrics of the song Gold Rush by calypsonian King Obstinate)

              This programme first aired on NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM on November 28th, 2021. Get the latest news from Antigua and Barbuda at the Antigua Observer online.

              33 min
            5. UPP Bus Trio 'Not Guilty', But Are They Innocent?

              Three former United Progressive Party (UPP) ministers who were accused of corruption and tried for conversion and embezzlement over the allegation that they appropriated government owned buses, have been declared not guilty by a judge who found the evidence in the case was too weak. In this episode, we ask: What lead to the ‘no case’ verdict? Was the investigation merely “a political witch hunt” as one of the acquitted, former Education minister Dr. Jacqui Quinn said? And were ethical wrongs committed, despite the not guilty verdict?

              The host is Kieron Murdoch. The guests are:

              1. Mr. Stafford Byers, an attorney originally from Antigua and Barbuda, joining us from New York where he works and resides.
              2. Mr. Akaash Maharaj, an Ambassador-at-Large for the Global Organisation of Parliamentarians Against Corruption known also as GOPAC. GOPAC is an International nongovernmental organization made up of parliamentarians from across the world, working together to combat corruption, strengthen good government, and uphold the rule of law.
              3. Mr. Adlai Smith, is a former prosecutor in the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). He is now the current Director of Law Reform & Special Legal Projects.


                4. More about this episode:

                The case was always controversial. It was a criminal action brought against former UPP officials after the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) won the government in 2014. So, it was billed as a witch hunt by the UPP. It was thrown out once, before trial, for lack of evidence. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) appealed. It was reinstated, then sent to trial. Now, after the trial, it has been dismissed, again, for lack of evidence, again. But still, that doesn't tell a complete story. This trial has provided the most detailed look yet at what evidence there was against the trio of Quinn, Lovell and Daniel. 

                As a former prosecutor who joined this panel noted, it appears that the prosecution's case simply fell apart. Many things seemed to have gone wrong with this prosecution. A key witness who is now deceased was never interviewed. The DPP Anthony Armstrong recused himself at the last moment and handed the case over to the DPP from Montserrat to prosecute instead. The charges on the case were amended just before the trial. And a key prosecution witness pretty much exonerated the former ministers. 

                This programme first aired on NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM on November 28th, 2021. Get the latest news from Antigua and Barbuda at the Antigua Observer online.

                48 min
              4. Not Without A Fight: Asot vs. ABLP in Court Again

                Scandal accused Labour MP Asot Michael has again secured an injunction against the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP), this time to stop the party from replacing him as the candidate in St. Peter and from excluding him from meetings of the executive. In this episode, we ask: What will the battle for the red candidacy mean for the ABLP in St. Peter in the next election? And why has the Labour Party failed so miserably thus far, to rid itself of its most controversial member? 

                The host is Kieron Murdoch. The guests are:

                1. Dr. David Hinds, a political commentator from Guyana. He is Associate Professor of African and African American studies at the Arizona State University. His focus is on Caribbean and African Diaspora Studies. His research interests include governance and politics in the Caribbean, and Black political leadership.
                2. Mr. Peter Wickham, Director of the polling and research firm: Caribbean Development Research Services. He has done numerous electoral polls in Antigua and Barbuda, and elsewhere in the region. He is a commentator on Caribbean political and social affairs. 
                3. Mr. Rishi Maharaj, Executive Director Equigov Institute. The Equigov Institute is A Social Enterprise based Consulting and Training Organization focused on Transparency, Accountability and Governance.


                  4. This programme first aired on NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM on November 21st, 2021. Get the latest news from Antigua and Barbuda at the Antigua Observer online.

                  41 min
                4. No Jab, No School Mandate Abandoned. Was It Needed?

                  The fiercely debated school vaccine mandate that would have barred unvaccinated students from school, and which inspired hundreds to protest outside the Ministry of Education on Tuesday, has been reversed after one week. It came with the announcement that the impending enforcement of the policy on Monday, November 22, 2021, had caused parents to rapidly get their children inoculated. It was announced that 80 percent of students in the target group had gotten vaccinated by Thursday, November 18, 2021. In this episode we ask: Was the controversial policy a success in driving up vaccination? Or was it ill conceived? And was it necessary at all?

                  The host is Kieron Murdoch. The guests are:

                  1. Mr. Ashworth Azille, Principal of the Clare Hall Secondary School. Also a former President of the Antigua and Barbuda Union of Teachers.
                  2. Ms. Vernice Mack, retired Principal, Past President of the Antigua and Barbuda Union of Teachers, presently- President of the Antigua and Barbuda Trade Union Congress.
                  3. Ms. Chaniel Imhoff, a parent, a politician, an entrepreneur and an activist. She is a member of the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) and is the party’s Team Leader in the constituency of St. Peter.
                  4. Sen. Bakesha Francis-James, the independent member of the Senate.


                    5. This programme first aired on NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM on November 21st, 2021. Get the latest news from Antigua and Barbuda at the Antigua Observer online.

                    37 min
                  5. Big Surprise Or Predictable? SOE Ending, Mandates Relaxed

                    For many, it comes as a very sudden shift in policy, though others say that it was inevitable once you were paying attention. Recently, the government announced that the state of emergency was being called off, promising to do so next month. The public sector vaccine mandate - which had been fiercely resisted by many - is being rolled back to mandatory testing for those public sector workers who still remain unvaccinated, allowing them to return to work. Meanwhile, private businesses are being told that they too can go the route of reverting to mandatory testing for their unvaccinated employees once 80 percent of overall employees are already immunized. In this episode, we ask: What’s behind the shift in policy? And is this the return to normalcy that many have been hoping for?

                    The host is Kieron Murdoch. The guests are:

                    1. Mr. Anderson Carty, Management Consultant specializing in Business Management, Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management.
                    2. Mr. David Spencer, He is a community activist. He is also the co-host of Movement Radio, a weekly programme on Observer Radio dedicated to social and political activism on a range of issues.
                    3. Dr. Oswald Thomas, a professor, political consultant, coach, therapist and media commentator. His broad background is in education, psychotherapy, community organizing, youth work and social advocacy. He is a psycho-therapist. He is a long-time member of the ABLP.


                      4. This programme first aired on NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM on November 21st, 2021. Get the latest news from Antigua and Barbuda at the Antigua Observer online.

                      43 min
                    4. What Has Changed in 40 Years?

                      Antigua and Barbuda this month celebrated 40 years of independence, and we are looking back on our development since 1981. In this episode we ask: What have we achieved and what have we not achieved over the last 40 years?

                      The host is Kieron Murdoch. The guests are:

                      1. Mr. Hyram K. Forde, an educator and administrator by profession, who is currently Head of the School of Business & Management.at The University of the West Indies (UWI) Five Islands.
                      2. Dr. James Knight, former Editor of the Outlet Newspaper. He is currently a health consultant in the Ministry of Tourism.


                        3. This programme first aired on NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM on November 14th, 2021. Get the latest news from Antigua and Barbuda at the Antigua Observer online.

                        38 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.