The Big Issues

The COP-26 climate negotiations have ended after strong deliveries from small island leaders like Antigua and Barbuda's Prime Minister Gaston Browne. But here at home, some ask whether domestic policy on environment and energy squares up with our pro-clean energy, pro-conservation rhetoric on the world stage. 

Internationally, we talk a lot about the very real destruction that a changing climate is more rapidly causing to our sensitive environment. But are we really doing all that we should to enforce conservation and responsible development to protect that environment? In this episode we ask: What are our strengths and weaknesses when it comes to environment and energy policy here at home, and what needs to change?

The host is Kieron Murdoch. The guests are:

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.

A Covid-19 vaccine mandate is now a reality in the nation’s schools for youth ages 12 to 17, and has become immediately controversial. Many parents are ready to protest. The government says students will not be allowed on school compounds unless they are vaccinated. In this episode, we ask: Is the new mandate really necessary? And what becomes of those who decline the jab?

The host is Kieron Murdoch. The guests are:

More about this episode:

Personal liberty, public health crisis, vaccine safety, unjust discrimination, informed consent, misinformation - these are the phrases we hear over and over since the debate over vaccine mandates began this year. Since the end of October, the new mandate for the private sector has been in effect. It says that businesses that employ just five or more workers must ensure that employees are vaccinated, or those employees must stay home. In this episode, we invited a lawyer, a trade unionist, and an industrial relations consultant to debate the reasonableness of the new mandate which many see as an overreach, and others argue is a critical step toward better safeguarding public health.

The host is Kieron Murdoch. The guests are:

More Background:

The issue of vaccine mandates has been an extremely controversial one not only in Antigua and Barbuda, but around the world. It's an issue which challenges our understanding of personal rights and liberties, and of when those liberties ought to be limited for the public good. It's also an issue heavily clouded by false and alarmist information about vaccines and Covid-19 which has plagued us in effectively responding to the pandemic since 2020. 

Covid-19 is a deadly and highly contagious disease. Vaccination, despite the risk of rare adverse events which health specialists worldwide have been tracking and reporting on, is considered safe and effective at reducing the damage this disease does. So is a mandate not wise? Yet, some merely see the mandate as the government trying to have its way, rather than as a public health necessity for each individual's greater safety. Added to that, what about the risk of creating hardship with the new policy? 

Unemployment is already serious. Could adding a mandate in the private sector send the vaccine hesitant or opponents into unemployment? What good will that do? If mandates are broadly in effect in both the public and private sector, then there's essentially nowhere to run. The government may have to take hard stances, but squeezing people into the breadline creates another problem entirely. And yet, the government and employers still have a responsibility to create workspaces that are as safe as possible from the spread of Covid-19, and no workspace is as safe as possible if the people there are not vaccinated. 

This programme first aired on NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM on November 7th, 2021. Get the latest news from Antigua and Barbuda at the Antigua Observer online.

Youth are the future. We like to say that and we are not wrong. So, as Antigua and Barbuda celebrates 40 years of independence since 1981, what do younger people want for their country? Despite the fact that it is the young who will inherit what their seniors leave behind, we never seem to ask. In this episode, we look ahead to 2050. We asked our guest panel of young adults: Where do you want to see Antigua and Barbuda in 30 years? It became clear immediately that there is a vast difference between the status quo and the aspirations that many young Antiguans and Barbudans have for their country. Let's repeat that. There is a vast difference between the status quo and the aspirations that many young Antiguans and Barbudans have for their country. This was an honest and refreshing discussion. 

The host is Kieron Murdoch. The guests are:

This programme first aired on NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM on November 7th, 2021. Get the latest news from Antigua and Barbuda at the Antigua Observer online.

Why did voters really reject the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) at the referendum three years ago? In this episode we aim to answer that question. The final vote tally gave totals of 8,509 for the pro-CCJ amendment and 9,234 against it. Turnout was 33.6% of the electorate - very low. Why did the yes vote fail? What ought to have been done differently? What has the 2018 referendum shown about the nature of politics and the potential for bi-partisanship in Antigua and Barbuda? How did public perception of political corruption affect the outcome? And what future does the court have in its appellate function if countries do not sign on?

The host is Kieron Murdoch. The guests are:

This programme first aired on NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM on November 7th, 2021. Get the latest news from Antigua and Barbuda at the Antigua Observer online.

Where's the line between faith and a cult? Are they the same? In Jamaica, three people were left dead and others injured after a ritual sacrifice ceremony in a small congregation that believed wholeheartedly the words of the man at its centre. That man is now dead, having died in a police car accident while in custody. You can't make this up. Why are people drawn to the bizarre promises of such cult leaders? Isn't it clear that something is amiss, when someone makes themselves the centre of worship? Then again, isn't that what religion is often about? Miraculous deeds; adoration of those persons and objects deemed divine; and obedience to doctrine in the hopes of reward; are these not normal in our legitimate everyday faiths? So, what sets a cult a part? On this segment, we ask whether the tragedies could have been avoided and whether within the predominantly Christian Caribbean, we can define the difference between a cult and a church.

The host is Kieron Murdoch. The guests are:

This programme first aired on NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM on October 31st, 2021. Get the latest news from Antigua and Barbuda at the Antigua Observer online.

I, Asot Michael, take thee, the Labour Party, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part - We're sure Michael never said that. But he might as well have. An election is looming. One is due in 2023 and most feel it will instead be called in early 2022. But disgraced Labour MP Asot Michael, one of the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party's most recognizable candidates and also one of its biggest donors, is being maneuvered off the slate. 

This, after falling out of favour with Prime Minister Gaston Browne ostensibly over what Browne continues to allege was Michael's "dishonesty" and "attempted" theft whilst in Browne's Cabinet. At first, back in 2019, Browne condemned Michael chiefly on the basis of the Peter Virdee energy scandal which came to light in 2018, in which Michael was reportedly taped by foreign law enforcement negotiating millions in bribes for himself. 

Then in 2020 and 2021 the PM began revealing new allegations of fraud and "attempted" theft against Michael that Browne claimed occurred under his own stewardship since 2014, and which Browne and perhaps others in his government seemingly kept secret from the public till recently. Michael denies the wrongdoing Browne alleges. Then the party began a half-hearted, secretive disciplinary tribunal against Michael which abruptly failed after Michael tied up the meaningless and nontransparent action in court with injunctions, soon after it was started. 

Most recently, the party barred Michael from executive meetings. So what now? What will the impact of the Asot-Labour schism be in the next election? When the votes are cast, will Antigua and Barbuda have to endure another five years of parliamentary service from, arguably, its most scandal accused politician? Will Michael being off the slate hurt the ABLP seriously? Will it help the opposition? Will Michael run independently? Will the PM welcome him back, as he did once already in the 2018 election?

The host Kieron Murdoch. The guests are:

This programme first aired on NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM on October 31st, 2021. Get the latest news from Antigua and Barbuda at the Antigua Observer online.

What do you do when your political system is rotten to its core? That is the nature of Antigua and Barbuda, where accountability is a joke, or, sometimes a political tool whose purpose is to help one party damage another. Here, the rule of law is a foreign concept, fleeting, occurring from time to time here and there. In the intervals, misbehaviour and theft may occur, sometimes on scales unthinkable. 

When you speak of such misbehaviour and theft, you'd better not call names. You'd better have done the police work yourself, laid the charges yourself, and prosecuted the case yourself. Otherwise, calling names could get you sued. And the people suing have a lot of money. They can afford the best lawyers. So hush darling. Cover your eyes. There is no corruption in Antigua and Barbuda. Move along. There's nothing to see here.

But what defense is it to say, "It's never been proven in court" or "I was never charged with anything" when the police and the justice system are pitifully weak on corruption? The integrity commission too, is a farce, and so is Parliament, and political parties do little at all except vomit up the same grimy candidates every election. The latest political farce is the half-hearted, meaningless, and secretive Labour Party "disciplinary" tribunal against disgraced Labour MP Asot Michael for misconduct alleged against him and which he denies. It has failed miserably. As usual, Michael simply boxed them up in court. 

Asot Michael especially, typifies the crisis of accountability that has persisted in Antigua and Barbuda for over 30 years. His reputation has reached infamy after more than 20 years of repeated corruption allegations which he has consistently and vehemently denied while litigiously defending his name. Despite this, PM Gaston Browne twice put Michael, a huge Labour donor, back in government since 2014. Today, in yet another shameless farce, the PM claims to be taking a stand against Michael, denouncing him as "dishonest" and prone to "abusing public resources". 

When virtually all government and political institutions have failed miserably at delivering accountability, what then? Our guests answer.

The host is Kieron Murdoch. The guests are: 

This programme first aired on NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM on October 31st, 2021. Get the latest news from Antigua and Barbuda at the Antigua Observer online.

A woman was allegedly killed in her own home by an intruder whom she described as "deranged" in a frantic Facebook post made in the moments that led up to her death, all while she waited for help. Her name was Jane Finch. It was shocking, saddening, and grieving. Then another woman was discovered dead, killed the police say, and her body found somewhere near Wireless Road. Her name was Margaret Harris. Again, the shock and grief was immense for those who knew her and for many who did not. On this segment, we ask: How should we be feeling after both tragedies? What action should we want to see, on our own part, and from those in authority?

The host is Kieron Murdoch. The guests are: 

This programme first aired on NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM on October 24th, 2021. Get the latest news from Antigua and Barbuda at the Antigua Observer online.

Many people were appalled, upset, and somewhat ashamed when Observer reported on an elderly man caught stealing 37 dollars worth of lingfish from a supermarket. "I...didn’t get my pension. I don’t know what came over me. I am really sorry...", the man later told a magistrate. It has yet again highlighted the chronic problem of late pension payouts by the Antigua and Barbuda Social Security Board. In this episode we speak to Junior Finance Minister Lennox Weston and a financial analyst about if and when the problems of the social security scheme could be fixed for good.

The host is Kieron Murdoch. The guests are: 

More Background:

Routinely, pensioners complain. Routinely, public officials give more apologies, more assurances, and sometimes, more excuses. "Have patience" and "pray" is what recipients were recently told by the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff. Unsurprisingly, no party and no leader has ever claimed responsibility for the ruin of the national benefit scheme. It seems that it's nobody's problem, except of course, the odd pensioner who finds themselves attempting shoplifting when their pension is again, late. Angst and frustration amongst pensioners has at times forced them onto the streets of St. John in open protest. What's wrong with Social Security' you may ask. Do you want the truth? 

The truth is that the social security scheme has been either abused, or at the very least, neglected in some way by every administration since the 1990s. Over the last 30 years, the government is (1) known to have borrowed heavily from the scheme, (2) alleged to have failed (as an employer) to pay in statutory contributions, and (3) settled debt owed to the scheme by giving it assets that do not generate enough cash to meet its monthly needs. These policy failures and malpractices over the years were in addition to the slowness of policy makers to adequately raise the retirement age and or the level of contributions that individuals must make to the scheme, as these were politically sensitive decisions. 

In recent years, the scheme has relied on routine transfers of millions of dollars a month from the central government in order to pay out on all its various monthly benefit commitments, including pensions. That money often comes from the citizenship programme's revenue. Does that sound like a financially healthy, well managed, sustainable and resilient benefit scheme to you? No. It sounds like a hot mess 30 years ongoing. 

This programme first aired on NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM on October 24th, 2021. Get the latest news from Antigua and Barbuda at the Antigua Observer online.