Bark Di Trute, the blog for Jamaicans at home and abroad. Bark Di Trute welcomes your financial support and materials submitted for publication. Please add your comments to the blogs. Comments that are libellous, abusive, or nonsensical will be deleted. This blog is about sharing information, helping others, and lobbying for a better life for us all.
SSP Hopeton Nicholson
The following message was received from SSP Hopeton Nicholson about the Guanaboa Vale main road.
Good afternoon. Please note that the vehicle was removed, and the roadway is now clear. Motorists are reminded to proceed with caution.
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| Minister Floyd Green. |
The new Ministry of Mining and Geology will be tasked with transitioning Jamaica from being a primary producer of raw minerals, limestone and aggregates towards value-added production, says Portfolio Minister Hon. Floyd Green.
“We want to see our high-value chemical-grade limestone being made in Jamaica into things like toothpaste, into antacids, into other things,” he said, noting that crafting an incentive regime to attract investors will be crucial.
Minister Green was speaking to JIS News at the Tourism Agricultural Opportunities Forum held at the AC Hotel by Marriott, Kingston.
The new Ministry, which officially began operations on Monday, November 2, will place greater focus on securing value form Jamaica’s minerals as Government repositions mining to drive economic growth and national development.
He said that having a dedicated Ministry will significantly accelerate the pace of project implementation and sectoral reform, including expediting implementation of the National Minerals Policy 2017–2030 to optimise Jamaica’s returns from mining and quarrying.
It will also provide the administrative setup needed to complete key economic transactions, including accelerating the sale of the Government’s shares in Jamalco to remove the asset from State liabilities.
Minister Green, who retains responsibility for Agriculture and Fisheries said that a major focus will be the creation of modern fiscal regimes for non-traditional minerals, including gold, copper, and rare earth elements extracted from bauxite residue.
“Even though we’ve done work on rare earth over the years, we haven’t developed a fiscal regime around it. Now that the world is looking and so many people are coming and calling, we have to be proactive and be ahead of that. So, I think this new structure helps in that,” Minister Green said.
Central to the operational shift is the addition of Darlene Morrison as Permanent Secretary. She previously served as Financial Secretary.
“I know the capacity has been strengthened by bringing in a Permanent Secretary who has a vast amount of experience, especially in terms of fiscal matters, fiscal management. A lot of what we have to deal with at mining now is a new fiscal regime,” he pointed out.
Minister Green highlighted that the separation of administrative duties also provides crucial support to the agriculture and fisheries sectors.
He noted that, with a Permanent Secretary focusing exclusively on agriculture and fisheries, the Ministry is better positioned to manage ongoing climate resilience initiatives after the sector suffered back-to-back major storms and is undergoing one of the most severe droughts.
Editor's Note
This could give the former financial secretary a great opportunity to make something of the mining sector. It seems that there will be so much to do that she will not even remember the Finance Ministry.
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Stephen Edwards - head of NWA
A resident of Meadowbrook just brought to my attention the way in which we maintain our roads. Many of us thought that with the departure of Everton Hunter and the arrival of Stephen Edwards, things would change.
Mr Stephen Edwards should get on the ground and see what is happening. I hope that he will not just sit in his air-conditioned office and have information fed to him. You could start by paying a visit to Meadowbrook Avenue in Kingston, sir.
The timing is just right for the fixing. They fixed the road as the rains started. Let's see if the work done will last until next week.
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Keep abreast of the news and information in the world. Bark Di Trute, a Jamaican blog, is packed with accurate information. Click the following link and get information at your fingertips. WhatsApp link is:
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Without your support, Bark Di Trute could fail to bark one day. Send your ideas, stories, and news by WhatsApp at (876) 816-5261.
You can view the blog on your computer at https://vderby.blogspot.com, and you will be able to see the various links. For example, there is a link that takes you to the calendar to see what is happening on the weekend. You can even search the site for articles. There is also a weather link, which you can use to track hurricanes.
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| Robert Morgan MP. |
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Keep abreast of the news and information in the world. Bark Di Trute, a Jamaican blog, is packed with accurate information. Click the following link and get information at your fingertips. WhatsApp link is:
_________________
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Without your support, Bark Di Trute could fail to bark one day. Send your ideas, stories, and news by WhatsApp at (876) 816-5261.
You can view the blog on your computer at https://vderby.blogspot.com, and you will be able to see the various links. For example, there is a link that takes you to the calendar to see what is happening on the weekend. You can even search the site for articles. There is also a weather link, which you can use to track hurricanes.
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Mark Golding, Opposition Leader.
The Parliamentary Opposition has condemned the Government’s brazen manipulation of Standing Orders to stifle debate on a censure motion against the Administration for misleading the House on Jamaica’s abstention from the United Nations resolution on the United States embargo against Cuba. The motion, tabled by Opposition MP Anthony Hylton on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, exposed a Government determined to avoid accountability at any cost.
The Opposition expected the motion to be debated at the next sitting of the House, as Standing Orders prohibit debate on the same day a motion is tabled. Leader of Government Business Floyd Green instead moved to suspend the Standing Orders and proceed immediately. Opposition MP Phillip Paulwell objected, citing both the procedural breach and also the impropriety of debating a censure motion against the Government without the Prime Minister being present. Speaker Juliet Holness ruled that the Standing Orders were suspended, including the notice requirement.
Hylton opened the debate. Green spoke next. As Opposition members prepared to contribute, Green moved to close the debate without further contributions. The Opposition objected, citing Standing Order 38(2), which bars early closure of a debate where it would oppress the minority, and the Leader of the Opposition called for a divide. The Speaker acknowledged his call for a divide, but no vote was taken amid the pandemonium. Instead, the sitting was adjourned by the Speaker. The debate remains unfinished and must resume when the House next sits.
Opposition Leader Mark Golding said: “This Government cannot be allowed to use procedural sleight of hand to silence Parliament on a matter of grave national importance. The censure motion stands, and every Opposition voice must be given the opportunity to be heard.”
Anthony Hylton said: “The Government misled the House on Cuba. It then tried to bury the consequences. We will not rest until accountability is delivered.”
This is not merely a procedural dispute. It concerns democratic accountability and the public’s right to know about decisions affecting Jamaica’s international standing and reputation. The Government’s mishandling of Cuba at the UN has badly damaged Brand Jamaica, and this was facilitated by their earlier deception of Parliament.
The Opposition demands that the debate resume in full, with all members permitted to speak.
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Keep abreast of the news and information in the world. Bark Di Trute, a Jamaican blog, is packed with accurate information. Click the following link and get information at your fingertips. WhatsApp link is:
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Without your support, Bark Di Trute could fail to bark one day. Send your ideas, stories, and news by WhatsApp at (876) 816-5261.
You can view the blog on your computer at https://vderby.blogspot.com, and you will be able to see the various links. For example, there is a link that takes you to the calendar to see what is happening on the weekend. You can even search the site for articles. There is also a weather link, which you can use to track hurricanes.
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| Mikael Phillips MP |
Member of Parliament for Manchester North Western, Michael Phillips, MP, has strongly rejected what he describes as false and misleading claims made by Deputy House Leader Robert Morgan, MP, concerning an incident at Gordon House following Tuesday’s premature adjournment of the House of Representatives.
Mr. Phillips said that while the incident was unfortunate, entirely unnecessary and regrettable, the circulation of inaccurate accounts does nothing to help the public understand what transpired.
According to Mr. Phillips, he was standing with two other Opposition Members of Parliament, discussing the manner in which the sitting had been adjourned, when the Speaker exited the chamber. “As soon as the Speaker left, the Member of Parliament for Kingston Western, Desmond McKenzie, verbally attacked me, making an offensive reference to my deceased mother. He then repeated the offence,” Mr. Phillips explained.
Mr. Phillips acknowledged that he reacted in anger and used an expletive, an action for which he has expressed regret. “My reaction was inappropriate, and I regret that I allowed myself to respond in that manner. I sincerely apologise to the Jamaican people,” he stated.
However, Mr. Phillips categorically rejected allegations by Mr. Morgan that he had pushed away the Leader of the Opposition during the exchange, clarifying that the Opposition Leader was not involved in the incident. He explained that while two Government Members of Parliament intervened, neither was physically touched by him. Mr. Phillips also questioned the basis of Mr. Morgan’s account, noting that the Deputy House Leader was not in the immediate vicinity when the incident occurred. “It is deeply irresponsible for a Member of Parliament, particularly one entrusted with a leadership role in the House, to circulate an account that is so fundamentally at odds with what actually occurred. Mr. Morgan should withdraw his false and malicious claims immediately,” he said.
Mr. Phillips maintained that the incident must also be considered against the backdrop of growing tensions in the House of Representatives, arising from what he described as the Government’s persistent efforts to curtail debate and restrict the Opposition’s ability to participate fully in parliamentary proceedings. He argued that the repeated frustration of Members’ rights to speak and debate has contributed to an increasingly tense parliamentary environment and a deterioration of order in the House.
“The right of elected representatives to speak, question and debate is fundamental to our parliamentary democracy. When those rights are repeatedly frustrated, it undermines the proper functioning of Parliament and contributes to an atmosphere of unnecessary tension. Parliament must remain a place where differing views can be expressed freely and respectfully, not one where legitimate debate is routinely stifled,” Mr. Phillips stated.
He emphasised that while all Members of Parliament have a responsibility to maintain order and decorum, that responsibility must be accompanied by fairness, mutual respect and a commitment to protecting democratic debate. He called for greater restraint on all sides and urged the Government to respect the rights of elected representatives to discharge their parliamentary duties without unnecessary obstruction.
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Click here and learn about the exciting gadget, Alexa. Learn how to turn on your house lights using your phone from anywhere in the world. Purchase an Alexa today.
Keep abreast of the news and information in the world. Bark Di Trute, a Jamaican blog, is packed with accurate information. Click the following link and get information at your fingertips. WhatsApp link is:
_________________
_________________
Without your support, Bark Di Trute could fail to bark one day. Send your ideas, stories, and news by WhatsApp at (876) 816-5261.
You can view the blog on your computer at https://vderby.blogspot.com, and you will be able to see the various links. For example, there is a link that takes you to the calendar to see what is happening on the weekend. You can even search the site for articles. There is also a weather link, which you can use to track hurricanes.
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