Maria Phillips eyes St. Michael North

It’s time for you to rise!

This was the message to the people of Eden Lodge from United Progressive Party’s (UPP) candidate for St. Michael North Maria Phillips during the launch of her campaign on Sunday evening.

Under the theme Empowering Families to Build a Nation, the attorney-at-law said it is her view that “when the tide comes in, everyone rises.”

She said her plan includes building communities to have more than tuck shops, but to implement community programmes to ensure small businesses can grow. She also outlined work being carried out in schools on conflict resolution. She said joblessness is a major challenge facing communities and lambasted Government for not creating opportunities, not just in skills training areas but in emerging areas of the economy.

Phillips also outlined the need to take justice from the Courts, saying justice needs to go back to the community. To this end she said Justices of the Peace would be trained to be peacemakers in the community.

The candidate also highlighted the need for ex-offenders to be given a second chance.

“We need programmes that would help ...so there are no second offenders in the community. These are all things that belong to the community. In order to build the nation, we need to build the communities,” she stressed.

Meanwhile UPP candidate for St. Michael West Central Herman Lowe believes that organising residents in communities into cooperative frameworks is one way of ensuring income revolves in those communities.
Lowe, a consultant at the economic and social council of the UN since 1998 says blocks are commercial areas and attempts must be made to build the entrepreneurial capacity. He said while school is preparatory, it is not sufficient to enhance the skills of persons in the community.

Lowe who is the spokesperson for agriculture stressed agriculture is the future of the country. To this end he suggested the establishment of green houses and the need to provide access to capital to assist entrepreneurs.

Young mother Neesa Reid made her way to the podium with her two-year old son Kellan Harris. Placed in the “not voting” category, she said through her interaction with the UPP she is considering running on a UPP ticket.

She urged the youth of Barbados to take greater control of their lives rather than Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms. “If I’m not getting involved it means I am leaving my future up to other people and no matter what decision they make it affects me and my child in the long run.”

She also denounced the selling of votes. “Selling votes is like selling your child’s future.”

“This party about empowering people, especially young people..I want to thank UPP for giving this opportunity to show young people have a voice and understanding we just just need wisdom imparted on us, so we can make informed decisions and move forward in this country. The future I see in Barbados is a future of unity and progression.”

“I would like everybody to come on this journey of change. There is nothing greater than being a part of something great from the inception and that is why I am here today,” she said.

Meanwhile UPP candidate Paul Forte described the NSRL as the “National Starvation and Retardation Levy.” “A lot more persons are engaging in criminal activity because they cannot find work. And they can’t find work because people can’t employ them because people can’t get money because taxes are too high. You have businesses on the verge of bankruptcy,” he lamented. (JH)