PM ditches end-of-year news conference

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Cabinet of Antigua & Barbuda (FILE PHOTO)

For the first time since becoming prime minister, Gaston Browne will not hold the annual end of year Cabinet news conference, Chief of Staff Lionel Max Hurst has confirmed.

When asked whether the event will be held this year, Hurst told our reporter, “no, not planned.”

Browne commited to the annual exchange shortly after becoming prime minister in 2014.

He said it was part of a commitment to keep the government accountable, open and transparent.

This year, members of the media and the public will not have the chance to question Prime Minister on some of his government’s initiatives.

While the government holds weekly post-cabinet press conferences, the prime minister himself has never appeared at one.

A source in the office of the prime minister says Browne remains open to answering any questions that the media has.

But his Cabinet ministers remain much less accessible, a former Observer Media Group journalist who spoke on the condition on anonymity, told ANR.

The end of year Cabinet news conference is normally held before the Christmas holidays.

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18 COMMENTS

  1. well at least the PM is almost every week on Point FM answering questions from the public and whoever may call. But his Cabinet has not been available. Would have been nice to hear from them and see what they have been up to in their respective ministries

    • Maybe IF that station wasn’t filled of propaganda and hate more SENSIBLE people would be inclined to listen. I lost ALL interest when our own Barbudan brothers and sisters were handled in the way they were and still are for that matter. So if his only sitting is on that radio station presented in the manner in which it is I for one will NOT be hearing him.

      • I guess when you can determine that the station is filled with propaganda that you listen to it. And in a short time that the PM is coming on that station the rating has gone through the roof. It is the most listened to and anticipated program the Brown and Brown show. And why? Because callers can call in and ask the PM anything. And the action man that he is he deals with all issues immediately. And you know what lately when there are Cabinet briefings it is only ABS reporters that attend. All others seem to have lost interest and really claim not to have the man power to sent to the briefings. So who else would have come to the press conference?

  2. I am fine with this because the PM is very accessible to the citizens. The media just wants to have power that it does not deserve, so I am glad the PM is telling them to take a hike.

    • Read that again and tell me if that sound sensible to you. You people are so clouded by ignorance my soul aches for Antigua

      • I said the same thing y would i listen to a station that u cant have a brain 9f your own ask beef what happened to him for going against the grain

  3. Come and say what the same old rhetoric he is building his empire government statutory organizations still renting from him this is not good …..watching his radio station a day and see a program sponsored by state insurance are we people for real i thought they in politics to serve but what they busy doing……this country better wake up… APUA electricity bill is to high ,gas still high what have this party done for majority of the people nothing….thanks for not saying a pile of garbage

    • Boss under this administration, gas has gone from some 16.45 (2011) per gallon to now 12.50 per gallon. Take a look at other CARICOM countries (A&B 12.50, 13.96 in SLU; 13.51 in Guyana;Jamaica 15:02; Barbados 22.78. Grenada 15.90) and you will find ours is among the lowest in the region, even though our per ca-pita income and minimum wage, is among the highest in the region

      • Either you dumb or u just a paid activist what was the price of gas y it was at 16.25 the alp government since in power only took off 1 dollar so do your research for forty eight years and all u can come up with is this we have a problem……name 1 thing they have done to benefit the people of this country it is easy just one ….everyone know what upp did in 10 years we all know it is easy let me name 2 school meals program ,petro caribe,raise in social security,school uniform grant hey sorry i gave u more that the 2 ……JUST NAME ONE IF U CAN AND NOT WITH THE SPIN YOU NOT TALKING TO YOUR REGULAR RED DUMB FOLLOWERS…….LOOK AM GOING TO ST KITTS AND NAME ONE LISTEN $500D FOR ANY HOME NOT MAKING LESS THAN $ 2500 SEE

        • 1. 30 Million in diagnostic equipment for MSJ, hence ensuring persons in general no longer need to get tests from private clinics. MSJ is now rated the #1 hospital in the OECS region
          2. Debt forgiveness for outstanding APUA bills
          3. Doing away with Personal income tax

          Not sure which education system failed you but fuel in A&B in 2014 when the ABLP got into office was at 14.99 per gallon (see Government to fast track fuel price reduction, Jan 2015). It is now 12.50, hence some 2.49 cents lower. Again let me remind you: (A&B 12.50, 13.96 in SLU; 13.51 in Guyana;Jamaica 15:02; Barbados 22.78. Grenada 15.90. Yet our per ca pita income and minimum wage is among the highest in the region, with Dominica and its 10.73 per gallon gas and 4.00 per hour minimum wage.

  4. AND GASTON PLEASE INVESTIGATE PUSS CHEST WITH THE EBOOKS SCANDAL AND THE MONEYS FROM THE LIBERTA SCHOOL BEEN ASKING FOR THIS UP TO NOW NOTHING….

  5. The propaganda machine at Point FM continues to shovel out the BS amid laughter at the suffering citizens who try to bring up serious issues. Shameful but they have no shame a tall.

  6. construction done start on the werl boss mansion at jolly harbor, all the comrades comfortable,
    gaston cant face the press cuz he only have failure to show
    high gas prices,
    muddy dirty and pothole filled roads
    no new hotels or investments after dem done dig up the whole country with golden shovels
    yida destroying our patrimony up at crabbs
    deluxe cinema bail out by taxpayers
    this govt is a failure and all dem comrades and hangers ons are traitors to our country

    • If it is one Prime Minister that doesn’t run away from the press is our straight talk, unpolished Prime Minister, Gaston Browne. He again surprise Darren on the Observer AM show when he had Everett Christian making allegations. And how often in the past did he not called into the Serpent Show when he hear them trying to bash him. Even when he went to Barbuda for the voting of the Paradise Found project he just crashed into Serpent show. So please get it right, our PM no fraid nobody. And will never try to avoid any interview from any reporter.

      • It is not not a matter of ‘fraid’ but a matter of accountability. If one has to listen to Point FM, his own station, to hear matters of national interest then God help us! There was a time, long time ago, when you and Tenman, were more objective and prepared to argue your point on logic but now I can see where the saying, ‘ Lie with dogs, rise with fleas’ come from.

        • You just cannot counter our arguments. I just told you the PM even called in to the morning show on Observer just to ensure he counters any lies Christian was going to tell the public. This PM is available on every radio station at anytime. And talking about accountability. That is why he holds weekly Cabinet Press Briefings. Something never done before by any other government. And he is up to date when it comes to tabling the government accounts in parliament. Unlike the UPP who failed miserably to able any in the ten years they were in government. Now you do not have to like the man but the facts remain. He has performed exceptionally well. Our PM is admired for his courage and straight talk in the wider Caribbean Islands. Even on the TV in the Bahamas the hosts of the show their said this man is a true leader, when he spoke about the Scotia Bank sale without any consultation with the government. And many applauded him when he took on the Sandals Group for not paying their taxes.

        • Zackie, happy new year to you and yours. I am now less objective? Recall back then when you were singing about the glories of UPP rule. You were truly enjoying the Luxury compartment of that express train, oblivious to the fact that we were heading off a cliff. Brethen I have no problem having a discussion where we look at publicly available statistics. Unfortunately you seem to prefer rum shop talk

  7. People drive around and look at this country then go dominica ,st lucia ,st kitts and any other oecs country bare in mind dominca was devastated for couple of years now and it still does not look like antigua…..dont know who u guys fooling….these guys helping themselves but one day

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