Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller Friday night said her relationship with the media was by no means broken and urged journalists to work with the state on issues such as encouraging responsible sexual behaviour, that can effect positive change among Jamaicans.

“The fact that we might, from time to time, have misunderstandings and even genuine disagreements does not mean that our relationship is fractured,” Simpson Miller said in her guest address at the 63rd annual Press Association of Jamaica awards ceremony at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel.

“…While it is true that the Press must be vigilant, ever vigilant about abuses of power by the state, while it is true that you must seek out corruption and injustice in any quarters, this should not be taken to mean that the Press and the state have no common interest,” she said.

Simpson Miller said the need for co-operation between the Press and the state should not compromise or lessen the role of the Press.

Of the controversial Trafigura affair, which has damaged her administration and resulted in the resignation of one of her Cabinet ministers, the prime minister said she had dealt with it.

“Some people can be hypocritical…political parties in Jamaica take money from people under all sorts of cover, including money going to the lawyers, it water down and reach in, because people do not want to be attached, so that if one party win or one party lose, they are not victimised, cause the same way people could find out people bank account is the same way they can find out maybe who make contributions,” Simpson Miller said.

The Government and the ruling People’s National Party were thrown into turmoil in October after the Opposition revealed that Dutch oil trader Trafigura, which holds a contract to lift and trade Nigerian crude on the international market for Jamaica, had transferred $31 million to a PNP

bank account.

The PNP had said that the money was a campaign donation, but Trafigura later claimed that it was payment on a contractual agreement.

Simpson Miller has ordered the money returned.

In her almost hour-long address, the prime minister was at times defensive of some of her actions that have been criticised in the Press, such as her declaration that she does not read or watch the news, which she repeated.

“I am prime minister and I take anything, that’s why I don’t read and I don’t watch the news… but I want to ensure that when I have to take decisions, nothing will stand in the way,” Simpson Miller said.

“Because the same person, banging me or telling a lie on me, I might very well go to my desk and see something [pertaining to that person]. I want to ensure that my judgment will not be blurred. So when I say I do not [read or watch the news], and I am criticised for it, I have my reason. I want to remain focused and I want to ensure I deal with everybody fairly, so to keep myself free of all that…I am keeping my eyes on the master (God), not [on] some of the things going on.”

She also defended her admonishment of public servants that the Official Secrets Act is still on the law books.

“It is unethical to reveal information that one is privy to without official authorisation,” the prime minister said. “Why should that be controversial? What in that indicates that I want to reverse the progress made with the Access to Information legislation?”