Dear editor, 

I was very disappointed in the response given by Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange, after allegations were raised in Parliament by Opposition Spokesman on Youth & Culture, Lisa Hanna.

The allegations were damning to say the least, but very specific, they concerned nepotism in the awarding of contracts and extravagance and mismanagement of funds within the ministry.

The Minister of Sports, Culture, Entertainment & Gender Affairs is not expected to know every small detail, but the issues raised were specific and significant enough, considering the amounts involved.

Ms Grange should at least be aware and must be held responsible. 

It would’ve been more diplomatic for the minister to acknowledge that she wasn’t aware of the details, and give the public the assurance that these issues would be investigated immediately and action taken, if necessary.  Instead, Ms Grange chose to “lash out” verbally at the Opposition MP for daring to bring these matters to light, without addressing the specific details behind the allegations.

She said they were “big fat lies”, which doesn’t mean much. 

Ms Grange might’ve missed the point with all this, but most well-thinking Jamaicans didn’t. 

The role of the Opposition is not simply to oppose for political gain, but to keep Government on its toes, so that they are held accountable and kept in line.

Issues can be debated intelligently, without much of the verbal abuse. Opposition Spokesman Hanna was simply doing her job.

I commend Hanna on these findings, the details of which were also posted on the MPs Facebook page for all to read. 

I hope copies were also sent to the Prime Minister, as well as the Office of Contractor General (OCG) in case further investigation is required on their part.

The Government must investigate and act accordingly, without being defensive simply for political purposes. We have already seen the findings of OCG concerning the waste with Jamaica50 expenditures, which Hanna raised concerns about when she took over the ministry a few years ago. 

Corruption and waste is too rampant in Government. We must plug the leaks and control expenditures, regardless of who is in Government. We cannot support a system where tax payers are being over taxed and overburdened, yet there is a “culture of extravagance” within Government.

P Chin