​The Ministry of Education celebrates the passage of the 5 family bills on Tuesday April 25, 2023. Education Minister, Octavia Alfred encourages school leaders and teachers to acquaint themselves with the content of the bills, especially those relating to children as the school plays a vital role in the lives of students and the care they receive.She also encourages schools to give the Health & Family Life curriculum the prominence that it requires.

​Education Minister, Octavia Alfred 

​CORPEFF Insurance in collaboration with its many local and international partners have launched the Flexible Hurricane Protection (FHP) to the Dominican public. This comes after two years of successfully piloting the new product at the West Coast and Grandbay Cooperative Credit Unions.The FHP offers comprehensive protection against tropical cyclones, ranging from tropical storms to category 5 hurricanes.General Manager of CORPEFF Insurance David Fritz says the FHP is a parametric insurance policy designed to provide coverage against specific measurable events rather than specific assets, offering a unique approach to disaster risk management.

​General Manager of CORPEFF Insurance, David Fritz 

​CEO of CREAD Francine Baron says Dominica has the opportunity to become a green hydrogen producer by tapping into its renewable energy potential, and exporting to countries with a high demand for green hydrogen.Baron says in essence, Dominica can serve as an industrial center for renewable power generation, hydrogen production and further along the value chain into petrochemical sectors including ammonia and methanol. Dominica this week signed a Framework Agreement for the Caribbean’s First Industrial Scale Green Hydrogen Geothermal Development.

​CEO of CREAD, Francine Baron 

​Leader of the United Workers Party and Financial Economist, Dr Thomson Fontaine, contends that because of the high quality of the Cannabis grown on the Island, Dominica has a great deal to gain from the production and processing medical cannabis based medicinal products for sale to external markets. He emphasized that a UWP government will put the framework, structures and investments in place to ensure that medicinal marijuana is used to its fullest potential.
 
It has been highlighted that the legalization of medical marijuana in both industrialized and developing nations, including Jamaica, has resulted in major economic progress, although there are different perspectives on how medical programs can be implemented while still adhering to international treaties.

​Dr Fontaine aims to use the resources available to Dominica to build prosperity for the population, especially the young people. While he underlines that they wouldn't arrest young people for smoking, they would instead encourage them to open doors in the industry.

​The United Workers Party's leader and Financial Economist, Dr. Thomson Fontaine 

​Q95 Global View on Q show host Sheridan Gregoire alleges that the DLP nominees on the electoral commission were changed following advice contained in an email to stop ongoing electoral reforms, which served to prevent free and fair elections, since that would have impacted Mr Skerrit’s election winning legacy. However, he observed that it seems like everything is being made worse, based on the recommendations and amendments that are surfacing through the grapevine.

​Gregoire brought up the concerns about clearly defining what constitutes residency and ensuring that re-registration is done entirely in Dominica. He further opined that the reporting period for campaign funding should be at least one year prior to the day on which the election is announced, and the disclosure of all expenditure should be strictly enforced and there should be severe punishment for breaches or failure to report all campaign funds received and spent.
 
Gregoire also suggested that a fixed amount of approximately $40 to $50 per constituent should be adequate for each candidate. He further suggests that all regulations and laws that are on the books should be strictly enforced by the electoral commission, but he also questions whether the commission as currently constituted will act any of the legislation that is being advanced, some of which Justice Dr. Irving André had already reviewed and offered his comments.

​Host of the Global View, Sheridan Gregoire 

​Dominica Public Service Union general secretary Thomas Letang says the DPSU has been strong in advocating for companies to recognize employees' rights under Dominica's constitution. He says government has a responsibility to enlighten companies and potential employers or investors about employees' constitutional rights to join unions and seek representation.

​Letang referenced a situation where he had occasion to assist earlier in the week, in which case it was clearly demonstrated that the employee's rights had been infringed by their employer.

​Thomas Letang, General Secretary of the Dominica Public Service Union.

​President of the United Workers Party (UWP), Lennox Linton indicated that he has a number of matters before the court for defamation of those who want to damage his character, which are taking years before they are heard in the court. He stated that when all of the state institutions set in place by the people fail to guarantee a proper functioning government, the people must act.

​Linton feels that he has had ample discussions about social concerns, yet he feels constrained to keep speaking about them in order to help the Dominican people understand what is occurring in their own society.

​Lennox Linton, President of the United Workers Party (UWP)

President of the United Workers Party, Lennox Linton, claims that the DLP regime leader Roosevelt Skerrit had his reset in December of 2022 with a sham snap general election in which only 31% of voters showed up. As 69% of the electorate chose not to participate in the election, this DLP regime is perceived to be an illegitimate government.
 
He reiterated that the Organization of American States observed the election concluded in 2022 and declared that Dominica cannot proceed to another election under the same rules.The CCJ also advised Dominica not to hold another election under the same tainted electoral process. Mr. Linton insists that the reforms must therefore be implemented.
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​Linton added that they are keeping an eye on the reform process, and are looking for the appropriate changes to the electoral legislation. He emphasized that after this takes place, they will work to have general elections as soon as possible, because the election of a government with 31% of the vote was completely unsatisfactory.

Lennox Linton, the president of the United Workers Party.

In the news of the week of 19 April, we hear that CARICOM leaders would like to hold US gun manufacturers accountable for the ‘illegal’ weapons which fuel gun violence in the Carib-bean.  There were some bizarre comments reportedly made by PM Gonsalves and probably others during this week. Defenders of gun rights in the USA usually say guns don’t kill people, but people do. Gun violence though comes from guns usually made legally and with great profit, and sold legally and illegally. People want to make greater demands on the makers and sellers of guns and ammunition to be more vigilant about the ‘people’ who kill people.
 
During this week, there was a quiet story about Guyana’s Attorney-General lamenting that ‘bar owners’ should not be selling to drunk people, especially drivers. In Guyana, we do not admit the alcohol problem, so data about alcohol fuelled violence and gun-related violence cannot really be compared.  We also do not have universal understandings of what constitutes violence. While some of the CARICOM heads talked about the cost of gun violence in the countries, the political leaders in Guyana dare not talk about the cost and burden of alcohol on Guyana, as it seems the various profits apparently are more important.
 
And so, in the ambivalence about violence, and the causes of violence, and the things like guns and alcohol which intensify the outcomes of the violence, the CARICOM leaders want to hold the gun industry accountable, while embracing and not really doing anything about making the alcohol industry accountable for the havoc the industry wrecks in our society.If CARICOM leaders want to hold the gun industry accountable they should also be holding the alcohol industry accountable for the violence in our society. *End*

Dominica Public Service Union (DPSU) President Steve Joseph indicated during last evening's program that there are several essential pillars that the Dominica Public Service Union (DPSU) supports and believes that are not congruent with what businesses encourage among their employees. He stated that the freedom of employees to join trade unions or seek representation from trade unions is enshrined in the constitution; nevertheless, certain businesses and organizations on the island discourage employees from exercising this right and involvement.

Dominica Public Service Union (DPSU) President Steve Joseph.