Hon. Minister for Education and Culture felt that persons were taking over government facilities in their districts. Photo: VINO/File

The Minister related this concern during the other business segment of the last sitting of the Second Session of the Second House of Assembly on September 3, 2012. 

“It’s a problem we have with the Government,” Walwyn said, “I don’t know if it’s the fault of the politicians, it might very well be, but we have to get to the point, Madam Speaker, where we build systems in the government, that they survive whoever comes, whoever goes, the systems are there and in place and they work.” 

The subject Minister added, “…it is not a good thing, when you stick politics into things, it brings it down.” 

He declared that at times, believing that there may be a festival in someone’s district, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the festival belongs to “us”.  “…that is something that we have to get away from,” Hon. Walwyn said.

He continued, “…the Festival affairs committee [is] responsible for festival affairs throughout the territory.” He expressed that their mandate, therefore must be properly carried out. 

In bringing further clarity to his point, he related an incident where a party was thrown at Ellis Thomas Downs Race Track, “The horse track is under the Ministry of Education and Culture,” he related “and nobody took the time to ask the permission of the Ministry of Education and Culture if they could have a party at the horse track.” They just simply went ahead and had that party, he related. 

Hon. Walwyn felt that even though it might be that some national facilities may reside in various districts, “it doesn’t mean that because it is under your district, it is under your control.” 

“I saw this happen at the festival” he continued, “I want to make sure that we let the systems work.”