PODCAST · news
The Big Issues
by The Big Issues Production Team
From the remote twin-island paradise of Antigua and Barbuda, weekly guest panels discuss the biggest issues of politics, economy, people and culture, that make its sun-kissed shores famous and infamous. This programme is a NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM production.
Episodes
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S2.E33: Why Against The Death Penalty?
In this episode, we discuss the reasons why many continue to advocate for the abolition of the death penalty. This discussion was organised in partnership with Amplify Caribbean. The Big Issues is proud to provide a space where civil organisations such as Amplify Caribbean can engage in…
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S2.E32: Is A Mega-Wealth Tax Viable?
A mega wealth tax on local elites and wealthy economic citizens has been proposed as an alternative to the increasingly controversial citizenship by investment programme (CBI/CIP). In this episode, we ask: How viable is the idea of further taxing the wealthy in our society in order to improve the...
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S2.E31: National Heroes: Who Is Worthy?
One of Antigua and Barbuda's most renowned musicians and Calypso icons, Sir McClean Emmanuel marked his 80th birthday recently as it was suggested that he ought to be made a National Hero. Some ask if he is worthy of the status. In this episode, we ask: What defines a national hero? And when is...
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S2.E30: Asot, Water, Enrichment & A Mystery Slate
Disgraced Labour Party MP Asot Michael has won again in court, defending an injunction secured against the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP), and triggering another rebuke of the MP from the Prime Minister Gaston Browne, his former political ally and personal friend. In Parliament, Works...
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S2.E29: Upping Minimum Wage: What Would Be Achieved?
A multi-sectoral committee has been invited by the Labour Minister to formally discuss the prospects for raising the minimum wage in Antigua and Barbuda. In this episode, we ask: What would raising the minimum wage achieve? Is it prudent at this time? Is it feasible and is it overdue? This...
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S2.E28: Med Student Attacked Over Ride Fare
A dispute over ride fare between a driver and an foreign medical student became violent with the driver caught on camera attacking the other man with a stick. The driver has now been charged. Yet, there are many issues to be explored. Has this sort of thing happened before? How many unassociated...
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S2.E27: Russia Invades Ukraine: Crisis, Disbelief
Russia has invaded its western neighbour Ukraine, with the Russian President Vladimir Putin vowing to "demilitarize" the country and remove its elected leadership. Though it had been building up to this point for months now, many still doubted the Russian leader would unleash a full scale war…
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S2.E26: Making Sense Of The DPP's Controversial Departure
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in Antigua and Barbuda, Anthony Armstrong, has taken special leave from the office in the wake of a professional misconduct decision against him by a disciplinary body in Jamaica which the Attorney General says Armstrong intends to appeal. The ruling that...
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S2.E25: Spare The Rod For Daryll Matthew's Child
The education minister Daryl Matthew has signaled that the government has no immediate plans to propose banning corporal punishment in schools, despite his and the Prime Minister Gaston Browne's staunch and vocal support for the same idea around mid-2021. In a heated moment during an interview on...
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S2.E24: Asot's Speech An Indictment Of Politics' Moral Bankruptcy
The Antigua Barbuda Labour Party's most scandalized MP, Asot Michael, lunched a stern rebuke of the Gaston Browne administration’s A+ rating of its performance, lavishing the government with criticism for what Michael says is the deliberate neglect of his St. Peter constituency. But whether or…
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S2.E23: Rape, Sex Crimes, Bribery, Hush Money
Two men are to be tried over the charge of perverting the course of justice after allegedly bribing an alleged sexual assault victim to drop a rape case against one of the accused. In this episode, we ask: How serious is the issue of bribery and hush money when it comes to sex crimes and efforts…
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S2.E22: Everywhere, Everyday, Someone Is Striking For Pay
At many times over the last few months workers have found reason to protest, often over debts owed to them, or problems with their premises. In this episode, we explore the reasons behind some of the worker protest actions over outstanding pay or wage issues that have been in the news recently.…
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S2.E21: Targeting The Real Problems: Budget Pt2
In this episode our guests continue their analysis of the budget 2022 beginning with critiques by the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Jamale Pringle. He opened Thursday’s debate on the 2022 budget, by accusing the government of not being "people-focused". Pringle, the MP for All Saints…
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S2.E20: Shoplifting Cop & Her Punishment, Or Lack Thereof?
The case of a policewoman caught shoplifting has created controversy in recent days as the severity of the consequences she ought to have faced for the offense became a subject of great debate both within and outside the police force according to media reports. One paper, POINTE EXPRESS, reported...
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S2.E19: A Jolly Pot Of Callaloo & Govt Rescue?
The Jolly Beach Resort and the stalled Callaloo Cay hotel project are both to be taken over by the government, or that is at least the government's hope according to a recent announcement. In this episode, we ask: What are the risks the government is taking to rescue both Jolly Beach and Callaloo...
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S2.E18: Big Promises, Whopping Deficit: Budget Pt1
The government has unveiled the 2022 budget with a gargantuan deficit, promising an increase in its capital spending, a faster economic recovery, and the customary raft of planned private investments. Of an XCD $1.6 billion budget for 2022, the government intends to borrow roughly $0.6 billion of...
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S2.E17: Unfit For Trial? Jane Finch, Justice
The young woman suspected by police to be late Piccadilly resident, Jane Finch’s killer has been deemed unfit to stand trial due to a reported psychological disorder. The homicide happened in October last year (2021). Finch was posting to Facebook in the moments before her death alerting her...
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S2.E16: Taken To Nursing Home, Dies Shortly After
A family seeks answers after the death of its matriarch at a nursing home not long after beginning her care there, and under circumstances loved ones say they have reason to question. It's suspected that she caught COVID-19 in the home, but the issue is wholly unclear. They say too many of their...
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S2.E15: New Ideas? Or More of the Same?
Oops. We were meant to host a debate on this episode with three candidates running for St. Peter. But the favored Antigua Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) nominee and the United Progressive Party (UPP) candidate participant separately withdrew for unrelated reasons. Hopefully it can happen in the...
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S2.E14: Shot Fired, UPP Bolts
Badly beaten in the snap election of 2018 and seemingly determined fare better at the polls this time, the main opposition party, the United Progressive Party (UPP), has launched its campaign at the beginning of what is anticipated as an election year. Some wonder if their campaign engine will…
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S2.E13: Mottley's Election Victory, Repeated in A&B?
Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley secures another 30-seat victory in the snap elections recently held in Barbados, meaning that her Barbados Labour Party (BLP) has again denied the opposition even a single seat. In this episode we ask why she and the BLP won so convincingly, and we ask whether...
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S2.E12: Drowning With LIAT, Months On End
Laid off LIAT workers have started the new year (2022) with no resolution to the question of severance and entitlements owed to them by the defunct company. Many former employees here are pointing the finger at the government of Antigua and Barbuda, a major shareholder. But the government here…
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S2.E11: Parham Shop Demolition Fiasco
A controversy erupts over a roadside shop in Parham demolished by order of the Development Control Authority. The young men who owned it say they are being stifled while trying to make a living. The DCA says the men went far beyond what they were authorized to do, and they were given fair warning...
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S2.E10: What is Omicron?
A wave of COVID-19 infections moving forward in many Caribbean islands, including in Antigua and Barbuda. At the same time, the Omicron variant has been detected in a number of islands as well. We ask: How does Omicron differ from past variants? And what will it mean for the COVID-19 situation…
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S2.E9: Heroes, Disputed Legacies, Facts & Lies
The current debate over the legacy of the late former Premier and national hero Sir George Walter, sparked by an attack on Sir George by the Prime Minister Gaston Browne, has exposed the challenge of agreeing on the legacies of national icons amidst pervasive political tribalism and the dominance...
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S2.E8: Gaston, Mr. Singh, The Rent Scandal
Prime Minister Gaston Browne is being accused of side dealing. It has emerged that Browne and his son each signed separate deals with a wealthy Indian investor, "Mr. Singh" to rent to Mr. Singh properties in Jolly Harbour and in Villa, for US $20,000 a month, and US $12,000 a month respectively....
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S2.E7: Barbados to the Polls
Despite her Barbados Labour Party's near total control of parliament, Barbados' Prime Minister Mia Mottley has called an early snap election citing a need to "unite" a "divided" country. What did that really mean? Is this early election merely a bit of political opportunism? Or is there actually…
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S2.E6: It Was 'Blackmail' Says Michael Browne
Having been acquitted at trial on two serious criminal charges, MP Michael Browne appeared live on Facebook recently to address the public, dismissing the allegation of his accuser as false, stating it was was concocted to "blackmail" and extort him, and accusing current and former police…
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S2.E5: New Year, Same Gloomy Outlook?
The economic outlook for the start of the year 2022 looks promising to some but bleak to others. So in this episode we ask: Will the first quarter of the year will bring change for better, for worse, or more of the same? This programme first aired on NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM on January 9th,...
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S2.E4: Debating the Govt's Successes and Failures in 2021
The state had a heavier than usual burden in 2021, reacting to multiple crises amidst a public health emergency. So how did the government perform under pressure? We ask that question and our three guests, Lennox, Shawn and Joanne, thrash out the answers. The Big Issues presents part 4 of…
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S2.E3: What Did the Doctor Say? Covid & the End of 2021
The defining event of 2021 and the year before was the Covid-19 pandemic and its spin-off effects. Nothing else impacted daily life more significantly, and the doctors, health workers, and specialists who responded to the sick and dying during the pandemic bring us a very frank and a very…
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S2.E2: News Junkies Reflect on the Highs and Lows of 2021
Reporting the news and working behind a camera or the mic gives a person a unique perspective on the issues that make the headlines year round. The Big Issues presents part 2 of Observer Radio's 2021 Year in Review (YIR). In this episode, current and former journalists and producers as well as...
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Tax Burdens, Tax Dodging, & Tax Justice in the A&B and the Caribbean
Around the world, the attention of the media, lawmakers, and ordinary citizens has been drawn to the many ways which some of us find to pay less taxes or no taxes at all, whether those means are lawful or unlawful. It’s one of the many fallouts from the Pandora Papers – a massive leak of…
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Prejudice & Antigua's Hispanic Community
A viral arrest video showing several policemen subduing a Hispanic man has generated a lot of discussion about the treat of that minority in Antigua and Barbuda. We ask: How are members of the Hispanic community treated in Antigua and Barbuda, and is there prejudice shown towards them? The host…
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Vindicated by the Verdict? Michael Browne's Political Future Debated
Former Education Minister, and sitting Labour MP Michael Browne has survived a scandal after being found not guilty at trial over a serious criminal allegation. And Prime Minister Gaston Browne seems eager to put him back in the Cabinet. We ask: What ought to become of Michael Browne’s political...
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The Real Cost: Gisele Isaac, Victimization & Political Vendettas
The former Executive Secretary of the Board of Education, Gisele Isaac is awarded hefty damages after years fighting a case of unfair dismissal after being sacked without benefits in 2014 in what was then largely seen as a political move. So in our first segment we ask: What is the true cost of...
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Scandal Ridden MP Asot Michael Accused Yet Again, Makes Fresh Denials
It's December 2021 and disgraced Labour Party MP Asot Michael is again defending himself from newly made allegations of serious criminal wrongdoing which he dismissed as smear, and blamed on Labour Party leader, Prime Minister Gaston Browne. In this episode we ask: How will this latest allegation...
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Police Leak Identity of Alleged Sex Assualt Victim?
The identity of an alleged victim of a sexual assault and the identity of the accused person have been leaked publicly in a voice note supposedly recorded by a policeman, and neither the police, nor any other public official has reacted to the affair. Now the details of the allegation are being...
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The Teens Going Missing Yearly in Antigua Barbuda
Every year in Antigua and Barbuda adolescents go missing from their guardians’ homes, and are sometimes unseen for days, often until the police put out a public notice. When the teens are found, little more is said except that they are in good health. In this episode we ask: What’s really behind...
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Hands Filled With Bribes? Charity vs. Buying Votes
An election is thought to be very near in Antigua and Barbuda, and politicians are making their presence felt, often through charity and donations to those in need. But there is a line to be drawn, as a voter should never be influenced by handouts from candidates. In this episode, we ask: When...
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HIV/AIDS: Still Dogged by Static Policies & Culture
World AIDS Day 2021 is being observed under the theme “end inequalities. End AIDS.” When it comes to a disease which has so radically impacted Caribbean society and public health, we find ourselves asking: How far has the Caribbean come in combatting AIDS and the spread of HIV, and what is...
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What is a Republic Worth? (Antigua)
There are some who are eager to see Antigua and Barbuda follow the lead of Barbados in ending the official reign of the British monarchy and adopting a non-executive president to lead a Republic. Simple enough, right? Others are not enthusiastic, and think that partisan ramblings along those…
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'You Throne Gone Down'. Barbados is a Republic
As it marks 55 years of independence since 1966, Barbados is replacing the British monarchy with a non-executive presidency in a move well received in that country and across the Caribbean, but considered long overdue. In this episode, we ask: Why has Barbados and the rest of the English-speaking...
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'Them Days, We Suck Salt To Survive' (Food Price Hike)
The cost of food seems to be rising in Antigua and Barbuda, amidst a harsh recession caused by Covid-19. In this episode we ask: What is causing the price hike? How seriously is it affecting consumers? And is there really an immediate solution? The host is Kieron Murdoch. The guests are: Ms.…
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UPP Bus Trio 'Not Guilty', But Are They Innocent?
Three former United Progressive Party (UPP) ministers who were accused of corruption and tried for conversion and embezzlement over the allegation that they appropriated government owned buses, have been declared not guilty by a judge who found the evidence in the case was too weak. In this...
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Not Without A Fight: Asot vs. ABLP in Court Again
Scandal accused Labour MP Asot Michael has again secured an injunction against the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP), this time to stop the party from replacing him as the candidate in St. Peter and from excluding him from meetings of the executive. In this episode, we ask: What will the...
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No Jab, No School Mandate Abandoned. Was It Needed?
The fiercely debated school vaccine mandate that would have barred unvaccinated students from school, and which inspired hundreds to protest outside the Ministry of Education on Tuesday, has been reversed after one week. It came with the announcement that the impending enforcement of the policy…
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Big Surprise Or Predictable? SOE Ending, Mandates Relaxed
For many, it comes as a very sudden shift in policy, though others say that it was inevitable once you were paying attention. Recently, the government announced that the state of emergency was being called off, promising to do so next month. The public sector vaccine mandate - which had been...
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What Has Changed in 40 Years?
Antigua and Barbuda this month celebrated 40 years of independence, and we are looking back on our development since 1981. In this episode we ask: What have we achieved and what have we not achieved over the last 40 years? The host is Kieron Murdoch. The guests are: Mr. Hyram K. Forde, an…
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Climate Change: Are We Hypocrites in A&B?
The COP-26 climate negotiations have ended after strong deliveries from small island leaders like Antigua and Barbuda's Prime Minister Gaston Browne. But here at home, some ask whether domestic policy on environment and energy squares up with our pro-clean energy, pro-conservation rhetoric on the...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
From the remote twin-island paradise of Antigua and Barbuda, weekly guest panels discuss the biggest issues of politics, economy, people and culture, that make its sun-kissed shores famous and infamous. This programme is a NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM production.
HOSTED BY
The Big Issues Production Team
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How many episodes does The Big Issues have?
The Big Issues currently has 188 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
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From the remote twin-island paradise of Antigua and Barbuda, weekly guest panels discuss the biggest issues of politics, economy, people and culture, that make its sun-kissed shores famous and infamous. This programme is a NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FM production.
How often does The Big Issues release new episodes?
The Big Issues publishes regularly with 188 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
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The Big Issues is created and hosted by The Big Issues Production Team.
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