Candidate: Edmund Hinkson
Age: 50
Profession: attorney-at-law
Why did you decide to throw your hat into the ring for this nomination?
Hinkson: I’ve been closely associated with the St James North branch of the BLP for the last 16-odd years, assisting Rawle [Eastmond] throughout, in terms of the administration of the branch, financial resources, way back in the mid to late 1990s. I raised funds for Rawle, even had a fund-raising supper at my home. I became interested probably about seven years ago when Rawle started taking me around the constituency with him.
I’ve always had an interest in elective politics from the time I was a teenager. It was just a question of when and I believe that this is the best time in my life to enter. The opportunity is there and I’m taking the opportunity.
What do you think your chances are of winning?
Hinkson: I think they’re very good. I’ve put in the work historically. As I said, I’ve been around the branch members for 16 years now and I’ve been canvassing for about three years. I’ve done the community work in terms of sponsoring cricket and netball tournaments. I’ve done work with the churches, mentorship programmes, youth development programmes.
I’ve been associated with the primary schools in terms of awarding students who have done well in sports and have achieved academic excellence.
I’ve assisted in solving an access problem in Road View for tenants and I’m in the process of assisting tenants in Reid Road, The Garden, in obtaining the lots which they rent under the Tenantries Freehold Purchase Act. But we’re not taking any of that for granted and that’s why we will be in the field up until the last.
What would be your constituency priorities if you win the nomination?
Hinkson: Of course, you have the general issues of rising unemployment, especially among young men, that we have to deal with. We have to find a way to channel the creative energies of young men, especially in terms of giving them skills to become self-employed and to be employed by others. In terms of other peculiar constituency needs, there is a need for greater community development.
There are two community centres in the constituency, both are underutilized and certainly, the one in Sion Hill is in serious need of repair. Both can be used as buildings where skills of the young people, especially, and older people can be improved to give them the opportunity for self-development.
Computer programmes which were instituted by the Barbados Labour Party Government within the community centres certainly don’t exist in Sion Hill and are very much underutilized in the community centre in Weston. There’s a need for community development in terms of sports as well. There is a dire need for playing facilities where young people can develop their sporting talents.
There is also a flooding problem on the coast – Weston, The Garden, Trents area – and a solution has to be found for that because you can’t have a situation every time there is heavy rainfall that people are inconvenienced in terms of access to their homes.
If you were to go on and win the seat, what would be your priorities at the national level?
Hinkson: I look forward to being part of a BLP Government and therefore being able to propel legislation such as disabilities legislation. I am one of the main proponents in Barbados for such legislation and I really look forward to being in a position in Parliament to help persons with disabilities who make up, it is estimated, between five and eight per cent of our population.
Under our Education Act, there is no right to free education for some persons with disabilities and that can’t be fair . . . .
You also can’t have a situation where it is estimated that about 90 per cent of adult persons with disabilities are unemployed when many of them are people with great intelligence and some with qualifications. There must be some policy of affirmative action in terms of employing persons with disabilities who are qualified. There must be legislation whereby Government gives tax incentives to private enterprises to employ persons with disabilities.
What is your take on the controversy surrounding Rawle Eastmond’s resistance to being part of a nomination process and his allegations about the voters’ list?
Hinkson: The political leader and the general secretary have spoken to that and the constitution is being abided by in this process, so I really don’t want to get any further into the issues. I have full confidence that my party will be able to address these problems adequately and be ready to face the next general election and fight the Dems and win.
But going into the nomination are you comfortable with the voters’ list?
Hinkson: The list is about 719 members and I know it has been a controversial aspect of this nomination.
I really don’t want to go into details of the controversy, enough has been said already. I have to play with the hand that I’ve been dealt . . . . I have been to every single member on those lists that can be identified and located in the constituency and I am confident that I will win the nomination, whatever list is there.
