Government Missed Opportunity on ID Card Discussion

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One Caribbean Nation.


by Michael Headley

Letter From Brooklyn

On the March 05 Brass Tacks program, the government missed an opportunity to communicate, directly, and in real-time, with the public by not having a representative participate in the discussion on the safety and security of the now mandatory Trident ID card.    Moderator David Ellis had even offered a Zoom feed, for their convenience - to join the conversation any time.

The topic, Trident ID, how safe are we? was very apropos and the panelists fielded calls and tried to shed light on some of the unanswered questions.  On the panel, along with David Ellis, were Technology and Cybersecurity expert Niel Harper and Democratic Labour Party (DLP) President Dr. Ronnie Yearwood.  

A query, pertaining to the medical records, cyber-attack, at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) hospital was raised.  And the input, from QEH Executive Chairman, Juliette Bynoe-Sutherland, who called into the program, was welcomed - she confirmed that no patient information was compromised.

However, any real-time contribution, from a government representative, would've helped to defend the government's position and allay any concerns that some members of the public, still have, regarding the safety and security of the mandatory ID card.  However, if the program was monitored, by the relevant authorities, more pertinent information would probably be forthcoming.  The discussion was informative.  Thanks to the panel and callers.

Michael Headley is a social commentator based in Brooklyn New York.

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