Hanna, Grange meet over Jamaica 50 celebrations

Culture minister, Lisa Hanna, is expected this morning to meet with her opposition counterpart, Olivia Grange, to discuss plans for the Jamaica 50 celebrations, which has been a major source of disagreement between the two.

The two have been at odds about spending on the event ever since the change of administration early this year.

In January, Hanna announced that the programme for Jamaica 50 would be restructured and that the Auditor General had also been called in to probe spending for the celebrations.

The pronouncements angered Grange who said the new administration was being vindictive.

During the latest tussle between Grange and Hanna during a sitting of Parliament’s Standing Finance committee, the two agreed to meet to go over the plans together.

Hanna and members of the Jamaica 50 Secretariat are expected to provide the Opposition spokesperson with an update on preparations for the Jamaica 50 Celebrations during this morning’s meeting.

Last month, the government announced it would be spending $688 million instead of the $2.5 billion budgeted by the previous administration.

editorial@gleanerjm.com