Question Time in the House of Representatives has served its purpose once again to throw light on aspects of government administration that needed to be brought to public notice. This time the matter of work permits issued to foreigners by the Ministry of Labour has been thrust into the spotlight.

Answering questions posed by Opposition MP Ruddy Spencer, Minister of Labour Derrick Kellier has admitted that work permits have been issued to foreigners without the jobs being advertised locally.

This, of course, is unacceptable and the Minister was frank enough to admit to the House that there have been lapses "in the past". The past, of course, can hardly have been so remote that it escaped the four terms of PNP administration.

It is also instructive that machine operators are among the categories for which work permits have been issued even though, as Mr Spencer claimed, there are currently more than 200 machine operators locally out of work.

Mr. Kellier was less than convincing in his reaction to the charge that bar workers, such as exotic dancers, were also granted work permits. Even though one of the requirements under the existing arrangements is that a permit would be granted for a period with the proviso that locals would be trained in the interim, this would hardly be relevant to the kind of entertainment available in local bars. Our go-go girls would have none of it!

In these times of increased globalisation and technological development work permit legislation may become less relevant, depending of course on a country's stage of social and economic development .

The spread of the Jamaican diaspora also means that our own people will increasingly be seeking employment abroad. We would expect reciprocity of treatment depending of course on the level of skills involved; our teachers and nurses abroad are good examples of how skilled Jamaicans may fare in other countries.

There is of course scope for corruption in the granting of work permits as historically there have been in past decades with the distribution of farm work tickets. We expect the minister to keep his pledge that the available jobs will be advertised on the Ministry's website and elsewhere.

Tony Blair's send-off

British Prime Minister Tony Blair's final speech to a Labour Party convention was a rousing send-off and it would seem that the party is willing to let him leave on a high.

No doubt he will grab those highs whenever and wherever he can. The unpopular war in Iraq that was instrumental in his fall from grace continues to bedevil him and his coalition with the U.S.

A declassified national intelligence estimate out of Washington this week alleged that, in contrast to the confident predictions made by Mr. Blair and President George W. Bush, the war in Iraq is not turning the tide against terror. It has only made it worse.

Time may well vindicate Messrs. Blair and Bush in their decision to launch what has become an unpopular war. Yet time ran out for Mr. Blair. He will have to await the verdict of history. Because while his party gave him a polite, even enthusiastic send-off earlier this week, its verdict was nonetheless that the time had come for him to go.