Pick the right team, Mr Holness

by Gary Spaulding

Andrew Holness has a grand opportunity to activate the renewal process of the Jamaica Labour Party he leads, and to bring an end to the hostility that has marred activities in the Upper House of Parliament by the quality of the persons he appoints to the Senate and the Shadow Cabinet.

That Jamaicans have repeatedly signalled, in unambiguous terms, that they are weary of, and disgusted by, the unbridled conflicts and spitefulness that have dominated both chambers of Gordon House is a moot point.

Similarly, the populace has frowned on the 'oppose, oppose, oppose' strategies practised by both political parties while in Opposition, at the expense of robust, intellectual debates.

While the December 29 general election may have served to curtail the seemingly incorrigible conduct of some members of the House of Representatives, Holness, as the fresh, new leader must ensure that persons he appoints to the Senate are focused on the interests of the country, rather than petty, personal political biases.

Wrong motivations

All too frequently those in Opposition appointed to shadow ministerial portfolios are out of their depth because they were appointed by motivations other than their capabilities. Usually, they are only able to make an intervention if and when the symptoms of a scandal or controversy emerge on a subject.

Tragically, many in both Houses of Parliament prefer to arm themselves with sludge to hurl at members on the other side of the chamber rather than make well-thought-out interventions on the portfolios assigned to them.

The traditionally intellectual and decorous tone that characterises the Senate, appropriately referred to as the upper chamber, was, for the most part, absent during the last term, with the near-ceaseless squabbles involving former Justice Minister Dorothy Lightbourne and Desmond McKenzie and others on the government side, and K.D. Knight and A.J. Nicholson on the opposition benches.

As a first-time opposition leader, Holness retains as much responsibility as Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller in ensuring that this unbecoming state of affairs does not continue. It must be replaced by the new path in governance that both leaders espoused during the election campaign.

In this regard, Holness must bear in mind that the Senate was established as a review chamber in spite of the fact that its influence, has, over the years, been diminished by the appointment of politicians aspiring to enter or return to representational politics.

The upper chamber is mandated to advance party positions on critical and national issues at a level that precludes narrow, partisan positions.

High-minded values

The Senate must return to its original status of eminence as the forum that accommodates the articulation of the issues on a broad basis in a way that will drive the growth and development of the country.

The appointment of suitable individuals, this time around, must, therefore, highlight the difference from the last Senate, which all too frequently descended into 'cass-cass' and vendettas.

If the opposition leader is to demonstrate that he is serious about a new approach to politics, of which he has often spoken, he will have to refrain from appointing persons who lost narrowly in the December 29 general election.

In keeping with his campaign rhetoric, Holness should demonstrate that he possesses the will to appoint to the shadow Cabinet persons who reflect newness of thought.

By so doing, he will signal to a wary Jamaican populace that he is serious about his campaign advocacy for a new Jamaica in the context of economic development, civil-service reform, education, among other issues, instead of the skewed party positions that have marred Jamaican politics for so long.

Gary Spaulding is a political affairs journalist. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.