EDITORIAL - In the aftermath of Greg Christie

In what we expect to be one of a few valedictory speeches over the next several weeks, Greg Christie, the contractor general, described his office as a "toothless bulldog".

We don't believe that most of the people who, these past seven years, have been on the receiving end of Mr Christie's supposedly toothless gums will have welcomed the experience. For, notwithstanding the lack of prosecutorial authority, about which he complained in his address to the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica last week, Mr Christie's bite was humiliatingly hot.

Whatever emotion is conjured up by Greg Christie's name, he has been a transformational figure at the Office of the Contractor General (OCG), and Jamaica is better for him. Which is not to suggest that Mr Christie was, or is, always right, or that he deserves encomiums for all his undertakings. Rather, we judge Greg Christie on the balance of his tenure. On that scale, there are far more positives than negatives.

This is not to suggest that the other contractors general were not good and did not perform with merit. They did.

But Greg Christie exemplified a man of this time - domestically and globally. He came to office with a belief in his capacity to give the idea of public oversight wide reach and currency.

So, in Jamaica, we were concerned with the fact and perception of corruption, and matters of morality and decency in governance. We were insisting on predictable and rule-based structures on which people could be held accountable. These ideals coincided with widening access to, and evolution of, new forms of media and lower economic barriers for entry to the sector.

Greg Christie, intuitively perhaps, understood the platform provided by the media revolution and appropriated it to his job. In the process, he captured people's imagination. Media allowed him to reach them and Jamaicans saw in him the spirit of the fearless crusader for the public weal, who was an equal-opportunity basher. Most public officials complied rather than risk Greg Christie's tart public scolding.

Mr Christie has complained that that could go only so far. His inability to himself prosecute breaches under law establishing his office, and acts of corruption, impaired the effectiveness of his bite.

Paralysed by fear

But others argue that Greg Christie often overreached and that fear of his public rebuke, and insinuations therefrom, induced management paralysis to the detriment of public-sector projects, development and economic growth.

We have two observations. The first is that Greg Christie policed a procurement regime established by the Parliament. If there are weaknesses, the regime can be changed. Second, if he was perceived to have gone beyond the bounds of his remit, he can, as is now the case, be challenged.

But the essential role of the OCG must not be diminished.

In that regard, we believe that Greg Christie's imminent departure is a good time for a full and transparent review of the role and functions of the OCG, including the procurement rules, taking into account the requirements of a modern, entrepreneurial state.

We support, also, reviving the idea of a single corruption agency that would include the functions of the OCG and the agencies that police the integrity of public servants and parliamentarians.

Choosing the new contractor general should also be a transparent process.

The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner. To respond to a Gleaner editorial, email us: editor@gleanerjm.com or fax: 922-6223. Responses should be no longer than 400 words. Not all responses will be published.