Ronald Thwaites | Unsettling questions

Mutual trust is the glue which holds together the disparate elements of social order, domestic and national. Absent, the alternative is coercion. Our history is littered with savagery and brute-force. So especially in a society with a huge trust deficit it cannot feel or look good for the head of government to be under a pall of suspicion.

After all the fervid waiting, argument, charge and counter-charge, the Prime Minister’s financial returns have still not been certified as required by law. Why? The Integrity Commission says this is because of deficiencies in his reporting. Without more, their narrative carries a damaging reflection on our Leader. There is no deflecting that.

TRUSTING THE IC

Bear in mind that, as he himself has acknowledged, the uncertainties about Mr. Holness’ personal finances and business arrangements have not been generated by political opponents (however much the JLP tries to shift the blame) but by the state institution which he helped to set up; staffed by persons of the highest trustworthiness whose appointment he would have sanctioned, to safeguard ethical standards in public life.

A thriving society needs to reflexively trust its leaders – not view them with scepticism in respect of their moral and legal responsibilities. These issues go way beyond political differences. It is the national cause which is being compromised.

ABOUT PERSONAL FORTUNES

When one leads a nation it is not the time to get rich. Previous prime ministers amassed no great fortunes. More than one has had to be assisted financially in retirement. No one would want that extreme to be repeated either, which is why I supported their enhanced pension provisions.

On his own account, Mr Holness has been able in a few years to earn great wealth, preside over more ministries and departments of the State than even Mr. Seaga while completing the exacting and exhausting requirements of doctoral studies – all at the same time!

The nation hurts when achievements which should make us proud, instead fuel public cynicism. Last week is beginning to feel like late 2011.

The public is weary of this drawn out issue – the speculation, the parsing of the various reports and the frenetic defences. Why not just tell us how the wealth was earned and how the companies have done so well? Then we could move on from this whole distracting fuss to tackle together the intractable suffering of the majority. And could we stop discrediting critical national institutions just because a particular ruling by them doesn’t suit us?

Battered by ever-rising food, rent and utility prices and still vexed at the cruel liberty-taking of undeserved big-man salary raises, people trust the Integrity Commission more than any political administration.

POOR SERVICE

Speaking of financial institutions, an organisation for which I am responsible has been a customer of a particular commercial bank for more than 50 years. Last week, in order to effect a routine transaction, we were directed to be in contact with the officer responsible for our account. Calls, voice messages and emails to him were futile for several days so I decided to try the branch’s main 876 number. There was a quick connection to someone with an almost incomprehensible Bangladeshi accent who informed me that, “due to time differences,” it would take two to five working days for our contact request to be forwarded to the relevant employee located about two miles away from us. Will we always have to put up with high costs for poor service?

USING ROLLING STOCK FOR GOOD PURPOSE

We have such a surplus of public passenger vehicles nowadays, including the sleek, but chronically half-empty JUTC fleet, nuff Coasters and endless Proboxes, that it should be immediately possible for the purposeful Daryl Vaz to initiate a proper rural and peri-urban school bus system. Youth attending the rural high school in St Elizabeth which I visited recently can only afford to attend, on average, three days per week.

Due to the irrationality of how these students have been placed, each day’s round trip costs about one ‘grand’ and wastes a quarter of their waking hours. Why not introduce zoning gradually, empower school communities to organise location-specific transport services and increase the assistance money for those who the school leadership decides really need help?

OBEYING THE LAW

Why is every police vehicle on such drastic emergency missions that they routinely blare the fog-horn, the flashing lights and show as complete disregard for all traffic rules as the governing elite? Crime-fighting or sheer arrogance? Police, politicians and taxi drivers teach us profound lessons about entitlement, impunity and disrespect for law. Aren’t we allowing them thereby to set the tone of Jamaican life?

DISCREDITING LAW AND ORDER

The Road Traffic Act prohibits the alteration of the exhaust system of any vehicle so as to cause additional noise or emissions. The police make no effort to curb the regular practice by many ego-starved motorcyclists and some motorists, displaying their folly and contempt by making as much noise as possible.

Then too, who is noticing the increasing number of suicide-bomber riders who fake erections by careening through traffic with front wheels high in the air?

LOW GROWTH FOREVER?

Keith Duncan of EPOC has a way of slipping suppressed issues in between approval of macro-economic policy. Last week he questioned the sustainability of the hugely increased public sector wage bill. Inefficient service cannot support growth despite big money being spent.

Check Gordon House as one grand example. Why the yawning, but largely unnoticed disconnect between reward and productivity? Does any single political tendency harbour the delusion that they can eradicate this ‘love-bush’ on their own?

Did I hear correctly? Hon. Lee Chin is calling for focus on growth and, by the way, telling us that the Economic Growth Committee no longer exists? The consequences of continuing, non-inclusive low growth will be more devastating to ordinary Jamaicans than even Dr Holness’ predicament.

Is there balm in Gilead?

Rev Ronald G. Thwaites is an attorney-at-law. He is former member of parliament for Kingston Central and was the minister of education. He is the principal of St Michael’s College at The UWI. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com