Tufton rated best performer by a mile - Clarke and Johnson Smith out of limelight
Published:Thursday | March 21, 2019 | 12:00 AMNickoy Wilson/Gleaner Writer
Although 24 per cent of Jamaicans who participated in the latest RJRGLEANER-commissioned Don Anderson poll have rated Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton as the best-performing minister, the absence of some of his colleagues in the top five has caught the attention of political commentator Kevin O’Brien Chang.
“The minister ratings are very interesting in terms of not only who is there, but who is not. Nigel Clarke and Kamina Johnson Smith have gotten rave reviews from the media, but the public doesn’t seem to share that … . Dr Tufton clearly, despite the issues at Cornwall Regional [Hospital], and stuff, he’s the people’s choice; ... everybody else is quite a bit behind,” Chang said.
The poll, conducted among 1,003 Jamaicans islandwide from February 15 to March 5, revealed that Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett was seen as the second best-performing minister at 11 per cent.
Chang said this was not a surprise.
“Ed Bartlett is a name you expect to be called. He was world Tourism Minister of the Year last year, so he is, in the nation’s eyes, doing a good job,” Chang told The Gleaner in an interview yesterday.
Other ministers were Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie at 11 per cent; Agriculture Minister Audley Shaw following closely behind with 10 per cent; Culture Minister Olivia Grange with seven per cent; ministers without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, Mike Henry and Daryl Vaz, with six per cent and four per cent, respectively; the now former education Minister Ruel Reid with five per cent; Justice Minister Delroy Chuck and Finance Minister Nigel Clarke, both with four per cent.
Meanwhile, 46 per cent of respondents rated Damion Crawford as the best-performing opposition spokesperson.
“He’s five times as popular as the next person. That says a lot and certainly must give him big hopes within the East Portland by-election. Clearly, whatever the media criticisms, the public seems to love him,” Chang said.
Angela Brown Burke, the spokesperson on local government, was second to Crawford with nine per cent.
Opposition Spokesperson on National Security Fitz Jackson and Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Lisa Hanna were ranked joint third with seven per cent, followed by Opposition Spokesperson on Industry Peter Bunting, at six per cent.
Agriculture Minister Audley Shaw is viewed as the worst-performing minister, by 14 per cent of respondents, while opposition spokesperson on local government Angela Brown Burke was viewed as the worst-performing opposition spokesperson by 12 per cent.