Dear Editor,
The Jamaica Observer front page of Wednesday, June 17, 2015 screamed 'No More!', in reference to the national broadcast by Finance Minister Peter Phillips the evening before.
In the presentation, the finance minister extolled all the successes of the economic reform programme, which he reminded us is only halfway through. He pleaded, in part, to a better sense of nationalism than he, at other times in his career as minister, displayed. For, while he was a senior Cabinet minister in various posts between 1989 and 2007 I can't recall ever hearing him speak of fiscal prudence as he does now. Neither did he do so while he was Opposition spokesman on finance, when the country's state of affairs was well known.
In fact, were it not so serious it would have been funny. For the week before, Raymond Pryce was all over the media pulling the same heart strings. As usual he was his polished and slick self. He demonstrated calmly his skills at having media hosts melt in his presence so that his and only his views are expressed. He must have been testing out the very script and messages that were to follow by Phillips' broadcast.
We must not be surprised when we see Prime Minister Simpson Miller emerge from 'hiding' doing what she does best, now that Pryce and Phillips have tilled the soil and spread the fertiliser.
My letter seeks to remind Phillips, Pryce and Simpson Miller of how quickly the table has turned on them. When the JLP formed the Government, Pryce via his radio programme often gave space to Phillips and Simpson Miller to deride the Golding and then Holness Administration. At one point they even claimed that more could have and should have been done for public sector workers by way of salaries. "Don't provoke the public sector workers," Simpson Miller once chided.
I agree with your front page headline 'No More!', but my version would read "No More Pryce, Phillips or Simpson Miller". Maybe if it wasn't for them Jamaica would have passed this point already under the previous Administration. But that wouldn't have suited either of them. The one thing they have in common is that ego which believes that unless it is the PNP that is in charge, Jamaica's situation is to be used as the proverbial political football. I hope the electorate is learning at their feet. God help us because these politicians cannot.
Orinthia Anderson
orinthia.anderson@gmail.com
'No More Pryce, Phillips or Simpson Miller!'
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The Jamaica Observer front page of Wednesday, June 17, 2015 screamed 'No More!', in reference to the national broadcast by Finance Minister Peter Phillips the evening before.
In the presentation, the finance minister extolled all the successes of the economic reform programme, which he reminded us is only halfway through. He pleaded, in part, to a better sense of nationalism than he, at other times in his career as minister, displayed. For, while he was a senior Cabinet minister in various posts between 1989 and 2007 I can't recall ever hearing him speak of fiscal prudence as he does now. Neither did he do so while he was Opposition spokesman on finance, when the country's state of affairs was well known.
In fact, were it not so serious it would have been funny. For the week before, Raymond Pryce was all over the media pulling the same heart strings. As usual he was his polished and slick self. He demonstrated calmly his skills at having media hosts melt in his presence so that his and only his views are expressed. He must have been testing out the very script and messages that were to follow by Phillips' broadcast.
We must not be surprised when we see Prime Minister Simpson Miller emerge from 'hiding' doing what she does best, now that Pryce and Phillips have tilled the soil and spread the fertiliser.
My letter seeks to remind Phillips, Pryce and Simpson Miller of how quickly the table has turned on them. When the JLP formed the Government, Pryce via his radio programme often gave space to Phillips and Simpson Miller to deride the Golding and then Holness Administration. At one point they even claimed that more could have and should have been done for public sector workers by way of salaries. "Don't provoke the public sector workers," Simpson Miller once chided.
I agree with your front page headline 'No More!', but my version would read "No More Pryce, Phillips or Simpson Miller". Maybe if it wasn't for them Jamaica would have passed this point already under the previous Administration. But that wouldn't have suited either of them. The one thing they have in common is that ego which believes that unless it is the PNP that is in charge, Jamaica's situation is to be used as the proverbial political football. I hope the electorate is learning at their feet. God help us because these politicians cannot.
Orinthia Anderson
orinthia.anderson@gmail.com
'No More Pryce, Phillips or Simpson Miller!'
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