Gordon Robinson | We are not ready for transformational change

The annual visit to Gordon House by Jamaica’s National Three-Ring Circus (a.k.a. “Budget Debate”) was particularly entertaining and equally revealing.

We all know that economic growth is a result of increased production. The sole issue is how can Government catalyse, nurture and encourage that necessity. So the small portion of the 60 per cent that don’t vote but still hope for systemic transformation settled down on March 11 for the opening act.

Amid repeated promises not to “run-wid-it” in an election year, we learned from Fayval that Government’s plans to incentivize increased production included rewarding electricity thieves and easing the cash flow burden on new car importers. What the actual fershlugginer? So she didn’t “run-wid-it”. Instead she ran wid dem. Apart from trying to buy votes from a plethora of electricity thieves not one of whom is likely to stop “t’iefing light” and giving wealthy corporations the fiscal space to make campaign donations, how does this “good news” assist production?

When Fayval rose to her hind legs, Jamaican education was already broken; public health was an embarrassment; public transport a “chronic”; crime control a lottery. By the time she sat down, car importers and PAYE employees earning more than $2,000,000.00 per year were happy; electricity thieves were rewarded; and JLP’s campaign managers were ecstatic. Education was still broken; public health still embarrassing; transport still chaotic and crime control still hit and miss. That some political hacks celebrated on social media exposed that, for them, it’s all about party loyalty and the associated benefits for THEM. It’s not about not us. Average Joe and Josephine still couldn’t afford to go to market; pay rent; or improve or modernize their education.

Production drives growth. Big Business doesn’t. Encouraging small business, especially in manufacturing and production, to become Big Business does. Car importers, electricity thieves and Tik-Tokkers don’t qualify. Micro, Small, Medium Enterprises and potential exporters should be priority targets for tax incentives.

Increasing the tax threshold for persons already earning $2 million+ per year AND rewarding electricity thieves while ignoring NIS pensioners or basic/primary school students’ education are self-serving grabs for political power instead of nation building.

Unless we transform Jamaican governance so we can transform Jamaican education we are going nowhere. TRANSFORMATION doesn’t mean choosing targets for political giveaways. That’s staying in a centuries old box. Transformation takes you out of your Comfort Zone to provide for others. Don’t understand? Ask any mother. She’ll educate you about transformation.

But, the other side was yet to enter the ring so there was a chance Average Joe and Josephine would be told what could be in it for them. Would Julian tell us how his Government intended to promote increased production? Would he restrain himself from delivering a litany of complaints about what current Government is doing wrong? Which we already KNOW?

Of course not! Maybe he was fooled by a greater suitability than Fayval to play the lead role in the next Santa Claus movie. He certainly promised to hand out goodies aplenty (to naughty and nice alike) including promised introduction of a flat water rate for “pensioners”.

Really? Seriously?

Introducing a flat water rate for “pensioners” is an invitation to Jamaican bandooloo practitioners to raise their game to another level. Also it’s just not fiscally feasible for NWC without massive Government subsidy. Government subsidy for pensioners is better spent providing bandooloo-resistant universally free health care (not just “no-user-fee”) for seniors. Government owes seniors for their decades contributing to nation building. Government owes electricity thieves and flat-rate scammers a jail cell.

Then there was the promise by Santa Julian to give “smaller” banks more Government deposits. How exactly would a PNP Government select those “small(er)” banks? Would they simply withdraw large sums from “large(r)” banks and deposit them in “small(er)” banks? Who’d decide which bank? Or will there be a bidding contest?

The former invites corruption and deposit insecurity while the latter could drive up interest rates. Maybe one day we’ll get a serious budget debate. For now, it’s just a circus. From Stephen Sondheim:

Don’t you love farce?

My fault, I fear.

I thought that you’d want what I want.

Sorry my dear.

But where are the clowns?

Quick, send in the clowns.

Don’t bother they’re here.

The funniest clown act was performed by the Leader of the Opposition (LOO) whose litany of irresponsible giveaways seemed to confirm PNP must stand for Promises Not Performance. His fantasy about a University scholarship to every family is utter rubbish. Aside from the insane Joshuaesque attack on the revenue, Jamaica’s education can’t be fixed with University scholarships. For pity’s sake read the Patterson report; start thinking like a policy maker instead of a political Santa Claus; focus on restructuring early childhood and primary education.

Promises, promises...

But my biggest disappointment with LOO’s contribution was his Constitutional Reform proposals which were 95% about CCJ not governance. His brief governance throwaways ineffectively tinkered with current construct. No change. No transformation.

Lookie here: The only hope for Jamaica as the place of choice to live, work, raise families and do business is fundamental constitutional reform. Four Budget Debate presenters instead spent hours making vote buying promises.

We. Are. NOT. Ready!

If we were serious about Constitutional Reform one of the immediate matters on the Opposition’s agenda would be capping cabinet members at 12 and abolishing the oxymoronic “Minister without Portfolio”. But, of course, this would restrict future PNP Government from appointing as many Comrades to cabinet as their Leader would like; adding new Ministries; and rewarding loyalty with cabinet or junior ministerial jobs.

So, naturally LOO avoided the subject like a cough in a pandemic.

UK cabinet has 23 members including three “Ministers” for Scottish, Northern Irish and Welsh affairs AND House of Lords leader. UK population is 55 million+. Its Parliament contains 650 MPs. Jamaica’s cabinet now numbers 19 from 84 legislators to service three million people.

PM’s budget speeches are too long. That said his 2025 contribution was street, lane and village the best this year. He demonstrated a comprehensive understanding of whole Government and an appreciation for the difference between policy and politics embarrassingly missing from LOO’s tepid effort.

Yes there were political giveaways but they were carefully crafted to balance fiscal and developmental impact with consideration for the poor’s welfare thrown in for good measure. As Gary Koch described Tiger’s birdie putt on the 17th hole at Sawgrass in 2005: “Better than most!”

Then, when the irrationality and irresponsibility of LOO’s Santa Claus budget speech was exposed by Fayval in rebuttal, LOO got all hot and bothered; leapt to his feet on an imagined “point of order”; and alleged for the first time (at last?) that he was not speaking to the budget being debated but presenting a party manifesto for the next five years.

Holy Hog Pen Squealing Batman!

Can you make a Budget debate presentation that isn’t about the Budget being debated? Or has all pretense that Parliament is not just a political platform been abandoned? This has been a pitifully one-sided debate. Opposition scored more fatal own goals than Andrés Escobar

LOO’s public confession that he was using Parliament to hold a political campaign rally despite originally disguising his stump speech as a 2025/26 budget debate contribution only exposed his political naiveté. Awkward….

He. Is. Not. Ready!

For 63 years we’ve endured an inappropriate governance structure producing anemic economic growth; high crime rates; shambolic education; inaccessible or ineffective healthcare; and weak infrastructure. We do NOT have a PNP/JLP problem. We’ve a STRUCTURAL problem. Until we stop giving JLP/PNP a system where they face a limited vote twice per decade then do as they like there’ll be NO PROGRESS.

We must insist on transformational change.

This Budget Debate, like too many before, was a farce. They have become promises competitions. Jamaicans don’t need any more promises. Jamaicans need GOVERNANCE.

Don’t get me started on the ridiculous rationalization for turning a meaningless $2,000 per month extra into buying a car. What has this to do with the transformation Jamaica needs? $2,000 per month more for people already so far behind the economic eight-ball that the table has disappeared doesn’t mean diddly. The boast of $2,000 per month is an insult to citizens. It’s more than nothing. That’s it. That’s all!

Don’t be lured into an argument about what you can buy if you get an extra $2,000 per month. It’s a trick question. It’s a political distraction. It’s an illusion. My attitude to the Jamaican condition mirrors that of a grieving mother whose son has been killed. She wants justice. But she can’t get justice without me first getting what I want. I want transformation!

Peace and Love.

Gordon Robinson is an attorney at law. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com