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Rein them in, Mr PM
Henley Morgan
Thursday, October 18, 2007
LIKE a horse at the start of a race, the new government is displaying a high level of excitement and hyperactivity as it goes about the business of administering the affairs of the country. Deservedly, numerous compliments have been heaped upon the Bruce Golding-led team for "hitting the ground running".
There is, however, a distressing feeling beginning to set in. Horses run by their feet, but some politicians are wont to run their mouths. Anyone who, like me, wishes to see this government do well will agree that the tendency to chat too much is becoming a daily feature of particular ministers. This approach to governance carries with it risks.
Take, for instance, the case of the minister who like a loose canon publicly vented about reversing the deal inked between Air Jamaica and Virgin Atlantic for the latter to assume rights to the Jamaica to United Kingdom route. It is a universally understood and practised principle for senior officials to bridle their tongues when it comes to saying anything that might make investors distrusting of government policies and commitments. Does the minister in question not understand this?
This gaffe is topped by another minister who by his utterance put the matter of casino gambling back into public debate. It is not a question of whether or not the issue should be debated, but how it is approached. For a minister to casually mouth government's intention to revive this volatile issue as if it were policy, and to do so outside of parliament, is definitely risky.
The brouhahas over the deficit in the budget the government inherited from the previous administration must be seen in the same light. It may not endear me to the PNP for saying this, but everyone knows that Jamaica is stone broke. The fact that the country emerged from a borrowing relationship with the International Monetary Fund, has never defaulted on a debt payment, and is experiencing unprecedented levels of infrastructural development and other capital projects, speaks to the prowess of the previous minister of finance. Naturally, it will take one newly come to the post some time to master the technique of "creative financing" perfected by his predecessor. Talking about the problems only makes the deficiency more glaring.
Need more evidence that the propensity of some ministers to talk is assuming alarming proportions? Consider this next situation. A minister of government standing in the most impressive transportation centre in this part of the world (the one in Half-Way-Tree), complaining that there is no money to operate the facility. Such a display may win some initial sympathy but will ultimately raise doubts about the readiness of those in charge. There cannot be a Jamaican alive who believes that had the PNP government remained in power these problems would be raised now as the reason for delay in opening the centre. There is an even subtler way that an over-active tongue can work to undermine the new government. Bringing in Don Wehby to be a member of the triumvirate charged with running the finance ministry has gotten kudos from the private sector and from factions inside and outside of politics. However, too much or prolonged noise about this can demotivate the professionals in the ministry. Such a feeling is inevitable if those individuals who work hard behind the scenes read into the move anything that says, "This high-profile corporate financial czar has competence that outweighs our collective abilities and so he and his ministerial colleagues will not need or value our input". The government should put a zip on this one real fast and quietly get to work repairing what it perceives to be the damage done to the economy during the PNP years.
There are several other instances of 'over-complaining' and 'over-promising' by ministers that I could cite, but the point has been sufficiently made. Running a government is a little like a play with an audience out front watching. Those who come expecting a good performance by the actors need not be burdened with repeated announcements about all the things going wrong backstage on opening night. To be truthful, it is downright irritating.
Mr Prime Minister, rein in your charges with their over-active tongues who appear to be still electioneering. Failure to do so now may mean you to have to put the stick to them later on when the going gets tougher.
Henley Morgan
Thursday, October 18, 2007
LIKE a horse at the start of a race, the new government is displaying a high level of excitement and hyperactivity as it goes about the business of administering the affairs of the country. Deservedly, numerous compliments have been heaped upon the Bruce Golding-led team for "hitting the ground running".
There is, however, a distressing feeling beginning to set in. Horses run by their feet, but some politicians are wont to run their mouths. Anyone who, like me, wishes to see this government do well will agree that the tendency to chat too much is becoming a daily feature of particular ministers. This approach to governance carries with it risks.
Take, for instance, the case of the minister who like a loose canon publicly vented about reversing the deal inked between Air Jamaica and Virgin Atlantic for the latter to assume rights to the Jamaica to United Kingdom route. It is a universally understood and practised principle for senior officials to bridle their tongues when it comes to saying anything that might make investors distrusting of government policies and commitments. Does the minister in question not understand this?
This gaffe is topped by another minister who by his utterance put the matter of casino gambling back into public debate. It is not a question of whether or not the issue should be debated, but how it is approached. For a minister to casually mouth government's intention to revive this volatile issue as if it were policy, and to do so outside of parliament, is definitely risky.
The brouhahas over the deficit in the budget the government inherited from the previous administration must be seen in the same light. It may not endear me to the PNP for saying this, but everyone knows that Jamaica is stone broke. The fact that the country emerged from a borrowing relationship with the International Monetary Fund, has never defaulted on a debt payment, and is experiencing unprecedented levels of infrastructural development and other capital projects, speaks to the prowess of the previous minister of finance. Naturally, it will take one newly come to the post some time to master the technique of "creative financing" perfected by his predecessor. Talking about the problems only makes the deficiency more glaring.
Need more evidence that the propensity of some ministers to talk is assuming alarming proportions? Consider this next situation. A minister of government standing in the most impressive transportation centre in this part of the world (the one in Half-Way-Tree), complaining that there is no money to operate the facility. Such a display may win some initial sympathy but will ultimately raise doubts about the readiness of those in charge. There cannot be a Jamaican alive who believes that had the PNP government remained in power these problems would be raised now as the reason for delay in opening the centre. There is an even subtler way that an over-active tongue can work to undermine the new government. Bringing in Don Wehby to be a member of the triumvirate charged with running the finance ministry has gotten kudos from the private sector and from factions inside and outside of politics. However, too much or prolonged noise about this can demotivate the professionals in the ministry. Such a feeling is inevitable if those individuals who work hard behind the scenes read into the move anything that says, "This high-profile corporate financial czar has competence that outweighs our collective abilities and so he and his ministerial colleagues will not need or value our input". The government should put a zip on this one real fast and quietly get to work repairing what it perceives to be the damage done to the economy during the PNP years.
There are several other instances of 'over-complaining' and 'over-promising' by ministers that I could cite, but the point has been sufficiently made. Running a government is a little like a play with an audience out front watching. Those who come expecting a good performance by the actors need not be burdened with repeated announcements about all the things going wrong backstage on opening night. To be truthful, it is downright irritating.
Mr Prime Minister, rein in your charges with their over-active tongues who appear to be still electioneering. Failure to do so now may mean you to have to put the stick to them later on when the going gets tougher.
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