'We have a set of dunce running the country'
Campbell rips Holness over criticisms of PNP plans for Jamaica
Published:Tuesday | April 1, 2025 | 12:04 AM
Dr Dayton Campbell has fired back at the Dr Andrew Holness-led administration, calling them incompetent following their criticism of the Opposition’s presentations in the just concluded 2025-2026 Budget Debate in Parliament.
Campbell, the People’s National Party (PNP) general secretary, rejected concerns raised by members of the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) about how his party’s plans for the country will be funded.
Speaking during a PNP meeting in Royal Flat, Manchester, on Sunday, Campbell said there has never been a time in the country’s history when an opposition party had put out a budget.
“Never in the history of Jamaica… . Never in the history of the world has an opposition party put out a budget. Andrew Holness was leader of the opposition for 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. Go back and check, him never put out no budget; not one,” declared Campbell.
According to Campbell, opposition parties participate in budget debates by outlining their plans for the country should they form the next government.
“That’s what every party in opposition does. All of a sudden they want to trick the people,” said Campbell.
He said the Opposition has indicated that the cost of its plans will amount to $22 billion but pointed to Finance Minister Fayval Williams’ closing presentation where he said she claimed it will bankrupt the country.
Williams told Parliament that the opposition’s plans would create another “FINSAC”, the short for the Financial Sector Adjustment Company. The term is used to refer to the meltdown of Jamaica’s financial sector in the 1990s.
But Campbell said if a “$26-billion budget overrun” at the Cornwall Regional Hospital, which is currently being rehabilitated, did not bankrupt the country, the cost of the PNP’s plans will not do so either.
He said as part of the PNP’s plans, the first child in every family who matriculates to university will have their tuition covered by a PNP government through a full scholarship.
He argued that the JLP is against this because of members’ inability to do calculation.
“Daryl Vaz run go pon Twitter, now called X, put up something that $1.5 million is the tuition and if you multiply that by one million households you get $1.5 trillion. We have a set of dunce running the country,” Campbell asserted.
“Where in Jamaica would you have one million university spots? Where in Jamaica would you have one million children going to university at the same time? The entire population for primary and secondary schools is 400,000…” he added.
He said JLP members are aware of this but are seeking to “deceive”.
He also accused the Government of "fighting against" the PNP's proposal to provide meals to students who travel to school without lunch.
Campbell said this will require $9 billion more than what the Government currently expends to cover its school feeding programme.
He said the PNP will put a ride programme in place to assist 20,000 students.
Turning to housing, Campbell criticised the Government's New Social Housing Programme, arguing that single handovers will not solve Jamaica's housing crisis. He said his party will "revolutionise" housing in the country.
He reiterated Opposition Leader Mark Golding 's plan to discontinue the drawdown of $11 billion from the National Housing Trust (NHT) to fund the budget annually.
“We are going to ensure that we recapitalise the National Housing Trust. We are going to give the NHT land for the money they have lost over the years so that the NHT can be asset rich and have some assets to their name,” said Campbell.
He said this will allow persons to acquire land for free, paying only for the value of the house.
“That means from day one you already have some assets to your name. That means you already have some value to your name. We are going to make sure that we put back the loan portfolio to the NHT. Them carry it gone a commercial bank; we’re taking it back to housing trust,” he declared.
He said public sector workers and members of the disabled community will again enjoy access to preferential rates, while young people will benefit from a $500,000 grant towards their deposits.
He said others will benefit from a rent-to-own programme.
Meanwhile, he criticised Holness’ decision to increase the NHT loan ceiling from $7.5 million to $9 million, noting that this will further drive up the cost for houses.
He claimed that the next PNP government will build 50,000 starter units in its next term and mandate a cost of $10 million.
Further, he said, among other things, the PNP will create a national agricultural fund to fund farming and ensure food security in the country.
“To deal with the cost of living crisis we have to focus on local production. Imported food is not the solution for the people of Jamaica,” said Campbell.