Campbell demands policies not PR, rips into JLP

Dr Dayton Campbell, general secretary of the opposition People’s National Party (PNP), has blasted the performance of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) as government.

Speaking at the Ocho Rios divisional conference on Friday night at the Ocho Rios High School in St Ann, where councilor caretaker for the division, Nicola Hamilton, was presented, Campbell took aim at individuals in the administration, criticising them for their performances.

Taking aim at Prime Minister Andrew Holness, Campbell said instead of turning on his ‘PR’ machinery in response to recent poll findings, Holness should turn on policies to benefit Jamaicans.

“Because the issues that are affecting the people require thought, require planning and require action; it’s not just a matter of ‘turn on’. What he needs to turn on, he needs to turn on a liveable wage so that when you go a shop you can buy food to eat; he needs to turn on affordable housing; under labour them say we must have three people fi get one two-bedroom, suh whe di third one guh sleep?” Campbell questioned.

“He needs to turn on affordable housing and we naw talk ‘bout container housing because Holness cyaa build big mansion up a Beverly Hills and then come tell the people ‘bout fi guh live inna container. So if people waa live inna container a fi dem business. Me naw live inna no container an di people who me represent mi naw advocate fi no container fi dem; me waa di people wha me represent live inna dignity,” Campbell added.

Unbearable heat

He said living in a container house in the current heat, would be unbearable. He ridiculed Holness’ current practice to travel from Kingston to rural Jamaica to open a single two-bedroom house each time, instead of tending to more important business, saying that, under the PNP, it was the housing minister who used to open “housing schemes”.

Campbell indicated that he wants to play a role in helping to solve Jamaica’s housing crisis for middle and lower-class people.

“A whole heap ah people think say I want to be Minister of Health. I don’t want to be Minister of Health, I want to be Minister of Housing because too much people naw live properly,” he stated.

He questioned why the National Housing Trust has built $40-million housing units for which even two professionals pooling together wouldn’t be able to pay the mortgage, based on current salaries.

Brutal attack

Campbell was particularly brutal in his attack on Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton, labeling him a failure for not being able to fix Cornwall Regional Hospital after seven years.

“I don’t understand Dr Tufton, yuh know, because is long time I tell him that there is a difference between lead and leatherette, and there’s a difference between doctor and doctorate suh Tufton just sit dung one side and mek big people talk,” Campell said, in reference to Tifton’s doctoral degree that has in the past led some people to believe he is a medical doctor. Tufton has a doctorate in marketing.

Campbell said the St Ann’s Bay Hospital has to send its dirty linen to St Mary for washing. He said surgeries have to be postponed at some institutions because, in some cases air condition units, or elevators are not working.

“If you can’t fix Cornwall Regional (Hospital) in seven years, you’re a failure; if you can’t ensure that the hospitals have machines that work, you’re a failure.

“They think they can come out and tell the people anything and the people buy it?

“They think the people a fool. Dem think dem can get up and tell yuh say yuh nuh hungry when hungry a wax yuh. What do they think? That none of us are able to understand what is going on?”

Campbell said that, despite Holness’ promise when he was opposition leader, that people could sleep with their doors open when he becomes prime minister, the figures speak differently.

He said that, during the PNP’s tenure under Portia Simpson-Miller, 2012 – 2016, the worst murder figure for any year was 1,200. In comparison, under the JLP, from 2016 to now, the lowest annual murder total remains more than 1,200.

He also took a swipe at Robert Nesta Morgan, the minister of information, claiming: “Part of the reason the JLP going to lose the election is because of Nesta Morgan because him believe him brighter than everybody. And if mi drunk three o’clock a come from dance, Nesta Morgan cyaa walk inna mi shoes.”