'I do it in service to my country'
Published:Sunday | December 16, 2012 | 12:00 AM
Erica Virtue, Senior Gleaner Writer
John Junor was a four-term member of parliament in Central Manchester before he gave up representational politics to return to the legal profession at law firm Knight, Junor and Samuels, with offices in Kingston and Manchester.
Although now out of the limelight, the former Cabinet minister, who served in the ministries of local government; youth and sport; health and tourism, is now chair of the National Resource Conservation Authority (NRCA).
"Somebody has to do it. You do it for service. When you have led a life of service, you continue to do it, because it's a way of giving back. I do it in service to my country," said Junor in an interview with The Sunday Gleaner.
The NRCA is the entity charged with the monitoring and protection of the island's environment, and is equipped by law to serve notice on any persons involved in activities that are deleterious to the natural resources or public health and safety of the country.
Junor took up the appointment nine months ago, and has set about reviewing the development orders for the 14 parishes.
The flamboyant politician, who is also lay minister at the Webster Memorial United Church, works closely with a church committee which stages the bi-annual Starry Night fund-raiser.
It raises funds for children's homes run by the United Church.
"If you still have something to offer, why not? I have done a lot, but I still think there is much more we can do. It takes a lot from you. You have meetings every minute of the day and they go on for a long time, but you make the sacrifice and you do it. It's not for reward. You do it to try and build. It's just my make-up," he offered.
Junor's decades of public service began in 1977 as a councillor and ended as a minister.
In 1978, he was named senator and, two years later, he contested the bloody 1980 general election in South East St Andrew - against the late Allan Isaacs. Both he and the People's National Party (PNP), lost and he opened his law practice. He would later be convinced to re-enter politics but sought his political fortunes in a different constituency.
His win against the Jamaica Labour Party's (JLP) Cecil Charlton - an icon in the parish - by 714 votes in 1989, would begin his political love affair with Central Manchester, which came to a conclusion with his retirement and replacement in 2007 by current Member of Parliament Peter Bunting.
"I don't seek the limelight. I serve quietly. I am managing partner in the law firm. I am enjoying what I do now in my practice," Junor said. "There is great satisfaction in that. We have grown from strength to strength."
Now doing mostly civil work, he said he does not have much cause for the limelight, offering that fun time with his eight grandchildren was a "wonderfully satisfying experience".
It was in 2003, during his stint as health minister, that reports emerged that there had been widespread physical and sexual abuse in children's homes and places of safety. There were calls for his resignation.
Ugly incident
But it was a 1996 low point that would have caused Junor the most political pain, an ugly incident between himself and a group of men in the constituency and he was forced to pull his firearm after he was struck in the face.
Forced to resign as tourism minister after he was charged on two counts for discharging his firearm in public, Junor would have to wait to clear his name.
He was eventually cleared by the courts and was rewarded with the health ministry in 1998. With little knowledge of the portfolio, he was forced to pull on his management experience at the National Housing Trust where he served as legal secretary. He now had to oversee 24 hospitals, nearly 350 clinics, thousands of employees, more than 20 unions, and a multibillion-dollar budget.
Among the policies driven by that ministry was the establishment of the National Health Fund.
Junor said politics has evolved significantly since the murderous, ideological and confrontational 1980s era.
"We should never, ever go back to the violent, vitriolic politics of the 1980s. We have come a far way from what obtained then, when there was great division in our country. We have matured significantly, and anyone who the public perceives as going back to that is going to be roundly defeated," he said.
For now, he is just happy to be partner to his colleagues K.D. Knight, former minister in the same Cabinet, and Bert Samuels.