Gordon Brown WESTERN BUREAU:
GORDON BROWN, the People's National Party candidate for St. James North Western, is banking on the past successes of his party in that constituency to win him the crucial seat.
A virtual newcomer to the political scene, Gordon Brown was spurred into representational politics when Francis Tulloch, the then Member of Parliament for St. James North Western, resigned in August 2001. As a political contender for such a brief period, Mr. Brown's bid for election as Member of Parliament depends on how well he can convince the 30,500 registered voters in the constituency that he is the right man for the job.
"I want to be a Member of Parliament for the PNP because it remains the party that puts people first in a real sense. I am myself a product of the PNP's visions, and now that I have been able to develop visions of my own, I want to have an opportunity to give something back," Mr. Brown said. The job, if he gets it, will not be easy. St. James North Western is made up of the city centre of Montego Bay, lodged in the midst of about 17 squatter settlements and stretching to the main tourist areas. A high crime rate, unemployment, lack of proper infrastructure and a neglected commercial district are just some of the ills waiting for the next MP.
Nevertheless, Mr. Brown is undaunted by these challenges and feels he has the solutions which will carry the constituency forward. His proposal calls for urban renewal which he said will include the rebuilding of the Montego Bay town centre. He feels this renewed thrust will improve the value of properties in the city, and enhance the tourism product. It will also open the door for more property owners to take advantage of the government's tax incentive programme.
"We need to draw in the overall vision of transforming Montego Bay to create wealth for individual property owners and make tourism more sustainable," he argues.
As to job opportunities, he intends to lead a charge to bring top garment companies back into the second city. He already has plans to establish a medium-size garment factory in the Rose Heights community.
"I don't think we have done enough to exploit the potential that is there for garment products through the tourism retail structure. We can do a lot more and we can do a lot better. It's a source of continuing embarrassment, for example, to read that Mr. Ralph Lauren has never been approached with a view to make something as a garment factory a possibility for Jamaica and I intend to lead the charge there," he said.
He feels that employment could be generated in the construction sector for the untold number of skilled labourers in the constituency. This is the route he plans to take to provide employment opportunities to residents of the inner-city communities. "If we can trap them (inner-city residents) in the city by giving them jobs, giving them construction opportunities and using that as the platform for further jobs in information technology, in retail, in attractions, craft and other outlets, what we then do is we literally enable the export of wealth from the city into the so-called inner-city, because the best way to upgrade a squatter settlement is to give them a job and a pay day," Mr. Brown reasoned.
He claimed to have already begun discussions with a view to addressing water inadequacies in some areas of the constituency. As to the issue of crime, Mr. Brown's plan includes the installation of close-circuit cameras to monitor the city's busiest streets. "Many people think that if you create employment and improve the economy, crime will go down when, in fact, it's the other way around. If you reduce crime, investment will increase and more jobs will be created. In Montego Bay I think we need to use close-circuit cameras, and other types of technology particularly in our main corridors which suffer most from the effects of crime. Ultimately it is something that I would like to see installed in all major thoroughfares in Montego Bay," he said.
As a resident of the consti-tuency, Mr. Brown feels that he understands the needs of his constituents, and states his commitment to developing the constituency. His experience in the legal fraternity, as well as his involvement in several infrastructural projects, will play a part in his ability to perform as an effective Member of Parliament. At this point in the race, Gordon Brown can see Gordon House just around the corner.
"I want to be a Member of Parliament because to whom much is given much is expected and I think I have received a lot. There are a lot of young people out there who need parenting and god-fathering and I see what these young people see, I see what their needs are, I can relate to them, and I will be in there for the long haul to transform their lives in ways that mine has been transformed."
- Denise Clarke
