By Adrian Frater, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
WHEN THE new Jamaican Parliament convenes, the county of Cornwall, which comprises the parishes of Trelawny, St. James, Hanover, Westmoreland and St. Elizabeth, will have eight new parliamentarians representing the region's interest in Gordon House.
Based on pre-election promises and the expectations outlined by residents, if these new parliamentarians are to remain in good graces with their constituents, they will need to give priority attention to areas such as agriculture, tourism, unemployment, road repairs and youth empowerment.
"The reason why the People's National Party (PNP) fared so badly in the west is because the party has not been paying enough attention to this region," said a noted PNP insider in St. James, who was clearly not surprised by the defeats suffered by Hugh Solomon, Gordon Brown and Donald Colomathi. "If these new Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) representatives don't do better, they too will suffer a similar fate."
In St. James, where tourism is the main economic activity, the three Members of Parliament, Edmund Bartlett, Clive Mullings and Dr. Horace Chang, will need to bring new focus to this critical industry in a bid to create new scope to battle the parish's unemployment problem.
In addition, the JLP trio and the sole PNP survivor Derrick Kellier, will all need to pay special attention to the operations of the Montego Bay Free Zone as an avenue for job creation. The congestion in Montego Bay, the deplorable state of the roads outside of the city and the proliferation of informal housing settlements will require urgent attention.
"We need to see more job opportunities being created in tourism and in the Free Zone for the youths," said Denise Thompson, who is unemployed despite being computer literate and having the basic skills in garment construction. "We also need to address the informal housing situation, which is fast becoming a breeding ground for criminals."
In Hanover, which has two new Members of Parliament in building contractor Barrington Gray (JLP) and Ralston Anson (PNP), expansion in the agricultural sector, new focus on education and training, job creation and the development of parish's tourism are all key matters that needs the attention of these new representatives.
"I will be focusing on education and training as the people is our greatest resource," said Gray, who confounded the pollsters by taking the seat ahead of the PNP's Lloyd Hill. "The young people must be properly trained so that when job opportunities become available, they will be able to take them up." Gray and Anson could further endear themselves to their constituents if they become facilitators in the quest to exploit the cruise shipping potential, which the scenic Lucea Harbour offers. Should cruising shipping become a reality, it could go a long way in creating jobs, which is key to boosting the parish's economy.
In Trelawny, which has two new representatives in Dr. Patrick Harris (PNP) and Devon McDaniel (JLP); and in St. Elizabeth, which has one new Member of Parliament in the PNP's Len Blake, putting Agriculture on a firm footing is seen as a priority. In addition, creating economic opportunities for the young people, providing proper roads and the expansion of telecommunication are all seen as being critical.
"We need mechanised farming, new markets, factories to produce things like yam and banana chips and a much improved road network," said Troy Smith, a young Trelawny farmer, who thinks new MP McDaniel has a major challenge before him. "If we succeed in putting our agriculture on solid footing, I think we will be quite capable of feeding the nation."
In looking at the monumental task before the new MPs who will be joining him as representatives from the county of Cornwall in the new Parliament, Agriculture Minister Roger Clarke, who easily retained his North Eastern St. Elizabeth seat, wants them to use his tried and proven formula in their bid to achieve success.
"They need to realise that if you take care of the people, the people will in turn take care of you," said Clarke, whose 8,532 to 5,211 margin of victory over his JLP opponent Basil Perriel, speaks volume of the confidence his constituents have in him.
