THE MINISTER of Finance, Dr. Omar Davies, has offered an apology of sorts, specific to the manner and tone, but not for the content of what he said in that now controversial speech to the party faithful. The Minister is clearly not apologising for slandering the membership of the Jamaica Employers Federation (JEF) whom he accused of stealing money from the financial sector.
The Prime Minister, Mr. Patterson, has given his full backing and support to the Minister of Finance, reiterating that Dr. Davies had unreservedly apologised for the "tone and manner" of the speech. And the backing is fulsome for the Prime Minister has endorsed the comments his Minister made about the JEF.
On the substantive issues of public spending being influenced by the political agenda of the election campaign, the Prime Minister adopted the party line that Dr. Davies' remarks were taken out of context; which is the same tactic employed by the Minister in his carefully crafted "apology" statement.
That apology did not embrace the JEF; hence the demand by federation chairman Herbert Lewis for the Minister to be as forthright about that act of grace as he was about his manners before the party faithful.
The whole scenario, in our view, highlights the dichotomy that exists in so many areas of our public life. On the one hand we have the Prime Minister and other members of the Administration stressing the need for a Social Contract if the society is to tackle successfully the many problems that bedevil the economy and the society.
The concept of a Social Contract presupposes an agreement and a common purpose on how the problems are to be dealt with. Abusing an important group, the employers, and accusing them of theft without the corroborating evidence can hardly be considered a basis on which to enjoin them in a Social Contract.
It is widely believed that the upcoming budget will be asking for more austerity and further sacrifices on the part of all Jamaicans. The Administration will have to resolve the dilemma as to how it will ask for those sacrifices in the light of the comments made by the Minister of Finance.
At some point in time our politicians will have to come to the realisation that populist posturing might be useful in winning votes but it is not a formula by which to create a society that can offer its people the benefits of a civilised existence.
THE OPINIONS ON THIS PAGE, EXCEPT FOR THE ABOVE, DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE GLEANER.
