Heather Robinson

Separation is one of the most painful experiences we face as human beings. When a man or woman separate, or terminate their relationship there is always some degree of hurt, anger or relief.

When an employee and employer separate, voluntarily or involuntarily, there can be regret or joy. However, when this separation takes place prematurely on the part of the employee, that employee can for a long time harbour feelings of getting even sometime in the future.

Retirement ages in the public and private sector are set at either 60 or 65. Some workers look forward to retirement, while others believe that they are the only ones who are capable of doing a particular job. They believe that they are virtually indispensable, and spend no time in preparing someone else to carry out their functions on their departure. This is more evident in the public sector where colleagues spend much time in trying to find jobs for pensioners.

These pensioners who believe that they should have jobs over younger persons, are not always capable of physically doing the work, and spend much time in moving from point A to point B. But happily there are some retired persons who are still very sharp intellectually and whose physical status belies their age.

Public servants are expected to be non-partisan in the approach and conduct of their jobs, while at the same time being able to exercise their democratic right to elect candidates of their choice. Our political history points us to persons who resigned their jobs with government to assume seats in the Parliament and in the Cabinet. Retired politician and teacher Burchell Whiteman is one such example.

Questions on appointment

The 'rumour' surrounding the appointment of an Opposition senator, has raised several questions. Firstly, should sitting commissioners of police be sympathetic or supportive of the Government? Should the professionalism of the commissioner override his lack of sympathy or support for the Government? Should retired commissioners of police occupy political office? And if the answer is yes, is the retired commissioner obliged to now answer questions related to certain actions during his three-year tenure as commissioner?

Comfort is supposed to be one of the benefits of retirement. Peace and tranquility are additional perks that come with retirement. Why therefore would a retired gentleman want police officers to recall various actions of a commissioner that they claim must clearly have been executed with political bias? Why would any gentleman want sitting and retired parliamentarians to now question transfers and operations that took place over ten years ago?

Why would any gentleman want now, at this stage of his life to venture into political life - supposedly for the first time - knowing that the political party that he would be representing has Jamaica's longest serving shadow spokesman on national security? Can this political party reasonably expect both men to work well together, knowing that one was recently given a major leadership role in the production of a roadmap on national security? Was this because their outlooks on crime are as different as night and day?

Individuals who occupy chief executive status in the public sector need to be careful of the messages that they send during retirement. Perhaps they will argue that it is their right to do as they please, but since there can be consequences for their successors and the incumbent, they might do well to reconsider.

Some human beings revel in constantly being in the public eye. There is no quiet place for them to rest after retirement. And as we all know, the truth will come out in the glare of the rising sun.

Heather Robinson is a life underwriter and former Member of Parliament.