Golding addresses comments on ‘lack of private sector support for PNP’ Loop Jamaica

Black Immigrant Daily News

Opposition Leader Mark Golding says the People’s National Party (PNP) continues to attract and welcome “enlightened private sector interests” to build a progressive alliance to help uplift disadvantaged Jamaicans.

Golding’s declaration is being viewed as an attempt to distance himself from recent comments made by Member of Parliament (MP) for South West Clarendon, Lothian Cousins, who accused the private sector of “propping up” the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Government and neglecting the poor.

According to Cousins, the recent reduction of chicken prices by $12.50 was “another three-card trick”.

Cousins also accused the private sector of “never” supporting a PNP-led administration.

“They have never supported us that way, and they will never support us that way because we are the party for the people!” argued Cousins.

Golding, who was addressing a South West St Andrew PNP divisional conference on the weekend, poured the proverbial cold water on the comments that were made by Cousins, who is also the Opposition Spokesman on Agriculture.

“We’ve always been an alliance of the progressive elements of all classes in the society – downtown, mid-town, uptown – even while our mission has been the upliftment of the disadvantaged masses of the people,” declared Golding.

“… And by the progressive elements, who am I referring to? I am referring to those who use their positions of privilege to improve the conditions of the masses, rather than to maintain the status quo,” he said.

In indirectly addressing any chatter of lack of private sector support for the PNP, Golding said this has never been the case.

Lothian Cousins

“… And for the record, our party enjoys, and indeed, welcomes the support from enlightened private sector interests, and that has always been the case,” he stated.

“Indeed, our aim is to build a national alliance of progressives that can effectively summon the will and resources that are required to make our national motto – Out of Many One People – more than a noble aspiration. We want it to become an accurate description of the Jamaican society,” Golding indicated.

According to him, that was the vision of the party’s founding president, Norman Washington Manley.

Meanwhile, unlike Cousins, Golding commended Jamaica Broilers for its reduction in chicken prices locally.

“We commend a recent gesture from a major local producer to reduce the price of goods in the trade,” stated Golding.

The PNP president urged “all suppliers of the basic needs of the population to follow that example, and indeed, do more.

“This is especially needed at this time, given the Government’s failure to adequately cushion the cost of living crisis engulfing the Jamaican people,” he said, adding that any private sector group that does this has the support of the PNP.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has rejected suggestions from the Opposition that it has failed to cushion the cost of living.

He said the Government has taken a balanced approached in supporting the most vulnerable groups while keeping the economy growing.

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