THE LEADERSHIP of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) is understandably upset that Minister Portia Simpson Miller, at the last moment, cancelled her appearance before a 'Job Creation' awards breakfast meeting, as part of which the minister was to be questioned by a panel of private sector executives on crucial national issues.
A spokesperson for the minister claims that the cancelled appearance was due to an inadvertent clash of engagements. The breakfast meeting, advertised in this newspaper, had to be cancelled and this unfortunate state of affairs must be an embarrassment to Mrs. Simpson Miller and her political advisers. It sends a message that she is uncomfortable having to deal extempore on matters of broad national interest which, in turn, raises questions about her ability to assume the mantle of president of the People's National Party and the prime ministership of Jamaica.
Her supporters in the race for the PNP leadership spot have, rather defensively, claimed that her opponents are ideologically biased towards an inner circle of intellectuals or quasi-intellectuals, all with a plethora of academic degrees.
Absence of academic honours notwithstanding, there can be no doubt about Mrs. Simpson Miller's leadership talents. That said, it is nevertheless important that the nation be put in a position to judge if Mrs. Simpson Miller's tutelage in affairs of state at the highest level is sufficiently advanced for her to lead the nation as prime minister.
Mrs. Simpson Miller may, indeed, have the depth of understanding, but it is unfortunate that, for whatever reasons, she missed an opportunity of demonstrating this at the PSOJ breakfast forum. The PSOJ represents an important and influential segment of Jamaican life with whom Mrs. Simpson Miller as potential PNP president and prime minister would have to relate. As such, it is important that her views on how to stimulate growth in the economy and create jobs ought properly to be aired in a forum such as the one they were trying to host.
It was simply bad advice given and accepted for Mrs. Simpson Miller not to have gone to the function.
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