The Most Honourable Portia Simpson Miller, Prime Minister of Jamaica, is another shining example of meaningless talk. Where action is needed, talk is substituted. Portia promises often and declares pro-foundly what she is doing and will do, and yet accomplishes nothing. After a year in office, her party celebrates, but what can the country celebrate except more of the same - moral decay, social decline, inner-city chaos, human rights abuses, more murders of women and children, economic drift and further national indebtedness?

Her national leadership is typical of populist leaders who cannot distinguish talk from action, substance from form or perception from reality. Her handling of the Trafigura saga demonstrates her abject disregard and utter contempt for the understanding and intelli-gence of the Jamaican people. She has not explained if the Trafigura donation was not inappropriate, why was it returned and why her minister, Colin Campbell, re-signed. And, if in fact, the money was returned, why not provide the evidence to so demonstrate? No, if the PNP says it was returned and Trafigura says it was received, the Jamaican people must believe, as talk is equivalent to action.

After a year as Prime Minister, Portia has not demonstrated that her leadership is any different from the usual talk - promises and pronouncements - that the PNP has pursued in the previous 17 years of government. She has not inspired or galvanised her party or the country to act or to do anything different. She has certainly talked of her vision but has never really detailed its specifics or how she hopes to implement that vision. In the meantime, the country drifts and deteriorates even more. Where is the $635 million beautification programme to clean and uplift the inner cities and rural communities? Surely, after its announcement at the PNP conference in September, 2006, implementation should have begun. Are we to wait for another announcement, maybe in her Budget presentation, for maximum political benefit?

Unnecessary money

While the PNP speaks of progress, the people experience decrepit residential roads, falling bridges that injure and endanger ordinary folks, failing health and educational systems, less jobs and opportunities, and an alarming sense of insecurity and injustice everywhere.

While the Government spends unnecessary money on symbolic gestures such as Cricket World Cup and seeks to derive the feel-good factor heading into a general election, young women have to sell themselves in the growing massage parlours, mothers have to trade their young girls for food and shelter, and begging for survival at virtually every corner has become a national disgrace.

Portia has not sent the right signal that she can do anything different - it is just more of the same PNP leadership. Where she promised attention to human rights abuses, what has she done to curb the continuing atrocities and injustices meted out to the poor and abandoned, especially in our forgotten inner cities. When a woman was assaulted in Half-Way Tree, Portia ordered an inquiry, what has become of that inquiry? Are we to assume that when things go awry, the corrective action is simply to set up a committee or to order an inquiry, and that's the end of the matter? Is that how we lead and send the right signal to avoid further wrongs and abuses?

The country cries out for quality national leadership that can get things done, set national goals and achieve measurable targets within given time frames, motivate the people to buy into national agendas and allow them to feel a part of a national reawakening. The country needs inspired leadership that leads by example, goes the extra mile, respects and enforces the rule of law and embraces the Jamaican people to think of national purposes instead of party agendas, party well-being and party victories at the polls. It is time for action and not a 'bag a mouth'.