Lambert Brown

The recent appointment of Joan Gordon-Webley to head the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) is a yet another act of putting partisan interest above the national good. Politicians from both sides of the divide have done it from time to time, but that does not make it right. Indeed, our nation is worse off whenever political expediency triumphs over the principles of good governance. Our democracy is weakened every time the neutrality of our public services is undermined by partisan manipulation. We are too quick to sacrifice decency and integrity in justifying the erroneous actions of political leaders whom we support at a particular point in time. We tend not to spend enough time assessing and analysing the adverse long-term impact of decisions taken, if those decisions are made by our favourite leader. On the other hand, we are quick to chide even wise decisions taken by our political opponents.

In the same way that I do not agree with Mrs. Gordon-Webley's appointment to the NSWMA, so, too I disagreed with the appointment of Carl Rattray to the Court of Appeal. Even though Rattray had resigned from active politics, I believed then, and still do today, that his appointment was too close to his period of active association with the People's National Party (PNP). Then, it was clear to me that this would become a dangerous precedent to haunt and undermine our political process.

still wrong

Now, Prime Minister Golding is using that precedent to justify the inappropriate appointment of a political activist to a sensitive public sector corporation. I think the PM is being disingenuous in this matter. Like me, he ought to know that if it was wrong then, it must be wrong now as well. Then, Rattray had resigned from all political posts and activities, unlike Mrs. Gordon-Webley, who is still active in partisan politics.

The issue is not about competence, or lack thereof. It is about acting properly and upholding the decency and dignity of our public institutions. Rattray was a first-class jurist with a brilliant career at the bar. He was a man of very high integrity and fairness. The trade union movement is indebted to him for judgements like the Grand Lido case, which tilted the scales in favour of the working people.

Nevertheless, like justice, which should not only be done but also manifestly appear to be done, so, too, should appointments involving people with partisan political track records to positions within the civil establishment of the State.

This is not a new position. It was brilliantly articulated by the leadership of the current government when they were in opposition.

The case of Vando Palmer, former communications director of the National Works Agency, comes to mind. He chose to become a candidate for the PNP, just as Mrs. Gordon-Webley was a candidate for the JLP. Could he have kept his job? No! Justified howls of protest from the partisan JLP and the neutral and principled Jamaica Civil Service Association led to the Portia Simpson Miller government doing the correct thing in accepting the resignation of Palmer.

absence of principles

This was not a flash-in-the-pan reaction. The same approach was taken when there were rumours of the deputy general secretary of the PNP, Maureen Webber, taking up the job of managing director of the National Housing Development Corporation. The current Minister of Housing, Horace Chang, was extremely critical of such an alleged appointment, even though no such appointment was ever made.

Great principled positions were at that time enunciated in protection of public-sector neutrality. Now that the former Opposition members form the Government, it is the absence of these principles that should worry the nation.

If the moral compass that ought to consistently guide our nation's progress is conveniently used only in times of political distress, but abandoned in times of political comfort, then our future will be mired in the dung heap of political opportunism. It is the same mentality which tells people to vote for a particular party based on promises made during the political campaign, only for them to be told to forget said promises after power is achieved.

Essentially, we are condemned to be fools as the contempt and arrogance of our leaders dominate and soon will dictate our every move. When we allow this to happen, we are compromising our democracy and our right to be treated with dignity and respect.

Our political system allows for and tolerates the politically or even 'genetically connected' to be chairpersons or sit on boards. This has been our rich tradition. Chairmen and board membership operate in the sphere of policy direction, not in the direct day-to-day management of enterprises.

management's role

They are not supposed to deal with hiring and firing and the control of staff, etc. There are cases when overzealous chairmen may, in breach of protocol, interfere with the day-to-day operations of an enterprise, but these must be resisted and rejected. It is the job of management to execute the plans consistent with board directives to achieve the enterprise's objectives.

Managers have great power in the public sector. This can be used to positively enhance the country, or the power can simply be used at the behest of political partisanship. Putting such power in the hands of an active politician goes against the conventions of the Westminster system. The country's best interest demands a recall.

The authority to govern is based on the governed trusting the governors. This trust evaporates quickly if the people find that there are fundamental inconsistencies between the words and deeds of the governors. In appointing new boards, as this government is now doing, one would expect board members who would strive to ensure transparency and fairness in the various tasks ahead.

The apparent haste with which the new NSWMA board acted in appointing a new executive director, without any public or internal advertisement of the post, and its choice of sole candidate, certainly does not engender confidence in many people.

Neither did the Prime Minister, in accepting the "recommended" choice, indicate enough thought in light of Government policy, such as the Public Service Staff Orders, which requires a service free of partisan politics.

Statesmanship has once again been defeated by narrow partisanship. We are sinking.

Lambert Brown, is president of the University and Allied Workers' Union and can be contacted at labpoyh@yahoo.com.