Dr Orville Taylor, Contributor
Ha! Ha! Sister P did better than you all expected, didn't she? If you read last week's column - and you should - then you probably are wondering who I am referring to. Well, read on!
More than 50 per cent of viewers concluded that she lost the debate, although her die-hard supporters and ill-advisers attempted to convince themselves, and us in the bargain, that she had won. Well, 80-odd per cent of those polled believed that she did better than was expected of her. Although she shied away from many of the questions, made emotional appeals and answered what she wanted, she was not a flop. This was my opinion.
Still, this singular fact of doing better than expected does not mean victory in the election. In fact, her party lost by the slimmest of margins. The confusion with Sarah Palin is understandable. After all, she better deserves the title 'Mamma', given her five offspring.
President of the People's National Party (PNP) Portia Simpson Miller, who is now showing great magnanimity in embracing some of those who opposed her, might finally truly have earned the moniker 'Sister'.
Shadow Cabinet
There is enough time to speak about the race between Obama-Biden and McCain-Palin, so let us indulge in a short repast in discussing the revised PNP shadow Cabinet.
Out of the former list of spokespersons and now occupying the backbenches in Parliament are defeated challenger, Peter Phillips, and supporters Sharon Hay-Webster, Maxine Henry-Wilson and Fitz Jackson. Phillips had recused himself but Sister P has declared that had he been available, he would have been a sure candidate because his knowledge and expertise are useful to the party. Whether it is genuine or simply politicking, she cannot be faulted on this because the statement is a stroke of genius.
To support the notion of a united front, she has included 'Phillipians' Wykeham McNeill as tourism mouthpiece and Fenton Ferguson as shadow minister of health. Both of these men have enough experience to keep Ed 'American Airlines' Bartlett and Ruddy Spencer sober.
However, one wonders though, after so many years of litigation and advocacy, isn't A. J. Nicholson punch-drunk from all of the dialogue and diatribe? Perhaps it is time for him to hang up his boots before a younger successor has to 'rummage' through his notes for his guidance.
As expected, Roger Clarke is replanted in agriculture, Bobby Pickersgill is cemented in infrastructure and housing, and Omar Davies once again holds a short rein on finance. Loyalty pays off for these 'old friends'.
It is not all Jurassic Park, as Ian Hayles leads a triumvirate of youthful debutantes including Natalie Neita-Headley and Sandrea Falconer.
Though chronologically challenged, Hayles might just have the right ideas on development and investment and Neita-Headley has good public-sector experience. Being female does not necessarily qualify Falconer to speak on gender affairs, nor is her Christianity an asset to the new religious-affairs remit. For the record, this is not a novelty, because St Lucia has had a ministry of ecclesiastical affairs for years.
Financial wizard Peter Bunting is spokesman on national security and electoral matters. It might be simply a Freudian association, but there is something very uncomfortable about this. It is difficult to imagine him being able to sustain a debate with Colonel Trevor MacMillan, who has copious knowledge and experience. In this 'Major mismatch', Bunting is at least two rungs below the colonel.
While his name gives him no edge, Mark Golding's experience in finance and commerce should make him more than capable of counterbalancing Audley Shaw and Don Wehby in the finance portfolio.
Michael Peart, perhaps rewarded for 'mining' his own business and not flying off into Patois-laced tirades like his brother, gets the mining portfolio, where he should be the equal of novice in that area, Derrick Smith. However, given the reasonable perception that permanent secretary Marcia Forbes is a suspected political appointee, he might have more than his hands full.
Young Basil no longer has to 'Waite', but he is just the answer for devout Christian, oversensitive, Andrew 'Holiness'. Waite understands that despite his activism as president of the University of the West Indies Guild of Students, his knowledge is limited. Therefore, he will submit himself to training by the outgoing spokeswoman, Henry-Wilson, who will whip him into shape and make him more rounded. Hopefully, he will demonstrate to Holness how education funds should be properly 'gilded,' and funnelled.
Prodigal son
Phillip Paulwell returned from the brink of oblivion and demonstrated his great comfort in moving from the back to the front benches on Monday. After voluntarily going into the storage closet in the wake of one too many scandals, he is back like the prodigal son in the shadow Cabinet as Mamma P treats him as incapable of understanding blame and taking responsibility, as Palin's last child is. Although there is no evidence that he was involved in the matter that has landed Kern Spencer before the courts, his credibility is compromised. Being in charge of a garrison community, it is unlikely that this would pose a liability for the party in an election.
Nevertheless, it would be disingenuous to imply his incapability as shadow energy and telecommunications minister. The cellphone revolution and wind energy are strong pluses and his 'bright idea' to replace incandescent bulbs with fluorescent ones potentially saves millions in energy bills. Of course, that assumes that electricity provider, the Jamaica Public Service Company, accurately bills consumers for the right amounts and pays Petrojam for its oil.
Still, only her worst detractors could fault this Cabinet, hand-picked from the few available members of both Houses she has around her.
Now back to the real task!
Dr Orville Taylor is senior lecturer in the Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social Worker at University of the West Indies, Mona. Comments may be sent to orville.taylor@uwimona.edu.jm or columns@gleanerjm.com.
