On or around September 27, Bruce Golding said, "I took a decision a couple of months ago that I was cancelling all my overseas travel for the second half of this year, with one exception, and that is the Commonwealth heads of government meeting which is to be held in Trinidad." A Gleaner editorial of November 25 had said he should not attend because there was so much for him to do here. I support Golding's decision to attend the CHOG meeting. In fact, I disagree with his decision to suspend all his other overseas trips for the second half of the year. He said he would suspend his trips to Canada, China, the Dominican Republic, Kuwait and Dubai. He also chose not to attend a meeting at the United Nations.

All of this was presumably to save expenses. I would have preferred if Golding and his government had saved expenses such as $1.9 million a month to a consultant; $53 million on refurbishing an office of the tourism minister; upwards of $800 million on 'buy' elections; a massively large delegation of more than 60 local government councillors on a trip to the Bahamas, along with Golding himself; paying Derick Latibeaudiere a package supposedly of $38 million, up to July 2011, for doing nothing; bringing Michael Stern back into the already expensive executive; or raking up $400 billion in new debts, having failed to conclude an agreement with the IMF and losing international confidence.

Even if Golding stays at home, his ministers are still travelling. It might be better for some of them to stay at home and for Golding to travel. After all, he is the head of government and other heads of government want to speak to him directly. Why, for instance, has he not visited the United States, except on one private occasion when he was invited by a university to speak there? George W. Bush, the president of the United States, had invited him and he said he was too busy making up his budget. Strange.

Trading partners

The United States is our most important trading partner. The JLP's policy had been 'with the west' according to Bustamante. Golding was invited to Canada, with whom we are negotiating a new trade agreement, but he hasn't gone. China is going to be the world's largest economy by 2020. Why has Golding not gone there to seek new markets? Jamaica needs cheaper oil and gas. Yet, he passed up the opportunity to go to Kuwait and Dubai.

We like to think about the cost of government, not the benefit of it. The real cost of government is missing opportunities for making the best of the benefits of government. No one does cost-benefit accounting of government. Michael Manley was criticised for travelling too much but just the Jamaica-Venezuela oil (Caracas) accord paid for his travels a thousand times over.

Bustamante and Norman Manley were active in international sugar and investment diplomacy. Hugh Shearer kept busy, internationally, as PM and later as foreign minister, bringing the benefits of the Caribbean Basin Initiative along with Edward Seaga. P. J. Patterson brought us PetroCaribe and opened the doors to China. Our prime ministers, or their deputies, have always been active international players.

For those who don't believe Golding should have gone to Trinidad, think about this. The 54 countries represented there included a quarter of those who make up the powerful G-20, and more than a third of the influential G-77. Many Commonwealth countries are small, all vital allies, as small-island states are so vulnerable to climate change. The Commonwealth Business Forum attracted 800 delegates interested in trade and investments.

Jamaica must fight for climate change. It is a matter of life and death for us all. Gordon Brown, prime minister of the U.K. reminds us that over the last 30 years coral-reef cover in the Caribbean declined by 80 per cent. Continued decline would be disastrous for tourism. Climate change will cost the Caribbean US$11 billion, annually, by 2080. Sea-level rises are already destabilizing infrastructure, settlements, and livelihoods. Less developed countries are facing the brunt of this.

The Commonwealth meeting was a very important one, strategically, to plan for the big Copenhagen conference in Denmark, starting tomorrow. Happily, the Government is sending a delegation to Copenhagen, which will include a member of the Opposition, a sign of its national importance.

The Trinidad press has criticised Prime Minister Patrick Manning for costing the country $1million on 32 foreign trips between January 2007 and March 2009. Manning even had to defend his decision to host the Commonwealth Summit. Guyana's Bharrat Jagdeo has also been criticised by his press. These criticisms are shortsighted. Our resources pale, compared to what's out there, and getting what's out there is very competitive and persuasive business

Leaders must keep up their international profile. Portia Simpson Miller recently gave the Eric Williams Memorial Lecture in Florida, addressed Socialist International in the Dominican Republic and led a PNP delegation to China for a 10-day visit. These are very important contacts. Speaking to the Caribbean diaspora in the United States, the representatives of ruling and parliamentary social democratic parties of Europe and the powerful Chinese ruling party, are very important opportunities for Jamaica if you are a good salesperson and strategic thinker.

Active international figures

Leonel Fernandez of the Dominican Republic and Patrick Manning of Trinidad and Tobago know this. They have emerged as the Caribbean's two most active international figures. Jamaica, the usual leader of English-speaking Caribbean diplomacy, has fallen behind at a time when we need that diplomacy most.

I suspect Golding is worried more about the political cost of travelling than the economic one. Jamaica's situation is so brittle that he might well fear that things can get out of control at any time. Golding should be seeking audience with political and business leaders in the United States and Canada. Surely, no one would criticise him for wasting taxpayers' money for such trips, especially since we have not had a US ambassador for about a year.

Golding has, it seems, been distracted by local political issues dear to the JLP such as campaigning and winning by-elections; keeping the lid on the volatile 'Dudus' Coke situation; being de facto minister of finance, as one newspaper put it; keeping watch on possible social breakouts from new taxes; and the accumulated burdens of economic life, especially mixed with the worsening crime situation. Who knows, probably as his position becomes more insecure he is also afraid of any plots and plans against him, something that his party is no stranger to.

Standard and Poor's, Moody's and Fitch have all downgraded us to near default status. The prime minister must lead his small and poor nation in the world to mobilise support. It is dubious to claim saving expenses as the main reason for not doing so. It was Audley Shaw, not Bruce Golding, who addressed the very important Miami Conference on trade and investments last week. What is Golding really afraid of?

Robert Buddan lectures in the Department of Government, UWI, Mona Campus. Email: Robert.Buddan@uwimona.edu.jm or columns@gleanerjm.com.