The Tribune

By MALCOLM STRACHAN

CHANGE is in the air, it seems. Perhaps it is the rest between sessions of Parliament. Perhaps it is the return of children to school. Perhaps that feeling of the changing of the seasons as summer moves to an end – but something is in the air.

Already, we have seen a notable change – out with the former Governor General and in with the new.

Sir Cornelius has taken his leave and “Mother” Pratt is the new incumbent. She is well thought of, a long-time figurehead in the Coconut Grove community and beyond. In as much as the office is needed, she will do well, though that feeling of change has some people wondering whether or not a Governor General is needed at all. Why do we need to pay all that for someone who just goes around cutting ribbons and sipping tea, some say. Perhaps, but if the role was removed and, say, we had a president instead, you can bet that wouldn’t save anything on the annual budget.

In her first speech, “Mother” Pratt said “Support the weak, lift up the fallen”, which is as good a mission statement as we could hope for from someone filling that office. If she indeed lives up to that and puts the focus on those who have fallen by the wayside in our society, then that will be a lot more than some of those previously in her office have achieved.

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis pointed out her track record already, saying: “The lives she has touched number in the thousands.”

It’s true. She has been a mentor, a teacher, a leader – her time as Acting Prime Minister is too often overlooked. She has also long had an involvement with Urban Renewal – although whether you regard that as good or bad probably depends on your opinion of Urban Renewal. I’ll confess that while there are positive elements from that scheme – supporting children, providing band equipment and so on – we can all look around our urban areas and they look far from renewed.

Change too was in the air in the pages of The Tribune, I see, with a series of guest editorials from people in different parts of society answering the question what is one thing you would change. I particularly liked the suggestion in passing from educator Shar Hanson to create a reliable public transportation system, while PLP youth branch member Jordan Clarke’s suggestion to reduce the eligibility age to 18 for the House of Assembly was a solid suggestion too. My personal preference would be to speed up the courts system so perhaps we would not hear so much of court cases lasting years and years, and people accused of grievous crimes would not be perpetually out on bail waiting for the judgement of a gang member’s bullet rather than a court gavel, but it was good to hear ideas being put forward for positive change in our country.

Then of course there is the Cabinet reshuffle. As I write this, we await the national statement from Prime Minister Davis – but a change is definitely in the air.

With stories of arguments in Cabinet, and a series of ministers who have been caught up in scandals, underperforming or just plain invisible, a change has definitely been warranted.

But it’s too easy to point at those who haven’t been doing a good job – there are also ministers who have excelled who perhaps deserve a bigger portfolio. For every Keith Bell bringing negative headlines, there’s been a Clay Sweeting whose agriculture portfolio has been far more prominent than under most previous administrations. For every invisible minister – anyone seen Environment Minister Vaughn Miller lately? – there has been a Pia Glover-Rolle shining in her role as Minister of State for Public Service.

Then there are steady hands such as Glenys Hanna Martin at Education, or Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper with his tourism portfolio – and aspiring MPs such as Jomo Campbell, say, who might take on grander duties.

Retooling the Cabinet ahead of a new session is an opportunity to move away from some of the issues dogging the first session of Parliament, and take a new team into the legislative agenda ahead. A New Day 2.0, perhaps.

The advantage of such change is that it rewards those who do well, and shows that performance at the very top level of our government is a requirement – you can’t just coast along on your laurels for winning the seat, you’ve got to actually do something with the job. If this was a sports team, you have to perform or you’ll be benched.

Government also needs to make a change to live up to its own words – too many issues of lack of transparency keep cropping up. There is a consistent failure to publish contracts, a failure to provide clarity on the issue where roof trusses collapsed at a school and how many more such deals were done on an oral basis without insurance in place, and now apparently we don’t even get to find out what fines are given when a major fuel spill damages our environment.

So there are plenty of changes required – that is for certain. Is a change gonna come? Hoping for change and seeing actual change are two different things.

One thing is for certain, however, the honeymoon period for this government is long gone. We are not at the point where we are on the election trail again yet, so this next phase is where the administration can get done what it wants to get done. Fall short on that, and when we do hit the election countdown, it will affect where people put those votes when the time comes. They will weigh up what the government has achieved, they will feel what the impact has been in their pockets – and BPL certainly isn’t helping in that regard right now – and they will vote accordingly.

One place change has been a near constant in recent years has been the ballot box – parties each taking their turn before being tossed out. That’s what is at stake for the next phase of this administration – continue bringing a New Day, or become old news.