Contribution to the Annual Sectoral Debate Wednesday May 22, 2013 Dr. Winston Green MP St. Mary Southeastern Greetings and Acknowledgements Mr. Speaker, as I rise today in this Honourable House, I want to give thanks to God for His protection and guidance over the years, without Whom I would not be in this House today. I want to give thanks to my family who stuck it out with me, who understand my absences from home while I was ploughing the political field. I appreciate the words of encouragement from my children even when my political activities affected their emotional and material wellbeing. Page | 1
To my mother, Veronica Green and my eldest sister Barbara who brought me in the world of politics, and both reside in the United States of America at present, but still follow my political progress, I thank them. I want to include in this family my political mother, Aunt May Clarke former Constituency Secretary for Eastern St. Andrew. To the Rotary Movement in general, and the Rotary Club of Kingston in particular, where I am a member for some twenty years (20), has assisted in grooming me to be an upstanding citizen of this society. Mr. Speaker, the people of South East St. Mary have given me the privilege to be here, not only by their votes, but by their dedicated work in securing the victory and also by their words of encouragement and prayers. I want to, for the millionth time, but for the first time from this Honourable House, say a big thank you. I know many of you are in the Gallery as I speak, and the others are tuned in via television right now. Page | 2
I would like to express gratitude to some persons for their assistance given to me in running of the Constituency like Yvonne Williams, Sharon Brown, Valerie Walters, Tanya Bentley, Junior Johnson, Dwight Sanderson, Desmond Riley, et al. I want to welcome the students along with their teachers of the Annotto Bay High School who are here today. My Councillors who are here, and, who have been giving me tremendous support in the administration of the Constituency, Mr. Kevin Golding and His Worship the Mayor of Port Maria, Councillor Levan Freeman who is doing a tremendous job in his capacity as Mayor. Also with us are Councillor Caretakers Wayne Campbell and Patrick Mcleod. I want to also salute former Member of Parliament Mr. Harry Douglas whose advice and counsel are highly appreciated. Page | 3
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Prime Minister of Jamiaca, The Most Honourable Portia Simpson-Miller for giving me the opportunity to serve the people of South East St. Mary. Her advice, her encouragement and her assistance have been timely and well appreciated, not only as my Prime Minister, but also as a loving, caring big sister. I thank you Madam Prime Minister. Whether she realizes every single thing her heart conceives in the interest of upliftment of the poor and oppressed in our Society, it is a shared belief that she is a great human being. Mr. Speaker before I start, I would like to commend the previous speakers, a whole grouping of young persons, the eldest being in his forties and the youngest aged thirty who rocked the House yesterday. Page | 4
Mr. Speaker, in my short presentation this afternoon, I wish to briefly outline a few of our achievements as a Constituency since I was sworn in as Member of Parliament some fifteen (15) months ago. I also wish to share with you some of our plans and also the needs and aspirations of my Constituents. It is a bitter sweet reality Mr. Speaker. Roads Mr. Speaker, I have inherited a Constituency riddled with extremely bad roads among other challenges. If anything was done in the recent past in the Constituency, it certainly was not on the roads. The echoes of the cries for better roads could still be heard in 2012 when I took office as the new Member of Parliament. The miles and miles of roadway from Grandy Hole off the Junction Main Road, to Scotts Hall to Comfort Valley to Richmond was a nightmare. Roads such as Long Road, Camberwell, Epsom, Enfield Belfield, Brainerd, Gibbs Hill, Zion Hill, and I could go on and on, were in the same deplorable condition. Page | 5
Even the Main Corridor, the Junction Road from St. Andrew to Annotto Bay was something to avoid if at all possible. Farming communities such as Rose Mount had no road whatsoever. Mr. Speaker, I can say that the process of repairing many of these roads has started in earnest and for this I wish to thank the Minister of Transport, Works and Housing, the Honourable Omar Davis and the Minister of State, Honourable Richard Azan for facilitating this process thus far. Mr. Speaker, in the past when anyone talked about a ‘hot spot’ of angry persons because of their road condition, it would be the Community of Enfield. Every monthly community meetings were taken up with the subject. I have full knowledge because I attended those meetings years back, even as a Candidate for Member of Parliament. There were countless demonstrations by the residents, endless calls to the talk shows, but to no avail. Page | 6
I too, in my own way then, advocated for the fixing of this road. Persons might recall, after being elected as Member of Parliament, I publicly stated in one of our daily newspapers that if this road was not repaired, I would not face the electorate again! This road is approximately eight and a half (8 ½ ) miles long and serve several communities such as Fort Stewart, Juno Pen, Reddington, Enfield proper, leading up to the community of Forty-one and beyond to May River and Tinsbury, all well populated communities totaling more than seven thousand residents, one way in, one way out, no alternative route. Thousands of lives were affected, from students attending school in and outside of the Community, workers travelling daily, and farmers in moving their produce out to market. It also affected the smooth access of the emergency services such as the ambulance, police and fire brigade. It was a slow, dangerous and bumpy ride. Page | 7
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to report that late last year, I attended one of these same community meetings and the new cry was for the installation of sleeping police as that eight and a half (8 ½ ) miles of road was rehabilitated at a cost of over one hundred million ($100M). I was heartened when a Constituent of the said community called me to tell me that her grand-aunt fell ill during the night and what would have normally taken twenty-five to thirty (25-30) minutes to get to the Annotto Bay Hospital driving carefully, now took five (5) minutes, now that the road is fixed. Not only that Mr. Speaker, she also told me her that the Doctor told her that due to the nature of the illness, had it been a rough ride down and more delay, she would not have made it. Page | 8
The people of that community are everlastingly grateful to the Government for responding to their plight and have asked me to convey this sentiment today. Mr. Speaker, it was a promise made and a promise kept. Mr. Speaker, the approximate twelve (12) miles of roadway from Grandy Hole off the Junction Main Road, through to Scotts Hall, Rock River, Comfort Valley and Richmond have been repaired from the Jamaica Development Infrastructure Programme (JDIP). The Constituents of these communities which amount to thousands have also asked me to convey thanks. Approximately four (4) miles of rehabilitative work was done on the Annotto Bay to Fort George Road which included the placing of Gabion Baskets in strategic areas. They also send their thanks. Page | 9
Approximately six and a half (6 ½ ) miles of road was repaired from Richmond to Rose Hill which included repair to a massive and treacherous breakaway in the Barracks River area that was posing great danger to persons living in that community and also from many adjoining communities. I convey thanks on their behalf. Repair was done to the Highgate to Richmond Road, Richmond to Kendal, Orange Hill to Clermont, although not completed, I was asked to convey thanks Mr. Speaker. The length and breadth of the Junction Road from St. Andrew to Annotto Bay, our main Corridor, not only to St. Mary but to Portland and St. Thomas, has been completely rehabilitated. Mr. Speaker, you might recall in early 2011, it was televised that an outpatient at the Annotto Bay Hospital was walking along the Hospital’s roadway, fell into a pothole and broke a limb. Page | 10
Mr. Speaker, if someone should fall on the road now, that individual would be sliding smoothly down the grade as this road has been fully resurfaced. This however is by no way a request for people to test the smoothness of the road by falling. Doctors, nurses, other staffs and patients and all users of the Facility are grateful. Along the shoreline, where the Highway runs through Annotto Bay, we have discovered that the sea has claimed some amount of the land to the extent where portions of the roadway is dangerously undermined. Money has been identified and granted for the shoreline protection work in these areas. Mr. Speaker, the loud cry from the people from the Belfield communities has been heard and a segment of that roadway is now being repaired. Page | 11
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