PM Defends Vulgar Salary increase for Parliamentarians and Top Members of the security Forces
Channel: THE EDGE of THINGS
Date: 21/05/2023

PM Defends Vulgar Salary increase for Parliamentarians and Top Members of the security Forces
In breaking his silence on the tsunami of criticism over the massive salary increases that have been granted to local politicians, Prime Minister Andrew Holness has declared that an underpaid political class cannot effectively run the country to deliver the citizens’ demands.

Holness, while insisting that the new and improved salaries to local politicians will attract the "best talents" who have often overlooked politics, said the criticisms are unfair, given that several groups in the civil service also benefitted from massive pay hikes.

"There is a false sense being created that somehow, only one class of people have gotten (big) increases!" said a strident Holness.

"As the steward that you elect, I don't go there to argue for myself. I don't go there to do that," he quipped in seemingly taking a swipe at those criticising his own massive salary hike.

Holness was speaking at a wreath-laying ceremony for former Prime Minister and Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) leader, Hugh Shearer, on Thursday.

He said local politicians have long suffered from receiving poor salaries, while they are still required to travel and attend to the needs of citizens and other obligations that come with effective political representation.

"Every Government is afraid to touch it (improve salaries for local politicians) because if you touch it, (it will be said that) yuh nuh deserve it," he said.

Holness underscored that critics will often look on and say, "'Why we should pay yuh more and the country not running well'.

"The country not running well because of that very reason. You've chosen to have an underpaid political class! How should they deliver?" he questioned.

There has been much disquiet and outrage on social media since Finance and the Public Service Minister, Dr Nigel Clarke, announced massive increases for elected politicians, including members of the Cabinet, parliamentarians, the Opposition leader and those at the Local Government level.

Holness' salary as prime minister jumps by approximately 214 per cent, with his gross pay moving from $9.1 million in 2021 to $28.6 million on April 1, 2024. Effective April 1, 2023, the head of Government will get $25.3 million.

Cabinet ministers have received a massive increase in salary up to April 1, 2024, with their pay generally moving from $6.9 million in 2021 to $22.9 million next year, for example.

He admitted that his Government would face "political fallout" from taking the decision to improve the salaries for the current crop of politicians.

"We couldn't continue to do it as it has been done for decades by prime ministers before..., Let's try something different," he stressed.

He said members of the  Cabinet "agonised" over whether they should take any increase in their salaries "because we know that there are persons who will try to make political fodder over it".

He described this as being "very curious", as "even the Opposition quite rightly saw the logic in what was being done, and saw that it was in the best interest of developing a proper structure for the country in terms of (a) compensation structure."
In fact, the PNP said: "it strongly objects to a massive increase for Cabinet ministers and Members of Parliament" without the Government first having "satisfactorily addressed the serious disaffection" of some public sector workers, including teachers.

He said such an about-turn was expected, as it shows the PNP's "hypocrisy" and "false indignation".

According to the prime minister, "What has plagued us for many years as a country..., is that we have treated the political class with schizophrenia and disdain.

"The truth is you get the political leadership that you pay for, (and) the truth is you get the quality of Governance that you elect," he suggested.

He said with the new increases in salaries for members of the political directorate, things will be different as, "all of a sudden, the best talents that would have overlooked politics, that would have migrated, starting at the councillor level right up to my level," will begin to see politics as an economically viable career.

This, said the prime minister, was part of the reason why the Government took the decision to increase the wage levels for all sectors of the public service, to retain and attract talent.

"There is this great mistrust, (and) dislike of our politicians that some of our intellectuals promote, and believe that carrying that distrust and dislike is somehow going to change the way in which our politicians behave, and efficiency is going to be brought into our system," Holness said.
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