Holness says latest poll results are a wake up call for JLP

By Clinton McGregor    

 

Jamaica Labour Party Leader and Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, says the ruling party will use the latest Don Anderson polls as a springboard to energise its supporters for the upcoming general election.

 

The polls, released last week, show the opposition has taken a nine-point lead over the JLP in relation to voter intention.

 

The polls also revealed that Opposition Leader Mark Golding has overtaken Mr. Holness in favouribility among electors.

 

Speaking at the Area One Council Meeting of the Jamaica Labour Party in St. Andrew North Western on Monday night, Mr. Holness said the poll results are a wake up call for the JLP.

 

"You have never heard me comment on a poll and I won't start commenting on poll because I remember the polls that say I couldn't be leader of the party; I remember the polls that say we couldn't win in 2016; I remember all of the polls that we proved them wrong. But I am happy that the polls are saying what they are saying. You know why? Because it has stirred up the Labourites. 

 

"Some of unuh was sleeping, some a unuh get comfortable, some a unuh just a tek a easy ride, but it's now time that every Labourite in Jamaica, every well-thinking Jamaican must rise to their feet and support good government. So I want the polls to continue because now is when I see the Labourites them start to [say], 'Boss, we have to do more work, boss.' Yes! Don't sit down and believe that because we have good government that everybody know and understand. Ignorance is still in the land," Mr. Holness asserted. 

 

He argued that there is now a battle for the minds of many Jamaicans who are shifting away from his party.

 

Prime Minister Holness said misinformation about the performance of his administration is a major factor in influencing the mood of the electorate. 

 

Taking a jab at the People's National Party, Mr. Holness declared that he will not allow what he termed "PNPism" to return in Jamaica.

 

"There is a kind of thinking in Jamaica that can only be described as PNPism. It is a sense of entitlement, entitlement to the point that it yields a great level of badmind. It is a kind of thinking that says anything you want, we can gi it to you, and you don't have to work for it. It's called freeness mentality; a disconnection between how we make people better and how we use our labour to create wealth. Much of the challenges that we face in the society today can be traced back to PNPism," he suggested. 

 

Mr. Holness said a Jamaica Labour Party administration will continue to lead the country on the path to economic independence. 

 

He argued that his administration has been ensuring that many workers keep more of their pay under its tax policy.

 

"In 2015, we put a proposal, our administration when we win we're going to increase the income tax threshold. The same set of people who, in February, a ball 'bout dem a guh increase di income tax threshold, they were the same set of people under PNPism who was saying 'No, it can't work; it can't work!' We want the people of Jamaica to benefit from an increase in their income levels and we want the people of Jamaica to retain more of the money that they earn," insisted the Prime Minister.