WITH talk of a general election in the air, The Jamaica Observer’s Western Bureau will help you get to know your candidates in this end of the island.

Check this column every Saturday for information about those who are seeking your vote. Who are the candidates and why should you vote for them?

This week, meet the People’s National Party’s candidate for North West St James.

Name: Gordon Phillpotts Brown

Date of Birth: November 28, 1968

This young attorney, who is a graduate of Campion College, UWI and the Norman Manley Law School, is the ruling party’s replacement for former MP and tourism minister, Francis Tulloch.

He now responds to the question: Why should I vote for you?

The people of this constituency, and the city of Montego Bay in particular, need energetic, creative and visionary leadership. They need a representative who sees what they see and who is prepared to take to Parliament, to central government and the international community, the case of the changes necessary to improve the quality of life and to seek assistance to realise these changes.

I hope to persuade the electorate that I not only see what they presently see, but I also envisage what North West St James can become. Should the citizens entrust me with a mandate to carry the vision forward, we will first build consensus around the critical path for the development of Montego Bay and the wider constituency.

I think the best way is to leverage the capabilities of the private sector. As a community, we should (with government’s support) seek multilateral funding, specifically for on-lending through local commercial banks, at very low rates of interest for a massive urban renewal programme in Montego Bay. The fiscal (tax incentive) framework has already been established by the government to make this process possible. A revitalised GMRC (Greater Montego Bay Redevelopment Company) will assist in its execution. The community now needs leadership to seize the opportunity. This will address at least two priorities, namely:

* the creation of significant employment in the construction and related industries which will benefit the outlying communities of the constituency, and

* the resurgence of the city as a tourism destination, through the strategic identification of the priority areas of development.

No doubt, government has a responsibility to oversee the improvement of public facilities for which there is no direct return on investment, and to ensure that the municipality and regulatory structures remain ‘pro-development’. I see my role as ensuring that this balance is struck. However, it is probably easier to engage government’s support when the citizens seize the initiative.

We also need to confront the challenge of fully pedestrianising Montego Bay, and I do look forward to playing a part in the creation of the bypass road (around the city) which will facilitate this.

Schools, training centres, health care institutions, sporting facilities and other social amenities are all pivotal but we need to set about improving and expanding these in the context of an effective strategy for economic development.

I firmly believe that the People’s National Party, with God’s divine guidance remains Jamaica’s best choice; and with the stewardship which I am prepared to offer, we can continue to build on the foundation of empowerment which has been laid for the people of St James.