THESE last weeks have given me optimism for politics. Minister Paulwell’s disagreement with Minister Falconer about JPS was a thrill. The likely bust-up when MP Warmington blew the whistle as his party breached their own rules was fun – he blinked. One small step for mankind! Conflict in our parties, tastefully done, is a good sign. The days when leaders talk and “no other dog bark” are over. This nascent political maturity makes people realise you don’t become a robot to “follow Busta till you die” in any party. I encourage people to join a party and some exclaim, “Never!” Yet, politics is the means to a government. No king or dictator for me. Politics is neutral. If we do not have peace and prosperity, it is not a defect in politics, just inept politicians. Jesus never fails, but by God, parsons often do!

Politics is an essential service. So let us praise our institutions which allow us to pursue happiness in our way. Sadly, happiness eludes us.Look at your community. How many people left poverty in the last 30 years? Check your street; how many made it? Look at your family; qualified, in jobs, paying mortgage? If you are reading this you are a success – many can’t. Have a car? Has 50 years of politics been good to you?

Who is a politician? There is the MP and minister, but also many politicians in the party who wield power to choose our leaders – these are largely unseen. But we still need the brightest and best in the backroom as well as the front line. Politics is a good career. It should not be a lifetime job, as every MP should have to live under the laws he made for us before he gets old. In many countries politicians serve long terms; unacceptable and perverse as by this we reward veteran politicians for failing us. We need to change MPs regularly as the longest-serving contributed most to our failure. Why have we not prospered? Do we know causes? We seem to avoid finding the causes of non-performance for many things and often imply that everything needs fixing. This just masks failure and we do not correct anything.

Politics is not like business. In business if you do not get results you find the cause, or the firm goes bust. Every input could not cause failure, so by analysis they focus. When the Space Shuttle Columbia exploded, they did not improve every area. Instead, they tested every area and found that a piece of foam caused seven to die. We blame everything that cannot speak for itself; so I hail PJ Patterson for telling us as it has never been told, and he did not say “except me”. This is the beginning of wisdom. Blessed with bauxite at high prices; tourism and remittances for decades; global matters were kosher and our neighbours prospered; sadly we did not. Politics is the least trusted of our institutions, thanks to a few shifty men – some were jailed. Yet we need it to have MPs, Ministers, Cabinet and Parliament. Politics is the route to government. It has taken a beating; least trusted but most necessary. It is hard work but was positioned as the route to riches. We can fix that too. Politics as currently practised is hard on the pocket, and the notion of the MP as a “feeding tree” is kept alive by followers who catch the MP in the gift trap. Some MPs bankrupt friends and family to support this fiction. Our politics is also hard on families. Few MPs ring-fenced family time, so new MPs have to be wiser than veterans. Politics is hard. Real friends fall off and a more utilitarian breed comes aboard. My friends are those who help me keep my seat – really sad! Those resourced or with stable pre-politics lives tend to handle politics well. Less secure MPs are vulnerable and susceptible to ploys. Let’s protect them from themselves.

Can we rehabilitate our politics? Many lost their way, but we can fix it. Politics is important to the disadvantaged as they suffer under JLP or PNP; they need good advocates. We must restore politics to the position of eminence it once occupied. When Edward Seaga and PJ Patterson entered politics, it was vocation and service. Those high-performance young men had options. You watched the back benches, saw them glow and waited for them to shine. Manley and Busta were not lightweights. Back then the front benches of Parliament were decorated with ability and the back benches with potential. Many MPs did not have degrees but were educated; today the reverse is true. They were men with decency and lyrics. How do we restore credibility to politics? We can do it!

First, let’s de-emphasise the politician and emphasise the service. You need profile to be in politics, but you also need commitment, ideas and integrity. Are you proud of parliament? Do you enter the gallery with a gait which says, “This is the bastion of my freedom, the home of my democracy”? Do you look down to the floor with pride and admiration? Do you listen to the debate and enjoy the vigour and acumen in repartee? Is the ban on blue denim and khaki denim too? I wear khaki jeans as do school boys. What is in fabric that makes denim bad? Why not polyester? Parliament must be careful not to turn good people from politics by transparency for transparency’s sake or base motives, and we should not feed people’s prurient interest in others’ business. Political appointees are fair game for potshots, but to parade civil servants in order to get at the adviser is not fair, and it’s hard on their careers and families. Blowback!

The political parties need fixing. Is a political party a cooperative, friendly society or company? Who regulates it? Is more robust governance needed? Since parties incubate our MPs and ministers, they should be examples of compliance. Politicians get a bad rap, but there is a balance to be struck. We recently saw the “canonisation” of two prime ministers and I noted variation in their tack. One was retrospective and triumphalist: “I told you so!” The other was also retrospective but contrite, admitting that errors were made. We often assume politicians are guilty until proven innocent. This has not come about by accident. But can we shift gears without lowering our guard? We cannot pillory politicians and expect our best to go into politics. Call a truce; use the next years to get bright people in all parties. We need people with values in numbers to change the politics vibe. We can do it! Stay conscious!

Conscious friends, I appreciate your support, but those strident voices belong to good people, and the media is just doing its job. Our struggle is not physical, but for hearts and minds. Three million dollars could get one trained teacher into three basic schools and raise dramatically children’s readiness for primary school – use the cash there. We have 3000 of these schools; could we put a teacher into 1000 of them? God is great!

Dr Franklin Johnston is a strategist, project manager and advises the minister of education.

franklinjohnstontoo@gmail.com