A declaration by former Cabinet minister Dr Christopher Tufton that Jamaica’s politicians are not the best role models has been greeted with mixed reactions by Jamaica Observer online readers. Here’s how some readers reacted to a story, which was published yesterday and in which Tufton — who served as minister in the Jamaica Labour Party administration from 2007 – 2011 — also apologised to young Jamaicans for the poor example being set by politicians as he addressed the 11th staging of the Central Jamaica Youth Leadership Breakfast in Mandeville on Wednesday.

KevinForge

Look ye at thyself.

Cheryl

Talk the talk. We need more motivating speeches like this for the young people. They need to hear this all the time, but remember politicians must not only talk but walk the walk.

err gag ViewMaster

‘Artificial hearts are nothing new. Politicians have had them for years.’

Nathan777

Yawn! We have all heard this before. This is just useless rhetoric as none of these politicians practise what they preach. It is also commendable for Mr Tufton to express what we the people of this country know already. My only wish is for the people of Jamaica to wake up and hold each and every elected official to account, let them remember that they work for us, and not we for them.

chikV2Ebola

“I am not sure if I am a senator… yes or no, but you don’t have to be a senator, a member of parliament, a minister of religion, head boy,” he told his audience of mostly teenaged high school students.

These are solemn words from my “wannabe party leader”!

Foxylady

Congratulations, Mr Tufton. Good to see that you have a conscience. Who are we when no one is looking = integrity!

Neutral Justice

And do not sign… and always put Jamaica first, not party. Right, Senator Tufton?

fieldgar

Politicians! They all talk the talk, but just can’t walk the walk.

mama-ess

Tufton PR at its best! You are GOOD! Question: Where was your integrity when you signed a letter of resignation before accepting the position of senator? Don’t class all politicians with you! Do you think a Ken Baugh would have signed? But yes, you are good at what you do best. Public relations.

Pete

Put Jamaica first. Well said, Dr Tufton… hope to see you serve as PM some day. We need to take back Jamaica, rebuild with vision, hope and integrity.

Portia Simpson Miller

Watch this Space. Chris Tufton will be Prime Minister of Jamaica in my lifetime.

CArlton Reynolds

Reporter, the uncertainty was started by someone in charge of the House. Tufton, your conscience should have told you not to be so eager to sit in the Senate so quickly after the ruling….and you should not have been personal in your attack on the man who selected you to be in the Senate in the first place. And, if you had the requisite leadership skills, you would have resigned, letter or no letter, and I am sure in due course, you would have been re-appointed. As it stands now, you would not get my vote, and you don’t belong in the Senate.

Herbert Cato

I like this Tufton guy, he’s a real statesman.

On the fence

Mr Tufton has called for the demonstration of integrity from the politicians which is quite timely; but most importantly he has lived just that very life, so no one better than he has that moral authority to make that call.

NejeeperKNG

Tears come to my eyes as I read and grasped the high level of honesty coming from one of the most polished politicians in Jamaica’s history.

Obeah_Man

A senator, a legislator with no mandate from the people, decides to oppose the leader that appointed him, lost, and expects no political repercussions. That same senator doesn’t seem to understand that the legislature cannot function properly with a senate composed of loose cannons. Has Jamaica really become an Alice in Wonderland, where common sense no longer matters?

kris

…I firmly believe, sir, that had you led well and won your constituency seat, none of what is happening now would have been taking place; you would have at least been a leader in your constituency. That is the first process of becoming a leader of your party.

sassy

This is maybe the best speech I have heard from a politician for a long time. I hope all young people will hear this speech and adopt what Mr Tufton has done and said. I applaud you, Mr Tufton, and I use the title not because you are a male but because you are well deserving of it.

Paul G

These guys reek of insincerity.

gosford

The JLP has been extremely naughty of late. I think you and Audley Shaw should try and rescue the party.

Trevor

Jamaican politicians are among the best rhetoricians even though sometimes they’ll talk about “little small”. Mr Tufton can come here with his holier than thou rhetoric about the failure of politicians, but until now no one has told us how a bunch of attorneys and PhDs could be coerced into signing a predated unsigned resignation letter just to wear the title of senator. A non-paying job that’s only a status symbol. I guess it rings sweetly to hear the word senator before their names.

The Saint

Finally someone admits that politicians are the root of our social problems. Now where do we go from here? Who is going to take the lead in fixing this problem? Some should be sent to jail for their role in this.

Dushiegirl

The headline should have been ‘I am a failed politician’.

oldtimer12

If this is a mea culpa by Tufton, then let him resolve the matter of the Senate by resigning and allow the party a chance to heal. Mr. Holness should not have taken the bait that Mr Morris, President of the Senate, chummed the waters with. Mr Tufton can take him off the hook. Holness needs to stop being cerebral and be more people-orientated. Set the example of which you speak.

l mckoy

Chris, you and Andrew need to acknowledge the old saying that YOU CAN’T HAVE TWO BULLS IN ONE PEN and find an acceptable way to put your differences aside — for the good of the country.

carol white

I have always admired Tufton. In my mind, if Bruce had given him leadership of the party, the JLP would be in a better place today. I think he is a leader. But for the life of me, why is the media still skirting around the naming of the pre-signed letter? Here the Observer calls it tangle, other times it’s saga and rift; some go as far to call it misstep; it’s “SCANDAL” people, “SCANDAL” . If it was the PNP you would hear it’s the biggest scandal since man started recording time. Kmdt.

Stafford

First, let’s have a truth and reconciliation commission. And after that, admitting to all our misdeeds… Then let the healing begin.

truth

I know deep down you are not including yourself, but your dishonourable way of rejecting the leader and still forcing yourself on his recommendation does not exclude you from your present observation.

dwyane

Go, future PM.

Sounding

@dwyane: Must be project panager. It could not be what you think as you cannot be a PM in Jamaica unless you head a political party and Tufton is not even wanted by his leader, so he has no political party.

If he goes back to the PNP it will be a hard struggle to start at the top, but I truly would like to see the PNP go back to the principle of VIE — volunteerism, integrity, and education. If they do that I will return

RasBenjiMassop

…Too often we witness the proclamation of morality and integrity…not to mention commonsense, on political (and other) platforms, only to witness direct reversals when they arrive in office.

mangoosetown

How genuine are you? Why now? Prove yourself!

dallo

Confession is good for the soul, so this mea culpa is probably something that’s therapeutic for Mr Tufton.