IN just over a year, Member of Parliament for St Elizabeth South Western Floyd Green transitioned from being the president of the Jamaica Labour Party’s young professionals group — Generation 2000 (G2K) — to being a JLP caretaker, then first-time member of Parliament, and now state minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information.

Speaking to the Jamaica Observer after being sworn in as one of four state ministers at a ceremony at King’s House in St Andrew on Monday, Green admitted that the last year has been “hectic”, but described his journey as “a very humbling experience”.

“It has been a very hectic year but I think it was very important,” he said. “When I was G2K president I realised that there had to be a transition, and we have to show young people that you can work hard and you can move up in politics.”

The fast-rising politician, who is also an attorney-at-law, disclosed that he does not have much “political history” in his family, but through the backing of a strong team, he managed to reach where he is today.

“Through G2K as a conduit and through a lot of hard work and a good team, we were able to win the selection and then win the election,” Green recounted.

Green defeated the People’s National Party’s incumbent Hugh Buchanan by more than 2,000 votes on February 25 to secure the St Elizabeth South Western seat for the Jamaica Labour Party.

He told the Observer that now that Prime Minster Andrew Holness has seen it fit to put his confidence in him to serve as a state minister, he is ready. However, Green is under no illusion that it will be easy, but said he is properly equipped for the job.

“I am looking forward to it,” Green shared. “Clearly it is a bigger challenge, but I think my time in G2K — I have been in leadership for a very long time, from university days — and also my time in the constituency… so I think I am quite

au fait now, not only with the theory of representation but also with the practical basis on the ground.”

He said people always talk about the importance of being on the ground and that he witnessed its importance first-hand, from spending about a year-and-a-half in his own constituency.

“I have seen where there is a difference of how you can connect with the people,” Green said. “I think that is part of the role of Government, to ensure that whatever plans, and programmes you are implementing, they don’t only sound good in theory, but they are having an impact in the lives of people, bettering communities, bettering lives.”

He did not want to jump the gun before Education, Youth and Information Minister Ruel Reid outlined how he would structure the ministry, but said he is passionate about all the areas within the portfolio.

He said he has always been passionate about education, which he said is evident with his implementation of the basic school rehabilitation project ‘Right from Start’ in his constituency. He said too that he has always championed youth issues and that information is about how the Government communicates, so he is ready to work.