For more than a few times since their defeat in the February 25, 2016 General Election, spokespersons of the People’s National Party (PNP) have claimed that the programmes referenced by the new Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Government belonged to the previous Administration.

So what?

It is obvious that the new Administration has not had anywhere near enough time to be able to conceive and implement new programmes that could come to fruition in time for announcement in the budget. Except, of course, for the income tax relief that itself had to be delayed from April 1 to July 1, 2016.

The more important point to be made, however, is that programmes implemented by a previous Administration do not belong to that Administration, but to the people of Jamaica who paid their salaries and financed the cost through their tax-paying dollars.

Someone needs to tell the PNP that they cannot copyright programmes which originated during their stay in office, and that there is no shame in programmes transcending one Administration to the next.

In fact, one of the ugliest features of our old-time politics was the foolish and very costly practice of one Government ignoring programmes started by their predecessors, usually after millions of dollars had been spent ­— and for no reason but that the new Government could not claim paternity.

People who are old enough, or those who read, will remember that in the search for paternity one Administration originated the name Jamaica Information Service (JIS), another renamed it Agency for Public Information and a third changed it back the JIS.

The National Youth Service was abandoned and brought back by another Administration. The Jamaica National Export Corporation and the Jamaica National Investment Corporation became Jampro. There are numerous other similar examples which could be cited.

Over the years, different administrations have originated programmes which have served this country well, and credit must be given where credit is due. The late Prime Minister Michael Manley will long remain in memory for some of the most outstanding social and legislative programmes in local political history.

But those programmes cannot be cited ad nauseum as if they belong exclusively to those who were in power at their origin.

Naturally, the JLP has inherited the results of the very tough austerity programme masterminded by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) under the previous PNP Government. It is not, however, the sole propriety of the PNP.

The Jamaican people suffered and sacrificed through the hardships and did so patiently. It became clear that they were suffering in silence and were at breaking point when the JLP offered the $1.5-million income tax relief and won the election, despite all the work the PNP had put in on the economy.

There are still those who remain unshaken in their belief that this is PNP country. They need to be reprogrammed and informed that no government programme is owned by any political party. The copyright belongs to the Jamaican people.