Dear Editor,

Former Local Government Minister Noel Arscott has said that the Government poorly organised its emergency hurricane plans for the country. He did not state which Members of Parliament collected hurricane relief items and distributed them throughout their constituencies. McKenzie admitted that there were distribution problems with some hurricane relief items in some areas across the country, and that there will be a meticulous review of how hurricane relief items are distributed before a hurricane comes to Jamaica to improve things going forward.

Why is Arscott seeking to politically discredit and tear down Government’s impressive preparedness? Where is the evidence to substantiate the claims from Arscott that the Government politicised the distribution of hurricane relief items?

No Government Member had sidelined any Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) official during the preparation for Hurricane Matthew, and on every occasion that Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie had a national news conference to inform the country of the preparedness and outline other information to the country the ODPEM was a part of the relevant evacuation plans for residents in flood-prone areas and communities throughout the country. Even an ODPEM banner was hung behind the speakers.

Minster McKenzie and Prime Minister Andrew Holness did an outstanding job of working to have the country prepared and safe to confront the pending hurricane. Holness made one million dollars available to all MPs before the hurricane passed and this funding was clearly not appreciated by Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller, Arscott, and other Opposition MPs.

Why didn’t Arscott implement full local government reform when the PNP was in Government? Why did he allow the Jamaica Fire Brigade to become run-down under his tenure as local government minister?

Arscott’s criticism of the Government is disappointing.

Robert Dalley, Esq

St James

robertdalley1@hotmail.com