KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Daryl Vaz, has asked the House of Representatives to bring forward the debate on the last motion tabled by the late MP for Eastern Portland, Dr Lynvale Bloomfield, who was killed at his home on Saturday morning.

In a contribution to a limited tribute to the late MP at Gordon House, yesterday, Vaz noted that the motion urged the House of Representatives to recommend that the Port Antonio Square be renamed Nanny Square, with a statue of Jamaica’s sole national Hero, Nanny of the Maroons, included in the park.

Bloomfield also asked that the House name the passage between the community of Breastworks in Port Antonio and Nanny Falls the Nanny Trail.

“I would like to propose that in honour of our late member Bloomfield that the House agrees to debate the resolution in short order,” Vaz urged his colleagues.

Vaz, who represents the parish’s other constituency, Western Portland, recalled a very close relationship with the late MP, who also served as a medical doctor for his family, since 2011.

“It would hard pressed in today’s politics to find a politician who could or would call on their political opponent to treat him, his immediate family and friends, as a medical doctor, from time to time. This was the case with Dr Bloomfield and myself. He always responded to my calls, by coming to my house in Portland, rather than us having to visit his office. That was the measure of the main,” Vaz said.

He said that his last interaction with Bloofield was on December 18, when they toured the parish infrastructure, and exchanged ideas on how they could improve aspects of Portland’s development.

“It was once again clear that, although we were from opposing sides, our vision and love for the people and the parish of Portland were paramount,” he said, noting that, apart from being colleagues in parliament, they were also members of the Titchfield Trust.

Balford Henry