THERE is much to learn in the Floyd Green affair about painting all politicians with the same brush and throwing out the innocent baby with the obviously dirty bathwater.

Mr Green is the kind of politician we keep yearning for, but, in his case, the good has had to suffer for the bad because of the widespread cynicism which has overtaken the Jamaican people, based on our experience with the deep levels of both inequity and iniquity in our country.

If we wish to face the truth, we cannot fault the ordinary man and woman who believe that the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has let Mr Green off the hook because he is a minister of government and “one of the boys”.

In its just-released ruling, the ODPP said it had found no basis to criminally charge Mr Green and others, including Councillor Andrew Bellamy who represents the Mona Division in the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation, who were at a birthday party on a no-movement day, as seen in a video that went viral last September.

The ruling also found that Messrs Green and Bellamy were exempt from the no-movement day restrictions outlined under the provisions of the Disaster Risk Management Act (DRMA), which does not apply to Cabinet ministers, Members of Parliament and councillors, among other essential service categories.

It is noteworthy that Mr Green, even before the case was tried, and not waiting for the prime minister to fire him — after stinging public outcry over the video — walked away from the Cabinet where he was serving as the minister of agriculture.

“Today, I have disappointed so many… and most importantly, the people of Jamaica whom I have sworn to serve… My actions have demonstrated a lack of sensitivity for the difficult realities that all of us are facing currently.

“It was wrong. I accept that this was an error in judgement and that it sends the wrong signal, especially in light of the Government’s drive to reduce the spread of COVID-19. For this I am really and truly very sorry,” Mr Green apologised in his resignation letter.

In this neck of the woods politicians usually have to be fired, even for far greater wrongs, including being caught with their hands in the till. Mr Green is therefore in a class of his own and represents the best of what we want our politicians to be.

His stands in stark contrast with British Prime Minister Mr Boris Johnson, who is fighting to save his political life after being accused of flouting COVID-19 restrictions multiple times in his country by partying with colleagues.

What we might fault Mr Green for is a lack of judgement in that the good faith exemptions under the DRMA were meant to allow essential services and high government officials, like him, the freedom to continue working on behalf of the country during the pandemic, and not for such frivolity as partying.

He has more than paid for that bit of indiscretion and was, in our view, rightly returned to the Cabinet, this time in the capacity as minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, with responsibility for the National Identification System.

As a nation struggling to develop a cadre of high-quality leadership, especially in the public service, we can ill afford to feed the perception that there are no good people in politics. It’s bad enough that they seem to be in the minority.