As I was leaving a friend’s house one afternoon this week, we were greeted by a man carrying a weed whacker, enquiring if he could assist with cutting her grass. She graciously responded that she had someone already who provided that service.

The man, in his mid-60s, appeared tired and thirsty in the hot sun. He had been on the road since 6:00 am trying to find some day’s work to help him with a bit of food. He was well-spoken, courteous, and non-threatening, and as I engaged him, it was clear he was not lazy, just unable to find a steady job. I helped him with some lunch money and wished him well.

This gentleman was not the only person I came upon this week seeking work or money to help them get through the day or buy medication. I meet them every day, and not only in my constituency office. I spend a little time speaking to these people, whether in my office, at the gas station, in the plaza, or on the road.

On every single occasion I feel a sense of loss and an emotional sadness about the stagnancy of our working class and our inability over the years to move them out of their reality and improve their economic level above mere survival. Why have we not conquered poverty in Jamaica, or at least meaningfully grown the per capita income of our citizens over the last decade?

What are we not doing right? Where have we gone wrong?

Throughout our history, our leaders had a mission for the generation of their time, in which they charted a path that empowered the citizenry’s fervent responsibility towards building our nation.

The Rt Excellent Norman Manley was calm, determined, and courageous in his laser-focused actions to give our Jamaican masses the right to vote, to have a say in who governed them and how they wanted to be governed.

“I say that the mission of my generation was to win self-government for Jamaica, to win political power, which is the final power for the black masses of my country from which I spring. I am proud to stand here today and say to you who fought that fight with me, say it with gladness and pride, mission accomplished for my generation.”

He accomplished his mission and gave a charge to the generation taking over: “And what is the mission of this generation?… It is…reconstructing the social and economic society and life of Jamaica.”

Regrettably, we are failing at both, and obviously we have some unfinished business to take care of. Why do I say this? It has been 61 years since we lowered the British flag and hoisted our own over successive governments, and Jamaicans have never been more apathetic, frustrated, and fearful about their future. Not only have they stopped coming out to vote, given that our voter turnout has moved from nearly 80 per cent in 1972 to 37.8 per cent in 2020, but they no longer want to stay in Jamaica, choosing instead to leave for countries where they see a better quality of life for themselves and their children.

But our leaders continue to misread the room as they spew narratives that they believe will give hope despite recognising that Jamaicans are experiencing a pervasive chokehold of financial inequality.

I vividly remember how important it was for our People’s National Party (PNP)-led Government in 2016 to convey to the general population that we had fixed the economy. This we incorporated in messages such as: “Never before has Jamaica had a fiscal surplus”; “We have been able to pay our public sector workers who have held strain”; “We are bringing down our debt-to-GDP [gross domestic product] ratio”; “Jamaica is on the right path.”

Yes, we dared to reverse a 40-year trend of deficit spending, create an economic environment with a 7.5 per cent fiscal surplus, and reduce our debt-to-GDP ratio from 140 per cent to manageable levels, which is the foundation for this current low interest rate environment. This low interest rate is the primary reason the Jamaican economy was not devastated in 2020, and we should give the credit where it is due.

Yet in February 2016 we were voted out, losing 14 of our 42 seats. How was this possible when the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other multilaterals praised the PNP Government of the day for making the right decisions without encountering riots equivalent to that which had occurred in Greece? Because those macroeconomic goals never reached the people’s lives, they did not see themselves as better off and still, many couldn’t see a way out.

Fast-forward to 2023 as I watch the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP)-led Government boastfully emphasising Jamaica’s low unemployment rate, improved international credit rating, and increased public sector and minimum wages, yet most of our citizens are still being forced to hustle for their daily living needs. It feels like deja vu.

At this rate, the income inequality in Jamaica will only continue to make the rich richer and the poor poorer, which is a recipe for long-term visceral poverty. It’s clear we have an unfinished revolution.

Therefore, the mission of my generation must be to fix this, which could be achieved by:

1) Creating a globally competitive value-added agricultural sector with guaranteed prices to farmers as we export our finished goods to the rest of the world

2) Implementing affirmative action programmes for young Jamaicans to participate significantly in the economy

3) Overhauling our educational systems with STEM (science, technology, education, mathematics) and other technical skills for our people to qualify for higher paying jobs

4) Supporting the family structure by focusing on their children’s needs, development, and self-discipline from birth to 13 years

5) Reorienting the Jamaican economy to be agile, with continuous growth and a primary focus on foreign exchange earnings for local wealth creation

We need national targets to measure our progress towards achieving the best goals for our working and middle classes. Anything short makes little sense.

Let us have the courage to fight together in Parliament for our people’s best interest.

Lisa Hanna is Member of Parliament for St Ann South Eastern, People’s National Party spokesperson on foreign affairs and foreign trade, and a former Cabinet member.