CHRISTIANA, Manchester — Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) aspirant for Manchester North Eastern Senator Audrey Marks has received the backing of her party leader, Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness, in the wake of criticisms over her announcement to distribute water tanks to her supporters in the constituency.

Marks had come under fire after she pledged to distribute 50 water tanks specifically to JLP workers in the constituency to “look after them first”.

People’s National Party (PNP) standard-bearer in the constituency Valenton Wint was among those to quickly condemn Marks as he charged that it was “appalling and deeply troubling that a candidate seeking to represent the people would openly declare that basic necessities like water storage tanks will be reserved for those aligned with her party”.

Marks, however, scoffed at the criticisms as she declared that no State funds would be used to purchase the tanks.

On Sunday, during a meeting in the constituency at Holmwood Technical High School, Holness came to Marks’s defence as he charged that the PNP’s criticism was part of its posture as a “destructive opposition”.

“I have described her as a resourceful person, but she is also a very caring person. As you would notice, she didn’t just come with her long hands and [say] ‘Well, this seat has been in the Labour party column for a long time and therefore I don’t have to do any work, it will just automatically stay in the Labour Party column’,” Holness said at a JLP workers’ awards ceremony.

“She has taken the time to meet with you, the workers, hear your concern, deal with it in detail, and almost on an individual basis she has sought, as much as she can, to provide resources and to provide relief and to satisfy some of the things she was asked for,” added Holness.

He lauded Marks for looking out for the interest of party workers and accused the PNP of being “bad mind”.

“Now, if that is not setting a good example or the type of representation that she will give, then I don’t know, so when I see her being chastised for showing the good example of what a representative is, then what it tells me is that the other people don’t know what good representation is,” argued Holness.

“It tells me that the other people weren’t doing anything and as soon as they see Audrey, who has been here for a couple days, start to do something they try to tear it down. That is the sign of a bad mind,” added Holness as he charged that the PNP was being negative and destructive.

“A good mind would say ‘I am happy for the people who are going to get the tank let me try and get some tanks for my workers too…’ but PNPism doesn’t cultivate good minds, it seems to support a bad way of thinking, a negative way of thinking, a tear-down way of thinking. It seems to say ‘If something is going well we can’t acknowledge it, we must tear it down’, that is the hallmark of a bad mind,” Holness said.

“There is nothing wrong with giving the alternative view. There is nothing wrong with opposing. Opposition in democracy gives balance and correction, but you can do it in a destructive way or you can do it in a constructive way. What we have seen is destructive opposition born out of bad thinking,” added Holness.

Marks, in her address, told the JLP supporters that she will be focusing on education in the constituency and has so far invested $1 million in a fund.

“Your MP, whose legacy I am determined to defend, has told you about the back-to-school programme that he established and which we will continue,” she said, in reference to the current parliamentary representative Audley Shaw who, after three decades of service, is stepping down.

“A big part of my belief system is that now I am at a position where my focus is on paying it forward in transforming lives and the best way to do that is through the education of our children,” Marks said.

“The prime minister started a national scholarship programme for hundreds of students across Jamaica who have been getting scholarships over the last six years… I will tell you about building on the legacy of our prime minister and ‘man a yaad’ [Shaw]. I have established a special programme in my foundation. I have put the first $1 million for the children of workers of north-east Manchester,” said Marks.