Confident he has done enough for the people of St Mary South Eastern, incumbent Dr Norman Dunn is positive he will turn back a challenge from the People’s National Party’s Christopher Brown and once again cement the constituency’s status as a safe seat for the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).

When Alva Ross won the constituency four times back to back, it was considered a safe JLP. But the PNP’s Harry Douglas took it in 1989 and held it equally as long until 2007 when he lost to the JLP’s Tarn Peralto. A razor-thin margin in the next election saw it going back to the PNP, after a successful contest by Dr Winston Green. He died in 2016 and in the by-election that followed a year later, Dunn won and he has been the MP ever since.

Over the years, an integral plank of his campaigns has been the assertion that he is a “son of the parish”, proud he is able to represent people who he considers family.

“The people of south-east St Mary are my family,” Dunn told the Jamaica Observer during a recent sit-down.

He stressed the now familiar story of a life that was far from privileged, the son of a higgler who struggled to ensure he and his siblings received an education.

“There were seven of us and my mother could not take care of all of us. My sister and I lived with her while my other siblings lived with their father. My sister and I used to sell ‘suck suck’ in the Annotto Bay Market on a Saturday while my mother sold her wares,” Dunn mused, convinced this was the genesis of what later blossomed into entrepreneurial skills.

He initially wanted to be a farmer; however, fate had other plans.

“I used to go by the hospital with a friend who assisted in getting the medications from the pharmacy to the ward. One day the pharmacist asked me if I wanted to be a pharmacist and I told her no. A conversation was struck about this, and the rest is history. I applied to both colleges — College of Arts Science Technology (CAST) and Passley Gardens [now College Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE)] — but CAST responded first and there I went. When God has his own plans, he orders your life in a particular way,” Dunn said philosophically.

Over the years he has opened a chain of pharmacies across Jamaica and has held several positions in the pharmaceutical industry.

Like his career path, Dunn’s entry into politics was somewhat of a coincidence.

“I never saw myself in politics; had no interest, never thought of it,” he told the Sunday Observer.

He said he threw his hat in the ring after a bit of persuasion from a member of the JLP hierarchy and successfully going through the selection process. For Dunn, it felt as if he was returning home and he was determined to make a difference.

“At the time I placed myself to represent the people of south-east St Mary they were starved for proper representation,” he insisted.

He is proud of the work he has done as Member of Parliament, particularly in putting much-needed infrastructure in place.

“As you can see when entering the town, [work done includes] the newly renovated fire station, the sea wall that now helps to protect the residents that lives there; the upgrade of the Annotto Bay Health Centre and the police station; the renovation of the Westmoreland Oval where lights and seats were added,” the MP rattled off his accomplishments.

He said there are plans to keep the development going and rubbished suggestions that he is playing “catch up” in a bid to woo voters. According to Dunn, plans were in the pipeline before the campaigning now going on by both major political parties.

“[For] Belfield Division we have major developments in housing and agriculture coming. Richmond is steeped in history — it is known for its chocolate — and I will be looking to develop that agriculture belt in bissy and nutmeg,” the MP said.

Dunn flatly rejected claims, by the man who wants to wrest the seat from him, the People’s National Party’s (PNP) Christopher Brown, that development within the constituency lags behind others. At the same time, he blamed the PNP for its shortcomings.

“South-east St Mary was kept down by the previous government. Investment and decision to invest did not take place because persons did not see the need to invest. There was never the atmosphere and ambiance created that people wanted to invest in south-east St Mary. I have created that! I have effectively closed that infrastructure gap and will continue to build on that new infrastructure that we have laid out here in terms of water investment, light investment. We are building on all of that what we have laid,” he said.

He urged youngsters to become HEART certified so they are ready to take advantage of opportunities on the horizon.

“We are going to need skilled individuals in the hospitality industry [which] is expanding, as you can see, from Oracabessa up,” the MP said.

He promised that investments are coming in the areas of tourism, including the niche area of wellness. He said Annotto Bay will benefit as it will be the location of units constructed to accommodate health tourism. According to the incumbent even with all the work he has done, he believes his humility is his greatest strength. But he was not shy about saying he is the best man for the job.

He also took a jab at Brown for his campaign slogan which urged voters to choose the better candidate.

“The people of south-east St Mary do not want the ‘better’; they want the best candidate, and I am the best choice. I have proven it, I have shown my dedication,” Dunn insisted.

— Ingrid Henry

DUNN…the people of south-east St Mary are my family (Photo: Ingrid Henry)