DECLARING that development comes with responsibility, Member of Parliament (MP) for St Andrew West Rural, Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn has urged Jamaicans to not only look to Government to provide services, but to take accountability for their actions.

The three-term MP, who is minister of state in the Ministry of National Security and Peace, pointed to several areas where Jamaicans can demonstrate responsibility for their actions as she opened the 2026/27 State of the Constituency Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

She said Jamaicans clamouring for piped water must demonstrate responsibility by becoming paying customers of the National Water Commission (NWC).

“Building pipelines, treating water, and maintaining the infrastructure that delivers water to our homes costs money. We cannot demand reliable water service and refuse to pay for it. We must understand that development comes with responsibility — and this is where the issue of mental emancipation comes in. We must change the mindset that says Government must provide everything while citizens have no responsibility,” said Cuthbert-Flynn.

She said her constituency has seen significant investment in water infrastructure over the 10 years since she was first elected as MP in 2016.

“We have seen refurbished tanks and pipelines in Golden Hill; a 50,000-gallon tank in Mount James; new pipelines in Padmore, Top and Bottom Track roads,” Cuthbert-Flynn argued.

The state minister also pointed to the construction of a new water tank in King Weston, along with pipeline improvements on Cushnie Road and in Prospect Hall.

She pointed to the Ferry to Rock Pond water project — valued at approximately $1.3 billion and which is expected to significantly improve the water supply for residents of Red Hills — and noted that as part of this investment two 50,000-gallon water tanks are being constructed to serve as lift stations.

According to Cuthbert-Flynn, these facilities will significantly strengthen the water distribution system and are expected to benefit more than 26,000 residents in areas such as Belvedere, Sterling Castle and Rock Pond.

Addressing residents of Lawrence Tavern, who have faced decades of inadequate water supply, Cuthbert-Flynn pointed to the Essex Hall project which should commence by next April.

“This is another important step in improving access to reliable water for our residents and ensuring that communities across [St Andrew] West Rural can benefit from the development taking place in our constituency. But, there is something we must say to our people: If we want better infrastructure we must become customers of the NWC,” she said.

A slide from Member of Parliament for St Andrew West Rural Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn showing one of the major water projects for her constituency as she opened the 2026/27 State of the Constituency Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

The Olympian, who is a fitness guru, also used her contribution to the debate to encourage Jamaicans to take responsibility for their health.

According to Cuthbert-Flynn, proper health care must be everyone’s business.

“While we rightly expect Government to provide hospitals, health centres, doctors, nurses, equipment and medicines, we must accept responsibility for our own health,” Cuthbert-Flynn remarked.

“Because no matter how many hospitals we build, no matter how advanced the equipment becomes, and no matter how many health centres we upgrade, we will continue to have an unhealthy nation if we do not change our behaviour,” she added.

Cuthbert-Flynn pointed out that the Ministry of Health is upgrading the Red Hills Health Centre at a cost of approximately $43 million and that she has also requested the upgrade and build-out of the Lawrence Tavern Health Centre.

Cuthbert-Flynn also urged Jamaicans to take responsibility for, and pride in, the disposal of their garbage while remarking that clean communities require disciplined citizens.

She admitted that there is a garbage problem in St Andrew West Rural but insisted that “this is not the fault of Government alone”.

The MP pointed to the challenging conditions faced by sanitation workers in the expansive rural constituency, thanking them for their work and also sharing that she has personally commissioned several garbage disposal options from Golden Spring to Lawrence Tavern.

“And yet many people still refuse to properly bag and dispose of their garbage,” she chided.

Cuthbert-Flynn lamented that animal carcasses; old sofas, beds and refrigerators are dumped along roadsides. She said this is especially evident at the Mount Ogle bin, and that some shop owners refuse to pay for proper disposal.

“We see garbage dumped around Stony Hill Square, along the roadside in Coopers Hill, and in the Rock Hall area. I understand that informal communities create challenges because garbage trucks cannot always access narrow pathways, I understand that collection services must be improved, but we also expect better from our residents,” said the MP.