The Government’s recent decisions to name the Ministry of Labour building after former Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller and to announce that the new children’s hospital in Montego Bay will also bear her name, mark a welcome and mature step. These gestures signal recognition that national service transcends party lines and that leaders who have contributed to the nation’s development deserve honour and respect, regardless of political affiliation.

While these symbolic acts are commendable, they should mark the beginning of a deeper national renewal grounded in dialogue, consultation, and bipartisan cooperation.

The recent debate over the amendment to the National Housing Trust Act once again exposed the fractured and adversarial state of Jamaica’s political culture. According to reports, Opposition Leader Mark Golding argued that the Opposition could have supported a temporary extension if there had been meaningful consultation, while Prime Minister Andrew Holness suggested that the Opposition was putting the country at risk because of political ego. Such exchanges resemble opposing forces firing political shots from ideological bunkers, rather than leaders seeking common ground for national development.