FULL TEXT: PM declares she will win it

By: Admin

Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller used a People’s National Party Meeting in Half-Way Tree on Sunday, January 31 to announce February 25, 2016 as the date for the next general election. She also declared that her party was the best fit to lead the country.

 

SEE FULL TEXT BELOW:

I’m pressing on the upward way, new heights I’m gaining every day; Still praying as I onward bound,

Lord plant my feet on higher ground.

*  Comrade Chairman

*  Comrade Officers of the People’s National Party

*  Comrade Candidates

*  Comrade members, workers and supporters of the Great People’s National Party

*  My fellow Jamaicans 

 

There is no time, like the right time. The right time is now. Tonight, is the night when I will sound the trumpet.

*  You are here in your thousands.

*  You have come from the East.

*  You have come from the West.

*  You are here from the North.

*  You are here from the South.

I welcome you, the masses of the Jamaican people, who have been faithful in your support as the PNP has moved Jamaica forward, and upward, over the past 4 Years. Today, we are a country on a mission, with a clear and positive vision. We are a nation on a purposeful mission; and with the sacrifices, patience, resilience and support of the Jamaican people, we have made great strides.

We are building a foundation for:

·      First world Economic Growth.

·      First world Education and Training.

·      First world job-creation and business-startups.

·      A Jamaica of First World Social Services.

·      A Jamaica of safety, security, progress and development for ALL.

*  Tonight, is a glorious night.

*  Tonight, I will put some people out of their misery.

*  Tonight, I will answer your call.

*  Tonight is also a serious night.

*  I want to talk with you my Jamaican people:

With you who are here with me in Half-Way Tree in your thousands;

 With you who are at home in your millions;

 And with Jamaicans who are overseas in their many millions.

I am here tonight to thank you, my Jamaican people; and to report to you on Jamaica’s successes. I want to talk to you about how we are building, not just a stronger economy, but also a better society. I am here to encourage you to walk with me and the PNP as we move Jamaica UP.

*  We are moving the economy UP.

*  Education, UP

*  Social Protection, UP

*  Job creation, UP

*  Economic Growth, UP

*  Business Confidence is UP, UP, UP,

*  Investments, UP

*  Tourism, UP

*  Agriculture, UP

*  Manufacturing, UP

*  Highway Development, UP

*  Port Expansion UP; and

* Jamaica’s respect in the world is way UP!

 

Nobody can dispute the fact that the PNP is building Jamaica up, moving Jamaica Up. I say to all Jamaicans tonight, if you want to keep Jamaica moving up, to first world development, to progress and prosperity, STAY WITH THE PNP.

WE ARE THE WINNING TEAM

I am here to tell you the truth, and to remind you how far we have taken Jamaica since the Government of the PNP took office in January 2012. I am here tonight to present my team to you and to seek your support for Team PNP. I am here tonight to share with you why we believe the best choice for our country continues to be the People’s National Party:

*  The Party that was first led by the Right Excellent Norman Washington Manley, the Father of our Nation  and the  architect of Political Independence.

*  We were led by the Most Honourable Michael Norman Manley, who decided that every Jamaican child is equal, not only in the sight of God, but also in the sight of man.

*  That’s why No Bastard no deh ya again.

*  The Most Honourable  Percival Noel James Patterson, was our leader, who believed that the development of infrastructure is one of the best pathways to social and economic advancement.

*  Now, I Portia Lucretia Simpson Miller, am honoured to lead this noble movement.

*  I am determined to lead Jamaica to Economic Independence and Social Transformation.

*  This is the mission of my generation.

*  As we look to the future, we can't afford to forget the past.

*  Do you remember where Jamaica was in 2011?

*  Our country was in a bad place.

* There was confusion and despair.

*  Jamaicans had lost hope.

*  We could not see our way through.

The economy was in Shambles and our international partners had very little faith in the Government of the day.

*  There were 14 quarters of negative growth;

*  Confidence was down;

*  Tens of Thousands of Jobs were lost;

*  Inflation was in double figures and running away;

*  The Government of the day did not honour its obligations to our international partners;

*  We took over a country in deep, deep trouble.

THEY FAILED OUR COUNTRY, THEY FAILED OUR PEOPLE.

The Economy was a like patient in intensive care. In a coma; and even the bitter medicine they promised, was no guarantee of recovery.

Tonight I ask you: Do you want to go back there?

FORWARD EVER, BACKWARD NEVER!

*  The PNP brought the economy back to life.

*  The patient has recovered.

*  Showing signs of good health.

*  All the international specialists and consultants are saying what a fantastic job has been done by the PNP Team.

We must be proud of our achievements. When my Administration took office in 2012, we knew we had to stablise the economy and go for growth.  We had to tackle the critical issues of the debt and the deficit.

That is the basis on which my Government took the bold decision to implement an ambitious and difficult Economic Reform Programme. It included an Agreement with the International Monetary Fund.

*  We established national and international partnerships.

*  I met with the leaders of national institution.

*  I met with the Friends of Jamaica in the Congress of the United States.

*  We gave real recognition, meaning and respect to the Partnership for Jamaica.

*  The Partnership includes civil society, the private sector, trade unions and the Opposition.

*  We enlisted the cooperation of our Government workers.

*  We got the support of the Financial Institutions.

*  The Farmers of Jamaica played their part.

*  Once again, our international partners have found a Jamaican Government they could trust and respect.

 

I know, it has not been an easy 4 years. All our problems have not been solved.

Some people are still hurting.

Some people are still in need.

We know that some people are finding it difficult to make ends meet, but the achievements of the People’s National Party over the past 4 Years in Government, gives them hope for the future.

We knew there would have been some pain, but we knew it had to be done in the interest of Jamaica and the Jamaican people.

YOU KNOW, ROME WAS NOT BUILT IN A DAY.

You, the people, knew that building Jamaica’s economy, society and international credibility, would not be an overnight thing.

Tonight, I want to thank you the Jamaican people for your patience and support.

·      Thank you for sticking with us through thick and thin.

·      For your great expression of the true Jamaican national spirit of resilience.

·      Your support gave my Government greater confidence to take the bold decisions in the best interest of the country.

·      You, the people of Jamaica, have shown that you know what is best for the country, best for your children.

·      You are true heroes and heroines.

For these reasons, I dedicate Jamaica’s successes to the great people of this great country.

The PNP has brought Jamaica to a point of economic stability that the entire world has recognized.

THIS IS MANAGEMENT, THIS IS PERFORMANCE.

Our Government is on mission, going for growth, staying the course and transforming the economy.

The Economic Reform Programme is not just on paper. It is producing real results.

*  Inflation is at its lowest in nearly 50 years.

*  The cost of electricity is 50 per cent lower today.

In pursuing the growth agenda:

*  We attracted billions in investments.

*  $64 billion in new and refurbished hotel properties under my watch since 2012. 

*  That is PERFORMANCE!

*  Check out our progress in highway development.

*  In 2014 we opened the Mount Rosser Bypass Section of the North-South Highway.

*  This week I will open another section of that Highway. From Angels to Linstead.

*  The entire highway is on track for completion by March this year.

 

With this new highway, new opportunities for housing development, trade expansion, real estate and tourism investments, will be opened up.

That is performance! That is Progress!             

*  In November, I told the people of St. Thomas that we will be building the Southern Coastal Highway from Harbour View to Morant Bay.

*  Less than a week after that announcement, we signed the contract for work to begin.

And dem say nutten nah gwaan!

*  We are transforming agriculture and putting money in the pockets and bank accounts of farmers.

*  NINE Agro Parks are up and running. There are more to come.

*  Over 5,000 acres of land are being leased to farmers.

*  Last year alone, we spent some $700 million to repair Farm Roads all over the country.

*  Nuff Tings a Gwaan!

*  In the Business Process Outsourcing and Call Centre Industry, some $18,000 persons are working in:

- Kingston,

 - Portmore,

- Mandeville; and

- Montego Bay.

-  Later this year, new manufacturing activities in the Spanish Town Special Economic Zone will begin, creating thousands of jobs.

*  The PNP Government is assisting Micro, Small and Medium size businesses.

*  Each year, we provide them with up to $4 billion in loans.

*  Big Tings a Gwaan for Small Businesses!

*  Jamaica is now ranked as the Best Place in the Caribbean to Do Business.

*  This is the result of new laws and a system that our Government has put in place to encourage businesses.

*  That is why so many local businesses are expanding.

 

These companies include: Lasco, Red Stripe, Courts, Seprod, Grace Kennedy, the Salt Factory; and he poultry industry, to name a few. Jamaica is reaping real results and making steady progress.

 

These successes are creating:

*  A better life for our people

*  More schools

*  Better education for our children

*  More health facilities

*  Better public services

*  More water fire and garbage trucks.

We are committed to creating a better life for our people.

We understand the struggles of the Jamaican people.

Our Team has created a practical and workable vision for Jamaica.

I continue to rally the people with a fixity of purpose, to complete the realization of that vision.

Along the journey, I know there are some people who have criticized my leadership style.

  I don’t have to reprimand my Ministers in public.

  That is not my style. 

  Let me tell you what my style is.

  I am very firm with them when we meet behind closed doors to carry on the business of the nation.

  It is not my style to be talking, talking, talking. My style is to be working, working, working.

  Some say I have been M-I-A : Missing in Action.

  Well, when I look at all the things we have achieved for the Jamaican people, I say to them, M-I-A means:  Mama in Action.

 

As we achieve economic stability and go for growth, we are ensuring that the social needs of our people are met.

That is why we have invested Billions of dollars to protect the vulnerable families under the PATH Programme.

We invested Billions in Education.

Education has always been an area of focus for the PNP.

Thousands of new classroom spaces have been built throughout the country.

We are giving our children a chance to lift themselves and their families through education.

In 4 years we took 50 schools off the shift   system.  

Better for the students.  Better for the parents.  Better for Jamaica's development.

 

STEPPING UP THE PROGRESS!

* More than 300,000 children are provided with free breakfast and lunch.

* We know that hungry children cannot learn; and  The results are showing in improved educational outputs.

That is Transformation!

We are investing in training for our youth and providing jobs for them.

More than 25,000 tablets have been provided for students and teachers.

Rural and urban communities are being connected to the Internet.

The Minimum Wage has been increased 3 times.

The Income Tax Threshold has been increased putting more money in the pockets of the people.

That is empowerment for the people.

We made a promise to the public sector workers that by 2015, there would be no more wage freeze. Promise made.  Promise kept.

We put an end to sugar barracks that are a legacy of slavery.  Hundreds of sugar workers have been provided with new houses free of cost.

Respect was due.  Respect was given.

Through the NHT and other agencies, we have built thousands of houses for the people.

We have stepped up the progress in in providing thousands of land titles for the Jamaican people. 

More Jamaicans now enjoy security of tenure and are part of the ownership society which we are building.

We have provided work, income and vital community infrastructure by investing more than $10 billion through the JEEP programme.

We are protecting persons with disability Persons with Disabilities through new laws and skills training.

There is the Athletes Insurance and major infrastructure investment in sport.

Greater assistance has been given to our farmers.

The Reform of the Ganja Laws means that the future of our people, especially our young men, will not be blighted with criminal records for the possession of a ganja spliff.

 

FORWARD WITH THE PNP.

Despite the challenges, we have made progress in Health.

More health facilities built and improved;

Life-saving equipment installed;

More ambulances;

Free medication; and

Billions more  in budgetary Support.

 

I want to say something about the Zika Virus.

 

The Ministry of Health has confirmed one case of the Zika virus in Jamaica.

 It involves a child who recently traveled overseas.

We are thankful that the four year old child has recovered.

This confirmation is not a cause for alarm, but it must give us greater urgency to deal with the situation.

I am calling on everyone to get involved to limit its impact on our people.

We must continue to clean up our surroundings and exercise personal responsibly.

We are spending close to half a billion dollars to deal with the Zika Virus threat.

This includes a major cleanup campaign under the JEEP Programme.

The Minister of Health will hold a Press Conference tomorrow to provide more information.

I will also address the nation in a broadcast on this issue on Tuesday night.

 

We are proud of our achievements on behalf of the Jamaican people. We look to the future with confidence.

I invite you the people of Jamaica to walk boldly with us into another Term of Government.

 One Good TERM Deserves Another.

In the Next Term:

We will continue to focus on economic growth and job creation.

The plans are drawn.  The foundation is laid.

Our team is ready.

Let me give you a glimpse.

Starting this year, and over the next ten years, nearly 10,000 new hotel rooms will come on stream.

This will provide thousands of new jobs over the next 5 putting money in your pockets.

In the BPO Sector, another 18,000 new jobs will be created in Kingston, Portmore, Mandeville, Montego Bay and in Hanover.

More opportunities for young people.

New industries will be created in manufacturing, logistics and agriculture.

We will expand the nutraceutical and cultural industries.

This is just a glimpse of what is to come in Our Next Term.

So let us join hands and hearts to protect the gains we have made and Step up the Progress.

Step up the Progress for: Our children, The youth, Workers, For families, Women, The Disabled, Farmers, Public Servants, For businesses small and large; and Other groups.

Jamaica’s future is in your hands.  Make sure that you keep it secure with The People's National Party.

Let us build for the Future, a Jamaica in which:

Our children are given the best chance to grow physically, intellectually and socially.

We must strengthen the moral fibre of our nation.

We must respect each other.

When there is respect:

There will be less domestic violence.

Less incidence of sexual harassment and rude, crude behavior at all levels of the society.

When there is respect:

Our children will not be abused, raped and murdered.

There will be greater respect for the sacredness of life.

 

I want everyone to listen me carefully now.

I don’t want to hear about any disrespect or violence in this election campaign. There is no need for it. I am committed to a peaceful campaign. The PNP is committed to a peaceful campaign. We are one Jamaica.

During and after the election, we must continue as one Jamaica, shaping the future together.

 

Jamaica is a country of excellence.

This small country of ours had one of the best performing stock markets in the world in 2015.

Jamaica is the best place in the Caribbean to do business.

We were among the top ten most improved economies last year.

We are the envy of the world for our global leadership in sports.

Jamaica has the fastest man and the fastest woman in the world.

Our music and culture are world renown.

The Global Album of the 20th Century belonged to our Bob Marley.

Jamaica leads the world in terms of having the highest proportion of women managers, globally.

We have improved in how the world perceives Jamaica’s fight against corruption.

Our country was ranked in the top Ten for Press Freedom last year.

Your Prime Minister has been voted by Time Magazine as being among the top 100 most influential persons in the world.

 

Whether JLP, or PNP, black or white, rich or poor, let us celebrate this excellence.

Last week I was struck by the expressions from two Jamaicans from two very different backgrounds.

Although the economic status of these men is different, they have the same approach to sustaining Jamaica’s greatness. Billionaire businessman Michael Lee Chin is reported in the media as urging Jamaican to: 

“Have an allergic reaction to individuals complaining about the challenges facing Jamaica’s economy, and instead create wealth for society by finding solutions to the problems.” 

 

A small businessman pushing his handcart in downtown Kingston said different but equally profound words. He said: and I quote: “You caan siddung and just do nutten. You have to do ‘supn’ because although the sun hot, the breeze a blow, and as long as the breeze a blow, you can work in the sun hot.”

These are words that all of us can live by. As a country, we are not where we want to be but we have come a far way.  The sun still hot, but the breeze a blow. So let us continue the journey to Economic Independence and prosperity; moving forward with the People’s National Party.

 

And so my comrades, as we affirm the greatness of our Jamaican people, we are calling upon them to decide. We are calling upon the people to make the choice.  It is a clear choice between turning back to the dark days, or continuing the progress with the People’s National Party. I am confident that the people of Jamaica will choose to move forward with us, as we build on the successes of the past 4 years.  They will choose to stay with the People’s National Party – Jamaica’s Best Choice. They will reaffirm our mandate to Step Up the Progress.

Time come to sound the Trumpet. Are you ready to Step Up the Progress?

 

As I said at Conference:

If it is a mountain, we have climbed it;

If it is a river, we have crossed it;

If it is a test, we have passed it;

If it is a race, we have run it;

And now that I am calling it, we will Win It!

I have written to the Governor General and advised him to Proclaim, Friday the 5th day of February 2016 as the day to dissolve the current Parliament. I have also advised the Governor General that Nomination Day for Candidates offering themselves for Parliamentary Elections will be Tuesday, the 9th day of February 2016. General Elections will be held on the 25th day of February 2016.

May God Bless Jamaica and our continued progress.

The Trumpet has sounded. Let us answer the call.

Oh my Comrades, See the signal waving in the sky,

Reinforcements now appearing,

Victory, Victory, Victory is nigh.