We understand that scandals are glorious grist for the election mill. And, the mess at the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC), which has been uncovered by the Office of the Contractor General (OCG), is excellent fodder for the People's National Party's (PNP) next crack at the majority seats in Gordon House. After all, the next general election may be sooner than we expect.

We also understand that the balance of 'scandalising power' almost always rests with whomever is in opposition, which does not control strings to purses wide and deep enough to send the scandal mill clattering along for sufficient time to gain traction at the polls if they are found to have been held woefully loosely. The exception (and the JLP knows this quite well with regard to what has become generally known as the Cuban light bulb scandal) is in that transitional period just after a general election in which the government changes.

So, in the unforgiving political game, we can understand why Transport Minister Mike Henry is asking that the PNP's stewardship of the JUTC be scrutinised by the OCG with intensity comparable with that which the current administration's management of the bus company has been. As a press release from the transport ministry carried in The Gleaner yesterday stated:

"Henry is likewise calling upon the OCG to broaden the re-examination of the investigation to include procurement and contract management procedures at a number of associated companies to the JUTC and to examine contract arrangements prior to the present administration's stewardship, including with some specific entities which did business with the JUTC."

Sufficient alacrity

We cannot, however, condone the opening of yet another blame game that this would entail. For while the political points are being tallied by the inevitably dwindling number of the interested as time passes by, the issues at hand would fail to be addressed with sufficient alacrity and the haemorrhaging from the public purse would continue.

We cannot help but think, also, that there is some peevishness in Henry's statement. After all, he had stated his confidence in a JUTC internal probe, which returned a sound bill of procurement health, before the OCG's probe uncovered more body rot than any roadworthy vehicle could carry - the rot which Messrs Barrett, Chung and Sangster have fallen through.

Scandal for scandal

But, while we are not exonerating the PNP of mishandling at the JUTC without even a cursory examination, we believe that starting a process, which might lead to matching scandal for scandal, would be totally counterproductive - unless Mr Henry has reason to believe that the PNP's arrangements at the JUTC have contributed to the snarl of misconduct the OCG uncovered. And, in that case, he would be required to state why those were not addressed when the JLP came into power over a year ago.

The JUTC's current procurement procedures are what need to be addressed post-haste, as the OCG reopens its probe. As a small nation, in a world on shaky financial footing, we cannot afford the public purse to be handled like someone's private billfold.

And, we certainly cannot afford another bleeding transportation entity. Air Jamaica is enough.

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