Robinson

Regrettably, the domino game must be suspended this week while we deal with a national crisis.

As ridiculous as it sounds, some things are more important than dominoes. Recently, the tourism minister insisted that our tourism sector is in fact ok. The recent lay-offs and closure of one large hotel property were 'normal', he said. In the same breath that he admits more cuts are coming, he shrugs it off as 'not about laying off people terminally, but making adjustments for the shoulder months". This heartless hostility to reality, coming after the industry tried to avoid the lay-offs by months of massive discounting, was uttered after he returned home from Berlin where he, Olivia Grange and expensive entourages waved flags for Usain & Co. No doubt, the cost of the junket will be rationalised as necessary to entrench Brand Jamaica in our emerging European markets.

Really, minister? Truly, minister?

But, I thought that this PR work in Berlin was already done by Usain, Asafa, Melaine, Brigitte, Shelly-Ann among others. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, where our tourism minister should be crafting policies to make Jamaica an attractive destination, the real problem, crime and violence, continues apace. Already John Terry's murder is being reported in the UK Guardian newspaper as 'a possible homophobic attack' and the note left by his body to have accused him of being a homosexual.

I wonder who are we to blame for this? Why does the foreign press jump all over anything vaguely resembling domestic violence and label it a 'hate' crime whether or not the facts support such a conclusion? Our prime minister is rumoured to be bright but yet, knowing that he leads an under-educated, highly homophobic people prone to violent solutions, he goes on BBC TV, in the heart of our emerging European markets and, point blank, says 'NOT IN MY CABINET'. Now, what message is he sending to the market? And to his violent, homophobic citizens? Will any of them feel emboldened? What if, despite his best efforts, the Cabinet does include gays? Is there any warped tribalist in Jamaica who would eliminate the 'sinner' believing that he has done the PM a favour?

Insecurity

When Terry's murderer is caught, will he accept responsibility? Or will he plead justification in cleaning out the wider national stage as the PM has his Cabinet?

So, we can wave all the flags we want in Berlin. Our tourism will die one object of our holier-than-thou contempt at a time if we continue to insist that only some tourists are welcome here. We must summon from some deep spiritual recess the common sense to keep our personal insecurities to ourselves so as not to inflame national insecurities or discourage our followers from rising above these insecurities.

But, worse, suppose the murderer turns out to be a political don. Has not the Government also sent signals to the international community that every 'i' will be dotted and 't' crossed to protect this don from the law?

The Extradition Act requires our minister of justice to authorise the arrest of an accused person 'on receipt' of an extradition request unless it appears to the Minister that an order for extradition would not be made. Get it? Unless it is obvious on the face of the extradition request that it is improper, the process must begin. There is no requirement for teams of Government lawyers, as if acting for the accused (at tax-payers expense), to pour over every Act of Parliament or decided case looking for loopholes. The extradition request, once proper on its face, removes all discretion from the minister. The accused must be arrested and the law take its course. Judges apply the law not ministers. The slightest appearance of a minister trying to help judges do their work is a highly dangerous trespass on authority that could prove to be the thin edge of a deadly wedge.

Is this Governance?

So, Act I; Scene I: Ed and Babsy wave flags in Berlin. Scene II (Stage Right): Our prime minister fans the flames of violence against homosexuals. Scene III: an alleged drug kingpin and multiple murderer is coddled by the Government and publicly warned that a participating treaty state has requested his extradition rather than made to face due process. Act II: The Government is saddened by a tragic murder of a foreigner accused of homosexuality and shocked by the treatment given to it by the foreign press.

Is this governance? Or is it The Guy Lombardo Show?

Peace and Love.

Gordon Robinson is an attorney-at-law. Feedback may be sent to columns@gleanerjm.com