Let’s focus instead on growing national pie

Briefly these are: *Decision to liquidate CL Financial (a company with a global footprint), especially in the context of the avowed need for diversification.

*Expressed view by a union leader of “not caring where the money will come from” but simply pay its membership.

*An expressed view that it is time to “shake up this place.” *Notwithstanding global trends in gas and oil despite the enunciated goal of China with respect to a reduced dependency on these commodities as energy sources.

*The deafening silence of the Tripartite Advisory Council on issues of the increasing trends and the debate on renewable energy.

These are but some of the utterances that clearly demonstrate a lack of understanding national interests in the context of the global issues affecting all countries.

As indeed in every situation there is a need for clarity in the determination of what are the specifics being addressed, the solution proposed, the identifiable measure of the outcome, as well as the level of confidence that the outcome can truly be attributable to the proposed intervention.

In light of this, can the issues of diversification, sharing the responsibility of adjustment between labour, capital and the allocation of physical resources be said to be in the national interest as well as equitable? I close by calling for an end to the debate on “sharing” the national pie and refocus on “growing” the national pie.

This may well lead us to a different kind of national dialogue.

SAMUEL B HOWARD via email