Community News
Mark Golding: Maintaining the PNP’s relevance in a rapidly changing political and economic landscape
BY SIMONE J. SMITH
On Wednesday, October 30th, 2024, Mark J. Golding, MP, the Leader of the Opposition in Jamaica was enthusiastically greeted by more than 300 Jamaicans in Toronto at a Town Hall meeting at the Jamaican Canadian Association.
The Toronto Caribbean Newspaper was invited to be part of the welcoming crowd who listened attentively as Mr. Golding shared: his vision for the future of Jamaica, the ways in which Canadian Jamaicans can continue to work together for Jamaica, as well as his plans to better daily life for Jamaicans at home.
Leader of the Opposition Mr. Mark J. Golding is an attorney-at-law, specializing in the areas of: corporate finance, capital markets and mergers and acquisitions. He has been lead counsel in many public and private sector issues of domestic and international debt and equity securities, and in several large corporate mergers and acquisitions. In 2011, he took a leave of absence from Hart Muirhead Fatta, the firm of which he has been a partner since 1993, to assume his appointment as Minister of Justice.
Mr. Golding studied law at Oxford University, where he graduated with first class honours. Wishing to return home to practice, he attended the Norman Manley Law School in order to be called to the Jamaican Bar and received its prize for the most outstanding student of the class of 1987-89. He then won a Commonwealth Scholarship and continued his studies at the University of London, obtaining a master’s degree in commercial and corporate law.
“I am a proud Jamaican, a son of the soil and a dedicated member of the People’s National Party,” Mr. Golding shares on his website. “My parents were champions in giving back to Jamaica especially in the disabilities community and I continue the family legacy through my own advocacy for disenfranchised persons and persons with disabilities. I am committed to using the law to protect rather than oppress people, as evidenced by my legislative performance.”
“Our common purpose must be the creation of a 21st century Jamaica that exemplifies and upholds the progressive principles of social justice and equality for all Jamaicans. This is the foundational purpose of the Party and its socialist roots. There is much more work to be done to eliminate the remaining structural inequalities within Jamaican society. To achieve this, we must live and promote the values of self-discipline, civic responsibility, and caring for and respecting others.”
The People’s National Party (PNP) is one of the oldest and most influential political parties in Jamaica. The year 1938 was a turning point in the history of modern Jamaica. Workers across the island began to demand better wages and working conditions, and the colonial government had no choice but to listen. Strikes by the sugar workers of Frome Estate in Westmoreland, by the dockworkers of the Standard Fruit Company in Kingston, by farmworkers in Islington, St. Mary led to mass rallies and public meetings, the likes of which had never been seen on the island, not even the decade before during the height of Garveyism.
The People’s National Party was founded on September 18th, 1938, by Norman Washington Manley, a Rhodes Scholar, lawyer, and National Hero of Jamaica. The party emerged during a time of social and economic unrest in Jamaica. Norman Manley, an advocate for social justice, sought to address these inequalities and envisioned a political movement that would champion the rights of the working class while pushing for self-governance. Manley, along with a group of intellectuals, labor leaders, and activists, formed the PNP as a democratic socialist party. Its foundation was based on a commitment to social equality, workers’ rights, and the eventual goal of political independence for Jamaica.
As of 2024, the People’s National Party remains one of Jamaica’s two major political parties, alongside the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP). The party continues to advocate for policies that promote social justice, economic development, and sustainable governance. In recent years, the PNP has focused on addressing the economic and social challenges posed by globalization, climate change, and the digital age. The party’s leadership, headed by Mark Golding, faces the challenge of maintaining the PNP’s relevance in a rapidly changing political and economic landscape.
In his opening address to the audience, and speaking about Jamaica’s unique relationship with Canada, Mr. Golding shared, “Canada and Jamaica are very close. For us there is a special relationship with Canada. I was minister of Justice under (Prime Minister) Portia Miller Simpson from 2012 to 2016, and the Canadian government helped us with the Justice Reform Program we were pushing through. Their support was very valuable.”
During the question-and-answer segment of the Town Hall, audience members posed questions to the Opposition Leader which ranged from: issues regarding Jamaican Farm Workers and the farm workers program in Canada, voting in Jamaica while outside of the country, healthcare, and managing the care of children with special needs in Jamaica.
On Friday November 1st, 2024, Mr. Golding visited the heart of the Jamaican community during a Walking Tour of Little Jamaica. I had a few moments with Mr. Golding, and my question to him was concerning the lack of youth involvement in politics.
“We have made efforts to involve youth in the movement,” Mr. Golding shared with me. “One of the questions that young people will always have in this day and age is ‘What is in this for me?’ There will need to be significantly greater mentoring, support, and inclusion to more effectively engage youths and young professionals across Jamaica and help shape the image and direction of the Party. The youth pool is growing, and we will continue to support them through political education, life skills training, and encouraging them to undertake meaningful tasks of engagement within their communities.”
The PNP continues to champion its core values of equity, justice, and people-centered development, while grappling with the need to modernize and adapt to new realities. Its legacy as a movement that has significantly shaped Jamaica’s national identity, labor rights, and governance remains a critical part of the island’s political narrative.