DUNCANS, Trelawny — Former Tourism Minister Dr Wykeham McNeill, who is slated to replace scandal-plagued Dennis Meadows as the People’s National Party’s (PNP) standard-bearer for Trelawny Northern, is banking on his past performance as a minister to bring home the seat. He is determined, he said, to finish the work already begun by the PNP.

“I see so much potential so I decided that I am going to push on that mission — but I will tell you, the time has come for me to complete that mission,” Dr McNeill said.

He was speaking at the PNP’s Duncans Division constituency conference in Trelawny on Sunday night, in his first public political address since his shock defeat to political neophyte Morland Wilson in Westmoreland Western during the last general election. In an apparent bid to remind Comrades gathered in Falmouth of just what he has accomplished in the past, Dr McNeill spoke of the role he played in the ongoing thrust to transform it into a tourism town.

“One of the things I did in 2015 was I went to the board of the Tourism Enhancement Fund and I indicated to them that we were putting together a project. And we put together a project for Falmouth that included Hampden Wharf, streetscape, markets, craft markets — everything. One billion dollars was allocated to start that project,” he said.

“Another reason why we did the project [was] because what we wanted to do is to get a type of tourism where tourists don’t just come to Jamaica on a ship and either stay on the ship or just go to designated places, we want a tourism where people get out and get in contact with the people — because there is a big difference between the other government and our government,” he added in a jab at the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).

McNeill also referenced a programme, which he said was in place while he was at the helm of the tourism ministry, to ensure that locals have free access to the country’s beaches. It was a move, he said, which stemmed from concern that developments taking place would limit access.

“We don’t want a situation where all the beaches are sold and at the end of the day our children and grandchildren don’t have nowhere they can go and swim — not at a mediocre beach but at the best beaches that Jamaica has,” said Dr McNeill.

“So we started a programme where we identified beaches in every parish and determined that we were going to take them from the other State agencies — buy them, whatever we had to do. We were going to upgrade them and we were going to provide them free for the Jamaicans and anybody that want to use them, because we must have access to the beauty and the resources that Jamaica has to offer,” he added.

During the event Dr McNeill received a warm welcome from Comrades on the platform and those who thronged the Duncans Primary School compound. Meadows, who is his campaign manager, noted that they both share a similar vision for the constituency.

“I met him, and I read him, and I can tell you he’s a good successor. I don’t think he can fill my shoes… but he will come near it,” he quipped.

“I took the decision that North Trelawny don’t need someone who going learn on the job. We want somebody with experience. We want no candidate or MP who is not going to be no minister. North Trelawny deserves the clout, and I find in Comrade McNeill someone who I can work with to achieve what I want for the people of North Trelawny so, give him a welcome to North Trelawny,” Meadows urged the obliging crowd.

Dr McNeill was also warmly welcomed by former Independent councillor Paul Patmore, who has now been confirmed as the PNP’s standard-bearer in Trelawny Southern.

Patmore predicted that the team of McNeill and Meadows will be too much for the JLP.

“One thing I can tell you is that the JLP is disappointed at this moment. When they hear that Comrade Meadows was not going they were planning their party and they were getting so excited and they said, ‘Yes, we get back North Trelawny now.’ I can tell you that they were so disappointed when they get the announcement that Comrade Meadows will be the campaign manager. I can hear them say, ‘Lord God, it better we did mek him stay weh him did deh,’ because imagine if the two of them turn down pon them now, how them a go manage? So, I know that they are disappointed at this time,” Patmore stated.

Councillor for the Duncans Division, Fabian “Fabo” Davis; former mayor of Falmouth and councillor for the Falmouth Division Garth Wilkinson; as well as councillor for the Martha Brae Division Roydell Stewart were among those who also welcomed Dr McNeill.

He expressed appreciation for the warm reception.

“Comrades, I want to thank all of you in the Duncans Division. I want to thank you for your support for me, for your acceptance of me. And let me tell you something, I don’t take it lightly. There is a lot of work to be done and I am going to do the work. We are going to walk the hills, we are going to walk the valleys, we are going to walk the streets, the lanes,” McNeill said.

The JLP’s Tova Hamilton, an attorney-at-law, is the sitting MP for Trelawny Northern.