Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Deputy General Secretary Richard Creary has dismissed as not credible the People’s National Party’s attempt to distance itself from a call by its Shadow Spokesman, Senator Damion Crawford, for an increase in General Consumption Tax (GCT).

In a release on Thursday, Creary said given the principle of collective responsibility, which should guide the operation of a Shadow Cabinet, the policy recommendation by Crawford should be attributable to the PNP.

Crawford made the call on the weekend and argued that revenue from his proposed one per cent increase in GCT should be used to fund the education sector.

READ: Opposition says no new taxes following Crawford’s comments

Creary had responded on Monday and described Crawford’s tax increase call as unconscionable.
The PNP responded by issuing a statement under the name of its Spokesman on Finance, Julian Robinson, which said Crawford’s call does not reflect its policy position.

In his statement Thursday, Creary noted that Crawford is the PNP Spokesman on Education, an Opposition lawmaker, a current PNP candidate and former PNP vice-president.

“The statement by the PNP, which was issued several days after Crawford made the unconscionable call for more taxes, is not credible. The fact is, as a member of the Shadow Cabinet, Crawford’s call reflects a policy position of the PNP, which importantly is very much consistent with their historical eagerness to heavily tax the Jamaican people,” Creary said.

The JLP deputy general secretary also said that between 2012 and 2016, the PNP administration heaped approximately $60 billion of taxes on the backs of the Jamaican people.

“The recently expressed eagerness of the senior PNP representative to impose more taxes on Jamaicans, represents an intention to continue destructive policies during the PNP’s 18-years in charge of Government which increased the burden on the Jamaican people and almost wrecked the economy,” Creary said.

According to Creary, Crawford is a member of the Shadow Cabinet which is bound by the principle of collective responsibility. Creary says given that the PNP has attempted to distance itself from a policy position he publicly advanced, the Opposition spokesman’s position is now untenable.