LEADER of the Opposition Dr Peter Phillips said yesterday that the People's National Party (PNP) of which he is president, is not satisfied with the Government's response to the issue involving the bid to lease land close to the Holywell Park in St Andrew to Cabinet minister Daryl Vaz.

Dr Phillips, who was addressing councillors and caretakers who are aspiring to fill the 228 local government divisions up for grabs in an election expected by the end of November, said that he could only describe as contempt for the people and their concerns the prime minister's response to the issue.

“With the greatest of respect to the prime minister, and to everyone else, the change in portfolio responsibilities cannot be perceived as a sanction.

During last week, Prime Minister Andrew Holness shifted some portfolio responsibilities from Vaz, who was the minister without portfolio with responsibility for land and the environment, to newly promoted Member of Parliament for St Catherine North Eastern Leslie Campbell, after a bid by Vaz to lease land in the Blue Mountain area did not materialise.

In a news release on the development, the Office of the Prime Minister said that Campbell would assume responsibility for land, environment and climate change within the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, while Vaz would be tasked with ensuring that water and housing projects are accelerated, and that economic projects, like the Special Economic Zones (SEZs), become a reality in short order.