I have been informed on numerous occasions that Mr. Bradley Roberts as National Chairman of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), does an excellent job and cannot be matched.  This may indeed be true, because I have found none that spews as much nonsensical political spin and is still seen as credible even when he contradicts himself or others in the political organization that he so proudly represents.

“Roberts claims ‘lies’ being told over Andros proposal” – The Nassau Guardian 11.05.2016

Excerpt from this article; “Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Chairman Bradley Roberts yesterday decried what he called ‘misinformation’ surrounding the Bahamas Embassy in China being authorized to further pursue a possible $2.1 billion agriculture and fisheries partnership with the Chinese.

‘We thought that there was value in civil servants consulting with the [Bahamas] National Trust, BREEF, fishermen out of Spanish Wells and other stalk holders on the way forward in the sustainable development of this underperforming industry,’ Roberts said.

In our view, this constructive engagement with the relevant industry stalk holders is positive and should continue.’

‘We should go further.  We should hold town meetings that are aired live on radio and television to address much of the lies being perpetrated in an attempt to depress the development of this vital industry.’

“Live town hall meetings made it difficult for those with hidden agendas to hide in the tall grass, and hide behind pen names to cast aspersions, promoting xenophobia and telling outright lies to intentionally mislead the Bahamian people in pursuit of a selfish agenda that has nothing to do with advancing the interest of ordinary Bahamians.”

Sorry Mr. Roberts, but I have some questions and the first one being what ‘lies’ have been told?

But hold on I have others, What exactly has this Progressive Liberal Party done in the past four and a half years to advance the interest of the ordinary Bahamian?

Another one, the persons that this government plans on ‘consulting’ with now, where they consulted before the institution of The Bahamas Agricultural and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI) on “the way forward in the sustainable development of these underperforming industries”?

What would this proposed ‘partnership’ mean to the development of BAMSI and is the Minister now suggesting that the BAMSI project is failing?

Clearly the Chairman of the Progressive Liberal Party is beyond delusional, even in his clear goal to distract with the utter nonsense and I feel he should pay more attention to the people to whom he spews this nonsense, as they are not the electorate of ‘old’ and him treating them as such shows nothing but pure disrespect and distain for them, as he does all this seemingly in an attempt to cover up the ‘original lie’ told that brought about the speculation that he now wishes to denounce.

“Gray tells a lie – Firestorm rages over proposed China-Bahamas initiative’ – The Nassau Guardian, 11.03.2016

Excerpt from this article; “Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources V. Alfred Gray said in the House of Assembly that his letter to Bahamas Ambassador to China Paul Andy Gomez giving him authorization to develop further a proposed $2.1 billion joint venture with the Chinese was not published in full by the press.

But the statement is false.

Gray’s full letter was published in the Nassau Guardian yesterday.

A day after he claimed The Nassau Guardian story on Tuesday revealing that Gomez was ‘given authorization to further pursue the possible’ joint venture with the Chinese was ‘utterly false’ , Gray also recognized in the House of Assembly that he gave the ambassador permission to discuss the investment with investors.”

While the Chairman of the Progressive Liberal Party comes out and wishes to poor-mouth all those that he claims to be spreading lies and misinformation about Minister Gray and this issue, we have the Minister, himself, contradicting himself and seemingly for no good reason at all, if he actually believes that this initiatives provides the way forward for an underperforming industry but as usual this government have been caught doing ‘things’ that they cannot fully explain behind ‘closed doors’, and the people whom they govern do not seem to be too pleased about what they are hearing or the implications of the little details that have been released to date.

Part of the letter of Minister Gray to Paul Andy Gomez, Bahamas Ambassador to China reads;

1. “The Peoples Republic of China (“PRC”), or its substantive representative(s), will partner with Bahamian corporate entities to form up to one hundred (100) corporate structures that will engage primarily in the Agriculture and Fisheries Industries in the Bahamas.
2. Each of the one hundred (100) cooperate structures will be owned equally (that is 50-50) by the PRC and Bahamian corporate entities
3. The PRC will provide funding equivalent to 2.1 billion dollars (2,100,000,000) over a ten (10) year period, in the form of cash, agriculture and fisheries equipment, as well as expertise.
4. Each Bahamian owned entity that partners equally with the PRC will contribute the following to the Joint Venture:
5. One hundred (100) acres leased Andros farm land with an option to access one hundred (100) additional acres, provided certain benchmarks are attained. Unprofitable entities that end in liquidation will have their leases cancelled by the Bahamas Government.
6. A cash contribution of $225,000 must be paid at the start of each entity’s operations (i.e. required contributions of $25,000 by each of the 10 shareholders equals $250,000, less $25,000 for entity’s administrative expense.)
7. The Government of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas will provide fishing licenses to each of the one hundred (100) entities participating in the Initiative, consistent with existing laws.
8. Only Bahamian farmers and farm laborers, along with Bahamian fisherman, will make up the Initiative’s workforce. The Bahamas government recognizes that each entity will probably require the services of one fishing and one farming expert, for a limited period, who will probably be Chinese.”

With this being the case, exactly what would be the Chinese’s motive to take on this initiative in the first place?

The argument can be made that the Chinese would be looking for the long term investment with these 100 corporate entities but why haven’t this offer been made with Bahamians as it concerns BAMSI? Why haven’t we been allowed to invest in that initiative?

This government cannot assure the people of anything given their poor performance of the past four and half years.  The ‘deals’ that they have made have not served the best interest of the Bahamian people and always have left more questions than answers, this is being seen with the Baha Mar project , where all of the questions surrounding the ‘secret deal’ have yet to be revealed to the people of the Bahamas but as in that case, when the Chinese provided he ‘gift’ of the money to pay the creditors at that job, we are now to believe that another country’s government is willing to invest $2.1 billion into the country without any concessions or ‘favors’ asked.

The Progressive Liberal Party fails for one reason, it is within their nature.

END