Ah, the Deputy Prime Minister, Chester Cooper aka “Morocco Mole” , graces us with another dazzling display of either gross misunderstanding or deliberate political gymnastics. Let’s break this down, folks.

Opposition Leader Michael Pintard dared to point out that, despite a surge in tourism, the country’s economic growth remains lackluster. What does “Morocco Mole” do? He dismisses it as “utter nonsense,” but in doing so, he unwittingly confirms the very point Pintard is making.

“Morocco Mole” boasts about a 17% increase in stopover arrivals last year, a 3.5% growth in the first quarter of this year, and air traffic to Grand Bahama surpassing pre-Hurricane Dorian levels. Impressive stats, but let’s not miss the forest for the trees. Pintard’s argument hinges on the distinction between visitor numbers and actual economic impact. And here’s where the spin gets dizzying.

“Morocco Mole” flaunts high hotel occupancy rates, the reopening of the British Colonial Hotel, and booming Airbnb business. All well and good, but Pintard’s critique is razor-sharp: the government’s own projections show economic growth sliding from 5.5% in May 2023 to a mere 1.1% by December 2023. So, despite the fanfare of record visitor arrivals, we’re missing revenue targets by a staggering $200-$300 million.

Visitor numbers up, economic benefits down. How does”Morocco Mole” respond? By accusing Pintard of making things up, of course. “He completely made that up,” “Morocco Mole” declares, yet provides no substantial evidence to counter the crux of Pintard’s argument. Instead, he doubles down on the cruise passenger growth narrative, ignoring Pintard’s pointed observation that cruise visitors spend a paltry $75 each onshore.

And the pièce de résistance: “Morocco Mole” claims the need for more hotel rooms to meet demand, suggesting that perhaps Pintard was “too shell-shocked at our successes” to understand. Ah yes, the old “you’re just jealous of our achievements” line. Classic.

“Morocco Mole’s” defense boils down to this: “We’re seeing more tourists, so everything must be great!” But without addressing the tangible economic benefits—or lack thereof—his rebuttal is as thin as a paper-thin hotel brochure.

In the end, we’re left with “Morocco Mole’s” bluster and Pintard’s inconvenient truths. The numbers don’t lie, but they can be very, very misleading when wielded by a seasoned politician. So,”Morocco Mole” we see your visitor stats and raise you a hard look at the economy. Who’s really spinning the “utter nonsense” here?

It’s simply amazing that the New Day government would attempt to use the numbers to prove a lie when the numbers do not lie.

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

END