“Zero tolerance on domestic abuse” – The Tribune

Excerpt from this article; “AS HE denounced MICAL MP, Miriam Emmanuel’s ‘ill-advised’ comments yesterday, Attorney General Carl Bethel said no form of domestic violence is tolerated by Bahamian law, adding the country is beyond the days of patrimonial control of the family.

Speaking in the Senate, Mr. Bethel said domestic violence is not to be joked about as was the case in Parliament on Wednesday.

‘As leader of government business in this place and the attorney general for this great country,’ Mr. Bethel said.”

When I first heard the comments made by MICAL Member of Parliament Miriam Emmanuel, my very first thoughts was even if you were thinking it, why would you articulate?

There are things better left unsaid, this being one of them and if indeed it is true, one is left to question just what was her father teaching her? 

While the statement by Attorney General Carl Bethel seemed to have softened the harshness of this reckless, insensitive and stupid statement, ‘unfortunate’ is too light a term to be used here, made by the member for MICAL, especially in light of our recent and ongoing conversations concerning violence toward women in this country; what I found profoundly disturbing and unfortunate was the deafening silence by her parliamentary colleagues, as no one seemed to have found it appropriate to stand on a point of order and have her retract the statement immediately or make clarification that they themselves did not agree with the member even if she was drawing a very poor analogy, it would seem that everyone just went along with what was being said in an effort to remain ‘faithful’ to party politics and this is very disturbing to the people to whom you really represent; at some point someone has to stand against such acts such as this even if it come with consequences – it is called standing on principle.

This is find to be an inherent problem with members of the House of Assembly, no matter which party that it may be, if one makes a statement which is inconsistent not only with one’s personal convictions but also with the party’s policies, they tend to sit back silent, some even applauding the member for making the statement just because ‘dey in my party’.

It is time to call wrong wrong and not condone it.

While I may feel that he calling for the resignation of the member may be extreme at this time, there must be other forms of discipline for members that want to treat the House of Assembly as if it is a ‘bar room’, where one utters any manner of nonsense.

END

I feel that Attorney Fred Smith, QC, has declared ‘war’ on the immigration system, moved to overrule the spirit if the constitution and enacted a coup against the ideals of the sovereignty of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

And at this hour one of two things is on the way, either the end of Fred Smith’s unrelenting crusade against matters that are, at this time, beyond his reach, or the end of The Bahamas as we know it because both cannot continue, because you simply cannot continue to attack and tear down the country which you call home and make home for others whom you are seeking a better life without consequence.

“Move to have ministers jailed – Jean-Charles’ attorneys file motion to imprison Bethel and Symonette” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “Charging an ‘egregious abuse of executive power’, attorney for Bahamas-born Jean Rony Jean-Charles are seeking to have Attorney General Carl Bethel, Immigration Minister Brent Symonette, former Director of Immigration William Pratt, Officer in Charge of the Carmichael Road Detention Centre Peter Joseph and Royal Bahamas Defense Force Commodore Tellis Bethel found in contempt of court and imprisoned.

However, Bethel charged yesterday the government will not be ‘rolled over’ by some hastily filed and served action’ and pledged to defend the position that the government took in the controversial matter.

The motion comes at the height of the ongoing case involving Jean-Charles, 35, who was deported to Haiti in September, without being charged.”

In my opinion, the fact that Jean-Charles was expelled from the country without due process is the entire problem here and something that I feels that needs to be addressed, as I am sure that it may have happened in the past and it is something that  we do not want to happen again in the future, it simply was wrong but it seems that Jean-Charles Attorney Fred Smith smells blood in the water and seem to be on the ‘attack’ but to what end because I feel calling for these men to me fired does not serve to move us any closer to a resolution of this problem.

Fred Smith, keeps putting the entire blame for this situation on the government of The Bahamas but seems not to take any personal responsibility for not filing a writ of habeas corpus when his client went ‘missing’ last year, because in my opinion his client was not unlawfully arrested and detained,  and of course if his client had done what was required by law and filed for citizenship at the required time, then we may not be here at this point but I have not come to point fingers only to say that I feel that in light of what is presently going on regarding this case, on the governments part, that the clients lawyer is no overreaching and is on a very ‘weak’ branch.

Several things are going on right now which are very important, an appeal to the judge’s ruling has been filed, probably the reason for this latest action by Fred Smith to imprison certain persons and we have now come to see where our immigration laws are deficient and at this very time I would hope that the Attorney General’s ENTIRE staff is working to bring forth the necessary amendments to the law to address these deficiencies.

Just pardon my redundancy, as I address Fred Smiths latest attack on the three branches of the government, as this is exactly what he is doing at this time, you cannot attack and tear down the country that you wish to call home and make home for others seeking a better life..

END

Just as I saw a glimmer of hope within the Attorney General’s offices and within the Ministry of Immigration, as they seemed to have brought Rony Jean-Charles back to the country to first stand before the courts to answer for the crime the he had violated for over fourteen [14] years; it seems that they seek to let the Bahamian people down and have our very sovereignty called into question.

First allow me a moment to stand on a point of clarification; I have persons questioning my calling Jean-Charles an ‘illegal migrant’; because by their understanding he was born in The Bahamas and never migrated here so he should not be considered ‘illegal’ but by my understanding if his mother, whose status now becomes his, was an illegal migrant then so is he; I stand to be corrected.

“Detained

• Jean-Charles back in custody upon landing
• Judge grants emergency stay of ruling” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “Jean Rony Jean-Chares, the man at the center of a controversial ruling that has attracted widespread national attention, landed back in The Bahamas from Haiti on Saturday afternoon but was quickly taken into custody by immigration authorities after the judge in the matter agreed to an emergency stay of his judgment handed down nearly a week ago.

Jean-Charles is now back at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre, ad his fate is uncertain.

The emergency stay was granted until the judge hears an application today from the office of the Attorney General seeking an extended stay of execution of the ruling until the appeal of the judgment is heard by the Court of Appeal.”

We all know that since this time that Jean Rony Jena-Charles has been released from custody pending the full hearing of the government’s stay application and in my opinion the only legal argument that jean Rony Jean-Charles has to present is the fact that he was allegedly expelled from the country without due process and if we were to concede this and accept it as fact, how much more does the constitution afford him, bearing in mind that he has been residing here illegally for the past decade plus?

Does he and others in his situation not bear some responsibility for their current situations?

Would it then be considered as cruel and unusual to bring him back to the country, process him, and find him guilty of violating our immigration laws and then legally expelling him, would this even be considered legal?

The ultimate power grab, but something drastic seems to have to be done to prove a point that the country is willing to take drastic measures to protect its borders and its sovereignty and this will not be done by an attorney general who seems to be acquiescing to the demands of an attorney whom I feel is over-reaching his bounds in this case in a situation that I feels that he ‘masterminded’ to bring the country to this point.

Now this position as stated above may be impossible to bring about but I say consider it and I also suggest that if this is not deemed legal, then put Mr. Jean-Charles on a probationary work permit status.

I find it curious that he and his attorney can make ultimatums of the government and feel that they owe the nothing in this matter.

The Department of Immigration must also bear great responsibility in this matter and someone in that department should be made to pay for putting Jean-Charles and his attorney Fred Smith in a position that they are now owed the ‘keys to the country’.

END

“Govt. preparing travel document – But will appeal immigration ruling” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “The Office of the Attorney General intends to appeal Supreme Court Justice Gregory Hilton’s ruling ordering the government to immediately issue a travel document to Bahamas-born Jean Rony Jean-Charles to return from Haiti, and grant him status to permit him to remain in The Bahamas.

This was confirmed by Attorney General Carl Bethel, who declined to comment on the ruling.

But Minister of Immigration Brent Symonette said outside the House of Assembly that while he did not read the ruling, her was working with the Ministry if Foreign Affairs to issue the necessary documentation for Jean-Charles to come back to Nassau.

‘The government is making provisions at the moment for a travel letter or requisite documentation for Mr. Rony-Charles to come back to Nassau,’ he said.

‘Once he is back in Nassau and makes an application, the Department of Immigration will look at his application and consider the appropriate action after that.”

So there we have it, after it found by the courts of The Bahamas as per the constitution that Bahamian-born “…….Jean-Charles was deprived of his liberty, unlawfully arrested and detained, falsely imprisoned in breach of his rights guaranteed by the constitution, and unlawfully expelled from The Bahamas, again a breach of his fundamental rights.”, what is left is what amounts to a ‘power-play’ by Fred Smith QC; a naked power grab; where the only way I feel that he can bring this about is by the threat of something big; probably several hefty lawsuits if Mr. Jean-Charles was not returned and given certain rights and liberties  because I do not see as per the constitution how Mr. Jean-Charles was deprived of his liberty, unlawfully arrested and detained, falsely imprison now as for him being unlawfully expelled from The Country then we can have a conversation but just a conversation, as Jean-Charles was here in violation of our immigrations laws; but the question that I am asking now is this the only ‘power-play’ that Fred Smith plans to play or will he attempt to come back again to this ‘well’ is the very near future?

So as the sun rises on a new day there are reports of Fred Smith suggesting that this client will seek “substantial damages’ from the government but does he not realize that his client is not innocent in this entire ordeal, as he is an illegal migrant by all accounts, as he did not file for citizenship when he had reached age eighteen as require by the laws of The Bahamas and therefore must bear some of the responsibility for his ordeal,  at the very least if you wish to reside in a country abide by its laws.

It would seem that the client and his lawyer would like to put the entire blame on the government and it’s agencies and while there may have been a break down in the process, wherein Mr. Jean-Charles was denied due process; the other charges cannot be supported, in my opinion, by this one violation of his rights. 

There seems to be an attack on The Bahamas and its entire system of immigration, when actually the system worked the way that it was supposed to have worked barring the fact that Mr. Jean-Charles was not properly processed, so Mr. Fred Smith, you have won your case in terms of the violation of the your clients rights but as for these other charges that you wish to prop up your law suit; I say stand down as they are nonsensical, at best and I do not have to be a lawyer or Queen’s Council to see this.

 END

I am becoming more worried by the leader of the opposition, Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), the Hon. Philip ‘Brave’ Davis’ thinking/thought process, as he attempts to do his endeavor best and keep the current Free National Movement (FNM) government’s ‘feet to the fire’ but with each attempts he only exposes even more how poorly the former PLP government, of which he was Deputy Prime Minister, governed the country.

“Davis blasts 2,500 job cuts in public sector as ‘shameful’” – The Tribune

Excerpt from this article; “PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party Leader Philip ‘Brave’ Davis said he is not surprised by the latest unemployment figures, which highlights a ‘shameful’ public sector shrinkage of more than 2,500 jobs, adding he believes the number will double once the complete picture is revealed.

On Friday, Department of Statistics said the country’s unemployment numbers slightly increased from 9.9 percent to 10.1 percent.  This snapshot into the jobs situation included he government sector decreasing by 2,555 people from 40,990 to 38,435, or by 6.3 percent.

Despite an increase in the number of employed people in the Bahamas – by some 3,575 moving the labour force from 200,155 to 203, 730 – the 1.8 percent growth was not enough to significantly impact the unemployment situation as the number of high school graduates outweighed the net increase in available labour.”

First Mr. Davis, let me point out to you as you seek to chastise the current government for the increase in unemployment numbers, Mr. Peter Turnquest has already pointed this out and explained it in the papers at least two days ago, now the question that you, Mr. Davis, should ask yourself is how did we get to this point?

Mr. Davis, I am worried about you now because it would seem that you did not realize the horrendous situation that your government created in the country by continuously using the public sector as a job agency, to pay back your political favors that you made on the campaign trail; as did other governments before you, but yet you now wish to demonize a government that finally seems to have the intestinal fortitude to correct this practice which the government can no longer sustain.

Mr. Davis, you seem to have no problem with suggesting that if your government had won, then you would have gone about business as usual, bringing the economy; already on life support, to a most certain death as your government was not successful in job creation as you would now criticize the current government of, claiming that they do not have a plan. This point is interesting within itself, because even as your government claimed to have had all of the plans the only plan that you seem to have, as far as job creation, was to over staff an already over burdened public sector. 

As you ‘blast’ the current government, will you state for the record that you are proud of the accomplishment of your party in terms of job creation and if you are then you may want to point them out to the rest of the country.

You and your government created a horrible situation within the public sector that has resonated throughout or economy and as it is being corrected, as it should have been years ago, you cry shame on a government willing to take the necessary steps to clean up your mess, you sir, have no shame about you.

END

I know that I had promised that I was not going to comment on this subject but I am simply amazed and therefore feeling somewhat compelled to bring to light the special type of people that we have here in The Bahamas.

First we had the Minnis administration come into office and within less than six months on the job were asking for a raise, one would figure that from the public backlash from this that other ‘special’ persons would take note but I guess that was far too much to ask for as they have come forth feeling quite pleased with themselves as they make suggestions that would actually impede the progress of the country as they attempt to hold on to an outdated style of thinking.

“PLP MP: BPL should protect politicians – Forbes claims operatives targeting certain politicians for disconnection” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “Mangrove Cay and South Andros MP Picewell Forbes yesterday petitioned for politicians to be protected from being disconnected by Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) for nonpayment, saying those who serve, or served, should be given a ‘basic respect and courtesy’.

Forbes asserted that ‘some people’ in BPL have disconnected the service of certain politicians to ‘settle political scores’.

‘Mr. Speaker, talking about light bills, and how we are treated, politicians, we have to talk about that.’ He said.

‘That is the reality.  It’s a small amount of persons who would have passed through theses halls, senators, members of Parliament.’

‘…I think there must be a basic benchmark or protocol for persons whose lights are going to be turned off, people who serve in public office or those who would have served.”

Sir, the only reality here is that if you do not pay your electrical bill you will be disconnected, like the many other citizens of the country whom, by the way, you should be setting an example for and the only courtesy that you will be afforded is a notice that your account is overdue and about to be disconnected.

It is simply amazing that while the Member of Parliament pontificates for this ‘common courtesy’ to be extended to his colleagues, past and present, he does not seem to ‘champion the cause’ of the average citizen who is struggling to put food on the table, most likely in the dark; I guess he has forgotten about them as he petitions the government to keep his lights on.

His words and act are nothing less than shameless

END

The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), while in government, created a false sense of security within The Bahamas when it ‘created’ jobs which The Bahamas’ economy could not afford to sustain but yet as these jobs are being phased out they come to the public and proclaim that the current Free National Movement (FNM) government is failing in the area of job creation.

“Davis rakes FNM on joblessness”  – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article’ “Opposition Leader Philip Brave Davis said yesterday that Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Peter Turnquest’s admission that the government expects some increase in the rate of joblessness in The Bahamas shows the Free National Movement (FNM) ‘deliberately created higher unemployment’ in the country to ‘fulfill their political agenda..’

‘In five years under the PLP (Progressive Liberal Party), unemployment was reduced to single digits with 39,505 jobs being added in the economy,’ said Davis in response to Turnquest accusing the former administration of creating ‘bogus’ contract jobs the government could not afford or sustain.

In the last unemployment survey, the Department of Statistics revealed that 16,000 people were ‘vulnerable’ or temporary workers, with 7,700-plus jobs added in the last six months of the Christie administration’s term.

‘The PLP left the economy on its feet,’ Davis continued .

‘We built a firm and solid foundation on which to build.”

Exactly what “firm and solid foundation” was this?!

From this statement I get the feeling that we all could solve the country’s economic woes by simply marketing whatever the leader of the opposition is on, but I have the propensity to digress.

It is indeed a difficult task to explain to people when they are hurting, why the present government is doing what it is doing and the past Progressive Liberal Party administration is depending on this very fact to push a message of “Is it really the people’s time?” when they push this narrative of the inability of the government to create jobs but one must really look at the past government’s record on job creation when they claimed that ‘things were good’ and ask why were these jobs, for the most part,  in the public sector where money was being spent at a rate that the country was just unable to sustain?

Wouldn’t the economy being severely depleted to the point where it was downgraded to a point where your currency was not worth the paper that it was printed on at some point of the other at this rate?

But then this statement by the leader of the opposition is really not about the government’s inability to create jobs, they know exactly what the current situation is and what has to be done to correct the situation although they did not have what it took to do so, but rather it is more about some deranged conspiracy theory in the mind of Philip ‘Brave’ Davis and only a ‘Brave’ person could talk such nonsense and walk away from it not thinking of the possible consequences.

“…shows the Free National Movement (FNM) ‘deliberately created higher unemployment in the country to ‘fulfill their political agenda”, who was it in the former PLP administration that recommended a psychological examine of those running for public office?  It would have been much more acceptable if he had suggested that this was a sign that the present FNM had no plan for job creation but to suggest that the present government is making the situation worst to be seen as ‘heroes’ when they fix it only suggests that there is a plan in place and that he [the  leader of the opposition] sees the plan but wishes not to acknowledge it out right but attack it from some weird , schizophrenic angle.

Indeed, the former administration created a false sense of security that was bringing the country to its knees financially and has this situation is being corrected, they seek to undermine the work being done with what amounts to nothing more than senseless babble.

END

The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) seems to be at it again; showing how dysfunctional they are as a political organization and giving us very good reason to never again return them to office, at least not in this form.

This time they choose to show their ineptitude and in competence by highlighting their failure as a government on crime by attempting to highlight the present government’s failures on crime but it seems that this message they cannot quite agree on as they seek to respond to the latest crime stats.

First let us address the person that seems to know the future but did not seem to know much about anything when he held the office of deputy prime minister, Philip ‘Brave’ Davis; as he makes the claim that the Free National Movement (FNM) government has failed to lessen crime but making this announcement one day before the release of the crime figures, he is simply amazing.

“Davis: FNM failed to lessen crime – Former DPM claims closing the NIA has led to increased crime” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “Suggesting there could be some correlation between the disbandment of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and an increase in certain categories of crime, opposition leader Philip Brave Davis said yesterday the Free National Movement (FNM) claimed to have the answers to reduce crime in The Bahamas, but has not demonstrated this.

However, new crime numbers are not yet out.

Davis called the Minnis administration “hypocritical” and “disappointing.”

Then as the leader of the Progressive Liberal Party goes on to make these statements that were proven erroneous by the crime stats released the very next day, maybe his crystal ball is a bit cloudy and in need of a tune-up, the Chairman of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), Senator Fred Mitchell goes about and off on a totally different rant which clearly contradicts those being made by his leader as he claims that the country has to thank the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) for the fall in crime.

“Mitchell says fall in crime is thanks to PLP” – The Tribune

Excerpt from this article; PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party Chairman Fred Mitchell yesterday criticized the media, the Free National Movement, and Minister of National Security Marvin Dames for what Mitchell perceives to be an in accurate narrative surrounding who is responsible for the reported decrease in crime in the country.

Mr. Mitchell is adamant that ‘the PLP put in place the programmes that the country is now benefitting from in seeking to lessen violence in the society.’ He also accused the media of ‘adoring’ the Free National Movement in view of recent police statistics revealing that overall crime declined by 14 per cent in 2017, though there was a 10 per cent increase in murders.”

Now let me warn you Senator Mitchell, if you are going to take credit for the decrease in crime overall then you are going to have to take credit of the uptick in the murder rate as well but this is like talking to a brick wall in this regard and probably a waste of time.

So someone is hedging their bet here; if the crime figures are accurate then they are were made possible by the previous PLP administration and its policies that they left in place and have already accused the current FNM of reviewing and cancelling and they are not accurate, then the Free National Movement has failed in crime.

The entire situation reminds me of the when the Progressive Liberal Party, when in power, claimed for years that the economy was ‘turning the corner’ despite the figures to prove the opposite and despite the economic downgrades that seems to follow each and every one of these announcements. 

Who would believe a word that comes out their camp of chaos and confusion anymore?

END

“Former BAIC employees sue government” The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “Attorney Wayne Munroe has taken legal action against Attorney General Carl Bethel on behalf of four employees of the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation (BAIC) over their alleged ‘unlawful’ arrest and false imprisonment’, last May.

The plaintiffs in the matter, Ricardo Smith, Latorna McPhee, Branado Smith and Andrea Moss are seeking ‘costs and such other relief as the court deems just and fit.’

‘The plaintiff’s claim is for the unlawful arrest and false imprisonment on the part of the defendant, its servants and or agents in consequence whereof the plaintiff suffered loss and damages from the 16^th day of May, 2017 to the 17^th day if May 2017’, the writ of summons said.

‘The plaintiff were unlawfully arrested at their place of employment, namely the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation and subsequently unlawfully detained without reasonable cause at the South Beach Police Station and the Cable Beach Police Station.”

Don’t you just hate it when they be moving from station to station like that?

Seriously; where is the merit in this law suit?

First let us begin with the fact that attorney Wayne Munroe QC has taken legal action against the government on this matter; was there even a government in place when these arrests were made?  I take it to believe that the Queen’s Council in attempting to force the hand of the attorney general to get this case moving or resolved or maybe to just get his name in the papers and remain relevant until the next general election; I really do not know what his motives are don’t care but I do care about facts.

These are facts; former BIAC Chairman and former Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Member of Parliament for Nassau Village was arrested the night of the election when they were observed moving certain equipment from the government-owned Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation buildings.

It is my understanding that government buildings are normally under surveillance on the night of elections to avoid thief and or/vandalism; so the police believing that they were observing suspicious behavior, intervened and took into custody all that were present, which is normal procedure.  It would seem that by the mere virtue of who he was at the time, still being the Executive Chairman of the corporation in question, that he [Dion Smith] and others were supposed to have been given a ‘free pass’ to do as they please without the police conducting a proper investigation, as their lawyer goes on to claim “….that their arrest and detention overnight was directly linked to their perceived political affiliation.”

 So today we have what is nothing more than a frivolous lawsuit filed against the government who was not in power at the time and not the Royal Bahamas Police Force who would be responsible for what is being called an “unlawful detention during [the] police investigations into complaints of thief by reason of employment”, which would have never occurred if the Mr. Smith had done what normal politicians did and watched the election returns at his campaign headquarters with his poll workers and campaign workers, but instead he choose to take a select few into this office at the time and create a “Super Bowl” party type atmosphere for what he and others in the Progressives Liberal Party (PLP) saw as an election that they could not loose.

It is time that the Wayne Munroe and the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) just let this whole thing go and just be satisfied to prove that the electronic equipment being removed was indeed the property of the defendants and not the property of the government, so that the charges can be dropped.  I would also encourage the Attorney General, whose hand they wish to force, to release his findings in this case and either drop the charges or press on so that Mr. Munroe can find another opportunist hole to climb into, as far too much time and resources are being wasted on this case.

END