This past week in politics has brought about some very interesting developments, one being the statement by Prime Minister Perry Christie; “Worst day in PLP is better than best day in FNM”, now either he is talking about within his actual organization, as he seeks to make a comparison in which case he is still wrong as he can only assume as to the actual state of the Free National Movement (FNM) from what he has heard i.e. hearsay.

If the Prime Minister is actually speaking to the state of the country, as he should be, and suggesting that persons are better off under the present administration, then all I can only surmise is that the Prime Minister is preaching to a very special, select and specific audience; one that denies truth, fact and logic.

Under the previous Free National Movement (FNM) administration, at the height or depth of a global recession the unemployment rate was never as high as it is now and the country’s credit rating held steady; while under the current Progressive Liberal Party with Perry Christie at the helm, the citizens have been lived with a seven and half percent (7.5%) Value-Added Tax (VAT), which to date by the governments very own assessment has exceeded all expectation bringing in an extra one billion dollars in tax revenue and even in light of this government borrowing has also exceeded all expectations and the country’s credit rating has been downgraded four times, putting it at junk status.

Bahamian ownership of the Bahamian economy has come to a complete halt.  Under the Free National Movement (FNM), when BTC was sold at the very least shares were set aside to be offered to the public to give the average citizen some ownership in their very own economy; under the Progressive Liberal Party these shares were never offered to the public and still belong to the government of The Bahamas.

When the Arawak Cay Development Cay project was under taken, shares were again offered to the public and although the PLP government pushes the agenda of the FNM catering to the ‘rich whites’, there was the beginning of moving economic wealth to the average Bahamian citizen. 

Since the Progressive Liberal Party has come to power a portion of the Bahamas Electrical Cooperation (BEC) now Bahama Power and Light (BPL) has been sold to a private entity with no offering of partial ownership to the average Bahamian citizen.  This same thing as been seen at the city dump; there is NO involvement of the Bahamian public; there is no ownership by the Bahamian citizen in these entities but this would have been a certainty under the previous Free National Movement (FNM) government and will be a surety under a future FNM administration.

The government introduced BAMSI with the goal to bring about self sufficiency in the supply of food or at least with the goal to decreases2 the need for food import greatly, again this government did not seem to see it as prudent to involve the Bahamian in this endeavor that would greatly affect the future of the country and yes there are people being trained but whatever happened to Bahamian ownership? But yet Prime Minister Perry Christie says “I want you [the Bahamian people] to have an attitude that PLP or nuttin’” but why should anyone have this attitude when they only see things getting worst for themselves and their children?

The PLP labeled the FNM the “Foreign National Party” saying that under the FNM Bahamians need not apply, while under the Progressive Liberal Party the average Bahamian citizen does not even seem to exist………until it is time to vote.

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

END

Yesterday in New Providence was like the movie “The Purge”, with reports of all sorts of outlandish, unbelievable and illegal acts taking place; fortunately most of the reports were just rumors.  One of these acts took place at the Progressive Liberal Party’s (PLP) headquarters during a candidate ratification exercise; this I also thought was yet another outlandish rumor upon first hearing it but I have come to find out this morning that is it actually a very sad reality.

“Worst days in PLP is better than best days in FNM” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “As hundreds of Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) supporters cheered him last night, Prime Minister Perry Christie declared that the PLP is an infinitely better choice to govern The Bahamas then the Free national Movement (FNM) and urged them to be serious in ensuring that their party does not squander an opportunity to return to office after the general election.

‘We have our own people who express some disappointments, but you are in the bedrock of our support,’ Christie said.

“You have to think of the kind of democracy that we live in….I want you to go straight through with the PLP.’

“I want you to have an attitude that PLP or ‘nuttin’ because you have to believe as PLP supporters that the worst day under the PLP is better than the best day in the FNM.”

Mr. Prime Minister, exactly what type of democracy do we live in because according to the Progressive Liberal Party government it can be safely deduced that democracy is only applicable under this government when it is convenient; so is this to say that we live under a flexible and convenient form of democracy?

The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) as the oldest and seemingly most organized political organization in the country has shown that democracy is something to be applied when only absolutely necessary; as can be seen in the fact that this party has deprived it members of the democratic right to choose a new leader or re-elected the present leader by not holding a general convention within the past eight years although constitutionally the party is mandated to have one every two years and then there was the matter of the flip flop on the Gaming Referendum, but these are small things, right?

What I find most outlandish is the statement by the prime minister, suggesting that the present Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) administration has done a better job than the previous Free National Movement (FNM) administration; this is totally and completely asinine even for the Prime Minister to think much less say a loud.  The main reason being that the present PLP administration with the Hon. Perry Christie as Minister of Finance, have been horrible stewards of the country’s economy and even with the tax reform; the introduction of Value-Added Tax (VAT) and global economies improving, the county has still suffered four sovereign credit ratings downgrades, while unemployment still continues to raise; how does one even do this?

But yet the Prime Minister would still make the bold statement of “Worst days in PLP is better than best days in FNM”, he must mean within the actual party itself, because he cannot be referring to the country at large, unless he really had reached a point of being as he was described earlier this week in The Guardian; “A desperate man with a burgeoning god complex”; which I figured was nice because the rest of us just see him a ‘crazy’.

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

END

“Christie: I will go beyond Sir Lynden – PM wants continued rule” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “Perry Christie said he plans to serve as an MP beyond even late Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Leader and Prime Minister Sir Lynden Pindling.

His comments came as he spoke to the importance of separating politics from the healthcare system yesterday.

‘One of the dangers of The Bahamas is our politics.’

Christie said while speaking at the opening ceremony of the integrated health information management system (IHIMS).

‘I’m in a category of my own, because now, only Sir Roland Symonette and Sir. Lynden have served longer than I am, and by the grace of God, in another short period of time, I will go beyond Sir. Lynden.

‘I’m not talking about elections, you know.

I’m not talking about elections, you know.

‘If you care to know, I’ve won eight consecutive elections, and it’s not a question of whether I will win again.  I’m not raising that.

‘The point I’m making is that we have to be discerning as a country, particularly in the field of healthcare as to how we engage our politics, because the people involved in dispensing services in the field of health are the last people in the world to be in political.”

Mr. Prime Minister, what exactly are you talking about as you attempt to disparage the Leader of the Free National Movement (FNM) Dr. Hubert Minnis and freely and openly allow your Chairman, Mr. Bradley Roberts, to attach pastor Duncombe based solely on their chosen professions.  Maybe your government will put together a list of professions that cannot enter the political arena and share it with the rest of the country because by your very own intimations, the Minister of National Security and member of Parliament for Bain and Grants Town, the Hon. Bernard Nottage needs to step down immediately, it this what you are talking about or are you being even more asinine and shallow than this?

To tell the truth, I was actually afraid for a moment, thinking that Prime Minister Perry Christie was suggesting that he would suppress Sir. Lynden in terms of achievement as Prime Minister and what he had/has contributed to the country but Mr. Christie cannot even to think to commit such a ‘sin’ especially given his dismal record as Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and given the fact that he has lied to his party promising not to serve a full term but now seeking to serve even more.

It now seems that Perry Christie has out himself into to a ‘race’ with Sir Lynden, who served as Prime Minister for twenty five (25) consecutive years; doesn’t he realize that he has already lost that ‘race’.

I am beginning to get the feeling that for Mr. Christie, The Office of Prime Minister (OPM) is not a place in which to effect forward growth for the county but rather a status symbol which he now seeks to use to outdo his predecessor in Sir Lynden Pindling.  This seem to have become like a basketball game to him; like LeBron seeking to outdo Michael Jordon in winning championships and rings – is this the way in which Perry Christie now views his stint as Prime Minister?

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

END

There is a saying that goes if you have nothing good to say then say nothing at all, then there is the adage; “It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt”; I do not know where to place Mr. Bradley Roberts, Chairman of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) today, as he needlessly attacks the leader of the Gate Keepers, Pastor Jeremiah Duncombe.

“Roberts tells Duncombe stick to religion” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “After leader of the Gatekeepers Pastor, Pastor Jeremiah Duncombe, confirmed that his group was in talks with Official Opposition Leader Loretta Butler-Turner with a view to forming a coalition, Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Chairman Bradley Roberts suggested Duncombe ‘stick to religion’ rather than venture into politics.

‘Pastor Duncombe needs to stick to what he knows best and that is religion.’ Roberts said when he was contacted for comment yesterday.’

‘This is not his field.  Not at all”

I keep cautioning our politicians that sometime when someone puts a microphone in your face or as in this case calls you for comment; the best comment is ‘no comment’ but it would seem that Mr. Roberts did not get his memo.

I take issue with Mr. Roberts brash remark to Pastor Duncombe not for the fact of who he talking to and the brash manner  in which Mr. Roberts chooses to address someone on a subject that is basically none of his business but the comments amuse me and I do find them absolutely amazing seeing as whom they are coming from and the company that that he keeps.

I would strongly advise Mr. Roberts’ that these very same words that he directs at the leader of the Gatekeepers, he should sit down and have a serious talk with Prime Minister Perry Christie about, because whereas he may have handled the running of the Progressive Liberal Party organization fairly well; leaving must to be asked of and desired of this political organization; as leader of the country, The Commonwealth of The Bahamas, he [Prime Minister] Perry Christie really needs ‘to stick with what he knows best’, whatever that may be.

Like I said it is quite amusing and absolutely amazing

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

END

After eight years the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) will finally or conveniently enact the democratic process of a national convention in that political organization; despite the fact that the organization’s very own constitution mandates a national convention every two years.  It would also seem that the present leader of the organization, The Rt. Hon. Perry G. Christie, is suggesting that he has not come to ask anyone to vote for him just because he is the present leader but rather asking everyone to come together, be unified and vote for him based on this record as leader of the Progressive Liberal Party and as Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas because of what he has done for the country and for the people of the country; as he suggests that is the only person within that organization that is capable of leading it to an election victory and the only person that can continue to improve the lives of the citizens of this country.

It would appear that the ‘bridge to the future’ is no more as Mr. Christie, now 73 years old, has found it necessary within his mind to not endorse a younger and capable person within Alfred Sears but rather compete against him.

“PM eager for another term – Christie calls for unified approach at PLP convention” – The Tribune

Excerpt from this article; “As he gears up for a leadership challenge at the Progressive Liberal Party’s first convention since 2009, Prime Minister Perry Christie spoke of his energy and eagerness to serve another term, as he urged party supporters not to ‘squander’ the opportunity to win the general election.

Speaking before a crowd of jubilant supporters at the PLP’s Women’s Branch meeting yesterday, Mr. Christie brushed off his critics as he spoke of plans his administration looks to finalize before the votes hit the polls this year.

High lightening many of his achievements, Mr. Christie contended that the PLP has done and continues to do ‘everything possible to move The Bahamas forward.’  He also urged party supporters to show the country how strong and unified the PLP is at its upcoming election.

He suggested that despite efforts by a section of his party to unseat him as leader, he will not relent in the forward progress of the country, nor his political work.”  This last statement is a very good reason for Mr. Christie to be made to realize that the time has come for him to retire from front line politics, “he will not relent in the forward progress of the country, nor his political work”?  The questions now moves from ‘Is the Prime Minister delusional’ to ‘How delusional is the Prime Minister?’

As the Prime Minister speaks to his achievements and not those of the Progressive Liberal Party, I find it fitting then to bring my queries of these achievements to his ‘doorstep’.  It is my opinion and I am sure that I am not alone in this assertion, that the country has not improved under this Progressive Liberal Party’s administration and a lot would say that we have actually declined and the quality of life for the average citizen has declined.

Prime Minister Perry Christie would speak to the economic boom that has happened under his watch, and this must be a loud noise in his head as we have watched more persons join the unemployment line, taxes increase, the cost of living increase and our credit rating being downgraded four times since he has taken control on May 7^th, 2012.  The crime rate is out of control as more and more persons find it prudent to get home before dark and lock their doors; still feeling unsafe to even be in a secured  yard with all of their doors locked.  The Progressive Liberal Party, under the leadership of Perry Christie has failed the people of the Bahamas over and over again, as they seem to only cater to special interest groups and those that ‘they know’, leaving the rest of the people that elected them to office to fend for themselves but yet this is the record that Prime Minister Perry Christie would now choose to stand on and offer to not only be re-elected as the leader of the Progressive Liberal Party but also as leader of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas; while many of us wonder, whatever happened to the promise of stepping down after two years?

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

END

“Bradley Roberts: Airspace agreement will bring millions” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Chairman Bradley Roberts yesterday congratulated the party for having a successful negotiation of a landmark and historic airspace agreement which Prime Minister Perry Christie claims will pump millions into the Bahamian economy.

In a statement issued on Thursday night, Roberts said, ‘It is fitting that such an agreement would be concluded so near to Majority Rule celebrations as the implications of this agreement with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) strike at the very foundational principle of self-determination, sovereignty and the identity of the Bahamian people.

These are principles that the PLP holds near and dear and have fought tirelessly for as we continue to build a more perfect Commonwealth.”

Two things I have to give the PLP and the Chairman of the PLP credit for here are the one the bringing about of this agreement and the wonderful things that this will now afford the Bahamas, I must make special mention of “Perry Christies claims [that the new agreement] will pump millions into the Bahamian economy’, I am thinking much how tax reform through the introduction of Value-Added Tax (VAT) has pumped  millions into the Bahamas economy, improving the Bahamas credit rating and improving the economic outlook of the Bahamas on the whole, creating a “more perfect Bahamas”.  I also find it fitting that this comes on the heel of our Majority Rule celebrations when another group would have the audacity to demand transparency and accountability from the Progressive Liberal Party government that has committed itself to the principles of “self-determination, sovereignty and the identity of the national identity of the Bahamian people.”

Indeed, the agreement, in principle, has the potential of providing huge benefits for the aviation industry and also to add money to the governments ‘coffers’ but we have seen far too often that this government can put the most wonderful plans into motion and the country as a whole just fails to benefit from them; a lot of us will wait and see where this road leads us.

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

END

“No progress in investigation of Toggie and Bobo claims” – The Tribune

Excerpt from this article; “The Royal Bahamas Police Force’s investigation into allegations that Lyford Cay resident Peter Nygard orchestrated a murderous plot against his billionaire neighbor Louis Bacon and lawyer Fred Smith QC, ‘is not going anywhere,’ Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade said yesterday.

Although the allegations were contained in the hundreds of pages of affidavits filed by directors of Save the Bays last March, those making the claims never made an official complaint with the RBDF, the police chief said.

Well Toggie and Bobo are back in the news and the case is right where I excepted it to be for whatever reason or the other, that is not what has made the reappearance of this case interesting, well at least not to me.

As Majority Rule Day has recently passed, along with the highly anticipated ‘We March Bahamas’ protest; the issue has again arisen of the ‘evil’, anti-Progressive Liberal Party; anti Bahamian; and unpatriotic forces that are against the current Progressive Liberal Party government but why is it that each and every time someone questions this government they are labeled as such or just plain ‘agents of the Free National Movement’?

It has become quite disturbing to see that one is unable to disagree with the policies or decisions of this PLP government and not be labeled as ‘anti-Progressive Liberal Party; anti Bahamian and unpatriotic’.  When the developers of Baha Mar first began having problems with the government, one of the things that the government first attacked was the theme that Baha Mar had developed for its employees, many of whom were Bahamian and this was the theme of inclusion of “Baha Mar Nation”.  This was attacked by the Progressive Liberal Party government who went on to say that the only nation that exists here is the Bahamas.  The odd thing about this attack was that as they attacked “Baha Mar nation” and a lot of their very own citizens, this PLP government began to involve itself in a dispute between the developer, Sarkis Izmirlian and his Chinese partners, with the government seemingly siding with the Chinese to the determent of their very own citizens.

In the Louis Bacon/Peter Nygard issue, the Progressive Liberal Party government again took issue with their very own Bahamian citizens as these citizens spoke out against the development at Nygard’s Cay.  It is indeed odd that in this dispute the Bahamas government would tend to intercede on behalf of Mr. Nygard; who has been known to be a major financial contributor to their last campaign, and branded anyone that was against Mr. Nygard and his development ‘anti-Progressive Liberal Party; anti Bahamian and unpatriotic’.

Now, we have an case wherein a group has taken a stand against the government; asking for transparency and accountability and instead of sitting back and addressing the issues of many concerned citizens, the government has taken an adversarial stance to them and labeled them as ‘anti-Progressive Liberal Party; anti Bahamian and unpatriotic.  The amusing thing about it all is that the group would have marched on any government be it PLP, FNM, DNA or other that was it saw as lacking in proper governance in the way that the present Progressive Liberal Party is thereby contributing  to the social and economic decline of the county.

Transparency and accountability; are these too much to ask for and by asking for these from any government how does it make anyone or group ‘anti Bahamian and unpatriotic”? 

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

END

The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), as a party founded in 1953 by William Cartwright, Cyril Stevenson and Henry Milton, now finds itself in a very interesting position, some sixty four later.  It seems that now they are being forced to confront a situation that should have been resolved already in a party with its history, unless no one ever saw the possibility of it ever happening or saw it and thought that they could sue it to their advantage.

“Sears calls for friar PLP election” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this story; “The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) has no guidelines, rules and regulation governing elections within the party, according to a communication sent to PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts by leadership candidate Alfred Sears, who is proposing a set of guidelines that would ensure a fair and transparent leadership election later this month.

Sears, the PLP candidate for Forth Charlotte, is the only person who has so far declared an intention to challenge Prime Minister Christie for the party’s leadership.

In his letter to Roberts, dated January 6, Sears said Valentine Grimes, the party’s trustee responsible for elections, confirmed that there are no rules governing elections.

As a result, Sears is asking for the appointment of an agreed independent observer to observe the party’s elections.

He is also proposing that no further appointment of stalwarts be made until after the election in order to ensure a stable list of eligible voters.”

Either Sears is mistaken or this is how it is intended to be so as to protect the leader of the time; probably part of the reason as to why Dr. B. J. Nottage was not even to come close to defeating Sir Lynden.  Maybe it is just me, but I am thinking that if there was a ‘problem’ in 2009, because some may not see this as a problem and more of a convenience, then why hasn’t the situation been addressed yet? 

I get the feeling that this would be a resolution that would have to be presented at a Progressive Liberal Party’s National Convention and we are all aware that the Progressive Liberal Party has not had convection since 2009.

This is the very same party that has spent the better part of four and a half years playing democracy when it is convenient with the Bahamian people nationally and now we see that what one practices at home is what one practices in public.

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

END

“VAT waived as trade-off – Fitzgerald explains why govt. gave CCA tax exemption” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “What was initially presented to the Bahamian people as a ‘gift/ex gratia’ payment to the thousands of former Baha Mar employees and unsecured creditors, was in fact a trade off for value added-added tax (VAT) concessions for the development’s general contractor, China Construction America, Minister of Education Jerome Fitzgerald revealed yesterday amid heightened public scrutiny surrounding details of the sealed arrangement.

‘What I want to make clear first off all is that with regard to concessions for Baha Mar project, those concessions were negotiated by the prior administration,’ Fitzgerald told ZNS at the Office of the Prime Minister.’

‘We honored all of those for the new owner and for China Construction [America].”

As for the concessions that were negotiated by the prior administration, what off them, Mr. Fitzgerald and how do they affect the ‘secret’ arrangement that this government has made with the Chinese?  Where in any concession negotiated under the prior administration was there a ‘gift’ that came at the price of $100 million in value-added tax concessions?  I ask because we the people are having grave difficulty with this part of the deal that the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) government has struck with the Chinese, or rather with what they [this government] told us the people whom they represent the deal was at the time, “James Smith, the former state minister for finance who heads the Claims Committee, said these statements are made to empathize that payouts are being made on an ex-grata basis, meaning outside any formal court-supervised liquidation process because the money is a gift from the Export-Import Bank of China (CEXIM).” – The Tribune 12 September, 2016

So now the Minister has a lot of explaining to do about the VAT exemptions, because these clearly could not be terms negotiated under the former administration, as the country had not been introduced to VAT at the time.

“With regard to Value-Added Tax, I think the issue arose because the completion part of the project, which was a really small amount just to complete the project, the request was made to whether or not value-added tax would be charged or collected with regard to that.

‘At the end of the day when we calculated the amount for that, because you don’t pay VAT on labour, you’re not paying VAT on the imports, the only part with regard to services, as it’s really minuscule as far as we were concerned.”

So $100 million is considered “minuscule” to this government, now you get an idea of why we have been down-graded four times since they have been the government.  Beside the fact that over a billion dollars in VAT has been collected from the hard working people of the country and is basically unaccounted for, the minister and his government feels that it is ‘okay’ to give away an extra $100 million in VAT concessions because it is so ‘minuscule’ in the whole scheme of things that we can just forgo it from the public purse, I can only ask just how many other times have they taken this position when making decisions concerning the finances of the country? 

There are some that will agree with the government’s action in granting $100 million in value-added tax concessions to the Chinese to have Baha Mar completed and opened, stating the benefits far out weight any draw backs; this while a working family is considering which bill to pay tonight; medical, mortgage, food, utilities because the stress of VAT have them at the point where they cannot afford all and have already had to pull their children out of private schools.  The funny thing about it all is that if the government had been up front with the public and not misled them then we may not even be having this conversation right now, because a lot of this has come about because the people feel betrayed yet again but this Progressive Liberal Party government.

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

END

While the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) government aligns itself against the organizers of the We March Bahamas protest, who have only asked for accountability and transparency from them, we are beginning to get an idea as to why they [the PLP government] has been fighting so hard; resisting these two principles, the foundation of an honest government.

“CCA VAT exempt

• AG : Benefits far outweigh concessions
• Turnquest: Baha Mar deal questionable” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “An email leaked to the press yesterday reveals that the Christie administration has exempted China Construction America (CCA) Bahamas Limited, the lead construction firm on the Baha Mar project, from paying value-added tax (VAT).

Last night Attorney General Allyson Maynard Gibson, who was contacted by The Nassau Guardian, said the benefits that will flow as a result of a completed and operational Baha Mar project far outweigh the concessions the government has agreed to.

‘There are tremendous benefits to the Bahamian people’, Maynard-Gibson said.

‘What is the benefit to the people? A resort that not only will be completed by a developer that is world class, but an operator that is world class, who has the capacity to complete it, as well as operate it successfully.”

One must admire the manner in which the Attorney General gets ‘low’ and ‘throws shade’ at the original developer, Sarkis Izmirlian, suggesting that he was not world class, suggesting that he did not have the capacity to complete the resort and also did not have the capacity to operate it at a ‘world class’ level, but then I digress.  While the average person has the burden of value-added tax on the essentials such as food, education, electricity and medication, it would seem that the Progressive Liberal Party government would allow CCA to forgo tens of millions to the public purse and I must ask at whose benefit and/or for whose benefit because even for the government to suggest that the benefit would be “a resort that will not only be completed by a developer that is world class, but an operator that is world class” is insane and just not enough to make up for the mess that has been made of this project up to this point and all the unnecessary money already lost by this inept government on this project.

“The deal is of questionable value for the Bahamian people.” He [the Hon. Peter Turnquest, Deputy Leader of The Free National Movement] said.

‘When you add up all the concessions, over a billion dollars, who do we have to show for it at the end of the day?  We have a couple of jobs to show for it.”

‘It would really be interesting to see what else is included in the agreement.  The government remains intent on hiding whatever negotiations they have made.’

Turnquest said the country has already given away $400 million in stamp tax on the Baha Mar deal, money that the country ‘desperately’ needs.”  

Indeed, it will be interesting to see what else the government has given away and how it would match up to the contract that was signed at Atlantis by the Free Notational Movement, which they are now attempting to draw a comparison to, but as Peter Turnquest pointed out, “If the VAT concessions has in fact been granted to Baha mar, the government of The Bahamas will have to offer the same concessions or more to Atlantis, which has the country locked into a ‘most favorite nation’ contract, where it can be treated no less than any other investor”  This ‘most favorite nation’ contract was never challenged, to my knowledge, by the Progressive Liberal Party, and if these VAT concessions have been granted knowing of this arrangements, then his just highlights the utter and sheer incompetence of the Attorney General and the Christie administration but then the attorney general always has a response, even if it lack commonsense and logic.

“But the attorney general found the FNM’s Deputy Leader’s comments unfortunate.

‘I think it is most unfortunate that someone who aspires to be a future leader in our country and who is in Parliament is making such statements that are clearly unfounded and totally political about an investment that we have seen could result, and did result in the downgrading of our economy, I wonder where Peter Turnquest was when his administration negotiated concessions in relation to Baha Mar.” 

This is an amusing attempt at the use of misdirection/deflection from the horrible blunder that the attorney general and her government have made that has lead to our credit rating now being at junk status.  It is fact that Standard and Poor’s once held a ‘wait and see’ approach before downgrading the country’s credit rating.  It is fact that one of the main factors that caused them to take this approach was the progress of Baha Mar and the opening of the resort.  It is fact that the government said at the time that they knew what to do to avoid the downgrade but yet here we are with the attorney general attempting to suggest that Peter Turnquest assessment of the situation is wrong.  Then attempting to try to talk down to anyone after her failures, questioning their whereabouts when the FNM administration negotiated concessions in relation to Baha Mar; I would like to ask her where was she when the Free National Movement government took back some of the concessions given under the Christie administration and gave it back to the Bahamian people in relation to this same Baha Mar deal?

Then there was the fact that at the time the concessions were actually open to public scrutiny by Progressive Liberal Party; nothing like the current secret ‘deal’ in place.  I have found it absolutely amazing that a sovereign country such as The Commonwealth of The Bahamas would allow another nation dictate to ht would happen in our country’s courts.

SHAME.

So now we have the situation wherein certain concessions have been given to CCA which seem to be above and beyond that would or should be allowed by any investor and two questions stand;

1. What are the real benefits for the Bahamas? And
2. What else what will revealed from this ‘secret deal’ which has been sealed by the courts

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

END