The PLP — masters of the political moonwalk. One step forward, two steps back, and a quick spin to pretend they never said what they just said… even when it’s on tape.

So now we have Deputy Leader of the New Day PLP, Chester Cooper, scrambling to explain away Darron Pickstock’s very clear, very honest, very oops-I-said-the-truth moment — where he admitted that Golden Isles has been neglected. Cooper says, “Oh, he’s new to politics, just trying to build his brand.”

Translation: He accidentally told the truth before getting the memo.

And honestly, if you’re looking to “establish your brand,” there’s no better way than trashing the record of your own party and then pretending you “misspoke.” It’s practically the PLP initiation ritual at this point — tell the truth, regret it, then hold a press conference to say you were “misunderstood.”

Let’s recap what Mr. Pickstock originally said — that people in Golden Isles “are not asking for the world,” just “someone who listens, shows up, and gets things done.” Seems fair, right? But apparently, that’s a revolutionary concept for the PLP.

Then came the clean-up crew. Suddenly, Pickstock wasn’t “blaming” anyone; he was just talking about “responsibility.” Because nothing says “responsibility” like pretending the past four years of neglect never happened.

Sorry, Darron, but that political spin cycle isn’t fooling anyone. You can wash, rinse, and repeat your statement all you like, but that stench of truth isn’t coming out. You said it because it’s true — Golden Isles has been ignored by the New Day PLP government, and everyone knows it.

Now the PLP wants the people of Golden Isles to hand them the keys again — the same folks who’ve left the lights unfixed, the roads unpaved, and the parks unsafe for kids. That’s not “a New Day,” that’s Groundhog Day.

Golden Isles doesn’t need another empty promise wrapped in a press release. They need representation that actually shows up — and that person is Brian Brown. He’s been there, he’s listened, and he knows the needs of the community because he’s part of it.

The PLP says “trust us this time.” But remember — fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, I must be voting PLP again.

So, residents of Golden Isles, don’t get played by the same old script. Don’t let the spin doctor’s gaslight you into believing neglect is progress. Vote for Brian Brown and the FNM — because the only thing the PLP seems to fix reliably these days… is their own mistakes.

The people of Golden Isles deserve better; they deserve Brain Brown.

END

At first, everyone said, “Darron who?” But now that we’ve gotten to know the New Day Progressive Liberal Party’s (PLP’s) candidate for Golden Isles a little better… it seems he’s the one who forgot which political organization he’s representing.

In a headline that could’ve been pulled straight from the Opposition’s press office — “State of Neglect” — The Nassau Guardian reports that PLP candidate Darron Pickstock spent his nomination day describing how the very constituency his own party has represented for over four years has been “ignored” and “neglected.”

Yes, you heard that right. The PLP candidate is campaigning by pointing out how terrible the PLP has been at governing his area. It’s almost poetic — if irony could vote, it’d be in line at the polls right now.

Standing on a rally stage after his nomination at Anatol Rodgers High School, Pickstock declared:

“I am tired of people being ignored… I’m tired of people calling for help and getting excuses… I’m tired of seeing our community wait years for simple things — a fixed streetlight, a paved road, a safe park for kids.”

Powerful words — until you remember that the PLP has been in power this whole time. It’s like a firefighter complaining there’s too much fire while holding the hose.

And then, as if to hammer home the point, he posts photos of himself fixing basketball rims — which, while commendable, raises another question: is that policy now? Should we expect the next PLP candidate to show up with a toolbox and a can of paint?

But let’s not overlook the most awkward part: Golden Isles wasn’t vacant because the PLP lost it — it’s vacant because of the untimely passing of the late Vaughn Miller, a man who represented the PLP in this very constituency. May he rest in peace.

So, when Pickstock says the area has been “ignored,” is he really talking about the opposition? Or is he… throwing the late Vaughn Miller under the bus to make himself look like a reformer?

Has the PLP leadership given him the green light to run over their own record — and their own former MP — in the name of “real progress”? Or will we soon hear that Pickstock “misspoke,” the universal PLP code for “he said the quiet part out loud”?

If this is the strategy — admitting the PLP’s own neglect and blaming it on the departed — then Golden Isles voters might reasonably ask: if this is how they treat their own, how do you think they’ll treat you?

Because if the New Day looks this much like yesterday’s neglect, maybe the sun never actually rose.

END

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis continues his crusade to convince the good, right-thinking citizens of Golden Isles that they should elect Darron—wait, who?—Pickstock. Yes, that’s the typical reaction you’ll get when his name is mentioned in conversation: “Who is that again?”

According to The Nassau Guardian, the Prime Minister told PLPs, “We need this seat.” Apparently, that’s now a sufficient qualification for leadership—being needed by the party, not known by the people.

Let’s recall the scene: Davis, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with his ever-faithful Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper and the Senator Darron Pickstock, declared that this election is “a test of whether we still believe in progress, steady hands, and sound judgment.”

A fair statement, Mr. Prime Minister—except your choice of candidate suggests that your definition of “sound judgment” has gone missing somewhere between Western Grand Bahama and Golden Isles.

Because really—who is this man you’re asking Bahamians to trust with their future? This isn’t the first time Davis has rolled out an unknown and called him a visionary. Remember Kingsley Smith of Western Grand Bahama and Bimini fame—or rather, infamy? The people there sure do, and not fondly. The man has been so invisible that locals now joke that “ghost” is the most fitting word to describe their MP.

The whispers from PLP headquarters are that Smith won’t be re-nominated in the next election, which would be a mercy for his constituents. But here we are again, watching history attempt to repeat itself—this time with Pickstock as the sequel nobody asked for.

Davis insists that not electing Pickstock would somehow “send the country backward” and “halt the progress” of his administration. Oh yes, that mystical progress—the same one that’s been as hard to find as these candidates’ track records.

If this is what “steady hands” and “sound judgment” look like, then perhaps the brakes should be applied before the nation’s so-called “progress” runs completely off the road.

The people of The Bahamas deserve better than being told to trust a Prime Minister who keeps endorsing strangers and calling them saviours. Because right now, it looks less like “building a fairer, stronger Bahamas” and more like playing political roulette—with the country’s future as the bet.

END

Yesterday was yet another reminder that trusting the “New Day” Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) is like trusting a conch shell to hold water. Even if they told us that water is wet, we’d still have to check.

First, we learned that the grand tales told by the Davis administration about “improprieties” in the National Food Distribution Task Force were apparently just that—tales. And before we could even digest that, another headline hit:

“Lights went out at Grand Lucayan” – The Nassau Guardian

Yes, the multimillion-dollar Grand Lucayan resort in Grand Bahama—allegedly sold, signed, sealed, and delivered—had its power disconnected. The official explanation from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) came courtesy of its ever-available spokesperson, Latrae Rahming, who said it was all a “brief issue during the turnover process.” Power, he assured us, was quickly restored.

A brief issue, mind you. Translation: “We forgot who was supposed to pay the light bill.”

Rahming explained that it was a matter of “reconciling utility bills attributed to the government and the new owners,” since “operations remain in transition as redevelopment efforts continue.”

Now, let’s stop right there. Because apparently, this “brief issue” happened at a resort that — according to the government — was sold months ago. Back in May 2025, the Davis administration proudly announced it had signed a Heads of Agreement with Concord Wilshire, a U.S.-based real estate and resort developer, for the sale and redevelopment of the Grand Lucayan for $120 million.

The deal was supposed to be straightforward:

• The government sells the resort for $120 million.
• Concord Wilshire takes over upkeep and future expenses.
• The Bahamas Treasury gets a nice, shiny $120 million deposit.

Except… where’s the receipt?

Because just after that signing ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism Chester Cooper issued one of the most Bahamian political disclaimers ever recorded:

“I will repeat one more time, I will make no statement on Grand Lucayan until the money is in the bank. So, if you don’t hear a statement from me, that means the money ain’ in the bank yet.”

Well, since he hasn’t made a statement and instead directed reporters back to the OPM — the same office that gave us the “brief issue” excuse — are we to conclude that the money still ain’ in the bank?

So, let’s get this straight:

• The government claims the Grand Lucayan has been sold.
• The OPM says the lights were disconnected during the “turnover process.”
• The DPM won’t comment until the money is received.
• And no one seems to be able to confirm that the $120 million has actually been paid.

That leaves us with one simple, glaring question:

Who really owns the Grand Lucayan?

Because right now, it sounds like the PLP government is squatting in its own sale announcement — still paying the light bill on a property they supposedly don’t own, while the “new owners” wait somewhere between Miami and make-believe.

If the resort is in “transition,” maybe someone should let Bahamians know which direction — toward private ownership or back toward another PLP press release.

Until we see the $120 million in the Treasury’s account, maybe the only thing actually sold here is the story.

As usual this New Day government has taken a simple matter and created more questions than providing answers.

The Bahamas deserves better.

END

The New Day government, the party that promised to bring civility, integrity, and respect back to politics. The same people who have spent the last two years warning Bahamians to brace for “nasty politics” while gleefully rolling around in it like it’s a political spa treatment.

Just this week, we were treated to the latest sermon on political cleanliness from none other than Minister of Housing and Urban Renewal, Keith Bell — a man who apparently believes that preaching against mudslinging is best done mid-sling.

At a Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) men’s branch meeting, the “Honourable” Minister declared that the upcoming election will be “nasty.” Not “spirited,” not “competitive” — but “nasty.” And in the same breath, he proudly announced that he’s personally heading into the garbage can to dig up campaign material. Because nothing says “New Day” like political dumpster diving.

Bell boasted that he’ll rummage through the late Bradley Roberts’ garbage can for ammunition — apparently unaware of how poetic it is that a senior PLP minister is literally pledging to campaign from the trash heap.

But what makes this all the more ironic is that this is the same PLP leadership — from Brave Davis to Fred Mitchell — who have spent months chastising Bahamians about the dangers of “nasty politics.” They’ve wagged their fingers at critics, scolded journalists, and warned the opposition to take the high road, all while paving the low road with their own hypocrisy.

And when Keith Bell isn’t rummaging through garbage, he’s rewriting history — claiming that the Minnis administration “did nothing” for two years before Dorian and COVID-19. But let’s be honest: if the Minister wants to talk facts, the headlines from that period told a different story — “Outlook Improves – Moody’s: Bahamas Has Made Important Fiscal Progress,” “Hotels: We’ve Never Seen This in Ten Years,” and “Passenger Traffic at LPIA Hits 3.7 Million.”

That doesn’t sound like “nothing.” It sounds like progress — the kind the PLP would have printed on t-shirts if they’d been in office.

But I get it — it’s election season. Truth takes a vacation, hypocrisy clocks in full-time, and the PLP’s version of “clean politics” apparently includes rummaging through political garbage cans.

So next time you hear a PLP minister warn against “nasty politics,”, cover your head and just wait for the fall out.

The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) fails for one reason, it is their nature

END

So, according to Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, the unions are now guilty of “grandstanding and public drama” because they had the audacity to ask for what they were promised, owed, and deserved. How dare the people expect a government to honour its word? Apparently, when Bahamians stand up for their rights, that’s not democracy—it’s “bullying.”

In his national address, Davis boldly declared that he would not “give in to threats.” Translation: asking for your agreed-upon pay increase is now considered a national security risk.

Let’s get this straight—this is the same government that has spent the last three years promising that relief was on the way for civil servants, only to now act shocked and offended when the people finally demand it. The Prime Minister talks about these pay increases like they’re a personal favour, a benevolent “gift from his heart,” as though the country’s workers are a charity case and not the backbone of the nation’s public service.

But here’s the thing—it’s not a gift. It’s not an act of generosity. It’s a debt owed to the Bahamian people, negotiated, agreed upon, and long overdue. The raises are supposed to help civil servants keep up with the same cost of living and inflation this government keeps making worse. Yet somehow, the narrative has been flipped: the government owes them nothing, and they should be grateful for whatever crumbs eventually fall off the Cabinet table.

What we’re seeing now is the New Day government redefining accountability as aggression. Ask for transparency, and you’re “attacking” them. Demand delivery on promises, and you’re “disrespectful.” Expect results, and you’re “threatening.”

This from a government that campaigned as the “champion of the poor man,” only to champion photo ops and empty slogans once in office. They’ve carried the people just far enough to silence their complaints—then left them stranded at the crossroads of broken promises and rising taxes.

Maybe someone should remind the Prime Minister that the purpose of government is not to play Santa Claus to the citizenry, deciding who’s “nice” enough to get what they’re owed. It’s to serve, to deliver, and to make the lives of the people better. And if you fail at that, the people will speak up—no matter how inconvenient that truth may sound from the City Market parking lot to the House of Assembly.

Because “Power to the People” isn’t just a song, Mr. Prime Minister—it’s supposed to be the point.

This is what the People of The Bahamas has to look forward to of this New Day, Old Way government is brought back to power and M y Morning Paper honestly believes that the people of The Bahamas deserve better.

The PLP fails for one reason — it’s in their nature.

END

So today, it’s being reported that residents in the area where the New Day Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) plans to build its shiny new $285 million hospital have called the approval process “a foregone conclusion.” Now, I don’t mean to offend, but I must ask the obvious question — when exactly did they figure that out?

Was it before or after the Davis administration had already inked a deal with the Chinese government to build the thing? Because it certainly seems like only after the contracts were signed, sealed, and probably celebrated over champagne, did someone in Cabinet suddenly remember — “Oh wait, maybe we should ask the people who actually live there what they think.”

According to The Tribune’s October 9th report, residents said they fear flooding, traffic congestion, and increased crime. And rightly so. The Town Planning Committee apparently gave swift preliminary approval to the site just three days after the so-called “public consultation.” Three days — that’s barely enough time to read the minutes, much less seriously consider community concerns.

Let’s not forget — this is Perpall Tract, a low-lying area with a well-documented history of flooding. During the last heavy storm, parts of that neighbourhood looked like a shallow lake. Residents have already said recent construction nearby has made flooding worse. But sure, the government insists they will “mitigate” it — the same way they have been “mitigating” the flooding on West Bay Street for the past decade. (Spoiler: it still floods every time the clouds so much as threaten rain.)

And then there’s Dr. Michael Darville, Minister of Health and Wellness, who reportedly brushed off the public outcry by saying he doesn’t know “what all the noise is about,” since “the island floods anyway.” Remarkable. By that logic, why not build the next hospital in the middle of a pond?

This is what happens when consultation becomes a photo-op rather than a process. The PLP government didn’t engage the people — they informed them, after the ink had dried. It’s not consultation if the deal is already done; it’s theatre.

And that, perhaps, is the most fitting summary of the “New Day” governance model: the lights are on, the stage is set, and the script has already been written — the public just gets to sit in the audience and clap politely.

The people of The Bahamas deserve better.

The PLP fails for one reason — it’s in their nature.

END

It now appears that the once “Golden Yolk” has officially cracked — and the stench of political incompetence is hard to ignore.

After years of promising to reduce The Bahamas’ dependence on imported eggs, the much-hyped Golden Yolk Program, launched under the “New Day” PLP government, is still sitting in the nest. The Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources, Jomo Campbell, who once boasted that this initiative would revolutionize food security, now seems to have run out of excuses. His latest political trick? Hand the blame — and the entire project — over to the Minister of Works and Utilities, Clay Sweeting.

Now, unless Works and Utilities has suddenly become the Ministry of Poultry and Agriculture, one has to wonder — how exactly does this make sense?

The Golden Yolk Program, first announced in 2022, was intended to create large-scale egg production farms across the Family Islands, aiming for local self-sufficiency by 2024. Funds were reportedly allocated in the 2023/2024 national budget, and sites were identified — yet, to date, no eggs, no farms, and no operational facilities.

And now, rather than admitting that the Ministry of Agriculture dropped the egg, Campbell is suggesting that the project’s delays are the fault of Works and Utilities — because apparently, the infrastructure isn’t ready. That’s like blaming the electrician for your house not being built when you never even submitted the plans.

Even if the Ministry of Works is responsible for the physical infrastructure, the Ministry of Agriculture remains the client ministry — meaning they’re still accountable for the delivery, timeline, and oversight of their own project. Campbell’s claim that he has “handed it off” is not just reckless, it’s dismissive of every Bahamian who was told this project would lower food costs and create jobs.

It’s as if this government genuinely believes Bahamians are too gullible to notice when a program has been quietly “scrambled”.

If this is how “New Day governance” works — passing blame like a hot egg — then perhaps the only thing golden about this project is the gold-plated excuses.

Because after all the hype, the only thing the people have to show for the Golden Yolk Program is an empty carton and another insult to their intelligence.

The people deserve better because the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) fails for one reason; it is their nature

END

Only in the fantasy land of New day Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) politics could rising unemployment be spun as a sign of confidence. Yes, you read that correctly—Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis now wants us to believe that the surge in joblessness is proof that Bahamians are suddenly optimistic about the economy. Because apparently, being unemployed in the Bahamas is now a badge of economic faith.

Let’s get the facts straight:

• According to the Department of Statistics, unemployment sat at 8.7% in the first and second quarters of 2024, dropped briefly to 7.2% in Q3, but has since climbed again.
• Instead of showing alarm or offering a clear plan, the Prime Minister first blamed the closed grouper season for the rise (because of course, seasonal fishing explains national unemployment).
• Now, after ridicule, he insists he’s not downplaying the numbers but is “encouraged” because more Bahamians are “looking for jobs.”

Here’s the rub: if, after four years in office, your big defence is that more people are looking for work, then what you’re really admitting is that your government wasn’t prepared to create or sustain jobs in the first place. Confidence doesn’t pay rent, nor does it put food on the table. Jobs do.

So, what happened to all that “vision” Davis preached about in opposition? Back then, he famously declared that rising unemployment was the hallmark of visionless leadership. By his own “logic”, the PLP has graduated with honours in the school of failure.

The reality is this: the Davis administration had years to anticipate a post-pandemic labour market surge, to implement training programs, to invest in sustainable industries, and to empower Bahamians with real opportunities. Instead, they are offering excuses that are equal parts lazy and insulting. Grouper season? Confidence spin? That’s not leadership—it’s a comedy routine gone stale.

Right-thinking Bahamians deserve better than a government that pats itself on the back while families are struggling to find meaningful employment. Unemployment isn’t a punchline, and it certainly isn’t a confidence metric.

At the end of the day, the Progressive Liberal Party fails for one simple reason: it is in their nature.

END

So now joblessness is seasonal — who knew? Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, who once thundered that rising unemployment was a hallmark of “visionless leadership,” is apparently now advised that a closed grouper season and “more people looking for work” explain why nearly 26,000 Bahamians were without jobs in January 2025. The Bahamas National Statistical Institute’s Labour Force Survey put the unemployment rate at 10.8% in Q1 2025 (25,925 unemployed) — a jump from the 8.7% the government celebrated late last year.

Yes, really: the grouper season. That is the Prime Minister’s first-line of defence — fishermen out of work for a few months, so national unemployment pops up and voilà, problem explained. That explanation was reported verbatim by local press and attributed to the administration during a press briefing. If policy-makers can shrug off a national jobs statistic as “seasonal” without showing a plan to re-employ the newly unemployed, they’re treating labour-market pain like a weather pattern — inconvenient, temporary, and beyond governance.

Meanwhile, the Government is basking in a much-vaunted S&P re-rating — S&P upgraded The Bahamas’ long-term sovereign rating to BB- from B+ last week — a useful nugget for bond markets and headline bragging rights.

But here’s the political math they aren’t doing: a better credit rating is not the same thing as a better life for the average worker. Credit agencies judge macro stability, debt trajectories and investor confidence; they do not measure whether the breadwinner down the road can find steady pay, afford rising electricity bills, or weather a tax increase. The government can tout improved sovereign optics and still preside over a labour market that’s getting worse for real people.

That disconnect is exactly what critics warned about.

And let’s be precise about the Moody’s angle, since it keeps getting waved around in press conferences: Moody’s has affirmed The Bahamas at B1 and moved the outlook to positive earlier in 2025, signalling improved medium-term debt dynamics — not a guarantee that unemployment will fall tomorrow. Rating actions and labour market outcomes can move in different directions. Treating one as proof of success on the other is sloppy politics.

So, the prime minister’s argument reduces to: “Trust us, the country’s credit score is better, so the economy must be better.” That’s a comfort to bondholders; it’s thin consolation to a laid-off fisher, a youth struggling to find work, or a family watching electricity bills climb. If the administration truly believes more people “looking for work” is inherently encouraging, they should pair the boast with concrete, immediate steps — training, targeted stimulus for affected sectors (fishing, tourism-linked services), wage support, or meaningful incentives for firms to hire — not rhetorical sleight-of-hand about seasonal fish.

Finally, a piece of modest political housekeeping: when you once used high unemployment as a cudgel to brand your opponents “visionless,” you can’t credibly wave it away as a seasonal quirk when the numbers flip under your watch. Either unemployment is a sign of failed policy, or it is a transient statistical hiccup. Pick a lane — voters remember both positions. While receiving a higher rating from S&P is noteworthy, it does not directly affect salary; only income from employment is reflected in pay checks.  

The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) fails for one reason; it is their nature.

END