Excerpt from this article; “Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Leader Philip Brave Davis said he believes Prime Minister, Dr. Hubert Minnis’ announcement that the government will increase the salaries of members of Parliament was a decision ‘made out f envy’.

Davis also said the move showed the level of hypocrisy in the Free National Movement (FNM), as he said it continues to fail to deliver promises made in the lead up to the 2017 general election.

‘My view on that is that there are too many other challenging issue that we need to be discussing rather than, from an envious position, decide that he’s (Minnis) going to increase MP’s salaries,’ Davis told The Nassau Guardian.

‘I think there are too many challenges that are impacting the lives of ordinary Bahamians that we need to deal with to be contemplating on such a matter at this time.’

When I offered myself, I knew what my salary would be, and if appointed to Cabinet, I knew what my salary would be, and I can’t get envious of what others are making in the service and to use `that as a basis  to think about increasing my salary is rather unbecoming at this time.”

Wow! Is my only reaction as the Leader of The Opposition, Progressive Liberal Party, seems to be able to utter this nonsense and with a straight face. My first questions to Mr. Davis is what was the condition of the country in May 2014, did he realize what his salary was going to be when he said and yes this is on record, so I quote, “…..Bahamian politicians need an increase in pay so they won’t be tempted to take bribes and steal the public’s money” and lastly, how many promises did the PLP fulfill in office that they made leading up to the 2012 general elections?

Is he conceding that the thought had crossed his mind?

Then he goes on to say, because he just does not seem to know when to just shut up; “….(it would) remove the temptation for politicians to do things that are not right.  Because if they (MPs) are earning a living by doing this, then there would be no need for them to do anything else, I think that’s what the Bahamian public has to understand.”

Mr. Davis what have you been doing?

Of course the argument of if you pay them more, they will be less willing to give into temptation is severely flawed, because we all know that greed knows has no master and it is usually those that ‘have’, who usually want more.

The Leader of the Opposition is quite misleading with the statement; “…he believes Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis’ announcement that he government will increase the salaries of members of Parliament”, because nothing has been set in stone or finalized as of yet and to even suggest as much is being quite disingenuous.

Then Mr. Davis goes on to make the statement; “that it was a decision made out of envy; exactly who is Mr. Davis suggesting that Prime Minister Dr. Minnis is envious of?  Is he suggesting that the prime minister is envious of the persons who were awarded very generous contracts literally minutes before the last general election?  Does Mr. Philip ‘Brave’ Davis wish to elaborate on this matter as it pertains to these ‘contracts’, since he wishes to use them to impeach the intentions of the prime minister?  Or is he suggesting that the prime minister is envious of how certain persons came to office ‘paupers’ and left rich, actually millionaires?

Well we know one thing for sure at this point, they did not achieve these ‘fortunes’ as members of Parliament because then maybe we would not be having this discussion.

In his usual round-a-bout, mixed up style which has been the trade mark of the Progressive Liberal Party itself [if we spin them enough, they will get to dizzy to be able to focus on the message and see our true intent], ‘Brave’ Davis, leader of the Opposition makes these grand and bold statements that either make no sense or show a level of hypocrisy and duplicity which most thought or hoped would have ‘died’ when the Hon. Perry Christie was forced out, but as we can see, it did not.

Now along comes Chester Cooper member of Parliament for the Exumas and Ragged Island and newly elected Deputy leader of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP).  A lot say that he is within his right to say what he has said as he criticized the current government for the suggestion of a pay increase for MP’s merely because he was not a member of parliament when it was first proposed by the PLP in 2014; is this to also suggest that before that time he was never politically active and is only now getting his political voice?  Has he just become politically aware and conscious and not a moment before he decided to run in the 2017 elections?  Surely he must realize that that ‘sins’ which Opposition Leader Davis wishes to brush aside at this time is partly his to bear, as he never objected to it before, not even as a private citizen.

Mr. Cooper  goes out and makes a statement that “…even the riches of people can still be corrupt.  Corruption is an issue of character, not of compensation”, did he happen to have a word with the leader of the PLP before he set out to chastise the FNM representative for Bain and Grants Town.  This is not to say that I do not agree with Mr. Cooper but just to point out the fact that it contradicts the views of the man to whom he is deputy.

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

END