EDITOR, The Tribune.
On this, our 50th anniversary year of Independence and days before our Emancipation Day holiday, I am putting pen to paper to question what I consider to be a glaring anomaly.
Why is it that we, in 2023, are supposedly considering yet another replacement for the ‘House on the Hill’ as the country’s official representative of the King of Britain? Am I alone in seeing the irony in all of this, 50 years later, as well as in the fact that we are also talking about another (supposedly hefty) pension payment line being added to the country’s bottom line!
Think about it: we have had as Governors General (some of whom received their top British Honours), namely, Sir Milo Butler, Sir Gerald Cash, Sir Henry Taylor, Sir Clifford Darling, Arthur Hanna, Sir Orville Turnquest, Dame Ivy Dumont, Sir Arthur Foulkes, Dame Marguerite Pindling, Sir Cornelius Smith, and now, another being rumoured to be appointed. This makes a total of 11 new people in 50 years in a British monarchy “appointed” post in an independent country. By simple division, this amounts to a new appointment roughly every five years... ie each election cycle, with the majority of the candidates known PLP appointments.
Let me hasten to add here that all of the appointees were and are wonderful people, of stellar reputations, some of whom even went to school with my parents!
However, do we, the general public, know exactly how much of our money comes directly out of the Treasury (or is it out of the National Insurance coffers?) to pay them and their pensions? Would the present Minister of Finance be so kind as to inform we the people, in true transparency, as to what the total figure might have amounted to over the years? I also would like to ask the question: Do the spouses or/families of the appointees continue to get their pension if they die before them?
Therefore, in light of the fact that we, the regular people, have been told that there is a clear possibility that there will not be enough money in NIB in a few years to pay us, who have been contributing all our lives since NIB came into effect, our pensions, don’t you think that this present state of affairs should be re-examined?... just asking, because inquiring minds, and pockets, would like to know!
Are we truly free?
Happy Emancipation Day, Bahamas!
PAM BURNSIDE
Nassau,
August 4, 2023
Comments
ThisIsOurs 8 months, 4 weeks ago
It's apparently less than 100k per year to support a GG (who serves for 5 years or less) for the rest of their life. A new car for every senior official every 5 years is less than 40k each?. What's the fuss? No need to be concerned, nothing to see. Wartsila engines in a building that's about to collapse? I wonder how much it would have cost to build a proper foundation? Nothing to see...
Alan1 8 months, 3 weeks ago
We share our Monarchy with many other Commonwealth countries like Canada,Australia and New Zealand. We are all independent of each other and of The United Kingdom. The Crown is a stable anchor at the top of our Westminster inherited parliamentary and legal system.It is above politics. The stability of this system of Constitutional Monarchy is acknowledged around the world.Many European countries are Constitutional.Monarchies as well as Japan and other nations and are well known for their stability and progress. We have a sound system which has attracted foreign investment. Republics have poor track records. Someone would have to serve as President and that will.cost money as well. We need to keep.our present governmental framework.
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