Long Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner
By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
LONG Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner yesterday insisted that Prime Minister Perry Christie has not proven himself to be a good barometer regarding Baha Mar, saying Bahamians should be cautious over his pronouncements of optimism over the mega resort.
Speaking to The Tribune yesterday, Mrs Butler-Turner said while the prime minister continues to declare that “things are good” with Baha Mar, he should reveal which big names and leading resorts are interested in the stalled $3.5bn West Bay Street hotel.
She was contacted by this newspaper following Mr Christie’s revelation on Monday that representatives from an unnamed
hotel were in the country to present their interests to the Export Import Bank of China.
In October, the Supreme Court approved a request by the EXIM Bank to place the resort into receivership.
“The last time he (Mr Christie) said he had good news we know what happened,” Mrs Butler-Turner said. “He has not been reliable in disseminating reliable information. Essentially he hasn’t been a very reliable barometer. He has been wrong on all fronts when it comes to Baha Mar.
“I think Mr Christie has been disingenuous in dealing with Baha Mar and informing the Bahamian people all along.”
She added: “Everyone is concerned, the creditors, local contractors who are owed money and the 2,000 employees who were made redundant, about what is going to happen.
“With everything that this administration says, it is a wait and see game. I would be happy to know who the interested parties are and whether he has now become the mouth piece for the China Export Import Bank.”
On Monday the prime minister said “things are good” with Baha Mar as he revealed that representatives from a leading resort in this hemisphere arrived in the country to engage in talks with the EXIM Bank.
Mr Christie said he and EXIM Bank officials have been in continual talks over Baha Mar with pointed discussions on finding employment for the more than 2,000 workers who were made redundant last month.
The nation’s leader further said he has put forward a proposition of his preparedness to work with the bank in finding the workers’ employment on the basis that stakeholders would reimburse the government of the Bahamas.
Mr Christie insisted that if questions linger of the confidence that investors see in the Bahamas, critics need only look at the response from the international community on the availability of Baha Mar.
“I leave you with a great degree of optimism because some of the world’s leading resort entities have expressed continuing interest. One of the leaders in the Western Hemisphere arrives in the Bahamas today (Monday) to speak with representatives of the bank all with a view to putting their interest on the table of being able to manage or purchase interest out here. So we are optimistic.”
“One thing that I can say is that when one is looking for confidence and whether it exists in the Bahamas, the response to the possible availability of these premises have demonstrated to me that the world is interested and they are coming to the Bahamas. Over the next week or two they will (announce).
“I can say that the bank needs to finance this interim stage and they have given me the assurance that in the shortest possible time from now they will provide that interim funding. So things are good so to speak,” Mr Christie said.
Comments
birdiestrachan 8 years, 5 months ago
Ms; Butler Turner will be very disappointed when the Baha Mar deal is completed. It is her hope that all will go wrong. But it will not.
NassauBoy77 8 years, 5 months ago
She is right in her assessment. The Prime Minister's pronouncement have not been accurate today. She is simply saying, if he has gotten it wrong for the last year, then he is not a very reliable source.
She is also right in that he needs to disclose to the Bahamian people what is taking place or keep quiet. She wants it open, but less talk and more action from our PM.
newcitizen 8 years, 5 months ago
How about this Birdie, if Christie turns out to be right Loretta has to give him a public apology, and if he is lying as he is known to do, then you leave this newspaper's message board for good?
paul_vincent_zecchino 8 years, 5 months ago
Sounds like a good deal. Ms. Loretta Butler-Turner's pronouncements, what she says generally comes to pass if it already hasn't.
Her name is synonymous with truth.
themessenger 8 years, 5 months ago
Birdie,every time that I think the level of ignorance displayed by yourself can't get any lower you always manage to surprise me. Of course she and all the rest of us want Baha Mar to fail so we can continue to live in the rat hole that you and yours have made of our country.
sealice 8 years, 5 months ago
PLP trolls gotta get paid.....
TalRussell 8 years, 5 months ago
Some Comrade who got's da direct-line phone number, does need rings upstairs over at Shirley & Deveaux to update the red party's files on who to contact for da party's position on issues.
You're not supposed to laugh out loud from reading the Tribune and certainly not just by them reporters tickling you with all these Loretta comments offering all her various positions.
But I guess this is the newspapers way of using a pen to hammer away at what's left Minnis leadership stability, by repeatedly striking away at he patella with they hammer pen.
Ouch Tribune reporters that shi# does hurts.
Regardless 8 years, 5 months ago
...always has something to say about everything this woman. She is no longer in a leadership position but has to remain on a 24 hour a day PR campaign on everything. Surely there is a pothole in the road in Long Island that requires her attention or finding a foreign investor to develop part of the island but no, that would take focus and vision. It is far easier to bitch and complain all the time. She is essentially the female version of Jimmy Knowles.
NassauBoy77 8 years, 5 months ago
Regardless, please read paragraph 3. It clearly states "she was contacted by the newspaper." There is a good reason why the media follows her. She can be counted on to give good arguments and be a good opposition member and hold the government's feet to the fire. If her colleagues would follow her example maybe the rest of us outside of the PLP and Minnis camps would want to hear from them.
paul_vincent_zecchino 8 years, 5 months ago
Exactly, the paper contacted her because her statements invariably have the ring of truth to them; they're reliable assessments of conditions both present and future.
Emac 8 years, 5 months ago
Birdie the PLP spider
Spins her web so well!
She works so hard for her masters
As ev’ry one can tell.
Whene’er their plans go amiss
Birdie’s job is to spin and twist.
And if the people complain
Birdie brings them pain
She spits her venom at those who get mad
Even though she knows her masters been bad.
DillyTree 8 years, 5 months ago
Emac, a few more lines to your great poem...
And just when Birdie's spell Has got the PLP's own web spinning And everything in this country's gone to hell Birdie still thinks they're winning.
Emac 8 years, 5 months ago
Lol...Brilliant!
Bahamian_in_London 8 years, 5 months ago
The reason why the PM is positive is because he doesn't actually know any better.
Foreign investors are coming in and looking at the property, not because they believe in Bahamas, but because they want to see if they can pick up a piece of prime property for a bargain price.
They are vultures circling, not validation that the PM has made the Bahamas a great place to invest.
There is a very big difference between showing interest and making an offer that China ExIm will accept. Though for the sake of Bahamas, I hope Butler-Turner is wrong...
TalRussell 8 years, 5 months ago
Who said we British cousins over in London, don't have sense of humour
Believe me I does feels your red pain from all way in London. No truer blog than yours but may I suggest all the foreigners have do, is copy the paperwork for the same deal Papa made and they will really NOT overpay for anything on those prime tracks lands at Cable Beach. Tell foreigners looks closely for da thickest file marked:
"CONFIDENTIAL FROM DA CABINET OFFICE: Don't Expect Pay True Market Values for any These Prime Lands".
sheeprunner12 8 years, 5 months ago
How much will Bahamar cause our economy to slump (since June 2015) for the next 2 years??? ............ either in jobs creation, private sector/domestic investment, international investor confidence, national debt, GDP/GNP growth etc
John 8 years, 5 months ago
What does the Blue Hills Park and Bah Mar have in common? They both sit idle, near completion, but unused and unoccupied... being victims of the elements, prone to deterioration. and vandalism...for almost a year resources sitting idle, going wasted the elements and vandals eating into the newness and the usefulness..dry rot and decay..sun faded painted surfaces..weeds overtaking the landscape... in the case of Blue Hills park ..its the people's money just sitting not idle..but falling into disrepair.
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