Former Deputy Prime Minister Brent Symonette
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
FORMER Deputy Prime Minister Brent Symonette said he would have voted for Donald Trump if he was eligible to vote in last year's US presidential election.
"I worked with Mrs Clinton for five years in my previous job and I don't think I could have voted for her," he told members of the Rotary Club of East Nassau on Friday afternoon. "But I'll leave that there … that's a personal, personal decision," he said.
The former Foreign Affairs Minister's comment came during a speech to the club about the effect President Trump is likely to have on the Bahamas.
He concluded that the president's impact is likely to be minimal, with plenty of continuity expected with respect to America's policies involving the Bahamas.
"The relationship between the US and the Bahamas will continue to grow and I don't see much that President Trump can do to change that," he said.
Mr Symonette discussed a list of issues key to the relationship between the two countries and made an assessment about how they could be impacted under the new president.
Among them, he asked: "Will he appoint a US Ambassador to the Bahamas? Well, we haven't had one for five years because the Senate of the United States couldn't confirm the appointee and regrettably she died before she could be appointed. I do believe there has been a choice made by the United States for an ambassador here and hopefully he will be announced shortly and if rumour is true he is already in the process of buying a house in the Bahamas."
As for US agreements with the Bahamas like the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC) and Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos (OPBAT), Mr Symonette said these are unlikely to be cancelled.
"Will Trump say for instance cancel the US agreement with AUTEC," he asked. "No, they just signed the agreement the other day and paid some $11m per year for the rights for the underwater evaluation and testing for the center in Andros."
"Will they cancel OPBAT? OPBAT is a strategic operation here in the Bahamas which protects the borders of the United States which allows law enforcement officers in the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Bahamas and America to patrol our borders and many of you have heard of operations where they encounter illegal immigrants, drugs and also operations where they've actually rescued people. So I doubt very much that will be cancelled by President Trump."
"Will they not build an embassy? They required land on Shirley Street to build an embassy so therefore that motion is going ahead. Maybe the funding for that will be delayed depending on the administration's desire for use of those funds anywhere in the world."
Mr Symonette also said President Trump is unlikely to disrupt the status quo within the financial sector.
"Will President Trump change any of the rules related to the financial sector?" he asked. "I doubt it because he doesn't make them. Most of these regulations are made by international organisations like OECD, which are made up of many countries that all have their own agenda."
Mr Symonette concluded that Bahamians will have more impact on the country's relationship with the US than any policy President Trump supports or implements.
"If we continue with crime and other issues like that we will be blacklisted again and again and again," he said.
Mr Symonette's speech came against the backdrop of political interest in whether he will run for Parliament in the St Anne's constituency in the general election.
He remained unwilling yesterday to say what he will do, despite repeated references to his consideration and encouragement from some Rotary Club members.
Taking to the podium, his first words were: "I'm wearing a red tie today by way of appeal to Trump, not to party."
Comments
TalRussell 7 years, 2 months ago
Comrades! Brent's thoughts on Trump are his most revealing ever published by the Tribune. I'll put Brent down for having zero interest in funding - BahamaCARE!
banker 7 years, 2 months ago
My respect for Brent just went down the tubes. What a dickwad! As for the Pussy-Grabber-in-Chief, Donald Trump, he is a sexual predator, a serial liar, and a narcissist with a Grade 4 vocabulary. And Brent would have voted for him? Says a lot about Brent's moral compass.
TalRussell 7 years, 2 months ago
Comrade Banker, Brent displays the typical I prefer to speak up for any foreigner than my own red party's leader Minnis.
Deport via da mail boat the former DPM - back to his Pop's native Current.
Pearl 7 years, 2 months ago
Agree Banker. Trump has plumbed the depths and abandoned all standards of decency. Symonette may not have been keen on Clinton, but it's totally unacceptable of him to endorse Trump. And let's not kid ourselves. The real message from Trump was "Make America White Again." I don't think Symonette had much of a chance to be Bahamian PM on account of his own whiteness (let's be realistic, there's a certain amount of racism in the Bahamas too) but he has just dealt himself completely out of the game. Deservedly.
Publius 7 years, 2 months ago
Slow news day?
What an a**
Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 2 months ago
The smartest thing Brent ever did was to not put a dollar into the coffers of the Minnis controlled FNM party. And look how much happier he is for not having done so!
licks2 7 years, 2 months ago
Then why did he and his crew throw LBT under the bus? His top aim is greens. . .his train of red is tired up in the red. . .Lol! Even Scott is now "hinting" red. . .under the rocin doc!! Yoon making much sense. . .as usual for an FNM!
EasternGate 7 years, 2 months ago
Brent has always been a poor communicator. But I never realized he was so stupid. Well, he can kiss active politics goodbye
reverendrichlkemp 7 years, 2 months ago
To expected anything less, one must be dumb, deaf and stupid. A racist will always support another racist. You can tell a lot about the character of a person by the how they vote. Any good moral, upstanding citizen would never vote for an immoral, shady, lying candidate...yet many did in America, albeit, the majority of American voted for Hillary. Brent must be banished forever from Bahamian politics. Like Don the Con he's trash.
TalRussell 7 years, 2 months ago
Comrades! A reminder that it’s time to get on with BahamaCARE, public access all beaches, stop with the giveaway people's crown lands and islands to foreigners, cruise line owners, and the politically privileged - not rethink increasing corporate welfare.
BigSlick 7 years, 2 months ago
I don't always agree with you but you are on point with this post!
proudloudandfnm 7 years, 2 months ago
Well Brent that makes you a racist, sexist, asshole, moron....
Trump is scum...
proudloudandfnm 7 years, 2 months ago
Yes people. If you support trump you are a racist. A slimey, moronic, racist....
proudloudandfnm 7 years, 2 months ago
Let's all go egg trump's house!!!!!!
TalRussell 7 years, 2 months ago
Comrades! Funny how the former DPM, couldn't bring himself to voting for America's first female president - but the former DPM showed so much excitement while pushing for Long Island's MP "Reheasa" as the first female prime minister we Bahamaland - or has he too wised-up to good reasons to have also cashed-out on "Reheasa's" chances for PM?
Brent and "Rehease" - two people so lacking in any form of a political ideology that they identify as their own creation - both dependent upon what direction Papa Hubert's winds are blowing from Cooper's Town.
sheeprunner12 7 years, 2 months ago
Brent in not in active politics now .......... leave him be
licks2 7 years, 2 months ago
I THOUGHT THAT THE WORD ON THE STREETS IS THAT HE HAS FIXED-UP HIS HQ IN ST. ANNS AREA. . .THAT LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE WHO "GERN" BACK ON THE WAGON. . . WITH DOC. . .LOL!
ThisIsOurs 7 years, 2 months ago
Wonderful that just canned his chances of ever being PM. Thanks for the revelation.
sheeprunner12 7 years, 2 months ago
You cannot be serious???????? Was there ever a chance??????? ................ BOL
ThisIsOurs 7 years, 2 months ago
Ikr, #sarcasm. The following was mentioned in an editorial last week:
"If you were to ask most of the intelligent and educated people in this country whether the best person to lead such a government was Brent Symonette the response would be fairly consistent."
I was struggling to figure out who were these masses of intelligent people looking to Symonette for their salvation. But then the article also mentioned people thinking LBT would save us, so I knew right away they had to be Bizarians, you know.. from bizarro world
TalRussell 7 years, 2 months ago
Comrades! Brent was born a Conchy Joe and a native son - no different than the other twenty-percent of the population.
His colour of skin shouldn't conflict about his seeking another term as a MP, or to become our prime minister.
His father, Pop Symonette, was the balancing act that just may have prevented our country from being ruled under full apartheid.
The Good Lord knows that some on Bay Street sure as hell tried really harder than others - including before the courts, colonial governors and on floor of the People's House of Assembly.
Greentea 7 years, 2 months ago
Symonette has the same longings as Trump and should be judged harshly for these telling words- as proudloudandfnm does above. I want us to use the same sword when the darker hued Bahamians say different BS but BS never the less.
ThisIsOurs 7 years, 2 months ago
The most disturbing thing about his statement is, he made it after trump unleashed all the chaos with his travel ban and said (basically) ~"so what if Putin is a killer". I could see Symonette saying "I couldn't vote for Clinton, I might have voted for Trump but it looks like that would have been a mistake too". But he didn't say that and it's very telling. It's someone who clearly thinks they won't be affected by the racist policies unleashed on "everyone else", so it's ok., not good for the leader of a black nation.
no sane individual supports anything that negatively affects them, a person of character also considers how policies affect other people..And yes our black leaders have fallen short too. I'm sure none of them believe the police will grab their emails, that's why they tabled the Nazi communications bill last week
banker 7 years, 2 months ago
That's a great point. Suppose in the next election, the Rum Row, Eastern Road White Party got into power. Would the PLP dare introduce this bill knowing that?
banker 7 years, 2 months ago
Thanks to the Internet, people we might have only suspected of being idiots can now give us ample evidence.
sheeprunner12 7 years, 2 months ago
We have exchanged white tyrants (pre-1967) for black tyrants (post-1973) ....... We are still under the same socio-political regime culture .......... just different-looking faces
TalRussell 7 years, 2 months ago
Comrades! I read your posts and no matter how you frame them I am reminded that 44 years since Independence - and we're still living divided by a "Two Races Bahamaland" - some walls are visible and some are not in our politics and society in general as we go about our daily chores and business.
Take a closer look at our immigration polices where it's hard tell if there really has ever been a change of government over the past 20 years period?
banker 7 years, 2 months ago
You want to change the immigrant problem? Stop giving out the thousands of work permits for manual labour. If an undocumented person can't get a job here, then it would slow down the flow of illegals. Far too many Bahamians are eager to employ people on a cash basis with no questions asked, for manual labour. You still hear the term "My Haitian".
And speaking of work permits, I once ventured into a perfume shop on Bay Street, looking for olfactory goods that would help me woo a woman that I was in lust with. I was met by smarmy foreigner with a fake ingratiating attitude that was highly offputting. Swallowing the little vomit in my mouth, I engaged him in conversation. We got to talking and he told me that he was here (for years) on a work permit, as he was an expert perfume sales manager. FF Sakes. I'm no fan of Bahamianization, but a perfume sales manager expert?
(The damn perfume didn't work either. She was hoping for a lawyer who was a lil redder -- for da kids sake. Glad I lost that romantic battle.)
TalRussell 7 years, 2 months ago
Comrade Banker, now you and your work permit fragrances expert knows what the two you didn't know before that what smells good to you two - might stink to the woman's smell buds - you so lusted after.
birdiestrachan 7 years, 2 months ago
No surprise here. Birds of one feather flock together. May the good Lord be with us. And protect us from the Wicked.
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