PLP Leader Philip 'Brave' Davis. (File photo)
PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party Leader Philip “Brave” Davis accused the Minnis administration of mismanaging its Hurricane Dorian and COVID-19 response.
“There’s no doubt Dorian caused terrible destruction,” he said in the House of Assembly yesterday. “It would have challenged any government. But this government mismanaged Dorian from the start – their effort was bungling, ineffective, embarrassing, disrespectful, heartless.
“And so Grand Bahamians and Abaconians have suffered more, it has cost us more, and the recovery is agonisingly slower.
“Incompetence matters. Here it led to more tragedy, more heartbreak, more anguish. “Who can forget the aftermath of the hurricane, during which this government failed to coordinate humanitarian aid, failed to lift flight restrictions for planes flying in relief supplies, failed to show up where they were needed most? Who can forget Bahamians begging for the government to show their face?”
He criticised the government for not offering free flights on Bahamasair for those who wanted to evacuate storm zones ahead of time, suggesting more lives could have been saved had this been done.
“How many people perished because they did not have the money to fly their family to safety? And if the answer is any number bigger than zero, how do they live with that?
“After the storm, for nearly a week, only private planes were evacuating residents out of Marsh Harbour, a handful of seats at a time. Where was our national airline?
“When they finally showed up, they charged $75 a seat on flights – charging people who had nothing left but the clothes on their back. After a social media storm, they backed off, but they had already shown us their true colours.
“I don’t need to remind anyone in this country about the bodies stored in trailers, or the shifting death toll numbers, or the mass funeral and the relatives who were kept away. Those are tragedies etched into our collective national memory.”
He also hit out at budget cuts at the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness.
“The budget we’re debating today, the same one they’ve been defending, cuts millions from hurricane preparedness – that’s right, ignoring warnings that there is a 60 percent chance that this year’s hurricane season will be more active than usual, the government has decided in 2021 we can invest less than we did last year in protecting ourselves from the next storm.”
In reference to COVID-19, he said the government still has no plan.
“Instead of a plan, the competent authority instead has issued—and continues to issue—dozens and dozens of emergency orders, imposing and changing restrictions that result in a zig-zagging maze of regulations, prohibitions and penalties,” he said.
He again called for free COVID-19 testing to assist in the fight against the disease.
He also said the government was too slow to roll out its vaccine campaign and called for more education to combat vaccine hesitancy.
Comments
carltonr61 2 years, 10 months ago
Brave is saying he can read from Covid Hitler scripts and do it better - forced vaccination, threats and rewards for loyalalists. European industrial nations are at political war with the world as a goal to push their big pharma to huge profits by blocking better Covid advice and vaccines.Covid has become a management issue for many nations while we hang back counting the dead as a fearmongering headline. Florida just 90miles away is wide open while we see government cooking up a Delta Indian virus discovery toward further lockdowns then forced vaccination as in UK this week. The mathematical emotional theory % vaccination = % economy performs is a firing squard dressed as medical advise. Covid work from home global reset experiment is filled with health dangers according to Central Bank employees. There must be other answers and other ways forward besides the slave script Brave wants to improve on.
carltonr61 2 years, 10 months ago
Dames assursion that being healthy and unvaccinated is an automatic medical crime after 10pm does not add up as even vaccinated persons can spread Covid and get sick. Covid has become a political power gamesmanship tool as the medical math says all persons could get Covid, what matters is your personal state of health, sanitary protocols and your youth.
M0J0 2 years, 10 months ago
Dangerous game they are playing and quite childish. It just shows you their way of thinking which is sad and also very dangerous. It is just so funny that we mix at work, at home, in parliament, in the food store, and almost everywhere, but only vaccinated can partake in certain measures. You cant just cant make up this crap.
carltonr61 2 years, 10 months ago
@mojo. The plan could work hypothetically by declaring a sunshine deadly Bahamas strain of the virus. Shut down Nassau for a month except for tourists. Threaten to fire Armed forces' jobs unless vaccinated. Let the Dames vaccine paddy wagon visit every home to vaccinate at gunpoint or remain at home jail till eternity. Easy.
M0J0 2 years, 10 months ago
lol seems to be what's coming though
carltonr61 2 years, 10 months ago
Don't try that.
M0J0 2 years, 10 months ago
But on a serious note its sad to see what the Bahamas is being turned into, its really modern day slavery.
carltonr61 2 years, 10 months ago
Yea. Feels like I have been living in a mental sardine can for 455 days of home jail and lack of civil liberties. Although gov knows AZ vaccine is no cure and proven to not prevent Covid they this pushing
https://sputniknews.com/india/2021040...">https://sputniknews.com/india/2021040...
proudloudandfnm 2 years, 10 months ago
97.5% of people hospitalized with covid are unvaccinated. Fact is the vaccines are working.
tribanon 2 years, 10 months ago
Biden himself recently reported that there are now less than 400 deaths a day in the US from the Wuhan Virus. Do you have any idea how many people die each day in automobile traffic accidents in the US? Do you have any idea how many Americans die each day from heart attacks? You wouldn't know a meaningful 'FACT' if it slapped you broadside your face! lol
carltonr61 2 years, 10 months ago
https://www-bbc-com.cdn.ampproject.or...">https://www-bbc-com.cdn.ampproject.or...
Seychelles though almost 100% vaccinated everyone caught Covid and some died.
rdonaldson 2 years, 10 months ago
Sad that you are still pushing that AZ vaccine is no cure. It was certainly better than nothing which is what you are pushing. The AZ vaccine has proven to prevent hospitalization and the majority of people hospitalized did in fact have Covid. Why dont you try and help your fellow-Bahamians understand this rather than trying to deter them with bull.
licks2 2 years, 10 months ago
These clowns are intend to talk bull. . .talking sense with them will not help!! But I must say they are right about vaccines not "curing" covid. . .nor does a flue shot "cure" the flue!! But I wonder where in this world they "got" the idea that anybody said or expected those vaccines to cure covid? He he he he he. . .the blind trying to lead the "deff"!!!
carltonr61 2 years, 10 months ago
99.9% of persons who catch Covid survive according to CDC. The persons who die suffer diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity or simply old age diseases issues. Why are you trying to force perfectly healthy persons to take a vaccine that has caused deaths, sever injuries, and unknown injuries because after all the CDC has not approved it for use. It is an experiamtal vaccine that is six months and long term effects may come to light within one year or eight. That is why our doctors and nurses unions refuse to take it.
licks2 2 years, 10 months ago
Well. . .its no use responding to this post. . .we can't skin this cat. . .this cat een gat no skin on it!!!
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