The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net FREEPORT - Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said the FNM government will deepen its programme of reform and modernisation nationally, and advance economic recovery and sustainable economic development for Grand Bahama. While on Grand Bahama on Sunday, the FNM leader said Bahamians can trust the FNM to get the job done no matter how hard the task. "We have a dynamic team which represents some of the best of the Bahamian imagination. We have a team that will advance the FNM's comprehensive vision of national development," Mr Ingraham said. Prime Minister Ingraham said the PLP government under the indecisive leadership of Perry Christie failed to deliver on their promises to the Bahamian people. Mr Ingraham said that during a period of time that was described as excellent economically, even booming, the PLP government let the economy of Grand Bahama collapse. "A hurricane hit this island in 2005 and caused terrible damage and caused a historic hotel to close. Did they come out with guns blazing to your rescue? No they ran for cover, closed their eyes and hoped that you would go away - problems and all," he said. Mr Ingraham said there were overcrowded classrooms, inadequate operating theatres, pot-holed roads, poor water pressure, rusty water, and a harbour unable to accommodate the newest cruise ships plying the world's ocean. The FNM Leader said Perry Christie is running on "a record of unkept promises and a failure to deliver." He stressed that Mr Christie left no discernible footprints on Grand Bahama. "When the Royal Oasis closed following the hurricane in 2005 they waffled for three years; had no idea what to do. They waffled, wavered and wondered while more than 1,500 employees lost their jobs and never got them back. Indeed it would take the FNM to come to office to finish paying those Royal Oasis workers what the PLP promised them," said Mr Ingraham. The FNM leader also stated that many of the investments on Grand Bahama announced under the PLP during their term in office have vanished and floundered. Mr Ingraham said among those investments were Pegasus, Ginn, and the groundbreaking for a new hotel investment at Midshipman and Seahorse Roads, days before the election. The prime minister said since returning to office the FNM has brought investment, expansion, and job creation. He noted that FNM planned and built the new Mary Patricia Junior High School since its return to office. Additionally, he noted that the FNM built four schools on Grand Bahama - Hugh Campbell and Maurice Moore Primary schools and Jack Hayward and St George High schools - in the 1990's. Mr Ingraham indicated that the FNM has implemented and upgraded critical care facilities at the Rand Memorial Hospital. He said the government will open the newly renovated modern state of the art operating theatre and accident and emergency facilities at the Rand on Wednesday. "We built a multi-million dollar office complex in Grand Bahama; we build critical seawalls for the island's protection from hurricane; we put in new docking facilities in East Grand Bahama," stated Mr Ingraham. He also said government, with the Grand Bahama Port Authority, built a new craft centre. Mr Ingraham said the FNM government has provided safety nets for Bahamians, implementing unemployment benefits under the NIB programme, as well as the introduction of the Prescription Drug benefit. He added that almost 1,000 persons on Grand Bahama have been hired to work in the government's 52-week programme. "Indeed, today, it is FNM successes, left in place when we were put in office in 2002, that today are carrying this island's economy, such as the Lucaya Resort, Freeport Container Port, Grand Bahama Shipyard, Bradford Marine, and Polymers International," said Mr Ingraham. He said under the FNM's watch Ross University has come benefiting many Bahamian through rentals, employment and consumer spending. "We have a discernible footprint in Grand Bahama and that is why Grand Bahama is FNM country." Mr Ingraham said he will have more to say in the coming weeks and months about the FNM's efforts here in Grand Bahama in these very difficult times.