By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
FNM Chairman Darron Cash yesterday chided the Christie administration for its “failed crime-fighting techniques” after the Canadian government sent an advisory out to its citizens this week warning them to be vigilant in Nassau.
Mr Cash said in a statement to The Big T that it was evident that the international community was rapidly reaching a point of frustration – the same point at which Bahamians had been for months.
“The enhanced crime warning issued by the Canadian government is another clear sign that despite the repeated assurances by the Prime Minister, his two Ministers of national security and the Commissioner of Police that the Bahamian people should take some comfort in the progress they are making in the war on crime,” Mr Cash said.
“Persons in the international community who ‘perform ongoing assessments of the safety and security conditions in the Bahamas’ are not persuaded and that lack of confidence in what the future looks like is causing them to issue the kinds of alerts and warnings we have seen over the past year.
“A major part of the problem is that this government is simply not focused. The Prime Minister reported recently that he had to go back to the drawing board on crime and to date we have heard little from him. The government found all the time they needed to get the Gaming Bill created in record time, and the Minister of National Security could spend precious hours touring the new fruit trees at BAMSI, but the table of new crime strategies remain empty.
“The talk about new courts has been frequent, but action has been slow. Meanwhile, the talk in the international community is about how violence in The Bahamas is increasing. Perhaps the new alert will be a warning to which they respond this time.”
The advisory, published on Wednesday on the Canadian government’s website www.canada.ca, was not nationwide but urged travellers to “exercise a high degree of caution, especially in Nassau”. It raised the alert status from normal.
Canadians are the fastest-growing visitor sector for The Bahamas: the first five months of this year saw the arrival of 75,552 Canadian tourists, a 17 per cent annual increase.
The non-resident Canadian High Commissioner for the Bahamas Robert Ready, told The Tribune on Thursday that the release of the enhanced warning came with the lead-up to the peak winter tourism season in mind.
“We’ve taken our Travel Advisory up one level,” he said. “We’ve done that based on our ongoing assessment on the safety and security conditions in The Bahamas.”
He said the Canadian government was aware of some increased violent activity in and around Nassau. He added that they were aware of what their international partners were doing and thinking with regard to various advisories, and some of the tour operators.
Comments
NoNoNo 9 years, 7 months ago
More crazy news.
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TalRussell 9 years, 7 months ago
by TalRussell
SP 9 years, 7 months ago
FNM Chairman Darron Cash is very quick on the draw with criticisms about everything Christie and the PLP does.
However, Darron Cash never offer any solutions or alternatives as to what the FNM would do differently to resolve any of the 41 year old issues we continue to face.
Obviously any jackass can point out the failings and inadequacies of others. However, that is by no stretch of the imagination any indication that the jackass has any more solutions than the one being criticized.
Both PLP and FNM play this same dumb game when in opposition.
When elected both develop immediate advanced cases of Alzheimer's and neither has any more solutions than the other.
We are not falling for that nonsense anymore Mr. Cash.
All of you on both sides of the aisles are TOTALLY PLAYED OUT!
BigD1 9 years, 7 months ago
SP, its obvious what side of the fence you are on but was it not the FNM who was on the verge of completing new Court facilities when the PLP came in canceled them then restarted them now it seems that work has stopped as the price tag increased again. We need to stop playing these political games and as Citizens (not DNA or FNM) start requiring this Government to get the job done. Blaming the previous FNM government is not a part of the solution and quite frankly a waste of time. We all need to put the fire to the feet of the current Government as they are still there until 2017 not the FNM.
TalRussell 9 years, 7 months ago
Comrade being the red shirts are an ineffective 'government-in-waiting" couldn't they at least try to appear sic ere in their convictions. The reds have been caught up on front pages of the Tribune for crime associated matters than anything else?
ChaosObserver 9 years, 7 months ago
Amazing how people (in both parties) never point the finger at themselves (or their party of choice) as the cause of problems here....It's always "someone else's problem or fault".....never take responsibility means never growing up and being accountable for one's choices (or lack thereof)....grow up Bahamas!
BigD1 9 years, 7 months ago
It seems like the whole DNA campaign is to lump the FNM with the PLP and honestly its kinda stupid. Who ever came up with this strategy really needs to come again
digimagination 9 years, 7 months ago
Scotland proved it is smart by voting to stay as a part of the UK and the overall benefits involved (very canny people the Scots). The Bahamas is in no way educated, big or strong enough to be independent - proven over 40 years. OK, so no more Brits here telling us what to do... so how about being run by Canadians? They are pretty efficient and serious enough to be able do it.
ChaosObserver 9 years, 7 months ago
What government would want to "wade" into this snake pit and try and govern the Bahamas! NO one...if they were smart....
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