The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

THE Free National Movement held a press conference outside the Department of Agriculture in Freeport yesterday demanding the removal of Deputy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis and Minister of Agriculture V Alfred Gray from Cabinet.

“Davis and Gray must go,” FNM Deputy Leader Peter Turnquest said, flanked by party supporters.

“We stand here at the Ministry of Agriculture to also echo the call of our leader the Hon Dr Hubert Minnis, who has exposed and called for the full removal of the deputy prime minister… for making false statements to Parliament and his dereliction of duty resulting in the loss of millions of tax payers’ dollars in the BAMSI insurance scandal.

“We further echo our leader’s call for the removal of V Alfred Gray based on his own admission, which (allegedly) amounts to breach of the independence of the judiciary enshrined and protected in our national Constitution.”

For weeks the FNM has called for both men to be fired or to resign from Cabinet.

The FNM has accused Mr Gray of using his Cabinet position to interfere in the judicial process of a man convicted in his constituency.

The party has also charged that Mr Davis “misled” the House of Assembly in February when he said the fire damaged dorm at the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI) had a lapsed insurance policy at the time of the blaze. Two weeks after making that statement, Mr Davis admitted in the House that the dorm never had a contractor’s all-risk insurance.

FNM Chairman Michael Pintard, Neko Grant, MP for Central Grand Bahama, Senator Kwasi Thompson were also present at yesterday’s press conference.

Mr Turnquest also expressed concern about a number of issues in Grand Bahama, including the high unemployment rate, high cost of living, and an increasing poverty rate.

The East Grand Bahama MP said that value added tax (VAT) has forced many Grand Bahamians, who were already struggling, to pay more for their basic needs.

Mr Turnquest stressed that VAT implementation in the Freeport area is inconsistent with the principles of the Hawksbill Creek Agreement.

With a mere four months left before expiration of the business license and real property tax exemptions under the agreement, he said the government has only recently appointed a committee to review and make recommendations.

“Up to this point, the PLP has squandered what could have been a major opportunity to advance the development of Freeport and set a new vision,” he said.

On the issue of energy, Mr Turnquest stressed that if the island’s economy is to improve, electricity must be provided at a reasonable cost. This will be high on the agenda of a caring FNM government, he said.

“Grand Bahamians continue to suffer through an economy which remains in crisis with no improvement in sight,” he said.

Mr Turnquest pointed out that after almost three years in office, the PLP administration has failed to facilitate job creation or to effectively manage the granting of work permits for work that Grand Bahamians can do, particularly in the hotel and entertainment sector.

The government has also failed to establish a Bureau of Standards for the testing of metres, including electricity meters; to promote local entertainment and reduce departure taxes at the airport; to build affordable housing or to provide mortgage relief; to construct new schools and to build a new hospital.