Roberts defends PLP record over the past three years

Bradley Roberts

As of Wednesday, December 30, 2015

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts yesterday stressed that the Bahamas has come a long way during the past three years under the leadership of the Progressive Liberal Party.

He added that the country’s “key performance indicators are much better than May 2012, therefore, the government has good reasons for its expressed informed optimism.”

In a statement released yesterday, Mr Roberts said with the opening of Baha Mar expected in 2016 “the challenges of unemployment will greatly diminish.”

His comments came on the heels of the Department of Statistics’ grim unemployment figures that were released last week. Those figures showed the national unemployment rate rose to 2.8 per cent, from 12 per cent in May to 14.8 per cent in November.

Mr Roberts, in a press statement, was responding to recent comments by Free National Movement Deputy Leader Peter Turnquest, published in a local daily, who urged Bahamians to take “with a grain of salt” the government’s response to the new unemployment statistics.

Mr Turnquest was referring to Labour Minister Shane Gibson’s assertion that despite the latest Labour Force Survey results, “The Bahamas has made tremendous strides since the global recession and more Bahamians are in fact working.”

Mr Roberts said: “It is a fact that the government has engaged in much heavy lifting over the past three years to put the country’s fiscal house in order and to turn around the country’s number one industry. Additionally, Mr Turnquest has failed to refute any claim made by the government in its response to the preliminary results of the November Labour Survey.

“If Turnquest wants to talk about ‘cold hard facts’, he must account for the cold hard fact that unemployment doubled from 7.6 per cent to 14.8 per cent in just five years under the watch of the FNM government - that amounts to 15,000 additional Bahamians being put out of work under the watch of the FNM.

“Also, he must explain how and why the economy contracted during that period of time; how the national debt expanded by 40 per cent; the fact that the government’s bank overdraft stood at several hundred million dollars; why the budget deficit stood at $670 million and why tourism performance stood at a twenty-five year low.

“To add insult to injury, there was no investment project of significance in the pipeline to stimulate the economy so having left a budgetary surplus, near full employment and billions of dollars of projects in the pipeline in 2007, the incoming PLP government found itself back at ground zero with virtually no fiscal headroom and nothing to work with. “

He added: “With such a terrible record of governance, Turnquest has the temerity to shamelessly tell Bahamians not to trust the PLP government.

This was the fiscal mess the PLP government inherited in May 2012. This is a matter of public record and Bahamians must not forget that.”

Mr Roberts said tourism has clearly rebounded in a big way, with increased airlifts in a number of family islands due to an aggressive and successful tourism marketing and co-branding campaign.

“The Bahamas government has executed at least 22 heads of agreement for tourism related projects to further strengthen the tourism project and brand, stimulate the economy and create jobs. The 30 per cent decline in the number of discouraged workers is proof positive of the confidence and optimism that unemployed Bahamians continue to express in the economy.

“In its latest assessment of the local economy, the Central Bank expressed optimism, projecting that the economy will ‘continue to grow at a very mild pace in 2016.’ This is positive news compared to the terrible news of economic contraction just a few years ago under the watch of the FNM. Additionally, the Central Bank’s projections corroborate the earlier statement by the government that we continue to operate in a global economic environment marked by a ‘subdued and protracted’ economic recovery. The government recognises this and candidly admits to this reality,” Mr Roberts said.

Honestman 8 years, 3 months ago

"PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts yesterday stressed that the Bahamas has come a long way during the past three years under the leadership of the Progressive Liberal Party."

Ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,...wait.......ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,....OMG.......ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha.

Economist 8 years, 3 months ago

Well you must be keeping the success a secret, like everything else the government does because none of us can see this success.

The_Oracle 8 years, 3 months ago

Certainly, we have come along way, In the completely WRONG direction!

TruePeople 8 years, 3 months ago

these bey dem would be underwater telling you bout how they so dry they deserve dry person of the year award. Thing is dese bey is so liard and so delusion, they prob believe themselves...

ohdrap4 8 years, 3 months ago

there is an old internet proverb:

Do all fairy tales start with 'once upon a time'? no, some start with ' when I am elected ...'

TalRussell 8 years, 3 months ago

Comrade "Big Bad" Brad it is true your PLP government have engaged in much heavy lifting over the past three plus years but there is little evidence it had much to do with putting the government's fiscal house in order.
Most see the rush for the legalization of the Numbers Houses to have used up most PLP Cabinet's heavy lifting muscles.
What was most true back during the 2012 General, there were enough voters plenty strong on dumping Papa Hubert's Red Regime, but they had a problem how to go about avoiding all the dire warnings that electing another PLP government would be even worse than the one elected previously.
But all that was almost 4 years ago and that same fever to dump Papa is showing its head again but questions remain, if the dislike for the reds remain deeper and wider than their disappointment in PM Christie and his Cabinet Colleagues?
Honestly, Comrade Tal at this time is unable answer in advance that 2017 General's most difficult of all questions that will decide the election results.
Regardless, there will not be too many gung-ho to return the PLP back to government and most definitely - not as another majority PLP government.

proudloudandfnm 8 years, 3 months ago

Bahamar opening in 2016 hey?

According to who?

Perry (I don't know a hole in the ground) Christie????

GrassRoot 8 years, 3 months ago

of course things are good for him, his part of the inner circle, I bet they had a heck of a year, would love to see these people finally disclose there increase in wealth.

Islandgirl 8 years, 3 months ago

I would like to see an attorney general who is elected and not just a political appointee so then these foul people could be made to follow the law instead of turning up their noses at it, ignoring it and getting away with their insolence. We need an audit right back to the time of independence of every one of them, and have all the tiefed funds returned to the country, even from the ones who already dead since their children and grandchildren still benefitting. All these businesses and foreign trips and miles of crown land they could not possible have purchased legally come to mind. I dont see why they and their families can continue to get fat and flourish from illegal activity while the rest of us scrap and suffer, and still get taxed to hell to hurt some more. A person can get prosecuted and punished for stealing a loaf of bread. These people rape and rip off the whole country and get to live the life of riley. Disgraceful and unacceptable and it needs to stop. Jail them too.

asiseeit 8 years, 3 months ago

Lets see, the only heavy lifting I see is the destruction of our democracy, the destruction of BOB, the destruction of our economy, the destruction of our reputation, the downfall of Baha Mar, the flight of investors, the destruction of the rule of law. I really do not know what else they could destroy with their heavy lifting. Oh shit, I forgot about the nation breaker, WEEEE-HOO, Perry Care coming to destroy first the insurance industry and then destroy the country, all so a petulant little PLP prince can have a legacy. Yep Perry, your legacy will be of the Prime Minister who destroyed the Bahamas in 5 years you ASSHOLE! I am SO ready to MARCH and shut the town down!

Islandgirl 8 years, 3 months ago

Plenty of us ready, trust me. This peon got ta go. Now.

asiseeit 8 years, 3 months ago

Mr. Roberts, it is a sin to LIE. Ah well we all know these set do not believe in god, if they did would they lie, cheat, steal, and more?

BoopaDoop 8 years, 3 months ago

Are the numbers houses still exempt from VAT? Does the gubment collect any taxes from these a$$holes?

i_land_boy 8 years, 3 months ago

i asked myself the same question the other day, how are numbers not under VAT? the numbers house provide a service of letting you place bets on on foreign lotteries, VAT is a service tax. there are more ways that they are a service than not. another slap in the face.......