The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

PROCESSING delays in payments for poll workers in the gender equality referendum have renewed calls for the disclosure of the government’s funding of the YES Bahamas campaign.

Workers in several constituencies across New Providence have not been paid for their service in preparing and administering the June 7 vote, The Tribune understands.

However, Parliamentary Commissioner Sherlyn Hall refused to confirm or deny reports yesterday, stating only that his department’s accounting section was dealing with the matter.

One unpaid worker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, expressed frustration at a seemingly disorganised process in comparison to the experience of staffers at the YES Bahamas campaign.

“I went to five meetings before the referendum,” said the poll worker, who worked in the Bain and Grants Town constituency, “and we were told that we would be paid $50 for each meeting. Then I worked the polls from 6am to 11pm, they didn’t specify how much we would be paid for that.”

“We worked so hard in those hot conditions, we didn’t have no A/C, it was terrible conditions. How is it that we can’t get paid, and you look and see all of the YES (Bahamas) people have gotten paid, all of the Urban Renewal people that they had working for them.”

The worker continued: “I’m thankful for the opportunity but I haven’t gotten a dime and I have bills to pay. What’s taking so long? It’s so disturbing that they could pay the YES (Bahamas) campaign so quickly, then turn around and take so long to pay us.”

An official within the Parliamentary Registration Department explained yesterday that delays were due to the extensive process related to the release of government funds.

“The documentation has been submitted to the parliamentary commissioner, it’s at National Security who will then forward it on to the Treasury,” the official said.

“In the smaller constituencies, there are less people and their own processed faster. We had to verify sign in sheets, a lot of people who attended the meetings didn’t sign in like they should have, or persons had others sign in for them and didn’t show up.

“So we’re verifying our records, this is the people’s money so we have to be thorough.”

The June 7 constitutional referendum was overwhelmingly rejected by voters, with many pointing to the government’s financial backing of the YES Bahamas campaign as a major misstep.

It is still unclear how much money the Christie administration spent on the referendum through funding of the YES Bahamas campaign and the Constitutional Commission.

The YES Bahamas’ campaign’s radio and television advertising saturated local media, leading opposition camps and politicians to accuse the government of attempting to railroad voters into a ‘yes’ vote.

Earlier this month, former Deputy Prime Minister Brent Symonette said: “We have to find out the cost. Every time you turned on the TV there were ads. How much did this cost the Bahamian people?”

Yesterday, Minister of State for Finance Michael Halkitis did not respond to questions on the government’s spending, while YES Bahamas Co-chair and Senate President Sharon Wilson did not return messages left up to press time.