Mitchell and Gray join call for campaign finance laws

MINISTER of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Fred Mitchell in the House of Assembly.

As of Friday, March 18, 2016

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

FOX Hill MP Fred Mitchell and MICAL MP V Alfred Gray joined a growing number of parliamentarians yesterday in calling for campaign finance laws to be enacted, with Mr Mitchell saying the lack of such laws is at the root of the Peter Nygard/Louis Bacon controversy ensnaring the major political parties at the moment.

In secret video recordings that are part of a Save the Bays case against Mr Nygard before the Supreme Court, the Canadian fashion mogul alleged that he “pissed away” $5m dollars to the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) only to be disappointed by “fake promises” from Prime Minister Perry Christie.

On Tuesday night, Deputy Prime Minister Philip Davis said Mr Nygard “may have contributed” to the PLP, but that did not mean the governing party was “in his pocket”.

Mr Christie, during debate in the House of Assembly this week, has said he is concerned that people are raising allegations that he may have acted improperly because his party received a donation. However, he has rejected those assertions and has also said he could not speak to the amount of the supposed donation.

“No less a person than the prime minister acknowledged that Peter Nygard made a contribution to the PLP during the last election,” Mr Gray told The Tribune yesterday. “He didn’t say how much because he don’t handle the PLP’s money. You need to ask the chairman that.”

When contacted and questioned, PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts did not answer directly.

He said: “The prime minister has already spoken to that.”

When told Mr Christie said he was unaware of the exact amount Mr Nygard donated, Mr Roberts said: “Ask him again, sir. Whatever he said is the answer.”

Bahamian laws offer no prohibition on who politicians can accept donations from, nor do they require parties and politicians to disclose those who donate to them.

This practice, however, runs counter to global trends aiming to establish a system of transparency and accountability through campaign finance laws, something the Organisation of American States (OAS) has long requested The Bahamas do.

Asked if progress has been made toward bringing such laws to Parliament, Attorney General Allyson Maynard Gibson suggested yesterday that the matter is still among the priorities her department is working on.

Meanwhile, Mr Mitchell said: “My own view is yes (lack of campaign finance laws) is the root of this. How do you fund election campaigns? As it presently stands, you can accept donations from everywhere and we don’t have to disclose where those donations come from. It’s difficult if you’re not in office to raise money because there are only a certain set of people who have money in this country.

“That’s the white Bahamians who largely give money to the Free National Movement, the white Bahamian businessmen. Then you have the Lyford Cay group, the black businessmen like the ‘Sunshine Boys’ and the Sunshine Group, the Grand Bahama Port Authority, and now the fellows who in the gaming business.

“That’s the group and if you see money springing up from anywhere it’s got to be one of those groups if it comes from inside the country,” Mr Mitchell said.

“And you have from outside the country as well. The question is the law needs to be designed to deal with that, disclosure, sources, amounts, and public financing campaigns. All that should be on the table I think.”

For his part, Mr Gray stressed that the press should not paint receipt of donations from Mr Nygard as unseemly, saying it would only be unsavoury if the Lyford Cay resident received something in return for those donations.

He said: “Don’t smear the government because it took a contribution.”

“If you talk to the FNM, they took contributions too.

“I hope campaign finance laws are on the agenda because this is a bunch of foolishness because it’s not illegal, first of all, and I don’t want to get too far into that. But if it’s not illegal for people to give contributions I don’t know why it’s an important position today, because it’s Louis Bacon or Nygard?

“Let’s not look at who gives the contributions. Let’s look if whether the contribution is legal. So far we know it’s legal. What I’m saying, we cannot talk about party accepting contributions that is legal because once it’s within the law, it’s within the law. If you could find, or anybody could find, that the PLP gave something in return for the contribution, that becomes unsavoury. We acknowledge that there were contributions made to the party. I want campaign finance to come to pass. I said (Wednesday) night, I spent over $200,000 of my own money and my party never gave me a dime, never received a contribution from anyone. I wish it comes to pass so I could get help if I ran, help from the Bahamian people. But do not skew this. It’s not illegal for anyone to give contributions.”

GrassRoot 8 years, 1 month ago

"Asked if progress has been made toward bringing such laws to Parliament, Attorney General Allyson Maynard Gibson suggested yesterday that the matter is still among the priorities her department is working on." Yep our Twisted Sister is on to it, The way this sounds they have to prioritize the priorities list from time to time at the AG's office. sooooo many things to do and so little achieved.

jackbnimble 8 years, 1 month ago

Yeah, sure. This is an election year. Mouth say anything and paper don't mind who the hell write on it!

TalRussell 8 years, 1 month ago

2012 Newly Sworn-in PLP Cabinet Ministers at Nygard Cay -

.......///https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw1xU...">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw1xU...

themessenger 8 years, 1 month ago

Now that the PLP war chest full from numbers and Nygard money, probably some VAT money in there too, they start whining about campaign finance reform. Christie and his bunch of vultures have had nine years to do something about this and they aren't even accountable for their own financial declarations. Now that they're all gorged to bursting off the fat of the land they want everybody else to now go on a diet.

EasternGate 8 years, 1 month ago

So true

sheeprunner12 8 years, 1 month ago

Will it be like the NHI, NIA, FOIA or UR2.0 laws that the PLP have failed to produce as well?????? ............ and that they seem so concerned about as well???????

BahamaPundit 8 years, 1 month ago

Instead of saying it, just do it. This is election season, a perfect time to enforce the new law. Talk is cheap, especially in The Bahamas.

TigerB 8 years, 1 month ago

Tal, there is something else i recall, when Nygard came to Freeport, they literally place a red carpet on the ramp for him to walk on. He was given a hero's welcome with every high ranking goverment official shaking his hands, what a difference a day makes!

EasternGate 8 years, 1 month ago

Notice how tired Fred looking lately? I wonder if is due to his "lifestyle"?

Tarzan 8 years, 1 month ago

Gee Fred, is this government incapable of passing a simple, straight forward law?

What is so difficult about this?

Oh, is it that we don't want to cut off our illicit funding? Oh, is it that there is no real campaign finance millions for the opposition coming from legitimate environmental groups who only want to preserve this wonderful land?

"Say it ain't so Joe." We are not all morons.

SP 8 years, 1 month ago

Blah, blah? Damage control in full swing mode, smoke and mirrors at ultimate output

Truth is, both PLP and FNM have a long standing history of shaking down high net worth individuals in Lyford Cay, Ocean Club and throughout the Bahamas at large compromising themselves at the highest levels!

These wealthy people are accustomed to "walking the line" by donating to both parties so as to ensure no matter the outcome of an election, they have direct access to the powers that be enabling them to use high end law firms to lobby for and get whatever they want, whenever they want, without question!

Our country like the U.S. is heavily influenced by these big donors that frequently invite prime ministers and cabinet ministers to dinner parties and house functions parading them around like prized possessions to empress friends or obtain "special favors" that the electorate would never begin to imagine possible!

These people are equivalent to the highest echelon of 1% of corporate Americans now doing everything in their power to stop Donald Trump becoming GOP front leader, and willing to scuttle everything standing in their way out of fear of exposure linking them to corrupt politicians whom they have controlled for decades.

Similarly, Nygard and Bacon are but two of many whose money have long compromised the PLP and FNM rendering them unable to govern the Bahamas in the best interest of Bahamians.

The reality is, no matter what Fred Mitchell, Afred Gray, PM Christie or anyone in the House "says", changing direction is just talk and damage control.

They are ALREADY comfortably settled deep into these peoples pockets, have been compromised for decades, and are powerless to get out!

To expect anything to "change" under the PLP or FNM is nothing more than an illusion adding more fodder for fools who are constantly wondering how certain individuals can get anything they desire with astonishing frequency and in record short times, while Bahamians cannot accomplish anything whatsoever after literally decades of trying.

Believe it, or not believe it 1+1 = 2 and scientifically, it cannot be changed!

sheeprunner12 8 years, 1 month ago

The three party leaders should present a joint campaign finance reform Bill to Parliament as soon as possible .......... that will go a long way in restoring Bahamians' trust in our political system going forward towards the 2017 election ............. do it before the Referendum

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