The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

I refer to The Tribune’s article on Thursday, January 12, regarding Prime Minister Perry Christie, along with the more recent revelation that he wishes to hold onto the baton for a while longer. Whilst I have not walked in the man’s shoes, I am astounded that as this point in time he truly believes that he and the current administration have not only done an outstanding job, but have excelled to such an extent as to warrant running for another term in office.

Yes, sir, what an outstanding job you have done, that the country has been downgraded during your administration by Standard & Poor’s to “junk” status, and that we have narrowly missed facing a similar downgrade by Moody’s.

What an incredible feat your colleagues have undertaken to see us slip from 85 in 2012 to 121 on the ease of doing business index. Currently the Bahamas sits just above Egypt on this index.

To hold two referendums during your term and then go against the will of the people with respect to the gambling referendum; I congratulate you, sir. Your actions most certainly cry out for democracy.

You speak of using means and tools to which you have access to your full advantage in order to give the people access to information. Yet, we still do not have a Freedom of Information Act. How can we, the people, readily trust in the limited information that we do have access to when our Prime Minister has been quoted as saying that his colleagues must take maximum advantage in providing the people with information of what the PLP has done “without it being clouded by a political opinion and negative political conclusions, which will come about by people who are partial to their point of view.”

Am I not entitled to an opinion? Are your country folk not entitled to their own opinions? Or are you content in raising students to achieve a national average of D and below; arguably creating adults who do not have access to the means or skills to question information or an analysis presented to them?

So it seems, sir, that you agree that we should have access to information, but only to suit reinforcing a good public opinion when it serves your agenda. Sir, what an outstanding example you set for us and for our future generations. Or have I misunderstood your quote? Do only people who follow your agenda and fail to question deserve information?

Are Bahamians, the very people who elected you to office, defined by their right to information based on the simple fact of whether or not they support your party?

The Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade recently celebrated the 26% decrease in serious crime statistics in 2016. I am baffled by such results, as by my accounts we have yet to learn about the life changing action plan for crime which was referred to so frequently last year. The plan, which promised to be shared, yet we remain waiting. So tell me, what is that plan, and what measures were put in place? What changes caused this decrease in serious crime to come about?

And while you’re at it, please explain what constitutes serious crime? Why is rape and unlawful sex recorded separately? How many calls to the police were not acted upon or not followed up on? Are unexplained deaths included in these figures? What about cases that haven’t been tried? If the court hasn’t ruled a death by murder, what category does this fall into in the statistics provided? It was mentioned that bodies are still in the morgue waiting to be processed but what failed to be referenced were how many bodies? If the numbers waiting to be reviewed is high enough, it could certainly affect the results. Which makes me wonder once the autopsies are performed whether we will receive updated information and the figures related to this?

How can serious crime be down when people are afraid to leave their homes? How can serious crime be down when as soon as Hurricane Matthew subsided, there were reports of theft and individuals knocking on doors pretending to be the police? I have read more notices in the newspapers advising that the USA have issued travel advisories and warnings related to crime, and more articles in the newspapers of shots fired and lives lost than I care to remember.  

I would applaud you and your government on the two Carnivals, which took place during your current term in office, but you have yet to advise how successful they were. Perhaps, instead, I should focus on the income generated, the cost savings made, the room nights achieved and the local artists celebrated, but how can I? We have not been given access to this information. We are selling a foreign product with foreign headliners branded as Bahamian. Yes, sir, I agree that your government certainly put on a spectacle. We have yet to receive a budget, or an expenditure report on either carnival. I commend you, sir, on running such a tight ship.

Prime Minister Christie, you must be confident indeed on your successes thus far for a government colleague to even consider the idea of selling Bahamian sand to Florida, our competitor. You must be particularly confident when one considers that such a high percentage of our GDP is generated from tourism.

Clearly we have enough tourists that we can afford to give Florida sand to replenish their beaches, and thus enabling them to maintain or even increase their tourism trade. No doubt there is no need to consider the ramifications to our beaches, or the impact that it might have on our tourism if our beaches have less sand. No doubt you have a plan. In a world where there are finite resources, no doubt your colleagues weighed up the risks and environmental impact that this might have. Without access to information and transparency within the government, how can we trust that this was not just a vindictive rumour? How can we trust that the deal hasn’t already been signed?

In the same way, the fishing and farming partnership proposal with the Chinese, I’m sure was considered from every angle and was not considered on the basis of personal gain.  It would be naive to believe that the Chinese would travel halfway across the globe to help their friends in The Bahamas without it benefiting them in some way; particularly as they have been known to over-fish their own seas.

Yes sir, I’m sure this was already considered and proved not to be the case. It seems that the Government listened to the people and their uproars on this occasion, or so I hope. Yet the same cannot be said for so many Bahamians, including those attending We March Bahamas and the concerns which they have raised.

Baha Mar, BAMSI, Toggie & Bobo, issues regarding the Urban Renewal initiative I could go on…

It seems, sir, that our measures of success are at odds with one another. I wonder, what is in store for us next.

FP

Nassau,

January 19, 2017.