By KHRISNA RUSSELL
Deputy Chief Reporter
krussell@tribunemedia.net
DESPITE a wave of positive reviews from Cabinet ministers of the Minnis administration’s first two years in office, opposition member of Parliament Glenys Hanna Martin says this government’s performance has been “abysmal”.
In an interview with The Tribune, the Englerston MP pointed to several issues of national interest, insisting there was major concern among Bahamians regarding the country’s future.
Chief among these, she claimed were matters related to Bahamas Power and Light.
The power provider has seen some dark days, brought on by frequent power outages, boardroom divisions, a period of elevated electricity costs last year and the more recent resignation of Christina Alston from the post of chief operating officer.
And there was also the Oban Energies debacle, which Mrs Hanna Martin said showed irregularities in procedures in the processing of foreign direct investors.
“They’re in one reality and the rest of us are in another and this is cause for concern when your government is so out of touch with what is happening,” Mrs Hanna Martin said.
“When you analyse the last two years I think they have been abysmal. They’ve been marked by a number of very fundamental missteps.”
“We saw it at BPL. There was something very bizarre when an entire board for some reason was gone and where the chairman indicated that it was her insistance on transparency, which led to her departure.
“Of course we recall the comments by the minister which were in a most vitriolic fashion targeting her and then of course you had the issue of the fire. We have yet to get a report of that, which is in hand and which the minister said he would bring and the union has a view of what led to that fire and said it publicly. Then you’ve now had the COO resign and we still don’t understand that. Then there was the issue with the hike in cost. This is a state owned enterprise. It’s our energy company and has been totally inundated by questions and queries.”
Regarding Oban, she said: “It is important not just for its own sake but because it highlights the lack of integrity of the procedures in government processes under this administration, where someone of that nature that company with principles with questions surrounding them could make their way all the way up to the top floor of Cabinet and then thereafter be so discredited in terms of their history.
“Then of course you had the debacle of the gentleman signing someone else’s name and the file has gone missing. But what is important is that’s a major concern for us as a people.”
Mrs Hanna Martin further pointed to the value added tax increase last year as not being properly executed and contrary to the promises of the Minnis administration.
“It was done without consultation and superimposed on the Bahamian people and against the advise of Chamber of Commerce and others which seemed to be relevant. They’ve done what I consider the inverse of turning water into wine.
“They have increased taxation and reduced revenue that is quite amazing that they could not achieve at such a bizarre way.”
The handling of the domestic gaming industry has also contributed to the disaster that has been the government’s first two years in office, the former Cabinet minister insisted.
According to Mrs Hanna Martin, the Minnis administration has handled operators with a “native hostility”.
Comments
realitycheck242 4 years, 11 months ago
BPL new generators have arrived and are at the container port, Installation will be completed in 3 - 4 months. Power outages will be a thing of the past.Staff at the post office are operating at their new offices in the TC Mall this week. Thats what you call getting results. Opposition MPs need to sit small and stop the babble about insignificent things
birdiestrachan 4 years, 11 months ago
When the average Bahamian can say that their lives are better under The FNM Government. is when it counts. people do not vote for Governments to make their lives harder..
When you hurt your citizens as in the case of Former Police officer Dean. You count for zero. When you swallow while others chew. it does not count. .
They have taxed the poor beyond endurance. While the rich gets richer, As for corruption what do they call what Kay Forbes smith has done. and if the PLP had given a contract the same as the one given to Brent Symonette their would be no end to the stories. These FNM Fellows are true liars. they believe their own lies.
DWW 4 years, 11 months ago
irrelevant. (doesn't even deserve a capital I!)
concernedcitizen 4 years, 11 months ago
48 million went missing from road traffic when she was transport minister ,,she needs to just go away .What I wonder where are the PLP going to get the funds for a general election ??The number boys are legal so they don, t need to finance the PLP ,Remember the people voted 3 to 1 against legal number houses and the PLP still legalized it and gave them a ridiculously low tax rate . Nygard is done and not going to give them 5 million like before , and the Chinese already paid off the top PLP,s and got what they wanted ,,they are going to have a hard raising money ,,and once the new generators come on stream and Grand Bahama gets some of those projects going ,,basically I see Birdie chirping in the wilderness for another 5 years
proudloudandfnm 4 years, 11 months ago
Who is she too judge ANY government???? She's a perry cabinet minister, the worst cabinet in our entire history. She is as lousy as can be. Retire woman, go find a job somewhere and buss out. Useless woman...
jus2cents 4 years, 11 months ago
Agree, ministry's under her watch lost millions and funds went missing. She is lucky we don't have more 'accountability' in government and forensic accountants in every governmental department.
birdiestrachan 4 years, 11 months ago
Truth there is no one in the FNM Government who can drag her old shoes. this includes doc. The FNM's are shamed face so they utter nonsense,
birdiestrachan 4 years, 11 months ago
48 million gone missing from Road Traffic. it should be easy to find, just shooting of the mouth with no common sense applied makes no sense.
Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years, 11 months ago
As cruel as it may sound, any man married to that mouth would have been guaranteed a short life.
licks2 4 years, 11 months ago
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
Tarzan 4 years, 11 months ago
Hilarious! Does she think anyone living through her role in the PLP rape of this country, credits her nonsensical utterrings?
RUKiddingMe 4 years, 11 months ago
She would certainly recognize abysmal from her own behaviour!
birdiestrachan 4 years, 11 months ago
The FNM Government own personal news paper gave the Government a C plus. that must have been hard and a stretch which means a F really..
Now one has to give it to the FNM's no one can lie like them. No facts just lies.
It is said the wise will understand the fool has no need to know. They can not handle the truth. .
realfreethinker 4 years, 11 months ago
I didn't read the article. The headline told me all I needed to know about the article. I won't waste my time reading it. Anything coming out of the mouth of any member of the last plp government should be sent directly to the trash bin
joeblow 4 years, 11 months ago
She is right, they are abysmal, but are in power now because the previous PLP was far worse!
sheeprunner12 4 years, 11 months ago
Hanna Martin is a waste of time and an obsolete character ........... No need to pay her any mind
ABOMINATION 4 years, 11 months ago
People have no shame! Anyone that aligns themselves with the former Administration is corrupt...PERIOD! Their records speak for itself. There is not doubt that theft has been going on for decades in this country, and, i dare say, under the PLP. You think you can hide from the almighty God..he knows all things, no matter what they say, because what you do in the dark will come out in the light. All she does is rant about nothing, because they are jealous of the way Minnis is reaching the people, although, some of us have a problem with the way in which he does things....all in all Minnis has a heart for the people...he just made a mistake not letting people know what state those mafia PLP people left this country in! If he had done that in black and white, people would understand more. Raising vat to 12 percent
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