The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis and Opposition Leader Michael Pintard reopened their dispute over what counts as a “real job” yesterday, this time during debate on legislation aimed at expanding the creative economy.

The exchange revived a controversy that erupted last year when Mr Davis publicly questioned Mr Pintard’s professional track record, asking: “What real job has he ever had? What has he ever built? What has he ever managed, outside of press conferences and political complaints?”

Yesterday, as MPs debated the Creative and Performing Arts School (CAPAS) Bill, 2026 and the Junkanoo Authority Bill, 2026, Mr Pintard accused the prime minister of “poking fun” at creatives.

“I want you to know that being a playwright is a job,” he said. “I want you to know that writing poetry is a job. I want you to know that performing on theatre or in the square is a job. I want you to know that all those things you denigrate are, in fact, jobs.”

Mr Davis replied that he has never denigrated the arts. He pointed to his administration’s initiatives, including CAPAS and assistance to the Dundas Theatre, as evidence of support for the sector.

He told Mr Pintard that it was he who initiated the broader exchange when he questioned his role as a lawyer, a profession the prime minister said he is proud of. Mr Davis highlighted his contributions to legal education across the Caribbean and said his work is widely recognised throughout the region.

“Tell us what you did in your lifetime,” Mr Davis said. “You’re saying poetry is a job. Who said it wasn’t?”

He also rejected Mr Pintard’s claim that he had said creatives are “disqualified” from holding the post of prime minister, insisting he never made such a statement.

National Security Minister Wayne Munroe entered the debate, criticising how Mr Pintard describes himself on the FNM’s website.

"If he was proud to be a creative, the first thing would be, I am a poet. I am a writer, not I am a human resource consultant," Mr Munroe said. “That's what you claim. You didn't claim the creative. This the Free National Movement website. Stop being disingenuous."

The back-and-forth unfolded as Parliament considered two measures central to the Davis administration’s cultural agenda.

The CAPAS Bill seeks to incorporate the Creative and Performing Arts School as a statutory body governed by a board and led by a president. It would oversee training, research, public engagement and creative production, funded by parliamentary allocations, tuition fees, donations, sponsorships and income from productions and services.

Education Minister Glenys Hanna-Martin called the bills a historic moment for the country and the orange economy. She said CAPAS is already producing results and praised students who performed briefly for parliamentarians in Parliament Square before the debate.

“This bill is about permanence, professionalism and prosperity,” she said. “It is about an investment in Bahamian talent.”

She said officials do not want CAPAS to suffer the fate of the now-closed National Dance School.

She also said CAPAS will support talent development at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels.

The Junkanoo Authority Bill proposes establishing an authority to regulate national parades, manage funding, create for-profit subsidiaries, foster public interest and oversee a National Junkanoo Fund. It aims to decentralise Junkanoo and provide tourists access to parades outside the December season and beyond New Providence.

Youth, Sports and Culture Minister Mario Bowleg described the legislation as deliberate and forward-looking.

“It was developed deliberately, thoughtfully, and with a clear focus on the long-term good of our national culture rather than the noise of any given moment,” he said.

Among its provisions, the bill supports research and preservation, education and training, commercialisation, intellectual property protection, youth development, Family Island empowerment and international collaboration.

“This Bill recognises that Junkanoo cannot be confined to two days in the calendar. It provides for research and preservation, education and training, commercialisation, intellectual property protection, youth development, Family Island empowerment, and international collaboration,” Mr Bowleg added.

Mr Pintard supported the bill’s goal of expanding Junkanoo beyond seasonal festivals but called aspects of the legislation problematic. He questioned whether the government has clearly defined the JCNP's role and what it will play in the future.

“Culture does better when there are less fingers from policymakers on the levels that control what the decisions are going to be,” he said.

Mr Davis said the National Junkanoo Authority and CAPAS are not new ideas and have been discussed across multiple administrations. He noted that while plans were drawn up and committees formed in the past, the status quo largely remained. He said his administration is now taking steps to make meaningful progress.