INSIGHT: What if McCartney had stayed the course? Perhaps it’s not too late . . .
LAST week’s spectacle in Parliament – a vote of no confidence becoming a vote of confidence in Prime Minister Minnis - was doubly disappointing. Not only did it serve as a sobering reminder of the political horror show that was the previous administration under then-Prime Minister Perry Christie, but it also reaffirmed the nature of Bahamian politics is the greatest impediment to our advancement as a nation.
INSIGHT: We need to build to cope with the new reality of the storms we are facing
In the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, it is imperative The Bahamas adopt a climate change resilient Building Code to guide restoration rebuilding in Abaco and Grand Bahama, the construction of new buildings and retrofitting key infrastructures throughout the country.
WORLD VIEW – Withdrawal of Canadian banks: opportunity to remedy not repeat mistakes
THE untidy and muddled way in which Canadian banks are withdrawing from the countries of the Commonwealth Caribbean is a direct result of insufficient attention being paid by governments to the terms of their entry at the time. Commonwealth Caribbean countries are those that were former colonies, or are still territories of, the United Kingdom.
INSIGHT: Watch the pendulum swing as promises aren’t kept
HARKENING back to the election campaign which decimated the former Progressive Liberal Party government, a major talking point on the campaign trail was corruption.
WORLD VIEW: When it comes to foreign and local investment, why no level playing field?
THERE has always been tension between encouraging foreign investment and promoting local entrepreneurship. In many countries, local businesses are expected to pay a range of domestic taxes while governments exempt foreign investors from obligation for the same taxes in order to attract their money, knowledge and, in some cases their technological skills.
POLICE ADVICE: Spotting the signs can spare someone from a lifetime of abuse
Abuse occurs when one person in a relationship attempts to dominate and control the other person. Usually, the control begins with psychological or emotional abuse, then escalates to physical abuse.
INSIGHT: So, they think we’ve got problems
AS we approach the holiday season, many Bahamians have been travelling to the United States to celebrate Thanksgiving and partake in the Black Friday sales – with more likely to travel for Christmas to see family. But as our fellow countrymen and women embark on these trips, should the government consider issuing a warning to beware of gun violence in the US? Certainly, it is something that we should, at the very least, have a discussion about?
INSIGHT: ‘Respect the rule of law’ - they say it but simply don’t do it
The irony of the November 2014 immigration policy launched by Fred Mitchell is that it largely targeted people who had never committed any offence under the Immigration laws.
WORLD VIEW: Term limits for Prime Ministers – unlikely and maybe unnecessary
A DEBATE has now started in parts of the Caribbean about whether there should be term limits for Prime Ministers. The debate arises from the view that longevity in office leads to abuse and to the suppression of challengers both within political parties specifically, and the political system more generally.
INSIGHT: Numbers don’t lie - we need more than smart technology to turn back crime
AFTER the shared relief at the end of 2018 as the murder count was held to 91 - the lowest in nine years - the Bahamian people had high hopes the tide was turning.
WORLD VIEW: Blatant, patent and flagrant - the double standards in the OAS
DOUBLE standards have become the new system in the Organization of American States (OAS). This unwholesome development does not portend well for the future of the Organization which is increasingly becoming a rubber stamp for the will of a few governments. It also creates a huge cloud over the bilateral relations of nations within the hemisphere.
WORLD VIEW: Don’t believe the story we’ve been fed - there was a coup d’état in Bolivia
CALLED by any other name, there was a coup d’état in Bolivia on November 10. To be clear, an elected president and the government were forcibly removed from office. The term in office of Evo Morales, as President of Bolivia, does not expire until January 21, 2020.
INSIGHT: Rubbing salt in the wounds - BPL is playing a risky game
There has to be somebody else in the country pinching themselves to see if they’re living in the real world after BPL announced its plans to introduce a rate reduction bond and deemed the Bahamian people as its financiers.
INSIGHT: Rebuilding homes is easy, putting lives back together is the biggest challenge
Hurricane Dorian has been nothing short of apocalyptic for many survivors who escaped the Category 5 hurricane’s fury over Abaco and Grand Bahama. While it is possible rebuilding the infrastructure of these islands could run into the billions, a greater cost is the rebuilding the lives of the survivors.
INSIGHT: Why girls must find a passion and pursue it
Girl Con 2019 took “the unconventional path” this year holding its annual mentoring conference for girls onboard the Carnival Glory, where 250 high school girls heard from the first woman president of Carnival Cruise Line Christine Duffy.
