Statement By
Bradley B Roberts
National Chairman
Progressive Liberal Party
Bradley Roberts to Dr. Duane Sands: “Physician, heal thyself!”
Dr. Duane Sands seems to relish his role as the “resident gadfly ad nauseaum” and the ‘go to’ man for the political agenda of the Press of The Bahamas. His recent doom and gloom forecast for the proposed Gender Equality referendum clearly suggested that the good doctor should prescribe for himself some ‘truth serum,’ ‘tell it like it is’ tablets and get a ‘reality check’ inoculation.
Firstly, Dr. Sands, who is obviously in love with his name and face in the newspapers continues to mislead the Bahamian people. His latest salvo appears in his recent newspaper interview titled “Sands: Gender equality referendum likely to fail” published in the Nassau Guardian on Saturday February 20th, 2016.
Dr. Sands is reminded that the Referendum on web shop gaming was a “non-binding” opinion poll with no constitutional implications but never let the facts get in the way of a good slimy dishonest story. Legislation legalizing online gaming was the best course of action for The Bahamas as the new regime protected the international reputation of The Bahamas and preserved the integrity of the nation’s second largest industry, financial services. The country avoided blacklisting as a result of the policy actions.
I challenge Dr. Sands or any member of the FNM to prove otherwise. Leaving the sector unregulated as the FNM suggested was an indefensible disaster waiting to happen.
As an educated Bahamian Dr. Sands should not dumb down the national discourse by brandish untruths and intellectual fraud just to secure a headline and photo.
Having opened the door, Dr. Sands must share with the Bahamian people the policy of the FNM on Web Shop Gaming. Will the FNM repeal Web Shop Gaming and lock up Bahamians involved in this peaceful entertainment pursuit. By doing so the FNM will surely place the country’s Financial Services sector in reckless endangerment.
Now that I have challenged Dr. Sands on his stink red herring, he should now say unequivocally if the FNM will unanimously support the Bills currently before Parliament to grant women equality under the law?
GENDER EQUALITY IS THE ONLY ISSUE AT HAND. EITHER THE FNM SUPPORTS EQUALITY FOR WOMEN UNDER THE LAW OR NOT. THEY MUST TELL THE BAHAMIAN PEOPLE WHERE THEY STAND ON THIS ISSUE.
Dr. Sands is already tagged as a perennial political loser. What he does not need added to his bleak and unimpressive political resume is dumb and dumber and the Bahamas’ Dr. No to everything.
When politicians such as Dr. Sands allow themselves to become the knaves and puppets of mediocre journalism which seems to be the norm in the main stream media, they do the entire country a serious disservice as the people should always know the truth devoid of political spin and half-truths.
Unfortunately for Dr. Sands, aka Dr. No, he now wants to confirm without a doubt that he seeks to be an agent for confusion and obfuscation.
He wishes to do so not for the public good but for a negative headline against the Government of the day.
Physician, heal thyself.
END
