FNM RESPONDS TO THREATS BY LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION

This was the seen in the House of Assembly on Wednesday 18th. Now just after Mr. Christie’s attack on the Ingraham Government in the House Wednesday, Johnley Ferguson with the assistance of Sir Arthur Foulkes later distributed this press release (below) to a selected list of media. We at Bahamas Press ask this simple question, “Who is running BIS?” Whilst the deputy director is foot and toe behind the PM and the director (who is never in the office) is disseminating information to the ‘WUTLESS MEDIA” attacking the PLP? Arthur Foulkes has clearly BREACHED HIS CONTRACT as director at BIS. B. J. Nottage, Perry Christie, Tommy Turnquest and Hubert Ingraham all chatting together after another stellar performance in the House of Assembly.

FNM RESPONDS TO THREATS
BY LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION
IN THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY

The Free National Movement is concerned about the angry, divisive and inflammatory language being used by Opposition parliamentarians in expressing their disagreement with policy decisions of the Government. Clearly, it is the intention of the Opposition to incite.

It is disappointing — but not surprising – that the PLP leadership should attempt to spread discord among the Bahamian people. It is a shameful display of immaturity and a terrible example of the failure of that party to provide the kind of leadership needed in our country at this time. Fortunately, the good people of The Bahamas made the sensible decision not to renew their contract in Government in May 2007.

Opposition Leader Perry Christie, for the second time this month, took to the floor of the House of Assembly to attack the FNM Government for not adopting and implementing the failed policies of his single-term PLP Government.

During his contribution to the Budget debate, Mr. Christie complained bitterly that his plans to move the commercial port from downtown Nassau to southwest New Providence in the vicinity of Clifton Pier had not been adopted by the FNM.

He returned to that theme again this week complaining not only about plans to move the commercial port to Arawak Cay, but also about the FNM Government’s refusal to implement the extravagant plans by his administration for the construction of a new multi-million dollar straw market.

Mr. Christie was joined by a number of others on the Opposition bench in lamenting the decision by the FNM to implement its own plans over those of the PLP.

PLP Members of Parliament, who did nothing to provide an improved environment for straw vendors in downtown Nassau during five years in office, are suddenly claiming that the tent under which straw vendors work is a “blight”.

These are the same PLP leaders who twice — in 2004 and 2005 — failed to remove the tent notwithstanding the approach of the hurricane season and the storms that contributed significantly to the deteriorated state of the tent.

These are the same PLP members who determined to ignore advanced plans and work already underway to relocate the straw vendors to a renovated dockside market left in place in 2002.

Today they challenge the Government’s right not to proceed with the construction of their multi-million dollar straw market which one of their own former Ministers has condemned as — to say the least — extravagant.

The Free National Movement understands that the leadership of the Opposition party is yet to accept the year-old reality of their defeat at the polls. Nevertheless, the reality is that they were defeated at the polls and it will be FNM policies that are implemented during this five-year term of parliament.

The Free National Movement is concerned, however, that the leadership of the Opposition party continues to use highly inflammatory rhetoric to incite and encourage unrest among the people.

Mr. Christie was quoted in the press as saying that the PLP will go to “any lengths” to tell this country about the role of “special interests” in the issue of the commercial port — “special interests” being PLP code words for the Bahamian owners of property along Bay Street.

Mr. Christie went on to say, “That is going to divide this country, because the straw market is a part of it, this whole Bay Street thing is a part of it. … We know that there will be irresistible pull for this country to be divided over this issue and we know what happens when this takes place, and I certainly don’t want that.”

This is, of course, par for the PLP course of incitement. When last the PLP went “to any lengths” to convince the Bahamian people that something was against their best interest, they marshalled forces to twist facts and exaggerate threats with a view to stopping plans to develop a mixed use boutique resort at Clifton Cay. Then the area was to be preserved for Bahamians alone.

But once in Government, the PLP leaders changed their tune. They promptly approved not one, but two, marina and golf course resort projects in southwest New Providence together with a plan to move the commercial port of Nassau to a new port in southwest New Providence – a port that would have to be dug out of the land of southwest New Providence.

Mr. Christie’s feigned concern for the environmental integrity of the Clifton area did not stop his Government from approving the breach of the coastline to facilitate dredging for two upscale marinas and a major commercial port in southwest New Providence.

Furthermore, Mr. Christie’s Government aided and abetted the development of another exclusive marina and gated community in southwest New Providence requiring the dredging of still another channel several miles long.

Mr. Christie and his party have been deaf to the protests of environmentalists concerned with the dredging of channels alongside fragile eco-systems in southwest New Providence. The Bahamian people will no doubt treat the utterances of the PLP with the disdain they deserve.

Johnley Ferguson
Chairman
Free National Movement