PLP Statement Northern Bahamas Campaign

Hubert Ingraham, Leader of the Free National Movement (FNM), has finally announced the candidates he has selected to try and win another five-year term to complete the wrecking of the Grand Bahama economy. The rate of unemployed and discouraged workers was pegged at an unprecedented 22% according to the government in August of last year. The lay offs since August 2011 increased the already unprecedented level of unemployment and discouraged workers. He has yet to deliver on his victory message shortly after the 2007 Elections where he pledged that,

“It is only to be expected that Freeport and indeed, all of Grand Bahama are and will remain very high on my Government’s agenda. We will bring Freeport back. As I said on the campaign trail: ‘we did it before; we will do it again’. Ladies and Gentlemen, I take this opportunity to say to all in Grand Bahama: My Government is committed to supporting you in your efforts to grow and expand; we will facilitate your economic recovery.”

We believe that Prime Minister Ingraham has conceded that he has wrecked Grand Bahama, which he abandoned from 2007 and has come to replace those whom he either threw over board or voluntarily abandoned ship with expendable rookies and opportunists. Joining a surprising survivor Neko Grant and Deputy House Speaker Kwasi Thompson are three candidates lacking either the depth of vision or depth of conviction to lead Grand Bahama out of its many challenges.

You’ve just joined a party which presided over :

–record increases in violent crime
— axed Urban Renewal
— failed to invest in Bahamians
— raised taxes during a recession
— won’t disclose the terms of the secret Atlantis deal
— cut millions from education
— hired foreigners to build Bahamian roads
— always fails to put Bahamians first

The FNM does have a jobs plan….too bad it’s not for Bahamians.

Bahamians are not fooled by the FNM’s attempt to reinvent itself as different. The fact is, Hubert Ingraham won’t listen to them anyway.

Grand Bahama, has been ignored for almost five Years. The FNM is mistaken if it believes that they can just shuffle a few candidates, present a few “new faces” and all would be forgotten in Grand Bahama.

Fortunately, the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) has put forth an extraordinary slate of candidates nationally that includes a cadre of a new generation of political leaders mixed with the experience of senior members ready to get to work for Grand Bahamians on day one. That’s quite evident in the PLP’s five Grand Bahama candidates: incumbent Obie Wilchcombe, West Grand Bahama and Bimini; Dr. Michael Darville, Pineridge; Gregory Moss, Marco City; Tanisha Tynes, East Grand Bahama; Julian Russell, Central Grand Bahama.

In addition to plans the PLP has announced to address the country’s high crime rate, unemployment and the poor state of the economy, the PLP will put the interests of Grand Bahamians first by implementing our restoration plan to address the problems in Grand Bahama that have been exacerbated by the FNM’s failed policies and outright neglect. Among them are:

1) The PLP will make sure there is stricter enforcement of immigration policies regarding the granting of work permits for jobs for which Bahamians are qualified. This way, Bahamians will be the first to benefit from jobs on Grand Bahama.

2) The PLP will build a new hospital in Grand Bahama, along with modernizing all medical clinics, because all people deserve access to high-quality healthcare.3) Double the investment in education so that Bahamians may be equipped and reequipped for good 21st century long term jobs.

Certainly, there is no question that the PLP is ready to return good governance to this country, return Grand Bahama to the path of prosperity it once enjoyed and return the “magic” to Freeport, making it truly the nation’s second city.

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