By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE Christie government has “served” and allegedly accepted money from controversial billionaire fashion designer Peter Nygard, FNM chairman Darron Cash claimed yesterday.
His comments came after Mr Nygard said in a recent YouTube video that he “initiated and helped to write the stem cell legislation” which is now law.
Mr Cash said: “Peter Nygard has taught the Christie government a valuable lesson. When the ‘John‘ has finished paying for ‘services‘ rendered, he feels as if he owns you!”
“It is clear for all to see,” he added, “that the Prime Minister has gone out of his way to serve the needs and interests of this self-proclaimed paymaster. And now that Nygard has paid for political services rendered, he feels he can say or do anything he feels like in our country. Thank you for that Prime Minister Christie!”
Calling comments Mr Nygard made about the FNM on the Ortland Bodie show this week “offensive,” Mr Cash said Mr Nygard feels free to say what he wants because he has “paid well for the untouchable status he now enjoys.”
“Peter Nygard is today talking like a man who knows he owns a lot of people in the Christie Administration,” he said.
Mr Cash added that the FNM is not surprised by Mr Nygard’s comments about the recently passed stem cell research Bill because the party warned Bahamians that the law could be “described as ‘Nygard’s Law’ because it was done for him.”
It does not help the country’s image if it seems like the government is so desperate for foreign investment that it will “bow to the whim and fancy of one man,” he said, adding: “Nygard’s most recent slick video is simply further evidence of his closeness to the Christie Administration. As an international fashion designer Peter Nygard understands very well the significance of image and branding. It clearly works to the advantage of his personal brand that he is able to broadcast around the globe that he was single-handedly responsible for peddling his ideas to countries around the globe, drafting legislation and then convincing the government of the Bahamas – led by Perry Christie – to “adopt” that legislation. That may be good for Mr. Nygard, but it is not good for The Bahamas.”
Comments
John 10 years, 6 months ago
Nygard needs to learn how to shut up and stay out the press and the political public eye, until election time, like the multimillionaires who back the FNM...right?
TalRussell 10 years, 6 months ago
The red's Chairman makes some valued points. But to called the PM a prostitute, can only distract readers away from his real message. That there is no room in we Bahamaland for foreigner's amongst us, regardless of the size of ya wealth, to upstage the people's government of the day.
vinceP 10 years, 6 months ago
I won't waste my time reading this article because all of these guys are the same, at least as far as the FNM/PLP have shown us, and I'll say this much, I've always voted FNM, i voted DNA in the last election, and I've never voted PLP, but Mr. Cash needs to just stick it! Both FNM and PLP have screwed this country up, and as a matter of fact, i now have doubts about voting for Bran again because since the last election, he is beginning to remind me more and more of Hubert Ingraham.
leeza 10 years, 6 months ago
You just realise that Bran and Hubert are the same personality well at least you woke up
proudloudandfnm 10 years, 6 months ago
A foreigner writing our legislation is a slap in our face. This legislation has to be repealed and scrutinized thoroughly. Nygrad has no business writing legislation for this country and there is no way he did not design this law to fit his needs. Recall this legislation immediately! And any Bahamian complicit in allowing Nygard to pen legislation for our country has to be fired. This is insanity. This man has been stealing millions form us with his illegal resort and his reclaiming land for his own personal beach. This is sickening.
SP 10 years, 6 months ago
Darrin Cash, Loretta Butler Turner Hubert Minnis and none of the other jelly belly FNM MP's had absolutely nothing to say while Hubert Ingraham brown nosed and routinely kissed Sol Kerzners backside!
Peter Nygard admitting writing stem cell legislation is no better than Hubert Ingraham in support of Kersner stupidly declaring to the world that New Providence could not support two mega resorts.
Both FNM and PLP sold us out to rich white foreigners.
Enough is enough!
JohnDoe 10 years, 6 months ago
Sol Kerzner has invested over a billion dollars in this country, how much has Nygard invested. To compare Kerzner to Nygard makes very little sense for lack of using a stronger description.
banker 10 years, 6 months ago
Sol Kerzner created 9500 jobs in the Bahamas. You have to stop drinking the PLP Kool-Aid and take your blinders off. The PLP is the reason that we are a backwards Third World country. Ping was the worst thing that could have happened to the Bahamas. His criminality and the criminal kleptocracy is the reason why the country is in sad shape today. Hubert Alexander Ingraham is the best Prime Minister that the Bahamas has had to date.
paul_vincent_zecchino 10 years, 6 months ago
banker -
Agree. Completely. Thank you for stating truth. As one who saw the beginning of the corrosion during the late 60s, Mr. Ingraham's leadership was a much deserved Reversal of Fortune after years of troubles. He was the best.
The Tribune, by reporting Mr. Nygaard's actions and statements, has given this reader quite a bit of insight into why inexplicable and unlikely events occurred, and why the expected didn't come to pass.
History will surely be very kind to Mr. Ingraham and his legacy.
leeza 10 years, 6 months ago
Tell me, Rory, who do you support the Dems or the Republicans?
leeza 10 years, 6 months ago
Because as you said Herbert kissed Sol Kerzner's backside, what Nygard has or is admitting to in the youtube clip is on equal footing? have you read the backgrounds of these two individuals if yes then please go into more detail and if no please do some investigating
SP 10 years, 6 months ago
That's just the point red shirt blind person.....It's all about "PRINCIPLE"! They have NONE.
Both Ingraham and Christie were compromised. The good of the country and people were thrown under the bus......AGAIN!
SP 10 years, 6 months ago
You red shirt people are quick to point out how much Kerzner invested. Non of you ever mention how much money Kerzner made in this country and where that money was reinvested.
Just so you red shirts understand the equation somewhat, Sol didn't invest here as a favor to the Bahamas....He made returns on his investment totaling truck loads of M-O-N-E-Y.
All of you that think Hubert Ingraham bringing in 25,000+ blue collar workers in the height of the global recession, which led to the present unemployment crises, makes him the best P.M. of the Bahamas is welcome to your opinion.....Let me know what business's you’re in ...so I can avoid you.....please
I'm not defending the PLP or FNM......They are six of one and half dozen of the other.
banker 10 years, 6 months ago
Once again @SP, your polemic against Kerzner and the FNM is plain dead wrong. If Kerzner was making truckloads of money, then why did he default on a $2.48 billion dollar note. Brookfield saved Kerzner from embarassment, bankruptcy and the loss of all 9,500 jobs in the Bahamas.
Kerzner reinvested in the Cove and the all of the additions to make Atlantis even bigger and better and he paid heavily for it. Your ignorance of the facts just shows that you are a PLP apologist, trying to tar the FNM with the same brush as the criminal racketeers who are now in power in the Bahamas.
These same PLP scum b*stards campaigned against HAI's referendum for equality of women, and his Third Pillar economic diversification initiatives. If there is any answering to do, the Bahamas should take back the $300 million that the scumbag Ping stole from the Bahamian people and the Columbian drug lords and put the lot of them to rot in Fox Hell.
JohnDoe 10 years, 6 months ago
@Rory and @SP, if the average Bahamian cannot discern any qualitative differences between Kerzner and Nygard, as you two seem to suggest, then I am afraid we will all be doomed as a people.
JohnDoe 10 years, 6 months ago
Do not equate yourself with the average Bahamian to judge what they can or cannot discern. The fact that you readily admit that you cannot discern any qualitative differences between the two most likely speak volumes about you. According to the PM and AG Nygard has intentional lied by falsely claiming that he wrote our stem cell legislation which can cause reputational damage to the Bahamas. What do you have to say about that?
bismark 10 years, 6 months ago
sounds like we are a nation for sale again.......................................or we were already bought????
SP 10 years, 6 months ago
BANKER...is the main stool pigeon the FNM has put in place for damage control in the Tribune. His specialty is telling obscured half-truths, which he then spins in favor of Hubert Ingraham and the FNM.
Sol Kerzner defaulted on his $2.48 billion dollar note because of 2 "real" well known reasons.
Firstly, as he himself admitted, he got caught with massive business fall off just like everyone else during the worst global recession in living memory, which naturally negatively affected cash flow rendering him unable to fulfill financial obligations.
Secondly, with the Paradise Island “cash cow” mortally wounded, he had also over extending himself with Atlantis The Palm, Dubai, leaving him in an even worse case of being caught between a rock and hard place.
He would have been in deeper poop had he not tragically lost his son "butch" and moved forward with a third major development in the Dominican Republic.
Banker the pirate can feel free to say what he likes’ about the PLP........The only thing lower than them is the FNM!
Both PLP & FNM are the greatest impediment to development and advancement of The Bahamas.
We need to follow Bermuda’s lead and take our country back by getting rid of both “Sunshine Boys” monopoly parties!
concernedcitizen 10 years, 6 months ago
Boh the PLP and FNM have done good and bad ,don,t forget it was PGC that allowed Kerzner to use Atlantis PI as security to finance the other projects, Dubai etc . You put down all politicians ,police etc ,remember they did not come from mars ,are you saying all Bahamians are dumb ,corrupt etc ??Comparing a man who builds a hotel to a man that wants to buy a government so he can do SCNT ,look it up ,and try to clone himself makes no sense .You claim both governments sell us out to rich white foreigners ..What would you like them to do we are barren coral rocks that have sand and sea to sell ..were you alive when we build and owned hotels ,Ambassador beach .a disaster that ended up in debt and as dirty as the post office that we are now going to adandon .Name some industries we could be competitive in w/ are high cost inefficent labor ,massive energy cost and ever increasing taxes to pay our extremley bloated civil service ?? Do you buy Bapack toliet paper?? ,with all the duty exemptions ,subsidies Bapack gets the product still sucks and is not much cheaper ..
JohnDoe 10 years, 6 months ago
It is funny how you have totally contradicted yourself in answering @Banker. In your earlier post you indicated that Kerzner was making truck loads of money, however, in response to Banker you state that the "Paradise Island “cash cow” was mortally wounded" as you claim. So what is it, was he making truck loads of money or was the PI cash cow mortally wounded. FYI, as a basic economic postulate, returns or profits are not guaranteed merely by making an investment as you seem to suggest with Kerzner. Further, all above average returns or profits are almost always accompanied by above average investment risk, as has played out with Kerzner. Therefore, to try to paint a picture that Kerzner just made an equity investment and investment returns were guaranteed to follow is silly. Many Hoteliers have come to this country, invested millions and left without the shirt on their backs. Kerzner took a risk on the Bahamas when he invested over a billion dollars in our economy without any guarantee of returns or profits, as you yourself have pointed out above. Therefore, stop making stuff up to the extent of even contradicting yourself. Again I ask, how much has Nygard invested beacause that is what we are talking about. According to the PM and AG Nygard has intentional lied by falsely claiming that he wrote our stem cell legislation which can cause reputational damage to the Bahamas. What do you have to say about that?
concernedcitizen 10 years, 6 months ago
@sp first you need to look up the definition of stool pigeon ,perhaps you meant mouth piece ..
proudloudandfnm 10 years, 6 months ago
Nygard hos stolen millions from us running a resort for $45,000.00 a night and not paying a dime in hotel taxes. Sol has made many Bahamians millionaires. There's your comparison....
banker 10 years, 6 months ago
Actually I know of at least three Bahamian millionaires from servicing Atlantis, its infrastructure needs and its grounds.
TalRussell 10 years, 6 months ago
For the sake of Jesus Comrade Peter doing research so he can live even longer way beyond he promised threescore and ten. But can we take another hundred years of this "resident (not citizen) of da Bahamaland, as Madame Attorney General Allyson has so called him. Let's hope not. PM Christie please do not make this man no Bahamalander.
banker 10 years, 6 months ago
Shane would make him a Bahamian for a Rolex Watch and a roll in the hay with a blonde, drug-warped porn queen.
concernedcitizen 10 years, 6 months ago
Tals Nygard himself said its about SCNT which deals w . embryonic and cloning , i hope he makes himself Dolly the sheep ..
concernedcitizen 10 years, 6 months ago
@Rory in any economy there are always more workers then owners ,the fallacy we push here is we can all be entrepenuers ,,that is not factual ..You may not remember when the Gov ,built and owned hotels , its was a total disasters that nearly ruined the industry and the hotels ended up being sold for pennies on the dollar .
proudloudandfnm 10 years, 6 months ago
Ya'll don't mind Rory/Sickman he never gets off his mama's couch. The truth is Atlantis and Nydard are stupid comparisons. Atlantis was an incredible boom to us, many Bahamian contractors and vendors became millionaires due to Atlantis and many many jobs were created. Nygard has stolen millions from us in land and taxes, these piddly little donations he gives pale in comparison to what he has stolen and he has not created so much as one legal job in this country, lots of illegal jobs for foreigners yes, but not one real job in our country.
Time for us to get real, Nygard should be in court facing tax evasion charges and the order the FNM government gave to remove all the buildings on the land he illegally reclaimed should be enforced immediately. He should be made to pay for operating the world's most expensive resort as well. Charge him 5 million for every year Nygard Cay has been in existence. And after deport him out forever.
VDSheep 10 years, 6 months ago
Citizens ought to realize in a democracy [sic] or under any system of government - the 99% is only needed at voting time; not otherwise! Politicians will not make policies or legislation for the masses. Its agenda will be the gatekeepers for moneyed elites, the plutocrats and corporations! VAT will make more Bahamians poorer and rich Bahamians and foreigners richer. Central banks are not government owned banks - the major shareholders are the moneyed elites plutocrats and corporations, they control the money supply; interest rates, local banks and loans to governments etc. Governments has to pay off the loans and so the Central bank will ell them to get the money by instituting policies such as VAT and so on. We the people are always sheep to the slaughter, dead meat we cannot win - look out your window or around the world; different day same $#!T. We can complain about it as much as we like - but at the end of the day we will be always be screwed!
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