By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Senior Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party Leader Philip “Brave” Davis said he supports changing the boundaries of the Golden Isles and Killarney constituencies to ensure voter parity before the next general election.
His comment came after House Speaker Halson Moultrie told The Nassau Guardian last week that the Constituencies Commission is considering recommending as many as five additional constituencies.
Asked about this yesterday, Mr Davis said: “The constitution requires that the commission makes recommendations to ensure that there is parity of numbers in each constituency. Looking at the present numbers, there is a necessity to revise those two constituencies in the west, particularly Golden Isles and Killarney, each of which has over 7,000 registrants.”
Mr Davis noted that new constituencies are not needed.
“It doesn’t necessarily have to be more constituencies, just has to ensure that the lines are redrawn to ensure parity and if that is possible by the present numbers then you have no issues,” he said.
He added that the PLP is “certainly prepared” to find as many as five additional candidates if necessary.
“Don’t forget we have an abundance of candidates,” he said.
Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said during a community meeting in New Providence last year that the boundaries are not changing.
“You’ve got what you got,” he said at the time.
The prime minister can reject the recommendations of the Constituencies Commission.
Mr Davis’ comments to the press came after an event opening the PLP’s constituency branch office for Elizabeth alongside its candidate, Senator Jobeth Colbey-Davis.
He said the PLP plans to invest $250m to support small businesses if successful in the next general election.
“Let me tell you why it’s so important to have a government that’s in touch – just before the holiday weekend, from one moment to the next, and with no warning, the government imposed a PCR test requirement for travel from Harbour Island and Eleuthera,” he said.
“This left many Bahamians frantic and burdened with hundreds of dollars in additional costs they didn’t plan for. This way of acting has characterised the government’s COVID response from the very beginning – they simply don’t care whether their orders keep families apart or hurt the local economy.”
Comments
John 3 years ago
At this juncture can the country afford up to five additional MP’s, not just financially but the logistics of it all. If the concern is about right sizing constituencies that have mushroomed in population size and some that have dwindled, then the proper and most logical thing to do would be to redraw the boundaries. Without Gerrymandering of course!
Emilio26 3 years ago
John actually I think the Killarney and Golden Isles Constituency should be broken up because they're are too big especially Killarney. However, that's one one the reasons how Dr. Minnis has been winning his seat for the past 2 decades because Killarney runs all the way from Cable Beach straight out Adelaide Village.
sheeprunner12 3 years ago
The USA has 330 million citizens with 430 MPs .......... Do the math ........ That is about 80,000 residents per MP. We have 400,000 citizens with 39 MPs .......... 10,000 per MP.
Just like police officers ........... Minneapolis is the same size as The Bahamas in population with 700 police officers .............. We have over 3,000 and still want to add more ......... Quantity does not produce quality ........... But our politicians just want to dish out jobs and handouts.
FreeUs242 3 years ago
This guy is as cheesy as it gets! Where are these ppl during regular days of work? Election time is coming😂
Emilio26 3 years ago
Freeze242 actually Brave Davis hasn't presented any sensible plan on how he's going to fix this country.
tribanon 3 years ago
Minnis is full of shiit if he wants even one more constituency anywhere in the Bahamas. We know he's all about growing the size of government. And both Minnis and Davis know full well that the existing boundaries will change somewhere on New Providence if even one new constituency is created.
The very last thing we need or can afford is any increase whatsoever in the current bloated number of constituencies. If anything, the current excessive number of constituencies should be reduced by at least 5. But don't expect Minnis or Davis to do anything to reduce the size of government. That's just not in their political DNA.
Emilio26 3 years ago
tribanon you're actually right. However the only reason why Minnis has held on to his seat for all these years is because Killarney is a huge area which runs from Prospect Rudge all the way out to South Ocean Village. I bet if the Parlimentary Commission redraw the boundaries where places like Gambier , Adelaide and Lyford Cay has there own Constituency I bet Minnis will lose his seat.
licks2 3 years ago
You know you are not making much sense there fella! Killarney has one of the highest averages for voters. . . yet you believe that if the voters count is lowered then Minnis not might, but will lose the next election!! How that one suppose to work? Oh. . .by the way the speaker is chair of the boundaries commission. . .not the PM!! Adding more seats to the comes from the speaker. . .he suggested that idea!!
Lets keep it real around here. . .stop talking "falley" . . . yall giving them two peoples dem powers that they do not have. . .dang!!
sheeprunner12 3 years ago
The present NP constituency boundaries create stupid patchwork spaces that cannot be justified at all ........ Too much gerrymandering over the years
Will Hallie fix that too????????
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