The Tribune

VICTIMISATION is a word often thrown around in political debate – but the FNM is seemingly ready to take that beyond talk and into court.

The party’s new leader, Michael Pintard, said: “In The Bahamas as you are aware there is a tremendous amount of political tribalism that harms Bahamians and ultimately harms national development. Early signs have suggested that this administration has started off forming a pattern that is unfortunately tribalistic in their governance and Bahamians in several ministries, departments, corporations and boards are being discriminated against in several ways.”

He said that a number of people have been fired, packed off on leave or sent home with or without pay, some with no idea when they would come back.

He added that staff in Urban Renewal were “cursed out” by an elected official and “ran out of their offices, some not able to retrieve their possessions, some have been sent home on vacation”.

Previously, the State Minister for Social Services and Urban Development Lisa Rahming denied that she verbally abused employees at the social agency, saying “that’s not who I am”. She said suggestions she intimidated employees were “untrue. That is not who I am. That never happened.”

Mr Pintard said other people were getting contracts cancelled despite deadlines being close to hand, with some having made significant investments to meet the needs of the contract.

All of these are claims that we too often hear. From the other side of the political fence, there were concerns back in 2018 about the treatment of Financial Secretary Simon Wilson – who has been recalled to the role after the PLP’s election.

In this column, concerns were also raised about a number of senior police officers who were sent on leave under the Minnis administration only to return to find themselves given new roles that did not seem to measure up to their skills and experience.

Is it too much to hope that Mr Pintard’s move would start to break that apparent cycle?

It is absolutely right to make sure that staff are treated fairly, and to record the instances where they are not and follow up on such matters, even to a court if necessary.

It should also be the case that government jobs shouldn’t be something to be fought over between political sides, and handed out like political favours.

Even during the early stages of the new government, PLP party chairman and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Public Service said that it was imperative for party supporters to “be straight soon” after complaints of delays in appointments to boards and key government roles.

Mr Pintard said yesterday: “We have to treat hurting ordinary Bahamians with decency… we have a new Prime Minister, in a new day government, we have a new Leader of Opposition who is prepared to work collaboratively with this new Prime Minister. We should turn the page on that kind of discrimination against Bahamians and the PLP has an opportunity to do so right now.”

We hope that such a thing could happen. So call the names, those who victimise others. Take them to court, whether their shirts are FNM or PLP.

A truly independent civil service would be a great boon for our nation. It would be able to attract the best we have to offer, instead of the best feeling wary about accepting a government job in case they are thrown out of it five years later.

If we could achieve that, that would indeed be a new day in our history.

Christmas Carnival

What would be the least surprising move now in the Christmas Carnival dispute now that we find out the party now in office has partnered with the organisers? That’s right, to hear it might go ahead.

National Security Minister Wayne Munroe is now apparently asking an opinion from his legal section on whether the carnival actually needs an approval from health officials.

Imagine that. A whole application process having been gone through and now the National Security Minister is wondering whether that was necessary at all. We wonder how many other businesses have sought health approvals but the carnival is the one that prompts the question of whether it is necessary.

Mr Munroe says that because the law says you can have unlimited attendance at outside functions subject to stated protocols, he has to find out what the law says before the police get involved if the carnival just opens up and gets on with business.

Does that mean the Ministry of Health is acting in ignorance of the law if they’re telling people they can’t operate businesses if the law says they can? Does this mean anyone else can host a big open-air event the same way?

Pity the poor police officers arriving in their COVID cars to decide who is or isn’t operating legally.

Will the carnival whose approvals were applied for by the party now in power go ahead? What do you think?