Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis speaking to the media yesterday. Photo: Racardo Thomas
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Senior Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said “it was impossible” to fulfil his pre-election good governance reform promises because Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Dorian and COVID-19 were so detrimental that his administration was forced to change course.
Dr Minnis also told reporters at the Kendal G L Isaacs Gym yesterday that officials are discussing removing the curfew from Family Islands, though no decision has been finalised.
His comments came as the Free National Movement marked the four-year anniversary of its May 10, 2017 election victory.
In 2017, the FNM’s election campaign revolved around transparency and accountability promises, such as fully enacting a Freedom of Information Act, implementing campaign finance legislation, reforming local government and changing public procurement rules.
Dr Minnis promised fixed terms for Prime Ministers, a recall system for elected officials and fixed election dates.
However, many of the promises have not been fulfilled. Progress on the Freedom of Information Act has been slow and a Public Procurement Bill that recently passed Parliament has yet to be enacted.
Although the administration tabled an Ombudsman Bill and an Integrity Commission Bill early this term, the bills have not been debated in Parliament, prompting critics to accuse the administration of neglecting its transparency and accountability pledges in favour of less consequential legislation.
“I am still a strong advocate for term limits for Prime Ministers,” Dr Minnis said yesterday. “I am still a strong advocate that no Prime Minister should go beyond two terms, ten years. I am still a strong advocate for fixed (election) dates, that’s still coming. But as I’ve said, priorities had to be shifted because we have three years of destruction. We could have totally ignored the destruction and just stick to your programme but if you did that your country would be a disaster.
“We could have concentrated only on the catastrophic problems that we faced, but then what happens? Your country stagnates and you don’t move. It was impossible to deal with all of what we promised within that one (term) but be assured that all will be done.”
Hurricane Irma impacted the Bahamas in 2017 while Hurricane Dorian ravaged Abaco and Grand Bahama in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic has upended life in The Bahamas since March 2020.
“We had three challenges so we had to decide whether you just stop and deal with catastrophic problems or are you a true government and run on two parallel tracks, one track deals with catastrophic problems that you face or another track and still move the country forward,” Dr Minnis said.
“We kept on course with moving the country forward. We had stated that what we want to do, we want to ensure that each and every Bahamian is entitled to partake in what we termed the Bahamian dream.”
This dream, he said, comprises four components: free education, affordable access to housing, jobs and affordable healthcare.
He discussed his administration’s education policy, which resulted in education at the University of the Bahamas and the Bahamas Technical & Vocational Institute becoming available to a wider number of people for free.
He also highlighted efforts to make pre-school free for children.
“Phase Two, every Bahamian wants to own a home or a land,” he said. “We introduced a land policy in Carmichael Road, 400-plus lots that’s well on their way. For the first time, Bahamians can buy land with all the infrastructure in place for $20,000. In addition to that, they can build their homes duty free. We (are) now introducing a new category, the Prospect Ridge area so that young professionals whom we have defined already, they will be able to purchase land which is worth in that area a minimum of $150,000. Once the infrastructure is in place that land will (be) worth $220,000 or more. That’s what we’ve done, and we have additional lands here to give away to the Bahamian populace. We’re doing the same things in the Family Islands.
“Component Three, jobs. We were successful in terms of implementing a vaccination programme. We managed what we thought was well the COVID pandemic that we’ve seen throughout the world and now we’re slowly opening up our economy. I’ve had discussions with some of the medical professionals already and there is a possibility, I’m not saying that it will happen, there is a possibility that all Family Islands, excluding New Providence and Grand Bahama, will have the curfew removed so we’re opening up the economy, the jobs are returning.
“Phase Four is health. We’re advancing the national health programme and we’re moving through all the Family Islands upgrading our health infrastructure, ensuring that all the personnel are there and we’re introducing telemedicine again which we started in 2007-2008 when I was the Minister of Health and which the previous government dismantled.”
Comments
WETHEPEOPLE 2 years, 11 months ago
Enough with the excuses PM.
Cobalt 2 years, 11 months ago
In the case of COVID19, he’s telling the truth. I personally don’t rely on the government for much, but COVID19 blew me off track as well! Heck! It blew all of us off track! COVID19 isn’t an excuse, it’s a economic nightmare laced with reality! It crippled all of us! Businesses are just beginning to recuperate. Let’s be reasonable here.
tribanon 2 years, 11 months ago
And pray tell, what's your explanation for why our nation remains near the bottom of just about every independent ranking of how well the world's nations have responded to and coped with the COVID-19 crisis in terms of the health and economic measures taken by their governments?
DWW 2 years, 11 months ago
that is purely fiction. show me the proof of this statement?
tribanon 2 years, 11 months ago
Yeah, right. Do your own homework.
TigerB 2 years, 11 months ago
My personal experiences with Dorian here in Grand Bahamas, the long water lines, trying to find food.. only us in Abaco and Grand Bahamas can understand what he is saying...only he who knows knows... excuses yes, but those points cannot be denied... Covid is still staring us in the face... The way I see it if the PLP was in theywould have done the exact same things, and we would have still been here bashing them too .. its a Bahamian thing.
stislez 2 years, 11 months ago
Tell him he could have explained his and his party failures if he had agreed to a debate.....dont come try explain tru the press where no one could put sensible questions to you. Das all he been doing. I feel no remorse for leaders who dont engage with their people or feel to high above to even take advice or recommendations from them.
tribanon 2 years, 11 months ago
I couldn't agree with you more.
Cobalt 2 years, 11 months ago
@stislez....... I somewhat agree with you; but not from the perspective of conducting a debate. Almost every leader addresses his countrymen thru use of the media and news reports. But in this case, the PM knew that a debate would only give credibility to a party that has no credibility (ie the PLP). The PLP was such a colossal failure that for the first time in Bahamian history a sitting Prime Minister lost his seat! They only got four seats in Parliament for crying out loud! And Brave Davis was the exact same one at the helm when our country was almost brought to ruin. So why would the PM debate him??? Why give a listening ear to someone who has already demonstrated to the Bahamian public that he is an inept, incompetent co-leader??? Debating Brave Davis would only serve his self interest by giving him credibility that he clearly doesn’t deserve. My grandfather always taught me never to debate a fool because bystanders would only see two fools debating.
Cobalt 2 years, 11 months ago
@TigerB...... I agree with you. COVID19 is an existing nightmare for all governments (home and abroad). There is no government or country who thrived during the pandemic. Every country is doing its best to keep its head above water right now. And while some are doing better than others, we in the Bahamas should at least be grateful that we didn’t have to lay off any civil servants. We must be reasonable here.
tribanon 2 years, 11 months ago
Still waiting on your explanation for why our nation remains near the bottom of just about every independent ranking of how well the world's nations have done in responding to and coping with COVID-19 in terms of the health and economic measures taken by their governments to address the pandemic? Quite a number of other small island nations, even in our region of the world with tourist dependent economies, have managed to fare much better than The Bahamas in dealing with the COVID-19 crisis because of the superior leadership provided by their elected officials.
ThisIsOurs 2 years, 11 months ago
If they had listened to advice 2 years before COVID they would have been ready, but their pettiness prevented progress. So no, they dont have no excuse
stislez 2 years, 11 months ago
Bey nuttin worse than a coward who don't stand by his outcome. Win or loose you stand by an accept that shit once it happens, not make excuse an blame your failure on external forces. The fact that you as PM don't even take advice from your own people, the people who elected you is a Testament to your downfall. You who feel you know it all and don't need to be questioned. This is the outcome you get you stinking coward! Whenever the day come i hope i could see you face to face to tell you how much of a coward you are. Now it almost seem like you want run away bro! Like u washin ur hands of shit you can't fix. You tired of people like me telling you about your failures as PM. Ya hair gone from black to grey. Das why the whole early election ting was up in da air cuz people could sense you tired, frustrated and just don't know what to do. You want get out na. Bro you made NO decision during your time as PM that bahamians directly benefited from. You let dese white man dem come in with their previous signed deal to drill an potentially ruin our marine ecosystem. Then you ga talk bout can't do nuttin! Bro dat scar you leave on us een going nowhere. One of the WORST decision by far is how you tell the bahamian people NO, you aint doing no debate because it een what other countries is do an all type crap. Thats the thing with your dumb ass! You care too much about other countries and what they doing an not YOUR country and what WE must do. You are proof that not because there is a "dr" by ya name means you smart......
ohdrap4 2 years, 11 months ago
Ya hair gone from black to grey.
😃 only because there is a a world wide shortage of "grecian temple".
tribanon 2 years, 11 months ago
No Minnis, try as you may, you just don't get off the hook that easy with these lame excuses. It was your gross incompetence and mismanagement as a failed leader that made Irma, Dorian and COVID so much more devastating for our country's economy and our people than they would have otherwise been.
John 2 years, 11 months ago
NO ONE CAN DENY that this MINNIS GOVERNMENT came to office and faced more challenges than most if not all governments in recent times. Despite this MINNIS dem managed to keep wood on the fire and water in the fridge, at least for most people. And if one was to look around, the general infrastructure is more intact and in better shape, for the most part than when MINNIS dem came to office. By this time in his term, the Christie government had fallen apart, miserably, and even they too, (those who were elected), were anxious to go to the polls and get a nightmare or horrible dream behind them. And for the most part, most of those who got that bad beating and were unceremoniously SWEPT from office have kept a low profile and managed to stay out of the public light completely. BUT it has been no bed of roses for Minnis and the FNM. And as time is fast approaching for the people dem to mark he report card. To determine if he will get another term or the boot, Minnis may find out, like Hubert Ingraham, that working your backside off and doing what you think is in their best interest. Bahamians don’t like you to serve them with a frown on ya face! For whatever reason, the FNM are less popular now and people are giving the PLP a second look. If Elections were called it can be either the FNM or the PLP celebrating.
carltonr61 2 years, 11 months ago
The PLP voted Christie and Brave out and Minnis broke through the thin ice long time before Dorian. There was wide expection from our democracy that Bahamians no vote against gambling would show the power of people's will over multi millionaire gambling lobby to political parties. Minnis pressed on to complete fool and let down the Bahamian people who having failed under Christie and brave sought Devine hope in him. Having lost the trust of the moral will of Bahamians when hurricane Dorian struck Minnis had already lost the good will of Bahamians. The monster was yet to be born. Covid came and he and his henchwoman spoke to us like dogs. And they continue to insult us by threatening firing squard vaccination. 418 days with his knee on our necks while he is begging for understanding and political pity. I just don't know which loony world he lives in as we face robbery by New And Emerging Med slavers under the banner of saving lives while they get richer.
tribanon 2 years, 11 months ago
You Mr. Minnis, are the very last person the Bahamian people want to see in charge of the next crisis that comes along for our nation.
Frankly Mr. Minnis, we've had all we can take and all our nation can withstand of your incompetence, arrogance and outright nastiness towards the vast majority of the Bahamian people. And we certainly have very good reason to fear your power-crazed, meglomaniacal and tyrannical traits that have set you on the course of trying to transform our nation into an authoritarian controlled police state.
And for the record Mr. Minnis, we, the Bahamian people, treasure and dearly value our constitutionally guaranteed civil rights and liberties, and much more so than you could ever possibly care to think. Most of us Mr. Minnis just can't wait to cast our next vote at the polls, so the sooner you call the national general election, the better for our nation and the vast majority of its people.
Emilio26 2 years, 11 months ago
Tribanon I don't Brave Davis would've done any better than Dr. Minnis.
tribanon 2 years, 11 months ago
Davis is a most despicable scoundrel by any definition but Minnis is pure evil. Neither of them should ever be PM, but Minnis is definitely the more evil and dangerous of the two for our country and our people. Minnis has already proven that beyond a shadow of doubt.
Hopefully the outcome of the national general election soon to be announced by Minnis will be a house of assembly full of new reputable and competent independent candidates with no close active political ties to either the FNM party or the PLP party. We certainly need less medical doctors and lawyers in parliament, and more parliamentarians with business expertise complemented by an abundance of common sense.
carltonr61 2 years, 11 months ago
It is time for Bahamians to shake loose the shackles of their grand parents parties FNM racket and grow up to seek a new Era in our destiny away from elites who fool us, rob us while they get rich. Ten billion dollar Dept incured under them means that each citizen owes a minimum of $25,000 in order for us to become debt free as a nation like the UBP/whiteman PLP boogeyman left our treasury and with two jobs and plenty money in our pockets.
tribanon 2 years, 11 months ago
It's actually about $14 billion with SPV bookkeeping trickery and unfunded entitlements factored into the overall obligations of the government. And that works out to be nearly $40,000 per capita and well over $50,000 for each and every adult Bahamian in our labour force.
DWW 2 years, 11 months ago
first time i have to agree with you. however the debt was created over the past 45 years. it is not a box to lay solely at the feet of Minnis.
tribanon 2 years, 11 months ago
Yes, but by the time all is said and done, more than $3 billion of that $14+ billion will have been added by this grossly incompetent Minnis-led FNM administration in a little over 4 years. And of course Minnis will blame it all on COVID-19 because he knows other PMs have also had to deal with multiple hurricane disasters. We also know that Minnis's grave mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic not only caused more loss of life than we might otherwise have had, but has also crippled our economy for years to come.
KapunkleUp 2 years, 11 months ago
The pandemic and hurricane certainly put a wrinkle in any economic promises but that still leaves everything else he promised. Storms and viruses do not stop Minnis from enacting term limits, cracking down on waste and corruption, etc... But then again we are talking about politicians here. They have an impossible time walking and chewing gum at the same time because they're too busy scheming self enrichment.
JokeyJack 2 years, 11 months ago
Dorian and Covid have nothing to do with NOT putting in the place the freedom of information act years ago, revealing where the VAT money has gone, explaining these CRAZY amounts of money yall borrowing for airports and other stuff BEFORE you borrow them - yall just go around borrowing on our grandchildren as if we gave you permission, and not to mention these police running around with machine guns all over the place coming into restaurants treating us like dogs.
Finally, even though Davis is the head of it - you could have put pressure and continued to bring up the fact that the PAC does not meet - esp after than young MP resigned from that post.
People are not knowing where all of OUR money is going - but we sure as heck know it is going. He is weighing his options on extending the state of emergency cause he might wanna campaign - he might as well extend it cause campaigning aint gonna help the FNM one tiny bit. The FNM is gonna LOSE this election so bad we might have to put some blow up puppets or something in some seats to pretend we have some opposition MPs this time. The DNA ain't serious about fighting for the constituencies they might be able to win - but continue to follow their whole nation model - so they ain't gonna get even one seat AGAIN. So it looks like PLP 39, FNM and the rest 0. The Queen might have to appoint a Governor General for real this time. OMG - you couldn't plan to do a worse job than these cats - and it's mainly because of a know-it-all attitude and failure to consult.
tribanon 2 years, 11 months ago
Just about any reputable and competent NEW INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE who runs in just about any constituency will win their seat provided they have not had any close active political ties to either the FNM party or the PLP party. Based on the slate of FNM and PLP candidates announced to date, the final tally on election night could easily resemble the following:
NEW INDEPENDENTS 17, PLP 12, FNM 7, DNA 3.
JokeyJack 2 years, 11 months ago
Sir - I hereby give the Tribune my permission to give to you my contact info should that or any similar situation occur so that you can call me and I can rush immediately to kiss your feet and wipe them with expensive oils like that lady in the Bible did to Jesus. And I'm not joking. I will probably bring a thousand people with me. So ya feets gah be dead clean and smellin good !!!!! LOL
tribanon 2 years, 11 months ago
I assume you're aware of the outcome of the national general election held in the Cayman Islands last month.
bogart 2 years, 11 months ago
Goodness grief. That's a lot of different free tee-shirts - different sizes, some folded up some unpacked, pom poms, flags, concerts, chicken wings, macaroni a cheesei ferl paper, catchy slogans, plentiful promises, erryone somehow knew ya family, erryone is a servant of the people when elected, posters on top of posters on erry lamp post, walls etcetc. Oh brother.
TalRussell 2 years, 11 months ago
These reports are becoming highly suspect knowing the media are willing to show up at campaign propaganda events to report them as creditable statements by Thee Mr. Minnis.
Such blatant display by the media complicity,
But no journalistic shocker when it's the same media that kept reporting that this is thee very same, exact man's, whose COVID response decisions - was being led by science, yes?
pt_90 2 years, 11 months ago
Its very hard to implement your Manifesto when your Attorney General doesn't even know what wat was in it and says its the plans are not even workable.
*The Minnis administration does not have plans to implement a recall system for non-performing members of Parliament as was outlined in the Free National Movement’s (FNM) 2017 manifesto, Attorney General Carl Bethel said yesterday.
“That’s not anything we committed to, as far as I’m concerned or aware,” Bethel told The Nassau Guardian.
“And it’s not a workable system in the parliamentary context. It is not something that is on the legislative agenda. I don’t think we committed to doing that. Did the FNM commit to that? I’m not aware of that.”*
https://thenassauguardian.com/ag-back...">Guardian
carltonr61 2 years, 11 months ago
Science still has not found our Sunshine varients that kept our beaches closed for most of 2020. Using fear of varients to control us sheep until we become Covid branded then set free. Only we will need a new branding every six months.
https://www.rt.com/russia/523496-un-c...">https://www.rt.com/russia/523496-un-c...
United Nations orders all staff members to seek out Sputnik V. German MPs already flew to Russia in defiance of EU Vax laws. Guess Gates PAHO has political control over what we put in our state owned bodies. Curious that so many posatives developed after vaccination like in the Seychelles Islands.
sheeprunner12 2 years, 11 months ago
IF THE FNM GOVERNMENT HAD COMMITTED TO THE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN (2016) .......... THEN THERE WON'T BE ANY EXCUSE ABOUT BEING "BLOWN OFF COURSE"
NO PM SHOULD EVER UTTER THOSE WORDS IN PUBLIC .......... DISAPPOINTING
JokeyJack 2 years, 11 months ago
He thinks he will win by a sympathy vote. Trust me - the very very vast majority can see sympathy in their rearview mirror, many cars behind.
tribanon 2 years, 11 months ago
Believe me when I say Minnis was "blown off course" by a lot of things that were important to him personally from the standpoint of feeding his dictatorial, megalomaniacal and tyrannical needs, but which were not at all in the interest of our nation and the Bahamian people.
John 2 years, 11 months ago
Word is that this Government is going to have to do heavy borrowing again in the next fiscal budget, If only to complete the bridge between the pandemic and economic recovery. Some say maybe that was why Minnis' was trying to call a snap election before this borrowing came to light. At least you know what you're going to get under the Minnis' administration. But can you isk handing the government back to the PLP to be mismanaged with so much national debt?
DDK 2 years, 11 months ago
Cobalt, on the subject of a live debate, do you really think Minnis is that smart? Just asking...
SP 2 years, 11 months ago
Like most of us, I had extremely high Hope's in Minnis Until he succumbed to pressure from Brent Symonett, Scott, Holoweskos' and the rest of the usual group of UBP power brokers. That's when I knew he was in deep trouble.
They were ALL against him before he won, giving the unique opportunity to do what's best for the country and the country, but he folded!
Minnis could easily have become known as the greatest prime minister of the Bahamas. But he lacked the testicular fortitude to stand up to the pirates that has held our country hostage long before Pindling!
Had Minnis followed the lead of the Botswana success story and simply taken control of our natural resources, he would have become known as the best example of leadership in the western hemisphere...........https://youtu.be/fRsFT11CxSk">https://youtu.be/fRsFT11CxSk
Fairwell Dr. Minnis, & for JESUS sake stay gone PLP!
Only a coalition government can save us now!!!
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