The Tribune

NOTHING to see here, move along.

That’s what the government wants you to think about Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis’ admission that he left COVID-19 quarantine to go pay for his Christmas presents.

Press secretary Clint Watson tried to put the whole matter to rest on Friday.

He said: “Here’s what we’re going to say on that, I know this has been lingering, lingering and I think we want to put this to rest.”

Before we let him continue, we should perhaps point out that it has only been lingering because the Prime Minister hasn’t come out and answered questions about it, but let’s hear what Mr Watson has to say.

He continued: “Here is what it is: at no time did the Prime Minister who is vaccinated, boosted and had just tested negative three times in a row, represent a transmission risk to others. Nor had he been ordered, let me make it clear, nor had he been ordered into quarantine. He chose to quarantine.”

Mr Watson went on to say, without providing evidence: “The Bahamian people want us to move on from this.”

Perhaps they do, Mr Watson, but don’t you think the Bahamian people deserve to hear the Prime Minister address the matter and answer questions on it rather than just be reassured by you?

Here is what it really is: the Prime Minister openly said in a public setting that he left quarantine. Now, that is different from what the Health and Wellness Minister, Dr Darville, said, who claimed that Mr Davis was en route to quarantine when he stopped off and paid a bill. Which is it? Did he leave quarantine or not? And why does Mr Darville have a different story from the one that came from Mr Davis himself?

Then there is the fact that Mr Davis also involved a government aide to inform him of when the coast was clear.

Plus Mr Davis himself said that he told the store he “can’t be seen out”, and entered the store by a side entrance.

Even Mr Watson’s own words are inconsistent, with him having said previously that the Prime Minister was “placed into quarantine”. By who? And now Mr Watson says that Mr Davis had not been ordered into quarantine. Was Mr Watson misinforming the nation then or now?

Some of these facts should be easy to demonstrate – such as exactly when Mr Davis received these three negative tests.

But neither Mr Watson nor Mr Davis gets to tell the public when to move on. If they want an end to the matter, come out and give answers.

Or is this how this New Day government is going to be, hiding away when there are questions they don’t want to answer?

If Mr Davis wants to see where that leads, he needs only look back to the fate of the government the last time he was in office, when questions were repeatedly dodged on issues and ministers kept away from the press.

Had Mr Davis made a misjudgement and paid a fine at the time, we could have moved on. However, after a statement that he was in quarantine, he has seemingly used the machineries of government to assist him as he left quarantine, and then to shut down any questioning afterwards.

He said that he “can’t be seen” to the store? Well, it certainly seems he can’t be seen now – not if you want him to give you a straight answer.

If this is how the government treats simple questions about the Prime Minister’s actions and whereabouts, how can we have any faith they will be transparent about deals, contracts and decisions on our nation’s future?

It’s not good enough.

A leader’s legacy

The Rev Charles W Saunders was a man who made a difference.

He died on Friday at the age of 91, but he leaves behind a legacy of making The Bahamas a better nation.

You only have to see how the tributes to Rev Saunders come from across the board, regardless of political affiliation.

Notable in those tributes are Rev Saunders’ efforts to stand against inequality and prejudice.

Former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said: “It was not unusual for him to use his annual address to the Baptist community to hold the feet of (the) government of the day to the fire on issues he considered paramount to the welfare of the people and country that he believed were not being satisfactorily or adequately addressed.”

He also was the first president of the Bahamas Baptist College, which sought to extend secondary education to all students regardless of social class or colour.

We are thankful for the legacy that Rev Saunders has left behind. If we can follow in his footsteps, they lead to a better nation.