The Tribune

FOX Hill MP Fred Mitchell denied the PLP was "attacked" by vendors while visiting the Straw Market early last week. Addressing his constituents at a rally in Fox Hill on Monday, Mr Mitchell said despite reports in the media and comments by Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, "no such incident" took place. He said: "Nothing could be further from the truth. It was a great and successful visit, one that boosted the spirit of the vendors. Mr Ingraham's suggesting otherwise based on erroneous media reports. It's a disservice to the straw vendors, it is unbelievable, unthinkable. "No vendor threatened us. No vendor attacked us. There was nothing that happened that disrupted the market save a spirited and spontaneous rally for the PLP. "Anything else that you heard is simply untrue." Mr Mitchell also said if re-elected, he would put young people first, starting with an increase in the minimum wage. "I want to seek the support of my colleagues to raise the minimum wage around the country from the present $150 per week to $210 per week which is the minimum wage for government workers. "This should help the workers at Sandals in Exuma who are suffering. We know that 34 per cent of the people in the country under 25 are unemployed. That means one in three have no work. "I pledge to work to create 10,000 jobs within the first two years of the PLP administration to put our young people to work. I will work more generally to create jobs for all our people," he said. "I pledge also to work for legislation to protect people's primary homes from being sold out from under them by unscrupulous and rapacious banks. "I pledge to put the infrastructure in place to make Fox Hill the tourist Mecca that we want with sidewalks, security, bathrooms and the upgrade of the Ocean Hole on Step Street. "I will finish the community centre. Additionally, we will build a new classroom block for Sandilands, put a track at Doris Johnson and upgrade the computer systems at L W Young. "We are pledged to double the nation's investment in education within five years. Part of this must also be a strategy to reduce violence in our schools. That will mean a pre-school at Sandilands Primary School," he said. Mr Mitchell urged constituents to vote PLP and send the message to the Prime Minster that "his time is up and the FNM has to go."