The Tribune

By DANA SMITH dsmith@tribunemedia.net UNDER the PLP's "aggressive" Housing Programme, more homes were built in five years than the FNM built in 15, according to party deputy leader Philip "Brave" Davis. Speaking at the opening of the Golden Gates constituency office last night in support of incumbent Shane Gibson, Mr Davis said Mr Gibson and the PLP have a "stellar record" with Bahamians. "Your ambitious, hard-working MP has continued the promise of the PLP - to wipe every tear from every eye," he said. "In 2002 we began an aggressive housing programme across the country. And by the end of 2007 more than 1,400 homes were built by your PLP government." Mr Gibson headed that programme and moved thousands of families from "paying rent to being homeowners" for the first time, he said. "In fact, the record shows the PLP government built more homes for the Bahamian people in five years than the entire FNM government built in the 15 years while in government." Mr Davis asked constituents to look around New Providence and name a subdivision that was built and completed by the FNM since they came into office five years ago. "They cancelled Dignity Gardens Number Two and made it painfully difficult for persons to move into their homes after having paid their money," he said. "They don't care about the Bahamian people, you know." When the PLP took office in 2002, they turned around a "depressed economy," Mr Davis claimed. Unemployment figured were in the double digits, revenue had declined, crime had "drastically" increased, and tourism arrivals had plummeted, he said. "The national debt, over $700 million, was like a runaway train with no good fiscal management plan. And the list went on and on. "Things were so bad under that failed Ingraham government back in 2002, you fired them and elected Shane and the PLP as the government to fix the country. And fix it we did!" The PLP implemented an "award-winning" Urban Renewal Programme that brought "order" and "spirit" back into communities, they created investment opportunities and "substantially" grew foreign investments, he said. Mr Davis also said in five years the PLP increased government revenue by 56 per cent, PLP leader Perry Christie "did not raise a single tax" on Bahamians, and they slowed growth on the national debt and reduced unemployment to less than eight per cent.