The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune. Did my eyes deceive me or did I really see the headline "PLP Hopeful Backs Oil Exploration" in Thursday's paper? Does Leslie Miller really think we have forgotten about his dubious trail of misdeeds when it comes to energy in The Bahamas? If it weren't such a serious issue I would be entertained at yet another example of bold and brazen behaviour by one of the usual PLP suspects. But it is serious, and yet here they are again, smiling for the camera, and not even trying to conceal their crafty ambition to reclaim the Cookie Jar. In case you have forgotten, in 2005 Leslie Miller was widely criticised for rash, reactive, apparently self-interested behaviour in committing The Bahamas to joining the controversial Venezuela- sponsored PetroCaribe initiative without the consent of Cabinet. Wikileaks subsequently revealed a cable communication in which then PM Perry Christie himself, said "Minister Miller is an erratic figure within the Cabinet and his frequent dramatic pronouncements on issues ranging from PetroCaribe, to liquefied natural gas projects are taken with a large grain of salt." Then, in 2006, Miller and Allyson Maynard Gibson were in charge of negotiating an LNG deal with Virginia based AES Corporation, and when the secret contract was hastily announced we learned that Gibson's law firm was receiving a $1 million payment. We never did hear whether or not Miller had any part of a deal, because the whole affair was squashed so quickly. But one has to wonder what his interest could have been, with a deal "structured" to bring in at least $10 million in revenue annually. And let's not forget the sideshow in Cat Cay, when Miller engaged in a public "bust up" with one of the developers, in an overheated row about the proposed LNG terminal at nearby Ocean Cay. And I know we all remember the toilet bowl scandal. You may ask, how does this measure up to a level-headed, responsible representative of the Bahamian people who deserves a seat in the House of Assembly? The answer is: It doesn't. So, going back to the LNG issue, imagine my surprise when I opened the paper to see Leslie Miller staring back at me with the statement. "If elected, the PLP administration would seek to resume negotiations initiated during their last term in office with the energy company, AES Corporation." Is this for real?! Miller says there is no scientific material to support criticisms of the operation of LNG in the country. That is great. Thank you for the newsflash, Leslie. But the point is not whether or not we should drill for oil, or use LNG. The point is that Bahamians cannot trust Leslie Miller, or any of the PLPs cast of characters, to be in charge of it. Oil exploration, and the use of LNG is something that needs be undertaken carefully, after proper research and planning and with adequate oversight, to ensure no harm is done and the ultimate benefits are for the people of the Bahamas and not a select group of lobbyists and shareholders. Leslie Miller also feeds us some examples about how Sweden is doing with oil and gas. Not that it would be directly relevant to us, but the facts he regurgitates are simply wrong, be it because he got his geography scrambled or would just say anything that seems to feed his case. At the end of the day, the issue is not the oil or the LNG itself. The Bahamas will likely have to move in this direction eventually. The issue is whom do you want at the helm and how will it go down when it happens. We need someone who will navigate us reliably through the decision making process, and resolutely protect our islands and our common interests. We do not want the same crew of cronies who will be grasping, until their last gasp, at the spoils of victory and cajoling over what's in it for them while selling us down the river. In my opinion, Mr Miller personifies some of the worst aspects of our political class and clearly believes that either our memories are short or we cannot understand facts. Or perhaps he believes that we are just blind followers. Is this what he thinks it means to believe in Bahamians? That is what it looks like. Patriotic Bahamian Nassau, April 27, 2012.