The Tribune

By CHESTER ROBARDS

Tribune Senior Reporter

crobards@tribunemedia.net

THE PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party (PLP) has “formed the most expensive government in the history of the Bahamas”, FNM chairman nominee, Dion Foulkes, said yesterday. He called the government’s large cabinet a “waste” of taxpayers’ money.

Mr Foulkes also suggested that the Christie administration, while putting a strain on the public purse with its “Gussymae Cabinet”, had also negated the relevance of local government through the appointment of Renardo Curry as a Parliamentary Secretary who would be based in Abaco and through the creation of the Ministry for Grand Bahama.

“Mr Curry joins a crowded field of current and former PLP Parliamentarians who have been given high paying ministerial appointments, executive and nominal chairmanships by the PLP government since the General Election, a sore point for the thousands of suffering unemployed Bahamians,” said Mr Foulkes.

“With a total disregard for the financial challenges confronting our country and thousands of Bahamians who are suffering due to the lack of jobs, Prime Minister Perry Christie formed the most expensive government in the history of The Bahamas.

“The creation of a Ministry for Grand Bahama in Grand Bahama added needless expense, now the appointment of a Parliamentary Secretary to be stationed in Abaco will add additional costs as that office will have to be established and staffed.”

According to Mr Foulkes, 30 PLP parliamentarians have been “rewarded with high-paying jobs” since the party took office.

The government and PLP party consists of 16 senior ministers, five ministers of state, four junior ministers, six executive chairmen, and six chairmen.

During the height of the global economic downturn the former government cut ministers’ salaries in an attempt to ease the burden on the public purse, said Mr Foulkes, as government spending and debt increased through myriad infrastructural projects.

Since coming to office the PLP administration has been forced to borrow more money to finish the road improvement project, as well as begin other infrastructural projects, he said in a statement.

Meanwhile, said Mr Foulkes, the government is “wasting” the country’s money by having “the largest” cabinet “in the history The Bahamas”.