By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
FNM leader Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday urged the government to table in parliament records documenting a complete breakdown of the costs associated with the gaming referendum.
His comments came as National Security Minister Dr Bernard Nottage backtracked on his announcement that the vote which sought to legalise the numbers business, which he first pegged at more than $5 million, actually cost taxpayers $1,238,092.95.
Last week, Dr Nottage told reporters that the referendum’s expenditure was around $5 million, quite a leap in figures from Prime Minister Perry Christie’s estimation weeks earlier that it cost more than $1 million.
However, in a press statement yesterday, Dr Nottage, who is responsible for the running of elections and referendums, said he regretted the misunderstanding that he might have created.
“On Thursday, October 3rd,” he said, “when questioned about the cost of holding the National Referendum on Web Shop Gaming and a National Lottery in January, I inadvertently gave the figure of $5 million. Almost immediately, I told the reporters, who were from the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas, Cable TV 12 and The Nassau Guardian, that I was uncertain about the actual amount.
“Nevertheless the figure was published in The Nassau Guardian in its Friday 4th edition. As a result, in a note that I wrote to the author of the article and to his superiors on another matter, I pointed out that I thought it was unfair for them to have used that figure.
“I wish to point out that I am now in possession of the exact figure, which has been provided for me by the Parliamentary Registration Department.”
The differing comments sparked calls from Dr Minnis on Sunday that Mr Christie should resign as Minister of Finance because it appeared that he did not have a handle on the country’s finances.
“If Prime Minister Perry Christie cannot handle Finance as his portfolio he should step down and appoint someone who is capable of managing the country’s money,” Dr Minnis said.
He further questioned who was in control of the country’s finances, if Mr Christie was unable to give an accurate account of the people’s money.
“One has to wonder whether the Prime Minister is deceiving the public or does he simply not know what is going on with the people’s money.
“Who is at the wheel? Since both Mr Christie and Dr Nottage have different reports of the gaming referendum expenditure, are all the other departments and ministries spending more than the Ministry of Finance knows about? Are various departments running rogue and left up to their own devices?” Dr Minnis asked.
Comments
marrcus 11 years ago
$5,000,000 - are you kidding me? 82,000 votes = $60 for a YES or NO vote? Something smells rotten. FULL TRANSPARENCY PLEASE
ohdrap4 11 years ago
This is what happens when the Math D grade becomes the new C.
B_I_D___ 11 years ago
Pure incompetence...no other way around it. I'd love to know the TRUE figure...which includes all the vote yes rallies sponsored by the numbers houses...
nassaudaddy 11 years ago
He's not wrong about the figure, he just thought it would go by the wayside and the people accept it. You have a bunch of thieves up there and they ride the backs of us poor Bahamian citizens. Cronyism and nepotism is so rampant and a lot of the money is passed on to the other thieves that vote for and with them. I'm not surprised at the figure and i'll bet its' much higher than $5 million. It also goes with the murder count that they down play, the same murder figures that they ran on is coming to bite them in the ass. I'm willing to bet they will never give us The Citizens of this country a full and true accounting of what is happening, because if they do The whole bunch of them will end up doing time in Fox hill prison where the rest of the criminals reside
TalRussell 11 years ago
Look the man didn't spend the $5 million but Hubert spent go'in over budget over $100 million on the road works project. So even the minister $5 million was correct he's still have a whole lots of Hail Mary passes to use up before even com'in close to catching up with Hubert's waste of taxpayers money on too many projects to even comment on.
AMEN!
ThisIsOurs 11 years ago
Thanks for pointing that out, i.e., the overspend on the road works... even more reason the new administration should doing everything in their power to show how much better they are at managing the people's money. After all that is what brought the last administration down and was a big campaign talking point for the present
TalRussell 11 years ago
Minnis should know better than to demand a PM resignation when had no proof other nan a Nassau Guardian originated story. But as a "lame duck" leader maybe he can use it as his excuse, but what's your excuse for continuing with this incorrect number when there was NEVER no $5 million spent on the referendum? I'd call that a willingness to take an incorrect but cautious figure uttered my the minister to use it politically, by all you reds perpetuating what would now be a big lie.
ThisIsOurs 11 years ago
As I've said previously, it is beyond belief that a minister would estimate a 5mil spend when their leader has been in the press giving a 1mil figure. It just doesn't make sense. I'm sure he spoke honestly when he said he was unsure of the actual number...I for example, am not sure what my next phone bill will be, but based on the knowledge that I have of my phone calls, I would not tell someone, well it could be around 10,000 but don't quote me, NOONE does that and noone tells secrets at a press conference. He spoke honestly and now he is getting hell from his party for speaking honestly.
How often do they meet anyway, is PGC constantly checking for dropped phone calls during the meetings? Shouldn't they have discussed the costs as they planned then compared estimates to actual as the bills came in, or is this govt continuing the policy of Throw Money at a Problem? To not know the numbers at this date.... Shane Gibson did the same thing with the NIB audit. It's frightening.
I doubt the quoted parliamentary registry figure included the cost of the consultants, it cannot be a complete figure. I'm sure you can admit that at least.
shortpants 11 years ago
Tal yeah HI may have spent the amount you are quoting but it was worth every penny unless by now the murder figures would be far more for road rage .But five million for bullshit is not acceptable .He was right when he quoted the figures ,but he got his ass cuss out for another shit that the PM WHOM IS NEVER IN PLACE to say yeah or nay .Tell him get his lousy ass to work so he can know what all these fools going to stand in front of a camera to announce.He seems to be the last to know ,not under HI watch .We should always have one Prime Minister at a time but with these bunch of losers all want to be the head master and none don't worth a shit because they don't have our best interest at heart .
TalRussell 11 years ago
Just cause you throw rocks at the political party that whipped your regime's backsides in the 2012 General Elections doesn't relieve you from the BILLION wasted during the reds regime. That's a BILLION of taxpayers taken from struggling Bahamalander's paychecks which some done been collected by the treasury and much more still to be repaid back to international leaders over many years, after you reds were fired as the government of our tiny Bahamaland. Let me tell you what I'd like see is a leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition who stands up for things the people really are hurt'in about, like law and order and creating paychecks. How can you be a party of law and order, if the reds themselves have admitted to knowledge of numbers "bosses" campaign monies ending up in the bank accounts of red shirts candidates? I want see a leader who will say no to appointing political retreads to the senate. Minnis should not be calling for the resignation of any PM when his only facts were based on a Nassau Guardian story. I honestly believe even Minnis's own red people are suspicious over their leader's erratic behavior with the Miami-based Cuban Movement. They're deeply bothered over Minnis's lacking consistency by going from one political attack after another, but nothing seems to stick after the noise has disappeared from coverage by his red friendly media outlets.
concernedcitizen 11 years ago
At least you get roads, hospitals , harbours and such and i was just in nassau and couldn,t believe how sweet the roads were .Yes they were over budget but to say 100 million is not true b/c fuel went up and things were added ..What do we have for the 800 millionj the PLP borrowed so far ,even if 400, million went to HAI debt which it didn,t ,what we got for 400 million ,Urban renewal ,all kinda consular this ,that all over the world ,,money all round for the yes vote .public and private ,,and now we got "webshop casinos " pop up like topsy w/ glassy eyed ,mothers spinnin away the light and lunch money ,,,PGC should have had the stones to pass legislation to regularize and tax the numbers men w/ a vote in the house ,,at least the country would get more revenue ,,,,all the way w/ the PLP
TalRussell 11 years ago
What a most ridiculous argument is ever there was one. What if the Hubert regime had done these projects but not over spending in excess of $100 million and that's just for the roads. PM Chrsite had borrow even more millions to try finish the mess left behind. It's disgusting and i don't care a damn how much you reds try to-excuse Hubert's time as both PM and Minister of Finance.What if Hubert had brought the road works within budget what would you be calling him? Papa would not be big enough he head. Try Saint Hubert. But how in the hell can he be make a Saint, when the bonuses at NHB, are still a hot topic among thousands of out-of- paycheck Bahamalander's. You do know the reds were fired. Right?
banker 11 years ago
We aren't talking about the FNM party. We are talking about the shameful perfidy and lying of the PLP, and the dishonour in making Bernard Nottage fall on his own sword again. The PLP eat their own, but not before humiliating them with a public rape of their integrity first. The issue here is that Nottage spoke truthfully, then he was forced to retract by the animals in the PLP - Perpetual Liars Party.
concernedcitizen 11 years ago
You had to pay the man good money to go after baby tiger them over at Nib
concernedcitizen 11 years ago
Hai debts were being serviced by revenue ,but even if half of what the "numbersmens delivery boy" Perry borrowed went to pay PAPAS projects,, what we got for the other 400 million ,flying freddy .Ramhing lookin like Idi Amin in new york and Urrrrrrrrrban renewal ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Apart from Flowers that wanted to pay tax Perry gave dem numbersmen just want they want ,free rein and no tax to the Gov ,,wonder how Perry ga VAT when i my my piece of 813
ThisIsOurs 11 years ago
"Are you serious?" My commute to work, a distance of no more than 1 mile went from 1.5-2 hrs to 15 mins. I am so thankful for the new system. It could have been managed alot better! but it doesn't seem as if anyone learned a lesson from it. Perry Christie said he's going to fly his entire cabinet and staff to different islands so the can hold a parliamentary meeting and mini-vacay the day away...that's what they learned, spend fast and spend early.
ThisIsOurs 11 years ago
Hmm .. Interesting. I hear the opposite reviews from my coworkers. You will never eliminate traffic, if that is what you were hoping for dream on. The flow of traffic has much improved since the upgrade. I usually head out between 6 and 7, there's traffic but it moves. The other day I had to go to a meeting at 830, it was not my normal time and I had no idea what traffic would be like, I left home at 8 (don't ask) and was sure I would take forever. I got downtown in 30 mins there was no way I would have accomplished that before the road works completed. Bahamians not knowing how to interpret the road markings is a systemic problem, they shouldn't have passed their driving tests if they don't. None of the roads you listed were upgraded...I suspect they had to scale back on the original plans for obvious reasons.
positiveinput 11 years ago
I must agree with you thisisours, the commute is much better. Yes there may be traffic on the road but it flows much better. As for the light switching 5-10 seconds; I don't know how they work over here but if the light sensor doesn't detect a vehicle then that would result in the short period the light stays on green. Either the lead car on the light have stopped beyond the sensor or before it if that is the case. So the stop light is not registering that there is traffic awaiting.
concernedcitizen 11 years ago
@Rory you are the master of hyperbole and purely emotionally charged biased opinions ..
TalRussell 11 years ago
Comrades this has nothing to do with the reds passion for Bahamalander's. It's all about one damn thing, to bring PM Christie down. To have gone as far as to join forces with the Miami-based Cuban Movement group speaks volumes about what Minnis, Loretta and Darron are up to. Now, they have recruited the "how many times rejected by the voters," the new reds senator Comrade Carl B. Out the damn window goes Minnis's promise to bring new blood into the party's leadership. Carl's political blood so tainted with failure, I'd be willing post a sizable wager that even Bran wouldn't sign no DNA membership card for his former red shirts colleague. First, they failed to remove minister Freddy but they sure seem to love the hell out BEC's Chairman Pot cake? That wont last long cause after the lights turned off on one big shot red shirt financial backer businessman and they be looking for a new Pot cake. Thre is no Bahamalander who could seriously be thinking that Minnis, Loretta, Darron and the reincarnated from the political dumpster da Senator Carl B., should be the ones running the nation's affairs. If you do you hate PM Christie a damn lot.
banker 11 years ago
Ironic how it always comes back to the FNM. Now it is the FNM trying to bring Christie down. It's a commie plot, I tell you comrades. But the real secret, is that it requires no effort to bring Christie down on the FNM part. The PLP are doing a fine job of that. And, he deserves to be brought down, as the most useless PM of the Bahamas.
ThisIsOurs 11 years ago
Perry Christie will bring himself down. I do not want him to fail. If he fails my job and thousands of others could be gone. I could care less what the governing party calls themselves, the blue cats, the pink lemons whatever, I just want them honest and hardworking. Yes I am frustrated with PGC because he appears to be stuck with no will to reign in a renegade administration and no will to lead.
concernedcitizen 11 years ago
I say thank God someone had the b@lls to do the roads it was long over due !!!and it was a lot of paychecks in young mens pockets during a recession ,and don,t tal;k shit bout a foriegn contractor IDB cut the money off when Bethels trucking started it under PGC IN 2005 ,IF IDB WANTED to pay JCC hey they lent us the dough at a low interest rate ,,when the economy was booming 2002 to 2008 show me one big modernization project the PLP got off the ground ,,name just one ,,oh yeah the award winning Urrrrrrrrrrben renewal ,,
concernedcitizen 11 years ago
Hey ,all the political parties get backed and have to take care of there backers its who does the most after that .What i don,t get w/ Nottage at this stage in his political career as seeming to be a pretty 'stand up guy " why take that career wreaking post of Ministery of national security ,then have Fred throw the cuban thing on him ,then oppys about the referendum .If i was him after delivering the seat i would of told PGC them give me something like Transport and avation ,,mostly nice and quiet ,...BJ still catching blows for trying to be the leader
John 11 years ago
DON"T YOU GET THE FEELING that number of government officials on the front line are just praying for their term to end? Like it was fun when they were sitting on the opposite side and pointing fingers but now it seems like 'governing ain't as easy is it looked", and" maybe the other government wasn't really doing that bad.: But here it is now crisis on every front and they are not only half ways into their term. Crime still a challenge, the Cubans protesting, roads falling into potholes, referendum get postponed, no jobs being created, school teachers still protesting, cost of living climbing through the roof, drug smuggling on the increase, 1 year and a half gone and no low cost houses constructed cigarettes cost $11.00 a pack BEC blACKING OUT, water shortage, blotched referendum on gambling, VAT coming to carry a whole lot of businesses, family islanders even stop crying by now..are we there yet?
banker 11 years ago
Here is something to ponder. Christie shoots his mouth off and says that there will be a referendum in November. Sean McWeeney says no freaking way that there will be a referendum in November. What does Christie do? He backs off.
Christie shoots his mouth off and says that the previous referendum cost a million. Nottage says that it cost $5 million. What does Christie do? He gets his bum boys to make Nottage recant.
What is the difference? Respect. Nottage is not respected and made to look stupid, while Sean McWeeney is an alpha male with money, and he wouldn't stand for the limp-wristed Christie to treat him like that. Bernard Nottage is the PLP lapdog who doesn't get any respect.
ThisIsOurs 11 years ago
Agree with the post, don't like that pic, it's a throwback to some unpleasant days (or more unpleasant anyway). He's not a dog. He may very well be the only honest man in the bunch...
banker 11 years ago
The point of the pic was not the integrity of Nottage (of which I agree with you on), but rather on the PLP treatment of Nottage. He has always taken crap from them and come back for more. He had his own CDR party that went nowhere (as Fred has his party as well), and he swallowed his pride and re-joined the PLP. Now he is swallowing his pride again. Is there no one willing to stand up to the party machinery?
Point taken about unpleasant days as well. My contention is that we are in a very unpleasant situation now for the people with crime, unemployment and hopelessness. And it will get worse.
banker 11 years ago
I didn't intentionally imply that Nottage had no money, but rather McWeeney was an alpha male with money and he doesn't bend over every time the PLP tells him to. I rather suspect that Christie is just a puppet and guys like Bradley Roberts, and Frankie the Snake are pulling the strings.
And I do agree about HI tempering his ideals and giving Bahamians exactly what they want after electoral losses and referendum losses. All in all, he and the FNM had a better idea of what the country needed, but perhaps the country is too full of dummies, crooks, and grifters to be governable. Perhaps the Bahamas is ungovernable and getting worse.
And no, I am not their banker. I am a banker to foreign money, but that way of life is disappearing in the Bahamaland. Our last stand is Latin American money, but if they get their feces together, that well will go dry as well.
TalRussell 11 years ago
My Dear Comrades these hereto Tribune blog pages are the recruiting poster for any and all reds to gather in anticipation of the political beheading of PM Christie. Every post brags of the good government under their beloved HAI. But let me dare point out any one of Hubert's many deficiencies as PM, Minister of Finance or the Red Shirts Party Leader and all hell breaks out against me or anyone else who dares to remind them of his faults. First, they were unrelenting in attacking Minister Freddy with their non-stop calls for the PM fire him. Now, it's the "Most Honorable" Minister of Defense family's turn to see photos of him depicted as some "dog" published on these hereto Tribune pages. Mere words hereto can not begin to express the sadness I feel from the constant need for such politics? I wonder from whom they learned their disgusting political tactics? Take it as your personal homework project to answer that one.
concernedcitizen 11 years ago
Tals you seem to forget some of the pics you would post w/ piles of nanny etc .Me i think BJ Nottage is alright and can,t for the life of me at this stage in his career lets them keep dumping on him ..
concernedcitizen 11 years ago
Tals we don,t have to try real hard to make some PLP,S look bad ,they seem to do that quite well all by themselves ,,
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