The Tribune

CRIME should not be used as an election talking point, former Progressive Liberal Party Cabinet minister George Smith said, adding that no government can control the issue.

His comments came days after Prime Minister Perry Christie told reporters that crime will be the main issue to decide the next election. Mr Christie also suggested to reporters that his administration is working to improve things in this area before voters go back to the polls.

“I don’t think crime should be an election issue,” Mr Smith said when contacted for comment.

“As lofty and ambitious as he is to think that the government could control crime, I think that’s beyond the capacity of what the government can do. What the government can do is cause the economy to grow, cause the Bahamas to grow, push measures like the availability of land through local banks and the empowerment of Bahamians. If the economy grows we will have more money to reduce the national debt, we will have more money to invest in public safety and infrastructure improvement and cause the social conditions to improve for the least fortunate.

“If you get rid of what motivates a person to do crime, put them on a path to be a productive citizen, then their desire to commit crime (will diminish).”

He said despite the best intentions of the minister of national security crime is still a problem.

Mr Smith said crime was a major “talking point” ahead of the 2012 election, however, he believes the PLP won that vote because people were disappointed in the performance of the government “so they chose the alternative.”

He added: “No political party can take comfort in believing that because there is crime they are going to win (the next election).”

He said the prime minister’s pledges on crime could play against him when the next election comes.

“Things haunt you in the election, but you get over that. I think Bahamians see beyond the rhetoric. Next year will be a defining period in terms of the improvement in the economy,” he said.

INSIGHT: 
PM ‘delusional’ over crime, pre-election issues - see back page of Business