The Tribune

FNM Chairman Darron Cash yesterday confirmed that the leaked memorandum to party executives was an internal communication despite denying its existence last week.

Mr Cash remained tightlipped over the relationship between himself and the party leadership in a press statement sent out yesterday.

The statement follows comments made by Deputy Leader Loretta Butler-Turner, published in The Nassau Guardian this weekend, in which she suggests that the FNM chairman may have been “misled” by government propaganda on web shops.

Mr Cash’s statement read: “The Memorandum to Party Executives was an internal communication on a series of issues of national importance. I did not disclose the memo to the public.” 

It continued: “With respect to comments by the Deputy Leader, the Party Leader, Hubert Minnis, has already commented on the matter and I will repeat the statement he made; I do not intend to discuss internal party matters.”

Last week, Mr Cash confirmed that he had not resigned from the party in the wake of media reports that he had threatened to quit.

Both FNM leader Dr Hubert Minnis and Mr Cash were tightlipped when asked about media reports that Mr Cash has threatened to resign as chairman because of his differing views from Dr Minnis on the webshop legalisation issue.

The Nassau Guardian article claimed that not only did Mr Cash threaten to resign because of the issue during an FNM executive committee meeting on Monday, but a memo he wrote urged the committee “to return to (the party’s) original position on gambling and publicly support the government’s planned decision to bring web shops legally into the mainstream of our economy.”

“I did not send a letter,” Mr Cash said when asked about the memo. He declined to comment further on the matter.

Earlier this month, Mr Cash told The Tribune that in his personal view, the government should make the “tough decision” to move forward with bipartisan discussions on web shops because shutting them down should no longer be an option.

In a separate statement, the FNM chairman again called for the government to delay or cancel the implementation of Value-Added-Tax.

“By his own admission,” said Mr Cash, “the Prime Minister complained that he has to pay almost a month’s salary in real property taxes. The PM is well paid. He can afford to pay his taxes. Still, he suggests that the amount he has to pay seems unfair. He almost seems to whine about it. He conveniently refused to use that great opportunity to answer the Leader of the Opposition’s question about whether his taxes are up to date.

He added: “If the PM’s property tax is unfairly assessed, then he must consider that a part of the reason many other Bahamians do not pay is because their homes may also be unfairly valued, and the taxes unreasonably high. If that is the case, then it is the Prime Minister’s responsibility to fix that problem and thereby increase compliance. Hence, even the lower VAT rate envisioned by the PM might have room for further reduction.”

Mr Cash said Mr Christie’s defence of VAT consultant Ishmael Lightbourne has illustrated “the clear importance of having someone in authority to look out for you.”

“Mr. Christie’s friend had a prime minister to intervene with the bank on his behalf when he experienced financial problems,” said Mr Cash. “That was great for him. Sadly, the PM was not so concerned about the many Bahamians who have lost jobs and the ability to pay their bills—especially those unfortunate unemployed Bahamians who cannot pay their bills because Mr Christie as prime minister put them out of work.

“His insensitivity began with Urban Renewal workers when he demonstrated that the only thing he was ready for on day one was to fire Urban Renewal workers. Similarly, his government seemed insensitive to the needs of the hotel workers on Paradise Island and Cable Beach when they lost their jobs. Neither the PM nor his ministers stepped in to intervene on behalf of those average, not-so-well-connected Bahamians.

“Mr. Christie’s passionate and vociferous defense of a friend would have been a lot more convincing if he had demonstrated that he cares as much about the rest of his countrymen,” Mr Cash added.