The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

LONG Island MP Loretta Butler Turner yesterday castigated the Christie administration saying it was “paralysed by violent crime” as the government continued to falter from “scandal after scandal”.

Nearly three years since the Progressive Liberal Party defeated the Free National Movement in the May 2012 general election, Mrs Butler Turner reminded the government that it campaigned on the promise of having initiatives in its arsenal to combat crime.

However, she said, Bahamians are still faced with a “tsunami of violence sweeping over the nation”. She said this statement had been one of Prime Minister Perry Christie’s punch lines when he was in opposition.

She further criticised the government for “defacing” the Senate building with carnival signage which she said disrupted the sanctity of the chambers where laws are made in the country. Her comment triggered ridicule from seated government ministers who snickered and laughed.

Mrs Butler Turner said: “The PLP said in its Charter for Governance that it would reintroduce the Urban Renewal programme in its true and full form. Urban Renewal was touted as one of the main measures in the PLP’s arsenal to combat crime. Now we are beginning to understand what they meant in its true and full form. We are witnessing the same high levels of violent crime and criminals are still terrorising our urban areas.

“In its 2012 Charter for Governance the PLP stated the recent spate of armed robberies and the continuous serious assaults against visitors to The Bahamas is totally unacceptable.

“As this government falters from crisis to crisis and scandal after scandal, it is paralysed and unable to lead on crime, on the economy, on energy reform, on mortgage relief, on investing more in education and on issue after issue, not to mention discipline in its own Cabinet.”

She added: “We are still overwhelmed with frightening crime statistics. I would like to remind this honourable House that in 2011 during his crime address in opposition the member for Centreville (Mr Christie) said that the tsunami of violence sweeping our nation was inevitable.

“Three and a half years later with violent crime out of control, with criminals continuing to wreak havoc, what is his excuse now? Who does he blame now?”

Both State Minister of Legal Affairs Damian Gomez and Minister of National Security Bernard Nottage defended the government’s crime fighting initiatives.

Mrs Butler Turner also questioned whether MICAL MP V Alfred Gray was still acting in the capacity of local government minister, adding that he was in her constituency recently telling residents that he was on the island as a representative of regattas.

Mr Gray was relieved of his portfolio of local government several weeks ago after a police investigation was launched into claims of judicial interference against him. He is still the substantive minister of agriculture and marine resources.