The Tribune

THERE has been tremendous praise for the leadership shown by FNM MP Loretta Butler-Turner in her prompt response to the needs of her fellow Bahamians after the recent passage over our southern islands of Hurricane Joaquin, a category four hurricane – the most destructive in our history.

The hurricane took an unprepared government emergency service by surprise. And although the hurricane did not arrive before Thursday, October 1, Mrs Butler-Turner said she had received calls from her Long Island constituents that bad weather from a disturbance in the area was being felt as early as Tuesday evening.

“I got calls on Wednesday evening from residents telling me of sea swells, high tides and strong winds,” she said. By the time an official warning was issued early Thursday, the island of Long Island was already in the preliminary throes of the massive category four storm. Reports indicated that the island at that time was experiencing 170mph winds, with sustained winds of 200mph and wind gusts up to 220mph.

The news was such that she knew emergency services and supplies were needed – and urgently. She immediately started to organise an emergency airlift with Paul Aranha, owner of Trans Island Airways, to fly into Deadman’s Cay with supplies as soon as weather permitted Saturday morning. Private citizens also came to the rescue, immediately opening warehouses and organising drop off areas in Nassau to collect emergency supplies donated by a most generous public. As the prime minister and his cabinet seemed hesitant as to what their first move should be an armada of planes, boats and citizens, swept past them, with food, water, medicines, generators, building materials, clothing and other essential supplies for Bahamians left destitute in the wake of the hurricane. Not only were Long Islanders receiving help from the private sector, but so were Bahamians on the equally devastated islands of Crooked Island, Acklins, Rum Cay and San Salvador.

But it was Mrs Butler-Turner who was the first to go to the aid of her constituents, assuring them that Long Island, despite the devastation would rise again.

For the first time, Bahamians realised that they could take matters into their own hands without the aid of a dithering government. The government also seemed overwhelmed – and confused – by the people’s power. Nor did government members fail to recognise the Long Island MP’s leadership abilities, and the potential threat she posed should she become leader of the Opposition. It is obvious that they think Dr Hubert Minnis is a push over as FNM leader. Despite their current unpopularity, government members are satisfied that they can defeat Dr Minnis in an election. However, Loretta Butler-Turner is another matter. She is a challenge. She is obviously someone who has to be stopped — and they intend to stop her. Or so they think.

And so when Mrs Butler-Turner stood up in the House of Assembly on October 21 to report the challenges faced by her constituents in the wake of the destructive storm, she was silenced.

She was the only Opposition member whose constituency was affected by the deadly storm. In addition Long Island represented three fifths of the people crushed by Joaquin. She criticised the government for being undemocratic in denying her the right to represent her people. And she was correct. Here we were right back with the stunted mentality of former PLP cabinet minister Philip Bethel who declared from a public platform that “God gave this country to the PLP,” and the callous, dismissive comment of the late PLP Minister Sir Clement Maynard who remarked that he was only “checking for PLPs”.

Come 2017, it will be interesting to see who the Bahamian people are checking for.

Defending his position in silencing the Long Island MP, Speaker Dr Kendal Major told The Tribune he was just enforcing the House’s rules. But in private he told Mrs Butler-Turner that her contribution was going to be “contentious” and he wanted to hear nothing more from her. Her presentation was not contentious. But it was the truth. Of course, cowards fear the truth. Not only did Speaker Major let himself down, but even worse, he failed democracy.

And then on November 10, Mrs Butler-Turner was invited to attend the Claridge Road Primary School to receive gifts collected by the teachers and students for the school children of Long Island. On her way to the school she received a call from an embarrassed principal who explained that she had to cancel the presentation at the school’s morning assembly. She apologised, but said she had had a call from the director of education instructing her that the children’s supplies were not to be presented to the FNM MP. The Claridge Road Primary school is located in Marathon, the constituency of Education Minister Jerome Fitzgerald. Mrs Butler-Turner was told that when Mr Fitzgerald was tipped off as to what was happening in his constituency, he put the brakes on, informing the director that as Claridge Primary was a government owned school, no intermediary was needed to take the supplies to another government owned school. It is understood that the donations were eventually taken by a parent, put on the mail boat and sent to Long Island. When Mrs Butler arrived at Claridge Road Primary for the now cancelled assembly presentation, she was not allowed to get out of her car. Community spirit had turned political. It should be noted that when private citizens rushed to help their fellow Bahamians they did not stop to discover whether they were PLP or FNM — they were just Bahamians in need. It took government politicians to muddy the waters of generosity.

The Government’s intention of trying to thwart the Long Island MP’s attempts to serve her constituents at every turn is clearly spelled out on the PLP’s web site.

Says the web site: “Loretta Butler Turner can do nothing UNLESS the government assists as it has assisted. The point needs to be made and made again. Lord help us if she emerges as the Leader of the Opposition.”

Yes, the Lord better help you, because this no-nonsense lady will beat the pants off every one of you.

Also don’t forget that the hurricane relief effort by the Bahamian people showed that when the people want to move ahead, they can do so without the government. If politicians forget this, they will do so at their peril.