The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

The Prime Minister in Exuma, said to be speaking at the Economic Forum-Exuma, incredibly tried to defend himself and the use of what is now the infamous phrase – a teachable moment. Economic Forums everywhere, but no reality - nothing achieved except a lot of talk - teachable, of course just the usual bull.

Let’s look back to just after the massive success in Election 2012 and try to recall all the “teachable moments” – difficult because there have been so many that we honestly have forgotten.

Top teachable moment for the Prime Minister surely has to be his personal support, totally, of Sarkis Izmirlian until they got divorced and started throwing insults at each other, in what has turned out to be a mega teachable, all $3.25 billion teachable at that.

Have we heard anything about all the promised Cell Treatment centres that we were promised? No, a further and another teachable. Nygard moved to St Lucia or Antigua now that’s teachable ..... remember “we took Government!”

POWER-SOURCE - now that’s certainly a teachable - I wonder just how much money between 2012 and now we have spent deciding with Consultants on Consultants and then the incredible teachable we pay POWER-SOURCE, $823,000.00 to create a development plan for BEC.

Recycling – remember that $650m project that MP Wells signed off and no one else knew? A teachable, oh yes, as why should a similar project in Barbados cost $230m... a further teachable.

Whatever happened to the investigation of the contracts and connections of the past Minister of Tourism, Vanderpool-Wallace? Teachable because were we not told the PLP after 2012 would investigate those allegations and all others.

BAMSI and the fire and no insurance and at first throw the Minister did not have a clue what was going on – now that was teachable, but who cares.

Tourism receives all kinds of awards and accolades and still tourism stay-over arrivals stay the same - hmm... That’s teachable.

Mortgage relief - all those promises and zip, hundreds more repossessed and seemingly all the talk got no relief - teachable never believe a politician.

Baha Mar ... oh yes so many teachable here in recent weeks - employees will be paid ... contractors will be paid ... We will find a solution ... reality, dear Prime Minister, is and always was that Baha Mar will go into full liquidation - the principal lender will take the property as a whole and in time will dispose of it. Teachable, of course, because Baha Mar and how Mr Christie’s Government has dealt with it is more than teachable - they got the whole thing backwards.

Crime - MURDERS... since 2012 we have had more than 500 murders – teachable to the victim families, especially the children which could exceed 2,000 and it goes on and on with no slowing down.

Numbers referendum - what was correct in a democratic society ended up in my opinion as an illegal decision and totally contravening any form of democracy, but this was a teachable moment - it seems Law and Order and the upholding of both as the Mace was thrown out the Parliament window, Mr Christie threw the upholding of a correct legal process as prescribed in law and converted a legal Referendum process to “an opinion poll” and justified it. Imagine turning a No into Yes and basically screw all who bothered to vote? Oh, so teachable - don’t trust politicians.

VAT money - promises and now even the Minister of State, Finance can’t tell us definitively where the VAT money is going - now that’s teachable. If he doesn’t know who does? is VAT paying the VAT rebates on time?

Hawksbill Agreement - with some 32 years still standing this Government employs one of the biggest economic consultancies, unknown costs of course, to determine the future of Hawksbill although there remains 32 years in the Agreement then appoints a Grand Bahama Advisory group to report on top of that! What messages are we sending to potential Bahamian and foreign investors in acting in this manner? Is your Agreement safe or will at anytime the Government on its whim change things?

Investors need investor security, teachable? Of course.

Cabinet Ministers’ travel - zero accountability since 2012 - promised the detail expenses for the famous CHOGM then Vatican junket - all those trips to Dubai and Qatar and nothing coming from them - who did they meet? Was it just another teachable - I, like so many others, ask: What was achieved and at what cost?

Freedom of Information - Parliament passed an Act under the Ingraham Government which the PLP in Opposition supported why should it take 3+ years to enact and put in place the law? Teachable because it is obvious the Christie Government seemingly is avoiding at the greatest cost having this in place prior to the next Election - teachable? Yes because I suspect they simply don’t wish to be under scrutiny.

It is teachable how this government fanfares an issue and then there is complete silence but when the fanfare was being heard it was the best - globally known and world and internationally famous ... then fizzzz... nothing.

Do I have to go on? ... The Charter for Governance - all 188 pages has been a teachable moment if not an agony since 2012 and have to suggest in the next election the only way the PLP could win if Mr McCartney and Dr Minnis refuse to combine their efforts and oust this Government which has failed all who voted for it in 2012.

I actually voted PLP in 2012 - yes, I was swung, but no more.

JASMINE MACKEY

Nassau,

October 23, 2015.