Former Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson.
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
ATTORNEY General Allyson Maynard-Gibson said yesterday that she supports Prime Minister Perry Christie as he gears up to launch another leadership bid in the Progressive Liberal Party, adding that the nation’s leader has done “a lot of heavy lifting” this term.
Labour Minister Shane Gibson also said yesterday that he “absolutely” believes Mr Christie should lead the party into the next general election. He said a leadership contest at this time would be a “distraction”.
Thus far, no Cabinet minister has openly expressed support for Deputy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis to lead the party. Some PLP insiders have speculated that Mr Davis plans to vie for the party’s top post, although he has previously said his ambitions depended on whether Mr Christie offered himself for re-election.
“I support our leader,” Mrs Maynard-Gibson said yesterday. “We have a strong, visionary leader. He is extremely courageous as well. He has done a lot of heavy lifting. Somebody might just do one thing in a term that’s considered heavy lifting. But we’ve had VAT successfully implemented. We will have NHI (national health insurance).
“We’re having BEC dealt with, which is very, very important. The Hawksbill Creek agreement (is another thing). I could name one thing after the other that I would call heavy lifting. And it’s especially important for you young people to understand the foundation and the framework that’s begun to be put in place is for Bahamians to fully own and actively participate in our economy. Without these things in place, we’re not going to have the Bahamas that we need and have every right to expect in the 21st century. I believe our leader is an exceptional leader and he’s the man for the time.”
For his part, Mr Gibson said: “There is no question in my mind that a leadership race will be a distraction. Obviously, for me personally, I support Prime Minister Christie 100 per cent. As far as I’m concerned, he is the best person right now to lead the country. I have worked with him for the past 15 years.
“I’ve worked with him during the previous administration. I’ve worked along with him when we were in opposition. I’ve been working with him again now that we are in government. There is no question in my mind that he is the person who is best suited to lead the country. Every leader would have their particular style of how they lead. But for me personally when I evaluate all persons who are vying for leadership in government and in opposition, ‘wannabe’ parliamentarians, I think he is the best person to lead at this time.”
The comments came a day after some PLP stalwart councillors and delegates told The Tribune they supported Mr Christie’s re-election bid and did not want to see a leadership challenge at the convention.
Delegates interviewed by The Tribune this week said concerns from some critics about Mr Christie’s age and record in office have not dimmed their impression of the prime minister, whom many described as “energetic.”
Earlier this year, Mr Davis revealed his ambitions to lead the PLP. However, when asked last week if he would run for the party’s top post in November, he said he would make his intentions known in “due course.”
Comments
MonkeeDoo 9 years, 2 months ago
Of course you got his back and he got yours !
Honestman 9 years, 2 months ago
What a surprise!!!!!
realfreethinker 9 years, 2 months ago
The only heavy lifting he has done is the cookie jar.
Sickened 9 years, 2 months ago
She truly disgusts me!
proudloudandfnm 9 years, 2 months ago
They are all lying. They all want Perry to go away. The stalwarts though are paid well....
They can't get rid of the worst PM of all time......
LOL!!!
CatIslandBoy 9 years, 2 months ago
Come on Tribune! There must be a scarcity of real news today. This is definitely not news. I am sure your journalists must be able to do some serious investigation into some of the many scandals involving this government. Give us something to read; a reason to purchase your paper.
TruePeople 9 years, 2 months ago
You see dat aye.
NEW TRIBUNE INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING SECTION PLEASE !!!!
Yall investigate anything yall want, but tell we something we didn't already know, or didn't already know was lies
sheeprunner12 9 years, 2 months ago
We need to prepare a special Maximum Security cell in Fox Hill Prison for Perry, Shane, Brad, NolleAG and that wutless crew (who pushing Perry to run again) ................. they are dangerous
John 9 years, 2 months ago
SIXTEEN Republican candidates have declared they are running in the primaries for the U.S. Presidential elections. Why Perry backing every avenue for anyone to challenge him as leader of the PLP? #coveringhisa$$
asiseeit 9 years, 2 months ago
This election will tell the tale of The Bahamas in the future, if these kleptocrates and their entitled party win, there will be an exodus and the Bahamas will be for ever lost.
Wideawake 9 years, 2 months ago
PGC is stuck between a rock and a hard place! He is being widely criticized by members of the PLP, the FNM, other opposition political operatives, and the Bahamian electorate, and he must realize that he has shown himself to be, a "spent force"!
If he were to resign, which simply ain't' going to happen, he would then be made the scapegoat for all of the problems that confront us, and he certainly could not "sail off into the sunset", like most people hope to do when they retire.
He will stay on and try to end his political career on a high note. If Baha Mar is completed and opened, he will take the credit for this, will push through National Health Insurance early in 2016 and will then expect to win the General Election in 2017, (or before), and seek another term, simply because he is addicted to the position of Prime Minister.
Whether or not he succeeds in this quest depends very much on the Opposition! The next election is theirs to lose! Can they unite and become a single cohesive, articulate, visionary and inspiring force? Perhaps!!! But only if they set their individual egos aside and become committed team players!!!
Emac 9 years, 2 months ago
If you could pull a fast one on a stupid leader all the time, then why not? I would want him to come back too if I thought he was soft and I could get by doing the most reprehensible crimes against the state without being punished or reprimanded.
BahamaPundit 9 years, 2 months ago
Is it just me or does it seem odd and off putting for an Attorney General to be so openly intertwined with front line politics?
digimagination 9 years, 2 months ago
The apple never falls far from the tree. Remember her father, and what a piece of work he was?
Well_mudda_take_sic 9 years, 2 months ago
Ping quickly realised Clem had a seriously weak character and all it took was a few hundred acres of prime Crown Land on New Providence to buy the loyalty of the soulless corrupt soul of Clem. You're so right, what a piece of work Clem was and now look what he's spawned on the Bahamian people!
Sickened 9 years, 2 months ago
Is there a list of PLP stalwarts anywhere? I would really like to know who these people are so that I can approach the ones I know?
MonkeeDoo 9 years, 2 months ago
Reposted From Investments Minister: I would not wish Khaalis, or Galanis, or any of them, to stop the chatter but the PLP really has to fix the problems that their party has created. Today is the second day this week that I am seeing Tribune242.com stories being reported, in a very international media newsletter. EUBankers. Our Financial Services industry is in tatters as it is, Tourism is seriously under threat, and unless there is a coup d'etat in the PLP party, we will be stuck with the creators of this mess for another two years. Unelectable Alyson Maynard Gibson's support of Christie does nothing to ameliorate the situation. We are digging the Bahamian hole deeper and deeper every day.
samiamiamsam 9 years, 2 months ago
PM in contempt of court for not following judges ruling on Blackbears's 's Cay - yeah that's the kind of "leader" i want to support. No one INCLUDING AND ESPECIALLY the PM is ABOVE THE LAW!
MonkeeDoo 9 years, 2 months ago
Sickened: birdiestrachan must have a list of them. birdie has posted nothing on this story for some reason. He/She would be in agreement with AMG.
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