Butler-Turner: I stopped FNM coup

Loretta Butler-Turner

As of Monday, July 18, 2016

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

IN a bid to redirect perceptions that she was the “divider” of her party, Long Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner yesterday revealed that she staved off the would-be coup against Free National Movement Leader Dr Hubert Minnis that led to the call for an early convention.

Mrs Butler-Turner said she talked her parliamentary colleagues out of their plans to go to Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling with a vote of no confidence in Dr Minnis to have him removed as Official Opposition leader.

She spoke candidly about her leadership bid as a guest on the 96.9FM show “Q & A” with hosts Quincy Parker and Adrian Francis, stating categorically that she was unafraid to go head-to-head in a debate against Dr Minnis or Prime Minister Perry Christie.

“I took my licks when I did challenge for the leadership in 2014,” she said.

“I was asked to sit small until my name was called. I did exactly that.

“The record will reflect that during 2015, the very same MPs that did not support me in 2014, approached me. I did not approach them. They were the ones that said to me, ‘Listen we’ve been watching you, we realise we’ve made a mistake, we did not support you.’ In our regular Westminster system, when the leader of the party, whether opposition or governance, loses the confidence of the majority of his parliamentary team, they do the honourable thing.

“My colleagues were suggesting that since that was not going to happen, we should in fact go to the governor general. I in turn made a counter offer. I said no, that would divide our party.”

She added: “We had many, many different models to try to unify the party, to work with the current leadership. I think that clearly needs to be told, that is a story that is being misrepresented, that I am the divider.”

Mrs Butler-Tuner pointed out that she has always been supportive of the party’s leader, recalling how she physically stood against police when they attempted to forcibly remove Dr Minnis from Parliament in 2013 after he had been suspended.

“I have always stood with and for the leadership of my party,” she said. “I have never divided it and when we were in the dark days of 2002 to 2007, I was in the trenches and I remain there. So clearly it shows that narrative is one that is predicated on untruth.”

Mrs Butler-Turner lamented the lack of cohesion and performance within the FNM, insisting that the party should have been at its peak given that the current administration is the worst government in the country’s history. She likened the FNM’s current state to 2006 when former leader Tommy Turnquest was replaced by former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham ahead of the 2007 general election. Mrs Butler-Turner noted that the demographics are much different now, and the party and the country needed a new direction.

Reflecting on her prior loss against Dr Minnis, the Long Island MP said her 2014 campaign was a very lonely road that she walked alone with no public endorsements. She underscored the stark contrast to her current campaign, which has seen endorsements come from more than half of the party’s parliamentary caucus as well as senior states persons who formerly supported Dr Minnis.

Mrs Butler-Turner pointed to her actions in the aftermath of the devastation wrought by Hurricane Joaquin as evidence of her ability to not only mobilise recovery efforts but also organise thousands of people.

Taking a swipe at Dr Minnis’ leadership campaign, she cautioned against the political exploitation of poverty to risk creating a “welfare state.”

Mrs Butler-Turner took issue with the narrative that Dr Minnis represented a shift in the party towards greater inclusion of the poor, while she represented the interests of the wealthy elite. She noted that the country could ill-afford to have a “Robin Hood syndrome” pitting the haves against the have-nots.

“The wealthiest two individuals in the House of Assembly today are Dr Hubert Minnis and the Deputy Leader of our party (Peter Turnquest),” she said.

“Together they are worth millions of dollars multiple times over. Look at what they have done for the poor - compare that with a Loretta Butler-Turner that grew up working in a family that always gave service and gave back to the poor, the community in which we live.

“Look at where I live, look at where these people who are saying they want to help the poor, look at where they live. I live still in what some would refer to as the ghetto. I’m proud of where I live because it is the stomping ground of where I grew up.

“The people that I served as a child, they still come to me as an adult. They know where to find me, they can walk into my yard and see me. I don’t have to go in Bain Town to look for a water pump… I do not have to play the poor redeemer.”

She added: “I do that everyday. I live that in my life. I grew up in service, I have a life of service to give to all Bahamians, but let us not divide our people on those who have made it, and those who are still struggling to make it because the Bahamas has got to be an equal opportunity country where all people are able to go out and empower themselves.”

“If we are going to be moving our country forward,” she added, “we have got to have a country that is predicated on proper planning, on one that is going to make sure that people are afforded the opportunity to be educated and that we are going to move them in a direction where they will be able to be just as successful as a Dr Minnis.”

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Publius 8 years, 4 months ago

Mrs Butler-Turner said she talked her parliamentary colleagues out of their plans to go to Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling with a vote of no confidence in Dr Minnis to have him removed as Official Opposition leader.

Now, I wonder who is going to be honest and tell the actual truth about how this situation truly transpired, because this is absolutely shameless storytelling by Butler-Turner. I'm weary of expressing my disgust with the antics of FNMs.

Emac 8 years, 4 months ago

Are you saying you do not believe she is telling the truth?

Publius 8 years, 4 months ago

I am saying I know this not to be what actually took place. Beyond that, look at what she has now done to her fellow colleagues through this fable. She has now painted them as the problem MPs and herself as the hero who tried to save the day. It is a shameless lie and a lie that was nowhere near necessary in order for Butler-Turner to try to make her case to the delegates or whoever she thinks is her target audience for their convention.

Emac 8 years, 4 months ago

It's called politricks :-)

TalRussell 8 years, 4 months ago

Comrades as a representation of the so many politically defensive things that Loretta has been backed into corners to utter since 2012, will this be the one with its many visible cracks in the mirror to be the most deserving to be awarded a celebration of her finest by the 410 red shirt delegates making their ways to the Meliá Nassau Beach Resort.
Too bad this was spoken behind a microphone on talk radio and not in front cameras on TV, cause ultimately it's going to be left to the 410 voting delegates who will decide her political fate who didn't get see her body language as this unifier she now claims to championing, not as the meddling obstructionist force many reds have seen her as since 2012.
We will have to wait to see if Loretta's and her sidekick Duane's "Outreach Campaign" hit or missed its target of 410 red shirt voting delegates? Still, you can see why some reds may me unforgiving of those who demanded a financially strapped party to spend $500,000 to settle a matter - twice before voted on at convention

licks2 8 years, 4 months ago

She really think that we are that fool. . .SHE APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN THE RING LEADER ALL ALONG. . .

alfalfa 8 years, 4 months ago

Loretta Butler-Turner and her band of merry men are doing their damnedest to rip apart the FNM while spouting all the while they are all for keeping the party together. Running for leadership in any political party is a fundamental right of democracy, and she has every right to do this. However, her antics could very well result in a party that she would not want to lead. The convention is less than two weeks away, and a leader will be duly elected at that time. Everyone should be campaigning for support, but not at the expense of party unification. I wonder who will support whom after the new leader is elected, or the old one returned (the most likely outcome).

Publius 8 years, 4 months ago

would-be coup

And I wish to the heavens that today's reporters had some actual knowledge of their country and its Constitution. Votes of no confidence are foundational democratic organs and one of the highest methods of accountability within the legislature and the executive in our system. Do these reporters even know what a coup is? Our educational system, politics and the media - the unholy trinity in dumbing down the population.

TalRussell 8 years, 4 months ago

Comrades aren’t it customary to round up the known to have been the public faces behind a failed coup d'état?
How good is the evidence for Minnis go as far as to petition the Supreme Court to order the extradition of "The Fisherman From Cooper's Town?
Will former DPM's Brent and Frankie W, and Freeport's Maurice, along with the publishers of the two daily newspapers, go into exile?
Some have good reasons to think Papa Hubert who had expected win the 2012 General with a renewed majority red movement government, had skillfully done exiled Loretta to Long Island, out her Montagu seat to make room for Richard. Makes one wonder why Papa would have risked whatever little political capital he had left, on Loretta and her sidekick Duane?

thephoenix562 8 years, 4 months ago

way to go Mrs Turner i am sure your fellow Mps are feeling real comfortable under the wheels of that bus you just threw on them.Wow.

John 8 years, 4 months ago

Loretta Butler-Turner is starting to get cold feet. She has the jitters as the fight to take the Cheif Honcho's chair is not easy and clear-cut as she expected. And the same big knives that were pulled on Minnis are now being pointed at her. Real talks is that she may find herself without a nomination and without a party, come 2017. Can an independent candidate survive? So now she's trying to cover her tracks. Depending on the outcome of the elections, should Minnis give her another chance and make it three? Bahamians must face the fact that this country is in dire straits . This country is headed thru a period that will determine the quality of life and the standard of living of many Bahamians for many years to come. That is why Election 2027 is so important. The worst that can happen is a bunch of fumbling and feuding clowns win the election or a bunch of green and inexperienced idiots who want on/the-job training. Whoever wins the government must have plan in hand and must hit the ground running. They must be able to work as a team and not spend time and resources fighting against each other. Unless that alternative government presents it self and soon, things may as well stay as they are.

Regardless 8 years, 4 months ago

....such morals....such intellect...such savvy.....so much a political super-hero! LOL

SP 8 years, 4 months ago

................................... BLT is the Bahamian version of Hillary Clinton ..................................

I, I, I, me, me me, its all about her "wonderful"self.

She couldn't be honest or truthful even when no one ask's her a question.

TalRussell 8 years, 4 months ago

Comrades at the end of the day the only difference between Loretta and the other five-red MP faces behind the failed coup d'état come July 27-29, 2016, is at the end of the convention, they do NOT have to face-off against the 410 voting delegates. I have done heard there's a serious split between Loretta and her sidekick Duane?
I blogged 6-monhts back that the signs were there that Loretta might not remain a contender for the leadership long enough to stick around to make it to the convention's voting floor.

Rhetoric 8 years, 4 months ago

She lies like fish drink salt water Apparently we should not talk about haves and have nots either that is anti Bahamian

licks2 8 years, 4 months ago

Dogs always chase moving cars. . .biting them while they are moving. . .then when the car stops. . .mills around like a stupid . . .not having an idea what to do with the stopped car! Butler-Turner chased, bark and bit doc for so long. . .now that she has what she wanted. . . SHE APPEARS LOST!

Baha10 8 years, 4 months ago

… and Today marks the end of the Political Career of one Loretta Butler-Turner, soon to be former MP, left to lament what could have been.

… and in simultaneous Braking News, the FNM announces that there is no longer a need for yet another Convention to challenge for the Leadership of the Party.

… and the People groan Amen to that.

How embarrassing!

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