The Tribune

DATA Protection Commissioner Sharmie Farrington-Austin, cautioning against tabling private citizens’ correspondence in the House of Assembly, has warned that it is “a most dangerous trend that leaves society open to chaos”.

Not only is it a dangerous trend, but it has plunged a dagger in the heart of our financial industry. While Cuba threatens to put a serious dent in our tourism industry, Marathon MP Jerome Fitzgerald stood in the House of Assembly and read private emails from members of Save the Bays organisation - an environmental group— which, he and his government consider a political organisation out to “entrap” millionaire Peter Nygard with the ultimate goal of ”overthrowing” the Christie government.

It was the Commissioner’s “considered view that members of Parliament ought to be cognizant of the fact that members of the public expect that their members of Parliament will be held to the same standard as ordinary citizens in relation to the commission of a criminal offence.

“No citizen should be above the law,” she said. “This office cautions against the practice of obtaining private citizens’ correspondence and tabling them in the House of Assembly. This, in my view, is a most dangerous trend and opens up the society to chaos.”

While in Nassau many alarmed investors were discussing alternative locations for their investments, we spent the long Easter weekend listening to the delights of Old Havana now opening to the world. The magnificence of their ballet, their music, their culture – Americans were agog with excitement, while in Nassau we are awash with intrigue and seemingly intent on committing political suicide.

Cuba is seeking $8.2 billion in foreign investment ranging from the production of rum to an entirely new venture creating high definition, pay-per view opportunities. They claim that opportunities for US businesses is “mind-boggling” with labour costs plunging.

“While airlines retreat from the Bahamas and the Caribbean,” said one report, “13 US carriers have requested to fly at least 52 flights a day, far exceeding the 20 daily round-trip flights agreed to by the US and Cuba. American Airlines and JetBlue Airways have each proposed 12 daily flights to Havana, while Southwest Airlines has proposed nine and Delta Air Lines five. By contrast, United Airlines, the nation’s third-largest carrier, has proposed just one daily flight – from its hub in Newark. Smaller carriers, including budget carriers Frontier and Spirit Airlines have also proposed daily flights.”

Cuba is intent on diversifying - no longer are they going to be dependent on one market. Although they want to rebuild their tourism industry, they know that they have years of reconstruction before them. But it is this very building, almost from the ground up, that will attract investment, new enterprises and most of all jobs.

We vividly recall 1959 when Castro ousted Cuban President Fulgencio Batista. The Inter-American Press held its conference in Cuba in the waning years of Batista’s government, while Castro was threatening from his stronghold in the hills. We were in Havana to receive an award that was being presented to The Tribune. There were gun-toting guards everywhere — the last thing they wanted was a member of the press corps to be captured by Castro. That was the year that we saw the last of the glory of old Havana.

In Nassau we were still a sleepy little town. However, it was amazing how quickly our tourism business started to grown almost overnight after Castro seized control in 1959. The cruise ships slipped anchor and headed for a new destination — Nassau.

At the time, the brilliance of the late Sir Stafford Sands took over. In charge of finance and tourism he made the most of every opportunity to build New Providence into a burgeoning tourism centre. We have had 57 years with Cuba removed from the scene.

When Sir Stafford left the Bahamas on the defeat of the UBP government, he said that with Sir Foley Newns, Secretary to the Cabinet from 1963-71 in charge, if the new, inexperienced PLP government sat on its hands and did nothing for five years everything would run smoothly. Sir Stafford was a five-year planner. When he left not only were conferences and events planned for that period but the revenue to see the events to a successful conclusion were in place. Sir Foley did his best, but there was tinkering, there were stumbles and here we are now 57 years later committing harikari, while Cuba is struggling to reclaim her losses and rise from the ashes.

We suggest that Bahamians quickly regain their senses and try to salvage something from the chaos now being created, before all is lost. Cuba will work hard to regain her losses. The Bahamas has no time to lose.

The FNM has little time to rebuild its fences, but rebuild it must and that rebuilding must start today. The Bahamas has no more time to lose. Decisions have to be made and quickly for the sake of the Bahamian people – not selfish, self-serving politicians.