By RICARDO WELLS
Tribune Staff Reporter
rwells@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Perry Christie’s persuasive capabilities have ensured him a lengthy political career, but have also hindered the growth and development of the country, according to Ft Charlotte MP Dr Andre Rollins.
Speaking as a guest on the Ed Fields Live talk show with host Rogan Smith and guest host Tosheena Robinson-Blair, Dr Rollins criticised the Centreville MP, likening the long-time politician’s career to a bad romance for the Bahamas.
Describing his efforts while he was member of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) to push the party in line with its 2012 campaign promises, Dr Rollins said he pleaded with the senior brass of the party to take the necessary steps to rescue the country.
However, he claimed his requests fell on deaf ears, prompting him to take his fight to the public.
“I took the approach that I would handle any concern that I had about the performance of the PLP administration, that at the time I was a part of as a backbencher, that I would privately communicate with the prime minister and other leaders of the government to be someone who would offer that constructive criticism in hopes that once it was offered privately there would be evidence of them taking heed of that advice and altering their approach or performance,” Dr Rollins said.
“Particularly with respect to the prime minister, what I found was that he was very persuasive listener. He would give you the impression that not only was he hearing what you had to say, but that he would act on the recommendation or the constructive criticism that you were offering.”
He added that while he finds Prime Minister Perry Christie to be “nice and likeable as an individual” he realised that much of his utterances are “hot air.”
Dr Rollins continued: “As nice and likeable of an individual as he is, he is, in my view, the most effective political persuader - and I am choosing my words carefully - he is the most effective political persuader of any other member in Parliament. And by that I mean, he would have you believing that whatever he says, you can take that to the bank. I found however, that it was all hot air.
“He is filled with this capacity to speak eloquently and to have this romantic language that causes you to believe that he is capable of doing all that he has said he going to do and the outcome is going to be fantastic.
“The problem is that nothing that he said ever materialised and I felt that the only way that I could have taken my criticism seriously was for me to go public. I tried to covey through my contributions in the House in the debates, I tried to be as straight-forward as I could be, communicating what I was previously communicating to him privately when my advice was falling on deaf ears, I tried to then communicate that publicly. While I was speaking to the public, I was expecting that he would, as he was listening to what I was saying in the chamber, that it would force him to take it more seriously.”
Dr Rollins said Mr Christie has made a career out of “dodging” accountability to those that support him.
“Take into consideration that the PLP hasn’t had a convention since 2009,” he said. “They are about to have a convention again in November - the first in seven years. Mr Christie has been expert, not just at promising and not delivering on those promises, but he has been an expert in dodging accountability as an elected official.
“Not just as the elected leader of the government you know, but he has refused to go through the process of renominating as leader of the party. Because at convention you know, all the offices become vacant. And rather that putting himself in position to go back to the delegates of PLP convention to ask them to re-elect him, he has preferred to postpone a convention as often as he can.”
He added: “The problem is that anybody who speaks or is vocal in calling for a convention is somebody who is dubbed as... not being a team player. When you become vocal now, clearly you are not a good PLP because you are not a team player.”
Dr Rollins quit the PLP in June 2015, after months of criticising the party and Mr Christie for failed promises. He joined the Free National Movement last November.
Comments
InvestorsAreWatching 8 years, 3 months ago
Shit, I'm going to jail because I'm pissed off at the PLP mafia? But like Gondi, I will give up my life to see the Bahamian win, I am willing to shed my blood for you. I love you, I ate at your tables from your welcoming invitations. F%^$k, I'm going to jail for my freedom of speech in the beautiful Bahamas.....LOL! ....F%$^k it, bring it now!
CMon_Man 8 years, 3 months ago
Stop watching so much reality show TV!
InvestorsAreWatching 8 years, 3 months ago
I know who you are, and we share the same dream, lets make it happen.
Publius 8 years, 3 months ago
Rollins should know, those peculiar "persuasive capabilities" are what enabled him to get to where he did before he deemed those "capabilities" to no longer be satisfying his personal desires.
theplpsucks 8 years, 3 months ago
he followed him like an idiot. Only idiots believe the PLP will ever change.
Emac 8 years, 3 months ago
Yep
Emac 8 years, 3 months ago
What really amazes me is how politicians like Rollins have the guts to fu$C*NG speak with such confidence when they know they are talking a whole bunch of shit! I have absolutely no respect for anyone who joins the PLP. The slick dentist knew exactly what he was getting into when he joined this wutless organization. He is nothin but a fox who is crying after the sour grapes. The truth is, Rollins, joined the PLP to get his piece of the pie. But the senior PLPs, being greedy and smart talking, never game Rollins a chance to get his share. Because of this he is crying like a bitch. SORRY ROLLINGS!!! NO ONE HAS ANY SYMPATHY FOR ANYONE WHO TEAMS WITH THE PLP. Carry your a$$ to church and pray for forgiveness for trying to fool the Bahamian people, then come back again, sincere, then we might take you seriously! And some stupid, gullible Bahamians are following his BS hand in hand. That's why Bahamians get burn every time. Cause they too Fu$kfing dumb!
John 8 years, 3 months ago
What is really scary is the number of people in this country that cannot meet their basic financial needs. Not just talking about rent and light but many people are still struggling to get their children in school. Uniforms and shoes and books and school fees. But what is more scary is the hundreds of young men who are not working. Some of these young men go to bed night after night with nothing to eat. Stomach empty and no job in sight. So yes they are angry and how can you tell them not to be. Some are also fathers who feel even more helpless and lost because they cannot do anything for their children. There needs to be a serious effort to create jobs for young men in this country
John 8 years, 3 months ago
Then too a whole lot more businesses will be closing between now and Christmas. There is just not enough money flowing in the economy to keep them open especially with the recent tax hikes and licensing requirements. For example a business doing One Hundred Thousand a year in turn over must now hire an accountant . These business net $5,000 or less in profit a year. Not the government is telling they they must take half of that profit and pay for an accountant. And in the cases where the business are not profitable the owners must cough up these additional funds. So everyone is wondering why prices in this country are skyrocketing. And remover minimum wage was increased by 40% with a corresponding increase in National Insurance. And while workers may have needed the increase all these financial burdens at once put a lot of businesses into cardiac arrest. Not only are they not making a profit now, but they also have a cash flow problem. And if that wasn't bad enough the government went further and said not only will there be a penalty if you are late with your fees to the government but you will also have to pay interest. And now they want to pile the heap even higher and say if for any reason you have to fire or lay off employees you will be jailed if you don't inform government first. Imagine if a business don't have money to pay their workers so they want to close down. But they have to inform government first and wait on a response. You already drowning but the lifeguard has to wait on permission to rescue you
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