PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts.
By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Deputy Chief Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
BAHAMIANS are pleased with the leadership of Prime Minister Perry Christie, insisted PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts yesterday, as he dismissed a recent survey that pegged FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis as the most favourable political figure over nearly a dozen other politicians in the country, including the nation’s leader.
This new survey also claimed that the results showed PLP leadership challenger attorney Alfred Sears to be more preferred than Mr Christie and marks Mr Christie as one of the least favoured figures, according to a local daily.
Pointing to polling done before the June 7 equality referendum carried out by Public Domain, the administrator of the poll, Mr Roberts insisted: “They have a long way to go before they can gain my credibility”.
He was referring to a March survey conducted by the company, which specialises in customised market and opinion research services, where 1,003 Bahamians were polled. The results showed strong support for each of the four referendum bills. Ultimately, all of the four questions of the referendum were overwhelmingly rejected.
Mr Roberts said: “We are talking about a poll by the same people who conducted the poll on gender equality. They said the bills would pass, but we know what the results of that referendum were.
“If they could be that far off base, then I conclude that they have some ways to go to reach some level of respect in my books. They are lacking credibility.”
Asked if he believed Bahamians were pleased with the PLP government, Mr Roberts said it was easy to judge by the turn out of supporters at his party’s events when compared to those of the FNM.
“When the PLP has its nominations (of candidates), we have large numbers of people, a lot of whom are young people. When you look at those attending the FNM events they often have less than we do.
“I do think that people are pleased with the work that Mr Christie has done. In 2012 we were in an economic wheelchair. The government has been able to use its influence in working to resolve the Baha Mar situation. Unemployment numbers will drop with that.”
According to the results published in The Nassau Guardian yesterday, respondents were asked to state, on a 10-point scale, whether they believed certain public figures would make a good prime minister.
Although there seemed to be low support for each of the 11 personalities presented in the survey taken by 1,000 people, Dr Minnis edged all others out with highest mean score of 5.1.
Long Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner and Democratic National Alliance (DNA) Leader Branville McCartney were next, both collecting an average of 4.9, the survey results said.
Mr Sears, who is also the PLPs Fort Charlotte candidate, West Grand Bahama and Bimini MP Obie Wilchcombe, Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell and United Democratic Party (UDP) Leader Greg Moss all followed closely behind with scores of 4.8, 4.7, 4.6 and 4.4 respectively.
In the lower rung of averages was Mr Christie with 4.3, Marathon MP Jerome Fitzgerald with 4.2, Deputy Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis at 4.1 and former FNM Senator John Bostwick with an average of 3.7.
Earlier this year in March, Public Domain conducted a poll of 1,003 Bahamians on the controversial equality referendum.
Of the sample group, 76 per cent said they would support bill one, which sought to allow a child born outside of this country to become a citizen at the time of birth if either their father or mother was a citizen of the Bahamas by birth.
Bill two would have allowed a Bahamian woman married to a foreign man the right to secure for her husband the same access to Bahamian citizenship as a Bahamian male has in relation to his foreign wife.
On this proposed constitutional change, 57 per cent of those surveyed said they would support it.
Bill three, which sought to grant any unmarried Bahamian man the right to pass on his Bahamian citizenship to any child he fathers with a foreign woman with proof of paternity, got 78 per cent, according to the poll.
Bill four, which was regarded as the most controversial, sought to prevent discrimination of any type based on sex – being defined as being born male or born female.
The results found that 68 per cent of the likely voters said they would support this.
Comments
sheeprunner12 8 years, 2 months ago
Poor Brad .............. arrogance and denial are the first steps to political disaster (Titanic???).......... Brad, the PLP ship is going down in 2017!!!!!!!
ohdrap4 8 years, 2 months ago
well he looks like a winner this time, these pollsters need to show they use credible methods.
telephone surveys are known to be biased, been in the text books for 60 or more years, these days many do not even have landlines.
they need to stop taking people's money to take phone surveys.
particularly, they need to stop calling my house because i want to know what random sampling methods causes them to call my number 3-4 times a year.
licks2 8 years, 2 months ago
You talking about the wrong nation Mr. Roberts. . .this the Bahamas Sir. . .people are turning off their radios and TVs when the PM comes on. . .when he speaks people are ignoring his speeches. . .when he promises people are on queue saying: " I will wait to see that for myself. . .he can't be trusted". . .he walks and drives around with two police cars filled with armed guards. . .the only PM in our history who had to have about 8 big and tall armed bodyguards just to go to work or play. . .soon he can't even walk in the roads. . .IT'S BAD OUT HERE FER HIM MR ROBERTS. . .FOR REAL. . .MOST OF THESE PEOPLES THEM OUT HERE CAN'T STAND HIM NOMORE! PAPA DID NOT HAVE IT THIS BAD. . .AFTER HE DIG-UP ALL THEM ROADS THEM SO. . .AND WOULD NOT LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE WHEN THEY TOLD HIM HE "KILLIN THEM" WITH HIS HARD HEAD. Lol!
birdiestrachan 8 years, 2 months ago
Polls in America for the most part may be accurate. But not in the Bahamas. Bahamians tell you what you would like to hear. When you think they are going west they have gone East a long time ago,
sheeprunner12 8 years, 2 months ago
Based on your raw & obscene emotion ........ you are a Bahamian Taliban!!!!!!!
UserOne 8 years, 2 months ago
I wish The Tribune would block these obscenities.
ThisIsOurs 8 years, 2 months ago
When the PLP has its nominations (of candidates), we have large numbers of people, a lot of whom are young people. When you look at those attending the FNM events they often have less than we do.
This is the definition of delusional. "A lot of people attended the rally, ignore that poll"... Well 13% of 150,000 is 19500. Were 19500 people at the rally?
“I do think that people are pleased with the work that Mr Christie has done. In 2012 we were in an economic wheelchair. The government has been able to use its influence in working to resolve the Baha Mar situation. Unemployment numbers will drop with that.”
Hmmm just a month ago they put the argument to the country, Standards and Poors and Moody's that Bahamar was just a pimple compared to all the other projects coming on stream, now it's the sole bright spark? When do they really expect to see the first employees at Bahamar, laden with all it's construction troubles? I hope they don't put the country at risk to personal injury litigation.
viewersmatters 8 years, 2 months ago
Roberts is a two time natural born ass who was push back and reborn again for being a jack ass twice. Seriously do he really listen to himself. I truly believe he does sniff plenty of them white stuff before being interviewed by the press cause the things this man does say is beyond imaginable. STFU for once
Emac 8 years, 2 months ago
Amen birdiestrachan!!! You are absolutely correct. Bahamians are not credible people. Let's face it. We are a bunch of hypocrites and opportunists who grab on to anything that would put a little bit of money in our pockets just to buy numbers or a half pint. Our nation is doomed because of our ways. We keep saying we want one thing, yet when are not doing what it takes to move in the right direction. I am sorry, but I too cannot trust any polls that was measured by Bahamians involvement. However, it doesn't take a poll to see that Mr. Christie is considered fluff and is not respected by the average Bahamian. No one takes him serious about anything, which is ironic. Because the Bahamian people are getting exactly what they deserve. PG is just better at playing the same game that Bahamian voters play each election when they mark their X!
The majority of Bahamian voters are like prostitutes. They sell their goods to the highest bidders, no matter what the bidder's character may be. That's right. I've said it!. Bahamians love to get grind from the PLP for couple dollars." When yinna lay on ya back, you gon always live in dat shack!" LOL
SP 8 years, 2 months ago
.................... Dinosaur Bradley Gargoyle Roberts, A True Jackass-Rex .........................
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