The Tribune

THE Free National Movement introduced its North Eleuthera candidate Howard “Ricky” Mackey to the island during a rally last night.

Speaking to supporters, FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis promised upgrades for the island, including a new school in Gregory Town, as well as repairs to roads and police stations in Eleuthera.

Clinics

“We are going to repair the Glass Window Bridge,” Dr Minnis said on Thursday night. “We are going to ensure that Harbour Island and Spanish Wells have a resident doctor, and that all of the clinics in North Eleuthera are repaired and properly supplied, including on Harbour Island.

“We are going to build a major administrative complex for Eleuthera, so residents in this area can access basic government services, like passports, without having to travel to Nassau.

“We are going to more purposefully and seriously address the poaching of your waters than the PLP. This is a matter of national security and food security. We can’t have people stealing our lobster, stone crab claws and fish,” he said.

Dr Minnis also chided the Progressive Liberal Party for racking up the national debt to nearly $1.8b while also accumulating around $1b in value added tax.

“They have also collected other money in government revenue,” he said. “But for all of these billions of dollars they have nothing to show. The PLP did not deliver comprehensive National Health Insurance as they promised. The PLP built no new schools.

“Police stations and clinics are run down throughout the Bahamas. Everywhere I go throughout the Family Islands, people are asking me why so little of the VAT money has been used for Family Island development. People are asking where the VAT money gone? From Long Island to Abaco to Exuma to Eleuthera, roads are filled with thousands of potholes.”

Dr Minnis also touted his party as being the organisation of “change” while saying most of the PLP’s election candidates are part of “the same old tired crew.”

“Of the 16 candidates the PLP ratified recently, 11 of them are the same people who served in what has been the worst government since we achieved independence,” Dr Minnis said.

Wrecked

“These are the same people who wrecked our economy and wrecked the country in the past five years.

“If you want change and a new direction for the country you have to fire them and hire the FNM. This is a contest between the PLP and the FNM. A vote for the DNA is a vote for the PLP.

“If you go to bed with the DNA you will wake up with Christie and the PLP.”

The FNM has also ratified Hank Johnson for the constituency of Central and South Eleuthera, and earlier this week held a candidate launch for Carlton Bowleg, who will run in the North Andros and the Berry Islands constituency.