The Tribune

By Morgan Adderley

Tribune Staff Reporter

madderley@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement Chairman Carl Culmer has blasted Progressive Liberal Party Leader Philip "Brave" Davis, Chairman Fred Mitchell and South Andros MP Picewell Forbes for their recent critiques of the Minnis administration.

In a statement released this week, Mr Culmer said: "Welcome to another episode of 'The PLP Reality TV Show.' Once again, the re-cycled PLP shows how out of touch and ignorant of reality it remains."

Mr Culmer also reduced the most recent Christie administration to "five years of inept, incompetent, and corrupt control of government."

In Parliament last week, Mr Forbes drew criticism for suggesting politicians be protected and extended certain "courtesies" in the way companies such as Bahamas Power & Light (PLP) treat them in the face of nonpayment.

Mr Culmer said: "First they have (Mr Forbes) squatting on the House floor last week, dumping another load that belongs in the cesspit by calling for special treatment for elected officials regarding to their BPL bills.

"Apparently they are upset that that the FNM has gotten rid of special benefits and secret lists the elites enjoyed when the PLP held power. Today, now that it's the people's time, they must pay their bills - on time - like the rest of the Bahamian people.

"According to Mr Forbes that places an undue hardship on him and his fellow PLP members who had become accustomed to not having to pay their bills yet getting favourable treatment from the BEC/BPL and other places. And when the papers have the audacity to simply print what they say, they lash out at the media for taking what they said out of context."

Mr Culmer continued: "But last year's election, 'The Bahamian Tsunami,' demonstrated for the world to see that the people heard Mr Forbes and his merry band of elites loud and clear.

"They can whine all they want - publicly and privately - but under the FNM government, the PLP are no longer going to be able to lord it over the masses of the people; they will no longer be able to hold themselves to a different standard from the people they should be serving. It's a lesson they still need to learn."

Mr Culmer also lambasted Mr Davis and Mr Mitchell's critiques of the more than 2,500 job cuts in the public sector since the FNM took office. Instead, Mr Culmer touted the creation of 3,500 private sector jobs since the May 2017 election.

On Sunday Mr Davis released a statement calling the job cuts "shameful". He also said he believes the figure of jobs lost will double once the complete picture is revealed.

In the last week, Mr Mitchell has put out two statements condemning the recent firings of individuals allegedly due to their PLP affiliation.

"Let's be clear: the FNM is working tirelessly to clean up the monumental mess the PLP created during their five years of inept, incompetent and corrupt control of government," Mr Culmer countered.

"What we are seeing today is a true transition, with the FNM shrinking the size of a bloated government that is unsustainable for taxpayers while helping to grow the private sector.

"We have shrunk the government payrolls by 2,500 because the PLP inflated public sector jobs in their desperate attempts to buy an election," he alleged.

"Loading and fattening the government payrolls with friends, family and lovers, the chosen few, while leaving the rest of the people to foot the bill.

"But any child with third grade math skills could see the numbers didn't add up."

Mr Culmer said the government is working to get spending under control and encourage private sector growth.