Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune staff
By KHRISNA RUSSELL
Deputy Chief Reporter
krussell@tribunemedia.net
WHILE still not providing any details as to the cost of his recent trip to the United Nations' 73rd General Assembly, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis tabled in Parliament a list of 17 officials, including his wife, Patricia, who made the trip to New York.
Asked yesterday to reveal the cost of this trip, Dr Minnis said his international travel budget is published within the annual budget released every June.
The group also included Foreign Affairs Minister Darren Henfield, Transport Minister Renward Wells, State Grand Bahama Minister Kwasi Thompson and his wife, Tamicka, and Parks and Public Beaches Authority chairman Shanendon Cartwright.
Bahamas Maritime Authority chairwoman Denise Lewis Johnson, Viana Gardiner, chief operating officer of the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit, senior policy advisor Joshua Sears and deputy permanent secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Eugene Newry also attended.
Additionally, both Dr Minnis' personal assistants - Yontalay Bowe and Katherine Stewart Marche - travelled along with two of his police aides, an aide to Mrs Minnis and a reporter and cameraman from the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas.
The delegation left Nassau on September 23 and returned on September 29.
Dr Minnis also told parliamentarians yesterday that moving forward and for the sake of succession planning, one backbencher would attend every international trip.
"Due to conflicts in my schedule, member of Parliament for St Barnabas Shanendon Cartwright participated on my behalf and gave remarks with regards to non-communicable diseases," Dr Minnis explained yesterday.
"…There were other meetings which required the attendance of the minister of foreign affairs, officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the permanent mission of the Bahamas to the United Nations, the minister of transport and local government and the minister of state in the Office of the Prime Minister in Grand Bahama."
He also said: "The Bahamas has one of the world's fastest growing ship registries with more than 1,570 vessels, placing the Bahamas within the top ten of the world's flag states.
"The Bahamas is a member of the International Maritime Organisation and is a member of the Council of the International Maritime Organisation, Category C, for which we are seeking re-election.
"The Bahamas Maritime Authority hosted several events and participated in bilateral meetings with other countries to promote our maritime interests and our re-election bid.
"The presence of the minister of transport was important in achieving these objectives."
Dr Minnis said he also used the occasion to engage in investment promotion with particular regard to interest in Grand Bahama in the technology sector. In this regard, Mr Thompson hosted several important meetings and made meaningful contacts, which are expected to be pursued in the weeks to come, the prime minister said.
Critics, including FNM Pineridge MP Frederick McAlpine, have said the prime minister's delegation was bloated, containing unnecessary personnel.
In response on Monday, Mr Wells defended the size of the delegation emphasising that "every Christ soul" that attended had a "function and duty".
Comments
TalRussell 6 years, 1 month ago
Ma Comrades, is just me suck it up observation that it's Time for "Make Face" PM to undergo a attitude adjustment when it comes he cockiness over questions about he overly frequency Costs he Travels abroad on the PeoplesPublicPurse?
ThisIsOurs 6 years, 1 month ago
Minnis will say anything. No matter how dumb it is. Sorry @bogart, but this is a waste of more money.
Succession planning does NOT include "everybody" in the enterprise as a potential leadership candidate. You have key qualities that you are looking for, THEN you identify the persons who have those qualities and flag them for leadership training. Does anyone really think Vaugn Miller or Lanisha will be the next leader? Why waste the money on an obviously futile initiative?
Remember when Mrs Minnis went to inspect Japanese used cars? Well, I guess she does sit in a car occasionally and needs to eat too.
DDK 6 years, 1 month ago
"Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis tabled in Parliament a list of 17 officials, including his wife, Patricia, who made the trip to New York."
TOTALLY UNNACCEPTABLE. WE CALL ON THE PM TO PUBLISH THE EXPENSES OF THIS AND EVERY TRIP WITHIN A WEEK OF THE INCURRED EXPENSES. LET THE PEOPLE SEE HOW THE GOVERNMENT IS SPENDING THEIR HARD-EARNED MONEY. THEY ARE TRYING TO OUT-DO THE FORMER PM AND HIS CABINET AND CHOSEN HANGERS ON. CANNOT EVEN SAY CHOSEN FEW, THE NUMBERS ARE TOO HIGH.
DDK 6 years, 1 month ago
Why do they have to act so appallingly nouveau riche?
birdiestrachan 6 years, 1 month ago
The doc is drunk wit power. He insults by saying he will take more people with him. As for Wells who at one time called himself a Christian will do well not to use the name of the Savior of the world in vain.
You go doc :":It the peoples time" hurt them where it hurts the most in their pocket.
Is aide to the spouse a new post created by the FNM. Who said the Country was broke and increased VAT
DDK 6 years, 1 month ago
While Doc and his crew were living the high life in New York, a friend in one of the Family Islands took his parent to Nassau for the FOURTH time for scheduled surgery at PMH and was told there would be no surgery due to lack of air-conditioning. THIS IS BEYOND SICKENING.
DonAnthony 6 years, 1 month ago
Why mr. prime minister? Do you realize we are broke, stop wasting our precious money on frivolous and unnecessary trips. Take the money we save and send a doctor to Simms clinic in Long Island which has been without one for many months. This is a much more urgent need than your trips!!!!!!!
bogart 6 years, 1 month ago
@ThisisOurs.....there is a lot of challenges that exist in this Bahamaland....much is needed to correct it not only in terms of money.....education..is needed...lots of these foreign conferences meetings...have the worlds best represented there...excellent presentations.....shouldnt we also take somebackbemchers being paid $28,000 pa to learn from the worlds best....how to operate run business.......stead of all we producing is a bunch of backbenchers just learing to beat desk tops ...an still cant beat desktop with no rythem after 5 years.....learn them how to be global operators...expand dere minds...
ThisIsOurs 6 years, 1 month ago
Lanisha een ga learn nuttin, Vaughn een guh learn nuttin, Emmanuel een guh learn nuttin. Waste of money. When you identify talent, poor money into them. The money he waste on three black holes in one year could fund ten small business ideas or train 20 people in a growth industry. This is ridiculous and another one if Minnis' seat of the pants I can't admit I made a bad move so double down with a "dumber" idea.
Remember when the PLP won the 2012 election and Christie took all his ministers on vacation, I mean to a meeting, on was it Abaco? When the public complained he suddenly announced, ~oh I didn't tell y'all, this actually a policy position, I trying to help the Bahamas, were going to fly the entire cabinet and staff to one island once per onto for a cabinet meeting. This een no different
TigerB 6 years, 1 month ago
Let's not forget Alyson Maynard 2 trips to China trying to save Bahamar .. let's not forget, she made zero progress on those trips, some folks on here gat shallow memories...Ill never forget da Abaco run they enjoy the people's money and Nygard cay too.
bogart 6 years, 1 month ago
Sum total = 35 to 4 Historic......
ThisIsOurs 6 years, 1 month ago
We win though so "bear".... Like that's so the attitude we need to turn this country around
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