The Tribune

The holiday weekend was a well-deserved break for many. People packed up work on Friday, and headed home ready to enjoy the three-day break – ready to relax and unwind. It’s a shame Bahamas Power and Light had other plans for Bahamians.

Off went the power, all weekend, three hours at a time, as the company continued its ongoing load shedding.

Parties planned for the holiday were plunged into darkness, plans made quickly became plans unmade. That’s not the worst of it. People relying on power for medication were left abandoned. Food defrosted and had to be thrown away. That’s not even taking into account any equipment damage from the on again-off again supply.

It wasn’t the weather – it was relatively cool compared to recent weeks so people weren’t likely to be burning air conditioning excessively.

Then of course a number of businesses will have been closed for the weekend, so they won’t have been consuming power at a significant rate.

No, the simple truth is this – BPL can’t generate enough power to meet demand. It is not up to the job.

Worse still, while the company’s social media spat out statements saying which areas were going to be out of power, all with a standard line of “BPL apologises for the inconvenience” at the bottom, it seems the company expects people to accept this.

Where is the chairman to explain why the company isn’t up to the task? Where is the chief executive?

Let’s look further up the ladder – where is the minister whose portfolio covers BPL, Desmond Bannister?

Where are those charged with providing power to explain to the people of the Bahamas why they have failed? Have we reached a stage where they no longer feel they have to answer to the people?

For that matter, why isn’t the prime minister assuring the people that he’ll sort the matter out or fire those responsible?

People will return to their jobs today having not had power for hot showers or baths, or to be able to iron clothes. The spirit of the holiday has become a disgruntled one, all because the power company can’t supply what is needed.

Those in charge should step forward and apologise to Bahamians for the ongoing power shortages – this needs to be taken seriously. Or else people will exercise their own power when the next election comes around.

Who does McAlpine really support?

What game is Frederick McAlpine playing?

The maverick MP hardly seems like a member of the FNM party. Last week, he said he wouldn’t vote to support Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis in a no confidence vote – saying he would abstain. It’s the latest in a string of curious choices for a man often distanced from his party.

There was Labour Day when he walked arm-in-arm with PLP members and supporters. In the budget debate, he criticised the FNM, saying he has been victimised and excluded from party meetings in Grand Bahama. Last year, he voted against the rise in VAT.

And in today’s Tribune, we find unsurprisingly that his local constituency association wants him to resign from the party. After all, he doesn’t seem to be representing them.

We are all for strong MPs who say what needs to be said, backbenchers who hold their party to account – but Mr McAlpine has hardly ever seemed to be a good fit for his party. It seems he might have been better running as an independent – but would he have been elected then?

It seems odd to have run in a red shirt only to change his colours once he secured his seat – maybe the time has come for him to live up to his convictions and declare what he really stands for. Your move, Mr McAlpine.