By RICARDO WELLS
Tribune Staff Reporter
rwells@tribunemedia.net
ENGLERSTON MP Glenys Hanna Martin yesterday suggested Tourism and Aviation Minister Dionisio D'Aguilar had only advanced their current spat over a 2017 Western Air rental agreement to divert attention away from the $20 million LPIA runway deal awarded to Bahamas Hot Mix, a company tied to Trade and Immigration Minister Brent Symonette's children.
The suggestion was made in a statement circulated by the Progressive Liberal Party yesterday, in response to comments made by Mr D'Aguilar outside Cabinet on Tuesday.
Branding the Free Town MP's inferences as a "shameless attack", Mrs Hanna Martin questioned why Mr D'Aguilar maintained the rental arrangement for two years, despite his opposition to it.
"He should really try to comprehend his own hypocrisy in this matter," she argued. "What we now know, however, is that this entire Western Air story is clearly a contrived distraction from the $20 million LPIA runway deal awarded under his watch by private tender to Bahamas Hot Mix, a company in which the children of his Cabinet colleague are significant shareholders.
"(Mr D'Aguilar) spoke at length about Western Air in his two hour budget contribution, but not one word about the LPIA runway deal. Things that make you go 'hmm,'" she added.
"And while we are talking about trailers, the minister must immediately address the deplorable living and working conditions of LPIA firemen in trailers at that aerodrome.
"They perform an essential service and their wellbeing really should have been prioritised by this talkative minister by now," Mrs Hanna Martin contended.
Mr D'Aguilar on Tuesday called the Western Air rental agreement "a very bad deal", and castigated Mrs Hanna Martin for her lack of business acumen.
Additionally, Mr D'Aguilar also addressed both the ongoing issue with firefighters at LPIA and Bahamas Hot Mix's award of a LPIA runway contract.
On the latter, Mr D'Aguilar insisted the company was the most qualified bidder to enter the tender process.
He told reporters: "You know, when we put this out to bid, only one Bahamian company responded. We invited more Bahamian companies to bid but only one responded… building a runway is a very technical piece of real estate, very technical piece of asphalt. You need the mechanisms in place to constantly check and recheck."
He continued: "In 2015, when the PLP wanted to extend the runway in Bimini, they used Bahamas Hot Mix. In 2015, when they wanted to fix the runway in Staniel Cay, they used Bahamas Hot Mix. In 2004 to 2006, the last time that major runway work was done at LPIA, the PLP used a foreign company, and they did such a substandard job that remedial works had to be done on that runway in 2009 in order for Virgin to bring their 747 here… so they are the premier company when it comes to runways. It's a very, very technical job and we hired a world-renowned consulting company to put together the proposal, put it out to bid. There were three international companies, one Bahamian, and the Bahamian company was by far the best."
Meanwhile on the firefighter issue, Mr D'Aguilar lamented the state of LPIA's fire services facility, going as far as to call it "a terrible situation."
He suggested that plans were being drafted to address the problem and begged workers to "bear with me a little bit loner."
"If I could make the decision to write the cheque I would have, but I'm dealing with other government agencies trying to get this problem dealt with and the Minister of Works has ensured me that we will be making progress to that as well," he said.
Further to that, when asked if there was a timeline on the construction of the new building, Mr D'Aguilar expounded: "I was actually warned by the former minister, Glenys Hanna-Martin, not to set timelines on these sort of things and so in that particular instance I decided to take her advice."
Mrs Hanna Martin served as transport and aviation minister in the former Christie administration.
Comments
birdiestrachan 5 years, 4 months ago
While he continues to talk about bad deals he enjoys no duty on commercial washing machines. Note only small fridges and small stoves no washing machines for the people time voters.
proudloudandfnm 5 years, 4 months ago
Thanks to the PLP budget. Why do you always leave that little tidbit out?
birdiestrachan 5 years, 4 months ago
They can not find Bahamians to work in the justice system. They had to go all the way to Africa.. No qualified Bahamians.
But hot mix is qualified. Bids are fixed to benefit whom they want to give the contract to The Truth being the FNM fellows cannot be trusted,
proudloudandfnm 5 years, 4 months ago
If there was another asphalt company that could do the work the PLP would have a point. But since the PLP gave Hotmix over 86 million in contracts when they were in office they need to go sit in the corner and shut up....
Dawes 5 years, 4 months ago
Its all politics to both sides. The PLP just like to rile their base up by saying the white bogey man is coming to put you back to pre 1967 days. They forget to mention that times have changed and whilst their are still many very wealthy whites, there are also many very wealthy blacks. Some of whom do a lot worse to their fellow Bahamians, like the last owners of City market and Solomon's who the PLP never seemed to have a problem with. But as long as what they say gets them votes they can then do as they like when in power (like give contracts to that same white bogeyman).
Well_mudda_take_sic 5 years, 4 months ago
Hanna-Martin has a perfectly valid point on the deliberate distraction efforts of D'Aguilar; away from the serious conflict of interest that exists in government awarding mega million dollar contacts to e-Bahamas Hot Mix, a company beneficially owned and controlled by the family of Brent Symonette, a cabinet minister.
Under a previous FNM government led by Hubert Ingraham, Brent Symonette had the audacity and temerity to arrange for Bahamas Hot Mix to be awarded a lucrative runway paving contract at Nassau International Airport without a tender process of any kind approved by the cabinet at the time. Hubert Ingraham had no choice but to relieve Brent Symonette of his ministerial duties because of the flagrant conflict of interest. Back then the predominant public outcry was that no cabinet minister should be in a position to greatly enrich himself, his family or his private sector business partners with lucrative government contracts.
But three cabinet ministers today, namely Brent Symonette, Little Whited-Haired Poodle D'Aguilar and Bean Counter Peter Turnquest, are each revelling in the fact that Minnis is blind to just about any serious conflict of interest that may arise. They are in fact laughing all the way to the bank as they daily go about finding ways to greatly enrich themselves and their business partners (cronies) in the private sector as opposed to finding ways to improved the quality of life and standard of living for most struggling Bahamians and their financially strapped businesses.
Brent Symonette is a greedy sob who knows no shame. If he had a scintilla of integrity he would never have agreed to be a candidate for elected office again, recognizing the many serious conflicts of interest that would more than likely arise given the great wealth and many tentacles of his family's financial empire. But no, not Brent - his Trumpian instincts saw an opportunity to line his already well lined pockets. He all too quickly realized that Minnis would have absolutely no scruples with cabinet ministers greatly enriching themselves through conflicted dealings with government, and that Minnis and his fellow cabinet ministers would allow him to 'pave the Symonette family road' to even greater riches (pun fully intended!). Brent simply could not resist capitalizing on the character flaws of Minnis, and Minnis could not resist the campaign financial support that the Symonette family assured the FNM party would receive in exchange for Brent being nominated as a candidate in an "easy FNM win" constituency. Yes indeed; Minnis, Symonette, D'Aguilar and Turnquest are the new greedy pirates of the day with very little, if any, concern or care about the rest of us.
licks2 5 years, 4 months ago
No nonsensical drivel as usual. . .how many asphalt companies in this nation that can carry out this "FAA" supervised repaving of the primary airport for YOUR NATION? Or are you not aware that our country is sanctioned by FAA regulations for continued international flights coming here bringing persons who spend money and keep bread on ya table Mr?
Grow the hell up. . .stupidity from uninformed loud mouths like you causes the rest of us people who take the time to inform ourselves to look like we don't have sense Oga!!
Carry ya "ignint" tail and go do something else. . .you suck at common sense dialogue.
This project is "BIG PEOPLE THEM BUSINESS". . .yoon ready for this level chile. . .sit down til we start talking about bubble gum, marbles and hide-and-go-seek!
Well_mudda_take_sic 5 years, 4 months ago
Take a pill...any pill. LMAO
proudloudandfnm 5 years, 4 months ago
Brent DOES NOT OWN HOTMIX. He is a minority shareholder. The PLP gave HOTMIX 86 million in contracts.
So basically you are wrong....
Have a good day...
Well_mudda_take_sic 5 years, 4 months ago
Can I interest you in buying that mosquito-free swamp land I own in Andros that has such a fine location? You seem so willing to believe just about anything. Next you will be telling us he and his brother Craig really have no interest in the Town Center Mall where the government has relocated the people's post office. LMAO
TalRussell 5 years, 4 months ago
The focus must remain and not get sidetracked away from the 'mix-up' over how the 91,408 comrades fell for the Imperialists red shirts general election promise of red hot lies, how for the Populaces on election day - it'll be all about will you the voters park your 'trust' in the 35 red shirts man's and woman's candidates to deliver on their word - that if elected House - how 2017 - 2022 going be designated, "It's the Peoples's time"..... yes, no...................
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