The Tribune

By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Tribune Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

SHANENDON Cartwright has said that as former chairman of the Bahamas Public Parks and Public Beaches Authority, he took directives “from higher authorities” while denying that he ever took part in any willful wrongdoing.

While the two-time St Barnabas MP stopped short of revealing who he took instructions from, he again defended his tenure at the BPPPBA the day after Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis rehashed concerns that there had been no internal controls, adding management there have claimed they had no specimen signature of Mr Cartwright.

Mr Cartwright maintained yesterday that the Authority’s excess spending and over budgeting had resided under both the Christie administration and under former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis.

He also noted that there were “primitive” systems there, but this did not mean sinister or self-serving intentions were at play.

“I embraced early in my life the importance and impact of words particularly those we speak,” Mr Cartwright told Parliament yesterday. “For as we know words have the ability to inspire or destroy to uplift or denigrate.

 “That’s why during my time in public life I have always been mindful of how and when they apply to proposals, policies and especially people. I found too that context urges perspective and lack of context will give way at times to conjecture, misinformation and a suggestion of ill intent.

 “I wish to talk directly to the Bahamian people who know me and those that have come to know me. Let me state upfront once again in the strongest possible terms.”

 He continued: “I deny any suggestion that I participated in any willful wrongdoing or knew of any wrongdoing. There has been lacking sufficient context to address the issues stemming from the Bahamas Public Parks and Public Beaches Authority that have come up in the public domain.

 “Context in understanding that will illustrate the number of processes of consistent issues that existed from the inception of the authority started by the PLP in 2014.

 “…I’m making a point that the issues that emanated from the Bahamas Public Parks, many of the issues have bridged both administrations. That’s the point that I am making.

 “Many improvements were made during both, but some (issues) still remained and this government will have the opportunity to address them.”

 Mr Cartwright referred to previous comments by Works Minister Alfred Sears who noted that excess spending and over budgeting persisted at the entity for years. The comments were affirmed yesterday in comments by a seated Mr Sears.

 “As a matter of fact, from its inception from year one to date, the Authority has never stayed within budget. Secondly on the decision to exceed the budgeted amount in the 2021/2022 budget and, as I stated, I made no unilateral decision and as the honourable member stated in this honourable House ‘I know the member for St Barnabas has been put in a difficult spot but for those of us who know how government runs it could not be you alone, sir.’

“In addition, the honourable member for Ft Charlotte said the honourable member for St Barnabas has taken a blow beyond his authority.

“On both scores he was right. I got instructions and directives from high authorities and I will leave that right there.”

 Mr Cartwright said much of the issues at the authority existed as the system had not yet reached its maturation.

 “We made a lot of headway and progress when I was chairman. Were there a number of things left on the treacle board? Absolutely and the new chairman of this administration will have the ability to fix some of these primitive systems and processes that came up as a result, as I said of the corporate governance process being slow to reach exactly the level that it needed to be.

 “As I said my predecessor who I know personally achieved many great things and deserves credit for them and then there were things that needed improvements and we fixed them being careful not to cite them in tenor and in language as sanctioned by ill intent. I’m not suggesting that anybody is doing that, I am making a point.”

 He also said: “I have never shied away from constructive criticism and accept it as a means to become better. That’s what leaders do. I accept it, but what I don’t accept is the presumption that inefficiencies of the current system or gaps in the system meant that there was a sinister, self-enriching, fraudulent or intentional plot at hand.”