PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis. (File photo)
By KHRISNA RUSSELL
Tribune Chief Reporter
krussell@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Philip Davis yesterday chided his predecessor at Parliament saying the Killarney MP did not travel on the country’s behalf because he could not speak to people and lacked the self confidence to appeal to world leaders.
The Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador MP’s blistering remarks came in response to Dr Minnis’ criticism that was directed at the number of times Mr Davis has travelled abroad since taking office.
In his remarks to members of Parliament yesterday, Dr Minnis said in his view, Mr Davis had been gone from the country for two months out of the eight that his administration had been in office.
Dr Minnis told members that at this rate, he estimated Mr Davis’ travel would amount to a one-year absence from the country by the time the administration reached its five year mark.
He was of the view that there were many pressing matters in the country that required Mr Davis’ presence.
When he stood to rebut the comments, Mr Davis said whenever he travelled he did so on “the people’s business”.
He also dismissed a previous assertion that the travel had come at the expense of taxpayers so that he could see the world.
“I’m happy to report that the standing of this country as a result of my traveling has been reset,” Mr Davis said in the lower chamber.
“They didn’t know (about) The Bahamas anymore and I don’t want to speak to some of the embarrassing encounters, but I can safely say that when I travel, I travel on the people’s business.
“Seeing the world? I’ve seen the world. I ain’t just reach. I’ve been there and done that.”
He also said: “When he travelled he’s talking about how corrupt the country was, remember? He didn’t go over there to talk about how we get into the geopolitical affairs of this world and how we could benefit and how we could stand up to the world to ensure that what’s for us, is for us and what we need to get, we ought to get.
“And to let the world know the state of our vulnerabilities and responsibility that the world has to respond to those vulnerabilities. You ain’t gonna do that sitting in the chair here.
“You ain’t travel because you couldn’t speak to people. You were afraid you didn’t have the confidence in yourself to talk to world leaders and to talk to people and put the case for the Bahamian people,” Mr Davis quipped.
Dr Minnis responded saying: “(It is) very difficult for the pot to be calling the kettle black, so may I proceed? There are such things as deflection and I won’t be deflected, not today.”
The Davis administration since taking office has been criticised, mainly in the political arena, for their frequency of travelling.
Most notably there was a wave of criticism over the administration’s decision to attend Expo 2020 in Dubai back in January. The trip saw more than 100 people attend.
There was also criticism over the decision to send a delegation to COP 26, a climate change conference held in Glasgow, Scotland, last year.
The prime minister has also travelled abroad in addition to these trips.
However, the administration has maintained that it is vital for The Bahamas to make representations internationally to advance the country’s cause.
Comments
ThisIsOurs 2 years, 7 months ago
Oh boy. Dems fighting words
Godson 2 years, 7 months ago
I would say so!
@coakley4mical 2 years, 7 months ago
This is very simple to understand-
What was the expense to the taxpayers - the Bahamian people for:
Brave; put things in Black-N-White for "HAM-less"; what did these trips total up to in expense. You said they were all for the benefit and good of the country then the Bahamian people need to be able to put things in balance and we decide "yinna" listen. Don't fall down the hole of suspicion and aspersions come out and let the people know how much these things cost and where we can see that things are paying off for ourselves!
Accountability, Transparency and citizens participation. Recall what Denzel Washington said to Will Smith, after "The Slap that Rock the Awards"; at your greatest moments the Devil comes looking for you. Now its up to you if you prefer your moment to be for 5 or 10 years. I doubt it would be anything like "LOP"; but that's up to you, remember pride comes before the fall, and no PM or few PM has been so arrogant and prideful as "HAMless", at least "HAI" rode off into the sunset and wrote a nice book. Listen learnt don't be like Hubert Alexander Minnis (HAM aka HAMless aka "HA Minus") or you will suffer the same consequences as he did in the elections. We Bahamian ain't interested in sorry afterwards or just before Elections.
Do and show you care and respect the Bahamian people from now and you wont regret it later!
_
Now, that's the best political advice anyone could ever offer you and chances are you would have already learnt that from the greats!
DWW 2 years, 7 months ago
we gonna get some good laughs over the next 3 years lol
rosiepi 2 years, 7 months ago
Sadly those will cost dearly.
Sickened 2 years, 7 months ago
Minnis trying hard to stay relevant though. Hard to watch his continuing slide down the mountain he was on. I feel Brave will also have slid down the mountain in 5 years. He's doing fairly good at the moment but the PLP can't help but find themselves sloshing around in waste water.
TigerB 2 years, 7 months ago
Brave forgot, the world was closed to travelers due to the pandemic, no one was traveling. That is a stupid comment he made.
sheeprunner12 2 years, 7 months ago
95% of what Brave says is stupid ....... If you can understand his gutteral noises, croaks, hand gestures, and weird pauses
stillwaters 2 years, 7 months ago
Oh Lord......says the person whose tongue keeps bungling up in his mouth when he tries to speak. If he's not reading from a script, it's a mess!!!!!!
sheeprunner12 2 years, 7 months ago
Brave will travel and enjoy his 5 years as PM to the max
FNM can only sit by and wish that they had done so, even before Covid ...... Too bad, too sad
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