The Tribune

By Malcom Strachan

THE streets of The Bahamas came to a halt last week as the cavalcade of Kamala Harris came to town.

Roads were blocked and curious onlookers peeped out as the US Vice President’s convoy swept past – one, two, ten, 20 - I lost count of how many vehicles were part of the procession.

Amid all the pomp and ceremony, however, one thing has gone relatively unmentioned – this visit, by the most senior US politician in office since Independence, is somewhat of a vindication for Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis.

There has, rightly, been a lot of talk about our leader’s travels. It seems he is constantly getting on board planes and heading off to here, there or just about anywhere.

With that, there has been a share of criticism. Why must the PM be always jetting off instead of dealing with issues here at home, how much of our money is he spending … and so on.

Last week, Mr Davis defended his travels in Parliament, calling it a “non-issue”. He added: “If we are to be a respected voice on the world stage to represent our interests, then travel is necessary. If we are to forge alliances and build partnerships to benefit the nation, these kinds of things take time, especially when the previous prime minister represented the nation so poorly on the world stage, preferring to call us corrupt than highlight our excellence.”

The arrival of Vice President Harris last week was an example of how such travels are paying off.

Mr Davis has repeatedly touted the need to deal with climate change and its effects while on his travels. He has also petitioned the United States for assistance in dealing with the problem of gun trafficking that brings so many deadly weapons to our streets.

Well, here was Ms Harris, arriving in Nassau to discuss those very issues – along with what to do about the problems in Haiti.

She arrived with more than $100m in announced funding for various issues – although let’s be honest, that is a rounding error in the US foreign budget. That’s like you or me showing up to a friend’s house with a nice bottle of wine. Very welcome, of course – let’s not do it down, but it’s not going to end the threat of climate change or take all the guns off our streets on its own.

But the fact that Ms Harris arrived and spoke to Bahamian and Caribbean issues on our turf and on our terms says a lot about the influence that Mr Davis has garnered with his travels.

Mr Davis also highlighted recently his trip to London for the coronation of King Charles III, where he said in his audiences with the King that “it was made clear that The Bahamas was a priority”.

He promised there would be announcements in the coming months about partnerships with organisations associated with the King as well as with the UK government.

All well and good. That’s not to say that issues do not remain.

We still do not know the cost of that trip to London – and there seems no urgency on the part of the government to ever tell us such things. Certainly, Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell was dismissive of the suggestion that he should have to account for foreign travel costs.

But here’s the thing. The cost doesn’t have to be a divisive issue. The Prime Minister says our travels are paying off – great, let’s account for it.

When the government packed off a substantial group to Dubai, for example, there should be no reason afterwards why we cannot have a proper accounting of the cost, the actual benefits and the potential benefit. What did we get out of it? What do we get out of each of these trips?

The Prime Minister’s political courting of the US Vice President has brought tangible benefits in terms of the $100m plus that came with her visit – so why not stack that against actual figures for how much it cost in his previous trip to the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles and the cost to host last week’s bilateral meeting of Caribbean leaders?

We can acknowledge value while still holding to account. If I invest $1m and gain $100m, that’s a good investment – and then some.

There can also remain some concerns about the size and composition of some of our delegations. During the London trip, more than a few peered at photographs and wondered why this person or that person was there. The value our nation gains from any such delegates and any such visit is a valid thing to query.

That sounds like I am being critical – but to return to my point, last week’s visit was a vindication of such a policy of travel.

Drawing closer to our neighbours and being able to work with them on issues affecting our region is a positive for The Bahamas.

Will last week’s visit end the risk of climate change to our country? No. Will it mean we no longer have guns on our streets? I’m not sure that’s ever possible as long as guns are made in a place just a short boat ride away. Asking for one visit to solve all such problems would be unrealistic. But it is a step. And it is an indication that our voice is being heard.

How often in the past would we be crying out and left to feel as if our voice went unheard?

So credit to Mr Davis – our voice is not just being heard, but our message is being taken seriously.

I still think we should put a price tag on such travels – surely we can be mature enough to have a discussion not just about cost but about value.

But for now, Vice President Harris’ visit has shown what value looks like, and that is no small thing.