The Tribune

By ALICIA WALLACE

GIVEN the gutting of the media, one would think that the current government administration would be competent in the area of communications. Expecting it to excel, even with experienced practitioners, would be going too far since we all know that one of the dysfunctions of the government is to constrain people in ways that make the performance of their supposed duties nearly impossible. One really must wonder what the communications staff are doing, day in and day out, when we read and listen to the nonsense that is spewed by far too many government officials about national issues. It might be interesting to see the proposals that have been rejected, resulting in statements that leave the public wondering if it would have been better to have less of the particular kind of “information” shared.

This administration is continuing its efforts to make it difficult for reporters and, by extension, the public to get accurate, timely information.

Members of Parliament are often abysmal at off the cuff. It is clear that they do not receive media training. They read speeches, many of them doing so as though they are seeing the words for the first time, bang on tables, heckle others, and expect that to be enough. We get a chance to really see what, if anything, is happening in their brains when they respond to questions about their constituencies, their ministries, and issues of national concern. We find out troubling tidbits such as their lack of understanding of basic human biology, that they think “birth starts at conception” and eggs are “conceived,” and they do not know that science is not subject to their personal opinions.

It seems that no one tells politicians that, whenever they speak, they need to know what they are talking about. They do not all seem to know that they should continue their education, taking classes, reading books and articles, engaging with subject matter experts, and listening to people with specialised knowledge and experience. They appear to be incapable of checking their own egos and being honest, clearly stating when they do not have sufficient knowledge or information to give a meaningful response to a question.

Has the communications team thrown their hands in the air in defeat? Are they unable or unwilling to train Members of Parliament to engage with the media? It seems that it has opted to hide politicians and delay their engagement with the press as much as they can.

Last week, the weekly Cabinet briefing was cancelled and the Office of the Prime Minister announced that Cabinet briefings and the Office of the Prime Minister press briefings would be “combined into a single, more comprehensive weekly briefing event to promote efficiency".

Remember February 2022 when members of the press met orange cones and Royal Bahamas Defence Force officers blocking their access to the Office of the Prime Minister? On that day, then press secretary Clint Watson told reporters that they would have to request interviews in advance. Office of the Prime Minister claimed that Tuesday Cabinet briefings would allow “further access” for the media.

Remember May 2017 when then press secretary Anthony Newbold said then Prime Minister Hubert Minnis would hold quarterly meetings with the press and address the nation twice per year? One year later, not a single quarterly meeting was held.

What next?

It is possible that the communications team has decided to put its focus outside of The Bahamas. They may have deemed the international audience more important than the Bahamian audience. Since the Progressive Liberal Party won the general election in 2021, we have seen the frequent travel undertaken by the Prime Minister. We have also observed and commented on his deliberate attempts to position himself as some sort of authority on climate change, calling on multilateral organizations and “Global North” countries to take action. The reason for this, when climate change has never been a demonstrated priority for the party or the administration at the national level, remains unclear. Maybe it is seen as a chorus that is easy to join, maybe it is a part of a plot to access (more) climate financing, and maybe he and/or his team is under the impression that he can make a name for himself with a slim possibility of being mentioned in a string of names following Mia Mottley’s.

I listened to part of a radio talk show yesterday, and both hosts and callers pointed to the issue of the Prime Minister talking about climate change in international spaces as though it is a priority issue when he is not talking about it here, at home, with the people.

The climate emergency is not in question. It is not a future problem as it has been presented to us over the past few decades by western media. It is a current issue that is intensifying every single day, disproportionately impacting countries like and including The Bahamas. We are experiencing sea level rise. We are experiencing more intense hurricanes at greater frequency. We are enduring longer, more difficult summers of unbearable heat. We are seeing the seasons change and move as trees bear fruit at different times of the year than they did in previous years. Things are different now, and they are continuing to change. We are being forced to adapt, but not being given the resources for this necessary adaptation.

The government is not talking with us about food security. It is not talking about the importance of agriculture and fisheries, the ways that these industries are threatened by climate change, or the investment it is prepared to make to protect these industries and enable people — women and young people in particular — to enter them. It is not responding to the energy crisis that is worsening as load-shedding continues to be treated as a norm, exponential increases in electricity bills are lamented without any relief, and there is no clear plan for shifting from dependence on fossil fuel to clean energy.

Flooding continues in the same areas that have always flooded. Potholes and much worse make the roads obstacle courses, and repairs seem like unlikely miracles. There is no national recycling programme. Owning and driving a car is a necessity for many people, including those who cannot afford it, due to the unreliable and unsafe nature of public transportation. These are everyday issues in our lives, and they are climate issues. They are not being discussed in that way, if at all.

What does the Prime Minister expect to get out of his climate change messaging in international spaces? Is it a few quotes in some news story? Is it substantial climate financing? Is it the promotion of false solutions like the carbon market? What, exactly, is the goal? Should we not have an understanding of what he is doing before he uses our tax dollars to do it? Should we, on the frontlines of the climate crisis, not be engaged in a national conversation about the crisis, its impact on our daily lives, what it means for the future of this country, nationhood, and culture, and how any monetary benefits should be used for the common good?

Mr Davis said: “We want to see more income equality, peaceful communities, food security, improved public healthcare, and more opportunities for Bahamians to own homes and successful businesses.”

Well, that sounds about right, doesn’t it? If he is going to talk about tax justice and climate justice on the global stage, he ought to bring it home too. Income equality cannot be discussed without attention to the gender wage gap. Peaceful communities cannot exist where there is gender-based violence. Food security is threatened by climate change. Public healthcare has to adapt to the changing climate and respond to the climate events we will experience. Homeownership depends on the ability to save, the ability to borrow, and the confidence that land purchased will not be under water before the mortgage term ends. These are topics that have been avoided at the national level, but are taking place in international spaces.

The Attorney General already told us that gender is too complicated a construct to explain to the Bahamian people. Is climate change also above the heads of Bahamians? How long will it be before this administration gives up on climate justice and decides to pretend it doesn’t exist or require a specific response, like gender-based violence?

This administration’s communication, like the one before it, leaves much to be desired. It is not just about the speeches that are made or the social media posts that are promoted. It is also about the preparation of government officials to engage with the people, their employers. It is about representatives being able to meaningfully engage with constituents and truly represent their points of view and champion the issues they care about. It is about the government clearly communicating its obligations and that they are separate and not subject to personal opinions. It is about the people being sufficiently educated on the matters that are being discussed beyond the national level to enable consent or mechanisms for providing contributions and engaging in consultation to develop a message that is aligned with our needs. They all need to figure out to report on their portfolios, be as passionate about human rights at home as they are when abroad, be accountable to the people, and demonstrate it in coherent communications. We are two years in, this is not a drill, and the “new day” is feeling rather old.