Mitchell: FNM made mistake selling a government plane

As of Monday, June 24, 2024

By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

FOREIGN Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell said the FNM made a mistake in 1992 when selling a government plane.

“There are millions of dollars being spent, economies can be employed as a result of it, and that’s basically the argument,” he said, defending the Davis administration’s decision to spend $2.5m on a confiscated plane officials are repurposing for government use.

Mr Mitchell added: “We just get ourselves distracted in so much nonsense in this country when there are actually serious issues we have to face. For example, you have the energy reform measures that have to take place. You have the housing issues which have to be addressed. You have the Grand Bahama Port Authority and its lack of performance. And then you have a history of an FNM government that has been derelict in its duty towards the country. Their view is to leave the status quo, kick

everything down the road and not make any hard decisions about the future of our country. I call them the party of ‘no‘. Dr Sands is ‘doctor no‘. Everything is no, no, no, no, no.”

“But if you are in government, you have to have an eye on the future. You have to make sure that our kids are properly educated. I am really pleased with the results this year. The education system has come back. These are the big issues we are dealing with, not running around making arguments about nonsense. And they all know it’s nonsense because if they were to win tomorrow they wouldn’t do a darn thing about it. They’d just employ what’s there and continue going on. It’s just politics.”

Last week, FNM leader Michael Pintard criticised the Davis administration’s decision on the plane, claiming that the maintenance cost of the aircraft would be “exponentially higher” than travelling on a local airline.

He said the money would have been better used securing fire trucks for the Family Islands.

birdiestrachan 5 months ago

Mr Pintard opposes and criticize every thing he believes it will make him Pm it is to bad he did not oppose the 6 million dollar domes, or the sale of BTC, the plane should be all right I Hope it is a sea plane many islands do not see planes at all , Mr Bell is no clown as said by the one who swims with the swine it is Pintard , a real dullard,,

moncurcool 4 months, 4 weeks ago

Fred Mitchell is indicative of the backwardness of this country. He is one reason why I would support a term limits bill for MPs. He really need to take his archaic thinking and go

2026 cannot soon come.

ExposedU2C 4 months, 4 weeks ago

Pseudo-intellectual Freddy Boy is really flying his true colours now ........ with putrid slime green being his favourite dominant colour! And to think this tootie-fruity moron is a cabinet minister and chairman of the PLP party. That fact alone really says all there is to say about the corrupt leadership of the PLP.

TalRussell 4 months, 4 weeks ago

This plane repurposing of what goin' ends costs x 44++ times $2.5 millions. -- Makes you not wanna bother getting out of bed in the morning. -- Yes?

Porcupine 4 months, 4 weeks ago

Funny how those who are speaking the loudest simply don't comprehend that they are the biggest part of the problem. It is difficult not to see that our political class is a criminal class. Mitchell is one of the biggest problems we have.

rosiepi 4 months, 4 weeks ago

Tally up the cost savings Fred! Wasn’t that the reason the FNM sold it in the first place? And what would have been the costs of parking and maintaining an aircraft for the last 40 year? Don’t forget to add the ‘benefits’, ie the corruption inherent in those contracts!!