The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL 

Tribune Staff Reporter 

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

GRAND Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) director Rupert Hayward said the authority has made equal financial contributions to the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and the Free National Movement (FNM), insisting the GBPA is “politically agnostic”. 

“We have, in the most part, good working relationships with politicians and with political parties,” he said yesterday. “We don’t favour any one particular party. We recognise that to run successful campaigns, people need some funding, and so we’re happy to help.”

His comment came after Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis challenged FNM leader Michael Pintard to reveal if he had received up to $5m from the GBPA to support his FNM campaign.

Mr Pintard denied receiving nearly this much and said both major political parties had received donations from the authority for decades.

The country’s absence of campaign finance laws makes it unclear who qualifies as appropriate donors for political parties.

Both major parties have promised to introduce campaign finance legislation but have repeatedly failed, despite calls from good governance advocates and international organisations like the Organisation of American States.

In its Blueprint for Change, the PLP promised campaign finance reform. However, in August 2022, Mr Davis said it was not a priority, and no further action has been taken since.

Former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis also pledged to introduce campaign finance rules but did not deliver on his promise.