The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis avoided direct answers to questions in the House of Assembly yesterday about more than $200,000 in publicly funded gift certificates that were distributed in Abaco in the names of Progressive Liberal Party candidates and officials before the May general election, pointing instead to what he alleged were similar practices before the 2012 general election.

The controversy had not been settled ever since Chris Lleida, the chief executive officer of Premier Importers, confirmed that the Ministry of Finance paid for the gift certificates his company issued.

The issue erupted in the House last evening after North Abaco MP Kirk Cornish defended the government’s development work and declared: “We don’t discriminate.”

Long Island MP Dr Andre Rollins rose on a point of order, called the remark “another untruth” and accused Mr Cornish of misleading Parliament.

“The FNM, the COI, or any independent candidates did not get vouchers for their names on it paid for by the public treasury and it is a disgrace that that was allowed to be done under your administration, Mr Prime Minister and member for Cat Island, Rum Cay, and San Salvador,” he said.

He added: “Never in the history of this country has the government allowed the people's money to be used to pay, to prosecute a political campaign.”

Mr Davis responded by pointing to what he alleged happened in Cat Island around the 2012 general election, when former Marco City MP Michael Pintard was the Free National Movement’s candidate there.

“You ask Marco City what was done in the 2012 election in Cat Island when he was the candidate. I still have all the receipts, I still have all the letters that were issued even on election day for him,” Mr Davis said.

He rejected suggestions that he had raised a red herring, saying he had previously tabled documents in Parliament after the May 7, 2012 general election.

“I'll refer you to the first sitting of the House after the May 7 election in my contribution, where I laid all those documents on the table of the house on the day May 7 election, those grants for startup business, 7500, number of them," he said.

“I also laid in this House the number of persons that they hired within a period of six months. An administrator had to step aside because he's afraid of an instruction being given to ensure that I get beat.”

Dr Rollins pushed back, saying the FNM had not done what the PLP has been accused of doing in Abaco.

Mr Pintard also rejected Mr Davis’ comments, accusing the prime minister of dragging the opposition into a controversy he said the government could not defend.

“If he put that on the public record what he is saying is completely false," he said. "I mean, the member for Cat Island is really the poster child for patronage. He's never missed an opportunity to incentivise voters by depositing substantial sums at various stores Cat Island, Rum Cay, and San Salvador but we weren't cheering on about that, so I don't think he should involve us.”

“He should not involve us in that matter. It is wrong for him to involve us in that matter in defending a point they cannot defend. The point being raised by Long Island is indefensible. So don’t involvement in that.”

Mr Davis said he was responding only to issues the opposition had raised during the debate, saying he tries “not to get involved in all the distractions”.