Not the time to mislead the people
tribune242 editorial:
KENNEDY MP Kenyatta Gibson, who came from the bosom of the PLP almost two years ago, first as an Independent MP, then as a full fledged FNM, had sound advice for his former political colleagues during the recent Budget debate.
"These are times," he said, "in which all Bahamians must understand that to save their country they must be prepared to work together and make sacrifices."
"To mislead the people into thinking that this belt tightening Budget is a result of the FNM Government's inefficiency or incompetence is an insult to the people's intelligence," he told the Opposition who have accused the Prime Minister of not protecting the Bahamas from the present world crisis.
We are all in this together. When Bahamians sit in front of their TV sets at night and see the people of the world losing their jobs and closing their businesses, and countries heading for bankruptcy, they must understand that the Bahamas cannot stop the world and get off -- they are a part of the whole. The biblical seven lean years are here and now.
"The current economic crisis in which we, like other countries in this region are plunged, can best be resolved and remedied where there is a conciliatory atmosphere of understanding and cooperation of all concerned," Mr Gibson said.
"But if we create rancour and doubt and self pity and make people feel that someone did something to them and we know this not to be true, then we are guilty of the sin of omission and falsehood and are not worthy to be called Leaders of the people."
Mr Gibson told the MPs that "we can rise above partisan politics, especially in times of national crisis and danger" and together "lift our country and our people to greater heights."
Today's Bahamians cannot pass today's troubles onto unborn generations, he said. "It is now our watch and together as one Bahamian people we have to fix it."
Mr Gibson pointed out that the FNM government did not cause the recent problems on Wall Street, nor did it dismantle Lehman Brothers, or create the US's sub prime mortgage debate. It didn't even drive up oil prices or cook the books of leading US banking institutions, nor did it defraud the SEC - all of which started the economic ball rolling downhill at an ever increasing pace. No one could stop the roll and so country after country -- the Bahamas included - was caught in its wake as it picked up momentum and dragged each one of them to the bottom. Each nation now has to pick itself up and climb to the top. Politicians who would divide and pull the people down at this time are an unwelcome and useless appendage. It would be best to dismiss them and move on alone.
Mr Gibson said that "these are the easily verifiable facts but some persons true to their form, would prefer not to lead but to mislead and misguide and misinform."
Mr Gibson pointed out that James Smith, the current chairman of CFAL, was the main architect of Opposition Leader Perry Christie's economic policy when Mr Christie was prime minister (2002-2007). He is a man of "impeccable" credentials as an economist, Mr Gibson pointed out. No one would dispute that observation.
"PLP's from Inagua in the south," said Mr Gibson, "to Grand Bahama in the north have heralded his genius in budgetary exercise after budgetary exercise since 2002. After the Progressive Liberal Party's defeat in 2007, 'the word often came down' to the general public that the Progressive Liberal Party was supporting sentiments expressed by former Minister Smith."
Recognised as an expert on his subject, Mr Gibson, wondered why in this instance the PLP did not embrace Mr Smith's comments on the FNM's belt-tightening budget with "its usual eagerness and zeal."
According Mr Smith "both the public and private sectors need to appreciate that for the next few months, maybe even another year, it will be tough and everyone needs to tighten their belts. I think the budget reflected that tone."
Fidelity Bank's president Gregory Bethel, another respected member of the financial community, echoed Mr Smith's assessment. "These are the right moves," said Mr Bethel, "to get the country's economy back on tract."
Continued Mr Bethel: "The Prime Minister has set the tone. He said that this is a time for sacrifice, service and reform and the Bahamian people must understand that it is not business as usual. Everybody in our society must share in the sacrifice, share in the pain and share in the reform."
Said Mr Gibson: "This is our age, indeed our time, indeed our call to sacrifice for our country."
He pointed to David Cameron, Britain's new prime minister, as an example of how Mr Cameron used the UK's harsh economic environment to explain to the British people why his government had to introduce a similar austere budget as the rest of the world. Mr Cameron said that this was an opportunity to explain to the people the purpose behind the pain.
Mr Gibson told the Opposition that if they "call this a budget of pain, it must be characterised as pain for a noble cause. That cause being the continued viability of the nation."
For the Opposition to move in the opposite direction, especially at this moment of crisis, just means that they are headed towards the void of political oblivion.
June 29, 2010
tribune242 editorial
A political blog about Bahamian politics in The Bahamas, Bahamian Politicans - and the entire Bahamas political lot. Bahamian Blogger Dennis Dames keeps you updated on the political news and views throughout the islands of The Bahamas without fear or favor. Bahamian Politicians and the Bahamian Political Arena: Updates one Post at a time on Bahamas Politics and Bahamas Politicans; and their local, regional and international policies and perspectives.
