“McCartney’s New Party Unlikely”
By ROGAN SMITH
It seems Branville McCartney is going to have a tough job convincing candidates to join the political party he’s trying to form as some of the people he’s attempting to court think of it as "a joke" and not a viable alternative to the two major political parties.
Some of the people who attended Mr. McCartney’s meeting Tuesday night said the Bamboo Town MP is clearly "out of his element."
According to a well-placed source close to discussions, Mr. McCartney, who invited 100 people to his home to discuss the new party, just does not seem to know what he is doing.
"The likelihood of him surviving this political slaughter is slim," the source said.
Mr. McCartney reportedly wants the leaders of two third parties – the Bahamas Democratic Movement (BDM) and the National Development Party (NDP) – to dissolve their organisations and choose a leader democratically.
According the source, those leaders are not even considering such a request.
The Journal understands that the NDP took exception to the request and it remains a "sore spot."
A local newspaper recently reported that Mr. McCartney had raised as much as $25 million to fund his new party. However, the source says that is "pure nonsense."
"Bran has no funding. He says people have agreed to help him if he is able to get commitments. They’re telling him ‘if you form this party we’ll give you the money.’ Bran says he wants to raise $25 million, which is a long stretch. The other parties aren’t even raising that amount," said the source, who agreed to the Journal’s interview on condition of anonymity.
"Branville doesn’t have the money. The major issue at the meeting was fundraising. There were also a lot of arguments going back and forth with people pontificating during the meeting. There was a lot of flowery talk, but nothing of substance. The meeting was full of chaos and confusion. It really just became a social hangout."
The source said to make matters worse, Mr. McCartney is courting a lot of "reject people."
"He is flocking towards candidates who I’m sure even the third parties would reject. Some of these people have very little chance of making a mark on the political scenery," he said.
Even more frustrating, the source says, is the fact that the former cabinet minister is expecting potential candidates to follow him, even though he does not have much political experience.
"Why should these people leave the parties they are with to join up with Bran? He’s someone who has never articulated any vision for the country. What has he done? The only thing he did was resign from Hubert Ingraham’s cabinet and later Hubert Ingraham’s party," he said.
"Mr. McCartney could not even complete his full term as a junior minister. Why would anyone follow his lead? He’s great at marketing himself. He’s great at public relations, but leadership, I don’t think so."
The source said many people turned up to the meeting simply to see what Mr. McCartney is up to.
"A lot of them are going to war during this election. They wanted to know what he’s doing and who the key players are. But, it’s a joke," he said.
"Bran believes that because he’s in the House [of Assembly] and is a sitting MP that he has the upper hand. I’ll give him this; he’s very calculating. But, what he’s attempting now has been done before. I can’t follow a man who [isn’t] smarter than me."
He continued, "Mr. McCartney need only tap the shoulders of Dr. Bernard Nottage [Bain and Grants Town MP] and ask him how it worked out for him when he left the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) to form his own party. The Coalition for Democratic Reform didn’t fare well, and that’s with a leader who was a political heavyweight."
The Journal understands that a union president, a former talk show host and several other politicians attended Mr. McCartney’s meeting.
"When you’re putting together a party, you have to dissect the candidates and decide who to run. When you pick just anyone the quality of your party deteriorates. Ask any fisherman fishing with a net, when you cast your net, you not only pull up grouper, you also pull up goggle eye fish, seaweed and some rocks – things you can’t use. The point I’m seeking to make is that Bran is courting candidates he can’t use politically," the source said.
Another well-placed source, who requested anonymity, said he does not think that Mr. McCartney will hold on to his constituency. He said he believes the majority of voters will elect a PLP or Free National Movement (FNM) candidate.
"Some people are excited about Bran, but quite frankly he’s going to get demolished at the polls. I’m concerned whether his party will survive after this upcoming election. If he loses tomorrow, I can guarantee you that he’s not going to stick in there. He has no stickability, his quitting as state minister and later the FNM, proved that. When things aren’t going his way, he’s out of there and he lacks courage," he said.
"Look at what he did in the House when the first vote on BTC came up. He was nowhere to be found. A true leader would’ve sat behind Mr. Ingraham and voted ‘no’ on the issue. Be a man. Then, he’s too wishy-washy. He says he respects Mr. Ingraham’s leadership, but felt stifled, then he comes up with some other excuse to try and preserve his political career. Which is it?"
The source said the true test will be what happens after the election.
March 31st, 2011
jonesbahamas
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.
Showing posts with label Dr. Bernard Nottage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dr. Bernard Nottage. Show all posts
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Hubert Ingraham versus Perry Christie - and the emerging Chinese superpower
Another Watershed for Ingraham & Christie
by Simon
bahamapundit
Hubert Ingraham arrived in China in a strong and enviable position. Much of this comes from the office he holds as Prime Minister of a strategically-located Bahamas with diverse and impressive assets relative to our size.
Moreover, a considerable amount of the Prime Minister’s strengthened position is rooted in his character and experience, including a combination of international experience and domestic credibility.
The posture with which Mr. Ingraham has travelled to the emerging Chinese superpower is in obvious and stark contrast to the posture with which former Prime Minister Perry Christie would have made this journey.
Mr. Christie would have gone in a considerably weaker position for reasons rooted in his political character, including an operating style marked by indecision and pandering.
Whereas Mr. Ingraham enters into a negotiation with some inscrutability and poker-faced, Mr. Christie is generally an easy mark, easy to read and easy to push over. Bahamians know that Mr. Ingraham will always drive a harder bargain while Mr. Christie is prone to give away the store.
Domestic Credibility: On the eve of his departure for China, Mr. Ingraham and his predecessor, Opposition Leader, Perry Christie each held a press conference. In tone and substance they were a study in contrast.
Mr. Ingraham noted that Baha Mar was among one of a wide range of issues on the agenda during his trip. The Leader of the Opposition’s press conference focused almost exclusively on Baha Mar, with little reference to various other bilateral matters. Yet, what they both said about Baha Mar was revealing.
WATERSHED
The debate over Baha Mar has been another watershed for these former law partners and cabinet colleagues. The current debate is etching into the national consciousness the essential differences between the men in terms of vision, character and governance.
In his brief statement at a press conference in which Dr. Bernard Nottage took the lead in outlining the PLP’s position on Baha Mar, Mr. Christie left little doubt that he would have headed to China mostly as the gushing representative of Baha Mar.
In one of the most disturbing public performances by someone who served as prime minister, Mr. Christie all but abandoned the national interest in the favour of a private interest. It is an interest that has repeatedly demonstrated that it lacked the vision, track record and wherewithal to redevelop Cable Beach. Indeed, Baha Mar has repeatedly failed to meet various deadlines over the course of several years.
Just in September, Mr. Sarkis Izmirlian, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Baha Mar spoke at a 25th anniversary event marking the China State Construction and Engineering Company’s presence in the United States.
“As some of you may know, my family and I have a vision for the country of The Bahamas, and its huge potential for tourism. We were approached by the Bahamian Government to consider redeveloping a beautiful area of Nassau called Cable Beach.”
Mr. Izmirlian also spoke glowingly that a successful Baha Mar project would “showcase to the world China State’s ability to deliver an intricately designed, and complex, resort metropolis on a somewhat remote island in The Caribbean.”
So, what exactly is Mr. Izmirilian’s vision for The Bahamas, and when exactly did we outsource that vision to a private developer? And, when did New Providence become a “somewhat remote island in the Caribbean?”
Mr. Izmirlian may want to check this bit of condescension and take note that many Bahamians do not find his vision for Cable Beach in the country’s broader interest. But it is not primarily Mr. Izmirlian who the Bahamian people are questioning.
EQUITABLE DEAL
Bahamians continue to wonder why Mr. Christie and the PLP chose the family in question to redevelop one of the more valued tourism sites in the country. Whatever the reasons, the PLP cannot shirk responsibility for the fact that it is because of that choice that we are in the position we are today. Because of Baha Mar’s lack of resources, the company turned to China for financing.
The genesis and convoluted nature of the Baha Mar project rest with Mr. Christie. As the drama at Baha Mar continues to unfold, Mr. Christie and the PLP have delivered a series of mixed and often incoherent messages. This rambling has damaged their domestic credibility on Baha Mar and related matters.
While Mr. Ingraham has repeatedly stressed that his overriding concern is an equitable deal for The Bahamas, the PLP and Mr. Christie have shown divided loyalties on the Baha Mar project. Sometimes, their posturing and pandering has been comical.
Having agreed to Chinese workers building the new National Stadium and signalling that they would agree to a considerable Chinese presence to build Baha Mar, the PLP voted against allowing Chinese workers to construct the Gateway Road Project.
Never mind that there would be Bahamian workers on the road project and that the terms of the loan were quite generous. The PLP sought to score a political brownie point and ride a wave of hysteria about a Chinese takeover. Not only did most Bahamians see through such an obvious ploy, so did the Chinese Government.
In striking contrast, Ingraham has demonstrated to the Chinese that while he is prepared to do business with them, that it must be mutually beneficial to both countries. He has refrained from any China-bashing in order to pander to some elements of the populace. Undoubtedly, the Chinese have taken note.
The Chinese must also be bemused and amused by Mr. Christie’s chest-thumping on the National Stadium. The stadium is a typical gift of the Chinese Government after the launch of diplomatic relations with a developing country.
In this case, those relations were established during a previous Ingraham administration. Moreover, even after the offer of a national stadium, the Christie administration, in typical fashion, failed to get the construction started.
FAVOURABLE COMMENTARY
The Prime Minister’s tough pre-trip stance to the Chinese Government of what may be acceptable regarding Baha Mar has earned him favourable commentary in various quarters in the Caribbean. Most Bahamians are relieved that it is Mr. Ingraham and not Mr. Christie who has journeyed to China to negotiate on the country’s behalf.
International Experience: Mr. Ingraham’s domestic credibility boosts and mirrors his credibility with the Chinese Government. That credibility is reinforced by Mr. Ingraham’s decisiveness. Reportedly, the Chinese were as frustrated by Mr. Christie’s late-again manner as were the Bahamian people.
Mr. Ingraham appointed two senior figures as Bahamian Ambassador to China, including Sir Arthur Foulkes who was non-resident and former cabinet minister Elma Chase Campbell, the first resident Ambassador. While the PLP did eventually send a resident diplomat to China, it took a while and he was a relatively junior civil servant.
It is a no-brainer for the Chinese which Bahamian leader they trust to talk straight to them. It is the man and the leader of the party which, in 1997, inaugurated diplomatic relations with the most populous country on earth. It decidedly is not the leader of the party that was about to send an ambassador to Taiwan if it had won re-election.
The Chinese also respect seniority. This is the Prime Minister’s second official visit to China, his first having occurred 13 years ago. Mr. Ingraham’s international resume is extensive as a senior head of government in the Americas. He has served as Chairman of Caricom on various occasions, where he is the senior leader in the regional grouping.
Prime Minister Ingraham has overseen the bilateral interests of The Bahamas with three American Presidents from Bill Clinton to George W. Bush to Barack Obama. Recently, he was elected to chair the Boards of Governors of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group.
One of the press reports following Mr. Ingraham’s election noted: “The chairman’s country should also be in good standing in the international community, and the person selected to be chairman is expected to be widely respected among finance and development officials.”
The Chinese will have all of this information in their briefing notes on Mr. Ingraham as he and his delegation travel from Hong Kong to Beijing to Shanghai and are hosted at various meals.
They will find in Hubert Ingraham an appreciative guest. Yet, they will also discover, like Mr. Izmirlian, that the current Bahamian Prime Minister will not be swayed by pomp and circumstance or flattery and a few nice meals.
bahamapundit
by Simon
bahamapundit
Hubert Ingraham arrived in China in a strong and enviable position. Much of this comes from the office he holds as Prime Minister of a strategically-located Bahamas with diverse and impressive assets relative to our size.
Moreover, a considerable amount of the Prime Minister’s strengthened position is rooted in his character and experience, including a combination of international experience and domestic credibility.
The posture with which Mr. Ingraham has travelled to the emerging Chinese superpower is in obvious and stark contrast to the posture with which former Prime Minister Perry Christie would have made this journey.
Mr. Christie would have gone in a considerably weaker position for reasons rooted in his political character, including an operating style marked by indecision and pandering.
Whereas Mr. Ingraham enters into a negotiation with some inscrutability and poker-faced, Mr. Christie is generally an easy mark, easy to read and easy to push over. Bahamians know that Mr. Ingraham will always drive a harder bargain while Mr. Christie is prone to give away the store.
Domestic Credibility: On the eve of his departure for China, Mr. Ingraham and his predecessor, Opposition Leader, Perry Christie each held a press conference. In tone and substance they were a study in contrast.
Mr. Ingraham noted that Baha Mar was among one of a wide range of issues on the agenda during his trip. The Leader of the Opposition’s press conference focused almost exclusively on Baha Mar, with little reference to various other bilateral matters. Yet, what they both said about Baha Mar was revealing.
WATERSHED
The debate over Baha Mar has been another watershed for these former law partners and cabinet colleagues. The current debate is etching into the national consciousness the essential differences between the men in terms of vision, character and governance.
In his brief statement at a press conference in which Dr. Bernard Nottage took the lead in outlining the PLP’s position on Baha Mar, Mr. Christie left little doubt that he would have headed to China mostly as the gushing representative of Baha Mar.
In one of the most disturbing public performances by someone who served as prime minister, Mr. Christie all but abandoned the national interest in the favour of a private interest. It is an interest that has repeatedly demonstrated that it lacked the vision, track record and wherewithal to redevelop Cable Beach. Indeed, Baha Mar has repeatedly failed to meet various deadlines over the course of several years.
Just in September, Mr. Sarkis Izmirlian, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Baha Mar spoke at a 25th anniversary event marking the China State Construction and Engineering Company’s presence in the United States.
“As some of you may know, my family and I have a vision for the country of The Bahamas, and its huge potential for tourism. We were approached by the Bahamian Government to consider redeveloping a beautiful area of Nassau called Cable Beach.”
Mr. Izmirlian also spoke glowingly that a successful Baha Mar project would “showcase to the world China State’s ability to deliver an intricately designed, and complex, resort metropolis on a somewhat remote island in The Caribbean.”
So, what exactly is Mr. Izmirilian’s vision for The Bahamas, and when exactly did we outsource that vision to a private developer? And, when did New Providence become a “somewhat remote island in the Caribbean?”
Mr. Izmirlian may want to check this bit of condescension and take note that many Bahamians do not find his vision for Cable Beach in the country’s broader interest. But it is not primarily Mr. Izmirlian who the Bahamian people are questioning.
EQUITABLE DEAL
Bahamians continue to wonder why Mr. Christie and the PLP chose the family in question to redevelop one of the more valued tourism sites in the country. Whatever the reasons, the PLP cannot shirk responsibility for the fact that it is because of that choice that we are in the position we are today. Because of Baha Mar’s lack of resources, the company turned to China for financing.
The genesis and convoluted nature of the Baha Mar project rest with Mr. Christie. As the drama at Baha Mar continues to unfold, Mr. Christie and the PLP have delivered a series of mixed and often incoherent messages. This rambling has damaged their domestic credibility on Baha Mar and related matters.
While Mr. Ingraham has repeatedly stressed that his overriding concern is an equitable deal for The Bahamas, the PLP and Mr. Christie have shown divided loyalties on the Baha Mar project. Sometimes, their posturing and pandering has been comical.
Having agreed to Chinese workers building the new National Stadium and signalling that they would agree to a considerable Chinese presence to build Baha Mar, the PLP voted against allowing Chinese workers to construct the Gateway Road Project.
Never mind that there would be Bahamian workers on the road project and that the terms of the loan were quite generous. The PLP sought to score a political brownie point and ride a wave of hysteria about a Chinese takeover. Not only did most Bahamians see through such an obvious ploy, so did the Chinese Government.
In striking contrast, Ingraham has demonstrated to the Chinese that while he is prepared to do business with them, that it must be mutually beneficial to both countries. He has refrained from any China-bashing in order to pander to some elements of the populace. Undoubtedly, the Chinese have taken note.
The Chinese must also be bemused and amused by Mr. Christie’s chest-thumping on the National Stadium. The stadium is a typical gift of the Chinese Government after the launch of diplomatic relations with a developing country.
In this case, those relations were established during a previous Ingraham administration. Moreover, even after the offer of a national stadium, the Christie administration, in typical fashion, failed to get the construction started.
FAVOURABLE COMMENTARY
The Prime Minister’s tough pre-trip stance to the Chinese Government of what may be acceptable regarding Baha Mar has earned him favourable commentary in various quarters in the Caribbean. Most Bahamians are relieved that it is Mr. Ingraham and not Mr. Christie who has journeyed to China to negotiate on the country’s behalf.
International Experience: Mr. Ingraham’s domestic credibility boosts and mirrors his credibility with the Chinese Government. That credibility is reinforced by Mr. Ingraham’s decisiveness. Reportedly, the Chinese were as frustrated by Mr. Christie’s late-again manner as were the Bahamian people.
Mr. Ingraham appointed two senior figures as Bahamian Ambassador to China, including Sir Arthur Foulkes who was non-resident and former cabinet minister Elma Chase Campbell, the first resident Ambassador. While the PLP did eventually send a resident diplomat to China, it took a while and he was a relatively junior civil servant.
It is a no-brainer for the Chinese which Bahamian leader they trust to talk straight to them. It is the man and the leader of the party which, in 1997, inaugurated diplomatic relations with the most populous country on earth. It decidedly is not the leader of the party that was about to send an ambassador to Taiwan if it had won re-election.
The Chinese also respect seniority. This is the Prime Minister’s second official visit to China, his first having occurred 13 years ago. Mr. Ingraham’s international resume is extensive as a senior head of government in the Americas. He has served as Chairman of Caricom on various occasions, where he is the senior leader in the regional grouping.
Prime Minister Ingraham has overseen the bilateral interests of The Bahamas with three American Presidents from Bill Clinton to George W. Bush to Barack Obama. Recently, he was elected to chair the Boards of Governors of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group.
One of the press reports following Mr. Ingraham’s election noted: “The chairman’s country should also be in good standing in the international community, and the person selected to be chairman is expected to be widely respected among finance and development officials.”
The Chinese will have all of this information in their briefing notes on Mr. Ingraham as he and his delegation travel from Hong Kong to Beijing to Shanghai and are hosted at various meals.
They will find in Hubert Ingraham an appreciative guest. Yet, they will also discover, like Mr. Izmirlian, that the current Bahamian Prime Minister will not be swayed by pomp and circumstance or flattery and a few nice meals.
bahamapundit
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Dr. Bernard Nottage has not done anything to better the inner city community say eight of nine constituents polled in the Bain and Grants Town area
Is Your MP Performing
By Kendea Jones:
Eight out of nine constituents polled in the Bain and Grants Town area yesterday said that Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Member of Parliament Dr. Bernard Nottage, who has represented them for the last three years, has not done anything to better the inner city community.
The Journal, which randomly polls constituencies each week, went out into the community yesterday to ask the residents if their MP was performing.
The Journal traveled through Dumping Ground Corner, which is just a stone’s throw away from Dr. Nottage’s constituency office.
The office was closed.
Lonard Davis, a four-year resident in the constituency said for many years he had hoped that sidewalks would be placed on the road to protect pedestrians.
"If you look at it, you can tell for yourself, people are still walking on the side of the street because there is no sidewalk. I have been gone for almost 30 years and when I came back it was still the same," he said.
When asked if Dr. Nottage’s presence is felt throughout the constituency, Mr. Davis said, "I’ve never really seen him."
Damian Poitier says he has been living in Bain and Grants Town all his life.
He said it seems like every Member of Parliament that has represented the constituency over the years has done a "poor job."
"[Dr. Nottage] is not performing at all because summer camps used to be going on in the area for children but that is not going on anymore and neither is the clean-up campaign. It just goes to show that he doesn’t care too much for the community because you can hardly see his face," he said.
Another resident, Kim Rolle, said on May 2, 2007 she proudly elected Dr. Nottage.
It’s a decision she says she now regrets.
"To be totally honest, I don’t see any performance at all," she said. "They say he probably has a handful of people that he deals with, but I have been here for about 19 years and I have not seen any results since he came in. Before him there was Bradley Roberts and it was the same thing – nothing."
Barbra Gibson said she has a particular gripe with Dr. Nottage.
She said that many of the youths are too idle in the community and that has led to a higher level of crime in the area.
"There is very little evidence as to whether or not the MP for this constituency is performing," Ms. Gibson said. "Who ever is seeking public office should make the decision to assist the people with new, creative ideas."
"You have a group of young men who are willing to work in Bain Town, but there is absolutely nothing there for them to do. The children are just roaming the streets now that there is no summer school. I am looking for an MP who will bring new ideas so that these children could get in some positive activities."
Tubby Johnson had similar sentiments.
He said that he only happens to see Dr. Nottage when there is a murder in the community.
"You only see him showing up so that they can be in front of the cameras. He doesn’t do anything for Bain Town. I want to know where is the $100,000 allowance he was given, because we don’t see it being used on this constituency," Mr. Johnson said.
Meanwhile, Jimmy Fisher claimed he barely knows what his MP looks like.
"I have a question, who is my MP? I don’t see him. I may see him on TV. I didn’t vote for him but at this time I feel that CB Moss [former Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) senator] should be the MP for Bain Town because he does more for the community than Dr. Nottage," he said.
But a 44-year resident, who preferred to be called "Johnson" had an entirely different view.
"Dr. Nottage is doing well in my area. He was here last week and there was a good get-together outside of the church. He seems to always be around and he has meetings on Meadow Street," he said.
While many Bain and Grants Town residents say they are not pleased with Dr. Nottage’s performance, they say they will think harder before they decide who will represent them in the House of Assembly in the next general election.
July 29th, 2010
jonesbahamas
By Kendea Jones:
Eight out of nine constituents polled in the Bain and Grants Town area yesterday said that Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Member of Parliament Dr. Bernard Nottage, who has represented them for the last three years, has not done anything to better the inner city community.
The Journal, which randomly polls constituencies each week, went out into the community yesterday to ask the residents if their MP was performing.
The Journal traveled through Dumping Ground Corner, which is just a stone’s throw away from Dr. Nottage’s constituency office.
The office was closed.
Lonard Davis, a four-year resident in the constituency said for many years he had hoped that sidewalks would be placed on the road to protect pedestrians.
"If you look at it, you can tell for yourself, people are still walking on the side of the street because there is no sidewalk. I have been gone for almost 30 years and when I came back it was still the same," he said.
When asked if Dr. Nottage’s presence is felt throughout the constituency, Mr. Davis said, "I’ve never really seen him."
Damian Poitier says he has been living in Bain and Grants Town all his life.
He said it seems like every Member of Parliament that has represented the constituency over the years has done a "poor job."
"[Dr. Nottage] is not performing at all because summer camps used to be going on in the area for children but that is not going on anymore and neither is the clean-up campaign. It just goes to show that he doesn’t care too much for the community because you can hardly see his face," he said.
Another resident, Kim Rolle, said on May 2, 2007 she proudly elected Dr. Nottage.
It’s a decision she says she now regrets.
"To be totally honest, I don’t see any performance at all," she said. "They say he probably has a handful of people that he deals with, but I have been here for about 19 years and I have not seen any results since he came in. Before him there was Bradley Roberts and it was the same thing – nothing."
Barbra Gibson said she has a particular gripe with Dr. Nottage.
She said that many of the youths are too idle in the community and that has led to a higher level of crime in the area.
"There is very little evidence as to whether or not the MP for this constituency is performing," Ms. Gibson said. "Who ever is seeking public office should make the decision to assist the people with new, creative ideas."
"You have a group of young men who are willing to work in Bain Town, but there is absolutely nothing there for them to do. The children are just roaming the streets now that there is no summer school. I am looking for an MP who will bring new ideas so that these children could get in some positive activities."
Tubby Johnson had similar sentiments.
He said that he only happens to see Dr. Nottage when there is a murder in the community.
"You only see him showing up so that they can be in front of the cameras. He doesn’t do anything for Bain Town. I want to know where is the $100,000 allowance he was given, because we don’t see it being used on this constituency," Mr. Johnson said.
Meanwhile, Jimmy Fisher claimed he barely knows what his MP looks like.
"I have a question, who is my MP? I don’t see him. I may see him on TV. I didn’t vote for him but at this time I feel that CB Moss [former Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) senator] should be the MP for Bain Town because he does more for the community than Dr. Nottage," he said.
But a 44-year resident, who preferred to be called "Johnson" had an entirely different view.
"Dr. Nottage is doing well in my area. He was here last week and there was a good get-together outside of the church. He seems to always be around and he has meetings on Meadow Street," he said.
While many Bain and Grants Town residents say they are not pleased with Dr. Nottage’s performance, they say they will think harder before they decide who will represent them in the House of Assembly in the next general election.
July 29th, 2010
jonesbahamas
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Tension in the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) over the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the House of Assembly failure to meet regularly
Senior PLPs butt heads
By JUAN McCARTNEY ~ Guardian Senior Reporter ~ juan@nasguard.com:
Tension has erupted in the Progressive Liberal Party over the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the House of Assembly's failure to meet regularly and shed light on how the Ingraham administration is spending the public's finances, The Nassau Guardian has learned.
The party's national chairman Bradley Roberts has reportedly criticized the party members for not taking the job seriously.
He reportedly believes opposition members — who hold the majority on the committee — are missing key opportunities to hold the government's feet to the fire as it relates to public spending.
The PAC is responsible for auditing government accounts and ensuring that money designated for public spending is being properly managed.
The Nassau Guardian understands that Roberts has threatened to take on this issue at the PLP's National General Council's next meeting.
The Guardian also understands that former chairman Glenys Hanna-Martin has taken exception to the criticism levied by Roberts on this matter.
Chief Clerk Maurice Tynes said the PAC is obligated to report to the House of Assembly at the end of every parliamentary session. He noted that Parliament was prorogued earlier this year, however, the group did not present a report.
PAC, which is chaired by Bain and Grants Town MP Dr. Bernard Nottage, has reportedly not met since the new team was appointed.
Other members of the PAC include Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell, St. Thomas More MP Frank Smith, South Abaco MP Edison Key and Pineridge MP Kwasi Thompson.
Smith said last night the committee has not met "in a little while" and he could not say when it will meet again.
It is reportedly Roberts' contention that the opposition is missing key opportunities to expose any shortcomings that may exist related to the public purse and how money is being disbursed.
Roberts said last night he had no comment on the matter. Nottage could not be reached.
The Guardian understands that several other issues have caused contention among the upper echelon of the party. Recently memos were circulated within the party by its top brass to parliamentary members warning them to bring their public disclosure filings up to date, according to inside sources. The party has also recently expressed internal concern that PLP leader Perry Christie failed to spend the $200,000 allotted for MPs to spend in their constituencies in the 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 budgets.
The tension comes as the PLP seeks to get a jump on the upcoming elections.
The PLP has recently named several candidates that it proposes to run in the upcoming elections.
July 6, 2010
thenassauguardian
By JUAN McCARTNEY ~ Guardian Senior Reporter ~ juan@nasguard.com:
Tension has erupted in the Progressive Liberal Party over the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the House of Assembly's failure to meet regularly and shed light on how the Ingraham administration is spending the public's finances, The Nassau Guardian has learned.
The party's national chairman Bradley Roberts has reportedly criticized the party members for not taking the job seriously.
He reportedly believes opposition members — who hold the majority on the committee — are missing key opportunities to hold the government's feet to the fire as it relates to public spending.
The PAC is responsible for auditing government accounts and ensuring that money designated for public spending is being properly managed.
The Nassau Guardian understands that Roberts has threatened to take on this issue at the PLP's National General Council's next meeting.
The Guardian also understands that former chairman Glenys Hanna-Martin has taken exception to the criticism levied by Roberts on this matter.
Chief Clerk Maurice Tynes said the PAC is obligated to report to the House of Assembly at the end of every parliamentary session. He noted that Parliament was prorogued earlier this year, however, the group did not present a report.
PAC, which is chaired by Bain and Grants Town MP Dr. Bernard Nottage, has reportedly not met since the new team was appointed.
Other members of the PAC include Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell, St. Thomas More MP Frank Smith, South Abaco MP Edison Key and Pineridge MP Kwasi Thompson.
Smith said last night the committee has not met "in a little while" and he could not say when it will meet again.
It is reportedly Roberts' contention that the opposition is missing key opportunities to expose any shortcomings that may exist related to the public purse and how money is being disbursed.
Roberts said last night he had no comment on the matter. Nottage could not be reached.
The Guardian understands that several other issues have caused contention among the upper echelon of the party. Recently memos were circulated within the party by its top brass to parliamentary members warning them to bring their public disclosure filings up to date, according to inside sources. The party has also recently expressed internal concern that PLP leader Perry Christie failed to spend the $200,000 allotted for MPs to spend in their constituencies in the 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 budgets.
The tension comes as the PLP seeks to get a jump on the upcoming elections.
The PLP has recently named several candidates that it proposes to run in the upcoming elections.
July 6, 2010
thenassauguardian
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Bahamians express mixed views about legalized gambling
By Jimenita Swain ~ Guardian Senior Reporter ~ jimenita@nasguard.com:
A Nassau Guardian team walked the streets yesterday and asked a number of Bahamians whether gambling should be legalized.
The question comes on the heels of comments yesterday by Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham that he has already consulted several groups on the matter, including the Free National Movement's Central Council and members of his parliamentary team. He further noted that he informed Opposition Leader Perry Christie and Bain and Grants Town Member of Parliament Dr. Bernard Nottage that the government is considering the matter.
Many Bahamians expressed mixed views yesterday to The Nassau Guardian on the issue.
"The Bible speaks against gambling and I don't think we should do it," said street vendor Lynn Barr.
The 47-year-old said, "We call our nation a Christian nation, so we [have] to live up to that standard. [We've] got to trust God for all things."
"I applied on behalf of the Olympic Association for the legalization of a lottery for the purpose of helping sports and other social things," said Sir Arlington Butler, immediate past president of the Bahamas Olympic Association.
That application he explained was many years ago.
" There was some concern about the Christian Council, but I canvassed the Christian Council and I didn't find the concern the government was expressing. And they have for years been putting the Christian Council as the bogey man, but I think it was because of a lack of imagination, a lack of concern. I know that some of the churches really believe that there ought not to be gambling. I know the Methodists have been on record as saying so and there are some others."
He added that the former Archbishop of the West Indies and Bishop of The Bahamas Drexel Gomez was also against gambling.
"When you measure all of the arguments against it and those for it, I believe there is a definite possibility that it should be allowed for the benefit of the Bahamian people," he said.
Sir Arlington said in 1972 the Olympic Association raffled a house for $5 a ticket and the association has never been in the red since.
He said the legislation of gambling is long overdue.
"The unfortunate point is that we encourage it to be illegal. We encourage corruption. We encourage the development of an individual or individuals and not the development of the society. I don't know if any major things went wrong in Florida, because they had [a] lottery."
Symphony Sands, a beauty consultant said, "Honestly whether gambling is legal or illegal it doesn't matter because everyone is doing it anyway. You see police officers talking about numbers, what fall today, what [didn't] fall today, so they might as well make it legal so no one goes to jail for it [because] they're doing it anyway."
Chief of Security for Solomon Mines Carson Hepburn said, "I think gambling should be legalized. If you really look at it right now, as it is today, gambling in this country, the police knows every gambling house in this country. They know everybody is gambling, but they know it is not legal also, but [there's] nothing they can do about it. I don't see why it shouldn't be legal."
Straw market vendor Margaret Curry said, "I think gambling should not be legalized. It's a bad habit and once you fall into that habit it's an endless tunnel where you get into (it) and you never return. You get poor, broke, desperate and your children eat nothing. Gambling is a disease. Gambling is a demonic curse."
Curry compared gambling to a person who has an alcohol addition.
Fifty-one-year-old Larry Austin, another vendor in the straw market, said he also did not think gambling should be legalized.
"I don't think its a good thing. If you look at the Bible... they [gambled] for Jesus' robe and I don't think that was nice. Gambling keeps you in poverty, anybody who gambles ends up in poverty because you lose," said Austin.
He added, "You can never win once you gamble. Gambling is not a good thing because it is addictive."
Jewelry store clerk Nadia Bethel said, "I believe gambling should be legalized if the country is going to allow casinos to be here on the island. If we say we're a Christian nation and we don't want our Bahamians gambling then therefore we should not let any human beings gamble."
She added, "Visitors gamble because we have casinos legalized here in The Bahamas."
April 14, 2010
thenassauguardian
A Nassau Guardian team walked the streets yesterday and asked a number of Bahamians whether gambling should be legalized.
The question comes on the heels of comments yesterday by Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham that he has already consulted several groups on the matter, including the Free National Movement's Central Council and members of his parliamentary team. He further noted that he informed Opposition Leader Perry Christie and Bain and Grants Town Member of Parliament Dr. Bernard Nottage that the government is considering the matter.
Many Bahamians expressed mixed views yesterday to The Nassau Guardian on the issue.
"The Bible speaks against gambling and I don't think we should do it," said street vendor Lynn Barr.
The 47-year-old said, "We call our nation a Christian nation, so we [have] to live up to that standard. [We've] got to trust God for all things."
"I applied on behalf of the Olympic Association for the legalization of a lottery for the purpose of helping sports and other social things," said Sir Arlington Butler, immediate past president of the Bahamas Olympic Association.
That application he explained was many years ago.
" There was some concern about the Christian Council, but I canvassed the Christian Council and I didn't find the concern the government was expressing. And they have for years been putting the Christian Council as the bogey man, but I think it was because of a lack of imagination, a lack of concern. I know that some of the churches really believe that there ought not to be gambling. I know the Methodists have been on record as saying so and there are some others."
He added that the former Archbishop of the West Indies and Bishop of The Bahamas Drexel Gomez was also against gambling.
"When you measure all of the arguments against it and those for it, I believe there is a definite possibility that it should be allowed for the benefit of the Bahamian people," he said.
Sir Arlington said in 1972 the Olympic Association raffled a house for $5 a ticket and the association has never been in the red since.
He said the legislation of gambling is long overdue.
"The unfortunate point is that we encourage it to be illegal. We encourage corruption. We encourage the development of an individual or individuals and not the development of the society. I don't know if any major things went wrong in Florida, because they had [a] lottery."
Symphony Sands, a beauty consultant said, "Honestly whether gambling is legal or illegal it doesn't matter because everyone is doing it anyway. You see police officers talking about numbers, what fall today, what [didn't] fall today, so they might as well make it legal so no one goes to jail for it [because] they're doing it anyway."
Chief of Security for Solomon Mines Carson Hepburn said, "I think gambling should be legalized. If you really look at it right now, as it is today, gambling in this country, the police knows every gambling house in this country. They know everybody is gambling, but they know it is not legal also, but [there's] nothing they can do about it. I don't see why it shouldn't be legal."
Straw market vendor Margaret Curry said, "I think gambling should not be legalized. It's a bad habit and once you fall into that habit it's an endless tunnel where you get into (it) and you never return. You get poor, broke, desperate and your children eat nothing. Gambling is a disease. Gambling is a demonic curse."
Curry compared gambling to a person who has an alcohol addition.
Fifty-one-year-old Larry Austin, another vendor in the straw market, said he also did not think gambling should be legalized.
"I don't think its a good thing. If you look at the Bible... they [gambled] for Jesus' robe and I don't think that was nice. Gambling keeps you in poverty, anybody who gambles ends up in poverty because you lose," said Austin.
He added, "You can never win once you gamble. Gambling is not a good thing because it is addictive."
Jewelry store clerk Nadia Bethel said, "I believe gambling should be legalized if the country is going to allow casinos to be here on the island. If we say we're a Christian nation and we don't want our Bahamians gambling then therefore we should not let any human beings gamble."
She added, "Visitors gamble because we have casinos legalized here in The Bahamas."
April 14, 2010
thenassauguardian
The Governing Free National Movement (FNM) MPs support legalized gambling
By Jasmin Bonimy ~ Guardian Staff Reporter ~ jasmin@nasguard.com:
There is widespread support within the Free National Movement's parliamentary group for the legalization of gambling for Bahamians, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham confirmed yesterday, but he made it clear that no final decision has been made on the controversial issue as yet.
Speaking to reporters outside the Cabinet Office in downtown Nassau, Ingraham said he has already consulted several groups on the matter, including the Free National Movement's Central Council and members of his parliamentary team.
He added that he also informed Opposition Leader Perry Christie and Bain and Grants Town Member of Parliament Dr. Bernard Nottage that the government is considering the matter.
"I have also met with the Christian Council," he said. "I told them that we have not made a final decision but that the matter was being considered and that I would get back to them when we would have further discussed the matter and arrived on a conclusion. But generally speaking there has been great support among the parliamentary group and the council of the FNM for the regularization of the numbers business."
Additionally, Ingraham told reporters that legalizing gambling for Bahamians could generate substantial revenues for the government.
"The chickens aren't hatched yet. I'm not counting the chickens yet. But if the government did so we would expect to get significant revenue from the operation," Ingraham said.
In the past, the prime minister has said that legalizing gambling was not a part of his third term's legislative agenda - which began when his party won the 2007 general election. However, Ingraham also noted that he would not stand in the way of changing the country's gaming laws.
While a new legislative agenda will be announced when Parliament reopens today, it is unclear if the government plans to include legalizing gambling for Bahamians in the Speech from the Throne, which will be read by the new Governor General Sir Arthur Foulkes.
"The government has been considering the question, as to whether or not we will bring in the formal economy of The Bahamas an operation that tens of thousands of Bahamians are engaged in on a daily basis," said Ingraham.
"I've made previous public comments about this and I will refer to my distress and discomfort of our inability to be able to police our laws with respect to the numbers business."
Over the years the Bahamas Christian Council and the Bahamas Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention both have expressed strong opposition to gambling.
Despite its history of opposition to legalized gambling for Bahamians, Ingraham insisted that he is not placing special emphasis on the Christian Council's opinion on the matter.
"We're not placing weight on anyone," he said. "We are consulting and getting the views of others. We know the views of some. We know the views of others and we are not so certain about the views of some people. But at the end of the day it is our decision to make one way or the other."
The views of some of Ingraham's Cabinet ministers on the issue have also been made public since the FNM won the 2007 general election.
In 2008 National Security Minister Tommy Turnquest said that he thinks there should be a referendum to answer the gambling question once and for all.
In June 2009, Minister of Health Dr. Hubert Minnis went on record saying that he supported the legalization of the local "numbers business" — which is a form of lottery gambling. His comments were made at the time when debate had heated up over the legalization of gambling for Bahamians and legal residents, after the arrest of businessman Craig Flowers a month earlier. One of the shops that fall under Flowers' FML Group of Companies was raided by police and Flowers and some of his staff arrested. They were later charged in a magistrate's court with various gambling offenses. During the heated debate labor unions, employers' associations and business leaders also came out in support of the legalization of various forms of gambling for Bahamians and legal residents.
In May 2009 President of The Bahamas Hotel Association (BHA) Robert Sands told The Nassau Guardian that his organization supports a national lottery and amending the country's gaming laws to allow legal foreign residents to gamble in casinos. The BHA does not support legalizing casino gambling for Bahamians.
President of the National Congress of Trade Unions of The Bahamas (NCTUB) John Pinder also said the organization supports a national lottery.
Former president of the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce Dionisio D'Aguilar told The Nassau Guardian that there is a consensus among business people that a public lottery should be allowed.
April 14, 2010
thenassauguardian
There is widespread support within the Free National Movement's parliamentary group for the legalization of gambling for Bahamians, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham confirmed yesterday, but he made it clear that no final decision has been made on the controversial issue as yet.
Speaking to reporters outside the Cabinet Office in downtown Nassau, Ingraham said he has already consulted several groups on the matter, including the Free National Movement's Central Council and members of his parliamentary team.
He added that he also informed Opposition Leader Perry Christie and Bain and Grants Town Member of Parliament Dr. Bernard Nottage that the government is considering the matter.
"I have also met with the Christian Council," he said. "I told them that we have not made a final decision but that the matter was being considered and that I would get back to them when we would have further discussed the matter and arrived on a conclusion. But generally speaking there has been great support among the parliamentary group and the council of the FNM for the regularization of the numbers business."
Additionally, Ingraham told reporters that legalizing gambling for Bahamians could generate substantial revenues for the government.
"The chickens aren't hatched yet. I'm not counting the chickens yet. But if the government did so we would expect to get significant revenue from the operation," Ingraham said.
In the past, the prime minister has said that legalizing gambling was not a part of his third term's legislative agenda - which began when his party won the 2007 general election. However, Ingraham also noted that he would not stand in the way of changing the country's gaming laws.
While a new legislative agenda will be announced when Parliament reopens today, it is unclear if the government plans to include legalizing gambling for Bahamians in the Speech from the Throne, which will be read by the new Governor General Sir Arthur Foulkes.
"The government has been considering the question, as to whether or not we will bring in the formal economy of The Bahamas an operation that tens of thousands of Bahamians are engaged in on a daily basis," said Ingraham.
"I've made previous public comments about this and I will refer to my distress and discomfort of our inability to be able to police our laws with respect to the numbers business."
Over the years the Bahamas Christian Council and the Bahamas Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention both have expressed strong opposition to gambling.
Despite its history of opposition to legalized gambling for Bahamians, Ingraham insisted that he is not placing special emphasis on the Christian Council's opinion on the matter.
"We're not placing weight on anyone," he said. "We are consulting and getting the views of others. We know the views of some. We know the views of others and we are not so certain about the views of some people. But at the end of the day it is our decision to make one way or the other."
The views of some of Ingraham's Cabinet ministers on the issue have also been made public since the FNM won the 2007 general election.
In 2008 National Security Minister Tommy Turnquest said that he thinks there should be a referendum to answer the gambling question once and for all.
In June 2009, Minister of Health Dr. Hubert Minnis went on record saying that he supported the legalization of the local "numbers business" — which is a form of lottery gambling. His comments were made at the time when debate had heated up over the legalization of gambling for Bahamians and legal residents, after the arrest of businessman Craig Flowers a month earlier. One of the shops that fall under Flowers' FML Group of Companies was raided by police and Flowers and some of his staff arrested. They were later charged in a magistrate's court with various gambling offenses. During the heated debate labor unions, employers' associations and business leaders also came out in support of the legalization of various forms of gambling for Bahamians and legal residents.
In May 2009 President of The Bahamas Hotel Association (BHA) Robert Sands told The Nassau Guardian that his organization supports a national lottery and amending the country's gaming laws to allow legal foreign residents to gamble in casinos. The BHA does not support legalizing casino gambling for Bahamians.
President of the National Congress of Trade Unions of The Bahamas (NCTUB) John Pinder also said the organization supports a national lottery.
Former president of the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce Dionisio D'Aguilar told The Nassau Guardian that there is a consensus among business people that a public lottery should be allowed.
April 14, 2010
thenassauguardian
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Dr. Duane Sands: I support National Health Insurance (NHI)
By Candia Dames ~ Guardian News Editor ~ candia@nasguard.com:
In 2006 when the debate over National Health Insurance (NHI) was raging, Dr. Duane Sands emerged as a key opposition voice to the plan as presented by the Christie administration.
Today, as the Free National Movement's candidate in the approaching by-election, Sands is making headlines for other reasons, but his opponents are quick to remind voters that four years ago he fought the battle against the highly touted program.
"My impression was he did not support National Health Insurance," said Dr. Bernard Nottage, who was minister of health in 2006 and is now the Progressive Liberal Party's coordinator for its Elizabeth by-election campaign.
"Indeed, my impression was he did not support universal health insurance. Dr. Sands is an influential physician who has worked in our system in both the private and public [sectors] for many years. And he knows the weaknesses and the faults of the system. He knows that there are people in this country who when they fall ill are denied care because they do not have the money to pay."
Sands on the other hand suggested that because he has worked in the system for such a long time, he has a good idea of what is realistic and what is not. And what the PLP was proposing in 2006, he said, was just not realistic.
"It's interesting that much of what is being said about me now is that I opposed National Health Insurance (NHI)," Sands said yesterday. "There's nothing further from the truth. I did not oppose National Health Insurance. I didn't then and I don't oppose it now.
"What I did oppose was something that was poorly conceived and likely to be poorly executed, and I thought that we were trying to sell the Bahamian public a bill of goods for political mileage. I say that without fear of contradiction. At the time, when I was a technical person in the Ministry [of Health], I said this cannot work, this will not accomplish what it is setting out to do."
In 2006, Sands was part of the National Coalition for Health Care Reform.
Back then he said, "I have absolutely no problem with a National Health Insurance Plan.
"I think it should happen now. I think we need to make dramatic changes in the way health care is delivered. We need to improve access for our Bahamian people, but I've gone on record, and I go on record today, as saying this plan as currently touted will not do what it's intended to do, and more importantly, I believe that we're not terribly far off from the proponents of the current [proposed] National Health Insurance Plan.
"I believe that there's enough talent in this country that if we sit down together and hash out the differences we can all develop a National Health Insurance Plan which we can be proud of, which would be sustainable and which would achieve the noble goals set out by the Blue Ribbon Commission [on National Health Insurance]. We're not terribly far off."
When the National Health Insurance Bill came to Parliament in 2006, Free National Movement members supported it, although they repeatedly pointed to what they called flaws in the Christie government's NHI plan.
In his contribution to the debate on December 6, 2002, then leader of the opposition Hubert Ingraham pointed out that the bill would not have created NHI.
"If, according to them (the PLP) people are dying because there is no National Health Insurance, then people will continue to die because this bill is most certainly not delivering National Health Insurance," Ingraham said.
The bill was passed, but had a short shelf life as it came mere months before the Christie administration's one term in government ended. Under the Ingraham administration, talk of NHI has taken on new form.
The government has said its national drug prescription plan is the first step to NHI and that there will be other steps in its planned phased approach, although no timelines have been given.
But Nottage is doubtful that any meaningful National Health Insurance Scheme will ever develop under the current administration.
"If poor people can't afford it now, how are they going to be able afford it in the future unless there is a national system which we were trying to implement, a system by the way which requires every person who is employed to make a contribution toward health care in the country, pooling the resources so that everybody pays and when one of us becomes ill [we] would not have to worry about having the cash to pay," he said yesterday.
The former health minister said some members of the medical profession are ambivalent about National Health Insurance.
"They want people to have good health care but they don't want to make the sacrifices that are required for them to have good care," he said. "And some of those sacrifices include having to forgo many of the benefits that health professionals have, and so I think it is that ambivalence that has created this opposition."
Sands said in 2006 that he is prepared to work with anyone to come up with a plan that will be sustainable and realistic.
Yesterday he said, "Let's not offer people something that it isn't. National Health Insurance, universal health care, health care reform are emotionally charged buzz words because health care is so critical in a personal way and in a national way. You've got to be very careful that you don't take people's emotions and run with them in a way that you hold out something that is not real. That's lying to people.
"What you need to be able to do is say 'here's where we are, here's where we'd like to go and we think this is where we can get to'. You've got to be honest. I think people understand and appreciate honesty."
February 11, 2010
thenassauguardian
In 2006 when the debate over National Health Insurance (NHI) was raging, Dr. Duane Sands emerged as a key opposition voice to the plan as presented by the Christie administration.
Today, as the Free National Movement's candidate in the approaching by-election, Sands is making headlines for other reasons, but his opponents are quick to remind voters that four years ago he fought the battle against the highly touted program.
"My impression was he did not support National Health Insurance," said Dr. Bernard Nottage, who was minister of health in 2006 and is now the Progressive Liberal Party's coordinator for its Elizabeth by-election campaign.
"Indeed, my impression was he did not support universal health insurance. Dr. Sands is an influential physician who has worked in our system in both the private and public [sectors] for many years. And he knows the weaknesses and the faults of the system. He knows that there are people in this country who when they fall ill are denied care because they do not have the money to pay."
Sands on the other hand suggested that because he has worked in the system for such a long time, he has a good idea of what is realistic and what is not. And what the PLP was proposing in 2006, he said, was just not realistic.
"It's interesting that much of what is being said about me now is that I opposed National Health Insurance (NHI)," Sands said yesterday. "There's nothing further from the truth. I did not oppose National Health Insurance. I didn't then and I don't oppose it now.
"What I did oppose was something that was poorly conceived and likely to be poorly executed, and I thought that we were trying to sell the Bahamian public a bill of goods for political mileage. I say that without fear of contradiction. At the time, when I was a technical person in the Ministry [of Health], I said this cannot work, this will not accomplish what it is setting out to do."
In 2006, Sands was part of the National Coalition for Health Care Reform.
Back then he said, "I have absolutely no problem with a National Health Insurance Plan.
"I think it should happen now. I think we need to make dramatic changes in the way health care is delivered. We need to improve access for our Bahamian people, but I've gone on record, and I go on record today, as saying this plan as currently touted will not do what it's intended to do, and more importantly, I believe that we're not terribly far off from the proponents of the current [proposed] National Health Insurance Plan.
"I believe that there's enough talent in this country that if we sit down together and hash out the differences we can all develop a National Health Insurance Plan which we can be proud of, which would be sustainable and which would achieve the noble goals set out by the Blue Ribbon Commission [on National Health Insurance]. We're not terribly far off."
When the National Health Insurance Bill came to Parliament in 2006, Free National Movement members supported it, although they repeatedly pointed to what they called flaws in the Christie government's NHI plan.
In his contribution to the debate on December 6, 2002, then leader of the opposition Hubert Ingraham pointed out that the bill would not have created NHI.
"If, according to them (the PLP) people are dying because there is no National Health Insurance, then people will continue to die because this bill is most certainly not delivering National Health Insurance," Ingraham said.
The bill was passed, but had a short shelf life as it came mere months before the Christie administration's one term in government ended. Under the Ingraham administration, talk of NHI has taken on new form.
The government has said its national drug prescription plan is the first step to NHI and that there will be other steps in its planned phased approach, although no timelines have been given.
But Nottage is doubtful that any meaningful National Health Insurance Scheme will ever develop under the current administration.
"If poor people can't afford it now, how are they going to be able afford it in the future unless there is a national system which we were trying to implement, a system by the way which requires every person who is employed to make a contribution toward health care in the country, pooling the resources so that everybody pays and when one of us becomes ill [we] would not have to worry about having the cash to pay," he said yesterday.
The former health minister said some members of the medical profession are ambivalent about National Health Insurance.
"They want people to have good health care but they don't want to make the sacrifices that are required for them to have good care," he said. "And some of those sacrifices include having to forgo many of the benefits that health professionals have, and so I think it is that ambivalence that has created this opposition."
Sands said in 2006 that he is prepared to work with anyone to come up with a plan that will be sustainable and realistic.
Yesterday he said, "Let's not offer people something that it isn't. National Health Insurance, universal health care, health care reform are emotionally charged buzz words because health care is so critical in a personal way and in a national way. You've got to be very careful that you don't take people's emotions and run with them in a way that you hold out something that is not real. That's lying to people.
"What you need to be able to do is say 'here's where we are, here's where we'd like to go and we think this is where we can get to'. You've got to be honest. I think people understand and appreciate honesty."
February 11, 2010
thenassauguardian
Monday, February 8, 2010
Bain and Grants Town MP Dr. Bernard Nottage (PLP): By-election could end up before Election Court
By Keva Lightbourne ~ Guardian Senior Reporter ~ kdl@nasguard.com:
The Progressive Liberal Party believes that the Elizabeth by-election may end up before the Election Court if persons who registered in the constituency illegally are allowed to vote on February 16.
This point was made by Bain and Grants Town MP Dr. Bernard Nottage during a news conference held at the PLP's Farrington Road headquarters yesterday. Nottage further claimed that the party has uncovered many instances where people registered in the area but should not have been allowed to do so.
"Many persons who are on the register should not be on the register, because they have not lived in the constituency for as many as two years. You are permitted to continue to vote in a constituency if you have moved out for less than six months. But if you have moved out for more than six months you are no longer legally entitled to vote," said Nottage, who is also the PLP's campaign coordinator for the Elizabeth by-election.
"Similarly, to transfer into a constituency and be able to vote you must be living there for three months after you have moved into the constituency. There are persons on the register who have been there for less than three months but who have registered," he alleged. "The job of the parliamentary commissioner is to ferret those persons out and to remove them from the register or not to transfer them into the constituency."
Nottage said while some attempts to clean up the register were made, he does not believe they were entirely successful.
Meanwhile, at a Free National Movement (FNM) news conference Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said the party would not be fighting any cases in Election Court, as elections are won at the polls.
On Friday Parliamentary Commissioner Errol Bethel confirmed that he had certified the voter register for the Elizabeth constituency. The voter register was certified amid ongoing claims of voter fraud and irregularities.
Ingraham said the FNM was conducting a forensic examination of the register and had uncovered a number of errors.
Bethel said 4,943 voters are on the register.
No changes can be made to the register, but candidates could still lodge challenges they may have on election day.
According to Nottage if there are extensive challenges on that day, the situation will become very "confrontational," and he hoped that this could be avoided.
"We ought not be going into an election where we expect to have to challenge 200 or 300 or 400 persons. One or two now and then is to be expected for a variety of reasons. I am not saying that there are 200 or 300, but I am saying that there are many persons in the hundreds who cannot be found in the constituency or who have not been found in the constituency despite intensive work so far," he explained.
And while Nottage could not give a figure for the number of persons who are on the register and should not be, he noted that the parliamentary register had somewhere in the region of 420-430 new voters.
"And when we looked at who those new voters were, we found when we compared it with the 2007 register that there may be as many as an additional 80. We have not completed that review yet," said Nottage.
"About half of the parliamentary commissioner's list were people who we legitimately feel should be there because of their age. They just became of full age since the last election so we know that they are okay. But there were many people, some born as early as [the] 1930s who are there as new voters who we believe may not legally be there," he added.
But, Nottage admitted that this point could not yet be proven, adding that in due course it would be determined.
Nottage reported that the increase in the number of registered voters in the Elizabeth constituency is unprecedented. He said a review of the increase between elections held in the Elizabeth constituency every five years shows a rise between 1997 and 2002 of 9.53 percent and between 2002 and 2007 of 2.66 percent. Yet, Nottage indicated that the largest increase of 16.64 percent occurred between 2007 and 2010 - a period of two years and nine months.
"It is our belief that such an increase is highly unlikely, and that there are on the Elizabeth register many persons who do not have the right to be there. Some have moved out, some may have died, some may have registered without being eligible," Nottage said.
Additionally, the Bain and Grants Town MP disclosed that he had received reports from Elizabeth residents who claimed that people purporting to be working with the Parliamentary Registrar Department had been visiting their homes, or making phone calls to them and making erroneous observations, in some cases allegedly altering information on voters cards.
Nottage alleged that some people have reported that the polling division on their voter's card had been changed, resulting in members of the same household being placed in two different polling divisions.
"It is clear that such random and ad hoc relocation of voters would complicate the voter identification process, potentially create mass confusion and frustration on election day, and discourage the voter from exercising his or her democratic right," Nottage said.
For example, he alleged that one voter indicated to the PLP that if his children could not vote where he votes then no one would vote.
"Because they were all in polling division number 5 until somebody comes along and puts some of them in five and some of them in 11. So we have to seek to persuade them that notwithstanding what has happened, that they should all go and vote in different polling divisions," Nottage reported.
The party called on the Minister of National Security Tommy Turnquest, who is responsible for the register, to immediately investigate the situation and "provide a full and clear explanation as to why the transfers were done, [and] what corrective actions are being taken to remedy this unfortunate situation."
In the meantime, Nottage is advising Elizabeth voters to remain calm even though on the face of it, it appears that their democratic rights are being frustrated.
The opposition MP then slammed the government for not seeking to rectify the register following the general Election Court challenges, which highlighted the fact that its integrity was compromised.
"Surely then a new government coming to power would seek immediately to correct those defects. Even though Prime Minister Ingraham is quick to point the finger at former Prime Minister (Perry) Christie, we say that it was his fault that they have not made any concrete steps within the parliamentary commissioner's office as it relates to its structure and function to correct this situation," Nottage stressed.
February 08, 2010
thenassauguardian
The Progressive Liberal Party believes that the Elizabeth by-election may end up before the Election Court if persons who registered in the constituency illegally are allowed to vote on February 16.
This point was made by Bain and Grants Town MP Dr. Bernard Nottage during a news conference held at the PLP's Farrington Road headquarters yesterday. Nottage further claimed that the party has uncovered many instances where people registered in the area but should not have been allowed to do so.
"Many persons who are on the register should not be on the register, because they have not lived in the constituency for as many as two years. You are permitted to continue to vote in a constituency if you have moved out for less than six months. But if you have moved out for more than six months you are no longer legally entitled to vote," said Nottage, who is also the PLP's campaign coordinator for the Elizabeth by-election.
"Similarly, to transfer into a constituency and be able to vote you must be living there for three months after you have moved into the constituency. There are persons on the register who have been there for less than three months but who have registered," he alleged. "The job of the parliamentary commissioner is to ferret those persons out and to remove them from the register or not to transfer them into the constituency."
Nottage said while some attempts to clean up the register were made, he does not believe they were entirely successful.
Meanwhile, at a Free National Movement (FNM) news conference Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said the party would not be fighting any cases in Election Court, as elections are won at the polls.
On Friday Parliamentary Commissioner Errol Bethel confirmed that he had certified the voter register for the Elizabeth constituency. The voter register was certified amid ongoing claims of voter fraud and irregularities.
Ingraham said the FNM was conducting a forensic examination of the register and had uncovered a number of errors.
Bethel said 4,943 voters are on the register.
No changes can be made to the register, but candidates could still lodge challenges they may have on election day.
According to Nottage if there are extensive challenges on that day, the situation will become very "confrontational," and he hoped that this could be avoided.
"We ought not be going into an election where we expect to have to challenge 200 or 300 or 400 persons. One or two now and then is to be expected for a variety of reasons. I am not saying that there are 200 or 300, but I am saying that there are many persons in the hundreds who cannot be found in the constituency or who have not been found in the constituency despite intensive work so far," he explained.
And while Nottage could not give a figure for the number of persons who are on the register and should not be, he noted that the parliamentary register had somewhere in the region of 420-430 new voters.
"And when we looked at who those new voters were, we found when we compared it with the 2007 register that there may be as many as an additional 80. We have not completed that review yet," said Nottage.
"About half of the parliamentary commissioner's list were people who we legitimately feel should be there because of their age. They just became of full age since the last election so we know that they are okay. But there were many people, some born as early as [the] 1930s who are there as new voters who we believe may not legally be there," he added.
But, Nottage admitted that this point could not yet be proven, adding that in due course it would be determined.
Nottage reported that the increase in the number of registered voters in the Elizabeth constituency is unprecedented. He said a review of the increase between elections held in the Elizabeth constituency every five years shows a rise between 1997 and 2002 of 9.53 percent and between 2002 and 2007 of 2.66 percent. Yet, Nottage indicated that the largest increase of 16.64 percent occurred between 2007 and 2010 - a period of two years and nine months.
"It is our belief that such an increase is highly unlikely, and that there are on the Elizabeth register many persons who do not have the right to be there. Some have moved out, some may have died, some may have registered without being eligible," Nottage said.
Additionally, the Bain and Grants Town MP disclosed that he had received reports from Elizabeth residents who claimed that people purporting to be working with the Parliamentary Registrar Department had been visiting their homes, or making phone calls to them and making erroneous observations, in some cases allegedly altering information on voters cards.
Nottage alleged that some people have reported that the polling division on their voter's card had been changed, resulting in members of the same household being placed in two different polling divisions.
"It is clear that such random and ad hoc relocation of voters would complicate the voter identification process, potentially create mass confusion and frustration on election day, and discourage the voter from exercising his or her democratic right," Nottage said.
For example, he alleged that one voter indicated to the PLP that if his children could not vote where he votes then no one would vote.
"Because they were all in polling division number 5 until somebody comes along and puts some of them in five and some of them in 11. So we have to seek to persuade them that notwithstanding what has happened, that they should all go and vote in different polling divisions," Nottage reported.
The party called on the Minister of National Security Tommy Turnquest, who is responsible for the register, to immediately investigate the situation and "provide a full and clear explanation as to why the transfers were done, [and] what corrective actions are being taken to remedy this unfortunate situation."
In the meantime, Nottage is advising Elizabeth voters to remain calm even though on the face of it, it appears that their democratic rights are being frustrated.
The opposition MP then slammed the government for not seeking to rectify the register following the general Election Court challenges, which highlighted the fact that its integrity was compromised.
"Surely then a new government coming to power would seek immediately to correct those defects. Even though Prime Minister Ingraham is quick to point the finger at former Prime Minister (Perry) Christie, we say that it was his fault that they have not made any concrete steps within the parliamentary commissioner's office as it relates to its structure and function to correct this situation," Nottage stressed.
February 08, 2010
thenassauguardian
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)