PM DISMISSES CALLS FOR EXPLANATION ON REFUSING MINISTER'S RESIGNATION OFFER
By ALISON LOWE
Tribune Staff Reporter
alowe@tribunemedia.net:
THE prime minister yesterday laughed off calls for him to explain his decision to reject Environment Minister Earl Deveaux's resignation offer last week.
Asked by this newspaper to account for the rejection of the offer or provide any comment on the acknowledged fact that Dr Deveaux accepted a free ride in the luxury helicopter of a billionaire Exuma resident who has an application to dredge in the Exuma Land and Sea Park before his ministry, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham was dismissive.
Mr Ingraham was in the process of leaving parliament following the morning session in the lower chamber yesterday at the time the questions on the issue of Dr Deveaux's relationship with the Aga Khan, which the Opposition has termed "a conflict of interest", were put to him.
However, Mr Ingraham refused to provide the justification for his decision or any other comment on the matter, instead continuing on his way out of parliament.
Last Thursday Dr Deveaux told Island FM radio host Patty Roker on "The Morning Boil" that he tendered his resignation to the prime minister the previous Monday - the same morning he saw an article on the front page of this newspaper outlining how he had accepted a free ride in the luxury helicopter of the Prince Karim Aga Khan, the billionaire leader of an islamic sect, while having the Aga Khan's application to develop the island before the Environment Ministry that he heads for consideration.
The prime minister, he said, rejected the offer, and no other official statement was made on the matter.
Dr Deveaux had admitted flying on the 12-seater helicopter to attend a film screening in Abaco before going on to Bell Island -- the island in the Exuma Land and Sea Park owned by Prince Karim -- with BNT executives the next day.
The Environment Minister has also stated he was "minded" to approve plans submitted by Island of Discovery Limited, understood to be headed by the Aga Khan, to dredge and excavate at least 8.8 acres of marine sand flats, rock and vegetation for two channels, 12ft and 14ft deep, to construct a barge landing and 20 slip yacht basin, and roads across the 349-acre island. He passed the plans on to the BNT for their input.
September 23, 2010
tribune242
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 Earl Deveaux Aga Khan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Earl Deveaux Aga Khan. Show all posts
Friday, September 24, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Bell Island in the Exuma Land and Sea Park... being unearthed?
Bell Island in the Exuma Land and Sea Park being dredged?
by bahamascitizen
An application to dredge into the sea bed at Bell Island in the Exuma Land and Sea Park has not even been granted as yet, and the developer is already cutting deep into a limestone hill to create a marina.
The island’s developer, The Aga Khan IV of the Aga Khan Development Network, has two grandiose luxury homes that sit on top of two picturesque hills surrounded by plush natural vegetation on Bell Island in the park. Both homes have similar designs and feature areas of glass walls and a box shape that let’s in light at key areas of the homes. Manicured landscapes hug the homes, which are spaced far apart on one of the most beautiful and more elevated islands in the park.
One home sits just below the helicopter pad, which is a clean, grassy area on another hill. It’s the landing pad of the 13-seat helicopter that has been the center of headline stories, as the press and the public seek answers and call for more transparency as it pertains to developments on Crown Land in The Bahamas.
Ever since The Tribune ran a red-letter story disclosing how Environment Minister Earl Deveaux received rides in the Aga Khan’s helicopter, he has been placed in a compromising position in the eyes of the public. The subject has been hot on local talk shows, and members of the media and the public have called for his resignation.
He has handed his resignation into Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham. Media officials and the public are anxious for the Prime Minister to respond to this embarrassing situation for his government that claims to operate on a ‘trust factor’.
The Aga Khan IV has an application before the Ministry of Environment which Minister Earl Deveaux said he was ‘minded to’ approve. It will allow the Aga Khan to create a number of marina slips, dredging up to fifteen feet deep. The public has yet to be told how long and how wide the slips will be, leading out to the sea.
Although the application has not been approved, massive demolition of a portion of the hill has already begun. The portion of excavated hill is about 20 feet deep and has been flattened to sea level, making it easier for excavation of the sea bed once the official approval is granted.
But concerns have been raised as the excavation of the hill and the buildings believed to be housing materials indicates that the developer expects to get the approval. Meantime, the hill has already been cut down, unbeknownst to most of the Bahamian public.
There are two main buildings near the area where demolition is being presently carried out, which are believed to house materials to complete the construction of the marina. The island also features a gazebo near a private beach. The gazebo is draped with sheer, white cloth and exudes romanticism. There is also a development on the other side of the island, where it is believed that workmen reside, as tools and equipment can be seen on the lot, and simple, wooden homes are present.
The hill that has been cut down is close to what appears to be the main home, where two satellite dishes are nestled in the bushes and are used for communication on the island. Bell Island features four amazing, heavenly white sandy beaches.
Once a Crown Land lease is up in 47 years, Bahamian children who today aspire to achieve a lease must be afforded the opportunity. If leasing developers like Aga Khan make major detrimental changes to the landscape, it could destroy the sacred land that belongs to the people of the Bahamas that the Minister of the Environment and the Bahamas National Trust has failed to protect.
The Minister has publicly admitted to accepting rides in the luxury helicopter and said he would “do it again”, while it has been revealed that the managing director at BNT accepted a million-dollar grant from the Bell island developer last year.
September 22, 2010
bahamascitizen
by bahamascitizen
An application to dredge into the sea bed at Bell Island in the Exuma Land and Sea Park has not even been granted as yet, and the developer is already cutting deep into a limestone hill to create a marina.
The island’s developer, The Aga Khan IV of the Aga Khan Development Network, has two grandiose luxury homes that sit on top of two picturesque hills surrounded by plush natural vegetation on Bell Island in the park. Both homes have similar designs and feature areas of glass walls and a box shape that let’s in light at key areas of the homes. Manicured landscapes hug the homes, which are spaced far apart on one of the most beautiful and more elevated islands in the park.
One home sits just below the helicopter pad, which is a clean, grassy area on another hill. It’s the landing pad of the 13-seat helicopter that has been the center of headline stories, as the press and the public seek answers and call for more transparency as it pertains to developments on Crown Land in The Bahamas.
Ever since The Tribune ran a red-letter story disclosing how Environment Minister Earl Deveaux received rides in the Aga Khan’s helicopter, he has been placed in a compromising position in the eyes of the public. The subject has been hot on local talk shows, and members of the media and the public have called for his resignation.
He has handed his resignation into Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham. Media officials and the public are anxious for the Prime Minister to respond to this embarrassing situation for his government that claims to operate on a ‘trust factor’.
The Aga Khan IV has an application before the Ministry of Environment which Minister Earl Deveaux said he was ‘minded to’ approve. It will allow the Aga Khan to create a number of marina slips, dredging up to fifteen feet deep. The public has yet to be told how long and how wide the slips will be, leading out to the sea.
Although the application has not been approved, massive demolition of a portion of the hill has already begun. The portion of excavated hill is about 20 feet deep and has been flattened to sea level, making it easier for excavation of the sea bed once the official approval is granted.
But concerns have been raised as the excavation of the hill and the buildings believed to be housing materials indicates that the developer expects to get the approval. Meantime, the hill has already been cut down, unbeknownst to most of the Bahamian public.
There are two main buildings near the area where demolition is being presently carried out, which are believed to house materials to complete the construction of the marina. The island also features a gazebo near a private beach. The gazebo is draped with sheer, white cloth and exudes romanticism. There is also a development on the other side of the island, where it is believed that workmen reside, as tools and equipment can be seen on the lot, and simple, wooden homes are present.
The hill that has been cut down is close to what appears to be the main home, where two satellite dishes are nestled in the bushes and are used for communication on the island. Bell Island features four amazing, heavenly white sandy beaches.
Once a Crown Land lease is up in 47 years, Bahamian children who today aspire to achieve a lease must be afforded the opportunity. If leasing developers like Aga Khan make major detrimental changes to the landscape, it could destroy the sacred land that belongs to the people of the Bahamas that the Minister of the Environment and the Bahamas National Trust has failed to protect.
The Minister has publicly admitted to accepting rides in the luxury helicopter and said he would “do it again”, while it has been revealed that the managing director at BNT accepted a million-dollar grant from the Bell island developer last year.
September 22, 2010
bahamascitizen
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Environment Minister Earl Deveaux Free Ride in the Aga Khan's Helicopter Sparks Public Outcry
Free helicopter ride sparks public outcry
By MEGAN REYNOLDS
Tribune Staff Reporter
tribune242 Insight:
mreynolds@tribunemedia.net:
Environment Minister Earl Deveaux emerged from the Aga Khan's helicopter in Marsh Harbour, Abaco, to attend a Friends of the Environment event with the exhilarated grin of an excited schoolboy.
Having taken up Karim Aga Khan IV's offer to travel in the 12-seater AB-139 instead of chartering a flight, Dr Deveaux, his wife, and two friends, were able to ride in the lap of luxury at their convenience, and the Minister would not be late for a land assessment of Bell Island in Exuma the next day.
But as the Aga Khan is the owner of Bell Island who put the development plans in Dr Deveaux's lap, the childlike excitement on the Minister's face, and the front page of The Tribune last week, masked a darker reality.
The extension of such generosity by this enigmatic Persian prince exposed both himself and the Minister to ridicule and speculation over the process of planning applications and approvals.
And when the development is in an area as sensitive area as the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, it is bound to stir the kind of public debate that hit the airwaves last week.
The 176 square mile park is a jewel of the Bahamas and the world as the oldest protected area of its kind, established in 1958, and a flourishing no-take marine reserve guarded by the Bahamas National Trust (BNT).
The Aga Khan bought the island north of Conch Cut and 17 miles north of Black Point last year and has plans to dredge 8.8 acres of sand from the seabed so he can pull into a newly carved marina on his 150ft yacht.
He also wants the supply barge to be accommodated at a 100ft dock, and have slips for 20 vessels in a 67-acre yacht basin excavated in the existing salt pond, as well as roads across the island.
An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) on the project was completed by Turrell, Hall and Associates Inc in March, and passed on to the BNT for further input.
But until The Tribune published details of the plans last week, not a word had been mentioned in the public domain.
The developer had paid for the EIA, the Ministry selected the marine and environmental consultants to do it, and the Trust to contribute to the discussion.
All of the correct protocols were in place and the procedures were duly followed, so processes could tick along smoothly, and the developers could quietly move in.
The public were not asked for their opinion because frankly what they think is irrelevant when Bell Island belongs to the Aga Khan, and it is his right to "renovate" it, just as other owners of private islands also have the right to enhance their personal pieces of the country -- including those in the area of the park.
Even the BNT has little say in the matter, according to a statement released by the board last week.
However, it is precisely this top-down approach that raises questions about the possibility for corruption in our planning and development process.
Especially when a billionaire such as the Aga Khan is in a position to woo a Minister in his AB139, and donate $1 million to the BNT. No one is suggesting that this is what happened in this case, but still the perception is there.
Dr Deveaux said: "I do not think a helicopter ride could buy me and I don't think it could alter my opinion."
But his defence asserts one of two things: either it would take more than one helicopter ride to buy him, or he cannot be corrupted.
I am inclined to believe the latter, which is why I think he was dignified in tendering his resignation, which the Prime Minister refused.
But a less noble man in his position surely would not have done the same.
As the Minister himself asserted, he is quite accustomed to travelling in the planes, boats and automobiles of wealthy developers, and being wined and dined at their expense, but he does not let this affect his judgment of planning applications.
He asserted he had travelled to Ginn Sur Mer's Old Bahama Bay development on the Ginn's boat, and saw Baker's Bay from the developer's jet, as I noted how all of the developments he listed in his argument have been approved.
Whether or not he is corruptible, he is vulnerable to speculation of corruption, and that is reason enough for a major change to be introduced and introduced now.
PLP MP Fred Mitchell suggested Cabinet ministers and government departments are provided with their own fleet of air and watercraft to transport them to far-flung sites across the islands on time, avoiding safety issues, or perceived cosiness with developers.
However, Freeport attorney Fred Smith, QC, advocates a change of the law.
He has been pushing for an Environmental Protection Act, and a Freedom of Information Act, to establish an independent Environmental Protection Agency that would facilitate EIAs, provide access to planning applications, and ensure there is full and proper public consultation over all plans submitted to the Ministry.
Such a system would protect everyone's best interests as residents, businesses, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and all other interested parties would be involved in the debate long before the diggers break ground.
As the lawyer representing Responsible Development for Abaco (RDA) in the request for a Judicial Review seeking to stop work at the $105 million Wilson City power plant, Mr Smith showed how BEC had gone ahead with clearing land, paving roads and building the power plant before they even had all the necessary building permits in place.
Although Supreme Court Justice Hartman Longley dismissed the Abaconian's request on Thursday, he at least acknowledged they had genuine reason for complaint.
The public was not aware of the power plant plans until work started, and when BEC finally agreed to hold a public meeting on the matter it served little purpose other than a place for hundreds of angry Abaconians to vent their anger over being so left out of the critical development of their island.
In that case, as with almost every other, communities were disregarded in the planning process from the beginning, as plans received or conceived of by government departments are assessed and approved from the top down, leaving the people demoralised and devoid of power.
A modified Local Government Act and Environmental Protection Act would allow communities to plan developments five, 10 or 20 years in the future, and create a sustainable model that benefits everyone.
Town councils would have more power to draw up bye-laws for their unique communities, impose local taxes to fund local projects and represent the community in national discussions about the development of their island.
"That's what's called decentralisation and democracy," Mr Smith said.
"And in our geographically fractured nation devolution of power is so necessary.
"It will help the Bahamas develop its marine and land resources in a sustainable manner.
"Because it may be that the people in Exuma have some idea about whether the Aga Khan should be able to proceed."
But when it comes to development in the Bahamas, "the rule of the people" defined by democracy is far from the process of granting planning approval.
We leave such matters in the hands of Ministers and wealthy developers, and when projects are approved, we are only left to speculate over what really happened.
"The current construct lends itself to conflicts, not necessarily intentional or intended, but it just does," said Mr Smith.
"And that's why I have been promoting a more transparent and accountable process, an objective process, which protects the Trust, protects the Minister, and protects the government agencies from the kind of criticism that can be made against them in this case."
Sharing the power of choice in a transparent planning process, which welcomes public consultation, would eradicate that speculation not only in principle, but also in practice.
Planning meetings were the bread and butter of the local newspaper I worked at in East London, England, as development plans ricocheted through the communities causing a stir for all who live and work nearby.
Residents and business owners were invited to view plans for around six weeks before they came to the local government council planning committee where they were debated in a lively public meeting that often continued until the early hours of the morning as everyone was invited to have their say.
Each interested person was invited to speak for three minutes about why a Victorian family home should not be converted into flats, why there should not be another generic block of flats built on what little green land they had left, or why the next door neighbour should not be allowed to extend their home into their own back garden or onto a third floor.
And as the plans were considered from all angles, when they were finally rejected or approved, those in protest at least felt they had been heard.
Development affects everybody, and it is a contentious issue in any community, but even more so in land-starved areas such as London, or ecologically precious areas in the sought after islands of the Bahamas.
Some areas need to be preserved for their environmental benefits, as in the national parks, and some need to be developed to create jobs and keep the economy afloat.
But there is only so much land to share; and in a democratic society, the people should really at least appear to have a say in what gets done.
"If we had an Environmental Protection Act and a Freedom of Information Act, we would at least have a measure of comfort that people can't sneak in the back door and start depleting our resources," Mr Smith said.
"I remain sceptical of private developers approaching the government quietly and the government and Cabinet quietly approving in principle or signing Heads of Agreement or making other non-disclosed arrangements with private developers before the public becomes aware of it.
"This is a continued recipe for disaster.
"This is what caused all of the controversy in Baker's Bay, Bimini and all other places in the Bahamas, including the Ginn project in Grand Bahama.
"I am also told there are several projects planned for East End that lies deep within the bosoms of the Cabinet and none of the citizens of Grand Bahama have any idea of what is being planned for our island communities
"If the Environmental Protection Agency could be isolated from political influence by the Cabinet or ruling party, you would have some kind of check and balance from the kind of incestuous inflection which exists when private developers make their clandestine approaches to government for approval in principle, because once approved in principle, then every government agency simply has to rubber stamp whatever is made.
"You don't just do an EIA to rubber stamp a project.
"Because the developers, like a cancer, are going to eat up every pleasant and unique environment that we have unless we manage it.
"And the only way to manage it is for all vested interests to be a part of considering what's happening."
The change would mean it is not just the Minister and his staff deciding whether the Aga Khan can put a development in the national park, and the issue of him flying around in his helicopter would not arise, because he would not be in that position.
There would instead be independent environmental and planning agencies, not beholden to the executive, making the decisions.
And if such agencies are not established in a new legislative framework soon, the Bahama islands and the resources we all share will gradually disappear in a method that is beyond our control, as those who can afford it break off pieces of our finite islands for themselves and leave the Bahamian people with fractured fragments of their country and no explanation about what happened, and where it all went.
September 20, 2010
tribune242 Insight
By MEGAN REYNOLDS
Tribune Staff Reporter
tribune242 Insight:
mreynolds@tribunemedia.net:
Environment Minister Earl Deveaux emerged from the Aga Khan's helicopter in Marsh Harbour, Abaco, to attend a Friends of the Environment event with the exhilarated grin of an excited schoolboy.
Having taken up Karim Aga Khan IV's offer to travel in the 12-seater AB-139 instead of chartering a flight, Dr Deveaux, his wife, and two friends, were able to ride in the lap of luxury at their convenience, and the Minister would not be late for a land assessment of Bell Island in Exuma the next day.
But as the Aga Khan is the owner of Bell Island who put the development plans in Dr Deveaux's lap, the childlike excitement on the Minister's face, and the front page of The Tribune last week, masked a darker reality.
The extension of such generosity by this enigmatic Persian prince exposed both himself and the Minister to ridicule and speculation over the process of planning applications and approvals.
And when the development is in an area as sensitive area as the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, it is bound to stir the kind of public debate that hit the airwaves last week.
The 176 square mile park is a jewel of the Bahamas and the world as the oldest protected area of its kind, established in 1958, and a flourishing no-take marine reserve guarded by the Bahamas National Trust (BNT).
The Aga Khan bought the island north of Conch Cut and 17 miles north of Black Point last year and has plans to dredge 8.8 acres of sand from the seabed so he can pull into a newly carved marina on his 150ft yacht.
He also wants the supply barge to be accommodated at a 100ft dock, and have slips for 20 vessels in a 67-acre yacht basin excavated in the existing salt pond, as well as roads across the island.
An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) on the project was completed by Turrell, Hall and Associates Inc in March, and passed on to the BNT for further input.
But until The Tribune published details of the plans last week, not a word had been mentioned in the public domain.
The developer had paid for the EIA, the Ministry selected the marine and environmental consultants to do it, and the Trust to contribute to the discussion.
All of the correct protocols were in place and the procedures were duly followed, so processes could tick along smoothly, and the developers could quietly move in.
The public were not asked for their opinion because frankly what they think is irrelevant when Bell Island belongs to the Aga Khan, and it is his right to "renovate" it, just as other owners of private islands also have the right to enhance their personal pieces of the country -- including those in the area of the park.
Even the BNT has little say in the matter, according to a statement released by the board last week.
However, it is precisely this top-down approach that raises questions about the possibility for corruption in our planning and development process.
Especially when a billionaire such as the Aga Khan is in a position to woo a Minister in his AB139, and donate $1 million to the BNT. No one is suggesting that this is what happened in this case, but still the perception is there.
Dr Deveaux said: "I do not think a helicopter ride could buy me and I don't think it could alter my opinion."
But his defence asserts one of two things: either it would take more than one helicopter ride to buy him, or he cannot be corrupted.
I am inclined to believe the latter, which is why I think he was dignified in tendering his resignation, which the Prime Minister refused.
But a less noble man in his position surely would not have done the same.
As the Minister himself asserted, he is quite accustomed to travelling in the planes, boats and automobiles of wealthy developers, and being wined and dined at their expense, but he does not let this affect his judgment of planning applications.
He asserted he had travelled to Ginn Sur Mer's Old Bahama Bay development on the Ginn's boat, and saw Baker's Bay from the developer's jet, as I noted how all of the developments he listed in his argument have been approved.
Whether or not he is corruptible, he is vulnerable to speculation of corruption, and that is reason enough for a major change to be introduced and introduced now.
PLP MP Fred Mitchell suggested Cabinet ministers and government departments are provided with their own fleet of air and watercraft to transport them to far-flung sites across the islands on time, avoiding safety issues, or perceived cosiness with developers.
However, Freeport attorney Fred Smith, QC, advocates a change of the law.
He has been pushing for an Environmental Protection Act, and a Freedom of Information Act, to establish an independent Environmental Protection Agency that would facilitate EIAs, provide access to planning applications, and ensure there is full and proper public consultation over all plans submitted to the Ministry.
Such a system would protect everyone's best interests as residents, businesses, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and all other interested parties would be involved in the debate long before the diggers break ground.
As the lawyer representing Responsible Development for Abaco (RDA) in the request for a Judicial Review seeking to stop work at the $105 million Wilson City power plant, Mr Smith showed how BEC had gone ahead with clearing land, paving roads and building the power plant before they even had all the necessary building permits in place.
Although Supreme Court Justice Hartman Longley dismissed the Abaconian's request on Thursday, he at least acknowledged they had genuine reason for complaint.
The public was not aware of the power plant plans until work started, and when BEC finally agreed to hold a public meeting on the matter it served little purpose other than a place for hundreds of angry Abaconians to vent their anger over being so left out of the critical development of their island.
In that case, as with almost every other, communities were disregarded in the planning process from the beginning, as plans received or conceived of by government departments are assessed and approved from the top down, leaving the people demoralised and devoid of power.
A modified Local Government Act and Environmental Protection Act would allow communities to plan developments five, 10 or 20 years in the future, and create a sustainable model that benefits everyone.
Town councils would have more power to draw up bye-laws for their unique communities, impose local taxes to fund local projects and represent the community in national discussions about the development of their island.
"That's what's called decentralisation and democracy," Mr Smith said.
"And in our geographically fractured nation devolution of power is so necessary.
"It will help the Bahamas develop its marine and land resources in a sustainable manner.
"Because it may be that the people in Exuma have some idea about whether the Aga Khan should be able to proceed."
But when it comes to development in the Bahamas, "the rule of the people" defined by democracy is far from the process of granting planning approval.
We leave such matters in the hands of Ministers and wealthy developers, and when projects are approved, we are only left to speculate over what really happened.
"The current construct lends itself to conflicts, not necessarily intentional or intended, but it just does," said Mr Smith.
"And that's why I have been promoting a more transparent and accountable process, an objective process, which protects the Trust, protects the Minister, and protects the government agencies from the kind of criticism that can be made against them in this case."
Sharing the power of choice in a transparent planning process, which welcomes public consultation, would eradicate that speculation not only in principle, but also in practice.
Planning meetings were the bread and butter of the local newspaper I worked at in East London, England, as development plans ricocheted through the communities causing a stir for all who live and work nearby.
Residents and business owners were invited to view plans for around six weeks before they came to the local government council planning committee where they were debated in a lively public meeting that often continued until the early hours of the morning as everyone was invited to have their say.
Each interested person was invited to speak for three minutes about why a Victorian family home should not be converted into flats, why there should not be another generic block of flats built on what little green land they had left, or why the next door neighbour should not be allowed to extend their home into their own back garden or onto a third floor.
And as the plans were considered from all angles, when they were finally rejected or approved, those in protest at least felt they had been heard.
Development affects everybody, and it is a contentious issue in any community, but even more so in land-starved areas such as London, or ecologically precious areas in the sought after islands of the Bahamas.
Some areas need to be preserved for their environmental benefits, as in the national parks, and some need to be developed to create jobs and keep the economy afloat.
But there is only so much land to share; and in a democratic society, the people should really at least appear to have a say in what gets done.
"If we had an Environmental Protection Act and a Freedom of Information Act, we would at least have a measure of comfort that people can't sneak in the back door and start depleting our resources," Mr Smith said.
"I remain sceptical of private developers approaching the government quietly and the government and Cabinet quietly approving in principle or signing Heads of Agreement or making other non-disclosed arrangements with private developers before the public becomes aware of it.
"This is a continued recipe for disaster.
"This is what caused all of the controversy in Baker's Bay, Bimini and all other places in the Bahamas, including the Ginn project in Grand Bahama.
"I am also told there are several projects planned for East End that lies deep within the bosoms of the Cabinet and none of the citizens of Grand Bahama have any idea of what is being planned for our island communities
"If the Environmental Protection Agency could be isolated from political influence by the Cabinet or ruling party, you would have some kind of check and balance from the kind of incestuous inflection which exists when private developers make their clandestine approaches to government for approval in principle, because once approved in principle, then every government agency simply has to rubber stamp whatever is made.
"You don't just do an EIA to rubber stamp a project.
"Because the developers, like a cancer, are going to eat up every pleasant and unique environment that we have unless we manage it.
"And the only way to manage it is for all vested interests to be a part of considering what's happening."
The change would mean it is not just the Minister and his staff deciding whether the Aga Khan can put a development in the national park, and the issue of him flying around in his helicopter would not arise, because he would not be in that position.
There would instead be independent environmental and planning agencies, not beholden to the executive, making the decisions.
And if such agencies are not established in a new legislative framework soon, the Bahama islands and the resources we all share will gradually disappear in a method that is beyond our control, as those who can afford it break off pieces of our finite islands for themselves and leave the Bahamian people with fractured fragments of their country and no explanation about what happened, and where it all went.
September 20, 2010
tribune242 Insight
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Environment Minister Earl Deveaux and Prince Karim Aga Khan lV's helicopter
The Cabinet Minister and the Prince's helicopter
tribune242 editorial
THE PLP never cease to amuse us.
Knowing the party's own free-ride history, we were surprised members would have the temerity to venture into the debate on whether Environment Minister Earl Deveaux should have accepted Prince Karim Aga Khan lV's helicopter to fly him to a meeting with the Bahamas National Trust at the prince's Bell Island development.
The prince's proposal to develop his private island, located within the environmentally sensitive Exuma Land and Sea Park, is now before the cabinet. In the public eye the reason for the flight made Mr Deveaux's helicopter ride precarious.
There were those who believed that Mr Deveaux's acceptance of the prince's hospitality was a conflict of interest.
Of course, the PLP quoted Prime Minister Ingraham's "standards of conduct for ministers of government", which was prompted by Mr Ingraham's alarm on becoming prime minister to find the extent to which the free-wheeling practices of some ministers and civil servants during former prime minister Perry Christie's administration had been honed to a fine art.
"Ministers must avoid accepting any gift or hospitality, which might appear to compromise their judgment or place them under an improper obligation," said a PLP press release quoting from the Ingraham code of conduct.
On the face of it, it would appear that Mr Deveaux had committed an unfortunate indiscretion.
However, Mr Christie also had codes of conduct for his ministers, which were more honoured in their breach.
One only has to speak with Bobby Ginn, the Grand Bahama developer, who at that time had applications before cabinet and/or various government departments, to find out how many times his private aircraft was made available to members of the PLP administration.
It was Mr Ginn's plane that flew Mr Christie to the Cleveland Clinic when he had his medical emergency. Mr Manuel Dias is another one who should be able to recall how many times he accommodated a PLP minister in his private aircraft, as for Mr Gerado Capo of the Bimini Bay development, he should also have many stories to tell of how he routinely had ministers, civil servants and even board members flown back and forth in his private aircraft when his controversial Bimini development was being discussed.
"As a matter of fact," commented someone from the Christie era, "investors flying around PLP ministers and civil servants had reached an alarming level." So alarming, in fact, that when Mr Ingraham became prime minister and saw what was happening, he had to apply the brakes.
However, as another person recalled, the use of private planes by Ministers and other MPs has a long history in the Bahamas -- not all of it with ulterior motives. It was just the accepted practice that if the developer wanted a minister to see what he was doing, he often sent his plane for him, offered him lunch and flew him home.
And now to Minister Deveaux. The Friends of the Environment had invited Mr Deveaux to Hope Town for an early morning premier of a documentary on the "Lionfish Invasion." However, Mr Deveaux had to be back in Nassau that morning to catch an Executive Flight support aircraft to get him to his Bell Island appointment in the Exumas. There was no way that he could fly to Abaco, see the documentary, and get back to Nassau in time to meet the Bahamas National Trust members and Ministry staff to make the scheduled flight to Bell Island. This is where Prince Karim stepped in. The Prince offered his helicopter to fly Mr Deveaux to Marsh Harbour, then back to Nassau to pick up the waiting team, and on to Bell Island. It seemed a practical solution, and Mr Deveaux accepted the hospitality.
Someone who perceived conflict of interest in this arrangement called The Tribune. The next morning a photograph appeared on The Tribune's front page showing Mr Deveaux leaving the Prince's helicopter. Mr Deveaux knew exactly what this meant. Being the man of honour that he is, he did what we expected. He went straight to the Prime Minister's office and offered his resignation.
And the Prime Minister also did what we expected under the circumstances. Recognising that there was no way that a helicopter ride could influence his hard working Minister's decision, or buy his integrity, he refused to accept the resignation.
But, of course, there is that public perception. The cabinet now has to sit down and rethink the rules, so that the public will not have an opportunity in the future to have a set of circumstances occur from which it can draw the wrong conclusions.
September 17, 2010
tribune242 editorial
tribune242 editorial
THE PLP never cease to amuse us.
Knowing the party's own free-ride history, we were surprised members would have the temerity to venture into the debate on whether Environment Minister Earl Deveaux should have accepted Prince Karim Aga Khan lV's helicopter to fly him to a meeting with the Bahamas National Trust at the prince's Bell Island development.
The prince's proposal to develop his private island, located within the environmentally sensitive Exuma Land and Sea Park, is now before the cabinet. In the public eye the reason for the flight made Mr Deveaux's helicopter ride precarious.
There were those who believed that Mr Deveaux's acceptance of the prince's hospitality was a conflict of interest.
Of course, the PLP quoted Prime Minister Ingraham's "standards of conduct for ministers of government", which was prompted by Mr Ingraham's alarm on becoming prime minister to find the extent to which the free-wheeling practices of some ministers and civil servants during former prime minister Perry Christie's administration had been honed to a fine art.
"Ministers must avoid accepting any gift or hospitality, which might appear to compromise their judgment or place them under an improper obligation," said a PLP press release quoting from the Ingraham code of conduct.
On the face of it, it would appear that Mr Deveaux had committed an unfortunate indiscretion.
However, Mr Christie also had codes of conduct for his ministers, which were more honoured in their breach.
One only has to speak with Bobby Ginn, the Grand Bahama developer, who at that time had applications before cabinet and/or various government departments, to find out how many times his private aircraft was made available to members of the PLP administration.
It was Mr Ginn's plane that flew Mr Christie to the Cleveland Clinic when he had his medical emergency. Mr Manuel Dias is another one who should be able to recall how many times he accommodated a PLP minister in his private aircraft, as for Mr Gerado Capo of the Bimini Bay development, he should also have many stories to tell of how he routinely had ministers, civil servants and even board members flown back and forth in his private aircraft when his controversial Bimini development was being discussed.
"As a matter of fact," commented someone from the Christie era, "investors flying around PLP ministers and civil servants had reached an alarming level." So alarming, in fact, that when Mr Ingraham became prime minister and saw what was happening, he had to apply the brakes.
However, as another person recalled, the use of private planes by Ministers and other MPs has a long history in the Bahamas -- not all of it with ulterior motives. It was just the accepted practice that if the developer wanted a minister to see what he was doing, he often sent his plane for him, offered him lunch and flew him home.
And now to Minister Deveaux. The Friends of the Environment had invited Mr Deveaux to Hope Town for an early morning premier of a documentary on the "Lionfish Invasion." However, Mr Deveaux had to be back in Nassau that morning to catch an Executive Flight support aircraft to get him to his Bell Island appointment in the Exumas. There was no way that he could fly to Abaco, see the documentary, and get back to Nassau in time to meet the Bahamas National Trust members and Ministry staff to make the scheduled flight to Bell Island. This is where Prince Karim stepped in. The Prince offered his helicopter to fly Mr Deveaux to Marsh Harbour, then back to Nassau to pick up the waiting team, and on to Bell Island. It seemed a practical solution, and Mr Deveaux accepted the hospitality.
Someone who perceived conflict of interest in this arrangement called The Tribune. The next morning a photograph appeared on The Tribune's front page showing Mr Deveaux leaving the Prince's helicopter. Mr Deveaux knew exactly what this meant. Being the man of honour that he is, he did what we expected. He went straight to the Prime Minister's office and offered his resignation.
And the Prime Minister also did what we expected under the circumstances. Recognising that there was no way that a helicopter ride could influence his hard working Minister's decision, or buy his integrity, he refused to accept the resignation.
But, of course, there is that public perception. The cabinet now has to sit down and rethink the rules, so that the public will not have an opportunity in the future to have a set of circumstances occur from which it can draw the wrong conclusions.
September 17, 2010
tribune242 editorial
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)