PLP chairman Bradley Roberts encouraged Bahamians to “dismiss Dr Hubert Minnis” as nothing more than a “clueless interim leader” who he said is “clearly out of his depth on national issues”.

Last week, with the city dump smouldering, the FNM’s leader Dr Minnis sounded the alarm over the availability of the asthma medication “Albuterol” at the Princess Margaret Hospital. Following his remarks, the Public Hospital Authority issued a statement denying that there was any shortage of the medication.

Criticising the FNM’s leader for doing nothing to improve the conditions at the public landfill while he sat around the Cabinet table from 2007 to 2012, Mr Roberts said that Dr Minnis has sunken to a “new low” by “wilfully misleading the Bahamian people” on the availability of the asthma drug.

“Dr Minnis knows full well that as the shadow minister for Health, he simply has to contact the office of the Minister of Health or the Director of the Public Hospitals Authority with any concern about public health, but doing so clearly would have been politically inconvenient because the truth would have gotten in the way of his self serving political stunt. He was unable to defend himself by responding to the PHA statement that the government provided him with the wrong information. It was a pitiful and futile political stunt.

“Dr Minnis is advised that there is more to being the leader of the Opposition than seeking out cheap headlines in the dailies in order to remain relevant even if it means creating public hysteria, misleading the public and sacrificing the truth at the altar of political convenience. Dr Minnis was incapable of getting his facts straight and came across as awkward, which was embarrassing.”

Mr Roberts added that it was important to note for the benefit of the public that a number of viable renewable energy project proposals, including bio-mass, were submitted to the FNM government for consideration but were shelved to “gather dust”.

“These project proposals have the capacity and scope to convert waste into cheap energy that would reduce electricity costs, create a cleaner environment and improve public health for the benefit of all Bahamians while contributing to the sustained development of our country. These proposals are currently under active review by the PLP government as it works assiduously to move this country forward.

“If Dr Minnis and the FNM actually cared about public health and environmental protection, their dismal record in government (in these areas) miserably betrayed their intentions.

“I have said this before and I will say again: The public is advised to dismiss Dr Minnis as a side show and a clueless interim leader who is clearly out of his depth on national issues and brings no value to the public discourse because of his deftness at engaging in the wrong conversation,” he said.