“I have always stood for the rights of women and the most vulnerable in our society, that has always been my position and that will not change. I will do what it takes but if that means standing alone, I will, because I will be standing for something I believe,” Loretta Butler-Turner.

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

FNM Deputy Leader Loretta Butler-Turner said yesterday she still “fully supports” the four bills that seek to enshrine gender equality in the Constitution, despite her party leader Dr Hubert Minnis declaring the party will not support the changes.

Although initially pledging the support of the Free National Movement, Dr Minnis on Wednesday said he took “exception” to all of the amendments and his party is not “prepared to support changes to the Constitution that would lead to a disaster.”

However, speaking with The Tribune, Mrs Butler-Turner said while the bills are not perfect in their present form she is more than willing to work with the government to ensure the rights of women are protected – even if it means she will be standing alone.

“I fully support the bills and I am definitely prepared to strike down political barriers and work with PLP women and men to educate Bahamian people,” she said.

“This is also a period where the bills are still imperfect and there is much room for them to grow closer to perfection. But I am prepared to discuss and work with the government and the Constitutional Commission to make the bills more pleasing to the people. I am going to work with all stakeholders and ensure that the concerns of the party and the concerns of our constituents are ironed out and the final document is pleasing to the majority of the Bahamian people. I am prepared to walk alone on this if need be. That is my position.”

Mrs Butler Turner said the government should have consulted with the people before the questions were released, but she is still confident that there is enough time to clarify points of confusion.

She said: “The government should have debated this before they went and put out the questions and then release something that represents the concerns the people have. However, I am very optimistic that is not too late to correct any errors in the presentation and the questions. I trust the government will continue to listen and address the concerns of the people.

“I have always stood for the rights of women and the most vulnerable in our society, that has always been my position and that will not change. I will do what it takes but if that means standing alone, I will because I will be standing for something I believe.”

The dramatic change in position by Dr Minnis,  Prime Minister Perry Christie suggested, was surprising because he did not communicate in a series of consultations with the Constitutional Commission and the government in the lead-up to the opening of the debate on the bills that there were concerns about the legislation.

After Dr Minnis’ statement, Constitutional Commission Chairman Sean McWeeney said the division between the government and the opposition was “very concerning” and placed the referendum in “jeopardy”. However, he added, because the bills had yet to be officially committed, there was still sufficient time to clarify points of confusion.

As he spoke in the House, Dr Minnis said he wanted the first Bill to be retroactive, that Bills two and three did not need to go to a referendum and that the government needed to clarify concerns about gay marriage as a result of bill four.