By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

FORMER PLP Cabinet minister George Smith said yesterday that Fort Charlotte MP Dr Andre Rollins’ “course is clear” after he “publicly embarrassed” the nation’s leader in a tirade in Parliament, calling for “new political leadership” in the country.

It was one of a litany of critiques Dr Rollins had for his own party.

Mr Smith said that the verbal attack on Prime Minister Perry Christie, during debate on the Value Added Tax Bill Wednesday night, in essence ended Dr Rollins’ stint as Gaming Board chairman and now he needs to either be fired or resign from the post.

Dr Rollins’ actions, Mr Smith said, cannot under any circumstances be seen as right because it violated the party’s constitution and the Westminster parliamentary system. He reiterated that while the party appreciates brilliance and independent thought, PLP protocol outlines that unless the party wants to do something that is clearly against a member’s personal convictions on a fundamental issue, then the party line must be followed.

Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell agreed that Dr Rollins’ conduct was concerning, as he branded it an “undermining of loyalty, trust and faith” in the PLP. However, he said, a more frank discussion would be held behind closed doors at a private caucus meeting.

“When he did what he did,” said Mr Smith, “he effectively ceased being chairman of the Gaming Board. Whether he resigns or is fired, one or the other must happen.

“When honourable men can no longer follow and demonstrate the respect for the people who head the organisation that gets you elected to the House of Assembly, can no longer demonstrate public respect for the man who is head of the government who appointed you to an office that you enjoyed, when you can no longer publicly respect him – your course is clear.

“Having a differing view within an organisation is perfectly acceptable, but how can you belong to an organisation and then adopt a view independent to that organisation without recognising you have a decision to make?

“The constitution of the PLP tells you when you differ with the party, there is a time or place (to air those feelings), that’s what you have caucus for. But when you publicly try to embarrass the leader of the PLP and the prime minister, you can’t expect decent and fair-minded Bahamians to believe that to be right. It wasn’t right when they did it to Sir Lynden, when they did it to Ingraham and it isn’t right that they are doing it to Perry Christie.”

On Wednesday night in the House of Assembly, Dr Rollins lashed out at Mr Christie, who was absent from the session because he was travelling on official business to Las Vegas.

He criticised the PLP leader saying that “it is evident that we need new political leadership” in the Bahamas. It prompted Acting Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis to call on Dr Rollins to “do the honourable thing” while pointing out that it was Mr Christie who had appointed him to the Gaming Board chairman’s post.

However, Dr Rollins retorted that because board appointments expired on June 30, he was no longer technically the head of the Gaming Board. However, Mr Davis replied that Cabinet had extended the appointments to August 31.

Dr Rollins was angry because he said the prime minister had spent a great deal of time during his House address earlier that day “threatening” backbenchers for their differing views rather than allaying the fears of hurting Bahamians.

“The political threats uttered by the prime minister and the minister of finance this morning left me with one impression, and that is we need new political leadership in the Bahamas,” Dr Rollins said.

“When a leader and minister of finance and prime minister could take a debate as important and critical to the pockets and wallets of the Bahamian people, a debate as critical as that, where he could spend most of his contribution threatening members of this side, it is evidence that we need new leadership.”

He further lashed out at the government with claims that it creates “gimmick jobs” through holding referenda and allows unemployed Bahamian youth to canvass homes on their views.

In addition he joined in with calls from the Free National Movement for the Christie administration to exercise transparency when it comes to Renew Bahamas and the process associated with the remediation of the New Providence landfill. He said that if the PLP truly believes in Bahamians, as it stated in its popular campaign slogan, the government would release all the details surrounding the deal with Renew Bahamas.

Dr Rollins also said he was tired of the prime minister quoting the same scripture in the House, adding that when he wants to hear a sermon, he goes to church.

On Monday, the prime minister revealed that Dr Rollins had resigned as PLP whip because he did not support the constitutional amendment bills.

Last night, Dr Rollins had not resigned as Gaming Board chairman.