Rollins: Nation is a mess - so why back its leader?

Thursday, October 1, 2015

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

FORT Charlotte MP Dr Andre Rollins criticised Progressive Liberal Party MPs last night for “falling in line” and standing behind Prime Minister Perry Christie’s bid for re-election when, according to Dr Rollins, he failed the first time as prime minister and “did worse the second time.”

His stinging comments came during his contribution to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Amendment Bill in the House of Assembly.

Dr Rollins, who resigned as a member of the PLP in June, said with crime “being the worst it has ever been” and the country and the government “being one big mess” it is unthinkable that the PLP would attempt to “rehabilitate” Mr Christie as leader.

He said now is the time for Mr Christie to be challenged because the success of any country rises and falls on its leadership. He added that this country has “fallen under Mr Christie”.

“The government is going to go into a convention in a few weeks, and in all certainty once again they will be talking about rehabilitation and second chances but this time they are going to be talking about a third chance because they will ask the men and women who have the right to vote if Mr Christie can be given a third chance,” Dr Rollins said.

“All the while young Bahamians in this country are being taught that it’s only one man who has the ability or the aptitude to lead the oldest and longest tenured party in this country. With all that is going wrong, with crime being out of control, a poor economy where young people cannot find work, violent crime like this country has never seen and everybody on that side will stand in line and fall in line and give that same person a third chance.

“This government is going to rehabilitate itself under the leadership of the man who has had a second chance and has done worse the second time than he did the first, but you will fall in line to give him a third and that is supposed to give a young person like me optimism that this country is going to be headed in the right direction come the next election?”

Dr Rollins said his criticism of the prime minister is “not personal” but “anyone who knows anything about politics knows what is going on.”

Dr Rollins resigned as the party whip in the House of Assembly last August following his outspoken criticism of the Constitutional Amendment Bills.

For much of last year, he delivered scathing critiques of the PLP and lashed out at Mr Christie.

Last year, during debate in the House, he said the country needed new leadership. He added that he was tired of hearing Mr Christie quote scripture in the House of Assembly during important debates. Several days later he was fired from his post as chairman of the Gaming Board by Deputy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, acting prime minister at the time, who said that Dr Rollins had “crossed the line”.

The PLP’s convention is scheduled for the first week of November. Mr Christie has cautioned his Cabinet ministers against running against him for the post as party leader, saying such a race would be “divisive” at a time when the country is facing dire problems.

Comments

TalRussell says...

Comrade Prime Minister Christie has to be warned about his PLP governing party thinking they can skip over the many concerns of voters come the 2017 General, by running for reelection on a campaign which will focus hard on "apologies".
PM, less playing politics. Get back and stay on the message page of doing right by, for - and by the people, who sent "you" and your party to the House of Assembly as governing party. This is not some game - many families are hurting - something bad.
One more suicide is one too many.

Posted 1 October 2015, 2:35 p.m. Suggest removal

TruePeople says...

so where you guh throw way ya vote den tal?

Posted 2 October 2015, 9:29 a.m. Suggest removal

PKMShack says...

Truth is hard to hear, I for one will never give him or his members a third chance. Good bye forever to these old heads. TAL I hope for the sake of the younger generation you won't waste your vote again. Now get BIRDIE to open up an understand it's not about party but giving someone else the chance to solve this mess. His party has no problem seeing him do this country in a 3rd time but it's not his or his friends country alone. TIRED OF THIS SH... We need to stop waiting and over throw these guys in a peaceful protest. What's next before the rest of you dumb PLP's see we headed in the wrong way

Posted 1 October 2015, 2:39 p.m. Suggest removal

CatIslandBoy says...

Christie Must Go! In any other country of the world, that claims to be operating in an environment of unfettered democracy, this entire government would be retired to the dustbin of history. Only in the Bahamas, does the possibility exist that a leader, with such a disastrous record as Mr. Christie's, could be re-elected. Mr. Christie was given a second chance by Bahamians, and he proved to be worse than during his first term. If the Bahamas is going to move forward and rise out of it's current malaise, an entire new breed of leaders must take the helm of leadership as soon as possible. There must be a few Dr. Rollins out there, who are brave enough to call a spade a spade, and change the direction in which the country is headed.

Posted 1 October 2015, 4:05 p.m. Suggest removal

birdiestrachan says...

It is easy to say the Country is headed in the wrong way. It seems to be the FNM and DNA theme song. What do you all really mean??, Now you all give Mr: Gary Hell because you all claim he interfered with the justice system. but do you all remember the facts surrounding the bare foot bandit. Unemployment was high under the FNM and so was crime. and would the smart people, the "A" graders on this site care to say what is the right direction for the Country. The truth is not one single DNA Or FNM can say. what is the right direction. Talk is cheap Money buys land. There can be no finger pointed at the PLP, without four pointing at the FNM.

Posted 1 October 2015, 4:16 p.m. Suggest removal

asiseeit says...

Birdie, I thank you for always giving my children an example as to how fool some people can be. You are the poster child for why education is so needed in this country. Always good for a WTF moment, thanks.

Posted 1 October 2015, 6:37 p.m. Suggest removal

SP says...

** The PLP and FNM are squarely & equally the blame for Bahamas being a total mess **

43 shared years of friends, family and lovers nepotism, asinine political stupidity and systemic corruption led the Bahamas to where we find ourselves today.

Rt. Honorable Prime Minister Perry Christie has proven to be another total failure and emperor without cloths.

Christie is following in the footsteps of former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham who also failed measurably to the point of winning recognition as the worst leader in the region award from S&P and Moody's.

The state of the nation unquestionably proves beyond any doubt The PLP and FNM are one and the same, all for themselves. By and large Bahamians have steadily regressed under PLP and FNM rule.

Mr. Rollins is 100% right. We must turn our country to a different direction with totally new leadership.

Posted 1 October 2015, 4:22 p.m. Suggest removal

I agree, but i wouldn't exclusively blame dem though. Bey i thinks is nuff nuff blame for all us get a piece. after all bey, is more of US than there is DEM

Posted 2 October 2015, 9:31 a.m. Suggest removal

Wideawake says...

Rollins is absolutely tight! Second chances and third chances no longer work in our modern times!!

Excellence, Honesty, Integrity and Accountability are the prescription for a Better Bahamas!!

Question is, who of all our choices, can deliver this?.........................Silence!

Posted 1 October 2015, 4:30 p.m. Suggest removal

Watch Rollins very carefully, something is not right with him. Never mind the good feelings you may have brought about with the fact that he cusses the PLP and PM Christie every chance he gets.. he has a serious lack of respect, He is not suave, and he is angry as hell.. No party will have him, not even the party Moss is about to start. Where ever Rollins goes he will carry his ways and they are not good.

Posted 1 October 2015, 4:49 p.m. Suggest removal

something ein right with him. Ok Birdie, I give you that..... But PGC... ise looking for something that ein wrong with him.....

Posted 2 October 2015, 9:32 a.m. Suggest removal

Comrades while the reds fight among themselves we have none other than a minister performing a far much better opposition role than the entire bunch of them House of Assembly's red MP's.

---- Khaalis Rolle, the PLP's own minister of state for investments, only 7 days ago conceded that Bahamaland is“in a mess by "many" measures.” ----
-

Posted 1 October 2015, 5:22 p.m. Suggest removal

MonkeeDoo says...

Who voted for these clowns anyway ?

Posted 1 October 2015, 11:02 p.m. Suggest removal

**............................................... St Maarten government falls ...........................................**

http://curacaochronicle.com/region/cris…

Classic example of why Bahamas must have a 3rd coalition party to balance power and governance of our country!

**NO MORE POWER MAD IDIOTIC, HARD HEAD, EMPERORS!**

Posted 2 October 2015, 8:59 a.m. Suggest removal

thing is when Bahama gov't fall, erryone guh talk, but who guh actually step to try liff it back up?

Posted 2 October 2015, 9:34 a.m. Suggest removal

Bahamas gov't actually fell 4 years ago! We're just going through death rattling now.

Posted 2 October 2015, 12:06 p.m. Suggest removal

**............................... Australia elects *4th prime minister in 2 years!* ...................................**

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/worl…

Mr. Rollins point personified in Australia! Bahamas cannot continue recycling a PM that fails at EVERYTHING!

Posted 2 October 2015, 9:05 a.m. Suggest removal