Long Islanders support Butler-Turner, say they ‘don’t need’ Rollins there

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

MEMBERS of the FNM’s Long Island Constituency Association have expressed support for MP Loretta Butler-Turner, an executive of the body yesterday telling The Tribune “we don’t need him here” as she spoke of whether constituents would welcome Fort Charlotte MP Dr Andre Rollins as their new representative.

Sandra Knowles, chairperson of the association, said while speculation has been running wild on the island that Dr Rollins was being considered as the party’s candidate for the area in the next election, “Loretta is the man for Long Island.”

When asked yesterday whether he was eyeing the nomination for Long Island, Dr Rollins said: “I can only say that people say many things and circulate many rumours.”

This comes after an email, sent by Mrs Butler-Turner, was leaked to the media on Monday. In it she rebuked FNM Chairman Michael Pintard for accusations that he and other party executives were planning to hold an executive meeting in her constituency on Friday without consulting her. In the e-mail she informed him that it was in contravention of the FNM’s protocols.

In the e-mail she had said that the planned meeting was “most egregious and disrespectful” and raised “suspicions of ill-intent and corrupt practices.”

“Loretta is the man for Long Island. Not the woman, (she is) the man for Long Island,” Ms Knowles said.

“She has proven herself. When there is nobody else out there she speaks for Long Island. She does what we want her to do. The hurricane was an example. When you compare Long Island to Acklins and Crooked Island – the MP there didn’t hardly do anything.

“At least Loretta (from) day one was on the ground. We need someone who can do for us. Yes we are in opposition, but she speaks for us and she is not afraid.

“Long Island needs someone to get things done. Right now (Long Island) is dead. There is nothing going on in Long Island we need someone who can fight for us and who can talk for us and try and see if we can get Long Island back to where it used to be.”

She continued: “So this foolishness with people talking about they don’t want Loretta, they want this one (and) they want the next one, they got to just stop that foolishness.

“We ain’t for that foolishness no more and if there is any truth in (Dr) Rollins wanting to come to Long Island . . . I mean Rollins may (have roots in) Long Island but who wants Rollins right now? We don’t need him here.”

Charles Carroll, council representative, said the climate in Long Island in his opinion was one of support from both sides of political divide for the MP.

He said “without doubt” Mrs Butler-Turner had the support of islanders as he expressed doubt that Dr Rollins would get more than a handful of support in Long Island.

Asked how he thought constituents would receive Dr Rollins, Mr Carroll said: “With the exception of a few I don’t think he stands a chance. I don’t think he will have the support because the people they really like Mrs Butler-Turner because she has stood up for them in debates in the House of Assembly. Plus with her response after the hurricane and up to now she has been very attentive and she tried her best to get the island back to some kind of normalcy. I think she’ll get support from both sides to be honest.”

Meanwhile, in response to the contents of Mrs Butler-Turner’s email, Mr Pintard told The Tribune on Monday that there is no truth in the rumour that the party is seeking to hold a meeting in Long Island to support, promote or ratify Dr Rollins. He said Mrs Butler-Turner, who has worked tirelessly on behalf of her constituents, has the support of the party.

He added that any suggestion to the contrary is pure mischief. He said it is the party’s expectation and hope that the good people of Long Island would continue their “love affair” with Mrs Butler-Turner, whom he said is up to the task of delivering better for Long Islanders.

The senator said the upcoming meeting in Long Island is the latest in a series of similar events in other constituencies based on FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis’ previously announced plans to organise such events.

Comments

TalRussell says...

Comrades tis but a short walk down memory lane but be quick since it only lasted but a few minutes in a more friendlier times past when's Loretta Butler-Turner were all smiles as she danced alongside her leader Minnis, moments after being named deputy red shirts leader.

.......///https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRtGGJG_00Y

Posted 17 February 2016, 2:54 p.m. Suggest removal

Publius says...

Let the FNM keep playing with Long Island. Long Island is the only island that has shown the leader of the Party they support better than they could tell him. When Ingraham tried to force his pick on Long Island, they told him if you send that man, we will send Larry Cartwright as our Independent MP. Ingraham felt that they simply should have listened to him and fell in line. Well they showed him the line and sent Larry to Parliament, just as they said they would. The truth is, these political parties are less interested in the will of the people and more interested in getting their own will accomplished. They say they respect the will of the people but that is not altogether true.

Posted 17 February 2016, 3:10 p.m. Suggest removal

Lorettasgirl says...

They believe Long Island people fool ... LBT or nothing !

Posted 18 February 2016, 7:39 a.m. Suggest removal

Comrade Publius do not be so easily fooled by the notion that Long Islanders were consulted prior to Papa Hubert’s yanking the member out of the Montagu Constituency and parachuted Loretta into what he believed was a sure seat to save his regime from defeat. Yanked is exactly what it sounds like. Loretta was never asked but ordered by Papa to pack her luggage to run in Long Island. Nor were Montagu or Long Island constituents consulted by either Papa Hubert or Loretta.
The closeness of Long Island's 2012 General Election Results may just offer an interesting prospective into what could happen come the 2017 General:
Red Shirts
Loretta Butler-Turner
979 Votes (56.62%).
PLP's
Alex Storr
531 Votes (30.71%).
DNA GREEN'S
Mario Cartwright
219 votes (12.67%).
Loretta won her Long Island ‘safe red’ seat by a mere 229 (13.24%) votes over the total votes garnered by the other two candidates. Since 2012 Comrade Mario’s personal electability fortunes have increased but not that of the green party.
Comrades here are the major factors Loretta will face come the 2017 General. In 2012 she was a sitting PM Papa's handpicked candidate. She hadn't as yet accumulated all the baggage she has managed collect since 2012. In 2017 Loretta will not be Minni’s shortlist to contest for Long Island.
I can easily picture Tennyson running in Long Island.

Posted 17 February 2016, 3:30 p.m. Suggest removal

> Comrade Publius do not be so easily fooled by the notion that Long Islanders were consulted prior to Papa Hubert’s yanking the member out of the Montagu Constituency and parachuted Loretta into what he believed was a sure seat to save his regime from defeat.

Tal, do not be so easily fooled as to think that I don't know exactly what took place in 2012.

Posted 17 February 2016, 3:54 p.m. Suggest removal

Comrade Pablius all I did was to correct you cause Long Islander's had no power to prevent Papa Hubert's bypassing them to parachute in Loretta.
Papa wasn't the only red that refused to conform to the red party's constitution.

Posted 17 February 2016, 4:03 p.m. Suggest removal

Voters always have the power - they can refuse to vote for you. You cannot get to Parliament without their vote. That was the example cited with the Jimmy Knowles/Larry Cartwright matter I referenced earlier.

Posted 17 February 2016, 7:07 p.m. Suggest removal

Economist says...

Would the FNM please pick a leader that we can all agree is a good leader. Minnis is not that person all the infighting proves that.

Posted 17 February 2016, 9:23 p.m. Suggest removal

Emac says...

Well I expected for Tal to be all over this page.

Posted 17 February 2016, 11:44 p.m. Suggest removal

Although Loretta is my first choice for leader of the FNM, lately she is becoming a sour lime. Or maybe something is going on with the FNM behind closed doors that I am not seeing. To me this is quite a dilemma, because I certainly don't trust Minnis and that other greasy man. But I believe Loretta still needs to just relax a little and stop falling in these traps that her FNM adversaries may be setting for her. If she believes that she is indeed the man for Long Island, then just take a chill pill and let the chips fall where they may. She is trying too hard to prove herself.

Posted 17 February 2016, 11:50 p.m. Suggest removal

ThisIsOurs says...

More to come. What a mess. The country that is.

Posted 18 February 2016, 5:46 a.m. Suggest removal

sheeprunner12 says...

Again .......... this is the choir singing for Loretta on Long Island ........ Dont ever think that she did all of that post hurricane stuff for charity ....... its for political brownie points (like now) ..... she means well but she is a smart, effective and polarizing politician (the Pindling and Hubert Ingraham type)

Posted 18 February 2016, 6:57 a.m. Suggest removal

Long Island loved LBT!

Posted 18 February 2016, 7:35 a.m. Suggest removal

Godson says...

Well said Publius... couldn't be stated better. Long Island people got 'muscle' and 'guts'. The voters in Long Island don't listen to the growl in their stomach. From what is solidly evident in their political history, all are advised to treat Long Islanders with utter respect.

PLP probably will divide and conquer Long Island........ like Pindling in 1972

Posted 18 February 2016, 10:52 a.m. Suggest removal

licks2 says...

Butler-Turner continues to prove. . .SHE IS NOT FIT TO LEAD. . .too politrickish!! She and her band of merry-men seems engaged in a scorched earth policy to make Minnis look as if he can't lead by creating chaos within the party then say: "see he can't keep problems from within the party"!!!!

They had a big row at FNM HQ last night and the Police had to be called in. . .now LBT in the news paper today bragging how she raised $50,000 for hurricane relief!! Doc Minnis lead his crew into the straw market last week. . .with everybody there except LBT and that white dude!! Then she went out at Potters Cay Dock with the protesting Vendors them. . .LIKE SHE BRINGING UP THE REAR TO MINNIS LIKE PGC USED TO DO WITH PAPA. . .ALWAYS TWO TO THREE STEPTS BEHIND THE MAN!!! SHE IS ONLY PROVING TO BE UNTRUE WHEN SHE SAY SOMETHING TO THE PUBLIC!!!

This woman is looking pure slime to plenty of us out here!! SHE JUST NEED TO CHILL AND CALM DOWN. . .SHE LOOKING OUT OF CONTROL NOW!!! SHE THINK SHE FOOLING ANYBODY. . .SHE NEED TO SIT SMALL. . .BEFORE SHE HAS TO "THROWN OVER BOARD" TO SAVE MINNIS LOOKING BAD!! Lol!!!

Posted 18 February 2016, 11:18 a.m. Suggest removal

birdiestrachan says...

What you all have here is the very best of the FNM Ms. Butler Turner Or Dr; Minnis .it is does not get any better than this. it is either 6 of one or half a dozen of the other. So what are you all complying about? relax and enjoy in the show, the actors are all about power.

Posted 18 February 2016, 11:39 a.m. Suggest removal

Honestman says...

So what is the ageing Perry Christie all about then?

Posted 18 February 2016, 3:48 p.m. Suggest removal