PLP: FNM IS FOLLOWING IN OUR FOOTSTEPS

THE Progressive Liberal Party tried to brand much of the government’s agenda in the Speech from The Throne as a continuation of the previous administration’s plans.

“We listened intently and the reality is that the Speech from The Throne is an acknowledgement of the transformative foundation already constructed by the PLP government,” Official Opposition Leader Philip “Brave” Davis said at a press conference yesterday. 

“We are encouraged to hear that the government has embraced essential job related skills training and specialised programmes for youth.

“The government must now enter the real world of governance and not trash talking from a platform,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Free National Movement’s pledge that it will increase people’s access to justice was met with a PLP response that the Public Defender’s Office was established by the previous administration and the time it takes for cases to come to trial has been reduced.

National Health Insurance (NHI) was also established by the PLP, Mr Davis said, adding that the FNM’s NHI goals merely mirrors his party’s commitment to secondary and tertiary implementation of NHI.

“So the foundation is there,” Mr Davis said, “set by the PLP but the devil is in the details.”

He added: “It is also important to ensure that the favoured few who provided funding for this government doesn’t end up being the main beneficiaries of this government. While the FNM speaks the words of the protection of the poor, we will ensure that the benefits do not go to the wealthy.”

The party will await details of the Minnis administration’s referendum plans before revealing its positions on the government’s promise to implement term limits for prime ministers, institute a recall system for parliamentarians and create an independent boundaries commission, Mr Davis also said. 

“We wish them well,” Mr Davis said when asked about his party’s position on these issues. “They all serve to direct our democracy and I would prefer to await the details of how they intend to achieve these initiatives and at that time we will have a more robust response to it.”

Nonetheless, Englerston MP Glenys Hanna Martin appeared to express a preliminary view on at least one of those promises, saying: “Bahamian people put in place their own terms limits you know. When they go to the polls, they do what they got to do and then it ends so I don’t know why you need something in writing. The Bahamian people decide who will be where and when it will happen.”

It’s not clear when the Minnis administration plans to host a referendum. The government revealed its intention to do so during yesterday’s speech, which was read by Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling. 

If the government does host the referendum, the positioning of the opposition will come into focus as governing parties have sought to secure unanimous parliamentary support for referenda in hope that this would increase their chances of succeeding.

The PLP faced criticism in 2002 when it flipped its position on the constitutional referendum that was initiated by former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, and the party faced questions about that decision ahead of last year’s failed referendum on gender equality. 

Likewise, the PLP sought last year to place some blame for the failed referendum on then Leader of the Official Opposition, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, who voted in support of the gender equality bills in Parliament but told Bahamians to “vote their conscience” in the lead-up to the referendum.

Comments

John says...

A sign of political maturity. Very significant especially after the PLP campaigned on a platform that if the FNM came to office they would stop,review,cancel and rip up everything that they met in place. And obviously that isn't going to happen. Neither did it happen when the PLP came into office in 2012. In fact it was plans and projeothey met in place that kept the PLP government going for most of its term in office.

Posted 25 May 2017, 9:07 p.m. Suggest removal

SP says...

Please just shut the fook up and GO AWAY....FAR, FAR, AWAY!

Posted 25 May 2017, 10:09 p.m. Suggest removal

cmiller says...

Here we go again!!!!!!
I wonder if Brave realizes that the Bahamian public is not interested in what he has to say!!!!! We voted yall out, so GET OUT AND FLIPPIN GO AWAY, BRAVE!!!!!!!!

Posted 26 May 2017, 11:20 a.m. Suggest removal

licks2 says...

Dats all they ger present for the next five years? This man seem be-reffed of any cogent ideas. . . this bush politician will get eaten alive by the public and the members in the house. . .they needed to have given the leadership position to Mr. Cooper! Mr. Davis is clearly not up to the job!!

Posted 26 May 2017, 11:32 a.m. Suggest removal

OMG says...

"ENTER THE REAL WORLD OF GOEVERNANCE" ?????? You had 5 years to do what was needed and in your terms it mean't taxing the crap out of the public, still borrowing, running up a huge national debt, making the peoples station the PLP station, encouraging ministers to feather their own beds and fail to curtail all the stealing and waste. Yes the PLP did start some projects but with no thought as to how they would be funded in the future. The people spoke, get used to it.

Posted 26 May 2017, 11:39 a.m. Suggest removal

sealice says...

he musse smokin der good shiiieeetttteee!!!! if he believe wat he sayin.....

Posted 26 May 2017, 12:11 p.m. Suggest removal

John says...

If you inherit a property with a foundation on it you reinforce the foundation and continue to build the house. If you keep digging up the foundation to start over, not only will you never have a house but you may even end up with no foundation.

Posted 26 May 2017, 12:13 p.m. Suggest removal

themessenger says...

Conversely, if you inherit a property with a poorly designed crumbling and rotten foundation you demolish it and rebuild it to the proper specifications so that in strength that house may stand firm forever.

Posted 26 May 2017, 12:31 p.m. Suggest removal

John says...

In this case the foundation only needs reinforcement, not demolition, so your point is moot.

Posted 26 May 2017, 3:02 p.m. Suggest removal

baldbeardedbahamian says...

THE BAHAMAS ECONOMY IS NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO COMPARED TO A HOUSE. OTHERWISE THE ANOLOGY IS VERY GOOD.
WAR IS COMING SOONER THAN WE EXPECT. OUR TOERISTS WILL NOT BE VISITING US THEN FOR SOME YEARS. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY IDEAS AS TO HOW WE CAN FEED OURSELVES BECAUSE THE PROJECT DONE FINISH AND QUITE FRANKLY BAMSI IS AN EXPENSIVE JOKE SO FAR.

Posted 26 May 2017, 1:59 p.m. Suggest removal

baldbeardedbahamian says...

AND COMMENTS FROM DAVIS SHOULD NOW BE TAKEN AS SERIOUSLY AS WE TAKE BRADLEY'S, FRED'S OR CREDIBILITY GAP'S.

Posted 26 May 2017, 2:02 p.m. Suggest removal

realfreethinker says...

I really hope the FNM is not following in the plp footstep. We will be fooked if that happens

Posted 26 May 2017, 2:40 p.m. Suggest removal

cmiller says...

Why, oh why, don't these old ass PLP go away???? They just like booger that is sticking to the end of your finger after a productive nose cleaning!!!!!!

Posted 29 May 2017, 11:45 a.m. Suggest removal

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