By MALCOLM STRACHAN

Prime Minister Minnis’ tenure has not been short of blunders and contradictions - as any cursory search through his soundbites would reveal. A host of his campaign postures have since been walked back in some way or another. Dr Minnis, shortly after being sworn in as prime minister, made a bold proclamation to his ministers that reverberated throughout the nation. He cautioned his ministers against corruption, conflicts of interest and any unethical behaviour.

During his first official address as the nation’s third prime minister, Dr Minnis said: “My government will ensure that the Public Treasury is utilised for the public good rather than directed toward private interest.

“I will ever remind my ministers to avoid conflicts of interest in the exercise of their public duties.”

That declaration has become laughable with the government’s most recent decision to relocate the post office to the Town Centre Mall. Naturally, this was done despite the anger of many Bahamian people who see this as an overt conflict of interest. Although Immigration and Financial Services Minister Brent Symonette – who, along with his brother, owns the mall – would have recused himself from voting, such a formality does not justify why a sitting Cabinet minister will further be enriched by securing a contract worth nearly a million dollars annually.

It is absolutely insane that the prime minister, who hypocritically presents himself as the guardian of good governance, attempted to justify this to the Bahamian people. However, it should not serve as a surprise, as he too, has benefited from a government contract while he was the minister of health.

Certainly, it is quite easy to make light of Symonette cashing in from the public purse when the prime minister previously rented his building to a ministry whose portfolio he held.

How does one get more brazen than that?

Unfortunately, this has further damaged the government’s reputation, and the prime minister will be the one the Bahamian people will hold to account when the time comes.

The populace, the media and opposing parties will all have a field day analysing the government’s record – comparing what was said on the campaign trail with what was done in office.

We also recall the prime minister taking the previous government to task when an income tax was proposed as a means to fund the National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme. While there may be no getting around some form of increased taxation if NHI is to become a reality, Prime Minister Minnis may require the jaws of life to dislodge his foot from his mouth.

At a time when the poverty rate was less than it is currently, the prime minister – then leader of the Opposition – said: “Already you have a 12.8 percent poverty rate. So when you tax them even further you are going to cause an even greater increase in poverty and possibly decrease the quality of living and healthcare in the country.”

It’s hard to imagine the man who said that was also the same one who, upon coming into office, led the charge on supposed belt-tightening and austerity measures which resulted in the firing of thousands in the public service, other cutbacks and the decried increase of value added tax.

Yet with all the penny-pinching, it would not be long before the government was purchasing hotels and issuing contracts to one of its own Cabinet ministers.

The truth is that Prime Minister Minnis, who previously denied being like other politicians, is exactly like the type of politician Bahamian people have grown to despise. No amount of justifications can sway the opinions of disappointed Bahamians – many of whom were previously FNM supporters.

Tuning into any medium that covers national politics, you can hear the tenor of the Bahamian people is one of extreme disappointment in this government. Many citizens are chomping at the bit for the next election in 2022, and understandably so.

Life in The Bahamas has gotten harder. Crime is still a problem. Hardly a soul feels that it’s their time to do anything but continue to trudge along hopelessly.

The state the average Bahamian exists within is still one of desperation for an elusive future where equity abounds – a time that is truly possessed by the people. Instead, the Minnis administration continues to perpetrate an elaborate hoax.

As the Progressive Liberal Party continues to try to rebrand its image and reorganise in hopes of a successful campaign in 2022, their work is being made easy by the sitting government. While it is a sad reality, it would seem as though we’re becoming an electorate that votes the lesser of two evils.

Certainly, the PLP was blighted by the perception of rampant corruption, as propagated by the FNM during its campaign. However, with the lack of convictions and doubling-down on contracts with purported “whistleblowers”, the Minnis administration simply looks like another leopard that can’t change its spots.

The Bahamian people voted for a party selling us on change, but if all they are presented with is the same kind of politician they wanted to be rid of, then the FNM can be sure that election 2022 will be payback for insulting our intelligence.

As the saying goes: “Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice, shame on you.”