‘Many FNM MPs are one and done’

Tuesday, December 8, 2020

By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Tribune Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

AS he declared his intention to run in the 2022 general election no matter how the government adjusts the constituency boundaries, Pineridge MP Frederick McAlpine predicted that many FNM MPs will be “one and done” representatives.

He went on to hint that he could run either as an independent or for another political party outside of the FNM, under whose banner he was elected in 2017.

“I’m sorry to tell you many of you in here is one and done,” Mr McAlpine told the House yesterday during his contribution to the debate on an amendment to the Parliamentary Elections Act. The amendment will bring into force a permanent register which officials have said means persons on the existing register will not be required to register again.

“…If you was listening it wouldn’t get this far,” the outspoken MP said in response to heckling from seated government MPs. “We wouldn’t be where we are today if you was listening. You ain’t listening to me. You ain’t even listening to Papa (former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham). You ain’t listening to nobody.

“I am sorry to tell you, for many of you in here it’ll be one and done. Many of you have disappointed the Bahamian people (and) not just the Bahamian people, your family and your friends, even some of them have made up in their minds not to vote for you next time.

“Mr Speaker, I can’t tell you who’s winning the next general election, but I can certainly tell you who’s not.”

Earlier in his contribution, Mr McAlpine suggested there may have been a plan underway to deny him a nomination. However, he said, nothing would stop him from challenging the seat, including any plans to alter constituency boundaries.

“Pineridge intends to run in the next general election, God spares life. Pineridge also intends to be returning to this place after the next general election again, if God spares life.

“Pineridge may be many things, but Pineridge is not politically naive. I don’t follow constituencies’ names. I follow the people of the constituency. You’re not going to play political games with me and that’s when they would turn around and take the name Pineridge, stick it on West End and then turn it into Pineridge thinking that I’m crazy enough to go run in West End which is now named Pineridge.

“I’ve seen that before in this place. It happened right there where the honourable member for Bamboo Town is MP. Bamboo Town was someplace else. The people were someplace else, but another set of people had the name Bamboo Town.”

He continued: “If the powers that be seek to be spiteful while continuing down the road of pettiness, deciding among themselves to remove Pineridge as a constituency, then I will go where the majority is.

“You better listen, don’t worry about me, I will then see where the majority of the people are and will be running in that constituency either way. I have become a threat to the government’s candidacy.

“You may give me a nomination. You may not give me a nomination. It will become very difficult however for any candidate who the governing party may nominate against me even if he is a present incumbent.

“I ain’t stupid. Removing Pineridge and putting my people into another constituency from the voter’s registration will not matter.

“I represent and (have) represented Pineridge to the best of my ability and by extension Grand Bahama that wherever I run, the people of Grand Bahama will remember me as I have remembered them,” Mr McAlpine said.

Comments

bahamianson says...

all of you should be one and done. if you want to be recognized as a hero, none of you should get paid. Heroes are selfless and sacrificial. heroes put their lives on the line for others. It will truly be country before self. What you do is, get in power and have the first crack at foreign investments and investors. You line your family, friends and lovers with good jobs because of your connections that you were afforded because of the Bahamian people putting you in power. You walk around saying , " don't you know who I am". Is that an attitude of a hero? this place is ridiculous.

Posted 8 December 2020, 9:39 a.m. Suggest removal

tribanon says...

I predict the only FNM MPs who stand a chance of being re-elected are those bold enough to now stand up on the floor of the HOA and tell Minnis right to his face that they will not support him as PM going forward. They certainly have nothing at all to lose by doing so, because no right thinking Bahamian will ever be voting for him again no matter how much money the Communist Chinese Party throws his way in an effort to buy votes in our next general election.

Posted 8 December 2020, 10:29 a.m. Suggest removal

FrustratedBusinessman says...

FNM, PLP, whatever third party may try screw matters up even more, it doesn't matter. The situation has been bleak for a while now. When you have a national education average of a D, how can we surprised when we get D grade leadership?

Posted 8 December 2020, 2:28 p.m. Suggest removal

JokeyJack says...

If we had 39 McAlpine's in the House, we might get something good done in this country. There would be regular meetings of the Public Accounts Committee for sure. What about those Public Accounts? LOL.

Posted 8 December 2020, 3:32 p.m. Suggest removal

TalRussell says...

Proof certain Comrade Mac's not only one. There is much proof be spotted in the, not of this colony types strange behavior by those House-elected, and the political appoints that Aliens not only exist but are embedded whilst living in hidin' amongst us on the colony's second out island of **FREE**port... **so claims the creditably, respected Comrade Haim Eshed, ex-chief of Israel's space program.**
The United States government classification system's file on this Alien matter is marked at the highest **Secret** classification level.**Shakehead** a quick once for upyeahvote this is a much serious matter deserving we Queen's **On Her Majesty's Secret Service,** to want open a file on, a slow twice for not so much serious?

Posted 8 December 2020, 4:32 p.m. Suggest removal

TigerB says...

The trust is nobody knows who will win. IF we knew that we wouldn't be here talking. IF there is a change.. and I say if...wouldn't be any money left to monkey around with. I like that, especially if.. and I say if .. Brave get in there.. fat chance. As for McAlpine, he will have to foot it as an independent. For those who love him he was on the PLP side before, C,A.Smith beat him badly right here in Freeport, so he came over and got in... he wouldn't be back not in an FNM uniform! They will be stupid to allow him to run for them again.

Posted 8 December 2020, 6:20 p.m. Suggest removal

I don't know what Minnis expected when he brought political prostitutes like Miller and McAlpine on board and then expecting loyalty lol.

Whether it is the FNM, PLP, or a House full of independents, the Bahamas is screwed. The numbers are the numbers, and the economy is in the toilet for a while. The national debt that we have accumulated thanks to COVID is not going away any time soon, and tourism is a long way from coming back in significant strength. Abaco and Grand Bahama require millions for infrastructure repairs and investment, and the potential opening of Cuba to US travelers will only piss on the corpse of our dead in the water economy.

So many people here think kicking Minnis out will magically solve all of our problems that it is not funny. He isn't the best (there has been good and bad), but be careful we don't end up with worse lol.

Posted 8 December 2020, 7:02 p.m. Suggest removal

No one could be worse than Minnis. He's now more 'owned' by the the very sinister and evil Communist Chinese Party than Christie ever was or is.

Posted 9 December 2020, 12:16 a.m. Suggest removal

Wel...at least there won't be anything in the Treasury to steal if Davis gets in lol.

Regarding China, they have already won. Even if Trump manages to win every single one of his court cases, the vast majority of the American public (and Bahamian I might add) are completely oblivious to the plans that Xi and his buddies in the Communist Party have for them. Me and you see the big picture, but most don't. Better start learning Mandarin now lol...or finding one of these little cays to go hide on.

Posted 9 December 2020, 1:27 p.m. Suggest removal