EDITORIAL: Time to catch up with rest of the world

WHO wants a national televised debate for the next election?

That’s the prospect being suggested by PLP leader Philip ‘Brave’ Davis – and it’s one that while often mooted over the years has never come to reality.

Look around the world of course, and you’ll see such debates are a fixture of election campaigns. Indeed, when a leader doesn’t show up, it often counts against them with voters, as they are seen as not wanting to be asked questions about their positions.

There is a sense that they most often benefit the challenger rather than the incumbent – but that’s really only the case with a new face on the scene who might not be familiar to viewers and who might only be discovering their policies for the first time.

That’s not the case here in The Bahamas – with Mr Davis a long-familiar face in the PLP and a former Deputy Prime Minister. Neither he nor Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis are fresh faces – Mr Davis turns 70 this year, and Dr Minnis turns 67.

What debates do serve, however, is that buzzword that was so popular in the last election, but which has been so poorly served since – transparency.

A debate allows policies to be rigorously discussed, not just wrapped in fancy campaign packaging and gloss and delivered without any real exploration of the problems a policy might have.

Too often, campaign commitments get brushed off or a diminished version of the policy is pointed to as meeting a promise, when the promise was for far more than was delivered. Having a leader commit, in front of the public, to meet a promise and be seen to be saying those words on camera can be far more binding than a line in a manifesto.

There are questions of course about how such a debate would be held – who would moderate, which leaders would participate, who would be asking the questions and so on. In the age of COVID-19, there would be a question over whether an audience would be present at the debate or whether it would all take place virtually.

But the most important question is whether it would serve the voters. When election time finally comes around, voters deserve the clearest answers and the opportunity to ask the toughest questions of those who want their support.

Election debates shouldn’t just be a suggestion at this stage – they should be a long established part of the campaign scene.

Isn’t it about time we caught up with how the rest of the world makes would-be leaders answer our questions?

Failing grade

The news that schools are reopening today is welcome for parents – but why on Earth are so many schools still closed?

A number of buildings were not ready for reopening – with construction work being the main reason given. What has the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Works been doing all this time?

With schools closed down for so long, why has necessary construction work not already been carried out? The length of time children have been out of schools has been longer than the summer break when most construction gets done – and if funds were available to build footpaths then why weren’t they available first of all to fix what was necessary in schools?

At this point, everything should have been completed and standing in readiness for when the go-ahead was given for children to return.

We can well understand the cases where work has been needed to accommodate the extra space children need for social distancing – but work such as repairing roofs or walls or air conditioning and plumbing should have been wrapped up a long time ago.

So while we welcome the return to schools where it can be done safely – we also feel sorry for those parents and children who see other students getting back to the classroom while they’re still stuck at home managing as best they can with virtual learning.

It isn’t fair for those students – and frankly they deserve an apology.

Comments

The_Oracle says...

Debates will do nothing to improve transparency or the state of politics in the Bahamas.
A debate would either be a mud slinging contest at worst, or pure lies.
We need a serious upgrade when it comes to politics.
Our politics are purely tribal, polarized, (a feature showing up in U.S. Politics more and more)
and prove to get us more of the same downward spiral.
Who would a Citizen of proper ethical and moral standards, with a hint of care for the country vote for?
Piss poor choice to have to make.

Posted 23 February 2021, 6:58 p.m. Suggest removal

tribanon says...

What you really mean is that die-hard FNM'ers fear Yellow Belly Minnis would make minced meat out of Dumbo Minnis on a televised debate stage.

Posted 1 March 2021, 9:05 a.m. Suggest removal

tribanon says...

oopsy.....s/b Yellow Belly Davis

Posted 1 March 2021, 9:38 a.m. Suggest removal

birdiestrachan says...

Construction on the schools has not been completed. But they say they are doing a good
job.

The problem is telling Lies is to easy for them It just slips off their tongues.

Posted 23 February 2021, 7:14 p.m. Suggest removal

bahamianson says...

Lets catch up with everything else also

Posted 23 February 2021, 7:52 p.m. Suggest removal

DWW says...

I, for one, would not waste my precious time on a silly debate. just give me the cliff-notes while i focus on more productive things in my life. I could care less whether it is PLP or FNM running the country, they are congruent in my annals.

Posted 24 February 2021, 8:29 a.m. Suggest removal

sheeprunner12 says...

Sadly, Bahamians just want to party & wave pom poms ....... who really cares what is being said or planned by the wannabe politicians?????

Posted 24 February 2021, 1:40 p.m. Suggest removal

sheeprunner12 says...

How many Bahamians will honestly sit and listen to Minnis & Davis???????? ........... Who can moderate that debate (series)??? .......... Which TV channels will get sponsors to carry that debate??? ................. Do we have impartial debate "experts" to provide commentary on who "won" the debate(s) and if there were any fact checking points that were evident to counter????

If those debate questions can be partially answered ......... then, go for it.

Posted 24 February 2021, 1:37 p.m. Suggest removal

bogart says...

People should at least have the Debates with Darold Miller as the Moderator.

Posted 24 February 2021, 2:06 p.m. Suggest removal

bogart says...

......er...and the Junkanoo judges with years of experience be the ones judging. On the winner by tallying the points can have the gentleman from the Labour dept who can state the percentage of Labour unemployment.

Posted 24 February 2021, 2:41 p.m. Suggest removal

tribanon says...

He's much too partial to the corrupt elitist PLP leadership and everyone knows it.

Posted 1 March 2021, 9:06 a.m. Suggest removal

FrustratedBusinessman says...

Debate? Debates are pointless and irrelevant when everyone there is going to conveniently "forget" everything that they said if their party comes into power.

Voting is a waste of time, and we just need to go back to the Queen at this point (she won't take us though, UK doesn't need any more leeches.)

Posted 24 February 2021, 4:10 p.m. Suggest removal

longgone says...

Too true---The Queen was so glad to get rid of us she actually smiled!

Posted 24 February 2021, 4:34 p.m. Suggest removal

sheeprunner12 says...

The Queen of Gt Britain is stubbornly holding on to the Turks & Caicos Islands .......... Wonder if Missick#2 will pry them loose this time around .......... HMMMMM

Posted 24 February 2021, 7:58 p.m. Suggest removal

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