By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Senior Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

VIANA Gardiner resigned from the Senate effective on New Year’s Eve.

She told The Tribune over the weekend that she had stood down for professional reasons, adding she will be taking on a new job. She was appointed to the Senate last October.

In a statement on Sunday, Free National Movement leader Michael Pintard said: “On behalf of the Free National Movement (FNM), I wish to extend my gratitude to Senator Gardiner for her service to the Bahamian people in general and to the Free National Movement in particular.

 “While serving in the Senate, she set a very high standard in her contribution to debates. Senator Gardiner also carefully and meticulously prepared for each debate. She was thorough in her research which was reflected in the content of her public comments in interviews and press releases as well as during her contributions at party meetings.

 “In the short-term, Senator Gardiner has determined to serve the Bahamian people in a different capacity. We are grateful for the assistance she rendered in the preparation of recommendations regarding legislation and policies that improved our administration’s ability to govern our country effectively during very challenging times. We will miss her extensive institutional memory and experience. Her work as the head of the Office of the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit (PMDU) improved effectiveness and efficiency in the public sector. We wish her every success with her professional pursuits and thank her family for making her available to provide national service in various capacities.”

 Mrs Gardiner’s initial appointment to the Senate raised eyebrows, with some in the FNM believing she was not a member of the party. She was given the appointment by former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis when he was still leader of the official opposition. Mrs Gardiner was in charge of the PMDU in Dr Minnis’s administration.

 Remaining FNM senators include former Minister of Foreign Affairs Darren Henfield, former Pinewood MP Rueben Rahming and Maxine Seymour, all candidates for the party in the last general election. Many in the FNM expect Mr Pintard to make changes to the composition of the Senate in the coming months.

 Mrs Gardiner, an attorney, previously served as director of trade for the government and is a former deputy chief of The Bahamas Trade Commission.