Total rubbish. Canadians and Americans always believe the world is suppose to move for them. Only in the Bahamas we always jumping and skipping for them. Yes the process may not be going as they had hoped but who really knows the true story behind these claims. Everyone involved in that investment appear to be foreign and are at each others throats over some petty gated community quarrel. Honestly the Bahamian government has better things to be doing than dealing with matters that responsible adults should have to sense to deal with. It looks like an attempt to embarrass the country. Why didn't they go to the Police Commissioner or the Chief Justice first? Why try to make an international story out of it? And then rather than their Foreign Office speak to our Foreign Office the Canadian's issue some report. Typical international bullying. I find it hard to believe that the HC in Jamaica spoke to Mr. Mitchell and nothing was done.This is a private matter between private investors and it should remain that way. Its disgusting how they come and want to pressure our government into positions. The FNM government at the time and the PLP government now had and still have a hell of a lot of problems to deal with for its own people. Many people have civil cases that have taken quite a long time before the courts. But because these people think that their interests are more important than others they want threaten and squeeze our small nation. That's why I say we, really have to look at other means of economic sustainability in this country. We are always at the mercy of these investors who so arrogantly want to dictate policy in our country. I would agree that the court process is not the swiftest or the most efficient. But I don't appreciate this attempt by this couple to try and make investors feel that the Bahamas is unfriendly or unhelpful. Nothing could be further from the truth. We have given more away in this country than we should, but anyhow that's another matter.

Quite the contrary Observer. The fact that we have the freedom and technology to voice our opinions speaks volumes for our generation. You may disagree with my or some of the other comments posted as is your right to do. But that's the beauty of democracy. So the irony in your statement is the very fact that many years ago many Bahamians didn't have the education or freedoms to voice their concerns. Now that they do you want to label them as uneducated. Think about it. The gist of it is that we need to be asking for more honest people in politics not more educated. Education doesn't make you honest or wise.

Both the PLP and FNM have for years enriched themselves off of the Bahamian people. But I will say again, the FNM needs to stop acting as if they have never had some questionable members and politicians. They always run on with some nonsense about the 1970's and PLP goons. This may very well be true, but I have seen FNM goons doing the same thing. So Dr. Minnis needs to get real and be honest with himself and with his party. No more blaming someone else for the FNM's problems. The FNM has always had a leadership problem and they need to look within to solve it. We thank Mr. Ingraham for his service and wish him well. Any Bahamian that denies that he did some good for this country would be foolish. But honestly the FNM needs to get off this self righteous pedestal.

Funny. Its always a sad day for democracy when your team doesn't win. FNMs must face the facts. They chose a candidate that was simply not up to scratch and there was question after question about his past. The FNM under the leadership of Hubert Minnis is going nowhere anytime soon. Bahamians need to get in their heads that we as a people are not beholden to any man or any party. If you do nonsense I say vote them out. That goes for PLP, FNM and whoever else comes along. These commentators on FB can run on all they like. They had a chance to vote in the constituency and so do the people of North Abaco. They shouldn't be subjected to ridicule because they chose in a democratic way who they wanted to represent them.

It is always the claim of FNMs that money has been spent etc. The FNM knows better to go down that road. If we really start opening those cans, the worms will really poor out. So I say to the FNM you might as well dig two graves while your at it. Because many of them are implicated in scandals that have been swept under the rug.

We can argue over a detailed list of who did what or supposedly did what for eons. Concernedcitizen your bias has surely grown over the last few months. At some point you and I at least agreed that Bahamians whether FNM, PLP or in between we're not getting good representation. As far as I'm concerned both of these parties are lack luster. Its no use holding one up over the other because they have both been reckless. My problem with FNMs is that they like to behave as if they are the only ones who ever did anything positive for this country. Mr. Laing especially. He exudes a disgusting sense of arrogance. I met him once as a student in Junior Achievement some years ago. He was arrogant then and is arrogant now. So yes Concernedcitizen it would be hard deny that the FNM did do some good. But what concerns me is that we are so politically divided as people that we can't get moving in this country. I am convinced that if we as people don't get beyond party politics and use our sense to build this country together we aint going nowhere soon.

We can argue over a detailed list of who did what or supposedly did what for eons. Concernedcitizen your bias has surely grown over the last few months. At some point you and I at least agreed that Bahamians whether FNM, PLP or in between we're not getting good representation. As far as I'm concerned both of these parties are lack luster. Its no use holding one up over the other because they have both been reckless. My problem with FNMs is that they like to behave as if they are the only ones who ever did anything positive for this country. Mr. Laing especially. He exudes a disgusting sense of arrogance. I met him once as a student in Junior Achievement some years ago. He was arrogant then and is arrogant now. So yes Concernedcitizen it would be hard deny that the FNM did do some good. But what concerns me is that we are so politically divided as people that we can't get moving in this country. I am convinced that if we as people don't get beyond party politics and use our sense to build this country together we aint going nowhere soon.

Again Bahamians miss the point. The issue really isn't about our PM driving a nice car or who ordered it. We all want our PM whoever that may be to represent our country in style. Where I disagree with this is how the FNM loves to say its so conservative and financially responsible and then they go ahead and order a car for nearly $200,000. Why not a car for $100,000? Its ridiculous. $185,000 is the cost of a low cost home and many Bahamians are struggling to make it. Then they will holla oh we don't have enough for our Out Island Schools and the Met Office and the other necessary things we truly need to build our country.

Like I said before we can have nice things for our leaders but we as people need to demand more from them. Their behaviors are appalling, they don't get things done and still we must have them riding around in luxury items at our expense. I'm sorry but I cannot agree with that. Politics aside any Bahamian with good sense would say this is a bunch of rubbish.

This is the same nonsense. Mr. Laing really is something else. He talks bout debt reduction and lack of plan, yet he has not answered once the unexplained spending in the run up to the election. The nice car that everyone is speaking about was ordered under his watch as Minister of Finance. It really is disgusting the way our politicians so boldly lie and act the fool with Bahamians. He is correct in saying that there is a PLP government in office and it is the responsibility of the government to solve these issues. But Mr. Laing appears to want to wash his hands clean of the mess under his watch. If he had good sense he would be trying to help the situation even while out of office.

The fact is Mr. Laing has always been one to use terms with the public that makes him appear to be an expert in economics and finance. He can tell us all about credit ratings, deficits and GDP straight out of the text book. What he has failed to do as a minister is to be practical and leave a sensible economic model that any successive government could understand. Furthermore, what credibility does Laing have as savvy businessman or financial whiz? The FNM government boasted about its fiscal prudence, but all they did was spend. What they did was beyond Keynsian economics it was reckless and stupid. There is nothing to show for it. No infusion of capital into the economy, no encouragement to the banking sector just waste and a bunch of social programs that they use a political tools.

There is nothing wrong with the PM driving a nice car. You are absolutely right I want and all Bahamians should want our PM whoever he/she is to have the best. The problem here is that the FNM with is so called fiscal prudence have really been lying to the Bahamian people. We are apparently in such economic straits and the Bahamian government can afford to purchase a car for nearly $200,000. It is gratuitous and Mr. Laing and Mr. Ingraham as Ministers of Finance at the time could have shown more fiscal prudence.
This argument has nothing to do with pride for self or country. We all love our country. But it doesn't give any PM the right to just spend government money any way he pleases. This is the same nonsense the FNM blamed the Late L.O. Pindling for. I've made my disclosures on numerous occasions on these blogs about being a PLP. I think both of these parties have been out of control. No FNM or no PLP can give me any reasonable excuse for this purchase during these serious financial times. Not when people are losing their homes and can't put their kids in school. The vehicle is the cost of a low cost home. We need to get our mind right in this country. Common sense is common sense. It has nothing to do with pride. If we were doing better financially and things weren't so rough I could see the government investing in such a vehicle. But I cannot accept that the the FNM government who claim that they are so clever with the people's money could make such a purchase.

Now Concernedcitizen stop grinding your axe. You and I haven't had a good dialogue in a while. But as I said in a previous post we shouldn't jump to conclusions. We don't know the facts of this case and we should let the courts investigate further. For all we know the allegations may not even be true. I really can't understand why we bring race or foreign into these things. At the very basic level we need to understand the players involved and the motives if any. Like I said before, Mr. Smith may very well have said these things. But I don't know any court that convicts based on heresay. Evidence evidence evidence. None of these people are credible witnesses as far as I can see. Because they all appear to have had some unresolved issue with Mr. Smith prior to this so called racist rant. Politics aside, we need to be sensible and stop running on with rubbish about race and foreigners. I'm a black Bahamian, my wife is white she is the most amazing woman in the world and I love her and that's that. Who don't like it can go jump into the deepest blue hole.

A bit over the top John. The fact is we have people from all walks of life living with and amongst us. That's what makes our country as beautiful as it is. Who knows what the issues were exactly or what took place. Its all hear say to be honest. Unless they can prove that he said these things. If it can't be proven then its all hot air really. I'm not defending the Deputy Speaker because I do believe that if he said these things there should be consequences. But in saying that, who knows what the motives of these people are or what the underlying story is.

So my thing is Dr. Minnis before you go asking for the guys head on a platter lets make sure that the allegations are true. Stop jumping on every story and making politics of it.