Here's what one well-known Bahamian journalist had to say about George Smith's role in the history of the Bahamas as far back as 1982: ".....the Bahamas was in the throes of a criminal takeover by South American drug cartels. The Colombian flag was raised over Norman's Cay in George Smith's Exuma constituency by the notorious gangster Carlos Lehder, who drove ordinary visitors away at gunpoint and orchestrated hourly cocaine flights to the US. The 1984 Commission of Inquiry found that Smith had accepted gifts and hospitality from Lehder, who is now serving a long sentence in an American jail. In fact, one parliamentarian said at the time that 'Pindling and his crew make the Bay Street Boys look like schoolchildren.'" Smith will tell you he has since welcomed the Good Lord into his life and sought, found and received forgiveness and redemption for all of his earlier transgressions.....what a bunch of poppy cock for anyone who really knows this scoundrel!

Here's what one well-known Bahamian journalist had to say about George Smith's role in the history of the Bahamas as far back as 1982: ".....the Bahamas was in the throes of a criminal takeover by South American drug cartels. The Colombian flag was raised over Norman's Cay in George Smith's Exuma constituency by the notorious gangster Carlos Lehder, who drove ordinary visitors away at gunpoint and orchestrated hourly cocaine flights to the US. The 1984 Commission of Inquiry found that Smith had accepted gifts and hospitality from Lehder, who is now serving a long sentence in an American jail. In fact, one parliamentarian said at the time that 'Pindling and his crew make the Bay Street Boys look like schoolchildren.'" Smith will tell you he has since welcomed the Good Lord into his life and sought, found and received forgiveness and redemption for all of his earlier transgressions.....what a bunch of poppy cock for anyone who really knows this scoundrel!

Here's what one well-known Bahamian journalist had to say about George Smith's role in the history of the Bahamas as far back as 1982: ".....the Bahamas was in the throes of a criminal takeover by South American drug cartels. The Colombian flag was raised over Norman's Cay in George Smith's Exuma constituency by the notorious gangster Carlos Lehder, who drove ordinary visitors away at gunpoint and orchestrated hourly cocaine flights to the US. The 1984 Commission of Inquiry found that Smith had accepted gifts and hospitality from Lehder, who is now serving a long sentence in an American jail. In fact, one parliamentarian said at the time that 'Pindling and his crew make the Bay Street Boys look like schoolchildren.'" Smith will tell you he has since welcomed the Good Lord into his life and sought, found and received forgiveness and redemption for all of his earlier transgressions.....what a bunch of poppy cock for anyone who really knows this scoundrel!

Canada's concerns also extend to the Christie-led PLP government's failure to effectively clamp down on illegal immigration and human-smuggling, and the very cosy relationship that certain of our senior politicians, like Christie, Wilchcombe, Davis, Maynard-Gibson et al., enjoy with the racketeering mobsters behind the cross-border criminal activities associated with the online gaming web shops run by the likes of Flowers and Bastian. The U.S., Canadian and U.K. governments all have grave concerns about the extent to which corrupt politicians are allowing the proceeds of crime to influence the decisions of our government and the resulting heightened security risks this presents for their own countries by individuals travelling on a Bahamian passport who purport to be a legitimate or bona fide Bahamian with no serious criminal record.

Sadly, the picture from Canada's perspective is much bigger and much more serious than the one you have painted. The Canadian banks operating in the Caribbean/West Indies have pointed out to the Canadian government that organised crime is growing rapidly in countries like ours because of the corrupt ties between certain of our cash greedy senior politicians and well-known racketeering mobsters who now have extensive cross-border criminal activities within our part of the world. The Canadian government was flabbergasted when the Christie-led PLP government unconstitutionally ignored the will and wishes of the Bahamian people as expressed in the duly held referendum we had not too long ago. From Canada's perspective, the corrupt Christie-led PLP government now presents a security risk that they must react to in an appropriate way, even if it means innocent Bahamians must suffer in the meantime until they replace their government with one much more acceptable to the global community.

The business sector can only train them if they can read, write and do basic arithmetic, and are not unruly. That unfortunately eliminates about 80-90% of our 'graduating' students today; the remaining 10-20% all want to be doctors, lawyers or accountants.

In other words, not only did the Christie-led PLP government (Christie, Maynard-Gibson, Gomez, Davis et al) screw the Irzmirlian family, but they screwed Scotiabank too! This at a time when CIBC wants to sell its First Caribbean operations in our region but can't find a buyer, and RBC is seriously contemplating exiting the Bahamas as it recently did in Jamaica. It seems the Canadian banks, whose operations are highly regulated by global regulators, are finding it unprofitable and damaging to their brands to operate in our region where the failed policies of corrupt politicians have: (1) destroyed the middle-class and caused moral hazard situations; (2) supported organised crime and racketeering mobsters that have governments in their pockets; and (3) resulted in a largely unskilled and uneducated work force, especially at the lower pay grade levels.

The National Insurance Fund has been tapped very heavily by the Christie-led PLP government as a result of all the shenanigans at Bank of The Bahamas involving delinquent unsecured loans and advances made to Christie's political friends and business cronies. Increasing the minimum wage is an effort to replenish the plundered National Insurance Fund so that it can be re-plundered.

What foreign investor in their right mind would come to the rescue of the Baha Mar development knowing that our corrupt Bahamian government and the Chinese are snuggly in bed together and therefore might at any moment pull the same illegal (unconstitutional) nationalization stunt on them. Now only the Chinese and our corrupt government can complete, own and operate the "new" Baha Mar, and we all know what that means: Bahamians need not apply! Thousands of work permits will now be issued to incoming Chinese low level labourers and higher paid workers for jobs in the hospitality industry, even before completion of the project. For those of you staying...start brushing up on your Mandarin. Remember Bowe, you are to do as the Wicked Witch tells you to do or else! She speaks at the behest of Christie himself on all matters relating to Baha Mar. Christie told Maynard-Gibson to "take possession and control" and "nationalize" she did!

Unbelievable! Does anyone know whether Maynard-Gibson was Attorney-General at anytime Winder worked in the AG's Office? Keep in mind Maynard-Gibson has had more than one stint as AG because Christie likes for her to be in charge of the AG's Office whenever he is PM, in the same way he always likes to be in charge of the public purse as Minister of Finance.