Nevertheless, the no votes are very encouraging. Usually these polls get a few hundred votes total. Nearly 800 have come out against. And if the opponents were manipulating the situation like BPC is doing, well, it has already been noted that they can mobilize 80,000 people to a vote. Therefore one would imagine that using underhanded tactics they could also get thousands to vote overnight. It is fair to assume therefore That the no vote is organic and a true reflection of how people feel. 800 on a Tribune survey, that is huge!

This mischaracterizes the situation on several levels. Because you seem more polite than most of the BPC janissaries on here, I will try to explain. The change.org petition never purported to be a survey of local opinion. The fact of the matter is that drilling in the Bahamas will affect several jurisdictions, which explains the already two letters from American congressmen warning against this. It was a global vote launched on a well-known global platform and does not pretend to be anything else. This vote, on a local national newspaper’s website on the other hand, is clearly intended to gauge local public opinion about drilling . Just like every tribune poll since they began doing them. And it is not just that the company’s foreign shareholders happened upon this page and began to vote, they discussed and organized coming on here to skew the vote and give a false impression of local public opinion. They even discussed voting several times. That is not the same thing at all. Twice now, in what would have been the middle of the night in the Bahamas, 1000 or so votes got dumped into the yes column. Curious that. Secondly, the narrative that this exploratory well will give the Bahamas an idea of its options is a sham, based on BPCs own statements. They have declared that if oil is found within the timeframe given for the drill, the company has a 30 year right to extract that cannot reasonably be denied. They are not giving us options; they are tying us down. And in that context, the deal that has been negotiated would be of minimal impact to the Bahamas economy in light of our annual budget, the size of our national debt, etc. It is a drop in the bucket. The average Bahamian will see no benefit whatsoever. Meanwhile the risk for a nation of islands that depend almost entirely upon their coastal environment and ecology, is immeasurable. I hope this helps.

The results are being manipulated by British shareholders and the evidence has already been turned over to the Tribune. As you full well know as their ringleader. Like I said before, it is the best thing you could’ve done for the PC’s opponents!

Yes. They failed to pay an undisclosed number of licensing fees, then came to an accommodation with the government to settle for a lesser amount. And then they had the audacity to launch a local mutual fund, raising exactly 900 K, and pay all of that to settle the outstanding fee. Who knows how much the Bahamas lost out on. Beware my good shareholder. You are dealing with a company that is very shady. They are diluting your shares like crazy as well: http://www.tribune242.com/news/2020/may…

That’s Australian slang hey?

Starless child, people are annoyed at the condescending and disingenuous manner in which self interested people seek to inject themselves into our national conversation, portraying themselves as some sort of great colonial savior for the poor benighted natives. Hey listen, you shareholders have to protect your investment. No problem, we get that. Only don’t come on here spinning some story about how this is for our own good etc. Great British saviors of the Bahamas! Maybe you don’t realize what a poor deal this is for the Country m, but we do. You’re in it for yourselves, and if you approach the conversation with that level of honesty we might have more respect for you.

So because they got a web designer from the United States to make their page, they are not a Bahamian organization. That is patently ridiculous. Hundreds of companies, organizations, associations etc. in the Bahamas do the same. For a variety of reasons from security, to pricing, to quality. That is just silly.

I fail to see your point George. Is it that, having already become involved in the very risky practice of oil transshipment, we should increase our risk exponentially with oil exploration as well? Do you really think that follows logically? Also, we are nothing like Saudi Arabia. It is not a good comparison. We are in Archipelagic nation. A major spill in our waters would be uncontainable and would spread to threaten all of the coastal areas, which provide the tourism that occupies 50% of the people here. Even small spills and the normal discharge from regular drilling threatens crucial interwoven ecosystems near the drill site which affect the marine life of the entire country. Spawning birds and fish nurseries, food sources for marine life etc.There is no comparable risk to Saudi Arabia’s entire economy from one accident.

Well, the sanctimonious outsider that you are, you clearly don’t know the first thing about our economy. Work the soil? LOL. No one who is poor or works for a living will see a dime from BPC. Even in Potter’s wildest predictions, the money is simply too small. Even if fantastically successful, the deal on the table will do nothing to improve the lives of regular Bahamians. The best possible annual return that has been suggested is barely 1/40 of our continually growing national debt. The worst case scenario on the other hand is unthinkable. Listen, you and the rest of the shareholders, please try not to fool yourselves in this embarrassing way.. You are in this for the money. Which is fine. But none of you have come here to save our working class, and what you are promoting only bodes ill for this country. Please stop telling yourselves fairytales. You’re looking to get rich at our expense and there is nothing in it for us. That is the deal, Jack.

@4thebenefit - lies!!! Out Islands, Out Future is based in Nassau, Bahamas. It’s spokepersons, on record, and it’s steering committee are prominent and well-known Bahamians. We will be known as a Mickey Mouse country will we? In fact the government of the Bahamas reviews and cancels foreign direct investment projects all the time. We have survived just fine thanks. BPC is not particularly big or special. Clearly you have no idea what you were talking about.Also who are you trying to threaten and hold ransom with that fear mongering? This is why you people come across as bullies. You don’t have the slightest clue about our economy. How much do you think fishing accounts for? The deal BPC wants to give the Bahamian people is a pittance. It couldn’t begin to help our national debt or even impact the annual budget very much. This isn’t Angola. Go take that nonsense somewhere else. We are not for sale.