PHOTO OF THE WEEK
AT COP 31:
Prime Minister Philip Davis as he addresses the Conference of The Parties in Turkiye 12 November
2026
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
ANDRE ROLLINS LOSES HIS HEAD
Despite being
an opponent, there are some people that you wish well. One of them is the MP
for Long Island Andre Rollins who has been from a youngster a pretty smart
fellow with ambitions to be right where he is today in Parliament. Clearly, he
is a tenacious survivor but gosh he can act the fool and act the fool too many
times. The latest was the disruption of the House by calling the Speaker a
disgrace and then being thrown out.
One of the
marks of a really smart man is to know when enough is enough, to have a sense
of objectivity and judgement about yourself and your own conduct, and recognize
when it is time to pivot and make a change.
As Michael Jackson sings, the man in the mirror must make a change.
Another public
figure that we can use as an example was the late former Senator Rodney Moncur.
He got into public prominence by the antics of an activist. He was always in
trouble with the police, not really trouble but annoyance trouble. It captured
the headlines. He was from pillar to post on one cause or the next and could not
be ignored by the establishment.
Then he struck
gold, Loretta Butler Turner became Leader of the Opposition and decided to appoint
him to the Senate. He took it seriously, even as he entertained us. His personality
changed and he began to operate from the middle, capturing a talk show that
informed us and entertained us. That is the point from which a successful
politician operates, from the middle.
Dr. Rollins
knows better but it appears just cannot govern his conduct and his head. Sir Lynden
Pindling speaking at the funeral of the late Sir Cecil Wallace Whitfield described
him as having a heart of gold but a head of fire. That is not quite Andre Rollins, we don’t
know where his heart is but he certainly has a head of fire. He doesn’t think
before he acts.
Then after
standing up after disrupting the House, calling a female speaker a disgrace, he
speaks words of contrition, like a little child after being taken to the
woodshed, surrounded by his FNM colleagues like he was in prison, to say word
sorry that everyone knows he does not mean.
One day, we
hope he gets it for his sake. We need all the brain power that we can to run this
country. Opposition and government. You really hate to see a man who is well
trained and who has some good instincts ruin his opportunity to act from the centre
because he just cannot control his head.
Number of hits for the
week ending Saturday 14 November 2026 up to midnight:
Number of hits for the
month of November up to Saturday 14 November 2026 up to midnight:
Number of hits for the
year 2026 up to Saturday 14 November 2026 up to midnight:
THE SPEAKER GIVES A GOOD SCOLDING
The Speaker of
the House of Assembly took no nonsense and generally brooks no nonsense. That
was clear on Wednesday 11 November 2026 when she unceremoniously booted MP
Andre Rollins whom we dub Mad Max from the House. Mr. Rollins called her a
disgrace. The word was unparliamentary, and he was being argumentative in a
vicious back and forth, disrupting the chamber. He left on his own steam after
being ordered out, without the police having to lift him out. Later, he stood
down stairs in false contrition saying that he was apologizing for the word
that he used, that it was unparliamentary.
Of course, no one believes that he meant a word of it.
MICHAEL PINTARD MASTER OF TWO SIDES OF THE MOUTH
We have said
this many times in this column, a word of cheap advice to the Leader of the
Opposition Michael Pintard, you cannot aprobate and reprobate at the same
time. It must be one or the other. The
latest in his all too often attempts to have his cake and eat it too was the
false apology given by the Member of Parliament Andre Rollins for his
disruptive behaviour in the House of Assembly on 11 November 2026. Mr. Rollins stood in the Committee Room of
the House with a contrite look on his face saying sorry and he was surrounded
by the choir of the FNM MPs, looking equally as pious but the Leader of the Opposition
could not leave well enough alone, he had to give an explanation as to what led
to the disruptive behaviour that amounted to we are only saying sorry because
we know it did not go over well with the public. When will the FNM ever learn.
CHANGES TO THE LAW ON JUSTICES OF THE PEACE
One of the few
sinecures or political gifts that the government of the day can give to its
ordinary foot soldiers who have done well in the society is to offer them the
position of Justice of the Peace or J.P. A Justice of the Peace under the
current Magistrate’s Court act is able to notarize documents including
administering in the courts and issuing summonses or warrants for searches.
Mainly they notarize affidavits. This
has annoyed many in the legal establishment and they have now persuaded the
government to move to stop the present system and make it more difficult to
become a JP and to maintain being a JP. This is one of these things that you
say if it ain’t broke why are we trying to fix it. But fix it we are and in the end the hundreds
of PLP and FNM supporters who will be looking to the government when their
political party is in power for their piece of the pie will not be able to get
it.
COP 31 IS OVER THE PM IS BACK HOME
Prime Minister
Philip Davis is back home after spending a few days at the Conference of The Parties (COP 31) in Turkiye.
There he once again made the case for climate action and climate justice as it
relates to the small island developing states like The Bahamas. The big players
did not show up. China’s president was absent and so was the President of the
United States. In fact the President of the United
States calls climate change a con job.
It appears that the show is going on and so it should. The Bahamas
revealed its plan to market carbon credits based on the sea grasses that we
have in our waters. It has taken some time to quantify and to organize but the
Prime Minister said that it was almost time to go to market. The country hopes that by marketing the
carbon credits there will be a significant windfall of funding to support the
fight against the rising sea and harsh hurricanes.
MEANWHILE IN GRAND BAHAMA
We remind the
public that the period of public consultation has come for the proposed
framework for Grand Bahama and Freeport. The website is www.gbframework.com. It is
important for the public to make its input into the changes that must come to
Grand Bahama. In the meantime, it would be prudent for the families that run
and own the city of Freeport to try to find a way to divest themselves of it
and find an investor who can transform the city. The consultation period ends
on 30 April 2026.
THE AMERICANS ARE WRONG PUTTING OUT SALACIOUS INFO
Last week, the
Americans went further in their campaign to undermine the PLP and the
government of The Bahamas by putting another public document in their courts
that said that the politician number one that they identified as being the
person to whom drug cash was being sent on election day when a plane crashed
and they rescued the Bahamians in the crash, was a recently re-elected politician.
That set off a firestorm again in the Bahamas, with the press and the Opposition
running off the deep end about who was this politician umber one. They pinned down Kingsley Smith MP for West
Grand Bahama and he told them “not friggen me. I
don’t do nonsense”. At last we have a PLP
who has the balls to tell these stupid people eff off. This should have been
done long time. The Chairman of the PLP in in a voice note on Friday 13
November 2026 said that he supported Mr. Smith.
THE BAHAMIAN RESPONSE IS TOO LADY LIKE: KUDOS
KINGSLEY MP
The Bahamian
people are so terrified of
losing their right to shop at Walmart’s that they let these folks
from across the water talk to them any kind of how and say whatever they like,
call the country crooked, attack its leaders, and we say nothing. Such lady
like behaviour will not get us anywhere.
FELIX SANDS WRITES FROM GRAND BAHAMA
ABAGAIL CARTWRIGHT FROM DEAN’S BLUE HOLE
IN PASSING
A Trip To Westminster
Abbey
Facebook:
Very Reverend Harry
Bain began his Foreign Affairs assignment this evening at Evensong at the Westminster
Abbey in London. Joining me was Antonio Butler who is the Acting High
Commissioner to London and our host was Dr James Hawkey ,
the Canon Theologian and Chaplain to the King.
Fred Mitchell MP
Fox Hill
8 November 2026
The Cynthia
Munnings Masterpiece
Facebook:
I was stunned by the
inventiveness of this piece by Cynthia Munnings, a Bahamian artist living in
UK. The piece is made of straw, top from the palms of The Bahamas, used in the
straw market. Great stuff. You can view it in our high commission in London.
Fred Mitchell MP
Fox Hill
6 November 2026
Meeting The Greek
Orthodox Archbishop
Facebook:
It was an honour to
visit with and exchange views with His Eminence Nikitas,
Archbishop of Thyateira and Great Britain of the
Greek Orthodox Church. I introduced him to Very Reverend Harry Bain ( retired Dean of Christ Church Cathedral). Rev Bain's
mission is to assist the Foreign Service in the outreach to the civic and
religious community on the themes of climate change, human rights, the
environment, the rule of law and multilateralism. With me was the Acting High
Commissioner Antonio Butler. It turns out that The Archbishop is a cousin of
the Minister of Finance Michael Halkitis. I was able to connect them by phone.
Fred Mitchell MP
Fox Hill
10 November 2026
Being Briefed
On IMO News
Facebook:
Being briefed by
Ambassador Paul Rolle in London on the affairs of the International Maritime
Organization (IMO) and that of our campaign to be re-elected to the council of
the IMO.
Fred Mitchell MP
Fox Hill
10 November 2026
Meeting The
British Baptists
Facebook:
We met today at our
offices in London Reverend Alex Afriyie, President of
the Baptist Union of Great Britain. Joining me was Very Reverend Harry Bain and
Ambassador Paul Rolle. We discussed how the Baptist Church can engage with us
on common themes like climate change, the environment, reparatory justice and
the rule of law.
Fred Mitchell MP
Fox Hill
10 November 2026
A Visit To The House Of Lords
Facebook:
With the Rt Rev Graham Usher Bishop of Norwich at the House of Lords
in London to discuss the environment and climate change with the Anglican
communion and extensive discussions on reparatory justice. Joining us is the
Very Rev. Harry Bain.
Fred Mitchell MP
Fox Hill
11 November 2026
Farewell To Patrice McDonald
Facebook:
I signed the Book of
Condolences at St Agnes Church to mark the passing of the late Patrice McDonald
nee Astwood at St Agnes Church were the mass of the
Resurrection was held. Rest in peace.
Fred Mitchell MP
Fox Hill
13 November 2026