Launch Event
August 4, 2009

Ladies and gentleman, thank you for being here today.

We are here today because we know that it’s time to start moving The Bahamas in a new direction.

We know we can do better.  We know making this change happen will require us to be innovative, strong and brave.   And we know we all must do our part, especially those of us who have been blessed so much by The Bahamas.

I was born in a wooden, one-bedroom home at Smiths Lane off Wulff Road and grew up with a strong Mother and Father, who, as it happens, are here with me today, and my six siblings.  Like many Bahamians, I worked hard , and,  with the support of my family, became a lawyer.

I was fortunate, and that’s why I have tried to give back to this society which has given so much to me.  I fund my Church’s charity programs, as well as scholarships for students because I understand the struggles that Bahamian families face.  I grew up facing many of these same struggles. 

I serve in the House of Assembly as the representative of the people of Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador; good people who have seen fit to elect me three times.   It has been one of the greatest privileges of my life to serve the people of these three islands.

Ladies and gentleman, I am not telling you my personal story of success to brag or boast.

I tell it because personal success stories should be far more common here in The Bahamas.

And I tell it to raise a fundamental question: What are we doing TODAY to ensure that we do, in fact, have more personal success stories TOMORROW?

I invited you all here today to announce what I have decided to do.

Today, I am announcing my candidacy for deputy leader of the PLP because I, like many other Bahamians, am not happy with the direction in which our country is headed and I am absolutely committed to working with you to change The Bahamas..

Ladies and gentlemen my personal story of success should be more common.  But the government is letting us down.  Crime and unemployment is rising, but the government is offering the same old, failed ideas.

I have a new vision with new solutions.  We need to look ahead and create jobs of the future, not rely on the same traditional Bahamian economic model.  We need to fight crime by investing in the latest technology and teaching our police the latest techniques in addition to toughening penalties for criminals.  And we need to fight corruption by empowering a new independent ombudsman to investigate and prosecute allegations against "any" official.

Politicians like to say yes to everything.

But, we need a leader who is brave enough to say No – No to criminals who terrorize us in our streets and No to politicians who take for themselves at the expense of the Bahamian people.

We will not prosper and create good jobs until we end the culture of crime in the streets and the culture of corruption in politics.

Too many politicians shy away from solving problems.  They are not courageous.  They are not bold or brave.

Well, I am Brave.  And I will take these problems head on.  I ask you to be Brave with me.  Together, we can fight crime; together, we can fight corruption; together, we can create jobs of the  future.

We can do this.  Let’s be brave together.  Let’s change The Bahamas.

Today I am asking you to join me on this journey to move our nation in a new direction, to have the courage to solve the problems that are blocking our nation’s progress.

Now, you know, this isn’t going to be easy.

You will hear the naysayers and the cynics say it can’t be done.

They’ll try to tell you this is as good as it gets, and that change is too risky.  And you to tell them: "Be brave.  We can change The Bahamas."

They’ll try to tell you it’s too scary to stand up to the criminals who are making are neighborhoods unsafe and dealing drugs to our children.  And you tell them, "Be brave.  We can change The Bahamas."

They’ll try and tell you we lack the courage to really clean up the corruption that’s poisoning our politics today.  And you tell them, "Be Brave.  We can change The Bahamas."

Let’s be brave.  Let’ change The Bahamas.

Thank you and God bless The Bahamas.