26th May 2009

FOREIGN AFFAIRS FOREIGN TRADE COMMITTEE
The Leader of the Party has appointed an ad hoc committee of the Leadership Council of the PLP called the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.  It is meant to be an internal policy advisory committee to help formulate the PLP’s approach to public policy on matters of foreign trade and foreign affairs.  Ryan Pinder, an international tax attorney, who practices in The Bahamas, is the Co Chair of the Committee. The Committee is made up of members of the NGC of the party and former diplomats who served overseas during the last term of the PLP. The Committee assists in my work as Opposition spokesman on Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.

I think that this kind of thinking is crucial to the forward movement of a political party.  It shows that some people are thinking about the future.  Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade are in my view central to the development of this country and the party.  There is a crucial need for other voices from another generation to develop an interest, familiarity and understanding of foreign affairs and foreign trade and what the work of a foreign affairs minister and a foreign affairs ministry entails.  I hope that this committee will assist in the development of the interest in this area and in addition will help another generation to see how foreign affairs and foreign trade are central to the future development of The Bahamas.

CONSUL GENERAL ATLANTA
The Government has confirmed what I announced as spokesman for the Opposition some time ago that Kay Smith an FNM senator is to become the first Consul General in Atlanta for The Bahamas.   This appointment was part of the blueprint of the PLP for foreign affairs and is therefore a policy consistent with what we would have done had we been in office.  During my tenure as foreign minister, there was a racially motivated riot at a prison in the state of Georgia.  There were scores of Bahamian prisoners there and many of them raised the alarm about their safety.  We had to dispatch Alma Adams, the then Consul General in Miami to Atlanta to deal with their concerns.  But it became clear that this would only be a band-aid solution.  Our next step was to appoint an Honorary Consul with a view to developing an office for a consul general as soon as our budget permitted.  We also believe that there ought to be a consul general's office in Los Angeles.   We think that this will serve the Bahamian community in Georgia well and we will continue to monitor what happens in Atlanta with this office including the expenditure for the setting up of the office and whether it is properly staffed and adequately financed.

SCHENGEN VISAS
We wish to welcome the news that today the Government of The Bahamas is to sign a visa waiver agreement with the European Union.  When it comes into effect on 1st June, this will mean the abolition of the requirement for Bahamians tourists to obtain visas to travel to Europe.  This is has been a great nuisance and irritant in the relationship between The Bahamas and European countries. This is good news indeed.  The issues largely arose because there are no issuing stations for visas in The Bahamas.  Most European embassies serve The Bahamas through Kingston, Havana, Washington, New York or Ottawa.  The negotiations to abolish visas for Bahamians were begun when I was minister. In fact, the decision of the European Commission to delist our country as one whose citizens require visas was made while I was minister.  I am happy that this has been concluded.  I think it is a vindication of the approach of the PLP in foreign affairs, which was to be proactive.  Our philosophy was and continues to be that one role of the foreign ministry is to facilitate hassle-free travel for Bahamians abroad.

SOUTH AFRICA
While celebrating the success of the visa free access to the European countries, there is a need to conclude the visa abolition agreement with South Africa. This is a matter that was left on the table.

THE EUROPEAN UNION
The government needs to give a full explanation for the projects that it is able to access through European Union development financing.  When we left office, there were three projects in an advance state of negotiations for completion: a project for the Bahamas National Trust in Andros, certain public works in Andros, in Ragged Island and in Acklins.  None of these projects appear to have been completed, and there is as yet no explanation from the government as to what has happened and why they have not been completed. One project in Lowe Sound, Andros has been substantially scaled back.  Further, there has been no word on the construction of the Eugene Dupuch Law School that was also supposed to be funded by EU money.
There is also a need for an embassy of The Bahamas to be opened in Brussels to serve the EU and the World Trade Organization.

THE PUBLIC SERVICE
Finally, I wish to make a comment on the state of the public service in light of the pressing economic concerns that now face the country.  I believe that inordinate and extraordinary pressure is being placed on the public service as a result of the fiscal crisis.  The reports continue to be dire with reports that contracts that are in the state of negotiation having to be suspended, that no hiring is to take place; promotions are to be frozen. There is unhappiness within the Police Force and within the Defence Force.  All of us are concerned in the PLP about the abuse of public servants.  They are being made the scapegoats for the inefficiencies of this government.  You already know of the contemplated legal actions of customs officers who were overlooked in the recent promotion exercise.  There are also reports of a plan to force people with the 30 years or more from the service.  We shall see shortly how the government proposes to deal with the fiscal situation and in particular, how this will affect the people who work in the service.  The government must respect the rule of law and the structures of the service and not abuse those who work in it.