Remarks by
Hon. Fred Mitchell
Fox Hill MP

PLP RALLY
Tuesday 20th February 2007

PLP ALL THE WAY!

Rt. Honourable Prime Minister…

It is good to be here in Pinewood with my colleague and friend Allyson Maynard Gibson and all other colleagues.

Tonight we show them who is in charge.

Tonight I want to speak about our friend and brother Shane Gibson, his wife Jackie and all his children.  I want you all to keep him and his family in your thoughts and prayers.  He is an extraordinary politician and a true patriot.  He showed the country how a PLP conducts himself in public life, not like those other people who leave office presiding over the most corrupt government in the history of the country and then want to accuse others of being corrupt.  Allegations galore and not one resignation.  The double dipper Hubert Ingraham has the nerve as he takes both salary and pension from the taxpayers of The Bahamas to make such an allegation.

Three of his Ministers left office under the shadow of improper behavior.  His Deputy, the heir to the dread Stafford Sands and the UBP had to leave office because of a clear conflict of interest and now seeks to return to office.  The former Prime Minister intends to turn over the country if God forbid he gets back to his Deputy, the heir to the UBP within 18 months.  He has announced he will cut the public service if he gets back.  The UBP are the poster boys for conflict of interest and corruption.  Yet the man who leads them today has the nerve to point fingers.

Shane will live to fight another day.  I want to say thank you to him for what he has done for our country and I look forward to continuing to work with him in the future.

The attack on Shane was the successful manipulation of misinformation by people whose stock in trade is nastiness and sleaze, led by The Tribune.  It is clear that Hubert Ingraham intends to lead the nastiest, sleaziest campaign in the history of The Bahamas.  I am appealing again to all FNMs to join hands with us this evening and on Election Day and vote PLP.  We can disagree on a lot of things but not on sleaze and nastiness.  We know that we all have to live together after the election is over.

If you FNMs join us and vote PLP, then we will send Mr. Ingraham packing and the era of sleaze and nastiness will have come to a close in Bahamian politics.  He is at it again colluding with foreign media and local media to frame discredit and defame.

PLPs should not be rattled.  A poll was taken at the end of January of 1200 people in New Providence, 1400 nation wide. It is statistically accurate.  It showed that the PLP leads the FNM.  The FNM’s polls confirm the same information.  That is why they have been on the sleaze and nasty patrol.  Their intelligence is telling them that PLPs have lost the will to fight back.  But you now know that we have our marching orders from our leader who says that if it is a fight they want, it is a fight they will get.

The poll showed that there is no significant difference statistically between our leader and theirs when it comes to the ability to decide.  But it also shows that the PLP has significantly higher marks when it comes to caring and compassion and our leader’s ability to listen and consult.  Hubert Ingraham was kicked out of office in 2002 because he did not listen.  This time in 2007, since he can’t hear, he will feel.

Our pollsters also polled voters in a particular district on whether or not the nastiness that they have been pedaling from the other side has changed their mind about how they will vote.  By a resounding 70 per cent most voters said no.  They would continue to vote PLP.

But polls don’t win elections.  They are only indicators.  We must work and make sure that all our people are registered and turn up to vote PLP on election day so we can end the era of nastiness and continue the era of prosperity brought in by the PLP.

Reserves of 800 million dollars last year; unprecedented growth in credit, unprecedented investment in housing both public and private, the domestication of the Bahamian economy.  City Markets is now owned by Bahamians, Shell Bahamas now owned by Bahamians.  Caribbean Bottling now owned by Bahamians, British American Insurance now owned by Bahamians.  Young Bahamians.  New Bahamians.  A fresh new class of owners is coming up.  Unemployment; the lowest rate in five years.  This was all possible by the PLP.  So when they criticize our leader, you show them that the proof is in the pudding.  The results show what he has done.

Thank you for having me here tonight.  Fox Hill is well on the way to victory.  The candidate there is also involved in a campaign of sleaze and nastiness.  But sleaze and nastiness won’t win votes, people will.  I am a people’s person.  I thank all the team from Fox Hill.

I leave you with this summary from the Bible:

The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men.  Blessed is he who in the name of charity and good will shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children.  And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers.  And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

Good night God Bless you all.

PLP ALL THE WAY!