16th July 2009

The Prime Minister did not participate in yesterday’s debate on land policy even though he is until this very day the Minister responsible for lands and participated in disposing of thousands of acres of crown land over the course of his tenure as Minister.   It was an insult to the House.

Yesterday’s actions by the Prime Minister were an insult to the  House and to the Bahamian people.  In defiance of the traditions of the House and without the leave of the Opposition, he was unable to get his way to be the last speaker in the debate and chose to sit it out instead. He sat in his seat and grumbled and sought to interrupt other speakers.  Then having failed to get his way, he exercised the power  of the government to bring the House back on Monday 20th July for the sole purpose of giving a communication on crown land which will cover the ground that he ought to have covered during the debate just past.  This is surely an abuse and surely contemptuous.  He has offered to have another debate on the issue of his communication.

This is the same pattern of “gotcha” politics about which I warned when I was speaking in the House on the debate on land. It must be rejected.  It must be condemned.  Of all of the other important issues which his government has to deal with: crime, murder, mayhem everyday on our streets, the Prime Minister out of petulance is gong to bring the House back once again to go over a debate that has already been settled by the House.

The Prime Minister does not need to bring another communication.  We do not need another debate on this matter.  He has already promised that the committee will work the hardest that any committee of the House has ever worked and that the committee will be overwhelmed with information.  He said this from his seat instead of standing up and participating in the debate. It was cowardly act.  Instead of another debate, he needs to allow the committee to get on with its work and supply his information to the Committee.