PLP Branch Meeting North Abaco Constituency
Grand Cay, Dundas and Murphy Towns,
Green Turtle Cay, Fox Town & Coopers Town

July 7th-8th, 2006,

Abaco, Bahamas.

My dear friends of the North Abaco Constituency, it is always a joy to be here in Abaco. The main purpose of the delegation’s visit is to make further consultation with PLP supporters in the Constituency and report to Party Leader and Prime Minister Perry Christie and the Candidates Committee, so that a recommendation may be made to the National General Council as to the person North Abaco wishes to have as it next Member of Parliament. It is my expectation that before the end of this month the person who will carry the PLP’s banner here in North Abaco will be ratified.

Whomever the person is, I call on all PLP’s to set aside any and all differences and to lend your full support so that the Constituency can have a fresh start by soundly rejecting Hubert Ingraham, who has become arrogant, dictatorial and places his personal interest and ambitions above the interest and well being of the people of North Abaco.

You will remember in 2002, when Hubert told you, the voters of North Abaco, that it would have been the last time he would ask you to vote for him. Hubert also told the Bahamas that two terms was long enough for any one man to be in the office of Prime Minister.

I wish to remind you of what I said in March of this year, “that a lying representative, who is double-minded, is as dangerous to your health, wealth and welfare as it would be, if you had walked into a lion’s den, with a pork-chop suit on”.

Here is Hubert again, in 2006, seeking to become Prime Minister another time. Again I remind you that it was Hubert Ingraham who said and I quote “I think there will be a need for someone else with fresh ideas, different ideas, to come in to move us further”.  My Brothers and Sisters, Hubert Ingraham is older and fixed in his ways. No fresh or different ideas can and will come from him!! Clearly Hubert’s word means nothing. How can you trust a man if his word is not his bond?

 I put it to you tonight that Hubert Ingraham’s word is worthless. Hubert’s word became one that means absolutely nothing!! Some one recently described Hubert’s word as being like a scoop of ice cream, which is placed on the road in 100 degree temperature. It quickly turns to water and disappears. Hubert has a serious difficulty with the truth.

He is a manipulator, a master distorter and, in my opinion, the truth is no longer reposed in him. He is a man who cannot be trusted, ask Tommy Turnquest, ask Algernon Allen, ask Tennyson Wells, ask Pierre Dupuch. Hubert stabbed them all with the largest political knife available. Ask the many FNM’s whom Hubert discarded from being FNM candidates because they were Tommy and the others’ choice.

Remember Hubert said that he only wanted two terms! He said no one should be Prime Minister for more than two terms! Just about every time he opens his big mouth he reminds you of what his FNM Government did for the Bahamas. He constantly wants Bahamians to look back. Ann Landers a well known syndicated columnist once wrote, "Nobody gets to live life backward. Look ahead that is where your future lies”. Abaco, Hubert wants you to look backwards, the fact of the matter is Hubert is tired and worn out. He has had his time. Bahamians voters in mass rejected his domineering and one-man style of Government in May of 2002.

 My dear brothers and sisters of Abaco the biggest problem with dwelling in the Land of ‘Woulda-Shoulda-Coulda’ is not just that we lose sight of the future, but by being there, we skip the present entirely.

Hubert says that the people of the Bahamas want him back. I believe that such a claim is a sick bold faced lie. Hubert is a double-talker; he does not believe and will not follow his own advice. My dear Brothers and Sisters listen to me well, on July 7th, 1997 Hubert Ingraham paid a back handed tribute to The Rt. Hon. Sir Lynden Pindling on the day Sir Lynden was forced to resign from the House Of Assembly. Hubert said: “But Politics is a strange master, It intoxicates and inflate some, it addicts and makes prisoners of others; It makes yet others stay beyond the time of their appropriate departure because they view their presence and their role as indispensable”.

Hubert Ingraham is the one who is intoxicated and is imprisoned with his presence and believes he is indispensable to the Bahamian people. The very strong message I have been given, by you the good people of North Abaco, is that you will no longer support Hubert Ingraham for a number of reasons.

 I have been reminded that some nine years ago Hubert’s FNM Government introduced a constituency allowance of $1,500.00  per month, for each Member Of Parliament, to assist in underwriting the cost to provide a Constituency office, pay staff to administer the office, stationery, telephone, electricity and water. Hubert has never opened a Constituency office nor hired anyone in connection with the same! What does this tell you about Mr. Ingraham?? The answer is that Hubert does not care for you the people of North Abaco!!  In nine years Hubert has received approx. 108 payments of $1,500.00 per month or a grand total of $162,000.00 and has not spent a single cent for the people of North Abaco. He claims that he is holding the money in his bank account.

North Abaco, let me tell you, as the Member Of Parliament for Bain & Grants Town, I have spent each monthly allowance, and more, for a full time Secretary who is available five days a week at the Grants Town Community Centre.  From 10:00 am to 6:00pm, every weekday, with the exception of Wednesday, evenings which are set aside for me to personally meet with Constituents and others, from outside of my Constituency, and I sometimes go as late as 2:00 am the next morning.

This allowance, which assists with telephone, internet service, electricity, water and some stationary supplies, is designed to facilitate a program to keep Constituents in touch with their MP’s and visa versa. Hubert, however, has, without shame, deprived you – the good people of North Abaco, of this very important program for some NINE YEARS. It is THOUGHTLESS, SELFISH, HEARTLESS, DISGRACEFUL, OFFENSIVE, SHAMEFUL, INSULTING and DOWNRIGHT CRIMINAL.

Ladies and Gentlemen, another solid reason to send Hubert packing was his claim, while in office, that ‘I ain’t got nothing and I ain’t want nothing’ - But take a good look at him today because it makes you wonder what he meant by Nothing - as he has a fat Prime Minister’s pension plus benefits, Leader of The Opposition salary and a Member of Parliament salary.

It was Ingraham’s Cabinet who gave him the following monstrous benefits:-
 
1. A pension of $ 125,000 per year;
2. A lifetime benefit of $ 1,500 per month or $18,000 per year for utilities;
3. A lifetime benefit of a personal assistant, earning a salary of $ 45,000 per annum;
4. A lifetime benefit of a maid, with a salary of $ 9,900 to $ 16,000 per year;
5. A lifetime personal vehicle, with free maintenance and of equal value to those assigned to Cabinet Ministers;
6. A lifetime police driver;
7. Lifetime police security;
8. A Diplomatic Passport; access to the VIP Lounge at the Lynden Pindling International Airport; access to an official car for appropriate events (whatever they are) in The Bahamas; the same courtesies extended to Cabinet Ministers by foreign countries when he travels abroad, and to the Family Islands, for the rest of his life.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Sir Lynden Pindling, National Hero – of the first order, who served as Prime Minister for twenty five (25) long years, never once ever dreamt about doing anything so selfish.  Hubert, however, who served only nine and a half (9 1/2) years has greedily made certain that we, the Bahamian tax payers, will take, super-majestic care of him for the rest of his life.

Ladies and Gentlemen – I can list many more reasons why you, the People of North Abaco, should turn your back on Hubert Ingraham.

CONCLUSION

In sharp contrast to Hubert Ingraham’s domineering and destructive style of leadership, the People of The Bahamas embrace, in overwhelming numbers, the leadership style of the Right Honourable Perry Gladstone Christie.  He is a man of vision, courage, strength and character and one who consults with his cabinet and others, before making major decisions.

Perry Christie is a decent God Fearing Man, who loves and serves His Lord.  Without question, his continued leadership of The Bahamas is in the best interest of all Bahamians.  Christie’s Government in four short years has brought unprecedented investment to the Bahamas, for the benefit of all Bahamians and the future is indeed the brightest in the history of our Bahama land. By any objective analysis Perry Christie’s PLP Government’s first four years in office leaves Hubert Ingraham FNM  Government first four years performances looking like little school boys.  North Abaco, I implore you to embrace Perry Christie and the New PLP.  Say No!!, in strong numbers, to the proven greedy and dictatorial Hubert Ingraham and the FNM.