GRAND LUCAYAN MESS

The vote which took place in the House of Assembly on Wednesday 19 September 2018, the anniversary date of the general election which decided independence for the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, was a vote to confirm the bad deal that the Government negotiated with the Hutchison Whampoa company in Freeport to dump the Grand Lucayan Hotel on the Bahamian people. The Prime Minister Hubert Minnis tried his best to make it seem that they were doing some grand gesture for Grand Bahama by spending 65 million dollars of the taxpayer’s money on this dead asset, but it did not work.  The PLP made fun of him.  They asked one simple question how could an asset worth by its appraisal 57 million be bought by the Bahamas government for 65 million?  How does that add up?  It does not.  It is a bad deal.  Then they say they are not going to fix it up, they are going to sell it within six months.  Well why couldn’t the Government of The Bahamas simply put willing seller with willing buyer?  No one can figure this one out, except that there is something corrupt about it.  The FNM passed the resolution.  When the vote was called the Speaker asked those in favour the three PLPs also sat and therefore the vote though not recorded in a division goes as support of the resolution.  Party faithful were apoplectic about it.