Peter’s Explanation Flops In Freeport

The Freeport Labour Day parade ended in a rally at Goombay Land Park in Freeport on 1 June.  The march was well attended as these things go in Freeport.  The main attraction for the Government was Peter Turnquest, the Minister of Finance, who was brought under withering attack by Union leaders for the raising of taxes. Mr. Turnquest did not march. He showed up for the pictures at the start of the march and then rode in his SUV until the end of the march and sat for the speeches.  Quinton Laroda who is the   NCTU vice Chair for Grand Bahama and a Bahamas Union Of Teachers executive said that he thought that the gaming tax was discriminatory.  That a tax was being placed on Sebass Bastian as a Black businessman but not on Dionysio D’Aguilar who runs a wash house and got duty exemptions on bringing in washing machines. He thought that it was unfair.  Mr. Turnquest had no answer for it.  What was worse though was that in a one hour presentation, Mr Turnquest seemed to wander all over the place, seeking to beg people to accept the Government’s rationale that they had to raise taxes or the country would have collapsed.  They wanted to be honest with people he said.  He also claimed that he was a humble person having gone to school at Hawksbill High with so many of the people who live in Freeport.  It fell a bit flat though.  The PLP who made up a good fifty per cent of the march left after Fred Mitchell, their representative spoke.  Those who stayed behind, started to drift off one by one.  Clearly the FNM’s message has flopped and fallen flat.  Mr. Turnquest said he was disappointed that people turned up in colours because the Prime Minister said that this was not a day for colours.  Of course, the Prime Minister does not speak for the PLP and we always turn up in our colours.  But someone in the FNM forgot to tell Frederick McAlpine who with his turned up in red.