Address By Reward Wells
Former NDP Leader
At National General Council Meeting
Progressive Liberal Party
May 5th 2011
Good evening:
Thank you for such a warm welcome. This party is truly a party of people loving people, thank you for embracing us and showing us so much love.
I want to thank the leadership, The Right Hon. Perry Gladstone Christie for encouraging us, for allowing us to join this great party, and indeed for inviting us into this hallowed hall, this historic council.
As I look around the room I see many persons who are responsible for this move, Phillip Brave Davis, Ryan Pinder, Mr. Demeritte and others.
Indeed I see in this room Lady Pindling, and the other great men and women who have lead the charge that resulted in the political rights and freedoms we have today.
I see Andre here and obviously he made the move much sooner and attempted to get me to make that move when he did, but I was not minded to attend any of the meetings he had organized with the leadership.
But you know the scripture says there is a time and a season and a purpose to everything under heaven and in the fullness of time God caused circumstances to bring me to the table with the Leadership, Mr. Christie, Mr. Davis, leaders of this great party, and in whose presence and conversation, made this choice easier for the 10 of us.
And as I think of it the number 10 has lure and mystique in the history of the PLP, so I don’t think we should take this event lightly, for the Lord of Providence is still at work in this party. Indeed if they only could have found ten in that ancient city the Lord would have speared it for the sake of those 10 righteous. So the number 10 is the number of the righteous and also the number of grace and mercy in scripture.
I think, it is just destiny, I want you to know fellow PLP’s, that we have not come to the party to be seeds of discord and dissention, but we have come with a dedication to work tirelessly with you, to deliver that which the Bahamian people has asked for.
We have not come high minded, but with a mind of humility, with passion and robust energy, hard work faith and a dogged determination willing to serve in whatever capacity the leadership of this great party deems necessary, to help propel the message, the ideals, and the Principles to the minds and hearts of our beloved Bahamian people.
We are not here to try and leap frog over anyone, for we understand from the story of the prodigal son, when the prodigal returns often times those who were laboring in the master’s household are unhappy at their reception,
they are unhappy that perhaps the prodigal will have the feast set and the master will kill the fatted calf, but you know in the PLP, I know that aint gonna happen, because year after year in election after election, the PLP complained that they aint gat no fatted calf.
The PLP always said it resides in the house of that other fella, who always seem to have unlimited campaign cash.
So we have come to serve, we have come to love, listen, labor and learn.
But you know my fellow PLP’s there are some things that must be and the Bahamian people are calling on you and me to deliver for them.
In 1950 T.H Marshall wrote a book called “Citizenship and Social Class”. And in that book he described what I call the Pyramid of progress for western democracies. This Pyramid of Progress was to process to ensure the hopes and dreams of the people of a democratic nation achieve their dreams. At the foundation of this pyramid of progress was first and foremost the political right, at the core of that political right in the mind of Marshall was the right to vote by secret ballot. Marshall said it was absolutely necessary for progress that democracy holds and was shore.
The next layer in the Pyramid of progress that sat on the political right was the layer of the economic right, at whose core was the right for every man and woman to have gainful employment and have unfetter access to own the economy of their nation.
The PLP is the party that delivered for the Bahamian people the political right for majority rule in this country. Indeed some of you present in this room are the heroes and heroines of that struggle.
The PLP also began the process of delivering on the economic right, and that ladies and gentlemen, is where we are today.
The Bahamian person desires indigenous food security, energy security, personal security, and if they are to have it, if it must be, then let it be through the PLP.
The Bahamian people desire a 21st Century Educational platform, from Primary up on into tertiary, and I say if it must be then let it be through the PLP.
We are at a stage where the Bahamian people desire economic empowerment, a diversified economy, ownership of the Banking Industry, the Tourism Industry, the telecommunications Industry, the Agricultural and Fisheries Industries, and if it must be then let it be through the PLP.
The Bahamian people truly desire honest men and women to serve them in these political parties, men and women who are not about the politics of personal destruction, and I didn’t hear it firsthand, but I heard that my former ally from the Workers’ Party was engaged in such today on Hard Copy, telling lies about me and these courageous men and women here with you tonight. And if honest men and women are to stand for the right kind of politics, if it is to be then let it be through the PLP.
The Bahamian people are calling on you PLP’s. I am calling on you in this season, to rise to the occasion.
let us wait no longer on the western side of the Jordan in the desert of destiny, let us cross over the Jordan, into the land of hope and promise and economic empowerment, I call on you PLP’s to rise to the occasion, and to deliver on behalf of the Bahamian People.
I call on you to deliver, a plan and a platform in the land of promise, that begins with the concerns and needs of the individual, the individual in the family, that family in the larger community that community among the communities that exist within the island, that island amongst the islands of the Bahamas and indeed the Bahamas sitting privileged in the sea of nations.
I call on you PLP’s to deliver on behalf of the Bahamian people that plan. I call on you PLP’s to rise up and give voice to the values and vision of our people.
And if you do, if you take up that charge and with the pen of purpose, you write this chapter in the book of the Bahamas, that book that sits in the novel of nations, and then you would have answered the call to destiny… Once again as you did in the 1950’s and 60’s.
This nation needs the leadership that only the PLP can bring. The Bahamas is at a crossroad, at this junction I am reminded of the Prophet Jeremiah, who relate the words of God to the people of Israel, God said ” when you stand at the crossroads and look, ask which way are the old, and reliable paths. Ask which way leads to life and blessings. And when you have found it, walk in it, for there you will find a resting place for yourselves and your children. The Bahamas is calling on you PLP’s to rise and answer the call, and I know you will answer that call under the leadership of Perry Gladstone Christie.
You know the other party has got an Alexander, Hubert Alexander, and if we know anything about history , Alexander went about conquering and destroying all in his path, creating mayhem as a go, but we in this party, we have a Gladstone, Perry Gladstone Christie, and on that stone of gladness, we PLP’s should rest on that stone, on our leaders Brave Davis, Bernard Nottage, Bradley Roberts and the other heroes and heroines of this great party the desires and dreams of the Bahamian People, to transition into the new diversified economy, the new holistic social community. The Bahamian peoples’ hopes and opportunities are calling will you?
PLP’s I want you to know and I know you know, that the Bahamian people are hurting and it is up to you to bring the healing, and I believe that you will, I believe the leadership of this party will swing open wide the door of hope and opportunity, through which will rush the throngs of the dreams, hopes and aspirations of the Bahamian people. And I said earlier if it must be let it be through the PLP.
And PLP’s, I know it will be, it will be because one day in this nation, in this economy as the prophet Isaiah said, every mountain will be made low, every valley will be exalted, the crooked places will be made straight and the rough places will be made smooth, the glory of the Lord shall be revealed in this nation, and all flesh will see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it and I believe PLP’s it will be! And it will be through the PLP!!!
PLP’s! PLP! PLP!