“This particular Bill has been discussed and the subject in the press for some time. What else requires discussion?. . Take a bold step and pass the Bill.
Mr. Brent Symonette, Member of Parliament for Montagu, speaking at the Public Lecture on Tuesday night at the Bahamas Tourism Training College on the topic “Leadership in Turbulent Times, questioned the Public Works and Utilities Minister’s decision to downsize Bahamasair.
Mr. Symonette said: “This year they’re transferring Bahamasair employees to the Public Treasury. That’s a hard decision to make, but at this time we’re saying Bahamasair is losing money annually. To take those employees, transfer them to the government at a time when the government’s revenue is $70 million short of where it is suppose to be…. Is that leadership?”
At the recent 47th annual Progressive Liberal Party Convention, Public Works and Utilities Minister, with responsibility to Bahamasair, Bradley Roberts announced that 150 employees would be released from the national flag carrier, while those 55 years or over would qualify for early retirement.
The proposal is to absorb the remaining employees into the public service, transferring the financial authority from the airline to the Public Treasurer.
This move, Minister Roberts said would ease Bahamasair’s extravagant expenses.
Mr. Symonette compared the present government’s move to the one made by the former Free National Movement’s decision to privatize Batelco.
“The former government took a privatization exercise and a man power study, and downsized Batelco of some 10 employees and paid very handsomely, I understand, one person got an excess to $300, 000,” he said.
Mr. Symonette pointed out that the FNM leadership’s made a difficult decision to pay off the Batelco employees, rather than transfer them to the public service, like the PLP government intends to do with Bahamasair.
While watching the PLP Convention, Mr. Symonette said it seemed as if Prime Minister Perry Christie did not agree entirely with what some Cabinet Ministers proposed before the nation.
Mr. Symonette said: “That was not Sir Lynden’s style. I think it’s fair to say that Sir Lynden was a maximum leader. You did what Sir Lynden wanted. Sir Lynden had a very tight grip on his Cabinet. I don’t think Mr. Christie has that type of grip.”
He said that the Prime Minister’s authority over the Cabinet ministers is “so slack” that it is rumored that there are about five Prime Ministers in the country.
At the beginning of the former administration, Mr. Symonette said that former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham displayed a similar “slack grip” however, that changed when the Ministries, in his opinion, remain stationary.
“I don’t see Mr. Christie doing that. I don’t see him dabbling in other people’s ministries. I think what he’s done is let other ministers have freedom, he’s has certain ministers who are driven, who are ambitious and certain ministers who want to replace him. I think by reading the newspapers, you can decide which is which,” said Mr. Symonette. “Some are in the papers far more than those aiming for higher heights, and I think it’s going to cost Mr. Christie a serious deadlock.”
Since the House of Assembly convened on June 5th, of the 18 Bills placed on the agenda, one Bill — the Pari-mutuel and Gaming Board — has been passed in the past six months, compared to some 20 Acts that were past by the FNM government in that span, pointed out Mr. Symonette.
“The Hotel Encouragement Act, for instance, represented a major shift in policy. Prior to the Act, Hotels,which were renovating properties, would pay customs duties and thereafter apply for a refund,” he said.
The first 10 on the agenda were concerning the budget. Of the remaining eight, one has passed the Houses of Parliament, two are in abeyance pending consultation, two have received Second Reading and three were slated for debate this week.
The Bills that are currently before the House include the Co-operative Societies, Taxi Cab exemption, Passenger Tax, Business License, Real Property Tax Exemption, Stamp Tax exemption and the Engineers Bill, which Mr. Symonette said is an issue that has been debated for too many months.
“This particular Bill has been discussed and the subject in the press for some time. What else requires discussion?” he asked.
“Take a bold step and pass the Bill.
By Khashan Poitier, The Nassau Guardian
