Trade and Industry Minister Leslie Miller on Saturday got into a nasty spat with President of the Cat Cay Club Manuel Diaz during a meeting on that island where wealthy second home owners opposing the AES Liquefied Natural Gas project laid out their case.
The meeting got so heated that the Minister threatened to physically attack Mr. Diaz over comments he had made. The Minister said that he was not prepared to sit back and allow any foreigner ﾖ or anyone for that matter ﾖ to disrespect him.
Minister Miller, who arrived on Cat Cay, located 19 miles from Bimini, with his 11-year-old son, made it clear that he was annoyed to be meeting on a Saturday.
He wore a T-shirt, jeans and a pair of tennis shoes and indicated that it was because the residents had busy schedules that the government was made to meet at their will.
ﾓI guess these people are so wealthy that you have to cater to them,ﾒ he later told The Bahama Journal.
When the meeting started, Mr. Diaz, the Cuban-American multi-millionaire who reigns over the 182-acre island dotted with luxurious homes and quaint villas, gave a hard-hitting address about the potentially deadly impact of the regasification facility, which would be located on Ocean Cay, 7.8 miles away.
Prime Minister Perry Christie recently told reporters that the objections from Cat Cay homeowners have delayed the governmentﾴs approval of the project.
On Saturday, the residents argued that the controversial project would have a devastating impact on the environment and could easily become a terrorism target.
ﾓWe shall strongly defend and protect our vital interests,ﾒ vowed Mr. Diaz, who later said he would close down the private cay and move $25 million to $35 million of assets out of The Bahamas if the project is approved.
ﾓOur combined membershipﾴs net worth could be easily estimated at between $30 billion and $40 billionﾅSupposedly, the government would collect $1 million in revenues and permanently create 35 jobs at the Ocean Cay industrial complex.
ﾓHowever, Cat Cay Club already contributes around $10 million annually to the overall Bahamian economy. As a matter of fact, this club was established in 1977, a long time before AES purchased Ocean Cay for $25 million in 2000.
So far, we have invested more than $300 million in Cat Cay. Now we face this terrible dilemma of liquidating our assets and quickly moving away from our island and homes.ﾒ
But it was the next item on the agenda that upset the Minister, who soon pointed out that it was his first and last visit to Cat Cay.
Tim and Hayden Riley, two American anti-LNG lobbyists who co-host the website LNGDanger.com, proceeded to show a short documentary they made titled ﾓThe Risks and Dangers of LNG.ﾒ
Mr. Riley had urged the Bahamian people to ask themselves why the energy companies are seeking to bring their projects to The Bahamas as opposed to Florida or another U.S. state.
A few minutes into the film, Minister Miller ﾖ who later called the Rileys armchair environmentalists ﾖ walked out and went for a stroll with his son, leaving many in the room visibly embarrassed.
About 15 minutes later he returned only to find that the film was still playing and walked out again.
When he returned again, the film had ended.
ﾓHon. Leslie Miller, you indicated in your remarks to me that your time was wasted,ﾒ Mr. Riley noted.
ﾓI didnﾴt say my time was wasted,ﾒ Minister Miller clarified. ﾓI said my time was very important to me.ﾒ
Mr. Riley then responded, ﾓSir, you are here. The plane isnﾴt leaving. You are here to see the film.ﾒ
But the Minister, obviously peeved at the situation, shouted back that he did not travel to Cat Cay to view a film.
ﾓI donﾴt have to sit here and listen to anything, man,ﾒ Minister Miller shot back.
Mr. Diaz, who was sitting on the far end of the table opposite the Minister, shouted at him to ﾓShut up!ﾒ
ﾓI donﾴt want any more of this arguing!ﾒ he shouted.
ﾓYou donﾴt want anymore of what argument?ﾒ Minister Miller asked. ﾓListen here, Iﾴm not any employee here, you know. Let me make that clear to you. I am not an employee here.ﾒ
Throughout the finger pointing and shouting, some Bahamian employees of Cat Cay openly expressed their disgust over and disappointment in the Ministerﾴs action, but Minister Miller maintained that he was only responding to the disrespectful manner in which Mr. Diaz had treated him.
Mr. Diaz told Minister Miller that he should be ashamed of himself, but the Minister shot back, saying Mr. Diaz is the one who should be ashamed of himself as he was the one who reminded the Minister that ﾓyou are on my island.ﾒ
The intimation was clearly that Mr. Diaz had the authority to kick the Minister off the island.
Minister Miller pointed out to him that Cat Cay is not an independent state, but is a part of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas.
During the shouting match, Mr. Diaz also told the Minister that he was an idiot, prompting another round of heated exchange.
ﾓI donﾴt appreciate him calling me stupid because him and me are looking to go into a physical confrontation,ﾒ Minister Miller told The Bahama Journal in an interview afterwards.
ﾓHe did call me stupid and I told him if he said it again what would happen.ﾒ
It took Chairman of The Bahamas Environment Science and Technology Commission (BEST) Keod Smith to ask for calmer heads to prevail.
While Dr. Donald Cooper, undersecretary in the Ministry of Health and Environment, made a presentation on the AES proposal, Minister Miller explained to The Bahama Journal that he had walked out of the meeting earlier because Mr. Riley had indicated that the film was a biased one.
ﾓThat was not a scientific film that was being shown. It was he and his wife showing their own views. That was nonsensical to me. Iﾴve seen those things over and repeatedly. This is why we brought the BEST Commission here,ﾒ he said. ﾓFirst of all the prime minister was not aware of what was going to take place here.ﾒ
He said the Rileyﾴs information was ﾓtotally misguided, wrong, incomplete and lies.ﾒ
ﾓAnd I couldnﾴt take it anymore,ﾒ Minister Miller said. ﾓI took exception, and Dr. Cooper also, with us being in that room like little school children. I donﾴt have time to waste. The government doesnﾴt have time to waste. Diazﾴs attitude is that he must own The Bahamas. He sure as hell doesnﾴt own Leslie Miller.ﾒ
He said he didnﾴt have time for foolishness or games.
ﾓHe should be glad that [Minister of Health and Environment Dr. Marcus Bethel] wasnﾴt here with me,ﾒ Minister Miller said. ﾓIt would have been worse, knowing his opinion on this because he is a man who doesnﾴt take foolishness like myself. And I donﾴt appreciate being insulted by individual people with their individual views.ﾒ
Minister Miller said he would have been glad if the so-called 60 plus residents of Cat Cay, many of them supposedly Bahamians, who signed a petition opposing the AES project, had attended the meeting.
ﾓIt was indicated by Diaz, I understand, that he has the power and wealth to stop the project, ﾓ the Minister said. ﾓThe administration in Florida has already approved the project. It has already been approved by BESTﾅso how he is going to stop it is totally beyond me.
ﾓHe bragged about the billionaires who are here, I couldnﾴt [care less] about how rich they are.ﾒ
Despite his anger, Minister Miller and his son still attended a luncheon hosted by Mr. Diaz following the meeting.
After the meal, he however left the room without acknowledging his host, although he shook the hands of other officials of the Cat Cay Club.
He then departed the island via a helicopter that had been paid for by Mr. Diaz and returned to Bimini where he took a flight back to Nassau.
Candia Dames, The Bahama Journal
