The Claim: The PLP claims that their single disastrous term in office is evidence that they should be given a second chance.
The Truth: The PLP Charter 2012 includes “Major PLP Accomplishments 2002 – 2007 – What You Should Know”. If this empty and disappointing record is the “major accomplishment” of the PLP, imagine what PLP 2.0 would bring. What voters should know before they vote:
Highlights of the PLP “Greatest Hits”:
1. Employment – 22,000 jobs created in all sectors of the economy. This figure has been repeated tirelessly by the PLP in an effort to make it true. The truth: The Department of Statistics (an objective source) indicates that the PLP did not create 22,000 jobs during their single disastrous term, notwithstanding that it was during a global economic boom.
2. Foreign Investment (Yes, the PLP likes Foreigners):
“Entertained the attraction” of approx. $17 billion dollars in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Classic PLP euphemism for – “nothing happened”, also note that this is the same PLP that is so critical of the FNM success in attracting foreign investors.
Over $2.5 billion of that investment became tangible. The value of the projects upon completion would exceed $4.5 billion. The dictionary defines tangible as “real, physical, concrete” Note the words “upon completion”. If nothing was started and nothing completed, the numbers are meaningless.
Negotiated the deal with the iGroup in Mayaguana which would have meant that “the Bahamian people would have had the most creative interest in an FDI project ever”. The creative part of this deal was that the PLP schemed with the I-Group, a foreign company which openly supported the PLP 2007 election campaign, to sell 10,000 acres of prime Mayaguana land for a fire-sale price of $650 per acre, together with unprecedented tax exemptions, concessions, and foreign control. This deal was good for the PLP but bad for Bahamians and thus was canceled by the FNM in 2007. The FNM succeeded in having 6,000 acres restored to the Bahamian Crown land Bank for the benefit of Bahamians.
Major Investments Launched:
* The $76 million Gold Rock Creek film studio in East Grand Bahama.
* The $35 million development in Pittstown, Crooked Island.
* The $243 million resort development on Crab Cay and Little Crab Cay, Exuma.
* The $90 million Heads of Agreement to create a resort in Rum Cay.
* The $300 million re-development of the Cotton Bay Club on South Eleuthera.
* The $75 million investment in Central Eleuthera on Windermere Island.
The second half of the story, not included in the Charter, is that after “launching”, these projects crashed and burned.
Infrastructure:
* Started construction of a Children / Adolescent Centre.
* Started construction of a Clinic on Inagua.
* Started construction of a Clinic on Grand Cay.
* Started construction of Bahamas Mortgage Corporation’s complex
The pattern continues. There is no list of “finished” projects. All of these required extensive additional work to correct the sloppy construction and general mismanagement of the projects. The mess at the Mortgage Corporation Building is not yet fully resolved notwithstanding expenditure of considerable additional monies to make the building habitable.
Nassau International Airport (later renamed Lynden Pindling International Airport
by the PLP Govt). True! The PLP renamed the airport. The FNM subsequently built it.
Provided portable bleacher seating at Parades. In the infamous “bleachers scandal” Minister Neville Wisdom procured bleachers without Cabinet approval at a cost of $1.2 million together with alleged kickbacks. Bleachers were returned, the $1.2M was lost; the promised investigation and report to the people on the matter of kickbacks never happened.
Negotiated with the Chinese the gift of a National Stadium. True! The PLP had a plan. After they permitted the first delivery of steel for the stadium to rust in the rain, the FNM had to complete the plan and subsequently ensure the building and opening of the National Stadium.
Amended Fisheries Act so that pleasure boaters from the U.S. fishing in our waters were restricted in the quantity of catch they could take out of the country. True! The PLP changed the law on paper, BUT in reality, they sold illegal licenses to Korean fishing vessels to poach in Bahamian waters.
The Rent Control Act was amended, outlawing, among other things, out-door toilets. True! But then the PLP did nothing to cause the removal of pit latrines from over-the-hill and other low-income neighbourhoods. Not a single programme to incentivize or encourage landlords to replace the offending outside toilette. The latrines remain to this day in Mr. Christie’s constituency of Centreville, together with the familiar stench that lingers in the air.
PLP 1.0 Failed. PLP 2.0 Will Fail.
Same Empty Promises. Same PLP.
