Obie Wilchcombe, Leader of Opposition Business in the House of Assembly, says the Opposition is on board to vote when the government brings the Baha Mar resolution to parliament next week.
Wilchcombe was responding to the FNM’s assertion that the PLP will take the “cowardly” route on September 8.
PLP leader Perry Christie had recently said that the Prime Minister was “on his own” regarding the labour decision. Mr Ingraham called that cowardly.
And while Mr Wilchcombe did not confirm that the PLP will vote in favour of the labour resolution, he did say the party will not block the progress of the multi-billion dollardevelopment.
He said the PLP has every intention to ensure that Bahamian contractors and other skilled workers are involved in the project as much as possible. However, he, in accord with the Bahamian Contractors Association, is looking for a guarantee that the developers will assist in the training and certification of Bahamian labour.
Most everyone feels that the project is necessary to jump-start the stagnant Bahamian economy and would be welcomed at a time when other countries in the Caribbean are looking for economic stimuli.
In an interview with the Tribune newspaper, Wilchcombe is reported to have said:
“There is no chance in hell that we would abstain on what would be one of the most fundamentally significant things in this country. And we will not shy away from what is essentially our project – we essentially brought Baha Mar to the table in the first place – and all the work we’ve been doing in the last several weeks to fully comprehend this new feature (of the deal) which is the Chinese labour”.
“We don’t duck and we ain’ about to duck,” he added.
