It is not surprising to hear that there is a conflict between Member of Parliament Keod Smith, Ambassador for the Environment and Chairman of the Best Commission and the Hon. Leslie O. Miller, the Minister of Trade and Industry on the matter of the Liquefied Natural Gas proposal for The Bahamas.
As in times past, the strong willed Minister and the equally adamant chairman are seemingly at loggerheads over what is to be done, and when, regarding proposals for the movement of the liquefied natural gas from The Bahamas to a Florida destination. Under more ordinary circumstances the differences between the two men would be seen to turn on matters of personality, style and chemistry. This, however, will not do.
What is at work between the two men are any number of other matters, involving their respective roles in their party and government. By extension, this also involves their day-to-day relationship with Prime Minister Christie, and other interested parties. What we find somewhat troubling, is that while both men are supposedly working for the same side, and in the national interest, we cannot help but get the impression that there are other more subterranean forces at work here.
Apart from the drama in the matter involving the Minister and the Ambassador, there are issues which should be resolved in the interest of good governance. Like many Bahamians who are watching to see how the matter of the trans-shipment of liquefied natural gas will ultimately be handled, suffice it to say that the public is not impressed by the apparent conflict between the Ambassador for The Environment, His Excellency Keod Smith and Minister Miller.
The view that is being formed is that here again is evidence of incoherence and drift in the Christie administration. Those holding this view suggest that were it not for this fact, the public would have gotten a clearer perspective on where the government is on this issue. As in other instances where large issues are played out in fits and starts, practically no one has a clear fix on the governmentﾴs intentions. As a consequence, all the public has to go on are impressions gleaned from listening and watching for what the Ambassador and Ministers are saying on any given day. This is simply not good enough.
What the public want, is for the government to put in place means, methods and systems, which would specify what is happening, who is to be held responsible, and at whose desk the buck stops. Reasonably sensible people are today being baffled on the matter involving the liquefied natural gas issue. If, for example, the minister is minded to recommend approval; and the Ambassador is minded to suggest more research prior to ultimate approval, the whole issue is left up in the air. No one in his right mind can be expected to be able to work successfully with this high level of uncertainty.
Compounding the issue for the government is the widely held perception that the minister is indeed prepared to sign off on one of the LNG deals, but that the Ambassador is not so minded.
In light of the fact that this matter has been allowed to drag on for a stretch of time, it would today be in the interest of everyone for the government to lay out the facts, concerning the issue. Among the questions the public needs answers to, are those concerning what, if any, is the nature of the working relationship between the Ambassador and the Minister. Also important would be the question concerning the extent to which the Minister and the Ambassador are able to make informed recommendations for action.
In a situation where resources are scant, and where the governmentﾴs forensic and administrative capacity is sorely lacking, the question arises as to whether the best decisions can be made. In other words, our view is that there are powerful systemic forces which suggest that the government does not have the most up to date information at its fingertips. There is also the nagging suspicion that the LNG proposal is being stymied precisely because of this situation.
What troubles us is that, in the meantime, the public is left with little more than a guessing game. The bottom line is this: Minister Miller and Ambassador Smith must ﾖ as a priority ﾖ be seen to be speaking with one voice on the matter at hand.
Editorial, The Bahama Journal
