It is coming as no surprise to many political observers that government officials at this week’s Progressive Liberal Party convention are taking stabs at Free National Movement officials over what the PLP sees as the betrayal of former FNM leader Senator Tommy Turnquest.
In fact, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Local Government V. Alfred Gray last night urged Mr. Turnquest to join the PLP and save himself “from further deceit and deception.”
The issue is being played up in speeches and even in prayer at the convention underway at the Wyndham Nassau Resort.
On Monday night, Minister of Social Services and Community Development Melanie Griffin accused former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, the new FNM leader, of being of a double-mind.
“A double minded man is unstable in all his ways,” she said to a cheering crowd. “This very aptly describes the new leadership of the FNM and if you don’t believe me, ask Tommy, and ask Dion [Foulkes]. They have not changed. They cannot change. A leopard cannot change his spots.”
And last night, Minister Gray, wanted to know why Mr. Ingraham “Did Tommy like Dat”.
“Tommy, don’t let them fool you buddy; that was a plot and a plan. So brother, join the PLP and save yourself from further deceit and deception.”
Minister Gray was referring to Mr. Ingraham’s decision to enter the leadership race less than 24 hours after he assured Mr. Turnquest that he had no plan to do so.
Before getting into the substantive portion of his speech, Minister Gray also took time to respond to some of the things FNM speakers said last week during their convention.
He took a direct shot at Dion Foulkes, the former deputy leader of the FNM, who leveled many charges against the PLP administration and convicted the government of them all.
“He did so in most cases without a fair trial,” Minister Gray said.
“Tonight, I wish to charge him with failure to secure his own seat as deputy leader and I also charge him for handing it over, not to an FNM, but to a UBP and I can tell you brother, the Bahamian people ain’t going back there.
“Fellow delegates, could you imagine, God forbid, that they should win, and something were to happen to Hubiggity, that we would be back in the hands of the UBP? Please don’t let me imagine that.”
Minister Gray was referring directly to the election of Brent Symonette, whose father, Sir Roland Symonette, the first premier in The Bahamas under internal self government from 1964 to 1967.
Sir Roland was leader of the United Bahamian Party.
Minister Gray also indicated that Member of Parliament for North Eleuthera Alvin Smith took a swipe at him at the FNM convention last week by suggesting that because licences were issued for the controversial Korean boats, he (Minister Gray) should be fired.
“Let me say unequivocally that as minister responsible for fisheries, I take full responsibility for all that happens in my ministry,” he said.
But Minister Gray reiterated that when the licences were issued he was in Panama along with his permanent secretary.
“Therefore I did not know of nor did I authorize the issuance of those licences,” Minister Gray said.
“However, I can say and I challenge Smith or anyone else to provide otherwise, that upon my return from Panama, having looked at the documents which were presented to me by the Fisheries Department, the licences were immediately ordered revoked and cancelled and the boats were ordered out of The Bahamas after I discovered from the documents that they were not Bahamian owned.”
The Korean Boat issue became a major debacle just months after the PLP came to power. It eventually led to the resignation of Holy Cross MP Sidney Stubbs from the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation (BAIC) where he had served as executive chairman.
By: Candia Dames, The Bahama Journal
