JOINT PUBLIC MEETING BAMBOO TOWN, SOUTH BEACH AND PINEWOOD CONSTITUENCIES

REMARKS

BY

BRADLEY B. ROBERTS

NATIONAL CHAIRMAN

PROGRESSIVE LIBERAL PARTY

JOINT PUBLIC MEETING

BAMBOO TOWN, SOUTH BEACH AND PINEWOOD CONSTITUENCIES

C. V. BETHEL SR. HIGH SCHOOL

MONDAY, 20TH MARCH 2017

Party Leader;

Deputy Leader;

Cabinet Ministers;

Parliamentarians;

Party Officers;

Branch Chairmen;

Branch Officers;

Residents of the great Constituencies of Bamboo Town, South Beach, Pinewood and from all over New Providence;

A very pleasant good evening all!

My brothers and sisters,

I forewarned you months ago that the FNM fully intended to run an election campaign on lies, lies and more lies. None clearer and more brazen than the lie Sidney Collie told last Friday about a BAMSI print ad being financed from the public treasury. Bold faced lies are expected from the FNM camp but one would have thought that a reporter of a newspaper of note who had the evidence within reach just down the hall in the sales office would very easily verify the accuracy of the FNM’s statement.

Alas this was not done and it came off as a conspiracy to smear the PLP rather than the Fourth Estate in search of the truth. Again for the record, the BAMSI ad was paid for by the Progressive Liberal Party. If the FNM is incapable of debating the issues, and all available evidence to us suggest that they are incapable, then at the very least they must stick to the truth.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On Friday of last week, the PLP had a very successful launch of its Grand Bahama candidates. They are a good group of talented leaders that represent a mixture of experience and energy and I am confident that Obie, Michael, Julian, Preston and Norris would serve the interests of Grand Bahama very well as we move that island and indeed The Bahamas forward together.

Ladies and gentlemen, let me cut right to the chase: the total number of jobs added to the economy during the two terms of the Christie administration exceeds 50,000. This record is unprecedented. As a matter of fact, the number of jobs created in this term alone is a record. Hubert Ingraham could only muster thirty something thousand jobs in three terms and FNM’s openly admit that Dr. Minnis is shell of the leader Ingraham was.

Unemployment doubled under the FNM for those who have forgotten. For the first time in almost a decade, unemployment is trending downwards, thanks to the heavy lifting and firm foundation laid by the PLP. We must build on our successes and continue to move this country forward together.

A short message to Dr. Minnis and the FNM. Criticize the PLP when the FNM can create 32,000 jobs in one term or over 50,000 jobs in two terms. 

It is worth repeating my brothers and sisters that the PLP remains the most stable and united political organization in The Bahamas.

Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Rt. Hon. Perry Christie was in Grand Bahamas last Wednesday, 15th March to deliver the keynote address at the graduation ceremony of the Bahamas Customs Department. During his address, Mr. Christie called on Assistant Comptroller of Customs in Grand Bahama, Sherick Martin to begin the immediate recruitment of another class of Customs trainees to support the country’s expanding economy demands for officers, not just in Grand Bahama or Nassau, but throughout The Bahamas.

As a small sample of this growing need, Prime Minister referenced the Ocean Cay development, Baker’s Bay in Abaco and the establishment of a port of call in Mangrove Cay, Andros.

The necessary infrastructure expansions and capacity at the University of The Bahamas, BAMSI, NHI, expansions in the hotel industry and the transformation of the aviation sector, including the recent airspace agreement – collectively demand a large pool of highly motivated and well trained Bahamian workers and will provide expanded opportunities for a new class of entrepreneurs. In doubling the investment in scholarships, UB and NTA will assist in educating and training our people.   

To our candidates, Greg Burrows has dedicated most of his adult life to youth and sports development so he loves people and harnessing their skills so they may realize their full potential. I am confident that he will bring many of these life skills to the good people of Bamboo Town. I am advised that he is already causing quite a stir and the people love him.

Cleola Hamilton has always defied the odds and silenced her critics and naysayers. As a nurse, she is a natural nurturer and as a labour leader, she is very well aware of the labour concerns in her constituency and the nation. Without glitz and glamour, Cleola goes about her constituency duties in a workmanlike manner. She is always on the ground and in contact with her constituents. Whenever Jeff Lloyd is in South Beach she knows and when constituents ask her what to tell Jeff Lloyd, Cleola always tells them to be nice and respectful to Mr. Lloyd.

Khaalis Rolle is a man of all seasons. When he is not delivering potable water to large sections of Pinewood Gardens, or distributing furniture, or hosting a legal aid clinic, or clearing storm drains, and securing a permanent solution to drainage in sections of Pinewood Gardens, having roads paved and parks maintained in his constituency. Khaalis is busy crafting our National Development Plan. He can also be seen writing and negotiating multimillion dollar Heads of Agreements as he builds a firm and solid economic foundation on which thousands of jobs will be created and sustained.

I fully support the campaigns of these three fine candidates. They are all accomplished in business and in their professions and will bring those attributes to bear in their constituencies. I ask you to put your full support behind Greg, Cleola and Khaalis and give of your time and talents to secure victory for these candidates.

BAMBOO TOWN, WHO YOU VOTING FOR??!!

SOUTH BEACH, WHO YOU VOTING FOR??!!

PINEWOOD, WHO YOU VOTING FOR??!!

My brothers and sisters, our beloved Bahamas has an international reputation for political stability and we must ensure that it remains that way. I ask for your cooperation in ensuring that we have an incident free, controversy free and a violence free 2017 general election. Please be self-disciplined, cool, calm and collected and focused only on winning.

 00000

REMEMBER PLP'S, IT IS ONLY THROUGH WINNING THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO MOVE THIS COUNTRY FORWARD TOGETHER!!

SO PLP’S – VICTORY IS AT HAND. WHEN THE BALLOTS ARE COUNTED ON ELECTION NIGHT, BAMBOO TOWN, SOUTH BEACH AND PINEWOOD WILL BE COUNTED IN THE WINNING COLUMN!!

PLP…PLP…PLP