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Shaunae plunges over line to Olympic glory SHAUNAE Miller last night won the Olympic gold medal in the 400m in the most dramatic of fashions - diving across the line in a tight finish to secure victory.

Her nearest rival, Allyson Felix of the US, was closing her down in the final 100m of the race after Miller had powered through the

first 300m - but in the final steps of the race, Miller threw herself over the line to win by just seven hundredths of a second.

Miller had been drawn in a tough lane - out in lane seven where she was unable to see most of her rivals behind her throughout the race.

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There had been concerns ahead of the race as heavy rain forced a delay - but Miller shrugged off any worries to win, bringing home the first medal of the Olympics for The Bahamas.

For full coverage of the race and more dramatic photographs, see Sports.

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PAGE 2, Tuesday, August 16, 2016

SANDALS pictured yesterday, after it was announced that 600 staff were being made redundant.

THE TRIBUNE

Photo: Tim Clarke/Tribune Staff

Redundant staff will not be given preference for re-hiring

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

NEWLY redundant employees of Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort will not be given first preference when the resort begins hiring employees for its October re-opening, The Tribune understands.

More than 600 employ-

ees were made redundant yesterday, drawing criticism from Labour Minister Shane Gibson. Many of the workers said they were caught off guard by the news, with scores of them showing up to work in uniform yesterday only to be told they no longer had jobs.

The employees received their severance packages

from Christ the King Anglican Church and the resort’s Cable Beach location. A source connected to the resort said the average payout to line staff was $6,105.

The lowest payout in this category was $758 and the highest payout was $22,717, The Tribune was told.

According to the wellplaced source, the average payout for supervisors was

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$20,614, with the highest payout being $34,747 and the lowest payout was $4,626.

Employees were largely docile as they accepted their packages at Christ the King Anglican Church.

One former Sandals worker, however, told The Tribune about his severance pay: “This ain’t much money to spend.”

Another employee said she was deeply disappointed to be made redundant, but is holding on to hope that she will be rehired.

Some employees complained that they were forced to sign a document before receiving their cheque. One woman claimed that the document ordered that workers not talk about Sandals or sue the property, however these details could not be confirmed.

“You can’t get anything unless you sign the statement and even when you sign the statement you are not getting a copy,” the woman claimed.

Asked about this yesterday, Mr Gibson told The Tribune: “I haven’t seen (the form they were asked to sign) but you can’t force anyone to sign a deed of release in order to receive benefits they are entitled to.”

Earlier in the House of Assembly, Mr Gibson said such a move was “illegal”.

A source close to Sandals also denied yesterday that the government was caught

off guard by its intention to make hundreds of people redundant, as Labour Minister Shane Gibson had suggested.

The source said officials of the resort met with Prime Minister Perry Christie several times recently and informed him of the decision.

In at least one of these meetings, Mr Gibson was present, the source said.

Yesterday, Mr Christie declined to speak on the Sandals matter when approached by reporters.

The Tribune understands that the rehiring process at the resort is already underway.

“First preference will be given to employees most qualified for the job,” one source said. “The length of time a person worked there won’t be as relevant. It’s not a matter of seniority. It’s a matter of productivity.”

Mr Gibson had expressed outrage that Sandals decided to make employees redundant instead of laying them off, since in the latter instance the employees could have returned to work at the resort’s reopening.

A Sandals’ source, however, said this option was not possible because the resort does not have a union agreement.

To this, Mr Gibson said: “They could have invited employees to take time off without pay if they wished.

I agree the law does not allow lay offs unless it’s in the employees contract, but it

can be done by the consent of the employees.”

In a statement yesterday, Sandals said it made employees redundant in order to carry out necessary repairs to the resort.

“Highly regarded for its rich regal history, the 60-year-old resort is set to unveil a newly renovated Windsor pool and restored Balmoral pool deck as well as major upgrades to five of its restaurants to include reroofing,” the resort said in a statement. “Meanwhile, the Windsor Ballroom is undergoing significant improvements to include updated audio visual equipment and soft furnishings.

Other repair work being undertaken extends to the resort’s Red Lane Spa and an overhaul of electrical systems in select areas.

Several rooms and suites affected by recent emergency maintenance issues are also being restored. The widespread work is being undertaken as the resort refines its commitment to consistently elevate its offerings and provide guests with the World’s Leading Caribbean resort chain’s Luxury Included vacation experience. The repairs and upgrades which forced the resort’s closure on August 15 are being fast-tracked at an estimated cost of $4m and are to be implemented within 14 weeks - a massive feat itself, considering the original time-frame for completion was appraised at four months.”

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, August 16, 2016, PAGE 3

Gibson blasts Sandals as 600 lose their jobs

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net LABOUR Minister Shane Gibson said his ministry was given very little notice by Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort of its decision to make more than 600 employees redundant yesterday so it could conduct renovations.

However, Mr Gibson’s suggestion was denied by a source connected with Sandals who told The Tribune that high-ranking officials of the resort informed Prime Minister Perry Christie of the intention to make employees redundant.

“It was with deep disappointment that the Ministry of Labour received a letter from Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort, informing us that the contracts of more than 600 employees would be terminated today as a result of Sandals’ closure,” Mr Gibson said during a communication in the House of Assembly yesterday.

“My ministry first learned about the closure on Tuesday, August 1, with the rest of the country when information was leaked to the media and printed in a local newspaper. I requested a meeting with officials from Sandals on August 3.

“We met with Chief Executive Officer of Sandals Resorts International Adam Stewart as well as members of his executive and legal teams. During that meeting, we asked them to consider laying employees off instead of making them redundant. They told us they would consider

this suggestion and get back to us within 24 hours. However, after not hearing from them, my ministry wrote Sandals a letter on August 4, requesting the resort’s latest position and further details on the proposed closure. “Sandals has yet to respond to my ministry,” Mr Gibson added. “Instead resort representatives wrote the attorney general and copied the Ministry of Labour on Friday, August 12, informing us of their decision.”

Mr Gibson said the government has been advised that the resort will be closed for eight weeks as it carries out renovations because hotel officials said the work could not be carried out in the presence of guests.

Nonetheless, the resort, he said, indicated that it would retain 44 Bahamian managers, 13 work permit holders and 44 line staff members to maintain the property during the closure.

About 60 other line staff employees will be sent to Sandals Emerald Bay in Exuma, Mr Gibson said.

Regarding Sandals’ letter, he said: “That letter did not include the necessary details for my ministry to proceed how we normally do. In fact, we are still awaiting a response to the letter we sent 11 days ago.

We were advised that Sandals is demanding that employees being made redundant sign a deed of release.

I understand this is illegal, as the law does not require employees being made redundant to sign such a document for redundancy money that they are entitled

MONDAY at Christ the King church off of Robinson road doing severance payouts. to. We have never had a ma- he believes Sandals’ ac- the country’s high unemjor employer in this country tions are an attack on the ployment problem.

Maintenance “The country woke up proceed this way in making Bahamas hundreds of employees re- and Allied Workers Un- this morning with more bad dundant without first meet- ion (BMAWU), which has news on the unemployment ing with the Ministry of La- several ongoing labour dis- scene with Sandals’ anputes with the resort. nouncement that effective bour.

The main issue is San- today they will close their “I am again calling on the National Tripartite Council dals’ refusal to recognise doors for several months,” to move post-haste with up- the union as the bargain- he said. “This news is esdating our redundancy laws, ing agent for its employees pecially painful coming at making it mandatory that despite a 2011 ruling by the a time when we have one of proper notice be given and Privy Council that the re- the highest unemployment rates in decades.” consultations take place sort do so.

Sandals has refused to Dr Minnis claimed that before moving to make emnegotiate with the union. the temporary closure is ployees redundant.”

In a statement yesterday, indicative of a downturn in Asked by The Tribune about the matter outside Opposition Leader Dr Hu- the tourism sector, although the House of Assembly bert Minnis said Sandals’ he provided no evidence of yesterday, Mr Gibson said decision will only aggravate this.

“We understand the need for hotels to close for renovation . . . but we fail to understand why there was not a phased closure which would allow employees to be on rotation while renovation takes place,” he said.

“We in the FNM are outraged that the Christie led government, who prides itself as being the most labour friendly government ever, would sit on their hands and allow employers to lay off workers in the absence of constructive dialogues taking place to save Bahamian jobs.”

DNA LEADER: GOVT HAS LEARNED NOTHING FROM PREVIOUS PROBLEMS Tuesday, 9th August 2016

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

DEMOCRATIC National Alliance Leader Branville McCartney yesterday railed against the government over the mass redundancy action at Sandals resort, stating that it was clear officials have learned nothing from previous matters of this nature.

Mr McCartney said the announcement that more than 600 workers were terminated has stirred feelings of déjà vu among hotel workers, thousands of whom were made redundant last year by Baha Mar’s court appointed provisional liquidators.

He also said that labour relations in the country have deteriorated, laying the blame squarely at the feet of Labour Minister Shane Gibson.

“Instead of fulfilling his mandate to protect the interests of Bahamian workers, this Minister of Labour Shane Gibson has stood idly by as thousands of once gainfully employed Bahamians are forced into the unemployment lines,” he said.

“Sadly, his most recent protestations about the way Sandals has handled its employees ring hollow and empty. While the ongoing tensions between the resort and its employees grabbed headlines, the minister was radio silent and failed to intervene on behalf of those workers.”

More than 600 employees were made redundant yesterday as the Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort closed for maintenance, with plans to re-open on October 13.

Employees were reportedly given less than two weeks notice of the impending closure.

When the news broke earlier this month, Labour Director Robert Farquharson said his office was made aware of the potential clo-

sure through the media.

Trade Union Congress (TUC) President Obie Ferguson accused Sandals Royal Bahamian of union busting, suggesting that the closure may be connected to an ongoing dispute with the bargaining unit for the all-inclusive Cable Beach resort’s employees.

The Bahamas Hotel Maintenance and Allied Workers Union (BHMAWU), which falls under the TUC umbrella, has been seeking to negotiate an industrial agreement with the hotel since 2009.

Last week, Sandals Royal Bahamian General Manager Gary Williams and the resort’s Financial Controller Ronnie Mirza both appeared in a Magistrate’s Court for failing to negotiate with the union, unlawfully terminating several union executives and intimidating union executives.

The men pleaded not guilty and were each granted $5,000 bail with one surety.

Yesterday, Mr McCartney said the DNA strategy on tourism placed more value on Bahamians working on the front lines of the industry, and was guided by an agenda that clearly elucidates the role of unions and encourages open dialogue and communication.

“As in the case of Baha Mar, this Christie administration was again, seemingly blindsided by the news of Sandals’ closure and in the wake of that news has offered no real comfort or strategy in dealing with the matter moving forward.

“At a time when economic conditions around the country continue to worsen, when unemployment continues to skyrocket, when Bahamian families struggle to afford even the most basic of needs and in the face of yet another seemingly ‘teachable moment’ it would appear, however, that this Christie government has learned nothing.”

Mr McCartney pledged that his party’s tourism strategy will target new and creative sub-industries within the tourism sector in a bid to protect Bahamians from the “fickle mercies” of foreign investors.

“What hotel workers in this country need now,” he said, “more than ever, is a government that will work to protect their interests first. An administration committed to not just the

growth and development of the current tourism product, but also to creating opportunities for Bahamians to own a part of the country’s number one industry.”

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THE TRIBUNE

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How free is parliament - a case for the Privy Council IF THERE ever was an argument for the retention of the Privy Council as The Bahamas’ court of last resort it was dramatically illustrated in the House of Assembly in the past few weeks as a confused Speaker allowed certain members to overstep the boundaries of free speech under the guise of parliamentary privilege.

The matter ended in court before Justice Indra Charles in the Save the Bays case when she found that “members of parliament in the conduct of parliamentary affairs and the government in the guise of the Executive acting through Cabinet Ministers inside and outside of Parliament were not above the law.”

Of course, this rap across parliamentary knuckles does not sit well with some MPs. We certainly have not heard the end of their injured pride and complaints about the so-called unconstitutional judicial trimming of their parliamentary wings, which they seem to believe should be allowed to flap around in everybody’s private affairs.

As one would expect, Immigration Minister Fred Mitchell has been particularly vocal. He has urged the Speaker to hold firm, pointing out that there “has been a lot of public discussion, most of it managed by the press, that appears to be hostile to the position which has been taken by members of Parliament in defence of freedom of speech in this place.”

Mr Mitchell emphasised the importance for House Speaker Dr Kendal Major to “constantly reaffirm the point on behalf of this House that this matter is not about saving the financial services sector … this is about the right of members of Parliament to speak freely in this Parliament.”

According to Mr Mitchell, the law has always been clear on this point, adding that anything said in Parliament “has no sanction, whether criminal or civil”.

He stressed that parliamentary privilege was essential so that members of Parliament could speak freely on behalf of their constituents.

Speaker Major was holding firm, until a more sober mind must have got to him, causing him to change gears when he admitted on a radio show on Thursday that he should not have allowed Education Minister Jerome Fitzgerald to read and table in the House the private e-mails and financial transactions of Save the Bays, an environmental group. In future, he vowed, no more private e-mails will be read in the House without first being vetted.

Regardless of what Mr Mitchell says there is no such thing as absolute freedom to do as one wishes - others have to be protected from such so-called “freedoms”.

We recall years ago listening to a lecture by the late Thomistic philosopher Jacque Maritain when he used the illustration of a train to explain freedom. The train, he said, was free only as long as it chugged along the tracks and functioned in the manner for which it was designed.

However, should it jump the tracks and start cavorting across the fields like a free goat, it was headed for destruction, and the destruction of everything in and around it. Abuse had destroyed that freedom.

And it was also at a very tender age that we learned that there were certain things that members were not free to discuss in the House of Assembly.

The late WCB Johnson (House Speaker from 1936 to 1942) was the first Speaker that we remember. No, we were much too young to be reporting for The Trib-

une, but not too young to be dragged out at 8pm to sit in the public gallery, so tiny that feet could not yet touch the floor. But in The Tribune training started young. It was then that we first learned that there were limits in the House. There were matters that were out of bounds. We recall Speaker Johnson stopping a House member, who had called the name of a private citizen, only to be cut short and reminded that the person was not there to defend himself, and so any further comment was off limits.

This was also where we learned the meaning of “sub judice”. A matter before the courts cannot be discussed in parliament. So, contrary to what Bahamians are now being told, there is no absolute freedom for parliamentarians to discuss whatever he or she wishes — there are limits. And like the train, parliamentarians are free as long as they continue on the recognised path, but deviate from that path and they invite problems that certain House members are now facing.

Parliament makes the laws, the judiciary interprets those laws. Should parliament overstep its bounds, then a complainant has the right to go to the court and ask for protection. In this case the court found that there was a matter to adjudicate, and it took action.

Why would government members inject themselves in an argument between an environmental group and Peter Nygard’s use/or abuse of his property at Lyford Cay is yet to be explained.

Government members have claimed that Save the Bays in its dispute with Nygard is in some strange way trying to destabilise the government. How is this possible unless, of course, there is some truth to the rumours that at are now swirling around and shrieking for investigation.

Justice Charles in her recent ruling, found that Mr Fitzgerald’s actions in acquiring, disclosing and releasing specifically Save The Bays internal e-mails were not legally justified and therefore he could not be protected by parliamentary privilege. As a result, she ordered that he pay $150,000 in damages for the breach and barred him from any further disclosures or publications of information belonging to the Save The Bays organisation. He was ordered to delete all documents in his possession within 14 days.

At the request of the Attorney General, the judge granted a stay of execution, pending a hearing and a decision as to whether her decision would be appealed.

However, what we find most obnoxious are the words that spilled from mouth of Mr Mitchell.

“And now you have rich foreigners using millions of dollars funnelled through a law firm to actually get a judge in a court to agree to do that, and we mustn’t say anything in response to that?” questioned Mr Mitchell. Is Mr Mitchell by any chance suggesting that this judge can be and has been bought? We don’t know the judge, but in all that we have heard and read she is noted not only for her knowledge of the law, but for her fearless integrity. Is someone of Mr Mitchell’s stature going to be allowed to bring her down by such an ignominious suggestion? His insinuation is one that can’t be brushed under the carpet.

If Justice Charles’ ruling is to be appealed, we hope that it goes straight to the Privy Council, where learned men, removed from all local involvement will be able to decide the law on its merits, and not get entangled with the question as to whether their decision might undermine a government.

The wrong measure of PM’s success EDITOR, The Tribune.

OBIE Wilchombe has predicted that Prime Minister Perry Christie will win the leadership post by a landslide because “he continues to resonate with the party delegates ... and has

proven that he has what it takes to keep the party together”.

Therein lies the problem; his record of public disservice, abuses of position, lack of vision and foresight, ill effect as leader on this country and its economy,

scandalous waste of public funds and seemingly endless failures are not to be considered as criterion.

God help us all!

JOHN BOWMAN Nassau, August 11, 2016

Misuse of public funds EDITOR, The Tribune THE famous French diplomat Maurice de Talleyrand had a terse retort for his boss, Napoleon Bonaparte, when he committed an international blunder by having a popular rival assassinated, nearly starting a war.

“Sire,” said Talleyrand, “it was worse than a crime, it was a mistake.”

Talleyrand had no use for morality or pesky legalities; he was only concerned about the wisdom of government policies. The actions of Minister Jerome Fitzgerald should be judged in the same way. Whether or not his public disclosure of private papers will be judicially labelled a crime, his burning desire to show off these papers to the public was a profound mistake, one that questions his judgment to serve as a cabinet minister.

What was he trying to prove when he dramatically announced his documentary discovery to the House of Assembly back in March? With patriotic zeal, he wanted nothing less than to warn us of a plot to bring down the Government - “destabilisation” and “overthrow” were his

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net words, which could well mean sedition. And who were the dangerous revolutionaries behind so vile a scheme? None other than the licensed charity Save the Bays, its backer Louis Bacon, and its advisors and legal counsel.

As soon as Mr Fitzgerald started disclosing confidential documents, House Speaker Kendal Major should have shut him off, keeping the whole matter neatly within parliamentary bounds. But, inexperienced or cowed by the Fitzgerald rhetoric, Dr Major let him ramble on with a confused diatribe against a host of parties, including the Free National Movement. It was eventually revealed that the incendiary papers simply arose from the long-running dispute involving Peter Nygard’s alleged land accretions, with its many colourful off-shoots of hired hit-men, etc.

To inflate this environmental controversy into a plot to destroy the Government was an absurdity created solely by Mr Fitzgerald. We never heard any plot

fears from the Prime Minister or the Minister of National Security or the CID. At most, the disclosures might have cast doubts on certain Progressive Liberal Party politicians, like Mr Fitzgerald himself, known to have accepted Nygard’s hospitality. He was entitled to defend his own reputation, but not to escalate his personal standing into a national issue. He knew if he brought any legal charge of sedition based on these papers, he would be laughed out of court.

And now we see another mistake-worse-than-acrime: the Attorney-General spending public funds to defend, not the House of Assembly, but just Mr Fitzgerald personally from the consequence of his own rash actions. Of course he has the right to legal counsel; maybe his fellow MPs, keen on Parliamentary Privilege, will chip in to defray his costs. Why should his defence be paid with the people’s money?

Maybe we will see a test case whether misuse of public funds is both a mistake and a crime.

RICHARD COULSON Nassau, August 11, 2016

Lightbourn’s fault is being white EDITOR, The Tribune.

FOR the past forty years in this country, the complaints have been that too many teenaged girls were having babies, that they had too many children and that they had them for too many different men who did not contribute to their maintenance and took no part in their upbringing.

Over the past forty years and continuing today, too many of these children born to unwed mothers have become the scourge of criminality, who have clogged and backlogged the court calendar, are seen daily doing the famous “Bank Lane Shuffle” and have caused an overcrowding at the prison in Fox Hill.

The government over the years has thrown millions of taxpayers’ and borrowed dollars at the problem with no clear solution in sight.

These are some of the things highlighted by Richard Lightbourn on the platform at the Free National Movement Convention on Thursday, July 28. However, Mr. Lightbourn’s greatest fault in bringing that message was the fact that he is a white man, the audience was predominantly black, and the majority of Bahamian women are black.

Richard Lightbourn said in the public’s ear what is privately discussed in “polite circles” by people seeking solutions to all the ills plaguing the Bahamian society, including crime, education, health care and unemployment.

He will get no kudos for verbalising what could be a solution to a pressing problem. Instead, we will castigate him because he is white in a majority black nation and we are in the political season. If those statements

had come from a prominent black citizen, I’m sure the headlines would be completely different.

I say that Editor, because when a black MP stood on the floor of the House of Assembly and bragged about beating a former girlfriend until his hand hurt, there was laughter from his party colleagues. Asked by the Speaker if he was speaking in jest, the member insisted that he was “dead serious”.

Mr Lightbourn cannot change that he is white nor can he change that sometime in history black people (including Bahamians) were slaves. That is not something for which he needs to apologize or to refrain from speaking out on the ills that threaten to destroy the Bahamian way of life.

ANTHONY CAPRON Nassau, August 13, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, August 16, 2016, PAGE 5

Primary care phase of NHI by January, says PM

BY KHRISNA VIRGIL Deputy Chief Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Perry Christie yesterday defended his administration’s handling of National Health Insurance and insisted that while the process has been delayed, he hopes the government is able to roll out the primary care phase by January 2017.

He also told parliamentarians that the government has made the decision to send out a global bid for a public health insurer. The process will not discriminate against local health insurance companies, Mr Christie said.

However, as governmenthired consultants have said the primary phase cannot be implemented in the absence of a public insurer, which could take eight months to establish, Mr Christie’s timeline seems ambitious.

He did not reveal when the government planned to release requests for proposals to establish a public insurer.

“When we are talking about costs, the government has decided to go to a global bid for a public health insurer,” the prime minister said during the wrap up of debate on the NHI Bill in the House of Assembly.

“That means that the government on behalf of the people of this country will make an intervention on the area of insurance.

“A public health insurer is only intended to cover primary health care not to compete against the other interventions of the private sector.

“But in that global bid,

PRIME Minister Perry Christie says he hopes that the primary care phase of NHI will be able to be rolled out by January. the private insurance companies here, any one or any number of them, will be eligible to bid because the government will have the group selected manage the public insurance.

“But the public insurer is not going to allow pre-existing illnesses or someone as old as me to be disallowed. It’s going to be them to protect the interest of those Bahamians who have been disallowed insurance and yes it should stabilise prices.”

He continued: “When it rolls out, I hope by January, the people of this country

will sing free at last, free at last. (They will be) free to access care that could save the children.

“All of my colleagues who have the responsibility must know they are accountable to get it done and make this happen. The people of this country will have their lives influenced for the better by what we intend to bring about by the end of this year (or) the beginning of next year in this country.

We must not fail to recognise it represents a new day in the delivery of healthcare in this country.”

Regarding the criticism

levelled at his administration over NHI, Mr Christie said the structure the government has undertaken is working and will ensure the initiative is implemented properly.

“So all of the matters to do with the functioning of primary care and access of Bahamians to that we are satisfied that we are laying the basis of a wonderful programme.

“I am saying that we are going to phase, like every other county, introducing National Health Insurance, we are going to phase this in and we are going to do it

and build upon the experience and we are going to do it comprehensively and we are going to do it as best we can.”

Earlier this month, Health Minister Dr Perry Gomez hinted at how the government may decide to fund NHI as it expands in scope, noting that other countries have taxed “unhealthy substances” like alcohol and tobacco as well as high salt and high sugar products to fund healthcare.

It was the closest a government representative has come to discussing how it

may fund the ambitious and expensive plan.

He positioned the NHI project in a long line of progressive accomplishments achieved by the Progressive Liberal Party, similar to the establishment of the National Insurance Board (NIB) and the imminent transition of the College of The Bahamas into a university.

However, at the time Dr Gomez did not say when the first phase of NHI - primary healthcare - will be introduced nor did he provide a timeline for events relating to the scheme.

PRIME MINISTER DENIES PUBLIC MISLED OVER NHI

By SANCHESKA BROWN Tribune Staff Reporter sbrown@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Perry Christie yesterday denied that his government was “misleading” the public by insinuating that “cookouts” will no longer be needed to fund people’s medical expenses once National Health Insurance is introduced.

While responding to a statement from Free National Movement Leader Dr Hubert Minnis in the House of Assembly, Mr

Christie said he has “been clear” from the beginning, that NHI’s primary healthcare phase will deal with “preventing catastrophic diseases” and eventually the country will move toward total coverage under the plan.

Dr Minnis claimed that the government “sold the Bahamian people a bill” leading them to believe they will get free treatment for catastrophic illnesses, however he added the primary care phase of NHI is “nothing different” than what is being offered now in the

public health system.

“The government never misrepresented the policy commitment of NHI by encouraging the belief that cookouts will end upon the passage of the bill,” Mr Christie said in response.

“This is not true. The record will reflect that as we speak about NHI at all times there have been differing voices, but ultimately when the programme will come it was predicated specifically on the introduction of primary healthcare. It was defined as costing $100 million and it was further

defined as saying the services that will be provided, some of which are paid for now, will be free of charge.

“No fee for labs and x ray’s. What we are now talking about is enhancing the policy to get the things done quickly and affordability and to get it done at no cost at the point of service.”

On Sunday, leading surgeon and FNM Senator Dr Duane Sands said that “thousands of Bahamians will continue to die” under the government’s primary care phase of NHI.

EIGHT GROUPS SIGN UP TO PROVIDERS ASSOCIATION EIGHT organisations have signed on to a proposed Independent Provider Association, Dr Conville Brown said in a statement yesterday in response to criticism from the Medical Association of the Bahamas.

In his statement, Dr Brown said he was “somewhat surprised by the tone” of MAB President Dr Sy Coolidge Pierre’s response to a press release issued on Thursday about the matter.

“For the simple record, several leaders of the main physician provider organisations were invited to meet on the independent provider association structure as a tool for facilitating the implementation of National Health

Insurance in the Bahamas,” Dr Brown said.

“You (Dr Pierre) were one of the invitees and did attend. You subsequently indicated a nonwillingness to sign on to said model as ‘The Medical Association of the Bahamas was just an advocacy group,’ and same was fully respected, as was the case for the Bahamas Association of Primary Care Physicians and Bahamas Doctors Union.”

Dr Brown said of the 11 major organisations invited, eight signed on to the initiative on Friday, July 8. These include the Consultant Physicians Staff Associations in Nassau and Freeport; the Grand Bahama Medical & Dental Association; Care Bahamas; Physicians

Alliance Ltd; Doctors Hospital; The Sunrise Medical Centre-Hospital Complex and The Medical Pavilion Bahamas.

Dr Brown said the Medical Association of the Bahamas; the Bahamas Association of Primary Care Physicians and the Bahamas Doctors Union declined.

“An audience was sought with Prime Minister Perry Christie to inform of our group’s desire to have said model considered as a possible facilitator of implementation of National Health Insurance.

“The prime minister was provided with the signatory list on Saturday, July 9, 2016. He was also advised that of the major physician groups, three

had declined to sign on at that stage.”

Dr Brown added that it was always proposed that a Bahamas Independent Provider Association (BIPA) be a 100 per cent Bahamian-owned company incorporated in the Bahamas as a non-profit organisation.

He added that BIPA would be able to represent all stakeholders in healthcare, including physicians, unions, insurance companies, nursing, pharmacists, etc, and indeed any special interest groups in relation to healthcare provision.

On Sunday, Dr Pierre released a statement which said no major healthcare provider or stakeholders had signed onto any IPA.

CORRECTION - MEDICAL ASSOCIATION POSITION ON NHI THE Medical Association of the Bahamas has asked The Tribune to clarify its position on National Health Insurance as the heading over an article in Monday’s Tribune –“Endorsement for NHI is slammed as ‘deceptive’” – could have given the wrong impression. The Medical Association emphasised that it is not against universal healthcare. However, it denies that it has signed any Independent Provider As-

sociation (IPA) agreement as has been claimed.

In Monday’s article, it was reported that the Medical Association of the Bahamas (MAB) had denied, as had been claimed, that the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Bahamas Independent Provider Association (BIPA) had entered into a partnership with major healthcare providers or stakeholders to advance NHI discussions.

However, a statement re-

leased by MAB President Dr Sy Coolidge Pierre on Sunday said the recent press release from the TUC and the BIPA on the issue of an IPA to advance NHI was “distasteful and deceptive”.

“The recent BIPA statement,” said the MAB’s press release, “is both distasteful and deceptive, seeing that certain members of the organisation recently met with the major healthcare providers and were given a clear and unequivocal ‘no’ answer

to their proposal. BIPA’s public statement that the ‘major physician provider groups…..signalled their commitment and agreement’ with the BIPA is an outright untruth.”

On Monday, Dr Pierre clarified his weekend statement, pointing out that major health professional groups and insurance providers are not a part of any IPA/BIPA agreement and they had given their reasons why.

In an interview with The Tribune, Dr Sands said the $24m the government plans to set aside to create a special fund for patients with catastrophic medical problems during the first phase of NHI is “not nearly enough” and will only help about “25 to 30” people.

He said while he fully supports the idea of NHI, it will be a “generation” before the country will begin to see the benefits of this initial phase.

Dr Sands said it is “disappointing” that 30 years

after the discussion on universal healthcare began that “this is as far as we have come.”

He also urged the government to be “completely honest” with the public and let Bahamians know what will be covered and what will not be under NHI’s primary care phase.

PAGE 6, Tuesday, August 16, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

NO INJURIES AS FLAMINGO AIR PLANE CRASH LANDS

THE PLANE on the runway yesterday after a wheel collapsed as it landed.

By DENISE MAYCOCK wheel under the right wing incident occurred. No one Tribune Freeport Reporter collapsed, The Tribune was was hurt, but the plane had dmaycock@tribunemedia.net told. minor damage.

The plane, a blue and Minister of Transport A FLAMINGO Air white Flamingo Air Beech and Aviation Glenys Hanna plane crash landed at the 99, had departed Grand Martin gave the House of airport in South Bimini on Bahama and was in the pro- Assembly a preliminary reMonday afternoon after the cess of landing when the port about the crash Mon-

day evening.

“At about 3.51 today, air traffic services advised that a Flamingo Airline aircraft en route from Freeport to Bimini with 15 persons on board had cause to crash land on the runway in Bi-

mini,” she said.

However, a police report issued by Inspector Terecita Pinder last night said 19 persons, including the pilot, were on board the plane.

Mrs Hanna Martin said

the Bimini airport had been temporarily closed due to the incident.

Fire Services responded to the crash and police with the Department of Civil Aviation are investigating the incident.

Rental generators arrive to end load shedding

By SANCHESKA BROWN Tribune Staff Reporter sbrown@tribunemedia.net

THE first set of rental generators secured for Bahamas Power and Light have arrived and Bahamas Electrical Workers Union President Paul Maynard said the utility provider will no longer be load shedding.

In an interview with The Tribune, Mr Maynard said the government is also working to “secure” the additional funding needed to purchase new equip-

ment to replace the “old, unreliable” generators. In the meantime, he said the additional 50 megawatts of rental power is expected to reduce, if not eliminate, load shedding and further blackouts this summer.

“The first 25 megawatts have already arrived and the other 25 megawatts will be here by the end the week, which means the worst of it is over,” Mr Maynard, whose union represents workers at BPL, said.

“The government is making attempts to secure

financing to get the new equipment we need and to make sure our system gets upgraded. BPL is a work in progress and so we will continue to rent the generators until we get new ones in place. I know it is being worked on expeditiously but there is no date yet on when they will be ordered.

“We are also putting in a 24-hour call centre that should be up and running in three months, to assist us in helping our customers faster. We have also imple-

mented mandatory training so all employees will take classes. It used to be when only the favourites were picked for training but now everyone will be trained.”

Mr Maynard said BPL has also started looking at property on the Family Islands to build solar thermal power stations.

“Teams have been going to look for enough land for us to build a solar plant.

The thing is for every megawatt you need five acres.

Solar panelling will help us alleviate some of the finan-

cial burden from the out islands,” he said.

“Currently, we are operating at a loss on the Family Islands. The only islands we make money from are Bimini, Abaco, Exuma and maybe Long Island. So the corporation is trying to move in that direction.”

Last month, BPL CEO Pam Hill said a lack of proper maintenance as well as extreme heat has put immense pressure on the corporation’s aging generators.

She also acknowledged that power cuts this year have

been more frequent than last year.

This summer, residents have endured frequent blackouts and power cuts as BPL struggled to provide adequate electricity.

This comes months after American company PowerSecure was contracted to take over management at the government-owned utility provider. The new management deal was touted by the government as being the answer to sub-par electricity service and high electricity bills.

TEENAGER ATTACKED BY SHARK SAYS THERE WAS NO AMBULANCE - BUT HOSPITAL HAS NO RECORD OF CALL

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

PUBLIC Hospitals Authority officials yesterday said there was no record of a “shark attack emergency call” placed into the National Emergency Medical Services dispatch centre the day an American teenager became the

victim of a vicious shark attack.

According to international reports, Johnny Stoch, a 15-year-old from Homer Township, Illinois, was bitten in the leg by a shark on August 7 while snorkelling with his family in the Bahamas. However, according to an article in the Chicago Tribune, no ambulance or paramedics

DEATH NOTICE FOR Derek Gibson, 52 of Seven Hills, died at the Princess Margaret Hospital on Wednesday, August 3rd, 2016.

He is survived by his Daughter: Dereka Gibson: Granddaughter: Albernique Blair; Brothers: Patrick and Joseph Gibson; Sisters: Rosemary Gibson-Thompson and Theresa Capron and other relatives and

friends.

Arrangements for the funeral service are being finalized and details will be announced at a future date.

came to his aid.

The shark reportedly bit off a sizable chunk of the boy’s leg, but missed nerves, tendons, and blood vessels. Doctors were reportedly forced to reconstruct the teen’s damaged calf muscle.

The article did not say whether Johnny’s family contacted National Emergency Medical Services (NEMS), which falls under the PHA, or Doctors Hospital for help. However, Johnny’s father John Stoch was reported as saying: “On Sunday, it’s hard to get an ambulance. They threw us in the back of a pickup truck.”

As a result, the Stoch family, which included Johnny’s mother Donna, as well as his 11-year-old brother Jacob, reportedly embarked on an “hourlong journey” through traffic on the way to Doctors Hospital, with Mrs Stoch and Mr Stoch holding Johnny’s head and feet for the duration of the ride.

Yesterday, PHA Director of Communications Judy Terrell-Hamilton told The Tribune that the NEMS Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) System showed “no record of a shark attack emergency call” on the day in question.

Mrs Terrell-Hamilton also denied there being a possible shortage of emergency response units available on the day in question, adding that on the day and

time in question, there were four units assigned to New Providence and one to Paradise Island.

When contacted, an official at Doctors Hospital said the hospital does not release that kind of information.

“The (CAD) system shows no record of a shark attack emergency call on Sunday, August 7, 2016,” Mrs Terrell-Hamilton said in an email yesterday.

“The operation of the National Emergency Medical Services is a 24-hour, seven day a week service.

The delivery of service is not impacted.

“On the day and time in question, there were four units assigned to New Providence and one to Paradise Island.”

Nonetheless, Johnny’s attitude post-attack has been “pretty good,” according to international reports. Johnny has reportedly said he still remains a fan of sharks, despite the dangerous encounter.

“I don’t blame (the shark) at all,” he told ABC News.

“I still like them. I’m not afraid of them.”

In late July, a 62-yearold dentist from Texas was attacked by a 6-foot bull shark while free diving in waters near Green Turtle Cay, Abaco.

Dr Steve Cutbirth, of Waco, was spear fishing with his son-in-law and two guides when the attack happened.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, August 16, 2016, PAGE 7

JAHMARO Edgecombe outside court yesterday.

Photo: Lamech Johnson/Tribune Staff

Murder suspect says he was forced to confess

By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

A MAN arraigned on a murder charge yesterday alleged that police forced him to sign a confession he did not voluntarily give.

Jahmaro Edgecombe, 21, of Water Street was escorted into the Nassau and South Streets Magistrate’s Court Complex to stand trial before Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes concerning the June 21 killing of Kenyari Lightbourn.

Edgecombe was charged with murder under Section 291 (1)(B) of the Penal Code, which does not attract the discretionary death penalty if a conviction is reached at the end of the trial.

Edgecombe is accused of intentionally causing the death of Lightbourn, who, on the day in question, was shot multiple times while

walking through his neighbourhood of Woods Alley, off Market Street.

Lightbourn died at the scene of the shooting.

The chief magistrate told Edgecombe yesterday that he would not be allowed to enter a plea to the charge until he is formally arraigned before a judge in the Supreme Court where his matter will be tried.

He was further informed that at his Magistrate’s Court reappearance on September 16, he would be served with a voluntary bill of indictment that would transfer his case to the Supreme court.

Before his remand to the Department of Correctional Services, Edgecombe’s lawyer, Ian Cargill, made a number of concerns known to the magistrate.

“The defendant has advised me that while in police custody, he was beaten

by Officer Miller and two other officers whose name and numbers he does not recall,” the lawyer said.

“He was forced to sign statements he did not give to police,” Mr Cargill further alleged.

“I take it then Mr Cargill that in accordance with Section 20 of the Evidence Act, when this matter is before the Supreme Court, you would make the necessary objection?” the chief magistrate asked.

The lawyer said he would, but wanted the record to also reflect that when his client requested medical attention, he was denied it.

“He complains of burst eardrums and that he was beaten on the chest and stomach. He was in pain,” Mr Cargill said.

“So his request for medical attention is a cautionary one?” the magistrate asked.

“Yes,“ said the lawyer.

TRIAL OVER SCHOOLBOY’S MURDER DUE TO BEGIN IN COURT TODAY

By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

THE trial into the murder of a 12th grade Doris Johnson Senior High School student is expected to proceed today in the Supreme Court.

The teens accused of the murder, ages 18, 15 and 16, appeared before Justice Bernard Turner yesterday morning for their trial in

the December 9, 2015 stabbing death of Adonai Wilson.

Though the jury pool was present, empanelling was adjourned to Tuesday morning at 10am.

According to initial reports, Wilson, a 16-yearold student, was stabbed multiple times during an argument with several other school students shortly after school was dismissed early because of exams. He

died in hospital a short time later.

The murder took place around 2pm on Prince Charles Drive and a graphic cell phone video of the incident was spread on social media.

The teens, who have denied the murder charge they face, have retained attorneys Murrio Ducille, Ian Cargill and Roberto Reckley to represent them.

$10,000 REWARD OFFERED AFTER STORE HIT BY ARMED ROBBERS NASSAU Pawn is offering a $10,000 reward for any information leading to the recovery of items stolen during an armed robbery at their downtown location last month.

In a statement yesterday, the pawnshop appealed for greater community assistance to combat a criminal element that is “becoming more brazen.”

“We recently had an armed robbery downtown, at Nassau Pawn where valued items belonging to hundreds of valued members of our community were stolen,” the statement said.

“Many of these items are incredibly valuable personal goods and family heirlooms which are irreplaceable.

“Criminals are becoming more brazen with their activities, and we will not let this stand. We must come together as a community to stand up to this violent criminal activity and do anything and everything possible to bring these criminals to justice.”

The Bay Street pawnshop was robbed shortly after 9am on July 22. According to a shop spokesperson, two short, slim men entered the store at 9.15am. One of

the men was armed with a handgun, while the other made demands.

The statement added: “A $10,000 reward is being offered to anyone providing information leading to the recovery of these goods.

Please help us serve justice to our hard working community members. Contact CDU if you have any information.”

Anyone with information on this robbery is asked to contact police at 911 or 919, the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 328TIPS.

“Also, after 48 hours in custody, he requested to see an extension order. No extension order was produced for him or myself to justify his detention for 96 plus

hours. We have to make these issues known at the first available opportunity otherwise when it goes to the other place, it will be challenged as only a fabri-

cation,” the lawyer stressed.

The chief magistrate noted the complaints and further ordered that Edgecombe be seen by a physician at the prison.

SICKLE CELL DISEASE

THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2016 AT 6:00PM / DOCTORS HOSPITAL CONFERENCE ROOM, DOWDESWELL STREET

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Prolonged blockages can also cause damage to most organs including the spleen, kidneys and liver. Join us August 18 as Dr Corrine Sin Quee Brown, Dr Teddy Turnquest and Dr G Ashaini Knowles discuss how this disease impacts both children and adults.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR! Don’t miss next month’s lecture when Dr Alphaeus Allick discusses the beneets of following a “Plant-Based Diet.” Thursday, September 15, 2016

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PAGE 8, Tuesday, August 16, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

What that song really tells us about our nation

By NICOLE BURROWS

I

HAVEN’T heard the “vile” song that has led to two Bahamian men being taken into custody for questioning.

I’m not particularly interested in hearing it. It’s not that I’m opposed to curse words… on rare occasions I find them to be most effective. But I don’t need to listen to the song to understand the argument about free speech.

And I can hear the select group now: “Oh, you think this America?”

Or, “You think this a democracy?”

No, I don’t. On both counts. Believe me, I only need look for two minutes to see it is not.

But since when do you get called in for questioning because you express yourself?

And how is it libel if it’s spoken? Isn’t that slander? Or have we done away with the distinction? Were the words written in public?

Unless a specific threat was levied against someone in the song, what crime has been committed? Have they committed a crime simply because you don’t like what they say? Will all of us who dare to be change agents and want for a better life in The Bahamas be hauled off to court because you don’t like what we say?

In any event, I suppose what they’ll call it in this case is character defamation, something damaging to the reputation. But I hate to tell you, the reputation is already damaged. Been so for quite some time, in

the case of one Mr Christie. And it wasn’t done by two young men and a song.

Can you measure the “before” and “after’, to decide if Mr Christie’s reputation is more damaged now, because of the song, than it was before the song?

If you find something to charge these men with, what damages will they pay? It certainly won’t be monetary. These brothers don’t have money for you, probably none for them either. And I’m going to step out on a limb and say that could actually be your fault… you, the leaders in the current (and past) government(s).

What I’d be more interested in is the whereabouts of the law that states if a leader promises to take care of his people and doesn’t he can face criminal charges.

You know how many stupid, ignorant, offensive, mean-spirited, downright hateful and nasty people have put things in writing about me because they don’t like what I say?

If I could lock them up for being stupid, ignorant, and nasty I would. But I can’t. Because being stupid, ignorant and nasty is not a crime.

So you get to the point where either you make examples of them (waste your time) or you ignore them.

B

ahamian political folklore speaks of the days of a Pindling regime when you dared not open your mouth in opposition to him or his

PRIME Minister Perry Christie speaking at a ratification ceremony at the Progressive Liberal Party Headquarters as the party gears up for the next election.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff government without suffering a lifetime of loss tied to their retribution.

Have we regressed to that?

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Just so that I’m clear, if I keep telling Mr Christie and members of his government to stick it where the sun don’t shine, which I do almost every week it seems, because he and they are worthless leaders, and that gets printed in thousands of newspapers and online before tens of thousands more readers, what exactly am I guilty of?

Which led me to jokingly ask my colleagues: Do you think I could find work in Nassau after now?

Is every private firm afraid to attach itself to me? What about government? Surely my Bahamas government would hire me.

Could I get work with any government agency in The Bahamas?

The first response to my crude and informal poll was sidesplitting laughter.

Because even though it is not said outright, we know what happens when political machinery is activated.

I’m fairly certain I couldn’t get a job in The Bahamas public service after now. Out of curiosity, I checked the Public Service Commission (PSC) job application form to see what would be required of me… whether there are any politically incriminating questions there. And so it seems there are.

For example, to begin with, why does it matter who my parents are and what they do for a living, if I am a lawful Bahamian citizen my whole life, with a valid (not fake) passport and no criminal record?

Aren’t these types of

questions prejudicial?

Why do you need to know my religion…. Or is that question really asking, “Do you have any religion?”

You want to know “who my people is” so you can mark me, and deny me opportunity by reason of family lineage? Figure out how much slack I can have, how much I can milk the system before I’m reprimanded?

How much you can reasonably cover me in my ineptness or wrongdoing?

Who my parents are has no impact on my ability to do the work if I am indeed qualified to do it. So who is this type of question and its answer really for? I am left to assume, the terribly unqualified, which totals a hefty load in the public service who can get government posts based on their level of political connectedness.

But I’m sure if I challenge the validity of these questions on the PSC application, they’ll tell me to just “fill out the form.”

Maybe they should put that as an instruction on the top of the form, under the title ‘The Bahamas Public Service Commission, Application for Employment’: “Just Fill Out the Form.”

And that is the kind of society that dictatorial and corrupt leaders count on and aim to create and maintain, the kind comprised of people who don’t ask questions but only follow orders.

Don’t question it, just do it.

We’ll have - which we do now - a country of people who won’t challenge or oppose much of anything and who will always fear making their voices and opposition heard. I suppose, if the Official Opposition doesn’t have the preparation to make themselves heard, who are the rest of us to think we have a shot at it?

For the record, I wouldn’t encourage lewd, hateful expressions of disagreement, but I would encourage reasoned disagreement.

However, I understand perfectly that when you’ve

‘What I’d be more interested in is the whereabouts of the law that states if a leader promises to take care of his people and doesn’t he can face criminal charges.’

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been surrounded by ignorance and injustice for too long it either makes your blood boil and you act out, or it seeps into your psyche and it becomes you unless you challenge it. Being surrounded by ignorance or injustice all day, every day, makes you conform eventually to one or the other.

There is a high risk that you will slowly become more ignorant and unjust, too.

It’s no secret now that I’ve left The Bahamas to do what I can for The Bahamas outside of The Bahamas.

And upon returning to a society that embraces and embodies real innovation and qualification, I now understand even better why my mentors once told me to be careful not to go back home too soon or for too long.

Fifteen years was clearly too long.

After 15 years, I feel like I need a whole new education, a new degree… several of them in fact, just to be competitive.

As painful as it is to say and accept, the reality is that what is considered overqualified today and has been for years in The Bahamas is drastically underqualified in America.

I spent 15 years in Nassau losing the best of my educated self by reverse osmosis of intellect in an environment that has little respect for it.

If you’re not careful, you forget what you know. You forget that you care about something greater than yourself. You forget that you can actually achieve something magnanimous because every sociopolitical construct exists to oppress you.

Having spent 15 years post-university in The Bahamas, I now feel uneducated and unqualified and I have to begin again. Thank goodness they believe in innovation here, because at least there’s that to rely on… my ever-creative mind and avenues along which to direct it.

And this is entirely ironic when the purpose of being in The Bahamas was to help make it, me, us… Bahamians... better, that is, until it started to become clearer to me that the best way to do that now is to be the eyes and ears and voice on the outside.

Send email to nburrows@ tribunemedia.net

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, August 16, 2016, PAGE 9

A PUPPET show during the summer camp.

EVERETT MOXEY

SHIPYARD WORKER DIES IN ROAD CRASH

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

AN employee of the Grand Bahama Shipyard is dead following a traffic accident in Freeport on Monday morning.

The victim, Everett Moxey, was driving a champagne coloured Nissan Bluebird on West Sunrise Highway shortly before 7am when the vehicle went off the road and crashed into a utility pole. It is not known if Mr Moxey was on his way to work at the time.

According to Inspector Terecita Pinder, the driver died at the scene. Investigations are continuing into this latest incident, which pushed the island’s traffic fatality count to seven for the year.

Last month, two persons were killed in car accidents.

On July 25, 19-year-old Jamond Jatizo Henfield, of Holmes Rock, was killed while driving along East Sunrise Highway.

The teen, a 2015 valedictorian, was ejected from his Chevy Cobalt and died at the scene after colliding with a Ranger Rover on East Sunrise Highway, near the Fortune Hills area.

On July 23, Gregory Cartwright, 37, of Pioneers Loop, died after his Toyota Corolla collided with a white Lincoln limousine on Coral Road, near Nansen Avenue. The two accidents were classified as the fifth and sixth traffic fatalities, respectively.

Police are appealing to motorists to drive with care and attention and within the speed limit. Motorists and their passengers are also being advised to wear their seat belts.

READERS REACT TO LOST $315M IN BAHA MAR TAX AFTER an economic impact report said the government has lost $315m in tax revenue from the delays and receivership of the Baha Mar resort, readers gave their reaction on tribune242.com.

Kaytaz lamented: “What a waste . . . this place is so beautiful!!!!”

Alex_Charles had this to say: “I think the Bahamian people got exactly what they bargained for. Next election should be better, to ensure that, let’s vote on emotions again, because that always works. Maybe we’ll get another great and glorious leader for 25 years again. We love our Strong man Politics.”

John said: “It would be interesting to hear the opinions of some of the persons who were interested in taking over Bah Mar and the reasons why they backed out.”

In business news, Price Control Commission Chairman E J Bowe said this week that he found it “unconscionable” that bread baskets items were overpriced by more than $3 in some family islands.

The_Oracle responded with: “Mr Bowe, you obviously have no clue when it comes to costing and business overheads. But, for an answer to your question as to how are they expected to survive, ask Perry. Ask Cabinet. It is all well and fine to deny profits on bread basket items in Nassau, as the population can stand the extra markups on “luxury” items as an offset, but

in Andros or Eleuthera, is anyone importing or buying “luxury items”? Certainly not enough to support business overheads. Your little freight allowance is a joke.”

Socrates said: “Bowe and the socialist PLPs believe the answer to everything is more and more big government. Nothing beats the free market . . . capitalism, competition. There are always folk willing to compete if they believe they will get a fair shake. Government deciding everything is not the answer . . . check Cuba, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, etc. Socialism is dead, we need to accept that reality here and move on . . .”

There was this comment from BaronInvest: “You pay $7 for a gallon of milk which costs less than 1$ in Europe. Why are you complaining? You are not doing anything about the prices even in Nassau. Everything is overcharged at least five times - because your import duties ruin your economy on a daily basis, no one wants to import goods and pay these duties before selling the product until you can be absolutely sure it sells even when overpricing it.”

• Don’t miss your chance to join the debate on tribune242.com.

Keeping island clean is focus of summer camp THE Keep Grand Bahama Clean (KGBC) committee has officially concluded its annual puppet show summer camp presentations. Approximately 450 campers ranging from 5-16 years of age were impacted by the programme throughout the island.

The month long puppet show tour was well received by the eager youngsters who learned the importance of properly disposing garbage, as well as the harsh consequences of littering.

The rambunctious char-

acters Lisa, Candace and the crowd favourite, Chris, are the trailblazers of the puppet presentation who encourage the kids to “Use a Bin to Put it In.” KGBC Chairperson Nakira Wilchcombe shared her thoughts on this year’s presentations while noting the importance of a major message that caters to the future leaders within the community.

“We are excited about every opportunity that the Keep Grand Bahama Clean Committee gets to engage our children, who are the fu-

ture leaders, about their responsibility to keep Grand Bahama Clean,” she said.

“The summer camps provide an excellent platform in a more relaxed setting to interact with the kids.

“We feel that the constant reinforcement of this message will result in better citizenry, who will then take the matter of environmental stewardship very seriously. Although the delivery of the message is done in a very light hearted manner, they are invited at the end to make a serious com-

mitment to keeping our island clean. At the end of the day we want them to value their commitment and their sense of responsibility even as youngsters, because it begins with them.”

She also admonished adults to set a better example for youngsters within the community.

“We must be mindful of our actions when driving, when walking, when in their presence or not, when it comes to keeping our environment clean,” Ms Wilchcombe said.

PAGE 10, Tuesday, August 16, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

Questions raised about National Health Insurance

YOUR SAY

By PIERRE DUPUCH

S

EVERAL nights ago I watched the House of Assembly on TV when members debated the controversial National Health Bill. Health is an emotional, personal thing and the members took full advantage of it.

They waxed and very emotionally presented the case.

But they wasted our time and the taxpayers’ money, because we all believe in healthcare for all. We only disagree on how we accomplish it.

In a press statement, the minister was quoted as saying there will be no taxes at this time, and that it would be free to the public at this time. Interesting! Is the government going to wait until after the election before at this time becomes now and the people will be taxed to pay for it?

We were told by the government that it had hired KPMG to tell us what such a scheme would cost and could the government afford it. We are now told that KPMG had looked at the plan and liked it.

I am sorry, but the taxpayer did not pay all that money only to be told that they “liked it”; they were paid to say whether or not we could afford it and what it would cost.

Let me point out to the government, and all those that the government has paid from taxpayers’ money to review the matter, the Bahamian people are not fools and they should stop treating them like fools.

Look, enough is enough.

Come clean with the people. Let’s make it simple so that the government may understand. Look at it this way.

A man and wife decide that they need a new car so they go into a car dealership. They see a Cadillac and a Volkswagen. Both fall in love with the Cadillac and so they ask the price and its gas consumption per mile as compared to the Volkswagen. They look at each other and ponder. The Cadillac is beautiful but expensive, and they could not afford the gas bill. The Volkswagen, on the other hand, may not have all the bells and whistles but it will be reliable, will go the distance and will not cost as much money.

Furthermore, when it runs out of gas they will have enough money to refill it.

So they make the common sense decision. They buy the Volkswagen. The next decision is now, who will drive it? Although the husband has a license, his reputation as a driver is not too good. After all, he’s had a number of accidents and really has not proven to

be a very good driver. The us, the taxpayer, what was wife, on the other hand, is a found and what was done good driver, has had no ac- about it. cidents, and says she can do There was a big problem a good job. with money at the Ministry Again the common sense of Tourism that they said thing to do is let her drive would be investigated and the newly bought Volkswa- acted on. To date, as I recall gen and let the husband it, the minister said that it take the passenger seat. So had been investigated and now let us say the Volkswa- that the findings had been gen is the National Health sent to Cabinet. What, the Plan, the license to drive Cabinet? I thought the is the government, and the Attorney General’s Office gas is the money. The next decided whether or not to step is to see prosecute? how the gov- ‘Let me point out Be as it may, ernment (the to the government, the public, driver) hanthe taxpayer, dles the gas and all those that has not yet (money). been told the government has Before the what haplast election, paid from taxpayers’ pened to our the current money to review money. government The audisaid the the matter, the tor general FNM gov- Bahamian people has been doernment had ing a great are not fools and spent $100m job finding more on the they should stop out and tellroad project treating them like ing about than was the (millions fools. Look, enough that have) contracted for.

They is enough. Come gone misspromised to ing or was investigate it clean with the borrowed by and tell us, people.’ somebody, the taxpayer, but it appears what hapthat nothing pened to our $100m dollars. has been done about that.

To date, they have said At least the taxpayer has and done nothing. They not been told. said that there was corrupAnd the VAT money. tion in the National Insur- The government collected ance Board and, if elected, more than they initially prothey would investigate. jected, and we were told it They have investigated, but was to be used to pay off the to date they have not told debt. Has it been? The debt seems to be rising. Maybe I’m wrong. Please advise.

The government has said

that certain medications are free. Only ask some of those who are supposed to get them and see what they say. If the government can’t properly run a National Drug Plan, how do they expect to run a National Health Plan?

Looks like the driver has come up short this time.

Let us move on. Just as I smelled a rat in the FNM convention fiasco (by the way we found it), I smell one here.

Primary care is not the big problem, catastrophic events are. So why tackle the primary care?

When all is said and done, the proposed plan helps the rich and hurts the poor. Currently, wealthy people without health insurance pay for their own healthcare. According to the new plan, the wealthy people won’t pay. They will get it free.

Also, the person who now privately pays for his/her own health insurance will now get healthcare from the government free.

However, the poor person who now gets free healthcare at the clinics will now have to pay a tax for healthcare.

So who is this plan helping, the rich or the poor?

Does the stench of a rat get stronger? Is a wellplaced group trying to have what is called a “hostile” takeover of the healthcare system? Think about it.

Freedom of Speech There seems to be a lot

of confusion about “limits” these days. People are told to “button their lips” when they make a comment that is not liked by some. Let me quote what a former British prime minister once said: “I may not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll fight to my death to procure you the right to say it.”

Read and digest, Mr Collie.

But with every freedom there is a corresponding responsibility. I heard that there is now a song being played about Prime Minister Christie, his wife, his daughter and his son. It is nasty, and it is wrong. This is not freedom of speech; it is reckless license.

We may disagree with all or some of the prime minister’s decisions. And we are free to express our disagreement. But involve his wife and children? No, that is going too far and is not acceptable.

Agree with him or not, Perry Christie is a decent man. He is a good family man. He loves and cares for his family. His wife is a fine woman; his daughter is a beautiful and talented young lady, and his son is a fine young man. Yes, he is autistic; however, that simply means that he may be smarter than all of us but is unable to express himself in a way that we understand him.

My advice to the songwriter is: take the song off the market, and destroy it.

• Mr Dupuch is a former member of Parliament

NOTICE

This Public Notice is issued by the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) in exercise of its powers under section 38(3)(c) of the Electricity Act, 2015 (EA).

URCA hereby notifies the public that ALL persons, licensees or franchise holders in the Electricity Sector (ES) in The Bahamas, or those involved in the generation, transmission, distribution, importation or exportation of electricity are required to obtain a licence from URCA unless exempt under the EA. Under section 22 of the EA, URCA was established as the independent regulator for the ES in The Bahamas and has the regulatory responsibility to grant a licence with terms and conditions consistent with the national energy and electricity sector policies, as URCA considers appropriate.

URCA requests that ALL persons, licensees or franchise holders in the ES, and those involved in the generation, transmission, distribution, importation or exportation of electricity in The Bahamas to contact URCA at its office either at telephone number (242) 396-5211 or email info@urcabahamas.bs or visit its offices situated at Frederick House, Frederick Street, New Providence no later than September 30, 2016 to the end of becoming duly licensed under the EA. URCA hereby advises that, pursuant to section 44(2) of the EA, any person who engages in the generation, transmission, distribution, importation or exportation of electricity without a licence granted by URCA commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000.00).

YOUR

CHOICE FOR THE FAMILY WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/JOYFM1019

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, August 16, 2016, PAGE 11

‘The Bahamas’ own street philosopher’

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PAGE 12, Tuesday, August 16, 2016

RANGERS PUT ON A SHOW FOR GRADUATION THE ROYAL Bahamas Defence Force Rangers graduation ceremony was held at Fort Charlotte, where they put on a performance for the crowd with a number of drills.

Photos: Tim Clarke/Tribune Staff

THE TRIBUNE