Bahamian Politics
Bradley Roberts: FNM is divided and in a race to the bottom
By Bradley B Roberts, National Chairman, Progressive Liberal Party
Apr 15, 2014 - 2:13:39 PM

When one considers the turmoil within the FNM, that organization is in a foot race to the bottom. Whatever role they are supposed to play in governance as the official opposition remains uncertain and unclear because it is overshadowed by their disjointed behavior and division generally. This spectacle is sinking opposition governance to the lowest levels this country has ever seen.

But since Darren Cash apparently suffers from selective memory, I am compelled to remind him of the behavior of the leadership of the FNM as HRH Loyal Opposition.

The Bahamian people know that the FNM, while in government, fully intended to legalize and tax the web shop gaming industry while in office only to have their leader Dr. Minnis flip-flop on this issue multiple times in opposition. Later, Chairman Cash agreed with legalizing web shop gaming only to be publicly attacked by Deputy Leader Butler-Turner, who agreed with legalizing web shop gaming, only to change her mind when she could not take credit for this reform. They went as far as to draft legislation as far back as 2010 but lacked the courage of their conviction to bring the proposed law to Parliament.

As if that wasn’t disgraceful enough, Dr. Minnis was so gung-ho about Stem Cell research and therapy that he granted approval for the same as a cabinet minister in the absence of any law or regulatory regime governing this new sub-industry within the field of medicine. Again he too flip-flopped on this policy issue while his deputy and MP for South Abaco Key endorsed it. Dr. Minnis claimed that Bahamians lacked the capability regulate the industry. When he was suspended from the House, Dr. Minis was unable to persuade the full FNM caucus to join him, so the division continues.

On the issue of tax reform, the FNM, that supported VAT while in government, but flip-flopped again in opposition. While they are united in their opposition to VAT, they have failed to articulate a viable alternative to VAT even after Dr. Minnis admitted during the budget debate that the country is in need of tax reform. So even when the FNM is united on an issue, they are still in a bad way because they lack an alternative that will give them credibility.

As vocal as the FNM is on the PLP’s Mortgage Relief Plan, they have failed to craft an alternative and viable plan, let alone defend one. The closest they came to a Mortgage Relief Plan was to plan a demonstration in Rawson Square, but the deputy leader could not get the leader of the FNM to agree to the plan as he quickly distanced himself from her and her plan so the plan fizzled.

The FNM in opposition suffers from a credibility problem on three levels. Firstly, every single policy position they endorsed as the government, they managed to flip-flop on and oppose as the opposition. Secondly, the leadership has too many disagreements on policy issues and thirdly, the FNM has failed to offer one single solitary policy alternative to the ones advanced by the PLP government. They do not understand that credibility is built by crafting, then defending the alternatives to the policies they oppose. This organization has failed miserably on all three counts.

Darren Cash is well advised that the FNM was given every opportunity by the Bahamian people to legislate and implement every single piece of legislation and public policy that they find so politically convenient to criticize. My advice to Darren Cash is to sit small while the PLP makes good on the empty promises the FNM made to the Bahamian people while in office.

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