Candidate
Progressive Liberal Party
Elizabeth Constituency
Bye-Election
Rally Remarks
January 27, 2010
Mr. Party Leader., Mr. Deputy Leader, Mr. National
Chairman, Dame Marguerite Pindling, Party officers, stalwart councilors,
Chairman and officers of the Elizabeth branch, the people of Elizabeth, my
fellow Bahamians.
Elizabeth, time is drawing nigh – there are less than
three weeks left in this campaign. In less than three weeks you have to decide
on who will be your next Member of Parliament. I am confident that I’ll be your
choice. One man’s decision to abandon Elizabeth has become another man’s
opportunity to serve you. I am anxious, excited, willing and ready to serve
YOU, Elizabeth.
As I have been visiting house to house, knocking on
door after door, I have been attentive to your call for good representation.
All you ask from your Member of Parliament, is that you see him often, not only
during elections; that he gives attention to the special needs of the
Constituency; and that he goes to Parliament as your unrelenting voice on
matters of local and national importance.
Well I believe that I am the right man, in the right
place at the right time and Elizabeth, I believe I am the Better Way. Elizabeth
and The Bahamas need someone with a good grasp of the Bahamian economy, it
needs and present challenges. Someone with the vision to expand our economy and
spark job creation. That man is me. My Plans and Programs I am confident will
lead to Peace, Love and Prosperity!!!
That will certainly be a change.
As I move about the Constituency, and even on radio, I
have been getting questions in an attempt to get to know me better. People want
to know for example who I am, why I have chosen the Progressive Liberal Party
ticket, what I intend to do for Elizabeth.
Let me make a definitive statement. LEO RYAN PINDER IS
A BAHAMIAN, PLP, AND PROUD. I am Bahamian like my father, and his father, and
his father before him, and all my forefathers dating back to the late 1600’s.
Yes I have lived and studied and worked abroad. I am
no different than thousands of Bahamians who have done the same. There are many
in my position who will never return home. But I have chosen to return, with
the knowledge and experience gained abroad, specifically to make my contribution
to the further development of our Country. And in particular Elizabeth!
As I move about Elizabeth, people remember me as the
young boy who was foot-to-foot behind my father whom to date, in their opinion
has been the best MP they ever had. They remember that I couldn’t play
basketball well back then and I still can’t play basketball well today.
I will be following my father’s footsteps not hanging
on his coattails; so years from today, people will say, “Boy, Marvin was a good
M.P. in Malcolm creek but Ryan was as good as or even a better representative
for Elizabeth!”
Yes Elizabeth,
I am the right man, sent to the
right place, at the right time.
Now I am running on a platform of strong community
organization, job creation, and the establishment of a job skills bank as well
as other worthwhile projects for the constituency of Elizabeth.
My platform includes first and foremost, creating
natural community zones, so that each zone can have personal access to me to
voice the specific concerns of that area. I intend to create at least 4 local
districts in Elizabeth each with its own community support group.
By doing this Elizabeth,
the
residents within each respective community support group will have an avenue to
express their concerns to a group leader who will have direct access to me as
the Member of Parliament.
These Community support groups
will
also be responsible for the scheduling of community Youth outreach and
after-school programs, health and lifestyle events, training and job-skills opportunities,
and elderly care initiatives for our senior citizens.
I
intend to strengthen and promote the small businesses already in Elizabeth.
Also, I would like to be an intimate part of the creation of many other small
businesses in Elizabeth, with a view of empowering residents to take a hold of
their economy and their own destiny.
I
whole heartedly believe that we are in an era, where we must begin to depend
less on Government for handouts, and start depending more on ourselves and each
other for hand-ups. As your MP, I will partner with you to make Elizabeth the
model of this new and innovative wave of entrepreneurship.
This
is why I propose to establish, the Elizabeth Business Association. Through the
Elizabeth Business Association, there will be a focus on an entrepreneurial
re-education policy that will be open to all Elizabeth residents who desire to
successfully own and operate a small business. Some Residents of Elizabeth have
already offered themselves to be mentors and teachers in this program.
Hand
in hand with this program we will create and coordinate a database to provide a
listing of all un-employed residents of the Constituency and their respective
skills and communicate the list of available persons first to businesses in
Elizabeth and then to others.
Also
through The Elizabeth Business Association, and in my capacity as a Member of
Parliament, once an employment opportunity becomes known, I will match the
opportunity with the Elizabeth Job Skills Bank to encourage employment within
Elizabeth.
And
yes Elizabeth, I will be right there leading the way, working to make Elizabeth
a Beacon of Hope for all the Bahamas.
This
is a glimpse of what you can hold me to, as your Member of Parliament for
Elizabeth. It is clear and concise and achievable. I believe in partnership
Elizabeth. Hence, I believe that Ryan Pinder and Elizabeth, in partnership with
the business community, our church and community leaders, our police force, our
clinic and schools, and whoever is Government will become a model constituency
of progress and hope in our Country and demonstrate what can be accomplished
when people are committed to PARTNERING FOR PROGRESS.
No hand outs but a hand up.
Elizabeth,
we must return to a sense of Community, to a sense of commitment to each other
– ONE FOR ALL and ALL FOR ONE.
So
people say, “Ryan with all of your experience and genuine concern, and vision,
why the PLP?”
Well the PLP is
historically, is presently and will be in the future the Party of progress for
all Bahamians, that is why.
Don’t
mind the noise in the market, there is no need new philosophy, but there is
need for change. The political organization at the forefront of advancing the
needs of ALL BAHAMIANS is still the Progressive Liberal Party.
The
current Government has failed you.
Are we to forget where the Bahamas was three short years ago as compared
to now? There was a construction boom in this Country. There was an entire
Ministry dedicated to attracting investments, and strengthening the financial
services of The Bahamas. Billions of dollars were in the pipeline for the
redevelopment of New Providence and many of our Family Islands. The Airport
deal was already in the pipeline and so was the road improvement project. The
National grade average in our public schools was steadily improving, and the
Urban Renewal Program was improving many of our social problems.
Now
what is the state of affairs? It is misery. I contend that the real reason we
are even having this bye-election here in Elizabeth is to try to distract
Bahamians from the dismal performance of the Government. Elizabeth, we will
teach them a lesson, we will show them the future, we will show them Ryan
Pinder, we will show them PEACE, LOVE and PROSPERITY.
There
is no question why I am PLP, Elizabeth – the record speaks for itself. And
while I am running on the vision of Ryan Pinder and what that means potentially
for the future of our Country, I am proud to have the legacy of my father and
the legacy of my PLP as major planks in my foundation.
In
concluding tonight I just want to set the record straight.
Ryan Pinder and my campaign workers
will not engage in any mud slinging in this campaign!!
We are about plans, programs and people
and committed to change and a new political order where PEACE and LOVE rule!!!
We
wont be surprised then Elizabeth, less than three weeks from today, as they
call the results of the twelve polling divisions when we hear, Pinder PLP,
Pinder PLP, Pinder PLP, Pinder PLP, Pinder PLP …. ALL THE WAY!
GOOD
NIGHT AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU SAFE!!!
