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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
Nassau, Bahamas - On July 23rd Latrae Rahming and the Fox Hill Progressive Liberal Party gathered at Doris Johnson High School, where Rahming spoke on current issues and the accomplishments of the government. His speech discussed immigration, empowering Bahamians, economic inequality, education, crime, tourism, college affordability, health care, politics, and the economy.
Madam Chairman, Party Officers, Members of the Progressive Liberal Party, Fellow Supporters, and My Fellow Bahamians Good Night. Home is where the heart is. Like Lebron James I am to returning to my home the great constituency of Fox Hill where the foundation of my bloodline resides.
Similarly the foundation of this party resides in the platform of 1962 which was the blue print for governance by the PLP.
Tonight I stand before you to reaffirm a creed inscribed in the hearts of every supporter of this great party.
It is written doctrine that places an inherited responsibility on the shoulders of the new generation of leaders.
It is a promise spoken through the vision of our founders that articulates aparty that is dedicated to providing a ladder of economic and social hope to all Bahamians and not to a privileged few.
The architects and engineers of the words of profound promises that shape the destiny of the Bahamas was to ensure every citizen was able obtain a higher standard of living. The companion of which was the promise of greater social and political freedom.
The PLP is a party tied in a garment of shared convictions deeply rooted in the concept of equal rights for all and special privileges for none.
For those of you who do not know who we are, tonight, you will know for the very first time.
Despite the fact we would have appeared to have loss our way , despite the fact we may appear to have exclusionary instead of inclusionary…. We are the people's party… We are a labour party… We are a farmer's party… We are a middle class party… and …We are a small business man’s party.
Our mission is the development of political, social, and economic policies aimed at attaining the basic objective of a truly democratic society.
We have one interest as a party, and that interest is the protection of the interest of the common man.
We, the PLP, will always believe that hardworking Bahamian men and woman should never be left to the ravages of poverty.
We, the PLP can never compromise on these principals.
We, the PLP can never fall short of our responsibility of providing a safety net for the Bahamian people.
ECONOMY
Now I would like to address a core issue that is near and dear to the hearts of many Bahamians …the economy.
No one can deny that there are individuals who struggle in the quest for upward mobility in this nation.
When there is continued marginalization and the creation of barriers to prevent mobility of citizens in our country, it becomes an antidote for poverty…an incubator for crime…a garment for inequality, and a disincentive for individuals who would like to work to improve their economic position.
The middle class is the very foundation of our economic structure. When we lose our middle class an imbalance is created which impacts the interests and wellbeing of all Bahamians.
Bahamians deserve a chance to profit from the economic pie. They should be given a chance to work; to send their children off to college; to raise a family, and to own a home which gives a sense of security in their later years.
We cannot ignore the voices of young Bahamians demanding an education which the key to their a future.
We cannot allow Bahamians to watch the dreams they hold for their children evaporate.
The Bahamas cannot build a vibrant middle class who” continues to live hand to mouth”, only working to pay the bills.
It is time for the creation of an economic and social renaissance in our country, where the human resources is number one industry.
It must be understood that the Bahamian people are the greatest natural resources in our country.
We can no longer ignore the voices of a people who call for the urgent need of human development.
When we invest in the skills and talents of our people we create and grow a stronger economy.
The source of our nation’s wealth is the untapped capabilities of our people.
Any form of economic oppression will be a cancer that eats into the cultural, political and economic fabric of the Bahamian society.
We all want an economy that empowers as oppose to making us dependant on the government.
We should reward, empower, and encourage talented Bahamians.
I find it amusing and rather shameful that we are stilled prepared to invest in the next generation of hotel maids, bellboys, and bartenders.
We are still finding it difficult to investing in small businesses, aspiring entrepreneurs, and in general dreams of our people.
Bahamians want to own a part of their economy, and the government has an obligation to provide that access. Gone are the days when you deny the aspiration of the majority to ensure the pleasure of the minority. Bahamians want an economy that provides them a fair an even playing field.
In two years this Christie Administration has reduce spending, unemployment, and the national deficit, and is now bringing government’s borrowing under control.
I can say with confidence that the Bahamas under the Progressive Liberal Party is now on a path to sustainable fiscal policy and economic stability. In two years this government has added over 10,000 new jobs into the economy, and it is forecasted to add thousands more at the beginning of next year.
In two years we have attracted over half a billion dollars in new foreign direct investment into the Bahamas which reflects the confidence investors have in our economy. We have invested over 200million dollars in roads, bridges, and docks because the PLP understands how critical infrastructure is to transportation and the economic development of the Bahamas.
The Prime Minister understands that the continued neglect of our family of islands will lead to loss of population on each one. As the residents of these affected islands continue to migrate to New Providence in search for better economic opportunities. It would have been an economic catastrophe if successive governments had continued to allow the fore mention practices to continue on such a trajectory.
So he responded by investing 100million dollars in the agriculture industry of Andros along with the creation of The Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute. The Prime Minister knows that food security is an issue of growing concerns for the islands of The Bahamas.
He understands feeding the country will require a wide range of creative ,sustainableagriculturesystems which will not only provide food security, but also factor in the economic value of nature-based services such as forest ,wetlands and soil organisms which underpinagriculture.
This government encourages policymakers and development cooperation in the Bahamas and around the world to take a new view at this promising production system. BAMSI offers not only improved food security but also an array of other economic, environmental, health and social benefits. We know the country'sagricultureindustry is lacking the resources and technology pose a daunting challenge which increases the levels of concerns regarding a potential food crisis.
The Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute in conjunction with University of Miami will addressed the major challenges of food andagriculturesustainabilitybased on a vision ofagricultureas a consistent and positive contributor to food security, environmental, and economic opportunity.
To advance progress toward that vision, this roadmap outlines a framework for action to implement business-led and market-based solutions that are explicitly linked to national development priorities.
There is a renewed focus on the sustainable development of our family islands and we are reminded to be cognizant of the facts that whatever is done in New Providence has to be replicated in each island.
The PLP believe what’s good for one is good for all. Under this administration you are seeing the creation of sustainable economic growth on these islands built on the foundation of investment creating local businesses spurring that entrepreneurial activity. Now the family islanders are returning home because the PLP have created independent economies that allows them a chance to work, to open a business, and to send their children off to college.
Despite the Ministry of Education investing four million dollars in technology throughout schools in the Bahamas, I call on the government to do more when it comes to investing in technology and improving efficiency.
The economy of the Bahamas cannot be sustained when we disregard the value of information technologies and making an educated and skilled labour force.
We do our economy a disservice every year when we continue to graduate failing students and employ them in the various industries. This has never been a formula for higher productivity only one for increase in poverty, social ills, and crime.
I am pleased to see that in the first 100 days of office this government launched the National Training Agency aimed and re-educating and training Bahamians. In the PLP we don’t believe that any Bahamian should be left behind . We are not prepared to write anyone off as a failure without giving them a second chance to make an economic and social contribution to society.
In 2014, forty one year’s after independence it must be an economic priority that we not only create new industries to sustain our economic future but we must ensure that Bahamians are major shareholders in each one having an undeniable access. People are tired of living in a country where the country’s wealth and income is in the hands of the few. We in the PLP pledge and made a solemn promise to the people of this country to break any economic gridlock that creates an atmosphere that undermines the illusion of fairness of any advancement to become a better citizen.
I will never support a way of life that enriches the powerful and affluent, while disenfranchising the working class or the poor. It is the promise of my great party, that any where Bahamian people are being exploited and subordinated while members of another group of Bahamians are granted privileges, we will tear it down. We will dismantle any economic environment where the distribution of wealth and prosperity in our nation has become more unequal; where the knees of working Bahamian families meet the lines of poverty as they experience economic insecurity.
I want to see the Bahamas transition from a tourism based economy to a knowledge based economy. Where foreigners don’t invest solely because we have a good tourism product, but they invest and bring their companies to the Bahamas because we have the most highly skilled and educated work force not only in this region. I don’t want the Bahamas to be like Singapore. I want the Bahamas to better than Singapore. I see knowledge as the driver of productivity and economic growth.
It’s time to move from a nation of bell boys to a nation book warms.
Our party should represents a unified people sharing a common goal, strengthening the wounds of broken neighbourhoods, supporting Bahamian owned businesses, creating a fair and equal playing field that respect race, sexual orientation, and religious beliefs.
I encourage this government to do more to meet and assist Bahamian small businesses and young entrepreneurs.
I’m of the view that it’s time for the creation of more special economic and business zones in our inner communities and on our islands. Such economic and business zones will increase trade, investments, job creation and effective administration.
This will encourage businesses to set up in these areas where they are given special incentive and tax breaks.
In our inner communities and family islands this will translate into the eradication of poverty and increase in employment while businesses and companies are ask to invest more into the development of these areas.
Building a stronger economy means addressing the complex issue of immigration. Fixing the crises created by our broken immigration system is long overdue. The government of Haiti must meet the responsibility of creating a better country for its people, and the nationals of Haiti must join their government in the partnership.
The Bahamas can no longer carry the burden of Haiti’s failure of providing a better way of life for its people. We must pressure the government of Haiti to do more to prevent the trafficking of their people that has resulted in a humanitarian crisis which has lead to the lost of so many innocent lives.
I support a robust respectful dialogue on immigration reform in our country. I do not believe in marginalizing any individual who want to make positive contribution to the economic, cultural, and social fabric of our nation, but there’s a responsible pathway to becoming a citizen of our country and illegal migration is not one.
We most hold Bahamians responsible for aiding illegal immigrants in breaking the law. We welcome legal immigrants who come to our country in search of the promises and better opportunities .
These legal immigrants are welcomed because it is believe that they are prepared to help to a better Bahamas.
We will never say no to immigrants who embrace our culture and political institutions while adding to our social development and the expansion of our economy. I welcome the conversation onthe process by which they should become citizens.
I commend the efforts of this government in their efforts to protect our borders by investing 232 million in The Royal Bahamas Defence Force. This amount represents the largest in the history of the Bahamas.
Not only are we committed to protection of our borders we are also committed towards the creation of a safer Bahamas. The Ministry of National Security has strengthened response to crime. This is being accomplished by the implementation of more social outreach programs, which offer our young men both an alternative and a second chance.
In an addition the ministry has increase the amount of fleets and officers, along with installation of CCTV throughout the Bahamas so they can adequately and effectively carryout their mission towards a safer country.
Urban Renewal is the most effective tool being used in the fight against crime. This programme is not only an instrument to break the back of violence in our communities, it’s also improving poor housing conditions, joblessness, illiteracy, homelessness, and other social ills that contribute to crime and anti-social behaviour.
The Progressive Liberal Party passage of the Disabilities Act will end the struggle for people with disabilities in our country.
The act will become one of the great civil rights laws of our generation. Disabled citizens deserve the opportunity to work for a living, ride a bus, have access to public and commercial buildings, and do all the other things that the rest of us take for granted.
Mindless physical barriers and outdated social attitudes have made them second class citizens for too long. This legislation is a bill of rights for the disabled, and the Bahamas will be a better and fairer nation because of it.
I'm proud to be part of a party that 41 years after independence understands the importance of equal rights for all Bahamians and a special privilege for none.
We, the PLP will finally end the shameful years about the wealthiest country in the Caribbean where quality affordable health care isn’t available to every Bahamian at an affordable price. We should support our government in ending the days where Bahamians are deciding whether to spend for food or rent or health.
Next year this government will introduce Nation Health Insurance providing a decent health care system for the benefit of the people of this land. 41 years after independence the Progressive Liberal Party will make health care a basic right for all, not just an expensive privilege for the few.
I conclude talking about the responsibility of media and the state of politics in our country.
No person should have a difficulty of media in the Bahamas criticizing government policies. It’s when policies are able to withstanding harsh criticism it’s called sound policies. President JFK once said,” No one should fear public scrutiny of his program. For from that scrutiny come understanding; and from that understanding comes support or opposition. Without debate, without criticism, no Administration and no country can succeed and no republic can survive”. But in criticizing the government the press has a responsibility to assist the government in helping in the tremendous task of informing and alerting the Bahamian people. Yes it's the job of the press to inform, to arouse, to reflect, to state our dangers and our opportunities, to indicate our crises and our choices, to lead, mold, educate, and sometimes even encourage the expression public opinion. But don't paint the Prime Minister as a failure without informing the country on his success and success of his government, because when you do that you create a single story about his governance and that is irresponsible media and it is wrong when media only tell one side of the story.
What the media would not talk about, we will. We have to tell our stories and demand our own attention.
From a political perspective, it doesn't matter whether the individual is FNM or PLP as long as he or she is capable and competent. Leaders should never be intimidated or feel threatened by the talents of their own people and stagnate them for the benefit of security.
In the words of our national anthem which in parts states , “See how the world marks the manner of your bearing”!
The purpose of us being the light house in our region is to produce the emission of light to aid the navigation of vessels, to avert any possibility of danger. Every day, our country must put the supply of oil in the light house so countries can safely sail and set their bearing using the Bahamas as beacon in reach for their future. This lighthouse house must be a symbol of democracy, an ark that bends towards the empowerment of its people, a country where its future is forged on the shoulder of its youth, and where the greed and arrogance of men always compromise to the will of its people. We diminish our light when we structure the Bahamas as a country that privileges one group over the other. This is a precursor of poverty and violence.
We diminish our light when we fail to realize that sexual abuse against children is sexual abuse against our country's future or when we neglect to address the distribution of wealth in our country.
We diminish our light when our citizens are prepared to sell the sovereignty of their country to foreigners.
We control the rudder of our destiny and the light of our light house.
We must never lose sight of our country's bearing against the waves of change because when we do we've lose our sense of purpose and direction.
A successful country is one where its citizens are judged on their individual abilities rather than their family connection. When we lose our belief that any Bahamian could get to the top, we’ve lost the purpose and the reason for which Majority Rule was achieved for Bahamians.
Talented qualified Bahamians , in the Bahamas is an endangered species facing extinction going country to country in search for economic appreciation and a better way of life because we failed to provide an attractive economic environment for talented Bahamians to return home to.
Love is the beginning of patriotism and nation building, when we see diversity as a useful asset to unify our people. The face of the Bahamas is changing and is fostering an environment of dissimilarity, but we must always remain true to love and unity treating everyone in the same manner as any citizen of this country.
When we compromise on love and unity we decide to judge each other and it prevents us from seeing the common good we share as a country. We have some difficult days ahead, but the difficulty we face will always bend towards the talents of our people.
We must believe that the empowerment of Bahamians, whether in the inner cities or in a boardroom of the highest office, is good for our country; because creating a stronger Bahamas starts with loving ourselves, knowing our history, and teaching our youth, and healing our communities. In the course of our history, the Bahamas has always overcome the formidable odds and we have never allowed them to define us as a nation. The biggest stagnation towards progress in the Bahamas is our inability to realize that our people are our great assets. Our faith in God should always be our beacon of hope. In our times of discouragement we must never forget challenges are daunting, but they are not insurmountable. As we march on to our Bahamaland, remember When there are periods of happiness, we must stand together; when there are periods of crisis, we must stand together. Above all, during our periods of sorrow, we are comforted by the unity and strength of one another.
The Bahamas is at its worst when we only respond to the cries and concerns of the privileged and overlook and fail to correct the challenges of the majority.
All we say to any government is to be true to what you say on paper.
We are not at our best as a country when children are confined to the environment they are born in, when we fail to address the high school to prison pipeline, when Bahamians face a great degree of difficulty opening a business, when females still confront the difficult challenge of raising children by themselves, when Bahamians refuse to support one another in business endeavours and help pave pathways for future entrepreneur's to walk on, and when we continue to strengthen the gaps between racial, social, & economic injustice and fail to find the root of the separation. We have to return to the days where we build the Bahamian community with pride, in heritage, and start supporting one another.
I am proud to be here with all of you tonight… I am proud of our country. I am proud of the Progressive Liberal Party, and proud of the vision we have for the Bahamas and our future.
" I call upon every PLP within the sound of my voice to put aside personal gripes and aspirations and unite, for only with unity is there any true and lasting strength." Sir Lyden Pindling
Good Night Thank You
Economic and Social Renaissance
Fox Hill Branch Meeting
Doris Johnson High School
Wednesday July 23rd 2014
8:00 PM
Madam Chairman, Party Officers, Members of the Progressive Liberal Party, Fellow Supporters, and My Fellow Bahamians Good Night. Home is where the heart is. Like Lebron James I am to returning to my home the great constituency of Fox Hill where the foundation of my bloodline resides.
Similarly the foundation of this party resides in the platform of 1962 which was the blue print for governance by the PLP.
Tonight I stand before you to reaffirm a creed inscribed in the hearts of every supporter of this great party.
It is written doctrine that places an inherited responsibility on the shoulders of the new generation of leaders.
It is a promise spoken through the vision of our founders that articulates aparty that is dedicated to providing a ladder of economic and social hope to all Bahamians and not to a privileged few.
The architects and engineers of the words of profound promises that shape the destiny of the Bahamas was to ensure every citizen was able obtain a higher standard of living. The companion of which was the promise of greater social and political freedom.
The PLP is a party tied in a garment of shared convictions deeply rooted in the concept of equal rights for all and special privileges for none.
For those of you who do not know who we are, tonight, you will know for the very first time.
Despite the fact we would have appeared to have loss our way , despite the fact we may appear to have exclusionary instead of inclusionary…. We are the people's party… We are a labour party… We are a farmer's party… We are a middle class party… and …We are a small business man’s party.
Our mission is the development of political, social, and economic policies aimed at attaining the basic objective of a truly democratic society.
We have one interest as a party, and that interest is the protection of the interest of the common man.
We, the PLP, will always believe that hardworking Bahamian men and woman should never be left to the ravages of poverty.
We, the PLP can never compromise on these principals.
We, the PLP can never fall short of our responsibility of providing a safety net for the Bahamian people.
ECONOMY
Now I would like to address a core issue that is near and dear to the hearts of many Bahamians …the economy.
No one can deny that there are individuals who struggle in the quest for upward mobility in this nation.
When there is continued marginalization and the creation of barriers to prevent mobility of citizens in our country, it becomes an antidote for poverty…an incubator for crime…a garment for inequality, and a disincentive for individuals who would like to work to improve their economic position.
The middle class is the very foundation of our economic structure. When we lose our middle class an imbalance is created which impacts the interests and wellbeing of all Bahamians.
Bahamians deserve a chance to profit from the economic pie. They should be given a chance to work; to send their children off to college; to raise a family, and to own a home which gives a sense of security in their later years.
We cannot ignore the voices of young Bahamians demanding an education which the key to their a future.
We cannot allow Bahamians to watch the dreams they hold for their children evaporate.
The Bahamas cannot build a vibrant middle class who” continues to live hand to mouth”, only working to pay the bills.
It is time for the creation of an economic and social renaissance in our country, where the human resources is number one industry.
It must be understood that the Bahamian people are the greatest natural resources in our country.
We can no longer ignore the voices of a people who call for the urgent need of human development.
When we invest in the skills and talents of our people we create and grow a stronger economy.
The source of our nation’s wealth is the untapped capabilities of our people.
Any form of economic oppression will be a cancer that eats into the cultural, political and economic fabric of the Bahamian society.
We all want an economy that empowers as oppose to making us dependant on the government.
We should reward, empower, and encourage talented Bahamians.
I find it amusing and rather shameful that we are stilled prepared to invest in the next generation of hotel maids, bellboys, and bartenders.
We are still finding it difficult to investing in small businesses, aspiring entrepreneurs, and in general dreams of our people.
Bahamians want to own a part of their economy, and the government has an obligation to provide that access. Gone are the days when you deny the aspiration of the majority to ensure the pleasure of the minority. Bahamians want an economy that provides them a fair an even playing field.
In two years this Christie Administration has reduce spending, unemployment, and the national deficit, and is now bringing government’s borrowing under control.
I can say with confidence that the Bahamas under the Progressive Liberal Party is now on a path to sustainable fiscal policy and economic stability. In two years this government has added over 10,000 new jobs into the economy, and it is forecasted to add thousands more at the beginning of next year.
In two years we have attracted over half a billion dollars in new foreign direct investment into the Bahamas which reflects the confidence investors have in our economy. We have invested over 200million dollars in roads, bridges, and docks because the PLP understands how critical infrastructure is to transportation and the economic development of the Bahamas.
The Prime Minister understands that the continued neglect of our family of islands will lead to loss of population on each one. As the residents of these affected islands continue to migrate to New Providence in search for better economic opportunities. It would have been an economic catastrophe if successive governments had continued to allow the fore mention practices to continue on such a trajectory.
So he responded by investing 100million dollars in the agriculture industry of Andros along with the creation of The Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute. The Prime Minister knows that food security is an issue of growing concerns for the islands of The Bahamas.
He understands feeding the country will require a wide range of creative ,sustainableagriculturesystems which will not only provide food security, but also factor in the economic value of nature-based services such as forest ,wetlands and soil organisms which underpinagriculture.
This government encourages policymakers and development cooperation in the Bahamas and around the world to take a new view at this promising production system. BAMSI offers not only improved food security but also an array of other economic, environmental, health and social benefits. We know the country'sagricultureindustry is lacking the resources and technology pose a daunting challenge which increases the levels of concerns regarding a potential food crisis.
The Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute in conjunction with University of Miami will addressed the major challenges of food andagriculturesustainabilitybased on a vision ofagricultureas a consistent and positive contributor to food security, environmental, and economic opportunity.
To advance progress toward that vision, this roadmap outlines a framework for action to implement business-led and market-based solutions that are explicitly linked to national development priorities.
There is a renewed focus on the sustainable development of our family islands and we are reminded to be cognizant of the facts that whatever is done in New Providence has to be replicated in each island.
The PLP believe what’s good for one is good for all. Under this administration you are seeing the creation of sustainable economic growth on these islands built on the foundation of investment creating local businesses spurring that entrepreneurial activity. Now the family islanders are returning home because the PLP have created independent economies that allows them a chance to work, to open a business, and to send their children off to college.
Despite the Ministry of Education investing four million dollars in technology throughout schools in the Bahamas, I call on the government to do more when it comes to investing in technology and improving efficiency.
The economy of the Bahamas cannot be sustained when we disregard the value of information technologies and making an educated and skilled labour force.
We do our economy a disservice every year when we continue to graduate failing students and employ them in the various industries. This has never been a formula for higher productivity only one for increase in poverty, social ills, and crime.
I am pleased to see that in the first 100 days of office this government launched the National Training Agency aimed and re-educating and training Bahamians. In the PLP we don’t believe that any Bahamian should be left behind . We are not prepared to write anyone off as a failure without giving them a second chance to make an economic and social contribution to society.
In 2014, forty one year’s after independence it must be an economic priority that we not only create new industries to sustain our economic future but we must ensure that Bahamians are major shareholders in each one having an undeniable access. People are tired of living in a country where the country’s wealth and income is in the hands of the few. We in the PLP pledge and made a solemn promise to the people of this country to break any economic gridlock that creates an atmosphere that undermines the illusion of fairness of any advancement to become a better citizen.
I will never support a way of life that enriches the powerful and affluent, while disenfranchising the working class or the poor. It is the promise of my great party, that any where Bahamian people are being exploited and subordinated while members of another group of Bahamians are granted privileges, we will tear it down. We will dismantle any economic environment where the distribution of wealth and prosperity in our nation has become more unequal; where the knees of working Bahamian families meet the lines of poverty as they experience economic insecurity.
I want to see the Bahamas transition from a tourism based economy to a knowledge based economy. Where foreigners don’t invest solely because we have a good tourism product, but they invest and bring their companies to the Bahamas because we have the most highly skilled and educated work force not only in this region. I don’t want the Bahamas to be like Singapore. I want the Bahamas to better than Singapore. I see knowledge as the driver of productivity and economic growth.
It’s time to move from a nation of bell boys to a nation book warms.
Our party should represents a unified people sharing a common goal, strengthening the wounds of broken neighbourhoods, supporting Bahamian owned businesses, creating a fair and equal playing field that respect race, sexual orientation, and religious beliefs.
I encourage this government to do more to meet and assist Bahamian small businesses and young entrepreneurs.
I’m of the view that it’s time for the creation of more special economic and business zones in our inner communities and on our islands. Such economic and business zones will increase trade, investments, job creation and effective administration.
This will encourage businesses to set up in these areas where they are given special incentive and tax breaks.
In our inner communities and family islands this will translate into the eradication of poverty and increase in employment while businesses and companies are ask to invest more into the development of these areas.
Building a stronger economy means addressing the complex issue of immigration. Fixing the crises created by our broken immigration system is long overdue. The government of Haiti must meet the responsibility of creating a better country for its people, and the nationals of Haiti must join their government in the partnership.
The Bahamas can no longer carry the burden of Haiti’s failure of providing a better way of life for its people. We must pressure the government of Haiti to do more to prevent the trafficking of their people that has resulted in a humanitarian crisis which has lead to the lost of so many innocent lives.
I support a robust respectful dialogue on immigration reform in our country. I do not believe in marginalizing any individual who want to make positive contribution to the economic, cultural, and social fabric of our nation, but there’s a responsible pathway to becoming a citizen of our country and illegal migration is not one.
We most hold Bahamians responsible for aiding illegal immigrants in breaking the law. We welcome legal immigrants who come to our country in search of the promises and better opportunities .
These legal immigrants are welcomed because it is believe that they are prepared to help to a better Bahamas.
We will never say no to immigrants who embrace our culture and political institutions while adding to our social development and the expansion of our economy. I welcome the conversation onthe process by which they should become citizens.
I commend the efforts of this government in their efforts to protect our borders by investing 232 million in The Royal Bahamas Defence Force. This amount represents the largest in the history of the Bahamas.
Not only are we committed to protection of our borders we are also committed towards the creation of a safer Bahamas. The Ministry of National Security has strengthened response to crime. This is being accomplished by the implementation of more social outreach programs, which offer our young men both an alternative and a second chance.
In an addition the ministry has increase the amount of fleets and officers, along with installation of CCTV throughout the Bahamas so they can adequately and effectively carryout their mission towards a safer country.
Urban Renewal is the most effective tool being used in the fight against crime. This programme is not only an instrument to break the back of violence in our communities, it’s also improving poor housing conditions, joblessness, illiteracy, homelessness, and other social ills that contribute to crime and anti-social behaviour.
The Progressive Liberal Party passage of the Disabilities Act will end the struggle for people with disabilities in our country.
The act will become one of the great civil rights laws of our generation. Disabled citizens deserve the opportunity to work for a living, ride a bus, have access to public and commercial buildings, and do all the other things that the rest of us take for granted.
Mindless physical barriers and outdated social attitudes have made them second class citizens for too long. This legislation is a bill of rights for the disabled, and the Bahamas will be a better and fairer nation because of it.
I'm proud to be part of a party that 41 years after independence understands the importance of equal rights for all Bahamians and a special privilege for none.
We, the PLP will finally end the shameful years about the wealthiest country in the Caribbean where quality affordable health care isn’t available to every Bahamian at an affordable price. We should support our government in ending the days where Bahamians are deciding whether to spend for food or rent or health.
Next year this government will introduce Nation Health Insurance providing a decent health care system for the benefit of the people of this land. 41 years after independence the Progressive Liberal Party will make health care a basic right for all, not just an expensive privilege for the few.
I conclude talking about the responsibility of media and the state of politics in our country.
No person should have a difficulty of media in the Bahamas criticizing government policies. It’s when policies are able to withstanding harsh criticism it’s called sound policies. President JFK once said,” No one should fear public scrutiny of his program. For from that scrutiny come understanding; and from that understanding comes support or opposition. Without debate, without criticism, no Administration and no country can succeed and no republic can survive”. But in criticizing the government the press has a responsibility to assist the government in helping in the tremendous task of informing and alerting the Bahamian people. Yes it's the job of the press to inform, to arouse, to reflect, to state our dangers and our opportunities, to indicate our crises and our choices, to lead, mold, educate, and sometimes even encourage the expression public opinion. But don't paint the Prime Minister as a failure without informing the country on his success and success of his government, because when you do that you create a single story about his governance and that is irresponsible media and it is wrong when media only tell one side of the story.
What the media would not talk about, we will. We have to tell our stories and demand our own attention.
From a political perspective, it doesn't matter whether the individual is FNM or PLP as long as he or she is capable and competent. Leaders should never be intimidated or feel threatened by the talents of their own people and stagnate them for the benefit of security.
In the words of our national anthem which in parts states , “See how the world marks the manner of your bearing”!
The purpose of us being the light house in our region is to produce the emission of light to aid the navigation of vessels, to avert any possibility of danger. Every day, our country must put the supply of oil in the light house so countries can safely sail and set their bearing using the Bahamas as beacon in reach for their future. This lighthouse house must be a symbol of democracy, an ark that bends towards the empowerment of its people, a country where its future is forged on the shoulder of its youth, and where the greed and arrogance of men always compromise to the will of its people. We diminish our light when we structure the Bahamas as a country that privileges one group over the other. This is a precursor of poverty and violence.
We diminish our light when we fail to realize that sexual abuse against children is sexual abuse against our country's future or when we neglect to address the distribution of wealth in our country.
We diminish our light when our citizens are prepared to sell the sovereignty of their country to foreigners.
We control the rudder of our destiny and the light of our light house.
We must never lose sight of our country's bearing against the waves of change because when we do we've lose our sense of purpose and direction.
A successful country is one where its citizens are judged on their individual abilities rather than their family connection. When we lose our belief that any Bahamian could get to the top, we’ve lost the purpose and the reason for which Majority Rule was achieved for Bahamians.
Talented qualified Bahamians , in the Bahamas is an endangered species facing extinction going country to country in search for economic appreciation and a better way of life because we failed to provide an attractive economic environment for talented Bahamians to return home to.
Love is the beginning of patriotism and nation building, when we see diversity as a useful asset to unify our people. The face of the Bahamas is changing and is fostering an environment of dissimilarity, but we must always remain true to love and unity treating everyone in the same manner as any citizen of this country.
When we compromise on love and unity we decide to judge each other and it prevents us from seeing the common good we share as a country. We have some difficult days ahead, but the difficulty we face will always bend towards the talents of our people.
We must believe that the empowerment of Bahamians, whether in the inner cities or in a boardroom of the highest office, is good for our country; because creating a stronger Bahamas starts with loving ourselves, knowing our history, and teaching our youth, and healing our communities. In the course of our history, the Bahamas has always overcome the formidable odds and we have never allowed them to define us as a nation. The biggest stagnation towards progress in the Bahamas is our inability to realize that our people are our great assets. Our faith in God should always be our beacon of hope. In our times of discouragement we must never forget challenges are daunting, but they are not insurmountable. As we march on to our Bahamaland, remember When there are periods of happiness, we must stand together; when there are periods of crisis, we must stand together. Above all, during our periods of sorrow, we are comforted by the unity and strength of one another.
The Bahamas is at its worst when we only respond to the cries and concerns of the privileged and overlook and fail to correct the challenges of the majority.
All we say to any government is to be true to what you say on paper.
We are not at our best as a country when children are confined to the environment they are born in, when we fail to address the high school to prison pipeline, when Bahamians face a great degree of difficulty opening a business, when females still confront the difficult challenge of raising children by themselves, when Bahamians refuse to support one another in business endeavours and help pave pathways for future entrepreneur's to walk on, and when we continue to strengthen the gaps between racial, social, & economic injustice and fail to find the root of the separation. We have to return to the days where we build the Bahamian community with pride, in heritage, and start supporting one another.
I am proud to be here with all of you tonight… I am proud of our country. I am proud of the Progressive Liberal Party, and proud of the vision we have for the Bahamas and our future.
" I call upon every PLP within the sound of my voice to put aside personal gripes and aspirations and unite, for only with unity is there any true and lasting strength." Sir Lyden Pindling
Good Night Thank You
About Latrae Lorenz Rahming: Born January 29, 1994 on the island of New Providence Latrae is the son of Latese Mcphee and Leslie Rahming, and is the grandson of the late Leon Doc Rahming, founder of Economy Bus Line and Sidney Moon Mcphee. Latrae Rahming is a young entrepreneur and is currently the founder and CEO of Bahamaren company which is based in China. He served as the 3rd Vice Chairman of the Progressive Young Liberals, President of The Advisory Youth Council of the Bahamas, and Lieutenant Governor of the Bahamas District Key Club. Latrae is a graduate of Temple Christian High School class of 2012 where he was elected Student Body President. He's currently perusing an undergraduate degree in Economics and Finance at the University of International School of Economics and Business the top university in economics and finance in Beijing China.
He's currently serving as the first ever elected student government president from the Caribbean and first ever elected Student Representative in china from the Bahamas. He's recognized for his knowledge of foreign policy, studies in diplomacy, Asian economies, tourism, and renewable energy. His company has successfully assisted the Ministry of Tourism in their expansion in the Chinese outbound tourism market.
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