From:TheBahamasWeekly.com

Bahamian Politics
Sidney Collie: Government’s Failure to Disclose Rubis Details
Apr 13, 2017 - 1:08:55 PM

Nassau, Bahamas - Sidney Collie, Free National Movement (FNM) Chairman, issued the following statement:

“We are five years past the 2012 Rubis oil spill and the publics’ request for the government’s report continues to fall upon deaf ears. I’ll spare a long-winded overview of the timeline and get to the matter of this government’s inexplicable lack of transparency. Many are aware of this PLP government’s lackadaisical action to review and mitigate risks from the spill—nobody is more aware than the citizens of Marathon who were forced to weather a storm of potential health risks while their government sat on its hands.”

“Until my last days on earth, I will never understand how PLP parliamentarians—namely Marathon MP Jerome Fitzgerald—could possibly push the blame on anyone but themselves. Even after the government made long-awaited apologies, MP Fitzgerald scoffed at critics, accusing them of political smearing. Fitzgerald’s mind must be so clouded by PLP rhetoric that he can’t even acknowledge the absolute relevance and obvious expectation of criticism."

“Worse than his excuse (that he would have been fired for releasing details of the Rubis Report) is the fact that he says he would not question the decision of the Attorney General in withholding this information from the public. It is beyond me that he doesn’t understand as Marathon’s member of Parliament, that is exactly his job, to question government actions and seek all possible solutions on behalf of those he represents.”

“Bahamians cannot risk another five years of this careless government’s neglect for public concerns. On behalf of our children alone, we must enact policies that reinforce transparency and accountability, so that issues like the Rubis Spill can be corrected at their inception. Not only does transparency ensure Bahamians have access to important information, it incentivizes administrations, regardless of party, to act responsibly. This is the type of modern, democratic and responsible governance that the FNM will work vigorously to implement. Your vote for the FNM on May 10th is a referendum on corruption, and a way towards removing neglectful government with one that cares for all Bahamians.”



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