JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE with
Rt. Hon. Perry Christie, M.P.
Leader – PLP

1:30pm  Thursday, 23rd June, 2011
Sir Lynden Pindling Center
Farrington Road, N.P., Bahamas

I was glad when my Leader, The Right Honourable Perry Christie, admonished me to join him in seeking a new direction moving forward in South Andros and said to me;

“Keod, I want you to take on a new mission; a mission which will assist our Party in assembling the team, the machine and the message as we go into the next General Election.”

I am happy to report this afternoon that I have accepted my Leader’s Call to join the coordinating team for the upcoming general elections as well serving as his SPECIAL ADVISOR ON ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS.  I will assiduously apply myself to assisting the Progressive Liberal Party and its candidates in becoming election ready.

As for my being Special Advisor on Environmental Matters, I am to assist in crafting a functional strategy and implementation plan toward creating “FLYFISHING” as a new touristic product for The Bahamas.  It is believed that this niche-market, which peculiarly fits our unique and pristine marine environment, can ultimately increase our national annual income by more than $500 million.  A significant percentage of such revenue will be directly infused into small island communities like South Andros that have thousands of acres of mangroves and hundreds of square miles of sea flats.

Unfortunately, this current FNM Administration has been systematically crowding-out the entrepreneurial opportunities of countless Bahamians that could be derived from a carefully devised Flyfishing Industry.  The FNM have been doing this by allowing foreign-based Flyfishing entities to own Flyfishing or Bonefishing Lodges in our Islands.

As we count down the remaining days of this outgoing Government… every single day shall be a CALL TO ACTION for ambitious Bahamians everywhere who want to advance themselves while moving their country forward.  I am talking about unique personal development of every single Bahamian as well as unique national development through diversification utilizing our natural resources, people power and our ingenuity.

Bahamians need to know that they have a voice… and that their voice shall be heard … and that we, the PLP, WILL be motivated by their concerns…and that the Bahamian people’s interest shall once again become the number one priority of the Government of The Bahamas; a Government led by Perry Christie.

So, effective immediately, I shall be about the mission that I have been assigned to by my Commander in Chief and I shall be calling on Bahamians everywhere to join us as we move toward making the change that is needed in order to make The Bahamas our own, once again.  Never, never again shall our beloved country be the trampoline for FNM politicians who don’t subscribe to our national mantra that this Bahamas “is we tings”.

I wish to now talk to the people of South Andros.

First, let me say that South Andros will be in the win column for the PLP when the roll is called on the General Election night and Perry Christie forms the government of the Bahamas.

South Andros, like so many before me, I too came to your bountiful shores, tasted of your kind, generous and warm hospitality and together we become friends. We are now family.

On behalf of my wife Monique and our children, I would like to thank the people of South Andros.

I want you to know, that it was a very difficult decision for me to remove myself from the pool of persons vying to become the representative for South Andros, BUT I cannot say “NO” to my Commander-in-Chief, especially when he calls me to national purpose such as he has now done.

So, in thanking you for your overwhelming support over the last 6 months, I wish to ask you to join me in keeping the faith with Perry Christie as he begins to move resolutely on all fronts to form the next PLP Government; a Government to which South Andros for historical reasons to our Party, shall always remain near and dear to me.

Keod Smith