Nassau, Bahamas – Here is what Leader of the PLP Philip Davis had to say when the press asked him about support for Dr. Hubert Minnis and the Dominican students coming to The Bahamas.
He added that no one from the PLP was available to travel with the Prime Minister to Dominica. The words are reported by The Tribune on 30 September:
“What I could say is he [the Prime Minister] ought to have engaged in more discussions and appreciate what he was saying before he said what he did yesterday, and when he said it he ought to have come with the details as opposed to just a blanket offer as he did.
“Generally there is a standard policy of assistance to our CARICOM sisters in the time of disaster or need and the policy has always been that we would give at least $100,000 as an immediate gift and that is nothing new. You’ll find that most countries have what they call a standard relief package that they award immediately to countries in need in circumstances such as these.
“For example the Chinese (and) the Americans they all will just give an immediate sum to bring some instant relief and thereafter they would consider what further relief or assistance they will give and that will come of course after consultation and understanding specifically the needs of the country afflicted.
“And so insofar as the PLP is concerned, we embrace that policy of granting immediate assistance as has been the norm where they immediately do a grant to these countries. Now insofar as any further assistance over and beyond that it requires a discussion and that discussion then determines what the country is able to do.”
“The unfortunate fact here is that the xenophobic flames that have been fanned by the lack of details that we put into the public domain has caused everyone to pause to look and to seek more details before they jump to any conclusion to support or otherwise.”
