PLP Responds to Jr. Minister Zhivargo Laing

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bradleyrPress Release
Progressive Liberal Party
Response to latest unemployment figures
22nd December 2009

It is unfortunate that The Bahamian people, in what should be a season of optimism and jubilance, must be continuously subjected to misery under the stewardship of this Free National Movement led Government. In addition to the overwhelming statistics on crime, namely the unprecedented murder rate and the associated fear that has gripped us as a society, we heard nothing encouraging last evening from the Junior Minister for Finance on the newly released unemployment figures.

The best news this visionless, rudderless Government could give us for Christmas is that the rate of joblessness is decreasing. That is, unemployment figures are continuing to rise but not as astronomically as it did in the first half of 2009. Well, Merry Christmas indeed, fellow Bahamians! The interview with the Junior Minister then went on to discuss the anticipation for stimulation and job creation in our economy, apart from the temporary jobs which will be created by the Government, once the recession bottoms out.

The PLP reminds the FNM that they failed to create the 10,000 jobs in Freeport they promised. The FNM government has also failed to resolve the impasse at the Grand Bahama Port Authority, a situation that is quickly suffocating and strangling the economic life force out of Grand Bahama. The unseemly behavior of the Prime Minister through his ill-advised comments about the work permit status of the Port’s chairman has exacerbated the ownership crisis at the Port and made the relationship between the two that much more tenuous.

Further, this government has failed to effectively manage our tourism product and protect the jobs of thousands of workers in this most vital sector. Under this government’s stewardship, the record shows that stopover arrivals have declined, occupancy levels have declined, tourism expenditure has declined, the budget for tourism was reduced, and mass displacement of hotel workers has become the order of the day. The record will show that in this region, our neighbours and competitors have enjoyed measurable growth in their tourism sector in the face of the same global economic challenges faced by the Bahamas.

For no sensible reason, the government has displaced thousands of workers in the public sector, directly contributing to the increase in unemployment.

The government has not been unable to attract any new and meaningful capital injection into our ailing economy to facilitate an economic stimulus that will create jobs, create spin off industries and improve the revenue performance of the government.

This government is on record as imposing the single largest tax increase on the Bahamian people through increases in custom duties and excise taxes.

This government’s stop, review, and cancel policy and infamous delay tactics have not only caused the Bahamian economy to stall, but has frightened many investors and would-be investors away who could very well be hesitant about investing in the Bahamas and understandably so. The treatment of the principals of the Bahamar project is just one example.

The PLP submits that the baneful actions of the government, and in some cases their inaction, have together significantly contributed to the current levels of unemployment. We point out that this high level of unemployment is redundant and it did not have to be this way. The government simply failed to demonstrate the vision, the requisite political maturity and political will required to focus on the wellbeing of the Bahamian people and the future security of our country. It opted for petty partisan politics and political tribalism.

We remind the FNM that where there is no vision, the people perish and the Bahamian people are experiencing the whirlwind of this vision-less government.

3 COMMENTS

  1. @ freethinkawhy you blaming pastor the right reverend god call me to reduce the pr`ice of mona vie he is but an actor in the skit he is a marionette controled by pappa aka gepeto as regards debt this was the foolishness advocated by the developed world borrow ya way out australia didnt do it but hey you know we the monkeys who see and do what we seep.s.  like how ya call out hall wid he red tie

  2. HOW SENSIBLE IT IS TO BORROW MONEY TO PAY POLITICIANS AND THE CIVIL SERVICE WAGES; TO KEEP SOME PEOPLE IN WONDER WORLD, AS IF OUR NATIONAL DEBT IS ZERO…  LAING IS A WRECKLESS MAN WHO CARE FOR NOTHING MORE THAN THE COLOR RED.  WITH A NATIONAL DEBT OF 50% OF THE GDP. LAING HAS THE AUDACITY TO HAVE A CHEESY SMILE ON HIS FACE, WHILE HE ANNOUNCED HIS CHRONIC BORROWING HABITS JUSTIFIED GOOD WITHOUT CARE OF THE FUTURE BAHAMAS… LAING GATTA BE INTOXICATED ON A FANTASY  HE NEEDS TO BE FIRED FORTHWITH FOR STUPIDLY UNDERSTANDING ECONOMICS IN A POLITICALLY CORRUPT WAY.  LAING YOU MAKE ME SHAME TO BE A BAHAMIAN WHEN PEOPLE LIKE YOU ARE GIVEN OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD.  THE BEST YOU COULD DO IS PUT ON A CHEESY GRIN AND SPEAK DISASTER (BOUT YOU GA KEEP SPENDING THE PEOPLE MONEY HOW YOU AND YOUR CO-HORTS SEE FIT…)  ICRY SHAME AGAIN, AND I KNOW LAING BELIEVE IN SANTA.  SANTA AIN GIVIN LANG NO GIFT FA SURE FOR ALL THE BAD HE CAUSIN THE BAHAMIAN PEOPLE TO GO THRU FOR GENERATIONS TO COME, WITH HIS DUMB AND DUMBER, DUMBEST CONCEPT OF ECONOMICS.

  3. Merry Myth-mus to the Big Brad Bad… and a Mystical New Year,  and may the Real God be with you (not the  one found in the four walls of the church) guide and protect you, cuz U mean good. Even though you are aligned with PLP that may not mean good for this Nation at this time. Do not be dismay and feel as if I am bashing the PLP cuz my sentiment is the same for  FNM.  Ideologically speaking, the doctrine of the FNM is the MIRROR IMMAGE of the PLP,s doctrine. The reason is that the two came out of the SAME POLITICAL WOMB, as androgynous (hermaphrodite) POLITICAL DEITIES,  that USE the Commonwealth of the Bahamas as the battlefield for the BITTER DUALITY fought by two BIGGGGGGGGGGGGG GROWMN MEMNNNNNN…     BIG BRAD BAD IN ALL HONESTY YA KNO!  DHUH TOO DEMM NEED TO BACK ON DHUH SIDE FA FRESSSSSH BLUDD DOE…
    TELL CHRISTIE TO REST HE SEFF!!! CUZ HE EVEN LOOKIN MORE TYRED NOW DAN BEFOUR………. MR BRAB
    PUT YOUR LAST STRONG PUSH OF POLITICS IN A PARTY NEUTRAL OF THE PLP AND FNM TO SAVE THE BAHAMAS FROM TYRANNICAL GOVERNANCE

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