PAGE 4, Friday, February 21, 2020
THE TRIBUNE
The Tribune Limited NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI “Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”
LEON E. H. DUPUCH,
SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH,
jamaaltheartist@gmail.com
Publisher/Editor 1903-1914 Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .
Publisher/Editor 1919-1972 Contributing Editor 1972-1991
EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON,
C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B. Publisher/Editor 1972-
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Speaker should learn when to speak THE current Speaker of the House, Halson Moultrie, came to his post without the benefit of experience of Parliament. By his own confession last year, he said he lacked experience and that there were parliamentary rules unknown to him. He has also attracted criticism for his lack of experience – such as when former Deputy Prime Minister warned that he “has to remain neutral while carrying out his duties” after Mr Moultrie somehow contrived to think it appropriate to take a swipe at the foreign-born status of the PLP leader’s wife. Mr Moultrie has also found himself embroiled in controversies after ordering a reporter to hand over a phone, after criticising the media, for suggesting China should develop the south-east Bahamas, and with his comments on marital rape. To say he has had his share of unnecessary controversies would be an understatement. But the first-time Speaker is at it again. Mr Moultrie told the House of Assembly that he had reviewed the penal code to see if something could be done regarding obscene language in social media videos, which he said was “eroding” the country’s moral fabric. We’re not sure what part of being an impartial Speaker escapes Mr Moultrie, but this is fairly simple – if he proposes laws or uses of the penal code, then how can he be an arbiter of fair debate if the matter is further raised in the House? If, for example, a member of the Opposition raises concerns about
freedom of speech on the matter, can they rely on the Speaker to allow their contribution or will he push the agenda he raised instead? There is of course a creeping feeling of Mr Moultrie wishing to curtail expression he disagrees with – while not feeling constrained by the need for appropriate language himself. This, after all, is the same speaker who said that PLP leader Philip ‘Brave’ Davis was relying on the advice of “reprobates” and “perverts”. And when he complained about “fake news”, the examples he quoted to Parliament were, surprise surprise, mostly about himself. There can only be so much of this that is a lack of experience – a lay person knows the importance of an impartial Speaker, so a man in the role ought to. There are only so many gaffes a man in his position can make before his role becomes untenable – his job is to enable debate on other subjects, not to be a subject of debate himself. He should listen to the criticism that has come his way – especially on this latest matter which strikes to the heart of the role he is supposed to be carrying out. Just because the criticism is coming from someone on the opposite side doesn’t mean they are wrong – and of course as a Speaker, you shouldn’t see opposite sides. We suggest you focus on your job, Mr Speaker, and not on the swearing on Facebook and Whatsapp. And after this, we imagine social media users might have a few choice words for you themselves.
The sadness of the HeadKnowles split IT IS profoundly sad to see the split that has taken place in the HeadKnowles group, with the division between co-founders Gina Knowles and Lia Head-Rigby now having reached the point of a lawsuit. HeadKnowles became a byword for citizen activism in recent years, a reputation built firstly on the group’s assistance after Hurricane Joaquin and subsequently through other actions, including helping to search for the body of Byron Ferguson after the pilot’s plane crashed into the sea. The relief effort for Hurricane Dorian, which raised nearly $1.5m in donations on GoFundMe, cracked the bond between the founders and now has led to the courts amid complaints of money not being where it should be. GoFundMe themselves, the donations website, has stepped forward to offer more than $200,000 to the HeadKnowles Foundation, now shorn of Mrs Head-Rigby since her split from the
charity in September. That’s a positive sign for the ongoing foundation. But at heart, we are saddened to see a once thriving partnership end in such a way. It casts a shadow over the fundraising efforts that we hope can be lifted through continued good work – and it also causes concern for other citizen activist groups that might start up. The many volunteers and donors who pitched in over the years for HeadKnowles have done remarkable work and we hope that is not forgotten in the fallout of this lawsuit. More, we hope that HeadKnowles can go on to achieve more, building on the strength of the partnerships they have forged. We suspect a name change might well be needed – but that should be more than just reinforcing a split, rather a chance for a clean slate to continue the good work. It’s a shame it has come to this – but it would be a bigger shame if this was the end of it all.
Flood waters had nowhere to go EDITOR, The Tribune I HEAR the comment of Minister Lewis who we must not forget is a qualified architect, but in 245 years of the history of hurricanes hitting The Bahamas only one in seven years is there a hit…35 in 245 years! If we adopt this scenario any rebuild on Crooked Island should stop immediately – Grand Bahama especially because the frequency for hits there is high, the second highest landfall. The great 1929 hurricane which hit Nassau seems it came up from the south hitting virtually everything in its track so Nassau should not have been rebuilt? The Bahamas lies in a tropical/cyclone zone…hurricanes are inevitable we pray not CAT 4’s and 5+’s and infrequent please.
The water side of Marsh Harbour evolved like most town centres in the islands… little consideration to high tides or surges…few comment that a lot of the damage was caused because empty containers were left on the dock which were picked up in the surge and acted like a bulldozer blade on everything it came across… flattened everything. I argue the Grand Bahama flooding exceptionally not the norm was directly caused because of the design of the new causeway at Fishing Hole Road… the new structure comprised of large open culverts but no one checked by the harbour…that was blocked by a limestone fill road over to the shipyard…the flood waters had nowhere to go except Freeport. Yes rebuild to an
improved specification… probably raise the foundations….certainly do not allow wooden structures, all walls must be filled cement blocks or concrete…choose the best roof type you have which survived 200mph winds so specify that type. Marsh Harbour expanded out of the harbour late ‘80’s prior to that all activity business and social was there right on the harbour… You are seeing massive floods in England and the US right now…they will clean up and rebuild it’s been that way for centuries. Town Planning Regulations should have disallowed building literally in the water, but it is too late for that. T FORBES Nassau February 18, 2020
The dangers of surpressing news EDITOR, The Tribune IN the 1970s and 1980s I watched our Bahamas change. Drugs came here in large amounts. Young men were dealing it and making plenty, plenty money. Young men just barely out of their teenage years were driving luxury cars and living in mansions. The fast life came to The Bahamas. They had the prettiest girls. They threw the biggest parties. They were the big-timers in the country. There was a dark side to these times too. Many of these people who dealt drugs and the people who hung around them started using the stuff. Addicts were everywhere. Some used until they died. Some used and used until they were zombie streetwalkers. We lost so many people. These were not just the children of the poor and uneducated. The drug era spared no one. Rich and poor, black and white, doctors and construction workers, were all using the stuff. I, like many other Bahamians, lost relatives to the drug era. We tried to help but some were too far gone. As an older man, reflecting on these times still brings great sadness. These drugs came to the Bahamas because of PLP greed. High-ranking members of the governing PLP were all mixed up with international drug traffickers. The PLP all but gave Norman’s Cay away to the Columbian drug runners. Bahamians couldn’t even go there, though some high level politicians went there. Armed men ruled the island. The country’s reputation was dragged through the mud during these years. NBC News did an exposé. The Miami Herald did its exceptional “A Nation for Sale” reporting. The Commission of Inquiry that reported in 1984 revealed the vast links between the Pindling Government and drug traffickers. Pindling’s PLP nearly turned the Bahamas into a complete drug state. Brave journalists were key to saving the Bahamas. I mentioned the reporting of the American media. Here in our country the fearlessness
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net of Eileen Carron, Athena Damianos and The Tribune were key to fighting against the evils of the Pindling Government. Despite threats and intimidation, Mrs Carron and The Tribune did not flinch. They challenged Sir Lynden Pindling and his corrupt party and held them to account. The Tribune’s brave reporting was key to bringing to an end an evil that was destroying Bahamian families through the ruinous drug trade. I remember reading those stories, knowing The Tribune would hide nothing. Today, again, The Tribune is leading the way on reporting on a bombshell story. Fashion designer Peter Nygard has been accused in a New York civil lawsuit of sexually abusing underage girls and women at his home in Lyford Cay. The allegations are disgusting. What is shocking it that certain PLPs are accused of being involved in the sex trafficking ring and of giving Mr Nygard protection while the party was in power. Mr Nygard denies the allegation through his lawyers. I think the PLP denies it too but their statements have been so convoluted that I have trouble understanding what they are saying. The fledgling Eyewitness News is also reporting on the alleged Nygard-PLP sex scandal. They are to be congratulated for giving exposure to these explosive allegations. What shocks me is that The Nassau Guardian – the country’s oldest newspaper – is not reporting on the allegations against the PLP and Mr Nygard. This is international news. Here are just a few of the reputable international news organisations that have reported on this scandal: CNN, The National Post, CBC, The Guardian in the UK, The Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail. That The Nassau Guardian is ignoring this story is very, very strange. How is it that the people at CNN think this is news and the oldest newspaper in the
Bahamas doesn’t? My fear is that what has happened at The Nassau Guardian is no accident. The newspaper has become openly pro-PLP. The editors each week write commentaries attacking Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis and his government. The editors who go on the radio use the airwaves to do the same thing all the time. What appears to be going on at The Nassau Guardian is suppression of serious allegations against the PLP to protect the party the editors prefer. If true, this is a low moment in the newspaper’s long history. Fair newspapers are supposed to report the news and let their readers decide. They should report all the significant news to the community and, in their best editorial judgment, give appropriate prominence to the story. In my opinion, The Nassau Guardian is failing to live up to this basic objective of a fair newspaper. Its credibility is diminishing by the decision of its editors to suppress the PLP-Nygard scandal. I wonder what the newspaper’s owners think of this. Do The Nassau Guardian’s owners think it is acceptable for CNN and The Guardian in the UK to think the PLP-Nygard sex trafficking allegations are a story and their newspaper right here in The Bahamas does not think it is a story? If it is that The Nassau Guardian is suppressing a major global story to protect the PLP then it should put a disclaimer atop its front page and say its purpose is to get the PLP in power and not to deliver the news in a fair manner. That way we would all know that you should only buy the newspaper if you want PLP news. I thank Mrs Carron for her newspaper’s brave work yet again in taking on alleged wickedness in our country. No one should be able to use their wealth or political power to abuse girls. Thank God we still have The Tribune – a newspaper for the people that is unafraid. ECM Nassau, February 20, 2020