10252018 NEWS

THURSDAY i’m lovin’ it!

HIGH 86ºF LOW 77ºF

The Tribune Established 1903

24/7 BREAKING NEWS ON TRIBUNE242.COM

Biggest And Best!

OBITS

VOLUME:115 No.231, OCTOBER 25TH, 2018

OFFICIA

CLASSIFIED TRADER: CARS, CARS, CARS & MORE CARS

$1

INSIDE

L SOUR CE

Broken promise

BRENT Symonette MP in Parliament yesterday.

Photo: Terrel W Carey/ Tribune Staff

• Rebel FNM MPs • Minnis: Why all say Post Office deal the fuss? Look is election betrayal what PLP wanted

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net FOUR Free National Movement backbenchers blasted their party’s decision to enter into a lease agreement for the Town Centre

Mall, partly owned by a Cabinet minister, insisting the move contravenes good governance principles and violated the trust of the Bahamian people.

One of the rebel MPs, Golden Isles representative Vaughn Miller, said the move “reeks” of “corruption” and went against the Free National Movement’s stance against such acts.

The backbenchers, Pineridge MP Frederick McAlpine, Centreville MP Reece Chipman, Bain

and Grants Town MP Travis Robinson, and Mr Miller, announced their opposition to the move during debate in the House of Assembly on a resolution that would allow the lease to proceed.

However, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis hit out at PLP plans for the post office, saying they were “less cost effective, were not transparent and were shot through with all kinds of dubious questions”.

SEE PAGES FIVE & SIX

SHOWDOWN LOOMS OVER ‘HEALTH LEVY PLUS VAT NURSES’ SHIFT PATTERNS RISE TOO MUCH TO BEAR’

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Public Hospitals Authority appeared to be on a collision course with nurses yesterday, announcing it will implement a new shift system for them on December 10 despite objections from the Bahamas Nurses Union.

The shift change was initially planned for September 3 but was shelved following uproar from nurses.

It was hoped that the two sides would resolve the dispute but BNU president Amancha Williams said yesterday that little negotiation has taken place since September.

The shift change from four on/four off to five on/

two off was announced by PHA Managing Director Catherine Weech during a press conference yesterday.

The change is consistent with the Bahamas Employment Act, the 2015 Industrial Agreement between PHA and BNU and an agreement the parties reached in 2014, she said.

SEE PAGE TWO

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party Leader Philip Davis yesterday knocked the government’s proposed salary tax to fund its National Health Insurance scheme as “regressive”.

Mr Davis told The Tribune the tax should have been considered in

concert with the decision to increase value added tax by 4.5 percent this summer.

He insisted this latest proposal evidenced the Minnis-led administration had no grasp of what “holistic governance” means despite its pronouncements.

“It seems rather onerous and misguided for the government to consider at this time imposing two percent

of person’s salary to fund NHI when you just raised VAT by some 4.5 percent,” Mr Davis said.

“You would have thought that if you were thinking through things, and identifying what you are going to do, and having a holistic view of governance, you would have taken that increase into account.

SEE PAGE SEVEN

‘BRAVE’S LOST IN SPACE WITH TRUMP HYPOCRISY’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE Grand Lucayan’s chairman yesterday revealed he plans to “go after” Hutchison Whampoa to recover the $6-$7m Memories lease guarantee payment, as he hit back at the PLP’s leader.

Michael Scott, blasting Philip Davis’s criticisms over the upcoming $2-$3m staff severance payouts,

PHILIP “BRAVE” DAVIS told Tribune Business that the Cat Island MP was “lost in space” and suffering from “Trumpian hypocrisy

of the worst kind”.

He branded the Official Opposition leader’s comments as a “reverse engineering of the historical record”, suggesting it was hypocritical for him to attack the payouts given that it, too, assumed responsibility for severance payments to staff of the former Grand Lucayan casino operator, Isle of Capri, when in government.

FULL PAGE - SEE BUSINESS

DIANE PHILLIPS: YOU WON’T FIND LOVE IN A COMPUTER

SEE PAGE EIGHT

Banking at the corner of free and easy.

I love traffic. It’s good for my business, but I’m not stuck in it. I use Scotia OnLine to send money, pay bills, and check my balance, right from the roadside. Safely, quickly, and for FREE.

Start banking where you spend most of your time. bs.scotiabank.com/click #ClickScotiabank

It starts with you.™

®Trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia, used under license.

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

PAGE 2, Thursday, October 25, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

SHOWDOWN LOOMS OVER SHIFT PATTERN FOR NURSES

CATHERINE WEECH, managing director, Public Hospitals Authority, (third from left) announces a new shift system for nurses yesterday. Seated from left, nursing services advisor Lillian Black-Charlton; Valerie Miller, principal nursing officer, Princess Margaret Hospital; Mrs Weech; deputy managing director, PHA, Lyrone Burrows and Thelma McKenzie. principal nursing officer, Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre.

Photo: Raymond A Bethel Sr/BIS from page one BNU disputes this, however, emphasising that the 2014 shift change agreement was not contained in the 2015 Industrial agreement, making it inapplicable.

Ms Weech said: “The new shift system will eliminate the inequity caused by the ‘four nights on/four nights off’ shift system which results in night duty nurses working only 157 days per year on average, compared to 234 days per year on average for all other nurses.”

The system establishes a 40-hour work week and an eight-hour daily shift “as opposed to the current ten-hour shift for night duty nurses,” she added.

She revealed that nurses scheduled to work between 6pm and 6am will receive a $1.75 per hour premium in addition to their standard base hourly pay.

That sum was immediately derided as inadequate

by Ms Williams in a later interview with The Tribune.

“That was the proposal for four years ago,” she said. “Who works for that when coming out of school with a bachelor’s degree and higher?”

Ms Williams said she was blindsided by the PHA’s announcement. She insisted nurses will fight back but refused to divulge how.

“The prime minister

himself will come off his throne, him and the minister of health will have to speak to us as nurses, we will come together with strong force, they will not stop us,” she said.

Nurses overwhelmingly supported a strike during a poll this summer but the government has denied them a strike certificate, telling the press the poll failed to give every nurse an opportunity to vote.

Ms Williams said this rationale has not been formally articulated to the union. The union is considering how it will respond.

Privately, government officials say a motivating factor behind the shift change is a desire to reduce overtime pay for nurses. They believe the resistance to the change reflects nurses’ desire for continued overtime pay.

Ms Williams had hoped that Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis would step in to prevent the shift change from going into effect, but his summer intervention has borne little fruit, she said.

“The prime minister came to us on good faith,” she said. “Up to yesterday, out of 72, the prime minister had 69 nurses confirmed. That’s the only issue the prime minister addressed. We still have no cars. He didn’t address the postgraduate course issue or midwives working, but not getting their increment since 2009. He didn’t address this.”

THE TRIBUNE

Groom-to-be falls to his death on a cruise ship to The Bahamas

Thursday, October 25, 2018, PAGE 3

TOURIST DROWNS AT TAINO BEACH

GRAND Bahama police are investigating the drowning of a male visitor who was found unresponsive at Taino Beach earlier this week.

Superintendent Walter Henderson reported that sometime after 3pm, a male tourist was snorkeling at the beach, and was discovered sometime later lying at the edge of the water unresponsive.

Paramedics were called to the scene and the victim was taken to the Rand Memorial Hospital for further medical assistance where he later died and was pronounced dead by doctors.

An investigation is continuing into the matter.

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net A PASSENGER died onboard a Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line vessel while celebrating his bachelor party last Friday on a cruise to Grand Bahama.

Groom-to-be Christopher McGrory, 29, of Florida, fell from the 10th or 11th deck of the Grand Classica a few hours into the cruise after the ship had left the Port of Palm Beach on October 19.

He was airlifted by US Coast Guard officials to a Florida hospital where he was pronounced dead.

McGrory and his fiancée, Jessica Arnett, were on the cruise together with others when the incident happened some 13 miles east of the Port of Palm Beach, according to reports. The couple was expected to marry on December 1.

The Grand Classica, a 1,680-passenger vessel, is one of two ships operated by the Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line that sails to Freeport, Grand Bahama.

The ship contacted US Coast Guard officials around 8pm for assistance.

A USCG team arrived with personnel from the Riviera Beach Fire Rescue.

Passengers recalled hearing a ‘code blue’ on the intercom. There were lots of blood at the site and a white sheet had been placed over the victim.

The victim’s body was flown to the St Mary’s Medical Centre in West Palm Beach, Florida and the ship continued on to Grand Bahama.

According to reports in a local Florida newspaper, McGrory was as an analyst for Wells Fargo. He and his fiancée met four years ago.

His brother was also with them on the cruise when the tragedy occurred.

Marcia Lehmann, a passenger on the ship, said

CHRISTOPHER MCGRORY, with fiancee Jessica Arnett, was celebrating his bachelor party when he fell to his death aboard a Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line ship.

Inset: a picture of the ship. she thought someone had a heart attack when she first heard the ‘code blue’ alert over the intercom. Then, as a crowd of people gathered around a stairway, she looked down to a horrifying sight.

“All we could see was pools and pools of blood and a white sheet,” she told The Palm Beach Post. “He fell above us, so it had to have been either the 10th or 11th deck.”

Ms Arnett was heartbroken over the death of her

fiancé. On Facebook, she wrote: “With a heavy, heavy broken heart, it kills me to write this as it all seems surreal. But I should tell you all, my sweet, sweet Chris was in a tragic accident and has passed away.

“I’m at a loss for words.

That man was my true love and my best friend. Please keep us all in your prayers.”

Arnett’s grandmother Jean said McGrory was “the love of her life”.

The couple had planned to marry in Yulee, where Arnett

was raised, she told the Palm Beach Post. Jean does not know what happened at the bachelor party. She said one member in attendance was McGrory’s brother.

The Coast Guard said it will not release any information about what happened on the ship while the investigation is ongoing.

In a statement, the ship extended its thoughts and prayers to the victim’s family, and commended the US Coast Guard for its response.

CHRISTOPHER MCGRORY - who worked as an analyst for Wells Fargo - was engaged to be married to Jessica Arnett.

MAN, 20, REMANDED AFTER HE IS CHARGED WITH MURDER

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net

A 20-year-old man was sent to prison yesterday after being charged in the Magistrate’s Court with murder and attempted murder.

Jeremy Thompson appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Subusola Swain accused of murdering Karo Bullard by means of unlawful harm and attempting to murder Elricka Collie on Friday, October 5.

According to police, the victims were part of a group having a “social gathering” on a porch

when three men emerged from the lot next door and opened fire, wounding both Bullard and Collie.

Bullard was pronounced dead at the scene, while Collie was rushed to hospital by a private vehicle.

Thompson was not required to enter a plea to either of the charges yesterday and was remanded to the Department of Correctional Services until December 13, for service of a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI).

Thompson was subsequently advised by the court of his right to apply to the Supreme Court for bail.

He was not represented by an attorney.

SHOOTING VICTIM IDENTIFIED

THE man who was shot dead on Tuesday night has been identified as Kelson Devaughn Kelly. Kelly, 22, of Parker Street was shot while at Polhemus Street around 7pm.

Another man was also shot during the incident however he is in hospital in serious, but stable condition.

Galleria Cinemas

Galleria Cinemas The Mall-at-Marathon

BOX OFFICE OPENS AT 10:00 AM DAILY

EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 26TH, 2018 HUNTER KILLER HALLOWEEN THE HATE YOU GIVE KINKY GOOSEBUMPS 2 VENOM NIGHT SCHOOL

NEW T T C B C T

1:00 1:05 1:00 1:15 1:15 1:05 1:05

3:25 3:30 3:50 3:35 3:35 3:25 3:25

N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

380-FLIX

6:00 6:05 6:45 6:15 6:15 6:05 6:00

8:20 8:25 N/A 8:45 8:40 8:25 8:25

10:45 10:45 10:00 10:45 10:45 10:40 10:45

Use your e-card to reserve tickets at 380-3549 or visit us at www.bahamaslocal.com

PAGE 4, Thursday, October 25, 2018

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-

Published daily Monday to Friday

Shirley & Deveaux Streets, Nassau, Bahamas N3207 TELEPHONES

News & General Information Advertising Manager Circulation Department Nassau fax Freeport, Grand Bahama Freeport fax

(242) 322-1986 (242) 502-2394 (242) 502-2386 (242) 328-2398 (242)-352-6608 (242) 352-9348

WEBSITE, TWITTER & FACEBOOK www.tribune242.com

@tribune242

tribune news network

Video game which teaches the wrong lesson IN recognition of the fact that “Fortnite” has quickly become one of the most popular video games in the world – one played by more than 125 million players – I decided to play the game myself in an attempt to understand its widespread appeal.

As a parent and as a political theorist who focuses on education and its impact on democratic society, I couldn’t help but notice how much the game seems to teach children the wrong lessons about how to function as an adult and interact with others. I came away from my “Fortnite” experience thinking that the game is raising young people to be selfcentered, not good citizens.

Some may question why a political theorist wishes to weigh in on the impact of a video game. But political philosophers – going back as far as Plato – have long recognised the influence that games have on the body politic. In the 18th century, for instance, Swiss political philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau noted that games establish habits and attachments that will shape what kind of political actors children become.

For that reason and others, I believe it pays to seriously examine the influence that “Fortnite” might have on how children come to view society and the world.

But first, a little background on the game itself. In the most popular version of “Fortnite,” Battle Royale, your character drops from a floating bus onto an island with other players where the goal is to be the last survivor. You run through forests, urban landscapes and fields, collect weapons and health potions, kill other players, build structures and dance.

As one who spent several weeks playing the game, I can attest that the game speeds up your heart rate, makes you laugh, enables you to communicate with other people and teaches you strategy – all within the realm of a fantasy world.

People play on the most sophisticated gaming platforms as well as their home computers and cellphones. I myself played on a cellphone.

One popular “Fortnite” gamer, Richard Tyler Blevins, also known as “Ninja,” recently appeared on the cover of ESPN. Hundreds of thousands of people watch him and others play on the live video-streaming platform Twitch, enabling him to amass a fortune of US$500,000 a month.

Students play or watch “Fortnite” in the evenings, on the weekends, at the library, and even in class. According to a survey by financial education company Lendedu, the average player spends between six and 10 hours per week playing the game, with 7 percent

of the respondents saying that they play more than 21 hours per week. The average player also spends about $85 on the game, according to Lendedu.

The New York Times published an article with advice on “parenting the Fortnite addict.” The advice included using the game as “a carrot adults can use to their advantage.” The deeper question, however, is what are the long-term consequences of raising a generation of “Fortnite” addicts?

Society should also think about the health consequences of having children play violent video games for long stretches of time. In 2011, researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine performed an analysis of the brains of a group of men with low past exposure to violent video games.

Half the group then played a shooting video game for 10 hours in a week, while the control group did not. When the researchers did a brain analysis after two weeks, they discovered that the group that played violent video games showed less activation in the parts of the brain that control emotion and aggressive behavior. According to the lead researcher, Yang Wang, “These findings indicate that violent video game play has a long-term effect on brain functioning.”

People who play violent video games for long stretches of time tend to develop depression, anxiety, and dissociation from reality. In “Glow Kids,” Nicholas Kardaras explains that when a player achieves a “kill shot” in a shooter game, their brain releases a pleasurecausing chemical called dopamine.

This in turn makes video games highly addictive.

Finally, and most problematic, “Fortnite” trains children to think primarily of themselves and maybe a small circle of friends.

When people play “Fortnite,” they enter their own little world. For maximum enjoyment, players wear headsets and keep their hands glued to their keyboard and mouse. Sometimes, players text or talk with other people or do Playground mode, which is closer to “Minecraft” than a shooting game.

More frequently, people play by themselves in the Battle Royale version of the game where the goal is to be the last survivor in a war of all against all.

“Fortnite” may not be the only violent video game that emphasizes individualism and survival. But given its current popularity and appeal on the planet, it pays to examine its effect on the individuals who will make up society as a whole.

By Nicholas Tampio of Fordham University First published in The Conversation

This Post Office move is a scandalous waste of money EDITOR, The Tribune I AM all for capitalism and transparency. As a businessman and an entrepreneur, it has long been my observation that the current Post Office Building had deteriorated to the point where not only is it an eye sore but a clear and present danger to the public and users of that facility. Simply put, the relocation is long overdue. The question is where?

The Minnis administration is dead wrong to seek to lease a substantial portion of The Town Centre Mall for the relocation. It is proposing to enter into a five years contract with the owners, one of whom is the Minister of Financial Services and Immigration, Brent Symonette, reputedly worth in excess of B$24 millions per year. This translates into $120 million over the life of the contract.

I submit that this is scandalous and a gross waste of

scarce tax payers dollars. It is also very bad optics for Minnis and his team to even be seen ‘negotiating’ with the co owners of premises involving a sitting cabinet minister. This is dead wrong and Minnis and the rest of these political pirates will pay a heavy price at the 2022 polls. Any half sensible government could build a brand new structure in a public/ private sector partnership right at the current location.

Such a partnership could immediately refurbish the same while well designed plans are generated for the construction of a brand new six or more storied purpose built post office; commercial and restaurant spaces.

The same would, of course, be privately managed .... no governmental intrusion and potential corruption. Until then, I am certain that the administration could continue to use the current location or lease adequate space in the downtown area.

Many years ago, during the Ingraham era, this same cabinet minister was obliged to resign due to a ‘breach’ of protocol in awarding a non bid paving contract at the airport to a company in which he had/has shares.

Is this another case of deja vu? I am not suggesting that this individual is seeking to ‘enrich’ himself/fellow shareholders but, there are clear ministerial and constitutional requirements.

I call upon the hapless PM to reconsider this ‘disaster in waiting’. The PLP did consider this site but keep in mind that the individual in question was out of politics, or so he had proclaimed, and, certainly, was not in the PLP cabinet. No comparison and patently stupid for the PM, et al, to state otherwise.

Jr

ORTLAND H BODIE Nassau October 23, 2018

Bahamas-born not the same as Bahamian-born EDITOR, The Tribune

a brief taste of what a hell-hole some parts of MR Jean Rony JeanHaiti actually are. And he Charles is only the latest reacted as anyone raised in letters@tribunemedia.net person to be ushered into The Bahamas would, with our constitutional waiting revulsion and a deep appreroom in the hope of getting not prove to their satisfac- ciation for what we have a prognosis on his immigra- tion that he had a right to here. remain here. tion fever.

But pity for Haiti doesn’t The smooth-talking QC help him to remain here.

It is doubtful that the fever will break soon. And got a court order to have Bahamas-born is not the it has nothing to do with Mr Jean-Charles brought same as Bahamian-born. the recent ruling from the back to The Bahamas to Since he was Haitian at Court of Appeals which make a case before the the instant of his birth had everything to do with courts as to why he should to Haitian parents in the upholding due process and be permitted to stay.

Bahamas, and because he The Appeals Court very apparently neglected his the rule of law and nothing to do with whether Mr loudly told Mr Smith, in opportunity on his 18th Jean-Charles has a con- essence: “No, no, no sweet birthday to apply for Bahastitutional off-ramp that boy. Nothing go so”. mian citizenship as the Had the original judges’ Constitution allows, it could would allow him to stay order been upheld it would be that his only option is to here legally, permanently.

The legal facts do not have set a very dangerous seek to be regularized in stack in his favour. His legal precedent and could Haiti. immediate recourse is to in fact be viewed as an With proper documents the court of public opinion. affront to the Constitution. in hand, he could then He should give up his legal A Bahamian court has no apply to our Embassy in pursuit and throw himself jurisdiction in Haiti where Port-au-Prince for some on the mercy of the Baha- the body was at the time sort of residency status mian people. The people of the writ. And it was not here. It’s no small matter can ask the government to established to whose body that he could show up with the writ applied. show him some leniency. a wheel barrel full of good It is not exactly clear that references from BahamiMr Jean-Charles might also want to reconsider Smith believed the snake ans, everyone from his what are the new favourite oil he was peddling to that kindergarten teacher to his letters in his legal alphabet lower court, but prob- barber. soup because the last time ably out to respect for his While Bahamians don’t he called on a Q and C, he silk, the judge allowed his like uppity people, they was merely pulled from the habeas corpus writ and Mr have a lot of compassion heat of the front flames and Jean-Charles was brought for someone who, through left to simmer on a back back to Nassau at the state’s no fault of their own or of expense. burner. our imperfect system, is The Court of Appeals caught in a legal quagmire Fred Smith, QC, was dealt a crushing defeat by told him that any legal and is genuinely grateful the learned Appeals Court remedy he might seek could for our mercy. judges when they ruled only be found down the And if reading the only on a point of law and treacherous road of consti- ruling from the Court of scolded the trial judge for tutional reform. Good luck Appeals isn’t enough to erring in ordering the exe- with that, Sir. keep him busy, Fred Smith Still there are many more QC should dig up a piece cution of a habeas corpus writ for a body, presumably like Mr Jean-Charles and of legal magic called the the real Mr Jean-Charles there is every indication Habeas Corpus Act of (the court couldn’t establish that we haven’t heard the 1679 passed when King if he was the real McCoy) last from Fred Smith. Both Charles II was on the that was no longer in the of these situations should throne. court’s jurisdiction. A give us serious pause.

Sir Michael Barnett, QC, It may be legally right, in writing for the unanihabeas corpus writ is Latin fancy words for “you better but morally unacceptable mous Court of Appeals bring him to court, or else”. and certainly not Christian showed that he understood Mr Jean-Charles, who (as we say we are) to leave every page of this ancient at birth became a Haitian people in legal limbo. We document. citizen born in The Baha- have too many in our midst mas, was removed from we need to be regularized THE GRADUATE the country by immigration in some way or the other.

Nassau, Mr Jean-Charles got officials because he could October 23, 2018

LETTERS

We’re far too quiet on Khashoggi murder EDITOR, The Tribune WHAT is The Bahamas’ position of the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi?

We have not heard any word from Foreign Affairs whilst so many countries have spoken out strongly. The purpose of the UN

Human Rights Council is to uphold Human Rights – surely this Khashoggi’s murder qualifies? Does The Bahamas have a position?

K MURPHY Nassau October 21, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, October 25, 2018, PAGE 5

Rebel FNM MPs say Post Office deal is election betrayal from page one

The Town Centre Mall is partly owned

by Immigration and Financial Services Minister Brett Symonette. The lease arrangement would allow the government to relocate the General Post Office which has been plagued by mould, air-conditioning and other issues at its current location over the years, severely reducing its functionality. Critics insist it is inappropriate for the government to enter business with a sitting Cabinet minister.

The dissenting FNM MPs are no strangers to bucking the party line and their decision to join the Progressive Liberal Party against the resolution seemed certain to further put their future in the FNM in doubt.

During a fiery contribution, Mr Miller insisted Mr Symonette will become deeply conflicted because of the deal.

“There is no shame in this shameful act,” Mr Miller said. “We in the FNM seem to be saying corruption is wrong in public office only when the PLP is doing it. Corruption is corruption regardless of who is doing it.

This resolution is offensive because it reeks of a corrupt foolish act that supports the wicked transfer of money out of the people’s treasury into a pocket of a Cabinet minister boldly and brazenly.”

He added: “We cannot sit here and say we are opposed to corruption and yet we are planning to support this resolution which is a continuation, a perpetuation of an age-old, well-greased corrupt practice.

If we in the FNM are against corruption, then we must be against it in every shape, in every form, in every apparition, in every manifestation, everywhere and every time.

This resolution is peculiar in that a Cabinet minister, not a backbencher is involved.

Following the execution of the lease (he) will be called upon to make joint decisions as to appropriate funds to be paid for the complex as well as public funds for the refurbishment of the old office.

“Clearly the minister will be in a constant state of conflict of interest. Once this resolution would’ve passed and the lease is executed, the minister would no longer be just a minister in Cabinet but a silent and powerful negotiator for his company every time matters related to the post office building comes up,” Mr Miller said.

He also said: “By tradition, he will be expected to excuse himself from these specific decision-making processes and sessions. Then he will be rendered useless as a minister as far as all matters relating to the post office is concerned and the treasury will be paying him a portion of a salary for nothing. In other words, we cannot have ministers so conflicted that they cannot attend a Cabinet meeting because matters they are involved in are being discussed. A Cabinet minister whose tenant is the government will be privy to information that other landlords would not have. We would

be fooling ourselves to believe that one man could serve two masters. This resolution is unbelievably offensive because it seeks to perpetuate a vile corrupt practice.

It is too brazen.”

While voicing his opposition, Mr Chipman called on Bahamians to send a message in the next general election.

“Let them know, it will be a brand new you in 2022,” he said. “I want us to rebrand on an individual level. Rebrand from victim to victor, rebrand from consumers to owners…In 2022, Bahamians let’s make it all about you.”

Proponents of the deal emphasise that its terms, a rental of $12 per sq ft, is well below what the government would ordinarily pay in such leasing arrangements. The rationale didn’t stop Mr Chipman from declaring the resolution a “dereliction of duty of trust to the Bahamian people” and a “dereliction of a duty of ‘no conflict’ in fact and in appearance.” He said he consulted more than 600 Centreville residents, 82 percent of whom did not support the lease.

Mr McAlpine similarly warned that Bahamians saw the Minnis administration’s actions as hypocritical given its anti-corruption pledges.

“The optics on this resolution doesn’t look good,” he said. “The appearance of conflict is what we as a government should be circumventing at this time. Despite the generosity or concessionary rate, the reality is that in Bahamian politics if the part owner or full owner was giving it to us for free, the government should refuse because of the Cabinet position that he or she may hold.”

Attacking the government more broadly, he said the administration has not done one thing that has affected people in a good way.

Mr McAlpine said: “Some may believe that I am, but I’m not anti-government. I want the government, that I’m a part of, to do well. I would love to shout from the mountain top look what we’ve done! Look what we have achieved for the people.

“We’ve not done one singular thing that has affected the masses of the people in this country in a positive way.”

For his part, Mr Robinson questioned whether the government commissioned a report that examined the market for a post office and whether, in a changing world, a large space would be required to house one.

“Such a research or report can help us to further determine whether or not a building or square footage space of the size being requested is even relevant for our local post office,” he said. He called on the government to pursue a public private partnership arrangement that would let the private sector manage the postal industry.

Earlier this year, the four FNM backbenchers, along with members of the Official Opposition, voted against the government’s increase of value added tax.

BRENT SYMONETTE, Minister of Financial Services, Trade and Industry and Immigration, sitting in the gallery of the House of Assembly with his wife seated behind him.

Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff

SYMONETTE DECLARES INTEREST

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

BRENT Symonette, minister of trade, financial services and immigration declared his interest in Town Centre Mall in Parliament yesterday.

He stood to declare his interest in the mall and a company called BHRSC Holding Ltd after Official Opposition Leader Philip “Brave” Davis raised a point in the House that a declaration should be made and the House take a vote on whether the MP would have to vacate his seat.

Mr Symonette said: “Mr Speaker in order to try and resolve where we are in order to help the member for Cat Island and the honourable House, the

resolution itself speaks to a beneficial ownership of a member sitting. Without saying it they are vobviously talking about me…

“Speaker it is wonderful to be the first in history to have such a debate.”

He then laid on the table the annual statement for the Blue Hill Road Shopping Centre Limited, stamped by the registrar general on October 4, which disclosed its shareholders.

“For the record they are myself, 81 shares; my wife, one share; Dionne Dean and Laura Lowe, Randy Smith, one share; BHRSC holdings Limited 9,610 shares out of 10,000; Furniture Plus, 96 shares; Tops N Jeans, 96 shares; 71 Percent, 113 shares.

“I also beg leave to lay on the table the annual

statement for BHRSC Holding Limited which was filed in the Registrar’s Office November 21, 2017, which shows there are 5,000 shares in that of which my brother owns 2,500 shares, I own 2,496 and there are three nominee shares which are nominees of myself and the fourth share my wife.

“As you can see from here BHRSC holdings owns 9,610 of the 10,00 shares. A company by the name of 71 Percent Holdings Limited owns 113, which is either myself my wife or my children for all intents and purposes and I own 81 of the shares.

“So I trust that solves the problem.

“That’s the number one issue that I declared my interests. Now, the House can do what they want from here.”

MINNIS: WHY ALL THE FUSS? LOOK WHAT PLP WANTED

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday.

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis defended his administration’s decision to enter a lease agreement with the Town Centre Mall during debate on the matter in the House of Assembly last night by attacking the Progressive Liberal Party’s failure to secure a stable future for the General Post Office.

He spent little time directly addressing the concerns that have riled his critics, that it is inappropriate for a sitting Cabinet minister––Financial Services and Immigration Minister Brent Symonette in this case––to enter into a business relationship with the government.

Mr Symonette is a part owner of the Town Centre Mall.

Dr Minnis said his government has been transparent and accountable because Mr Symonette declared his beneficial ownership in the mall and was not allowed to participate in Cabinet discussions to lease space within the mall.

Touting the perks of the deal, he said: “Owners will retrofit the space, will renovate and make necessary changes at no cost to the government or people of the Bahamas. There will be no first month rent deposit, there will be no last month rent deposit and there will be no security deposit to be made by the government.

It will be a turn-key operation.”

By contrast, Dr Minnis said, Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff options proposed by the PLP

would have “taken much longer, were not as easy, were less cost effective, were not transparent and were shot through with all kinds of dubious questions.”

Dr Minnis did not address the four Free National Movement backbenchers who also insisted the resolution contravened good governance principles. Those four MPs joined the four PLP parliamentarians to vote against the resolution. In the end, 22 parliamentarians voted in support of the move. Eight were absent from the lower chamber when the vote took place, including Mr Symonette who left the room.

Dr Minnis said the Town Centre Mall represents a convenient location for the public, adding it will be easily secured by the nearby police station.

During his hour-long speech, which was frequently interrupted by members of the opposition who rejected his claims, Dr Minnis made familiar arguments about how the former Christie administration misused public funds.

“This debate is about doing the right thing in a timely and decisive manner, in the interest of the Bahamian people,” he said. “For some years, but especially during the five years of the Christie/Davis government, residents of New Providence and long suffering staff of the General Post Office had to endure terrible conditions in a building that was unsafe, unhealthy and decrepit. Despite this, the PLP failed to act.”

PAGE 6, Thursday, October 25, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

$900,000 a year - the cost to government to lease Town Centre

We are

CLOSED

for Inventory on

Friday, 26th October

We will reopen on

Monday, October 29th We are sorry for any inconvenience caused

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net TOWN Centre Mall will be rented at a cost of around $900,000 per year to house the General Post Office, Transport and Local Government Minister Renward Wells revealed yesterday.

He explained the government intended to rent 75,000 square feet of space in the mall at a cost of $12 per square foot, which works out to be around $4.5m over the five-year life span of the lease.

Initially the government planned to rent 69,875 square feet, but Mr Wells said some additional space would be needed for partnerships with FedEx for international package delivery and DigiPrint for the production of web-based documents used by legal and accounting firms to increase profitability of the General Post Office.

Parliament began debate yesterday on the resolution to rent the mall, which is partly owned by Cabinet minister Brent Symonette.

The owners, Mr Wells said, are fully responsible for all of the renovation of the fixed assets including electrical, ventilation, air conditioning, plumbing, dry wall and plumbing at a cost of around $3.5m.

He said it is hoped the needed works would be completed this year and staff can move in about a week before Christmas. A timeline of December 15 was first set, but he said because debate on the resolution was delayed, an extra week would be needed.

Roberts Furniture

y r a c s avings s

SAVE 50% *

NEWDAILY

ARRIVALS

FROM

ON CLOSEOUTS *WHILE SUPPLIES LAST

SAVE 40%

*

UP TO

ON SELECT APPLIANCES *WHILE SUPPLIES LAST

Roberts Furniture

5th Terrace & East Avenue CENTREVILLE Phone: 322-8862 Join us on Facebook

12,000 btu

DUCTLESS

AIR CONDITIONERS

$399

*

INCL. VAT

LINEN DEPARTMENT

SAVE 30% OR MORE

*VISIT STORE FOR DETAILS

*

TOWN Centre Mall.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff However, before debate years into the then PLP began in the lower chamber administration that a definiyesterday, Official Opposi- tive decision was taken to tion Leader Philip “Brave” have the staff of the last Davis said if a member of government agencies in the the House of Assembly was building relocated from East interested in a government Hill Street,” Mr Wells said. contract, he was required to “It is also noteworthy vacate his seat. that we are now in 2018 and He told members Mr even before 17 months into Symonette’s disclosure of this FNM administration we interest in a contract did too have taken a decisive not absolve him from vacat- decision to immediately ing his seat. He noted that remove the post office staff what would absolve him from the building on East from doing so would be that Hill Street and God willing the House exempts him ahead of Christmas Day, from this act. before the end of the year Mr Davis pointed to Arti- we will do just that.” cle F (I) of the Constitution, Mr Wells pointed to sevwhich says the House has eral buildings explored to come to the conclusion by the former Christie that it is just for a member administration as alternato engage in a contract, tive sites for the post office adding the House would relocation. have to say Mr Symonette At least eight buildings is exempted. were considering, including Following this, Mr the Town Centre Mall comSymonette stood and plex on Baillou Hill Road. declared his interests in As conditions at the Blue Hill Road Shop- GPO continued to worsen ping Centres Limited and in 2016, Mr Wells said the BHRSC Holding Lim- former Cabinet agreed ited, the latter holding the in principle to the relocamajority of shares in Town tion of the GPO to Town Centre Mall.

Centre Mall subject to a Mr Wells, who is leader team comprising the former of government business, deputy prime minister, Mr then announced Mr Symon- Davis; the former minister ette had been exempt from of transport, Glenys Hanna vacating his seat, at which Martin; and former Cabinet time the St Anne’s MP left ministers Shane Gibson and the floor to sit among those Michael Halkitis, to verify in the gallery as a vote was the availability of the purtaken on the approval of his chase of the Town Centre exemption.

Mall or another location Mr Davis, Exumas and which could readily accomRagged Island MP Ches- modate the relocation of ter Cooper along with the post office.

Englerston MP Glenys Cabinet further agreed Hanna Martin all stood to continue negations with opposed to move. the management of the mall Mr Symonette then with a view to government returned to the floor. undertaking the necessary Addressing the state of renovations at the site, Mr General Post Office for the Wells said. last three years, Mr Wells “The mall was proposed told the House it was inde- at one point in time to be fensible and unacceptable the site of the family courts to allow the status quo in 2012 by the former to continue. He said mil- administration and that lions were spent on various the mall has served as a “patchworks” so the GPO centre for NIB verificacould “limp along”. tion and voter registration “After all of the patch- over the last five years. The work and the continued last administration having need for more patchwork abandoned the move to and maintenance work it the Town Centre Mall then was not until 2016, four through the Ministry of

Finance entered into discussions with the owners of the Independence Shopping Centre.

“The government eventually arrived at an agreement with the owners to purchase the complex at a cost not to exceed $4m, the renovations requiring an additional $4m to $5m.

Meanwhile the proposed renovations for the Town Centre Mall at the time was estimated between $2.5 and $5m.

“Two million down payment was made to the owners of the Independence Shopping Plaza and $1m to a selected contractor, $600,000 having been spent to date for works done at the site. So as it stands now the government of the Bahamas invested some $3.6m in that Independence Shopping Centre.”

Fast forward to this year, Mr Wells said the government stepped away its plan to move the post office to the Phil’s Food Services building due to “vandalism”.

“I am advised that the renovations for Phil’s Food Services building was also expected to cost $4m.

“I am further advised that though and once the government took possession of the building it was discovered that the building was stripped of electrical wiring, plumbing and air conditioning components that were intended to be part and parcel of the new renovations.

“This act of vandalism greatly increased the construction cost and the construction timeline. From the time this administration signaled that we were interested in Phil’s and announced it to the public at the time that we compulsorily acquired the building when we said we were interest in the building and inspected the building it was in one state - it had the air-conditioning unit, it had the electrical wiring. Based on the Ministry of Works projection, a certain cost would have been required to make that building functional. When we finally acquired the building to our surprise and dismay what we left was not what we got,” Mr Wells revealed.

By the end of the lease term, the government intends to build a new structure to house the General Post Office.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, October 25, 2018, PAGE 7

‘Health levy plus VAT rise too much to bear’ from page one “If you had a true and clear vision for NHI, why go 4.5 percent on VAT and then come back with a two percent on salaries for the purposes of NHI? When considering the whole, it might have been just as prudent to say: two percent on salaries and ten percent for VAT. “It’s the kind of thinking we expect but whenever there is no plan, where there is an ad-hoc approach to governance, when you’re operating in silos, then they often end up with unintended consequences that create regressive conditions.”

The contributory scheme, announced by the National Health Insurance Authority on Tuesday, proposed that the salaries of every employed Bahamian will be subject to a deduction of about two percent each month as a means to pay for universal healthcare coverage for all, including children, elderly, and the unemployed.

It proposes people already subscribing to private insurers will not make any extra contributions but instead two percent of their payments to these insurers would go into the universal healthcare pool.

Mr Davis yesterday pushed back against the Free National Movement’s characterisation of the PLP’s scheme, which flagged free healthcare at the point of service as a defining element, could not be funded.

He said the former administration’s phased approach was always meant to be refined after it was tested.

“We decided to go with tertiary and primary healthcare first,” Mr Davis said, “and promoting healthy lifestyle to start the curving the attraction of communicable diseases which will in turn lessen exposure to catastrophic illness.

“There was a plan as to how we were going to phase it in, our funding mechanism I thought would have worked. At the end of the day, years down the road, we may have had to

LEADER of the Opposition Philip “Brave” Davis in Parliament yesterday. consider whether it was sustainable but we needed to see it working first.”

Mr Davis added: “I think it’s regressive at this time to tax the Bahamian public any further.

It’s just regressive. When we were considering NHI, the manner of funding it was high in the consideration. How it was going to be funded, looking at the allocations from the consolidated fund, and all the other expenditures in the system.

“It was thought there would be no necessity to tax the Bahamian people immediately in respect to that, and we wanted see how it evolved to see whether it was a necessary imposition. We were loathe to put any further taxes on the Bahamian people particularly after we introduced the VAT.”

Health Minister Dr Duane Sands has flagged the ongoing funding crisis affecting the country’s healthcare industry for several months, most recently challenges at the Princess Margaret Hospital’s Dialysis Unit.

In September, the Public Hospitals Authority pointed to “very little funding” for the maintenance and renovation of the country’s healthcare facilities in

response to union calls for an expansion of the salaries and benefits of medical personnel.

Yesterday, Mr Davis added: “But they can find $65m to sink into an elephant in Grand Bahama?

There is always no money but they can find money to do things that truly don’t make sense. It’s how you manage what you have, I don’t think their managing resources to get maximum

Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff benefit for the people, particularly the ordinary people.”

He was referring to the government’s purchase of the Grand Lucayan resort in Grand Bahama.

The FNM’s NHI policy paper outlines several timelines, including April to July 2019 for the launch of the standard health benefit and NHI expanded coverage; July 2019 for a sugary drink tax and national

wellness programme; a January 2020 launch of the employer mandate/ two percent deductions for businesses with 100 or more employees; and January 2021 employer mandate expansion for all employers and deadline for all grandfathered private insurance plans.

The authority has embarked on a 45-day public consultation with stakeholders.

PAGE 8, Thursday, October 25, 2018

I

N 2013, the movie HER, the story of a lonely writer who falls in love with a computer, won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Simply saying that one Theodore Twombly fell in love with an inanimate object does not do HER justice. It isn’t that simple. It never is. And it especially isn’t given the implications we now know are connected with Artificial Intelligence. But five years ago, we were largely unaware of those implications and one day we will look back to the days of our innocence before AI and say ‘Back in the good old days’ which just goes to show how amazing the concept of the movie was, but back to the story, the love story.

Theodore, the protagonist, once worked at a smart Hollywood mag. He now earns a living writing love letters for others. He is also dealing with his own feelings of alienation after a split with his wife. Believing he can get his writing career going again by being better organised, he invests in a new computer with the first Artificial Intelligence software.

The male voice that comes on to configure the software asks him if he is social or anti-social, asks him about his relationship with his mother. In seconds, with a few more questions, the voice has figured out poor lonely Theodore and asks lastly if he would prefer a male or female voice?

Theodore, clearly heterosexual, chooses the latter.

It is the voice of Scarlett Johansson who opens the conversation with “Hellooo, I’m here”. The voice is rich and warm, inviting. “How ya’ doin’?” she asks softly. Her tone is comforting, almost silky. Theodore sits up straighter. Someone is paying attention to him. “It’s really nice to meet you,” he responds. You can almost feel the gulp in his breath. “What do I call you?” he asks. She tells him Samantha. He asks how she came up with that name and she tells him she reviewed 180,000 names and liked Samantha best. He is amazed, how could she review 180,000 names that fast and she tells him it was even faster. Taken by her speed, intelligence ignoring the reality that its DNA is artificial intelligence and he should have expected nothing less. He summarises the dilemma that lies at the heart

THE TRIBUNE

Remember, love doesn’t come in a computer programme JOAQUIN PHOENIX in HER. Above, screenwriter and director Spike Jonze.

of the romance that unfolds: “You seem like a person, but you’re just a voice on the computer.”

The relationship grows, scenes get more serious, steamier. At one point, Theodore ends up on the beach re-living the love he felt for his wife, the birth of their firstborn, what it was like holding the baby and Samantha, the AI voice, wishes she knew what it felt like to be on the beach with this sensitive oh-so-vulnerable man.

It took the genius of Spike Jonze, screenwriter and director, to pull off the phenomenon of a Theodore Twombly (even the dorky name is brilliant in its positioning of the character’s vulnerability) falling in love with Samantha, a voice on a machine. Had it not been for Jonze’s brilliance, the script could easily have ended up in the bottom pit of a pile of detritus produced by those who dream of making it in Hollywood. Instead, it continues to rank among the top 15 love stories of all time.

In 2014, Popular Science magazine published a story “Can a human love a computer?” The question does not seem relevant to those of us who every day just try to show our love to the people closest to us, our spouses, our children, extended family for whom we are making dinner, applauding an accomplishment, achieving a goal.

B

UT both the movie and the question posed by the article in Popular Science force us to examine the relationship we humans have with things. What happens to us as a people if the things we rely on like our smart devices, cell phones and iPads take so much precious time away from the humans we love that we have too little time left? What happens to us as a culture if we allow our children to become so hooked on video games like Fortnite that they would rather play online than talk to

us at dinner? What happens if that addiction makes them more isolated, what if it lessens their social skills and their desire to interact with others?

As the presence of artificial intelligence looms larger every day, deciding for us what ads we should be exposed to when we are researching online, what events will interest us, what sales we need to know about, what our very tastes are, what freedoms are we losing? Is AI a risk or blessing of a combination of the two?

If, for a while, Theodore Twombly’s loneliness was eased by a voice on a machine, will there be a day when a generation of humans so connects with things like AI that connecting with people seems more complicated than it is worth?

Relationships with humans aren’t easy.

If AI wanted to lure all of us into addiction to a relationship with a voice on a computer, would we have the ability to outwit it? It’s a scary proposition but not totally without possibility which is what makes it even more frightening. That’s the thing about Artificial Intelligence – it is smarter than we are.

So we must arm ourselves by asking how do we get back to connecting, one on one. Maybe we will never return to the old world ways of sitting on the porch after Sunday lunch, but maybe we need to try harder to just connect. Whatever it takes.

Maybe it is harder when there is so much competition from what bombards us with the real news, the fake news, the fascinating and the false, the promises of being in the loop when we need to be in the here and now.

Competing with a Samantha, a voice on a computer, was just the beginning. Competing with love robots will open a new world of artificial promises to ease the pain of loneliness. The challenge of keeping AI where it belongs is going to harder.

Maybe we just need to put down the devices and look up at a sunset in The Bahamas and hold the hand of the one we love.

THE TRIBUNE

Chipman’s family ‘owns disputed land’

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net A WEEK after Tourism and Aviation Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar threatened legal action against a group he said took possession of a vacant lot next to his home, Centreville MP Reece Chipman claimed in the House of Assembly the land belongs to his family.

A viral video this month showed Mr D’Aguilar’s wife Saskia arguing with a man at a property out west, declaring the land belonged to her.

In a statement released last week in the wake of the video, Mr D’Aguilar called the group the man was affiliated with “land grabbers”.

He said his wife had “nurtured and landscaped at the behest of the legitimate owners” over many years and that she was rightly upset that they destroyed vegetation she planted.

He said police had been called over the matter and legal action would be taken with the full support of the “legitimate” land owners.

Mr Chipman responded to the controversy during a parliamentary debate yesterday as he framed the conflict as an attack on his family’s legacy.

Mr Chipman said his great-grandfather, former parliamentarian H N Chipman, owned the land in question.

“Former Prime Ministers Pindling, Ingraham and Christie acknowledged H N Chipman as one of the wealthiest land owners in our country,” he said. “The question how does a Bahamian family or any family for that matter, go from something to nothing, or even still how does an MP, politician or public servant, go from nothing to something? Very interesting. All the while

REECE CHIPMAN, MP for Centreville. many of our people do not know where the next meal will come from or if they will ever find a job.”

Mr Chipman laid documents in Parliament purportedly showing his ancestor owned the land.

Among the documents was “a map of New Providence indicating the existence of Tuckers Estate as between Tusculum and Orange Hill, yes, all that property on and off West Bay Street between Tusculum and Orange Hill, the exact site of the social media frenzy last week,” he said.

“I am laying these documents as the legacy of my great grandfather, the honourable H N Chipman will not be re-written or destroyed or even re-told by corruption, political skullduggery and cronyism,” he said, never addressing the D’Aguilars by name.

“So yes, how do you go from Tuckers Estate to no estate. Most Bahamians will know: Chipmans are law

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

makers, not law breakers, Chipmans are land givers not land grabbers. “ “We know based on the documents tabled, H N Chipman owned that land and many more. How do you go to the Bahamas Registrar General’s Office and not find a birth certificate for any of his children?

Not even a birth certificate or affidavit for John Arthur Chipman, ‘Chippie’, the goat skin drummer as he is affectionately called.

“Thank you to Sir Orville Turnquest, and Sir Arthur Foulkes for signing the affidavit acknowledging his birth and his parents, one of whom is H N Chipman, the other of whom was my great grand-mother Ethelyn Taylor. (The Department of) Land and Surveys has not been able to produce transitional documents, thus leaving a gap between land ownership. “The inconsistencies in surveyed land especially Tuckers Estate is unacceptable. Is this intentional or wilful blindness?

Even wilful blindness is a criminal offence in some jurisdictions, and it should be made a criminal offence here, even in these circumstances. Attorney General after Attorney General was written to no avail.

“H N Chipman’s legacy was one of land ownership and wealth. His legacy was one of helping the poor. His legacy will not be erased from the Registrar’s Office or by Land and Surveys, or even from the Attorney General’s Office. It will be restored as the God we serve will have it no other way. So yes, the rightful owners are the Chipmans.

At some point, I will table the list of companies and individuals who have been through this revolving door, taking, quieting, transferring land from Tuckers Estate and our country may or may not be surprised.”

Last week, Mr D’Aguilar said the land owners were working to get an injunction to stop the group to cease and vacate the property.

Thursday, October 25, 2018, PAGE 9

PAGE 10, Thursday, October 25, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

Speaker wants end to port authority’s ‘stranglehold’

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Staff Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net SPEAKER of the House of the Assembly Halson Moultrie said this week that the greatest challenge that Freeport faces and must be broken is “the stranglehold of the Grand Bahama Port Authority”.

While in Grand Bahama, Mr Moultrie, who has made controversial statements in the past, severely criticised the entity for the vast amount of land that remains undeveloped in the port area, which is controlled by the Grand Bahama Port Authority. He also said it is his view that the Hawksbill

SPEAKER of the House Halson Moultrie in Grand Bahama.

Creek Agreement be be repealed or renegotiated.

“In Freeport you have a challenge, the greatest

of which is all around you; the stranglehold of the Port Authority must be broken,” he said on Tuesday while speaking at a special assembly at the Tabernacle Baptist Academy.

“The influence of predatory investors must be liquidated. All over The Bahamas, speculative foreign landowners who fail or refuse to develop their land must be divested of their legal interest in that land, and that land must be returned to the Bahamian people.”

Mr Moultrie said that his view is not xenophobic, but rather patriotic.

“If you are a patriotic Bahamian you must understand that God gave this land to us; under no circumstance should Bahamians be reduced to second class citizens; under no circumstance should foreigners be allowed to treat Bahamians like glorified tenants, labourers, and slaves.

“Grand Bahamians have been perishing for quite some time now,” he said.

“The visionaries of the Magic City and the Port Authority are all dead now and it is very apparent to me that their vision died with them. Their successors, agents, and assigns have yet to show that they have any of the vision of their founding fathers of this great idea that we call Freeport - but the question is what are we prepared to do about it?

While fully regaled in his robe and wig, Mr Moultrie shared his views about the Hawksbill Creek Agreement, which was extended for an additional 20 years.

“I want to say at this juncture that this statement I am making today is an impartial, independent,

neutral view of Halson Moultrie, the speaker, and it is not a government policy. It is my view that perhaps it is time to review, repeal, rescind, or renegotiate the HCA. No longer in Grand Bahama should you be prepared to flog a dead horse. The visionaries of the Port Authority are all dead now.”

Mr Moultrie continued: “Grand Bahama, in order to change and improve your circumstance, you must move from the spectator stand and get in the game. Those persons who are privileged to be beneficiaries of the Bahamian hospitality. Those who we welcome into our nation must understand they are not to bend or break as was said in the past, but they must understand they are to straighten up and fly right.”

Saddened by the depressed state of Freeport, Mr Moultrie said that the magic must be returned to Freeport, and that a new generation of Grand Bahamians must be prepared to make a difference.

He recalled visits to the Magic City, as Freeport was called in its heyday, in his younger years when it was a booming city. He said that he hurts to see Freeport in such a decline.

“I love Freeport; I’ve always loved Grand Bahama and Freeport in my younger days especially when I was a basketball player when we would come into GB, and GB was such an exciting and active city.”

“It aches my heart to see GB and Freeport in the shape that it is in. The magic must be put back into this great city we call Freeport,” he said, receiving applause from the audience.

He said he drove around

Grand Bahama earlier this year and what he saw left him shocked.

“I asked my driver to drive me around the perimeter of the port area, an area covered by the HCA, which I was made to understand is 36 square miles of property,” he said.

The total port area comprises 230 sq miles.

“I was shocked. First, by the number of abandoned buildings and the extinct businesses.

The Royal Oasis has become a horrific mirage. And you know what is bizarre? The International Bazaar… what was once a majestic bustling rendezvous of social and economic enterprises has now become a vandalised mound of rubble surrounded by bushy vegetative growth.

“I was absolutely stunned by this reality. And I asked myself, is this what the once world-famous Freeport has become? Is this to be final chapter of the Magic City?

“Grand Bahamians, I admonish you today that it is time to move off the sidelines and get in the game.

Self-determination demands that Grand Bahama challenge the status quo. I say to Grand Bahama it is time to get out of bed on the right side,” he said, followed by applause.

“In a democracy, you have the right to petition your government to call for the repeal, revocation, (rescinding), or renegotiate any agreement, including the HCA. “If it is to be the people’s time, it is also time for people to take action and to take a stand. So, GB it is up to you whether you will continue to live a false hope of a magical illusion or put your shoulders to the wheel and make a difference.”

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, October 25, 2018, PAGE 11

Lloyd announces end of unlimited UWI subventions

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net EDUCATION Minister Jeffrey Lloyd has announced that the 2018/2019 academic year will be the last year of unlimited subventions for Bahamian students enrolled in the medical programme at the University of the West Indies.

Addressing the issue in Parliament yesterday, Mr Lloyd said while the government will live up to its obligation to all Bahamian first-year medical students now enrolled at UWI, only students who appear on the school’s official enrolment list, which was presented to the government earlier this year, will be considered.

He also made it clear that the service will be capped at 25 scholarships a year moving forward.

According to Mr Lloyd, the decision comes partly due to the fact that the country’s healthcare system cannot “efficiently and professionally” support more than 25 scholarships for medical studies at UWI

JEFFREY LLOYD, Minister of Education. each year. “It cannot. It will not,” Mr Lloyd emphasised.

He stressed that at current trends, anything in excess of 25 students a year, would mean that students would work without the benefit of “proper, valuable, necessary internship training and post training.”

He added: “Without the disciplined rigorous training that a profession as medicine demanded, untrained, poorly trained, ill-equipped and ill-prepared doctors could and would become a serious liability to the Bahamian and visiting public.”

Mr Lloyd revealed that over the past five years,

POLICE HUNT ROBBERY SUSPECTS

POLICE are seeking the public’s assistance with any information that can assist in the capture of suspects who committed two armed robberies on Tuesday.

In the first incident, shortly after 9.25pm a woman was sitting in her vehicle in front of a residence at Zanadia Avenue, St Andrews Beach Estates, when she was approached by a gunman, police said. The man stole cash and the victim’s cell phone before running away.

Then shortly before 11pm, three men were standing outside a home on Roberto Drive, Ridgeland Park West, when they were approached by a gunman who robbed them of cash, cell phones and other items before running away.

Investigations are ongoing.

there has been an increasing number of UWI graduates and non-UWI Bahamian graduates seeking training opportunities in the country’s healthcare system.

Referring to a contribution by Health Minister Dr Duane Sands earlier this year, Mr Lloyd acknowledged the massive logistical, fiscal and ethical nightmare the influx continues to generate.

Mr Lloyd noted that an official letter was sent by Dr Robin Roberts, director of UWI’s School of Clinical Medicine and Research Bahamas, to UWI informing the institution that the Bahamas could not sustain more than 25 students, and that only the top 25 applicants for the MBBS programme at UWI should be identified and their names forwarded to Dr Roberts for approval of the subvention.

However, Mr Lloyd said the intended plan was unsuccessful, adding that the school proceeded with the common practice of granting scholarships to any Bahamian student that qualified for

acceptance, backed by a subvention from the Bahamian government.

Mr Lloyd further revealed that as of September, the government was financially supporting 57 first-year students at UWI’s three campuses - nine at Cave Hill, 12 at Mona and 36 and St Augustine’s.

Additionally, there are 33 year-two students, 44 year-three students and 44 fourth-year students who, upon completion, will come home to start their clinical training in 2019 at either Princess Margaret Hospital or Rand Memorial Hospital.

“There is a total enrolment of 252 across many disciplines at UWI,” Mr Lloyd said. “In total, the Bahamas government is subsidising the education of 134 medical students at UWI.” He continued: “If all of the subventions across the three UWI campuses and local UWI programmes were totaled, we would be expected to pay - in 2018/2019 - the university $9,474,576. That’s $9,400,000 plus of the $17.8m spent on all scholarships – 53 percent.

“More than half of all scholarship monies spent by this government goes to UWI. That must be recalculated.

“There is a need for doctors,” Mr Lloyd said.

“Yes, there is also a need for radiographers, lab technicians, medical technologists, nurses, patient care specialists, occupational therapists, phlebotomists, surgical technologists and physician assistants.”

READERS REACT TO NEW SUGGESTIONS THAT 2% OF SALARIES SHOULD GO TO FUND HEALTH SERVICE AFTER the National Health Insurance Authority proposed that two per cent of workers’ salaries go towards paying for universal healthcare coverage, readers on tribune242. com gave their reaction.

Sickened had this to say: “I certainly wouldn’t mind paying if PMH was a decent hospital. But the way it functions now and how NASTY it is, I certainly don’t think I would be getting value for money.

Pouring money into such a unorganised, pathetically run/monitored health system will only create more problems and graft.”

John asked: “So they start off with 2% and increase it every three years? And the minister has admitted that NIB administration has become too expensive. Administrative and operating costs are gobbling up all NIB funds and, if you’re under 40, the NIB scheme will go belly up (bankrupt) if no serious adjustments are made.

Fact is, there is too much wastage, fraud, corruption and lack of accountability in government for these systems to work effectively and run efficiently. So government should build in a ceiling cap on how much they can deduct from any employee.”

Naughtydread said: “More taxes that will be poorly managed and wasted as always. It’s rather strange that the government keeps on taxing the people but we get nothing in return.”

Well_mudda_take_sic was another reader unhappy with the news: “(The) Proposed NHI plan for catastrophic and other healthcare is totally ill-conceived with

no basis at all in economic reality.

This is nothing but yet another tax by another name.

And, like our VAT dollars, the vast majority of Bahamians will get very little if anything in return for their NHI tax payments.”

DDK posted this comment: “If these greedy, inefficient idiots had listened to the outcry against VAT in the first place, and to the draconian VAT increase in the second, folks would be much more amenable to a Bahamian citizen health care tax.”

The_Oracle said: “Point is, the constitution provides for various services, all of which are neglected and falling apart, failed. Every new administration has failed at the core responsibilities. So let’s jump on new services and taxes!

All of which will fail. A bifurcated system is what Cayman has. Citizen or legally here? NIB is being paid so therefore minimal cost. Not here legally? Paid full pop. The way we mix “Christian Values” and the Government believing they should also be in charge of our health displays our complete and utter delusion.”

And in the Tribune’s online poll, we asked readers if they would be happy with a two percent salary deduction every month to go towards National Health Insurance.

At the time of going to press 75 percent of those voting were NOT happy with the proposed deduction – 25 percent were in favour.

Don’t miss your chance to join the debate on tribune242.com.

PAGE 12, Thursday, October 25, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

Crude pipe bombs sent to Obama and Clintons

‘WAR WITH CHINA LIKELY IN THE NEXT 15 YEARS’

WASHINGTON Associated Press

WARSAW Associated Press

CRUDE pipe bombs targeting Hillary Clinton, former President Barack Obama, CNN and others were intercepted in a rash of attacks two weeks before nationwide elections that could reshape Congress and serve as a referendum on the first two years of President Donald Trump’s presidency.

The devices, which officials said shared a similar design, were aimed at prominent Democrats and a cable news network often criticised by political conservatives. A similar device was found on Monday at the New York compound of liberal billionaire George Soros, a major contributor to Democratic causes.

The bombs overtook other campaign news in an already-tense political season, which has included pitched fights over immigration, the Supreme Court and sexual violence against women.

The White House quickly condemned the attacks aimed at Democrats and perceived foes of the administration. “Acts or threats of political violence have no place in the United States,” Trump said. “This egregious conduct is abhorrent.”

All the confirmed bombs appeared to come from the same person or persons, said John Miller, the New York Police Department’s head of intelligence and counterterrorism, who briefed reporters in New York.

The US Secret Service intercepted a bomb that was addressed

THE former commander of the US Army in Europe warned that it’s very likely the United States will be at war with China in 15 years.

Retired Lt Gen Ben Hodges said that European allies will have to do more to ensure their own defences in face of a resurgent Russia because America will need to focus more attention on defending its interests in the Pacific.

“The United States needs a very strong European pillar. I think in 15 years — it’s not inevitable — but it is a very strong likelihood that we will be at war with China,” Hodges told the Warsaw Security Forum, a two-day gathering of leaders and military and political experts from central Europe.

“The United States does not have the capacity to do everything it has to do in Europe and in the Pacific to deal with the Chinese threat,” Hodges said.

Hodges was US Army commander in Europe from 2014 until last year. He now is a strategic expert with the Center for European Policy Analysis, a Washingtonbased research institute.

He said he is certain the Trump administration views Europe’s security as a key US interest even though President Donald Trump has sometimes questioned the Western military alliance’s usefulness.

“So you’re going to see us continue to invest here in Europe, continue to train, to practise rotational forces, as well as permanently assign forces for the eventuality that in 10 or 15 years we’re going to be having to fight in the Pacific,” Hodges said.

OFFICERS with the Uniform Division of the United States Secret Service talk at a checkpoint near the home of President Barack Obama yesterday.

AP Photo/Alex Brandon to Hillary Clinton at the Chappaqua, New York, home she shares with former President Bill Clinton, and another that was sent to former President Obama at his home with Michelle Obama in Washington. A police bomb squad removed still another from CNN’s New York headquarters, which was evacuated.

Overhead TV shots showed a truck carrying that device, which law enforcement officials said was linked to the other explosives, being driven away. The package

sent to CNN contained a live explosive and envelope with white powder, and officials said the substance was being tested to see if it was dangerous.

“We will not rest until we stop these hazardous devices from being mailed and bring the individual or individuals to justice,” said Bryan Paarmann, the FBI’s top counterterrorism official in New York.

The FBI also said it was responding to a report of a suspicious package at a Florida office of Rep.

Deborah Wasserman Schultz. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said his office received a similar package, but New York police officials said no device was found.

Neither Clinton nor Obama received the packages, and neither was at risk of receiving them because of screening procedures.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement, “These terrorizing acts are despicable, and anyone responsible will be held accountable.”

SAUDI PRINCE CALLS KILLING A ‘HEINOUS CRIME’ RIYADH Associated Press

IN A fiery appearance yesterday at an investment forum, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince called the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi “heinous” and “painful to all Saudis,” before warning anyone against trying to “manipulate” the crisis and drive a wedge between the kingdom and Turkey.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was joined onstage by two Arab allies as he made his

first extensive public remarks about the killing that has sparked widespread condemnation and marred his international standing after Turkish reports said a member of his entourage was involved in the crime.

Many people rose to their feet to applaud the 33-year-old heir whose strong showing underscored his reputation for being bold and assertive.

Prince Mohammed, who spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by phone before the forum, addressed the

case immediately after taking the stage for a panel discussion, saying the Saudis were cooperating with Turkey on the Khashoggi investigation.

“The situation that took place is very painful to all Saudis, especially because it was a Saudi citizen. And I suspect it is painful to anyone in the whole world,” Prince Mohammed said.

“It is a heinous act that is unjustifiable,” he added, before cautioning anyone who might try “to manipulate the situation” and sow division between Riyadh and Ankara.