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VOLUME:116 No.213, OCTOBER 30TH, 2019

THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1

ALICIA WALLACE: THE MINIMUM WAGE DOESN’T CUT IT

Has someone upset you, Mr Speaker?

Moultrie launches rambling rant on media news reports

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net HOUSE Speaker Halson Moultrie launched a 32-minute attack against the media in the House of Assembly yesterday, declaring at the start of the sitting that he is prepared to lead reporters to Jesus if they target him.

This comes after he forced a reporter last week to delete a photo taken in the chamber of Exuma and Ragged Island MP Chester Cooper, who was making a contribution to a debate.

Speaker Moultrie, who said the photo was taken

contrary to House rules, then criticised the quality of the Press.

It is unusual for speakers to use their seat in the chamber to answer critics outside Parliament.

Throughout his polemic, Speaker Moultrie discussed matters without origin in any ongoing parliamentary debate, even referring to Englerston MP Glenys Hanna Martin’s challenge to Philip “Brave” Davis’ leadership of the Progressive Liberal Party in 2017 as he defended himself.

He said his statements were inspired by a story in Monday’s Tribune about his

A 14-year-old boy yesterday testified how a car full of girls nearly ran him over in their haste to ultimately stab and beat to death teenage mother Breanna Mackey over an $80 cell phone last year.

The teenager, an eighth grade student at D W Davis Junior High School, said he barely missed being hit while riding his bicycle as

SEE PAGE THREE

THE GOVERNMENT is considering charging dome city tenants a “nominal” fee for rent after the expiration of a free period, revealed John-Michael Clarke, chairman of the government’s Disaster Relief and Reconstruction Committee yesterday.

However, officials have not yet decided on the fee or how long the free period will last. The first shipment of domes will arrive in Abaco on November 14, Mr Clarke said.

“The idea behind the domes, and we’re giving consideration to this, is there will be a free period,”

AFRICAN EBOLA HAS BAHAMAS ON ALERT

SEE PAGE SIX

the car went “full speed” after the 19-year-old Mackey in January 2018.

Moments later, he said, he witnessed from about 12 feet away how one of the girls, Thea Williams, stabbed Mackey in her shoulder, back and rear end.

Three other unidentified girls picked up rocks and bottles from off the ground and used those objects to beat and pummel the deceased, the boy said.

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

SEE PAGE FIVE

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

BREA SLIPPED TWICE THEN THEY ATTACKED

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

‘NOMINAL’ FEE PLAN FOR DOME FAMILIES

L.A. CONFIDENTIAL TRIBUNE photographer Shawn Hanna goes behind the scenes with singer Rihanna’s choreographer Jamal Green, pictured above, in Los Angeles - See Friday’s Weekend for the full story

‘I TRIED BUT COULDN’T SAVE MY GIRLS’

By LEANDRA ROLLE lrolle@tribunemedia.net

AN ABACO father said he lost his two daughters to Hurricane Dorian after the monster storm ripped the roof off the church in which they had sought refuge.

The evacuee, who asked to be identified as Mr Gibbs, told The Tribune that he still has haunting nightmares about the ordeal. He was speaking as the Mother Pratt Foundation handed out food and

MOTHER Pratt yesterday clothing to Dorian evacuees. “I know most people are saying that storm is like

eight weeks out, but for people like myself it’s just like it happened yesterday.

Because just about every night you relive it, especially if you lost a loved one like me,” said Mr Gibbs.

“I lost my two daughters in the hurricane and…. it’s like I keep seeing the images in my mind. Everything reminds me of them.

If I hear their favourite music…if I’m in the store and I see their favourite

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

SEE PAGE TWO

MINISTRY of Health officials remain on high alert over the Ebola outbreak currently wreaking havoc in parts of Africa.

There have been no reported cases of Ebola in The Bahamas and Health Minister Dr Duane Sands said work was ongoing to ensure the country remained free of the deadly virus.

This comes after a flight in the United States, believed to be bound for The Bahamas, had been quarantined after a person on board was said to have visited Ebola infected parts of Africa.

SEE PAGE 10

TECHNOLOGY

GOOGLE DIGS INTO SEARCH MEANINGS SEE PAGE NINE

PAGE 2, Wednesday, October 30, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

FATHER TELLS HOW HE COULDN’T SAVE HIS GIRLS from page one

foods, I can’t walk through the aisle because everything reminds me of them.”

Mr Gibbs said his two daughters, aged eight and 17, were always full of life.

“They loved life and they were looking forward to the future. They loved each other and my oldest daughter was always hugging and kissing on my youngest daughter.

And me too because I was always with them. I taught

my daughter how to cook and wash and everything,” he said emotionally.

And before Dorian hit, Mr Gibbs said his youngest daughter had just started ballet classes during the summer. Meanwhile, his eldest daughter was preparing to begin a new chapter of her life at the University of the Bahamas.

But, although the future looked promising for the Gibbs clan, nothing could have prepared them for the fury of Hurricane Dorian.

Like most storm victims, Mr Gibbs said he decided to ride the storm out with his daughters in an Abaco church.

“With every storm that came, we always rode it out in the church… (but) the building was torn apart piece by piece. I was with my two girls and first, we were trying to get in the ceiling. It was seven of us in the church and (some) went up in the ceiling,” he said.

“I never saw those three people no more… and so I

was in the water just swimming and I was protecting my daughters because my arms were around them and I saw this stack of plywood just came through the side of the building.

“I said I was going to keep all the debris that was coming. I was going to keep them off of my girls. My oldest daughter was holding my youngest daughter… The next thing I remember that I was coming in and out of consciousness under the water. I was already giving up.

“But something deep inside me said I had to save my girls and that’s when I remembered my girls….

I struggled and I went in the ceiling and just before I went to reach over. . .two seconds, the whole roof went off.”

After the roof collapsed, Mr Gibbs said he never saw his girls again.

Trying to cope with life after Dorian took his precious daughters has not been easy for Mr Gibbs.

But, he credits God for

helping him to get through the ordeal.

“More and more, I miss them every day and I’m always talking to God and praying. (But) my faith in God is what’s helping me because that’s the only thing that could help me and so I’m taking one day at a time,” he said.

Mr Gibbs said he plans to honour his daughters, who both loved animals, by creating a foundation for the betterment of animals in the country.

CYNTHIA ‘Mother’ Pratt along with Women Supporting Women Ministry donate to Hurricane Dorian survivors.

Photos: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff

MOTHER PRATT PLEDGES SUPPORT FOR SURVIVORS

By LEANDRA ROLLE lrolle@tribunemedia.net

DOZENS of Hurricane Dorian victims from Abaco received food and clothing items yesterday from the Mother Pratt Foundation, which pledged to support storm survivors in the wake of the deadly storm.

Earlier this week, former Deputy Prime Minister Cynthia “Mother” Pratt noted that her foundation will be distributing various items from different centres to aid those who were displaced by the hurricane.

And when The Tribune canvassed one of the centres yesterday, many storm victims expressed gratitude to the foundation for providing support during this difficult period of their

lives. One victim, who did not want to be named, said: “It’s not easy because some of us have lost everything. Sometimes, you feel depressed because you’re away from your island what you’re used to.

“And now we’re here in Nassau. Some of the people are kind and some ain’t too kind.. (but) I am very grateful to Mother Pratt and what’s she doing because a lot of us need help… so thank God for her.”

Another Abaco evacuee, who wanted to remain anonymous, expressed similar sentiments.

“I’m very grateful for Mother Pratt and for what’s being given today because it’s been hard for a lot us… to lose everything and to have to start all over again

will not be easy so whatever help we can get is always appreciated,” she said.

Items distributed to victims, according to Mother Pratt, were donated by friends in the United States.

She commended Dianne Caciatore and Sarah Nickoson, who are long-term friends of the country, for their willingness to assist those who were affected by the powerful Category Five storm.

Speaking with The Tribune, Mrs Caciatore said that so far, they have been able to bring in two shipment containers.

Through the foundation, she maintains that they will continue to bring in supplies and assist storm victims wherever they can.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, October 30, 2019, PAGE 3

New classmates hold surprise birthday party for five-year-old

AN Abaco boy who was forced to evacuate with his family to Florida after deadly Hurricane Dorian got a special birthday party from his new classmates this week.

Five-year-old Ahmad Bootle, above, and his mother Tasia Bootle left Abaco after losing their home and possessions due to the Category Five storm last month.

“Our home, everything we had for our business,”

his mother, pictured left, told Florida station WFLX. com. “We had a party planning business, we lost everything that was in the house. We were staying at my mom’s house and her house got completely destroyed.”

He is now enrolled at a preschool in Florida where the students came up with the idea to throw him a birthday party and the teacher made it happen.

Ahmad’s mother said Monday’s birthday party put a smile on his young face.

“He was more traumatised than any of our kids so he saw a lot, with the glass flying in my face and I was bleeding everywhere.”

Ms Bootle told reporters in Florida that the family lost most of her son’s baby photos in the storm, but they made a small video from what his father pulled from the rubble.

Car full of girls nearly ran me over as they chased Breanna, boy tells court from page one However, he was not able to say if the two girls on trial for Mackey’s murder, Dervinique Edwards and Zaria Burrows, were involved in the actual attack. The only thing he could say was that the driver, who never left the vehicle, looked “tomboyish”.

The teenager’s testimony came during Edwards’ and Burrows’ trial before Justice Cheryl GrantThompson over allegations they murdered Mackey on January 25, 2018.

According to reports from police, shortly before 6pm on the date in question, police control room was contacted about reports that a female had been stabbed about the body in the Key West Street area off Cordeaux Avenue.

Police officers were dispatched to investigate.

Upon their arrival, a woman, identified as the victim’s sister, Latisha Woodside, directed officers to a brown and white apartment complex on the eastern side of Key West Street. On the porch, just in front of door number nine, officers discovered Mackey, semi-conscious, lying face down and suffering from four stab wounds to her upper back and two stab wounds to her right arm.

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Mackey, who had turned 19 the day before, was taken to the Princess Margaret Hospital where she died at around 8.28pm.

Taking the witness stand yesterday, the boy said that at around 5pm on the date in question, he left his home on Key West Street to play basketball at his friend’s house on the same street.

After having done so, and while headed back home on his bicycle, he heard his friend call out to him. At the same time, he said, he heard the sound of a car rapidly approaching. The boy said when he turned around, he noticed that a Honda sedan was chasing Mackey, whom he referred to as his friend “Brea”.

He said the car whizzed past him and almost hit him, then came to a sudden stop in front of an apartment complex. The boy said the car was strategically parked across a path vehicles use to gain access to that property.

It was “one way in, one way out”, he said.

By that time, Mackey had already run inside the yard to evade her pursuers. The boy said he watched as, while running, Mackey slipped and fell by the first apartment door. He said the ground was wet, and Mackey appeared to be wearing “slippery” shoes. At the same time she fell, the car had just come to a sudden halt.

The boy said Mackey managed to get back on her feet and tried to run again, but slipped a second time.

But by that time it was too late; the group of girls, who had got out of the vehicle, had already set upon her.

The boy said one of the girls was Thea Williams, whom he knew from her having previously participated in the Urban Renewal programme with him. He said she would “bother” him playfully from time to time. He said she was the first one to make it to Mackey. He said Williams took a knife that had a black handle out of her bag and started stabbing Mackey about the body.

The other girls joined in shortly afterwards, using rocks and bottles to attack the deceased. Only Williams had a knife, the boy said.

After the girls were done with the attack, the boy said Williams told the others to “let’s go”. However, he said, the girls “didn’t want to listen”, so Williams said “let’s go” a second time.

Afterwards, he said, the group of girls got back into the car, which sped off.

As for the driver of the vehicle, the boy said he had never seen her before, but that she looked “tomboyish”. He also said that he would not be able to recognise that girl if he saw

TEENAGE mother Breanna Mackey her again. Nonetheless, he said that at no point did the driver get out of the vehicle, nor did she have a rock,

bottle or knife in her hands.

Meanwhile, Constable Trevor Pinder, an officer attached to the Flying

Squad of the Central Detective Unit (CDU), said sometime around 9.30pm on the date in question, and acting on information, he went to #45 Watlins Street and arrested Burrows in reference to a murder investigation. While placing handcuffs on her, P/C Pinder said she told him: “Officer, it was Thea who jook (stabbed) the girl. I only went there to take her for some money, that’s all.”

The case resumes on November 5. Burrows and Edwards remain on bail until that time.

Dervard Francis represents Burrows, while Eleanor Albury represents Edwards. Cassie Bethel and Jacqueline Forbes represent the Crown.

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PAGE 4, Wednesday, October 30, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

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Speaker needs to keep his head IT TAKES a level head to be the Speaker of the House of Assembly. It is a position that requires balance, to stand up to conflicting points of view and to weather criticism.

Which makes Halson Moultrie’s latest bout of sniping at the press from his elevated position all the more worrisome – because he seems to have far from a level head when it comes to the media.

Following his recent accusations of “fake news” by the press, this column challenged him to provide examples.

He used time in the House yesterday to bring those examples – so what were the egregious problems that caused him to lambast the media?

Remember, he spoke of the media having “descended to a level in this country that needs to be addressed” and said of the press: “They are competing with social media and as a consequence a number of false reports, fake reports and opinionated stories are appearing in the newspapers”.

That sounds terrible – so surely his examples were horrifying, yes? Well, not so much.

He tabled an article from The Nassau Guardian where quotes were wrongly attributed to CA Smith, deputy governor general at the time – an error that newspaper later apologised for and corrected.

He also tabled an article from our own paper earlier this month. He didn’t call us after the article, or speak to the reporter. No, rather his first volley was from the chair of the House. What was the matter of national import in this article? It was about him denying the opposition’s request for a debate over relief efforts after Hurricane Dorian. He said yesterday the story was “absolutely and completely untrue” and that after he applied the rules correctly, a quorum did not exist to allow the debate. The PLP had a different opinion, and issued a statement criticising his interpretation of the rules.

Mr Moultrie also quoted his predecessor, Dr Kendal Major, from a story in Monday’s Tribune, saying reporters had contacted him looking for “red meat” after Mr Moultrie’s recent conduct.

His quote was rather selective, though, as he neglected to mention the rest of Dr Major’s quotes, calling the current House of Assembly “tribal”, “mediocre” and “unproductive”. He said Dr Major’s character was subsequently attacked in editorials – but he didn’t provide those.

There was one more complaint – about comments from PLP leader Philip ‘Brave’ Davis calling Mr Moultrie unfit to be Speaker.

You’ll notice a theme here. Apart from the CA Smith story, all the other supposedly terrible fake news stories are about Speaker Moultrie.

And this is what he chooses to use up parliamentary time for – in a matter of self-interest.

This did not come about through a debate in the House, he claimed the time for himself for this, and what has he got?

An error that was corrected, a quibble about the interpretation of a story about which there are different opinions, the Opposition leader saying the Speaker’s not up to the task, and a complaint that reporters rang up his predecessor to ask his opinion. That’s it? That’s your fake news? The matter that the nation must address is, largely, about you?

This sounds very much like a personal bone that the Speaker is picking on the public’s time – and that’s where that level head is needed.

It’s time to put this behind you, Mr Moultrie. You are not emerging from this spat with any grace. As you do move on, we would note there is one thing we agree with you about from your tirade yesterday – you noted that the Rules and Procedures Committee should meet to finalise House rules. Parliament’s rules are outdated in several areas, and confusing. It is about time they were modernised and one single set of rules put in place to bring clarity.

That would be a productive outcome to this unseemly episode – after all, the goal should always be to improve matters for the people that Parliament represents.

And one more thing – if you can’t bring a level head to matters, you should consider whether you should be the Speaker of the House.

Calsey Johnson, a journalist who bubbled over with love EDITOR, The Tribune.

THE late Calsey Johnson; nation building Bahamian; media pioneer; a dedicated family man; a son of The Lord Jesus Christ; parliamentarian and a diplomat par excellence, will long be remembered fondly as long as there is The Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

Back in the 1970’s people like Calsey; former cabinet minister and representative in the House of Assembly, the Hon. Charles Carter; former FNM Senator Mike Smith, et al, were the public faces and voices of what is now The Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas (the ZNS). Later, they were joined by talented individuals like; Wendal Jones; Darold Miller; Fred Mitchell; Obie Wilchcombe; Chrissy Love; Ace

Newbold and others too numerous to mention.

It is my position that Calsey; Charles; Mike; Obie; Fred, er al, despite their political persuasion , displayed at various times, they all deserve appropriate national honours, both in life and in death. I fear, however, that we have not yet evolved, politically, to that level of public recognition.

I remember Calsey as the consummate journalist, having been trained in Canada at Reyerson Institute. A fact checker; he was responsible in the extreme despite being “suspected” of being a PLP. He emulated the persona of the late great and deeply lamented Sir Lynden Oscar Pindling, our first Prime Minister. Upon leaving The Broadcasting Corporation, Calsey ventured into partisan politics as an executive

and senator within the PLP. He also offered as a candidate for that party over in Bamboo Town. He was unsuccessful but remained committed to nation building for the rest of his life.

Calsey appeared on many of my assorted radio and televised talk shows over the past decade. He was always gung-ho about the future of our wonderful nation. He had a personality which simply bubbled and overflowed with agape love towards all and sundry.

Few media personality could speak like he did, save perhaps myself, with all modesty. Well done, Calsey, condolences to his widow and immediate family. To God then, in all things, even death, be the glory.

ORTLAND BODIE, JR, Nassau October 27, 2019

How a cook and okra had the last word EDITOR, The Tribune THERE were many interesting winter residents who spent the winter season in The Bahamas during the 1940s and 50s.

Mr John Manning was a most interesting person.

His passion was deep sea fishing for billfish.

Mr Manning, his wife and their daughter always rented a house somewhere on Eastern Road during the winter months. The Mannings always employed the same house staff to look after them when they were here.

During one of their Bahamian visits sometime in the late 1950s, Mr Manning mentioned to his cook that his stay in Nassau would be cut short because he faced surgery in the US to correct a problem he had with persistent bleeding ulcers. According to Mr Manning, the immediate reply of his cook was that he didn’t need surgery as she knew how to correct a bleeding ulcer. Her solution was for the affected person to include okra - in any form - in every meal, including breakfast.

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net Manning had nothing to lose so he agreed to have his cook act as his gastroenterologist. When, as scheduled, he checked in with his doctor in the US he was told he no longer had a bleeding ulcer and certainly didn’t need any surgery.

Manning, who was quite well off, became fascinated by the potential of using okra as a medicine.

He hired someone to do research on the medical history of people who live in areas that have a high consumption of okra in their regular diet. This researcher found few problems with ulcers in the Deep South of the US where okra is a popular food.

He then hired people to synthesise okra, determining what chemicals or elements are present.

Much of this work was done by a biologist at Fairchild Botanical Gardens in Miami. He also found out where it was economical to grow okra and came to

the conclusion that Louisiana was the best location. I don’t know if Mr Manning ever purchased any property there, but I do know that his expenditure on okra started to mount to a considerable level.

At about this time two researchers from Australia found that ulcers were caused by a bacteria called H. pylori. That discovery meant that most of Manning’s work was to no avail as anyone with ulcers could be cured by simply taking medicine to eradicate the H. pylori bacteria.

Despite the disappointment, Mr Manning did find a use for some of his huge expenditure on okra.

Apparently, because of his work, it is used as a bugger in some aspirin to reduce the acidic effects of this medicine.

I don’t know what ever happened to John Manning, his wife Jo or his daughter Mary. If anyone who reads this has this information please let me know at johnw@inbox.com JOHN A. WANKLYN Nassau October 29, 2019

Is this a Baptist voice speaking?

EDITOR, The Tribune FOR years there has been serious issues when the Bahamas Christian Council speaks as does it speak for all denominations or for a select majority group - Baptist?

Surely when the President speaks he has to confirm is he speaking for the Baptist fraternity of for the whole? He will find if he checks the BCC articles of Association where an opinion is given and there is dissent, an opposing view,

the BCC must confirm that denomination dissent from the opinion.

I suggest practising churchgoers today is now at a 50 percent level, so when the BCC speaks they must be more careful how they talk, on what they talk and if they even have the support of all their members?

Ironic at the same time as the Anglican Bishop spoke so well on the issue of migrants the BCC takes up the issue of a Pride Week.

We have now heard the BCC speak about the level of adultery, abuse of wives, children and others, our national habit of ‘sweethearting’, drugs, our love of violence. No, BCC speaks about a proposed Pride event.

Holding a Pride March with police permission and everyone complying with the Law – what’s wrong with that BCC? ABRAHAM MOSS Nassau October 29, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, October 30, 2019, PAGE 5

OFFICIALS YET TO FINALISE DORIAN ‘MISSING’

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

OFFICIALS are still cross-referencing lists of missing persons as a result of Hurricane Dorian and a decision on when such a full list will be made public will be made by police, according to Minister of Social Services Frankie Campbell.

Yesterday, Minister of Health Dr Duane Sands also weighed in on the matter saying the process is slow because it has to be done correctly.

“This is disappointingly slow but I think it’s very important to

get it right,” Dr Sands said outside Cabinet yesterday.

“We don’t want to have a repeat of one number here another number here and so on and so forth,” he added, referring to the difference between figures given recently by Mr Campbell and Minister of National Security Marvin Dames. “So however long it takes to get it right that’s how long it’ll take.”

On October 9, Mr Campbell told Parliament 1,208 were missing according to the Ministry of Social Services’ records. He said the department would release a list of the missing people in local dailies. However, that process was halted by Mr Dames, who has

said police have responsibility for dealing with missing people.

Mr Dames has since said the number of people reported missing is now 282.

On September 11, NEMA said 2,500 were reported missing following the storm. That dropped to 1,300 on September 12.

During his address to the United Nations General Assembly on September 27, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said the number of people still missing was about 600. Earlier this month, NEMA said 424 people are still missing before Mr Dames gave an updated number.

Yesterday Dr Sands also said he is not comfortable enough yet

with the information his ministry has accumulated on autopsies for Hurricane Dorian victims to release the information to the public.

To date, the official death count from the storm is 67.

“I would have given an undertaking that we were going to reveal the information as it relates to autopsy identifications and so on and so forth; even as of this morning I am not satisfied that the information that I’ve gotten from my ministry is adequate to be publicly released,” he said.

As for families seeking closure, he said: “We would like to be able to help them get closure but you can only get closure

using the methods that are scientifically available and using international best practices. So if you talk about DNA, we are now investigating means of getting DNA data sooner than is conventionally available and when you are talking about DNA analysis of bone or DNA analysis of soft tissue, the accuracy of that requires that that study be done by a reputable lab in a reputable environment and those results cross checked and validated. It’s not something that you just snap your finger and its done. We want closure as much as everyone else does and we are working very very hard to see to it that people get that closure.”

Govt considering charging nominal fee for dome families A MODEL of The Family Relief Centre’s dome structure that will include plumbing, drainage, a sewer system, and electricity Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

from page one Mr Clarke said as a guest on Guardian Radio talk show The Revolution with host Juan McCartney.

“That free period has not been set in stone and after the free period there will be a nominal charge for being in the domes. In any event, the life span for the dome city is 24 months. After 24 months, those domes are going to start to come down.”

He said people who want to live in these domes should register with the Ministry of Social Services, which is handling allocation.

The Minnis administration is also considering how it can assist homeowners who lost homes when Hurricane Dorian devastated Abaco and Grand Bahama.

However, homeowners are only able to access up to $10,000 in assistance.

He said: “The government’s position is that the

government is not rebuilding homes. So if your home was totally destroyed at present the position is the government is not providing a full house.

“So if your $100,000 or $250,000 house is totally destroyed the government is not replacing that house.

“In areas like Sweeting’s Cay and those remote settlements, of course you know that position is going to be met with some difficulty because what that means now is the level of

for September,” he told reporters outside Cabinet yesterday. “The number of foreign visitors coming into the Bahamas declined by 14 percent so that was significant, so we all know what happened in September.

“We thought it was going to be a lot worse, so we’re pleased that it wasn’t as bad as that and so we are as diligently as possible attempting to get the word out that the Bahamas is open for business.

“What we found in other storms is that as the memory of the hurricane fades from the listening public, especially in the United States, it becomes easier and easier to engage them about making a vacation to the Bahamas, so we’re kind of delighted that it’s not in the news as much any more because people are now thinking about Thanksgiving and Christmas and beginning to re-engage in thinking about a holiday in the Bahamas.

“So, as I’ve said, first

quarter of next year we expect to return to what it was.”

He said hotels were offering special promotions to encourage tourist visits and a media trip to Canada was planned to remind the Canadian market that the Bahamas remained open for business.

Regarding Abaco’s airport, Mr D’Aguilar said the situation came down to replacing 21,000 linear feet of fencing around its perimeter.

He said: “The specific date is still being worked out. Obviously what we’re trying to do is to get the airport into a position where it is secure.

“The problem with the airport was that there are 21,000 linear feet of fencing around that airport and it was blown down and destroyed and it is very, very important for an airport to be secure for a number of reasons.

“Of course the Americans want it to be secure in order for flights to go to and from the United States and

assistance you can access is limited to $10,000.

“So between what it costs to get you a residence and the level of assistance you qualify for, we are going to have to come up with a solution to remedy that gap.

“Now the government is investigating, knowing that that gap exists. We’ve had discussions. We started discussions about how we could remedy that gap.

“We are thinking about what alternatives can be possible whether or not we

tie the level of assistance the government is providing to match that with non-governmental organisation assistance,” he also said. “Whether the government has resources or can find resources.”

He noted that no entity is funding the Bahamas but only offering financing at a time when the government is financially stretched.

Last week Iram Lewis, minister of state for disaster preparedness, management and reconstruction, said the

majority of the 250 domes were to be in Abaco on Friday, October 25.

He said there was still no definitive date for the completion of the $6.4m temporary dome city, but the shell of each structure will take roughly four to six hours to construct.

Mr Lewis said at the time that teams have been working around the clock to ensure the drainage system is in place to handle waste that will be generated once the city is complete.

ARRIVALS DOWN 14% - BUT IT COULD BE WORSE

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

VISITOR arrivals were down 14 percent in September highlighting Hurricane Dorian’s immediate affect on The Bahamas’ tourism industry.

According to Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar yesterday this was “significant”, but officials thought it would have been a lot worse.

Earlier this month, Mr D’Aguilar told reporters his ministry was predicting a nine percent fall off in visitor arrivals this year as a result of Dorian’s destruction in Abaco and Grand Bahama.

Meanwhile, the government has missed its self-imposed deadline of last week for the Leonard M Thompson International Airport in Abaco to start accepting international flights. As it stands, there is no new deadline for these flights to commence, the minister told reporters.

“The numbers are in

TOURISM Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar so we are working diligently to source that amount of fencing to involve as many Abaco firms as we can to get it up and running so that’s really the one last hurdle to do.

“A specific date, I don’t know.”

Last week, a small group of security officers from the airport walked off the job, angered by the conditions there and what they believed was lack of government support.

These issues, Mr D’Aguilar said, have been

virtually resolved. “I have been advised rather the security personnel were a little upset about the working conditions and they were a little confused about whether they were going to get the money that the government had provided public officers.

“Unbeknownst to them in the background it was all being resolved so they have now been informed about it.

“I always want to say that it’s a difficult work environment down at the Leonard Thompson Airport primarily because it doesn’t have primary power and it doesn’t have Internet.

“As you can imagine the back up power is not designed to be primary power and they’ve had break downs in the generator, which have now been resolved. So it did get a bit uncomfortable in there working conditionswise, but it’s the biggest hurricane in the history of Abaco so it’s been difficult to resolve.”

PAGE 6, Wednesday, October 30, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

Yellow journalism from page one predecessor, Dr Kendal Major, who had described the House of Assembly as “tribal”.

Though Dr Major also called the functioning of Parliament “mediocre” and “unproductive”, Speaker Moultrie singled out his remark that reporters contacted him in the last week for “red meat” - a reaction to the current speaker’s recent conduct.

He said Dr Major’s comment reminded him of William Shakespeare’s play, the Merchant of Venice, in which a character, Shylock, requested a “pound of flesh” from another character as collateral for a loan.

“If journalists want flesh and blood,” Speaker Moultrie said, “they are going after the wrong person. If they want flesh and blood, they need Jesus.

Jesus is the one whose flesh was broken and whose blood was shed and I have no difficulty with journalists going after me because I am prepared to lead them to Jesus.”

Speaker Moultrie then cautioned parliamentarians “to avoid short-term benefits that may satisfy the moment.” He did not elaborate. However, in the last week Deputy House Speaker Don Sanders, Health Minister Dr Duane Sands and Golden Isles MP Vaughn Miller have all discussed Speaker Moultrie’s decision last week in the press with no one from the government as yet offering a categorical defence of his actions.

“Members of the media now equate their privilege in the Parliament with that of elected members,” Speaker Moultrie claimed.

“What is incredible about this is members take no issues with it for the time being.”

Without providing evidence, the Nassau Village MP claimed that after Dr Major refused to give reporters “red meat,” Dr Major was attacked in editorials and faced “onslaught aimed at destroying his integrity, reputation and character”.

He also said young people who recently participated in Youth in Parliament sessions condemned social media and the mainstream press for engaging in “demeaning and negative practices”.

During his tenure, the Nassau Village MP has at times faced withering

SPEAKER of the House Halson Moultrie.

Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff

Speaker Moultrie goes on rant against media news reports criticism, the most notable occurring last year after he blasted former parliamentary clerk Maurice Tynes and criticised Mr Davis for surrounding himself with “reprobates and perverts”.

The controversy led to an unsuccessful vote of no confidence attempt against Speaker Moultrie, following which he apologised for his conduct.

He attracted criticism more recently when he recommended that China consider developing the southeast region of The Bahamas to shift the population from the northwestern side of the country. The comment was made during an official courtesy call without the backing of the Minnis administration and critics said he overstepped the boundaries of his role with the remark. Speaker

Moultrie said it was his personal view.

Yesterday he tabled several news articles which he said are examples of “fake news” published by this newspaper and The Nassau Guardian.

“Thirdly, I will table this Nassau Guardian story on the 14th July 2018,” he said, referring to an article the newspaper published and later apologised for as the quotes were wrongly attributed to C A Smith, deputy governor general at the time. “This is what you call fake news, fake news.

It never happened, they were completely wrong, the newspaper didn’t have the courtesy to contact the person who they wrote this headline story about before it was published. I don’t believe it was by mistake.

It was a deliberate act of

yellow journalism. Now, there were apologies. As a matter of fact, the newspaper, after accepting and acknowledging their wrong, made two apologies but that doesn’t exempt the fact that the story was published and the damage was already done.”

He also took aim at a Tribune story earlier this month about him denying the opposition’s request for a debate over the planning and execution of relief efforts concerning Hurricane Dorian. He said the story was “absolutely and completely untrue” and that after he applied the rules correctly, a quorum did not exist to facilitate debate on the topic. The PLP released a statement following that parliamentary sitting criticising his interpretation of the relevant rules.

He then turned his attention to Mr Davis, who told The Nassau Guardian last

week that the Nassau Village MP is unfit to be speaker. He referred to a 2016 Tribune article in which Mr Davis criticised this newspaper for publishing the contents of Supreme Court affidavits that concerned Mr Davis.

“If your conclusion is the Speaker is unfit because he had a difficulty with the media, perhaps it could be extended that you are unfit for having a problem with the media,” he told Mr Davis.

He added: “When the honourable member for Englerston ran against you, 300 plus persons voted against you, so are we to conclude that 300 hundred plus voting members in your party think that you are unfit to be the leader or that the honourable member for Englerston is a better fit?”

Defending his decision to force a reporter to delete a

photo last week, Speaker Moultrie said other countries that have a Westminster system have more conservative rules, insisting the Bahamas is not in the Dark Ages when it comes to Parliament’s rules.

He also called on the Rules and Procedures Committee of Parliament to meet to finalise House rules, saying he would give the press full access if the committee changes the rules to allow this.

“I should state for the record that I have no personal preference with the amount of access given to the press in the House of Parliament,” he said. “If the committee meets and decides that the press action should be full and complete, I will enforce those rules as dispassionately as I am enforcing the rules currently in existence.”

Editorial View - Page 4

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, October 30, 2019, PAGE 7

No disruption to NIB work, says director

By RIEL MAJOR Tribune Staff Reporter rmajor@tribunemedia.net DESPITE the employees of the National Insurance Board going on “work to rule”, there have been no disruptions to the agency’s operations, according to NIB Director Dr Nicola Virgill-Rolle.

Her comments came on the second day of the employees’ “work to rule” action after their strike vote was considered invalid on Friday.

Speaking to reporters during a press conference yesterday, Dr Virgill-Rolle said: “We continue to take in claims to do our normal processing and functions.

That is key because the whole point of what we do is to serve the public.

“We are serving people who are in need of a retirement benefit, maternity benefit and in need of sickness benefit. It’s a very important role NIB plays and we are focused on maintaining customer focus through this difficult time.”

Dr Virgill-Rolle said talks are continuing hopefully to come to a decision on a new industrial agreement for the staff union. She said Minister of National Insurance and the Public Service Brensil Rolle had a meeting with union officials on Monday that reportedly went well.

“We obviously have to continue to negotiate, these are, of course, very tough times for the country,” she said.

She added: “NIB is mindful of that and as mentioned in our press statement we have to be prudent, but we are happy that the minister, who has taken this over

By RIEL MAJOR Tribune Staff Reporter rmajor@tribunemedia.net

LAST week’s strike vote has been deemed invalid from May, met again with the unions and will continue those discussions.

“We have promised as much as possible to keep negotiations out of the media to negotiate in good faith with each other and we will certainly do so.”

For his part, Mr Rolle said he has no objections to the “work to rule” action, once employees are doing their jobs and following NIB’s rules. Work to rule means employees will not perform duties other than the minimum they are required to do.

Mr Rolle said: “. . .As

long as you do your work and you’re working with the rules of the board that’s fine with me. I expect it would in some ways show more productivity in the board because every single employee is obligated to work to the rules of National Insurance.”

When asked how NIB can cope under these circumstances, Mr Rolle said he doesn’t see it as negative.

He said: “Some may see it that way and I firmly believe that if employees are serious about working for the board and working with the board as the board

TURNQUEST: EQUINOR WILL DO RIGHT THING

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

DEPUTY Prime Minister Peter Turnquest told Grand Bahama residents that Equinor has given its commitment to do what is right regarding the clean-up and investigation of the oil spill at its South Riding Point terminal in East End. At a town meeting on Monday evening, the MP for East Grand Bahama said: “Equinor has given their commitment and has demonstrated that they are going to do what is right by the community, and they have… assets to back that up.

“And so, the investigation as to what happened or why it happened, and what would be the government’s response to that is to be determined between the Ministry of Environment and the AG’s Office, and they will do that work, and progress from there.”

No one from Equinor was present at the meeting, organised by local government, held at St Jude’s Church Hall in Smith’s Point.

Last Friday, Equinor reported that the updated estimated volume of the oil spill after Dorian was 55,000 barrels (2.8 million gallons) – less than half of the initial reported estimated volume of 119,000 barrels (5 million gallons).

This change in figures has raised questions from the environmental group Save the Bays, which is questioning why it has taken Equinor so long to arrive at a correct figure.

During a town meeting in Smith’s Point, a resident of East Grand Bahama raised concerns about the oil spill.

In response, Mr Turnquest reported that some 53,000 barrels of oil and water were recovered, and that clean-up was progressing.

OFFICES REOPEN IN GB & ABACO

PETER Turnquest addresses the meeting “If you drive past, the area is in tremendously better shape than it was.

There are still some areas to clean, and some forestry remediation work to be done, and protocols for that will proceed with BEST Commission.”

He informed residents that Equinor will proceed with investigations and is in the process of drilling some test wells to test the ground water for contamination.

“Even though the initial reports are there is no contamination, that oil has not seeped into the ground, they are drilling test wells to test water to make sure that is, in fact, the case,” Mr Turnquest said.

The East GB MP stated that the company would continue ground water testing in the future because “it takes time, if there is anything (oil), to percolate down to the water table.”

Mr Turnquest also said the company has conducted air testing in the area.

“They have from the beginning had air monitors to investigating air testing for air pollution, which has been below any area of concern.”

While Save the Bays Chairman Joseph Darville commended Equinor for conducting its own water investigation into the

matter, he suggested the process should be monitored by the Environmental Health Department.

The South Riding Point terminal had 1,870 million barrels of oil stored when Hurricane Dorian struck the island. Two of the three tanks that contained oil were compromised.

The company has reported that the new surveys confirm that 1,815 million barrels of oil are still intact in the tanks at the terminal.

Mr Darville questioned why it took so long for Equinor to arrive at a correct figure.

“Initially they should have known what amount of crude oil they had in those tanks. Our government should have known what’s here,” he said on Sunday.

Despite the new figure, the activist said this does not diminish the catastrophic impact upon the island’s environment, water table and pine forest.

“The fact is that enough of our environment has been impacted that we don’t even have an estimate as when that will return back to a normal state of existence as it was given to us by Mother Nature,” he told The Tribune.

is with them then this is just a process that they are going through.

“We have set down some standards of what we are going to do moving forward with the board and in regard to negotiations. We had a meeting yesterday to clearly define what are the issues.”

He added: “And, we made a commitment to work on those issues and to not engage in any discussions in the press about how those processes will work.

We’ve agreed on a date as to when the situation will be resolved.”

When asked if the matter will still go to court, the minister said that’s a matter for the Ministry of Labour.

Earlier this week, Union of Public Officers (UPO) President Ghion Roach told reporters that Director of Labour John Pinder considered the strike vote invalid because there were some technicalities with the application.

However, workers voted in the poll on Friday, unaware it was not deemed valid. He said the union will take legal action to determine the legitimacy of its strike poll.

NATIONAL Insurance Board Director Dr Nicola Virgill-Rolle said yesterday the agency’s offices in Marsh Harbour, Abaco and Grand Bahama have reopened post-Hurricane Dorian.

Speaking to reporters during a press conference, Dr Virgill-Rolle said she will be visiting both offices to see their staff and to begin to get their operations up to speed and more functional to serve those communities better and help them recover.

She said: “We’re delighted that we have opened now our Abaco, Marsh Harbour office with limited hours but six staff has volunteered to go back to that office which was very important to resume some degree of normalcy there and they will continue to take in claims. We’ll have more information for you as well.

“In our Grand Bahama office, our entire staff are back there operating and continuing to of course take in claims and we’ve actually received payments of contributions during the time as well.”

The Category Five storm lashed Abaco with winds more than 185mph for nearly a day. Angry and brutal Hurricane Dorian left only devastation in its wake, snapping utility poles, overturning vehicles and tearing entire communities apart, ultimately disintegrating life for Abaco residents when it churned over the island.

PAGE 8, Wednesday, October 30, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

T

HERE are a number of life skills we either learn on our own, usually through trial and error, or suffer continuously for not having learned.

They are not taught in school, though they should be, and our parents fail to impart certain kinds of knowledge because they do not have it, do not know how to share it, or it has not occurred to them that certain skills are critical and need to be taught.

Among the topics that are not covered by school curricula, dinner conversation or explanations of the regular activities to meet responsibilities is financial literacy. We complain about our own personal financial state, the perceived recklessness of others and the complicated, almost-secret nature of the national budget, but do very little to improve the situation for ourselves and others.

I started working at a young age. My great-grandmother had a women’s clothing store and I spent most Saturdays and school breaks there. I also spent some time working at other family members’ businesses. I learned about customer service, logistics and general business operations.

I also learned to manage money. I was taken to open a bank account, encouraged to save and allowed to make decisions about what I wanted to purchase. I saw it was important to have a practice of saving and that every dollar could not be saved when I had needs to meet and wants to consider.

My father gave my brother and me lunch money, but he also bought a wide range of snacks and juices for us to take to school with us. Other students had more money for lunch than we did, but he said what we had was enough because we did not need to buy snacks or drinks, though that was up to us. When we complained, he explained his reasoning.

Why should we go to school to buy the snacks he could buy for us at a lower cost?

Why should we spend more money on lunch, snacks and drinks when that money could be used in other ways?

There was no endless pot of money. He did not just make it appear whenever we needed or wanted something. There was a limited amount of money, he was responsible for maximising it and, based on that, he determined how much we received. It was a simple lesson, but an important one to learn. Money is not infinite and we need to think about how we use the limited amount we have.

In conversations with people about money, I have found many do not budget.

Minimum wage doesn’t cut it - we have to get real The

Alicia Wallace column There does not seem to be a plan for spending, saving, or investing money. However limited our money, we need to know how we are using it. We need to consider debt, bills, physiological needs, unexpected events and, if it is within the realm of possibility, savings. Without a budget, we run the risk of putting too much money in a particular area, not having any left for something equally or more important.

It is important to note, however, that a budget only works if we have money or the expectation of receiving

money. There has to be a starting point – the amount of money we receive. It is, of course, important, to calculate the amount of money required to meet all of our needs, but this does not always match the money we actually have. Estimated expenses of $2000 and an actual budget of $1500 presents a challenge, but it is also an opportunity to reassess spending and make necessary changes (to the extent that it is possible, considering that many people earn minimum wage which is not enough to live on). By putting the numbers

on paper, it is easier to see where money is going and why, and determine how spending can be reduced.

Budgeting allows you to put your money to work.

Instead of thinking of $2000 as “free money” to do whatever you wish, you assign jobs to those dollars. Perhaps $800 has to pay your rent, $150 is for gas, $500 is for grocery, $60 is for your cellphone service, and so on. This is the easy part. One of the most important parts of budgeting, however, is anticipating big expenses. Rather than trying to make $2000 into $3000 in November for Christmas shopping, prepare for it from January.

Set $100 aside on a monthly basis from January to October to accumulate the additional $2000 for shopping and festivities.

It is not always possible to stick with the budget.

Even if you build in space for unexpected events $50 set aside every month, for example – sometimes you get thrown off course.

There may even be something small, like eating out when you did not plan on it, to throw the budget out of balance. The extra $40 spent should not be a source of stress for you or your budget. You simply need to make a decision as to which item on your budget will be reduced by $40. Make the necessary adjustments to keep the budget in balance, but avoid making reckless decisions with the idea that you can always fix it by moving numbers around.

This all sounds easy for people receiving at least a living wage. This is not the case for many people in The Bahamas. With so many people directly employed

in the tourism industry, we have a lot of people whose incomes fluctuate wildly.

They are forced to deal with uncertainty in their finances. Wages are especially low for those who receive tips. With base pay of $840 per month and tips that cannot be predicted, how can people be expected to budget? Without a form of passive income or a “side hustle,” can many Bahamians even plan to meet their financial obligations?

A budget requires “sure money.” If you are not sure you are getting it, you can’t include it.

F

inancial literary is important for all of us, no matter our income, but it will only take us so far.

We have to face the fact far too many people are not paid appropriately. Minimum wage is too low, and we need to shift to a living wage.

Living wage takes the cost of living into account as well as the average size of households and poverty rate. A living wage allows people to meet their basic needs and, with it, people do not need to spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing. We know this is not the case with minimum wage as even one-bedroom apartment rentals are rarely below $700.

How many hours do people receiving minimum wage have to work in order to receive a basic living income? While minimum wage cannot be raised without consideration to its affects, we need to consider what it means for so many

people to work full time and still not have enough money to live comfortably.

We need to understand the importance of making a living wage and ensuring that there are resources for Hurricane Dorian has put many people in uncomfortable situations. Not only have people been physically displaced, but they are experiencing financial confusion. Resources are running low and they are finding out, first hand, what it is like to need assistance.

Government agencies are not meeting their needs.

Non-profit organisations and individuals are stepping up to fill in the gaps. Those of us involved in hurricane relief work are learning more about social services, foreign aid and the distribution of resources than we could have imagined.

It is important to remember there are people for whom this has always been a reality. There are people who feel more disadvantaged now because there are more people in the same position. They are being brushed aside, told that they are no longer the priority group. New people are now in the position they have been in for years. Those newcomers are expected to recover and move on, while those who are in the cycle of poverty are likely to remain stuck.

It does not have to be this way. We can address the man-made cycle of poverty with policy interventions.

We can implement a living wage. We can focus on financial literacy. We can ensure people have money to manage and know how to manage it. This is not difficult to do, but we have to care first. Are we there yet?

PAGE 10, Wednesday, October 30, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

African Ebola has Bahamas on alert from page one

A MOTORCYCLE taxi driver transports a woman whose five-year-old daughter had a fever and was vomiting to an Ebola transit centre where potential cases are evaluated in Beni, Congo

“(We) are absolutely on alert and this is something that we have had no cases of Ebola. We don’t want any cases of Ebola. We don’t want any more case of measles, but these international health regulations are there to protect the public,” Dr Sands told reporters yesterday outside Cabinet.

“So when the public health teams go out and do surveillance they are looking for evidence of diarrheal diseases, water borne diseases, vector borne diseases and they are working even in the post (Hurricane) Dorian reality and it’s working.”

Regarding the Bahamas bound flight, Dr Sands said: “As you know we live in a world of Ebola and there are international health regulations that define what constitutes a risk or hazard.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is the epicentre of the current Ebola outbreak.

“This has now spread to

Uganda and Rwanda and so when persons are identified as potentially having fever and or constitutional symptoms and they have travelled to an area where there have been documented cases of Ebola - it now triggers a number of protective mechanisms.

“I believe that is a reason why the flight was detained but as you can imagine the entire world is trying to contain a very serious public health risk,” Dr Sands also said.

“So the World Health Organisation several months ago would have identified the current situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo as a public health incident of international concern and any time we see that now we have to be very very mindful.”

He said the Ministry of Health had engaged with various ministries to ensure all avenues are covered to ensure no potential at risk Ebola patients enter the country.

NIB LAUNCHES PILOT PROJECT FOR EMPLOYER SELF-SERVICE

By RIEL MAJOR Tribune Staff Reporter rmajor@tribunemedia.net THE National Insurance Board yesterday launched the pilot phase of its employer self-service portal.

Speaking to reporters, National Insurance Board (NIB) Director Dr Nicola Virgill-Rolle said the agency is committed to customer engagement with the use of customer centric technology for an overall positive experience.

She said: “In 2018, my executive team and I set out to develop a detailed five-year strategic plan that would govern and guide this organisation into 2024.

Sustainability of the fund and modernisation of the social security programme were key points around in which this plan was created.

Hence the theme towards a sustainable NIB 2019 to 2024, creating a world class organisation.

“The first and one of the key pillars of the strategic plan is providing exceptional customer service.

Because we recognise that we need to effectively deliver our services to our customers who come to us for service, this digital platform offers a solution to our employers and selfemployed persons to make doing business with the National Insurance Board a lot easier and more convenient.”

Dr Virgill-Rolle said the employers self-service portal (ESS) is just the latest innovative tool being piloted by the board to improve its business processes.

“The employers selfservice portal is an online portal where employers may log on from anywhere at any time to manage their NIB account. Two of the key benefits that will be experienced by employers is that ESS will digitise

DR NICOLA VIRGILL-ROLLE and simplify the process of submitting contributions statements, C10s and make contribution payments via online payments,” she noted.

“Contributions are the heart of NIB’s operation and are used to accurately calculate benefits and determine claim eligibility. In May 2018, when the board commenced the V3 stabilisation project, we had a huge backlog of C10s, over 200,000 C10s were placed in the backlog processing and we brought on a special team to manually process these C10s.”

She added: “Earlier this year, we have over 244 of those have been digitised and over 180 of those had been posted to employer accounts. With the implementation of these special initiatives the backlog was greatly and significantly reduced. This will make claim processes significantly quicker in the future.”

Dr Virgill-Rolle said the goal of NIB is to eliminate these backlogs by providing employers with a convenient alternative of managing their accounts from anywhere.

She said: “The ESS portal puts the employer in control and simplifies this process. It is expected to result in a higher rate of compliance by employers.

It will no longer be necessary for employers to visit NIB office or a drop box location to make contribution payments to their accounts.”

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, October 30, 2019, PAGE 11

UK set for election with Brexit taking centre stage LONDON Associated Press BRITAIN will be heading out to vote in the dark days of December after the House of Commons yesterday backed an early national vote that could break the country’s political impasse over Brexit — or turn out to be merely a temporary distraction.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson hopes that electing a new crop of lawmakers will provide a solution to the deadlock that has stalled the UK.s departure from the European Union.

The House of Commons voted 428-20 — with dozens of lawmakers abstaining — for a bill authorising an election on December 12.

Johnson is pushing for an election in hopes of breaking the parliamentary stalemate that blocked his plan to take Britain out of the European Union this month. This week the EU granted Britain a three-month Brexit extension until January 31.

PRIME Minister Boris Johnson Johnson is gambling that an election will give his Conservative Party a majority. But after three years of inconclusive political wrangling over Brexit, British voters are weary and the results of an election are hard to predict.

Johnson — who has had to abandon his vow to lead Britain out of

the EU on Oct. 31 “do or die” — accused his opponents of wanting to prolong the Brexit process “until the 12th of never.”

He told lawmakers in Parliament yesterday there was no choice but “to go to the country to break free from this impasse.”

“There is only one way to get Brexit done in the face of this unrelenting parliamentary obstructionism, this endless, willful, fingers crossed, ‘not me guv’ refusal to deliver on the mandate of the people — and that is to refresh this Parliament and give the people a choice,” Johnson said.

The road to polling day opened up when the main opposition Labour Party, which had opposed three previous attempts by Johnson to trigger an election, changed its position. Now that Brexit has been delayed, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said his opposition party would vote in favor of an early election because the prospect that

Britain could crash out of the EU without a divorce deal had been taken off the table.

“I’ve said consistently, when nodeal is off the table we will back an election,” Corbyn said. “Today, after much denial and much bluster by the prime minister that deal is officially off the table, so this country can vote for the government that it deserves.”

The vote comes two and a half years before the next scheduled election and will be the country’s first December election since 1923.

Lawmakers rejected an attempt by the Labour Party to hold the election on December 9. The party argued the earlier date would mean more students could vote because universities would not have begun their Christmas holidays.

Cabinet Office Minister Oliver Dowden said the 12th was preferable because it gave lawmakers a few more days to finish up parliamentary business.

LAWYER BLASTS CHARGES IN TODDLER’S CRUISE SHIP DEATH

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico Associated Press

AN ATTORNEY for the Indiana family of an 18-month-old girl who fell to her death from a cruise ship in July said Puerto Rican prosecutors’ decision to charge her grandfather with negligent homicide is “pouring salt” on the family’s wounds.

A judge in Puerto Rico

GUNMEN KILL 18 IN IRAQ BAGHDAD Associated Press

MASKED gunmen opened fire at Iraqi protesters in the Shiite holy city of Karbala yesterday, killing 18 people and wounding hundreds, security officials said, in one of the deadliest single attacks since anti-government demonstrations erupted earlier this month.

The overnight attack came as Iraqis took to the streets for a fifth straight day after a hiatus in the demonstrations that began earlier this month to protest government corruption, a lack of jobs and municipal services, and other grievances. The earlier protests also saw violence against protesters, and a total of 240 people have been killed since the unrest began.

But the bloodshed in Karbala could mark a turning point because of the high death toll and because the city is a major pilgrimage site where a revered Shiite figure was killed in a 7th century battle.

Similar anti-government protests are underway in Lebanon, where supporters of the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah stormed the main protest camp and Prime Minister Saad Hariri said he would resign after hitting a “dead end” in trying to resolve the crisis. The protests in both countries are directed at governments and armed political factions that are close to Iran, raising fears of a violent backlash.

Amid a clampdown by security forces, it was difficult to piece together what exactly prompted the attack. Eyewitnesses told The Associated Press that masked gunmen opened fire on the camp.

AN INJURED protester is rushed to a hospital during anti-government demonstrations in Baghdad

ordered the arrest of Salvatore Anello on Monday after prosecutors submitted evidence saying that Chloe Wiegand fell from Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas cruise ship when Anello raised her to an open window on the docked ship.

Anello was released from custody in the Puerto Rican capital of San Juan on an $80,000 bond, a

spokeswoman for Puerto Rico’s justice department said. He is due to appear in court there on November 20, and it wasn’t immediately clear if he would be allowed to return home in the meantime.

Attorney Michael Winkleman said in a statement that the child’s death was “a tragic accident,” and that the family, who is from the northern Indiana community

of Granger, will be filing a lawsuit against Royal Caribbean “very soon”.

Winkleman has said that Chloe fell through an open 11th-story window on July 7 after she had asked her grandfather to lift her up so she could bang on the glass in a children’s play area.

He’s blamed the cruise ship operator for leaving the window open.

“These criminal charges

are pouring salt on the open wounds of this grieving family. Clearly this was a tragic accident and the family’s singular goal remains for something like this to never happen again,” Winkleman said in his news release.

“Had the cruise lines followed proper safety guidelines for windows, this accident likely would never have happened.”

SHARK ATTACK ON TOURISTS IN AUSTRALIA CANBERRA, Australia Associated Press A SHARK bit off a British tourist’s foot and mauled another’s leg yesterday as the men snorkeled on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, officials said.

The men had been on a snorkeling tour in the Whitsunday Islands when they were attacked, tour organizer ZigZag Whitsundays said. Officials did not immediately release the men’s names but said they were 22 and 28 years old.

The shark severed one man’s right foot and then circled back and mauled the other’s right calf, Queensland state Ambulance Service spokeswoman Tracey Eastwick reported.

They were brought by boat to the mainland town of Airlie Beach where paramedics were waiting for them. They were then flown by helicopter to a hospital in the city of Mackay in serious but stable condition.

“An English tourist has had his foot bitten off and another has serious lacerations to his lower leg after a shark attack in the Whitsundays today,” the helicopter rescue service said in a statement.

The victims told the helicopter crew “they were wrestling and thrashing about in the water” in a passage between Hayman and Whitsunday Islands when they were attacked, the statement said.