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VOLUME:114 No.248, NOVEMBER 16TH, 2017
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INSIDE
Sir Arlie’s widow fights his family By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net
SIR Arlington Butler’s widow has resorted to legal action to prevent her from allegedly being banished from her marital home by two of her stepchildren, as well as to have a say over her husband’s state recognised funeral arrangements, according to her attorney. Romona FarquharsonSeymour, attorney for Lady Hazel Butler, said she filed an injunction before Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson yesterday against the alleged “eviction” attempt, as well as an application for a declaration that Lady Butler be permitted to lead the funeral arrangements. A writ of summons, as well as an ex parte summons supplemented by an affidavit was filed in that
regard, according to Mrs Farquharson-Seymour. Mrs Farquharson-Seymour said the “emergency application” was made in response to a letter served upon Lady Butler on November 13, just days after Sir Arlington died, by his two sons, who said they are the personal representatives and executors of his estate according to their father’s will. A copy of the November 13 letter, obtained by The Tribune, shows how Sir Arlington’s sons instructed their stepmother to “cease and desist with all activities” concerning his “business, financial matters and/or properties,” inclusive of “any transactions on any bank accounts, collection of rent or representation of his interest to any parties.” SEE PAGE THREE
BAHAMAS Public Services Union (BPSU) President Kingsley Ferguson said yesterday he “has no idea” how people will receive their mail this week after employees at the General Post Office on East Hill Street protested for the third day running. Mr Ferguson said it is not the union’s intention to “cause the public to suffer” but said workers have to do what is necessary to protect themselves.
Transport and Local Government Minister Frankie Campbell told parliamentarians yesterday 17 islands will not receive their mail this week due to the workers’ strike. However, he urged members of the public not to “judge” the post office workers despite their “calculated mission”. “They are getting the attention they deserve and I am satisfied that we should not be so quick to judge them, notwithstanding the fact that some 17 islands this week will not get the mail bag,” he said. SEE PAGE SIX
L SOUR CE
SPEAKER PRESSES FOR PAY OVERHAUL
By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
HOUSE Speaker Halson Moultrie said yesterday the Judges’ Remuneration and Pensions Act could be used as a precedent for the establishment of a review committee or commission to bring parity to salaries of those in the parliamentary and executive branches of government. While he pointed to sections three and four of the act as a benchmark, it is unclear whether he was also referring to the pay scale outlined in the legislation governing judges’ salaries. According to the Judges’ Remuneration and Pensions Act from 2008 and onward, the chief justice is the highest paid of the judiciary with a salary of $110,000 per annum. SEE PAGE SIX
NOTHING ‘DEVIOUS’ IN NEW BOND DEAL
‘NO IDEA WHEN YOU WILL GET YOUR MAIL’ By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net
$1
By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
SIR Arlington Butler with his wife, Lady Hazel. Lady Hazel has filed an injunction, seeking to avoid an “eviction” from the marital home following her husband’s death, and to lead Sir Arlington Butler’s funeral arrangements.
FINANCE Minister K Peter Turnquest yesterday defended the Minnis administration’s securing of a $750m US bond, insisting there was nothing “devious” or “surreptitious” about the way in which the transaction was handled, adding it would have a “neutral” impact on the country’s debt levels. Speaking in the House of Assembly, the deputy prime minister sought to explain the details surrounding the government’s success at issuing the multimillion-dollar bond on the international market. SEE PAGE 11
FORMER PMs GO FROM RIVALS TO LUNCH PARTNERS FROM doing battle in the House of Assembly, former prime ministers Perry Christie and Hubert Ingraham were facing one another over the dinner table instead. The pair were snapped as they shared lunch at Olive’s on Paradise Island yesterday. And despite regular sparring over the nation’s finances, the ample “hog snapper” dish showed there’s no need for belt tightening after a life in politics.
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
TIME TO HONOUR OUR NATION’S HEROES
PAGE 12
PAGE 2, Thursday, November 16, 2017
THE TRIBUNE
DANIEL and Peta Murray taking part in the Waterkeepers training.
Waterkeepers seek to safeguard our seas IT’S The Bahamas’ greatest treasure - crystal clear waters which surround our islands. Millions of tourists visit us every year to swim and play on our beaches, to swim, snorkel and sail. The most vital thing of all is making sure the thing that brings the visitors here remains as pure as possible. Rashema Ingraham spends hours at beaches in The Bahamas every week, but she isn’t splashing in the water, combing for shells or searching for treasure. As executive director of Waterkeepers Bahamas, Rashema is part of a team that tests water at 16 public beaches on a regular basis. The monitoring is a partnership between Waterkeepers Bahamas and an international organization called Swim Guide which maintains an up-to-date beach and water condition report on 7,000 beaches around the world. Reports are available at SwimGuide.org. With the agreement between SwimGuide and
Waterkeepers Bahamas signed in August, the monitoring duties have been so time-consuming that Rashema has had to ask for volunteers. This week, they began their training. “Getting volunteers to hang out at the beach filling vials with water samples is not the most difficult task,” said Rashema. “So while it sounds glamorous, once you start the work you appreciate how serious it is and how valuable a service you are performing.” Testing is very time-sensitive. Collected samples are run through specialized equipment within an eight hours window of retrieval and uploaded on the SwimGuide website within 28 hours for public access. For accurate comparison, every sample is collected at the same GPS coordinates as the previous one at every beach. “Timing and scheduling can be challenging,” said Rashema. “If one of us is in Nassau and we need to get back to the testing
equipment in the office in Grand Bahama, we have to time our collections and our flights to the minute.” The good news is those beaches in The Bahamas which have been tested have never been found to pose health threats to swimmers unlike many other beaches around the world. “We have found traces of faeces, usually after a storm or after a holiday when beaches are very crowded,” said Rashema. “But most of our waters enjoy excellent tidal flow and the tides and currents keep the waters surprisingly free of perils. We cannot say the same for beaches and mangroves which are not respected. We are a country that continues to litter and we should be ashamed of ourselves. That’s why it is so important to get the message across to boys and girls when they are young.” Among the beaches monitored in New Providence are Jaws Beach, Montagu, Adelaide Beach, South Ocean and Coral Harbour.
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THE TRIBUNE
Sir Arlie’s widow fights his family from page one According to the letter, they also allegedly requested all of his “personal belongings, legal papers, conveyances, mortgages, etc…, mail, book manuscripts, medical records, monies and any business - apartment keys, extra keys held by others to home, receipt books, names of tenants, past or current bills etc… - and/or financial information, bank account numbers, cheques etc in her possession be handed over immediately.” Further, to facilitate the aforementioned requests and a “smooth transition,” the letter said the two
sons will need “full and unimpeded access” to Sir Arlington’s bedroom as of November 13. It also said Lady Butler is “welcome to be present at any time of our entry and during our search.” Additionally, the letter states Lady Butler was free to begin removing her “personal effects” from the residence in east New Providence, but only under the supervision of one of the two sons “or a representative we designate for such.” Regarding the state recognised funeral arrangements, which the letter stated the two sons are allegedly tasked with making as per Sir Arlington’s request, Lady
Butler was told the two sons will keep her informed “of all that transpires and take in to consideration all of your request, but ask that [she] direct all relevant parties - ie Cabinet Office, Office of PM, Bethel Bros etc… - or enquiries to either one of us.” Towards the end of the letter, it states Sir Arlington’s two daughters would be given a copy of the house keys on the date of the letter’s issuance, and that the children will begin to receive “relatives, friends and other well-wishers” as of the day after and the days following, “at which time we request [Lady Butler] not be present.” Yesterday one of Sir
A LETTER sent to Lady Hazel Butler.
Arlington’s sons, Arlington Gabao Butler, released a statement denying the heirs of the politician’s estate had issued any ultimatum to anyone to vacate their father’s home or not be involved in the planning of his funeral. “Regrettably, there have been reports in the media regarding what is essentially a private family matter as our father would have wished it to remain, and we do not nor will not engage in any such for public consumption back and forth spectacles, especially during this time of our bereavement,” Mr Butler’s statement said. “It is essential however, that we, the heirs and successors of Sir Arlington, state categorically that we have not issued any ultimatums to anyone to vacate anywhere regarding the estate or any relevant family member not to be allowed to participate in the planning the affairs of our father. Hence, we call upon all to cease and desist from the untimely and unnecessary inquiries and other interferences, and allow us to properly pay our respects to our father as we lay his earthly remains to rest with the dignity and propriety to which he was committed during his lifetime.” On Tuesday, when asked by the Nassau Guardian if Lady Butler is involved in the funeral planning, Mr Butler said all of the relevant people have input in the arrangements, but did not give any names. Sir Arlington married Lady Butler in 2015 after his first wife, Lady Sheila Butler, died in 2013 following a long illness. He died last Thursday, after being admitted to Princess Margaret Hospital just over a week prior after battling a long illness. Sir Arlington, 79, was the first speaker of the House of Assembly in an independent Bahamas. During his lengthy career as a statesman, he was government minister and diplomat.
APPOINTMENTS MADE TO CANADA, CHINA AND HAITI THE Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced the appointments of the Bahamas’ high commissioner to Canada, and the ambassadors to The People’s Republic of China, and Haiti. Alvin Smith, former
educator, member of Parliament and speaker of the House of Assembly, has been appointed as the newest Bahamas high commissioner to Canada. Sterling Quant, an attorney, former registrar general, and past managing
director of the Bahamas Development Bank, has been appointed as The Bahamas’ ambassador to China. Jeffrey Williams, international expert in foreign exchange debt, former
vice-president of Deltec Bank & Trust and past commissioner of the Baseball and Football Association, has been appointed as The Bahamas’ ambassador to Haiti.
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SIR ARLINGTON BUTLER, seated, and his wife, Lady Hazel Butler
Thursday, November 16, 2017, PAGE 3
PAGE 4, Thursday, November 16, 2017
THE TRIBUNE
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Answers needed on Haitian sloop WHEN a Haitian sloop came ashore on the southwest coast of New Providence in the wee hours of Sunday morning Bahamians were outraged. How could this have happened? Why did the Royal Bahamas Defence Force not spot and capture the wouldbe migrants before the boat reached shore? The general public was in a feeding frenzy. Officials offered no facts to slake the thirst so the need to fill airtime on talk shows and inches in newsprint generated an avalanche of blame and shame. In the absence of solid information, speculation mushroomed. The Ministry of National Security or the Royal Bahamas Defence Force should have issued a statement as soon as the security breach was discovered. With a relatively new government there is still a dance around protocol, but from what we have been able to gather from a variety of sources, we are comfortable in stating the RBDF acted in good conscience. While it was not a perfect scenario, the reality is patrolling the waters of The Bahamas is a task so immense there are bound to be times when, by dumb luck or cloudy skies, a vessel determined to get through succeeds. This is not offered as an excuse but as a dose of reality. Think about how often weapons or drugs get through the scanner and eyes of the TSA at airports and then think again about the open waters of this country. The facts: The Bahamas, not including the geographical area of Turks and Caicos, is comprised of 100,000 square miles of open ocean and inland waters. The country also has 2,000 miles of coastline. The RBDF with its 1,500 officers and marines is charged with monitoring those vast seas 24/7, 365 days a year. Prior to the Sandy Bottom Project which disbursed certain vessels to outer regions, if the RBDF received a report of a Dominican boat poaching in Bahamian waters or a sighting of a Haitian sloop which might be carrying human or other contraband, marines at the Defence Force base in Coral Harbour would have to hop aboard a ship and power out from New Providence, sometimes taking as long as a day to arrive at the site of the report. Since the Sandy Bottom Project was implemented, captures and arrests have increased and poaching has declined so much fishermen are singing the praises of the programme, saying for the first time in decades the waters of The Bahamas are not being
exploited by those who fished their own waters out. So yes, we had a breach of coastal security and we would have all been more at ease had it not occurred. But sensational coverage and exaggeration do not help the situation. It is especially unfortunate for local and foreign interests that misinformation flooded print and social media. The landing was not at the back door of the Defence Force as first indicated, but two miles away near Albany. It is highly unlikely 200 migrants as first ‘reported’ or anywhere close to that number were aboard the vessel that was 35-40 feet in length and would have been cramped with 40 people aboard. One early report hinted the news was met with neither action nor a sense of urgency. Subsequent information suggests the RBDF learned of the landing as it happened, notified all officials immediately and the search began instantly and in earnest. As for numbers aboard the vessel who allegedly disappeared into the bush, there is a long-standing tradition among Haitians escaping to another country, a practice that gives authorities a good idea of the numbers they are searching for. The refugees generally carry something like a tote bag and as they approach land, they strip off their travel clothes and don the clean clothes they saved for their new life. This has been happening in The Bahamas and along the coastal US for more than 40 years. Officials judge the number of people they are looking for by the amount of clothes they find in the bush. In this case, only a small amount of clothing was found, indicating a small boatload though estimates place the number on the boat that left port to be as high as 80. That would mean two people for every foot of length of the boat, almost impossible to fathom for a distance of 400 nautical miles. Whatever the story and plight of one sloop slipping past vessels that might have been able to spot it but did not, let us remember today’s RBDF is a greatly improved entity, a far better trained and equipped and capable version of what it once was when at one time it was reputed to be the front door and welcome mat to a gateway for smuggling. If there is one lesson the Minister of National Security and the RBDF can learn from this incident, it is to get the facts out immediately and not let imagination take the population where absence of information leads them.
Citizenship change illegal EDITOR, The Tribune. CITIZENSHIP…It is so funny we have been through this two times, including spending $2m plus on referendum and the politicians and political gods, still do not wish to understand the required process. It will be illegal, as in against The Constitution to try to amend the Nationality Act, and then enforce those changes, without a two thirds vote in Parliament and the all important and required Referendum. It amazes me, that politicians who should know better, still want to play they are above the law and this will fly. As the sun will rise in
the east, if the Minnis Government tries this, you know that the Human Rights people, will challenge all the way to Privy Council, they will win and government will have wasted millions in process-time and costs. There is one way and only one way - we accept to change is the ultimate end, but when the People speak in a referendum, usually it is a protest vote against the sitting government. Today the FNM would lose so bad, that it will be laughable and injurious to their re-election. Ideally all children born to a Bahamian, male or female, will be citizens at birth. Those
born outside of The Bahamas will have to swear allegiance solely to The Bahamas (dual citizenship will cancel their Bahamian citizenship). No Bahamian is legally supposed to hold two citizenships anyway, although hundreds do and successive Governments look the other way. To Hon Doc govern yourself, not from what your “listeners” are hearing being talked on the Talk Shows…best advice given. Be yourself, 6-months is gone, sir. What do you have to say, we the FNM did? W. THOMPSON Nassau, November 13, 2017.
Taxes, the WTO and outsourcing EDITOR, The Tribune. AH well, here we go again! The talk of the town is now saying things like: “Let’s even the playing field ... tax them!” “By 2019 we’ll be full members of the WTO” and “Let’s outsource it.” “Let’s even the playing field, let’s tax them,” says one Minister when talking about Bahamians who rent their houses to visitors. Let’s see now, a person rents his house to a visitor and makes less than $100,000/year - is he now to pay taxes on his income? Does anyone else pay taxes on their income? The owner of the house has not been given any tax breaks like the Hotel Encouragement Act gives to hotels, but he must be taxed to “even the playing field?” I think that the Minister has this whole thing backwards. A group or family vacationing in The Bahamas that rents a private residence is no competition to the Hotels. As a small group or family they can’t afford the hotel rooms necessary to accommodate them. If you tax the homeowner, the group won’t come here. They’ll vacation somewhere else. So in order to “level the playing field,” are we prepared to lose a whole segment of the tourist market that doesn’t want to stay in a hotel? Is it not odd that every time a Bahamian wants to make a little extra money, the taxman is sent to his door? Our leaders should think out of the box, and encourage Bahamians to enter the industry and expand it, rather than taxing and killing it! What people don’t realize is that taxing contracts
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net the economy, while reducing taxes and offering other incentives grows the economy. Here’s another phrase making headlines: “By 2019 we’ll be full members of the WTO.” That’s all they say? What are the benefits? There are none, for Bahamians anyway. The doors will be opened to any and everyone! Any business that makes money will be bought out by some outsider, and the profits will leave our shores. It looks as though the Economic Hit Man is here! Our grandchildren will have nothing; they will be hired by some outside company that has a branch here. History is a funny thing. I remember way back when the PLP was selling the idea of Independence to the Bahamian people. They said that if we became independent we could borrow at will to build an infrastructure, and we would no longer be a slave colony of England. Fast forward to today. We borrowed the money all right, all seven billion dollars of it, and we’re now broke! We’re no longer Colonial slaves of the English; we’re now slaves of the “Economic Hit Man” who, we understand, is calling the plays now. The government won’t be able to make a single decision without him! Every time we can’t do it ourselves, we take it for granted that no other Bahamian can do it. So we “outsource it” and more money leaves the country. Batelco was “outsourced” to an outside company!
BEC was also “outsourced” to an outside company. Need I say more? Let’s be frank about it. Most Bahamians have some kind of complex; everything North of The Bahamas is better. We can’t do it so we must give it away to some outsider. Some years ago I visited Israel. Those people have got it right. We visited a tomato farm where the tomatoes were hanging from the vines like grapes. They said that the bees pollinated the tomatoes. One in our group commented that bees did not like to pollinate tomatoes. “Ah,” said the Israeli guide, “you are correct, we found that bees don’t like to pollinate tomatoes so we created our own bees.” And so they did. They showed me their creation of bees that loved to pollinate tomatoes and did not sting! You see folks, the phrase, “can’t do” is not in their dictionary. They see a problem, grapple with it and solve it in such a way as to help their people. They have turned a desert into green, productive pastures. We visited another place in Israel where “cut flowers” were grown. They sent one of their people to England to find out how it was done. He returned to Israel, opened his own business and is now the biggest cut flower producer in the hemisphere! What would we have done? Outsourced it of course. After all, we think we’re dumb, but our only problem is that we don’t think out of the box. PIERRE V L DUPUCH Nassau, November 15, 2017.
Border insecurity EDITOR, The Tribune. 250 illegal migrants land near Albany in vicinity of HMBS Coral Harbour. On top of the Auditor General’s comments last week on the RBDF not a good week for our navy folks. Clearly yet again our $240m best in the region Navy-Coast Guard messed up and messed up big time. These Haitian sloops sail under God’s wind and good navigating. Passed Inagua - into Exumas - up across the banks to Nassau and right
towards the HMBS Coral Harbour base of the RBDF! No one saw them... not the RBDF tower observer near Yamacraw, no one... no reports from the public and the numerous private boats and yachts that sail up and down through the Exumas. Clearly there is a problem. Are RBDF patrols being cut back because it is so expensive to run these diesel powered patrol crafts? Do we have the patrol craft in the wrong places? Editor - something is seriously adrift here. On this given weekend how many RBDF 60 meter
craft were at sea on patrol? How many RBDF craft were on patrol around New Providence? No one at HMBS Coral Harbour saw the sloop sailing in their direction? Do the observation towers have night goggles? The Minister of National Security and his counter part at Immigration need to explain and explain fast. Our borders are totally insecure. JANICE HUTCHINSON Nassau, November 13, 2017.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, November 16, 2017, PAGE 5
POLICE officers took the media yesterday for a “vehicle ride along” to showcase the capabilities of their new vehicle video and body cameras.
Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
Bodycams improving behaviour of citizens who are stopped by police By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net POLICE officers outfitted with new body camera technology are encountering better behaved residents while wearing them. “Ordinarily, 70 percent of people would be aggressive when encountered,” one officer said yesterday on the sidelines of a media ride-along with the Royal Bahamas Police Force. “Now, when they see the vest, their behaviour is very different.” The statement came as police took the media through a short tour of the inner city yesterday, demonstrating the use of the recently acquired body cameras. The demonstration come in the wake of a significant lull in violent crime in the
country, with a number of weeks passing without a murder. “It’s important on both sides,” Commissioner Anthony Ferguson said of the body cameras. “It gives balance. If there’s a report of irregularities on behalf of police we’ll be able to see that and vice versa.” The police chief said users of the device are unable to turn it off. “It’s set by a technician and that’s done for obvious reasons. We don’t want officers to be able to tamper with device while out on the road.” He said if necessary, the footage will also be used in court cases. Commissioner Ferguson added: “I can tell you that the officers are excited. I’ve spoken to any number of people in the community
and they are excited to see the police advancing their level of technology. We in the police force, particularly the executives and all members, are excited because we believe this will help the police image-wise and boost public confidence with the police. “When police interact with members of the public, they can be assured police will be behaving with the utmost level of professionalism and can be assured that police are truly our friends because they know when we speak we are speaking the facts and there can be no doubt about the actions. “Once testing is done we will move to acquire this practice for all of our mobile units. As of this date, the same thing is going on in Grand Bahama and Abaco.”
OFFICERS stopping an individual yesterday as they use their bodycams to record the encounter.
PAGE 6, Thursday, November 16, 2017
THE TRIBUNE
Speaker presses for pay overhaul
from page one
as a precedent in establishing a review committee or commission to bring parity for the parliamentary and executive branches of government.” His remarks come amid public uproar over Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis’ announcement that MPs would receive pay increases in the next budget. The prime minister also said a committee would be formed to review all salary structures for government entitles. Mr Moultrie’s comments also come the day after the prime minister’s Press Secretary Anthony Newbold suggested the Minnis administration has placed a stipulation on its pledge to increase salaries for MPs. The salaries will not be increased if the economy does not improve, Mr Newbold said Tuesday. He would not say which economic metrics will be analysed to determine if a salary increase for MPs should take place. His statements came in response to questions about whether Dr Minnis regrets his 2014 position on raising the pay of MPs. Mr Newbold said there’s “no intention to” raise politicians’ salaries so long as the economy is feeble and Bahamians are suffering.
Any senior justice or other judge receives a salary of $103,000 and $97,000 per annum respectively. Members of Parliament make $28,000 a year. “On behalf of my colleagues at this moment I take a step in the shoes of my predecessor as speaker down the path of courage. The public perception is too negative of politicians,” Mr Moultrie said at the start of yesterday’s Parliament session while he gave a tribute to former House Speaker Sir Arlington G Butler who died Thursday night. “The truth is, politicians make colossal personal sacrifices, as well as financial ones. There is an argument today that politicians knowingly signed up for the salary being offered. What is flawed about this argument is that every employee also knowingly signed up for the salary they were being offered at the time of their engagement. Notwithstanding no one who has just started work would agree to have their salary scale frozen for more than 30 years. “Perhaps sections three and four of the Judges’ Remuneration and Pensions Act Chapter 45 is instructive and can be used
Asked if he meant the economy must considerably improve for MPs’ salaries to be raised, he said: “It’s the only way they will be raised.” Dr Minnis did not suggest when he announced the salary increase in Parliament several weeks ago that a raise is conditional on improvements in the country’s economy. At the time Dr Minnis said: “I want to put the country on notice that at the next budget I will come forth with a pay increase for the members of Parliament. “I only want to put the nation on notice that the time has come when individuals are being paid by that government half a million dollars per annum, individuals are receiving contracts up to $800,000 and the members of Parliament are being paid $28,000…I will establish an independent committee who will look at member salaries, who will look at government structure salaries for this half a million dollar, these $800,000 and these contracts signed a few hours before the election. “All of that will be reviewed. (The committee will) review all salary structures for government entities.”
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Dozens of employees at the “rat and mould infested” General Post Office demonstrated in front of Parliament yesterday, after days of protesting on East Hill Street, demanding the government either make the building habitable or move them immediately. Mr Ferguson said the workers will not return to work despite a promise from the government that a resolution to the crisis is on the way. Earlier this year, thenBPSU President John Pinder threatened industrial action if the government did not immediately relocate employees from the “unsanitary” building. At the time, he said his members were forced to work in a mould infested building with rats, termites and a leaking ceiling. Since then, Mr Ferguson said things have become progressively worse and despite employees only working half days, many of them have reportedly
developed respiratory issues because of the toxic environment. “I spoke with the minister outside of Parliament and he told me that he understands we are doing what we have to do. We just want a building that is safe and healthy for persons to work in,” Mr Ferguson said on yesterday. “It’s not the union’s intention to cause the public to suffer as a result of the demonstration but we have to do what we have to do what protect the persons working in the building. So the employees will go to work to every morning they just will not go inside the building. You cannot have people in there. I walked in there and my nose burned and my eyes hurt. You can look at these persons and see they are not well. I really cannot tell you when persons will get their mail. Unless they bring alternative staff, I really can’t tell you what will happen. I am going to reach out to them again this after to get a more definitive
position as to what he government will do to address the concerns. Let them bring their office down here and let us go to the prime minster’s office. That is a solution, he is a doctor so he will know what to do when people get sick.” In October, Bahamas Chamber of Commerce CEO Edison Sumner said reduced operations at the General Post Office are negatively affecting businesses, adding the chamber sees “no end in sight” to the problem. The Christie administration, through a public private partnership, gave the green light to a project to relocate the General Post Office to the Independence Drive Shopping Centre off Tonique Williams Darling Highway. However, the Minnis administration has halted that project, expressing concerns it was approved without due diligence. The government is now eyeing several alternate sites for the post office’s relocation.
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THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, November 16, 2017, PAGE 7
Dames: No alarm over RBDF guns purchase By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net NATIONAL Security Minister Marvin Dames stuck to his guns yesterday as he rebuffed lingering concerns over revelations the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) sourced weapons and military items from a homebased business. Mr Dames said while he understood laymen concerns over the findings of a recently tabled audit report, his assurances on the matter were rooted in fact. The audit report covers the period July 1, 2013, to June 30, 2015, and found that a 2014 procurement exercise posed a threat to the safety and security of Bahamian borders by awarding a $1.3m contract to a home-based company that did not have the necessary approvals to import weapons from the commissioner of police. The audit, tabled in the House of Assembly last week, also noted the “online purchasing/courier service” had been inactive for more than four years before it renewed its business licence just four months before receiving Cabinet approval on its bid; and the Customs Department could not locate two shipment entries in December 2014, and June 2015. In an interview on Tuesday, Mr Dames said the missing procedural step concerning permissions from the police commissioner did not have much import on the validity of the process or the legitimacy of the company. He noted the report’s findings exposed much of what the Minnis administration had already known - that processes needed to be reviewed and strengthened. “Many people are not aware, who are not close to the situation,” he said, “you can’t just walk in or travel to the US and say I want to order some firearms and ship it to The Bahamas. Most countries who are in the business of selling weapons, there are very stringent national laws and policies and international guidelines. Not anyone can enter business and be
MARVIN Dames MP.
Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff
approved as an authorised firearms dealer.” He continued: “In addition to that, we also have guidelines here that oversee the importation of firearms into The Bahamas. Now from a processes standpoint, the auditor general has said that there was not a letter from the police, so that’s a process. We said since coming into office that we will take measures to tighten up on the importation of weapons by agencies and to consolidate purchase to save monies and also manage the importations of weapons coming into this country. “That particular sale, while they talk about approval of commissioner, there was nothing outside of that that will cause us great concern. But we will review all of these processes with a view to ensuring that we improve our purchasing power for weapons and other armaments, but that we also manage the process much better. “We talked about that before the auditor general’s report, we’ve been in
CRIME DOWN - AND MORE SOLUTIONS TO COME IN 2018 By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net NATIONAL Security Minister Marvin Dames yesterday said overall crime was trending down with officials eyeing “some measure of success” for new initiatives set for 2018. “From an enforcement standpoint,” he told reporters outside the Cabinet Office, “we’re seeing some measure of success, we’re not there yet, we’re not saying that this is the panacea but [gun] seizures are certainly up, the targeting of drug houses in these atrisk communities are up, and officers are yielding tremendous success.” Mr Dames continued: “So the law enforcement [officers] are really improving in their strategic outlay. I’m quite pleased and there’s still a way to go, and you’re seeing that over the last few weeks as it relates to the more violent crimes.” According to The Tribune’s records, there have been 117 murders for the year, with the last reported incident on October 26 when a woman’s partially decomposed body was found in bushes in Abaco. Police opened a murder investigation and a man has been arraigned in
connection with her death. This marks 43 percent increase in the number of homicides recorded by October 26, 2016 when there were 82 killings, according to our records. “It all depends on where you are measuring from,” Mr Dames said when asked whether crime was down, “but I can say certainly in the last few weeks a month or so that we’ve been seeing some very encouraging results. Have we arrived, we’re far from it, but it certainly begins to set the stage for 2018.” He continued: “Crime on the whole overall is down and you’re going to see some very encouraging stats beginning of next year. The commissioner now is currently working on annual plan for 2018 which will be laid on time in Parliament for everyone to see. “That will speak to any number of concerns over the previous year. “But I always mention it’s the homicides that have been a serious concern so the officers have concentrated on that in a very strategic and sustained way and we’ve seen some positive signs, some, we’re not there yet we have a long way to go but we certainly headed in the right
discussions with all of these agencies.” This week, former Assistant Commissioner Paul Thompson raised concerns over the audit’s findings, telling The Tribune he felt assurances offered by Mr Dames last week were “premature”. Mr Thompson insisted concerns raised by Auditor General Terrence Bastian over weapons procurement were legitimate and could not be brushed off until a full audit of inventory is conducted and cross referenced with illegal guns found in the country. Mr Thompson said he found both the report’s findings and Mr Dames’ response “bothersome”. To this Mr Dames said: “When I speak, I speak on a position of knowledge, right? I don’t speak from the cuff, this report was completed in 2015, it had already been released. So I’m not speaking in a response to a newspaper article or something else. I’m speaking from a position of knowledge and facts, alright.”
PAGE 8, Thursday, November 16, 2017
THE TRIBUNE
Technology hub planned for Grand Bahama future By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net THE government has adopted new measures to accelerate the economic turn around in Grand Bahama, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said yesterday as he touted the success of the Grand Bahama Technology Summit last week. He said it was the government’s intention to convert the island to a “technology hub”. The initiative, Dr Minnis said, has begun the important process of demonstrating the government is fully committed to promoting the technology industry and showcasing Grand Bahama as the emerging gateway for innovation and technology. The summit hosted more than 500 attendees including Members of Parliament,
PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis. Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff
local and international industry executives, as well as start-up and existing businesses owners and young entrepreneurs. The prime minister said he was most encouraged that of the 22 high profile industry experts from companies like Google, Microsoft and HP, 13 of them were Bahamian. “This is important because it is a testament to the brilliance, ability and capability of our Bahamian people to reach the top in any industry, anywhere in the world,” Dr Minnis told Parliament yesterday. “This also speaks to the fact that my government is on the right track in its efforts to uncap our human resources and unleash the potential ingenuity of the Bahamian entrepreneur to stimulate, expand and sustain our economy. “Because my government just like every other
government around the world recognises that no single entity has all the answers for the challenges we face as nations, we have committed ourselves to utilising a collaborative approach with industry partners, stakeholders and others to surface the best ideas, connect with the best practises and most innovative approaches for developing the technology industry within this nation.” He continued: “I am informed all presenters agreed that my government was headed in the right direction as Grand Bahama has the right infrastructure, location and tools necessary to make the technology hub a reality. My government has also been focused on developing the local technology industry by assisting young tech entrepreneurs with grant funding.
“I am, therefore, proud to report to this honourable House that at the climax of the event, Bahamian entrepreneurs within the technology industry, got an opportunity to pitch their most cutting edge, innovative business ideas to an expert panel compromising industry representatives from Google, Microsoft, STEMBoard and other noteable technology companies for a chance to win capital seed money and expert advice going forward.” Dr Minnis said he has asked Minister of State for Grand Bahama in the Office of the Prime Minister Kwasi Thompson to assemble a steering committee who will take the best ideas from the summit and transform them into immediate strategic plans for developing of the technology industry on the island.
WOMEN ‘TO PLAY CRUCIAL PART’ IN ECONOMIC GROWTH OF ISLAND By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
WOMEN will play an important role in the economic advancement of Grand Bahama, said Minister of State for Grand Bahama Kwasi Thompson at the opening of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Conference on Monday evening. FIDA’s 36th Triennial Convention is being held in the Bahamas for the first time at the Grand Lucayan
Resort. Jethlyn Burrows is the first Bahamian international president. About 200 FIDA delegates from throughout the world have registered for the convention. Mr Thompson, who delivered the keynote address, commended Mrs Burrows in her role as international president. He shared with the delegates the opportunities and major developments that exist on Grand Bahama, particularly in the maritime sector and of the potential development of a
technology industry on the island. Mr Thompson believes women will play an important role in technology, politics, law, business and other industries. He said The Bahamas has maintained a stable, democratic government since gaining independence in 1973 and the government is actively working to modernise policies and procedures to make it easier for international professionals to do business in Grand Bahama. “We are currently
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engaged in discussions to adjust our immigration policies to ease the process of travel and gaining residency in The Bahamas, particularly for the technology industry,” he explained. The minister said Grand Bahama has established itself as a world-renowned industrial and maritime centre. “Our close proximity to the United States, just 68 miles off the East Coast of Florida, as well as our deep, clear waters have aided in the development of Grand Bahama’s maritime industry,” he said. He mentioned major investments such as the
Grand Bahama Shipyard Limited, the Freeport Container Port and the Freeport Harbour Company, which is one of the largest manmade harbours in the world and the deepest harbour in the region. Mr Thompson indicated the government has embarked on marketing Grand Bahama as a technology hub in this region. He told delegates Grand Bahama is the ideal location to establish a technology hub and that a major cruise line has just opened a technology centre in Freeport. “The Carnival Corporation has already chosen our island as the ideal place to manufacture the new
ocean medallion technology. Our location and ready workforce is ideal for the development of this innovation,” he said, adding that Grand Bahamians are hard-working, adaptive and willing to be trained.” At the convention which closes tomorrow - members generally make a comparative study of some particular phase of the law, write and present papers and have discussions after which they come to a consensus, conclusions are published in FIDA’s periodicals, and are embodied in resolutions which are circulated to be acted upon by members in their respective countries.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, November 16, 2017, PAGE 9
DIES Court delays decision on change MAN IN ACCIDENT AT GRAND of judge in Chrissy Love case BAHAMA By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net
A SUPREME Court judge yesterday reserved her decision on whether she will accede to media personality Christina “Chrissy Love” Thompson’s application to have her constitutional motion against her contempt of court proceedings heard by another judge. Justice Cheryl GrantThompson, during a hearing yesterday afternoon, said her ruling will be given on December 13, in response to the constitutional motion Ms Thompson filed in September against the originating summons for contempt of court and consequent proceedings. The pending ruling stems from certain contemptuous remarks Ms Thompson allegedly made on social media about the legal proceedings against former Cabinet minister Shane Gibson. Ms Thompson was previously summoned to appear before court on four separate occasions - twice in August and the same in September - to answer to charges of contempt of court in connection with her alleged statements, but never appeared. As a result on September 20 Justice Grant-Thompson ordered Ms Thompson’s immediate arrest, declaring a bench warrant be circulated to the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) as well as border officials for her arrest. Prior to the issuance of the bench warrant, however, Ms Thompson filed a constitutional motion in response to the charges of contempt of court and the ensuing proceedings. In that motion, dated September 13, 2017, Ms Thompson declared the constitutional rights given her under Articles 17, 19, 20, 23 and/or 28 of the Bahamas Constitution have been infringed upon.
She is also requesting an order that the proceedings originating from “verbal summons” returnable on August 31, as well as the summons bearing the date of August 31 be deemed a nullity, and that the proceedings commenced by the summons be stayed pending the determination of the constitutional motion. She is also seeking vindicatory damages, general damages, costs and any other damages the court deems just. According to the court documents, the grounds of the constitutional motion nine in total - include but are not limited to: the proceedings are an abuse of the court process; the summons failed to comply with the stipulations of Section 59 of the Criminal Procedure Code; the summons presumes guilt on the part of the applicant; and the summons failed to give the applicant a reasonable period of notice in which to defend herself. During a previous hearing, Ms Thompson’s attorney Murrio Ducille submitted his client’s position that Justice GrantThompson should refer the hearing over the constitutional motion to another judge. At the time, Mr Ducille submitted while he is not seeking to bring into question the court’s competence in hearing and consequently managing the particulars of the motion, the “appearance” of the matter’s adjudication is crucial to the motion and thus should be heard by an “independent mind”. Mr Ducille maintained this position yesterday, suggesting should she adjudicate the matter, Justice Grant-Thompson would essentially be functioning as both “the complainant and the judge.” However, Justice GrantThompson ultimately adjourned the matter to the third week in December at 1pm to deliver her ruling.
BUSINESS
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net A 23-YEAR-OLD man is dead following an industrial accident at a facility in the industrial commercial area of Grand Bahama. The identity of the victim, who is a resident of Frobisher Drive, Freeport, has not been released. ASP Terecita Pinder said police received a call of an incident that occurred shortly after midday on Tuesday at a business on Queen’s Highway, where a male employee had sustained serious injuries. The victim was transported by EMS to the Rand Memorial Hospital, where he was seen by a doctor. He died from his injuries around 4pm that afternoon. Police are investigating the incident. Drug Enforcement Unit officers meanwhile discovered a firearm in a garbage bin near a community park in the Freeport area. According to reports, shortly before 2pm on Tuesday officers went to an area on Sergeant Major Drive near a community park and discovered in a garbage bin a 9mm pistol, along with a magazine containing three rounds. No arrest was made.
To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394 CHRISSY LOVE, who is seeking to have her contempt case heard by a different judge.
TWO ACCUSED IN COUNTERFEIT CASE By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net A MAN and woman accused of possessing materials used to make counterfeit money were
WOMAN HELD AFTER AIRPORT DRUG FIND AN American woman is in police custody after she was arrested at the Lynden Pindling International Airport for drug possession. According to police, shortly after 6pm Tuesday, officers from the Airport Division acting on information, while at the International Section of LPIA, conducted a search of an American woman and found a quantity of marijuana in her luggage. Police also seized a weapon and three rounds of ammunition from a garbage bin on Tuesday afternoon. Shortly before 2pm, officers from the Mobile Division acting on information went to the Moon McPhee Community Park in Yellow Elder Gardens where they made a check of a garbage bin and found one black .9mm Smith & Western firearm and three rounds of ammunition. No one was arrested in connection with this matter. Police also arrested seven people from various areas of New Providence on Tuesday and ticketed 112 persons for various traffic offences.
charged in the Freeport Magistrates Court yesterday. Alphonso Hield, 57, and Cherine Dacosta, 29, of Jamaica, appeared before magistrate Rengin Johnson and were charged with possession of materials for
forging notes. They pleaded not guilty to the charge and were remanded to Bahamas Department of Correctional Services in New Providence until February 8, 2018, for trial.
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PAGE 10, Thursday, November 16, 2017
THE TRIBUNE
Screening to test for tuberculosis By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net
DR DUANE SANDS, Minister of Health.
Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
THE Ministry of Health in collaboration with health workers will be conducting screening for tuberculosis (TB) in Eleuthera and Exuma, Health Minister Dr Duane Sands announced yesterday. Addressing parliamentarians, Dr Sands said The Bahamas ranks in the lowest third of countries with TB and in 2016 there were still fewer than 10 patients who were
diagnosed with the disease. He said the screening for TB will begin in Eleuthera because from 2012, the Ministry of Health’s Surveillance Unit has documented a gradual increase in cases on the island. TB is one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide. It is an infectious disease that generally affects the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections do not have symptoms. If left untreated when it becomes active, the disease kills about half of those
infected, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). “For this year our public health team has successfully treated two cases in Eleuthera and all contacts have been evaluated. We are aware of approximately 100 other individuals that require testing,” he said. “For the next two weeks our team in collaboration with health workers from Eleuthera heath services will be conducting screening and chest x-rays throughout the community. When they complete the surveillance and screening in Eleuthera, they will move to Exuma where our public health activity also needs to be strengthened... We will find all the cases who have the disease and will provide the needed treatment.” Dr Sands said the ministry’s surveillance team will also be recommending updated TB screening protocols for all new admissions to the prison and Carmichael Road Detention Centre. In October, it was reported a security guard on Paradise Island contracted TB and four others were exposed to the disease. At the time Dr Sands insisted there was no cause for widespread public alarm. He explained people are diagnosed with the disease regularly and this country follows strict guidelines when addressing health concerns related to it. Dr Sands’ statement came as some staff working on Paradise Island expressed concerns health officials didn’t respond with adequate urgency after the initial case was diagnosed.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, November 16, 2017, PAGE 11
Nothing ‘devious’ in new bond deal from page one
The bond, characterised as a ten-year weight average life bond, was priced at an interest rate of six per cent and is to be repaid in three equal annual instalments commencing on November 21, 2026 with a final maturity on November 21, 2028. He made the statement yesterday in Parliament after the Ministry of Finance said the $750m bond was secured to refinance and term-out several US dollar bank loan facilities ($450m) and domestic treasury bills and bank advances ($300m). The matter drew criticism from Progressive Liberal Party Deputy Leader Chester Cooper, who questioned in a statement the logic of borrowing US dollars to pay off Bahamian dollar loans at a time of excess liquidity in the system. Mr Cooper said while the government boasts indicative interests in excess of $2.8bn, this was tangible proof the cupboard was never bare. “I rise to share with this honourable House details of the government’s recent success at issuing a benchmark US $750m bond issue, which was opened to the markets and priced yesterday [Tuesday] and is expected to close on November 21, 2017,” Mr Turnquest told the House of Assembly. “It is also important to set the record straight, as there have been numerous reports in the press and social media about this transaction – characterising it as lacking in transparency and fiscal prudence. “Nothing could be further from the truth. There was absolutely nothing devious, surreptitious or imprudent about the transaction or the manner in which it was handled. There are certain
ways these transactions are handled in the international market and we were appropriately guided by our investors in this regard.” He also said: “During the 2017-2018 budget communication, two borrowing resolutions were approved by this honourable House. The first covered the additional funding approval of $400m to settle the outstanding arrears for [fiscal year] 2016-17 and the second was in respect of [fiscal year] 2017-18 and provided for financing to cover the overall budget deficit, estimated at $322.3m and refinancing/debt repayment obligations, which are now projected at $600.2m. “Therefore while the total borrowing envelope under these two approved resolutions totaled approximately $1,322.7m, the increment to the outstanding debt was and remains $722.3m, as the $600.2m in refinancing/debt repayment would have a neutral impact on debt levels. In other words all we [are] doing is rolling over existing debt.” The East Grand Bahama MP said at the beginning of each fiscal year, one of the first things that the government sets out to do, through the Treasury Department, is to develop monthly cash flow projections - based on how it perceives the evolution of revenue performance and the timing of the public outlays. These projections are calibrated on an ongoing basis to ensure that there are sufficient funds available to meet the government’s budgetary requirements as and when needed, he said. “It is now common knowledge that there were pressing funding needs at the end of the past fiscal year and the outset of the current period, which placed an urgent requirement on policymakers to identify immediate
funding sources to meet these obligations. “After an evaluation of the funding options, the government moved expeditiously to secure several short-term bridging facilities, which included US dollar bank credits $450m and domestic treasury bills and bank advances $300m. “I want to emphasise that these facilities were always contemplated to be short term in nature, with subsequent terming out or repayment ie lengthening of the maturities to achieve a more favourable debt serving profile. And having considered conditions in the domestic market and the number of significant rollovers contemplated, the intention was to explore the possibility of rolling up these short-term credits into an international bond issue.” The government, he said, in late August invited Deutsche Bank Inc and RBC Capital Markets, LLC to serve as joint managers – to examine market conditions for possible issuance of an index sized bond, that is, one over $500m and that would allow us to access more efficient pricing in the international capital markets. As is typical with these kinds of transactions, a road show presentation was planned as an avenue for the government to meet with strategic investors and share with investors the Bahamas’ story, including government policies and strategies for achieving fiscal consolidation and dealing with the structural impediments to economic growth. The five-day road show, which ended on November 13, took finance officials to London, New York, Boston and Los Angeles. For his part, Mr Cooper in his statement yesterday said the government had no plan for the economy.
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PAGE 12, Thursday, November 16, 2017
THE TRIBUNE
RONNIE Butler pictured during his musical performance at the 44th Bahamas Independence celebrations - isn’t it time to celebrate our heroes while they are with us?
Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
Time to honour our nation’s heroes By DIANE PHILLIPS ISTORY waits for no one and clocks do not stop because a loved one dies. Each time we lose someone who means something special to us in our personal lives we wonder what more we could have done for them before they passed or how we might have acted differently had we known their end was so near. Our loss makes us sad. It also makes us question ourselves. Did we fail them somehow by not expressing how much they meant to us? Was there something more we could have done to show them the respect we felt for them while they were able to understand what they meant to us and the influence they had on our lives. Just as we ask ourselves what did we not do that we could have when a loved one dies, countries say what more should we have done or what can we do now to show our respect or honour for the person who gives or gave so much? The issue haunted me over the last several days as we saw the news of several people passing. A quiet, highly respected teacher
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DIANE PHILLIPS named Al Smith who influenced children in Family Island schools; Emmet Pritchard, patriarch of the John Bull, Starbuck’s, Asa H Pritchard family; Michael D Dingman, visionary entrepreneur and philanthropist who despite his wealth never assumed airs nor outgrew his favourite clothier, the LL Bean outdoor catalogue, and a name everyone in The Bahamas knows, Sir Arlington Butler, the longest serving Bahamian head of the Bahamas Olympic Association and former speaker of the House of Assembly. I mention this as a precursor to a call to action, to honour our heroes, living
and passed. The call is not new. Others including Sebastian Campbell, Freddie Munnings and Carlton Smith have been leading this charge for years. I want only to build on the groundwork they laid and urge a national discussion, create a sense of urgency and offer a list of those whose place in history must be secured. We must find a way to remember those whose lives impacted the nation but whose memory was not commemorated by bust, monument, street, building or venue name. We do not know why this country is so strong when it comes to certain traits and so weak in others. We produce great athletes and world-class artists and musicians. We win culinary contests against the best of the best. We probably have more environmental action groups than any small country in the world and more NGOs per capita than anywhere in the region. Our history is filled with intrigue, glamour, skullduggery and romance, yet our buildings are bare and have no plaques. Since Independence, every decision – even who to honour – is so mired in politics we cannot get out of our own way and get on with honouring those persons who we should. Let us start with Ronnie Butler. Age ain’t nothin’ but a number, still Ronnie, now often in a wheelchair, lives
in the most modest of circumstances, an apartment identified to strangers as the one with the big dumpster in front of the row. Surely, a Bahamas that adores Ronnie Butler could do better for him. Only Craig Flowers hailed him as he deserves, singing his praises with a life-size statue on the grounds of his office complex just west of The Pointe on West Bay Street. Let us honour Patricia Bazard, an advanced stage cancer patient. Mrs. Bazard has dedicated her life to music, not only as the founder and heart of the National Children’s Choir, but often sewing until the wee hours of the morning, making choir gowns and costumes for performances after going door to door to raise money to take her young singers to a concert they had been invited to take part in. Next is the memory master guitarist Joseph Spence. For years, musician Fred Ferguson, another unsung hero, has been trying to raise funds for a proper headstone on Spence’s grave. Spence was considered one of the greatest folk guitarists of all time, celebrated by musicians, the Smithsonian and by academics of music around the world, but his remains lie in a Woodlawn Cemetery grave with nothing but a name and dates of birth and death. Fred Ferguson has a gofundme
SIR ARLINGTON BUTLER, who died last week. page for the tombstone, but why are we begging for something that we should do without hesitation? Why? The bust of Norman Solomon, sponsored by friends and family, was completed more than three years ago. It remains in storage pending final government approval for its placement on the east side of One Bay Street, overlooking the street that he helped make famous around the world. Norman Solomon was far more than a successful businessman (Mademoiselle, Wendy’s, The Body Shop, Ardastra). Though elected UBP, he stood for and welcomed majority rule in the 1960s. In the early 1980s, when the drug trade was at its worst and the reputation of The Bahamas was shattered, he confronted Colombian drug dealers on Norman’s Cay, sitting, one man alone on the Exuma island with guns pointed at
his head as the Colombian flag flew overhead, defying them to order him off land in his own country. It was his actions that triggered the Commission of Inquiry. And it was Norman Solomon, a staunch FNM, who sat by Lynden Pindling’s bedside as the father of the nation was dying, holding Pindling’s hand and crying. The two men had been through so much together. We must honour Jackson Burnside who had a way of making all of us see art and architecture in a way we never would have without him. Let us, please, take the politics out of who is honoured under what administration and get on with the task of placing plaques on historic buildings and understanding a hero is not defined by the political party he or she aligns with but by the lives they touch.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, November 16, 2017, PAGE 13
Thank You THE ERROL BROWN’S
Children in need at Christmas Charity
Santa’s Helpers with Leandria Albury at last year’s tournament. Over the years the support of our sponsors has enabled us to sponsor Leandria through school. We could not have been prouder of her this year when she graduated as valedictorian and top achiever of her year in the majority of her subjects including Mathematics, English, Spanish, Physics, Chemistry, I.T. and Psychology. The Children In Need At Christmas Charity Committee, Ginette Brown (Patron), Paul Major, Fred Lunn, Nicolas Mosko, Chris Darville and Leonie Brown, would like to take this opportunity to thank our sponsors for both their previous and their continuing support previous and their continuing support.
DIAMOND SPONSORS The Herrod Foundation, The Clipper Group, Global Pacific Food Group, Major Consulting
PLATINUM SPONSORS Atlantis Paradise, Scotiabank, Graycliff, Crown Jewellers, Downsview Kitchens, Baker Tilly, Island Luck, Odyssey Aviation, Insurance Management, Royal Bank of Canada, Bahama Wall, Albany, Ginette, Leonie & Colette Brown
GOLD SPONSORS Sands Beer, FML, Arawak Homes, Bahamas Hot Mix, Brickell Management Group, Pictet Bank, Bahamas First, Nagico, Bristol Cellars, Natures Way Landscaping, Tropic Seafood, Woslee Construction, Skypole, Pineapple House Restoration, KFC, Bahamas, Tourism Channel, Bahamas Steel & Wire
SILVER SPONSORS Coca Cola, Felix Stubbs, J. S. Johnson, Fred Gottlieb & Co., BAF Financial, Campbell Cleare, NPDCo, Gary Christie, The Nassau Guardian, Kelsey Rolle, Ray Gibson, Investar, BMGIA, Bamboo Shack, Gunite Pools, Centerville Food Store, Island Imports, McVities Biscuits, Ray Brown, GSO Legal
Prize Donations made by:
Albany, Major Consulting, Treasure Cay, The Clipper Group, Fernandez Bay, Breezes, Winding Bay, Our Lucaya, Hilton Hotel Miami Airport, Tropics Air, Lyford Cay Golf Course, The Cove Atlantis, Bahamas Air, Sky Bahamas, Western Air, Bahamas Ferries, Floral Fantasia, BTC, Rubis, His Fashion, John Bull, CONCAF, LPGA, Columbian Emerald, Fab Finds, Shores Boutique, 77 West, Olives, Bahama Grill, Twisted Lime, Sapodilla, Black Angus, Mahogany, Sands Beer, Sushi Rokkan, Social House, Crown Jewellers, Aquafire, Patricia Mortimer, Phillip Gorman, Spritz, Negril Café, Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival, Poop Deck, The Imaging Center, John Watlings The 15th Annual Golf Tournament will take place on Saturday December 9th, at The Ocean Club Golf Course. Tee off 8.00am.
PAGE 14, Thursday, November 16, 2017
THE TRIBUNE
GOP SENATOR OPPOSES NEW TAX BILL PLAN
Australia starts debate on gay marriage
WASHINGTON (AP) — Wisconsin’s Ron Johnson on Wednesday became the first Republican senator to say he opposes his party’s tax bill, signalling potential problems for GOP leaders. Passage of a similar package seemed certain Thursday in the House, where a handful of dissidents conceded they expected to be steamrolled by a GOP frantic to claim its first major legislative victory of the year. The two chambers’ plans would slash the 35 percent corporate tax rate to 20 percent, trim personal income tax rates and diminish some deductions and credits — while adding nearly $1.5 trillion to the coming decade’s federal deficits. Republicans promised tax breaks for millions.
A GAY lawmaker on Thursday started the Australian Parliament’s debate on legal recognition for same-sex marriage with an emotion speech in which he warned against winding back LGBT rights. Dean Smith, a senator with the ruling conservative Liberal Party, has introduced a bill that would limit who could legally refuse to take part in same-sex marriage to churches, religious ministers and a new class of religious celebrants. But many same-sex marriage opponents want amendments to broaden the range of businesses and individuals who can legally refuse to provide services such as cakes, flowers or a venue to same-sex couples and new free-speech
CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA Associated Press
protections for those who denounce gay marriage. Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is illegal in Australia outside religious institutions. “Let me be clear: Amendments that seek to address other issues, or which seek to deny gay and lesbian Australians the full rights, responsibilities and privileges that they already have will be strenuously opposed,” Smith told the Senate. “Australians did not vote for equality before the law so that equality before the law that is already gained be stripped away,” he added. Another Liberal Party senator, James Paterson, had won the support of lawmakers who oppose marriage reform with a proposed bill that offered “a limited right of conscientious objection to ensure
MEMBERS of the gay community and their supporters celebrate the result of a postal survey calling for gay marriage right in Sydney, Australia, yesterday. no one is forced to participate in a same-sex wedding against their sincerely held beliefs.” It also would safeguard speaking out against gay marriage and would bar government agencies from acting against people who hold such views. The Law Council Of Australia, the nation’s peak
lawyers group, said Paterson’s bill “would encroach on Australia’s long-established anti-discrimination protections in a dangerous and unprecedented way”. Paterson decided to not introduce his bill because senators favored Smith’s bill as the starting point for the debate, but many
lawmakers will argue for contentious features of Paterson’s bill to be incorporated in Smith’s bill as amendments. The Senate debate began a day after the release of a nonbinding postal survey found that 62 percent of Australian respondents wanted reform.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, November 16, 2017, PAGE 15
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