Hole in the boat

Speaking with National Review this week, one prominent FNM aptly observed, “Leadership can be a stabilizer or create chaos by its absence”.

The governing Free National Movement increasingly appears to be a party of chaos and instability.

The dissenting voices within the party’s ranks and their tenor are much more about FNM Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis than the dissenters themselves.

While individually those voices of dissent might have little impact on the party, collectively they could have a damaging effect.

Some of those dissenting voices were loud and clear during the budget debate in the House of Assembly, which is winding down.

Generally, the debate has been of low quality with little analysis of the actual budget. True, it is a time when every member in the House except the speaker contributes and speaks on any matter they choose, but the obvious lack of preparation and deep thinking by some members has been painful to watch.

What has emerged from the debate is a general theme of discord, disaffection and disagreement, even if some of it has been more respectfully conveyed than others.

Elizabeth MP Dr. Duane Sands, the former minister of health, observed, as we did in our commentary in the days after the prime minister’s budget presentation, that the budget missed the mark in conveying the depth of our fiscal crisis and in underscoring the urgent need for critical reforms.

We also heard Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources Michael Pintard describing the government’s execution of a ceremonial signing with Oban Energies for a $5.5 billion oil refinery and storage facility in 2018 as “clumsy” and a “rookie mistake”.

Additionally, he called for more sensitivity in how some MPs are being cut out of another nomination by their party. 

Pintard was measured in his observations, but beneath that veil was a direct hit at Minnis. Both the matters he raised ride on leadership.

Oban was a mess because Minnis as prime minister did not ensure it was a sound deal. His Cabinet, too, must accept the responsibility for that monumental embarrassment that stands out as one of the administration’s greatest screw-ups.

The poor manner in which some government MPs have been treated in being denied renomination is also something the party leader must shoulder the blame for.

Failing to do an adequate enough job at preventing behind-the-scenes rumblings from developing into the public airing of dirty laundry resulted in the FNM’s parliamentary caucus ousting Minnis as leader of the official opposition in 2016. They have long been vindicated in the assessment of their party leader.

One of Minnis’ most ardent supporters was Lanisha Rolle, the now former minister of youth, sports and culture. She was among those who wanted to run again, but who were left out in the cold.

Last week, Rolle, in her contribution to the budget debate, said sitting MPs deserve the same chance at a shot at re-election as Minnis. 

Most of her speech was spent “throwing shade” at the party leadership. 

Rolle has come a long way since her infamous 2016 radio interview in which she lashed out at sitting FNM MPs who were critical of Minnis’ leadership. In fact, she accused them of being “jealous” of Minnis and refusing to respect the party’s process.

Like the group of FNM MPs who voted Minnis out as leader of the opposition later that year, Rolle will be off the political stage.

As we pointed out in this space a week ago, while she had a lot to say about matters that unfolded in the wake of her resignation from Cabinet in February, she has yet to give a reason for her resignation.

During the budget debate, it was also interesting to hear the former deputy prime minister, Peter Turnquest, level criticisms at Minnis over a major initiative the prime minister continues to tout: affordable land in western New Providence for young Bahamian professionals.

Turnquest rightly observed that the initiative is discriminatory, stating that tax dollars should not be used for such an initiative for a select group of Bahamians.

He also lamented the state of Grand Bahama nearly two years after Hurricane Dorian. 

Turnquest, who was one of the MPs who stood with Minnis when the so-called rebel seven used their majority to remove him as opposition leader, did not expect that he would be moved off the political stage so soon.

He faced unexpected political trouble last November after he was accused of involvement in a scheme in which two companies were allegedly defrauded of over $20 million (prior to the FNM coming to office). 

Turquest has denied any wrongdoing.

In February, he advised with seeming disappointment that Minnis informed him that he will not get another nomination.

While Fort Charlotte MP Mark Humes recently called on the prime minister in Parliament to show him respect as the sitting member of Parliament, during his contribution to the budget debate on Monday, Humes did not go further.

His previous statement, however, had been quite telling, reflecting the manner in which some MPs being denied a nomination had been treated. 

DISSENT

All of these developments pile atop the widely reported exit from the FNM of three MPs who were elected on the party’s ticket: Halson Moultrie (Nassau Village); Reece Chipman (Centreville) and Vaughn Miller (Golden Isles).

Moultrie, the speaker of the House, who is now an independent, has repeatedly launched political attacks on Minnis and the FNM from the speaker’s chair. It really has been bizarre to watch this play out three years after the government’s parliamentary caucus moved a vote of confidence in Moultrie, though he had displayed unparliamentary behavior.

While Pineridge MP Rev. Frederick McAlpine’s assaults on Minnis and the FNM in the House are so consistent they have become tiresome, his recent contribution to the budget debate appears to have resonated as he again highlighted the current administration being completely out of touch with the common man. 

McAlpine accused Minnis of ignoring the people and lashed the prime minister for a promise he has made to take care of the poor in his next term.

Minnis claims he is unfazed by all the criticisms heaped on him and his administration in recent days. 

As he usually is when asked to respond to dissent or criticisms, the prime minister was dismissive when approached by reporters last Friday. 

“Every prime minister is always targeted. The leaders are always targeted. But I still remain focused,” he said.

“My job and my duty is to improve the quality of life for the Bahamian people and to advance The Bahamas as the rest of the world advances.”

While Minnis indicates he is unbothered by the growing chorus of dissent, many in the public are certainly taking note. It is feeding disenchantment that already exists in some circles as it portrays the FNM as a party in trouble.

While it is true that the FNM ahead of the 2017 general election had also faced significant internal struggles that played out in a nasty way on the public stage, the party benefited from the widespread disgust the Bahamian people felt toward the Christie administration.

Incumbent parties have a tougher climb.

Minnis and the FNM should not allow arrogance to so blind them that they fail to assess the damage to their brand. 

Reminding the Bahamian people of PLP “corruption” and fomenting fears over what a Davis administration would mean for the Bahamian people might not be enough to win another term.

There is a hole in the FNM’s hull. Ignoring that problem won’t make it go away.

The post Hole in the boat appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/hole-in-the-boat/