Pineridge MP also cautions opposition leader against “counting your eggs before they hatch”
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — In a sweeping rebuke of the Minnis administration, the prime minister and the opposition, Pineridge MP Frederick McAlpine said the electorate is “disgusted, disgruntled and discouraged” with party politics in The Bahamas and predicted that it is about to change “right before your very eyes”.
“No government should be naïve to believe that they can ignore the people, their wishes, their requests and abandon their promises to its nationals and expect to receive a favorable response,” he said during the mid-year budget debate.
“Nor should an opposition who was scandal-ridden, perceived as corrupt with alleged deal-cutting politicians, while we’re still waiting on a proper excuse about the BAMSI fiasco, and a former deputy leader who hardly said anything or rebuked his former leader for the many governmental political travesties when last in office.
“Let me break it down for you. They said you were too silent for somebody who wants to be prime minister of this country, while you were so close to the top.”
McAlpine said while the prime minister recently announced that he wishes to focus on the poor in his next term in office, there may not be one as the Bahamian people “are saying: next”.
“Certainly, this was not the people’s time, but I guess if they give you another term it will be? Like, seriously?” he asked.
“Your poor decisions will cause the poor to deal with you.”
He said the electorate has not forgotten the last four years or the previous five under the former administration, and the governance over the period has left a “bitter taste in the mouth of the Bahamian citizenry”.
“They don’t know who to trust and, quite frankly, they don’t trust the one who presently holds the office or the one trying to get in office,” the MP said.
“The view and perceived perception is one political organization is corrupt and scandalous, while the other is now labeled corrupt and incompetent.
“I came to speak on behalf of the people. Which people? The people who are tired of jokey leaders who are turning us into a jokey town.”
During his mid-year budget communication, the prime minister jeered that if he called a general election then, the Pineridge MP would be gone.
Referring to the remark, McAlpine said: “I came to speak on behalf of the people. Which people? The people who told me to tell you ‘call it and you’ll be gone before I’m gone’.
“The people told me to remind you [former US] President [Donald] Trump gone, Premier Sharlene Robinson gone and sooner or later you’ll be gone.”
Turning to the official opposition again, McAlpine said: “The people also told me to tell the leader of the opposition even though the prime minister may be gone, don’t count your eggs before they hatch.
“He may be gone, but you haven’t reached. The Bahamian people are disgusted, disgruntled and discouraged with party politics as usual in this country. It’s about to change right before your very eyes.”
He asserted the Free National Movement (FNM) has failed the people, whom they told it was their time in the lead-up to the last election.
The FNM’s messaging as part of its campaign was: “It’s the people’s time.”
But McAlpine asked which people were the FNM referring to.
“I came to speak on behalf of the people.
“Which people? The people who told me to tell you, you fooled me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.
“The Bahamas electorate is much smarter than we give them credit for.
“They’re tired of these same old games, with the same old players and even if it’s not the same old players, it’s the same puppet masters with the same play card.
“Bahamians are tired of being taken advantage of by many in political authority who act like enemies in here, but in some cases, cut deals with each other behind closed doors.
“I came to speak to you on behalf of the people. Which people? The people who told me to tell you that the political tricksters are about to be tricked.”
McAlpine is among a handful of FNMs who have yet to be ratified.
It remains to be seen who the party will give the nod for Pineridge to, though the MP’s increasingly critical remarks of the government, party and prime minister could be indicative of the direction the FNM will take for the seat.
