Dr. Hubert Minnis yesterday came across as a student of the Perry Gladstone Christie School of Leadership. The motto of that school being, "Speak first, think later and never plan".Let us go back to the past - three weeks ago - when Minnis and Christie read statements together in the House of Assembly championing the constitutional reform bills. "Let me emphasize, Mr. Speaker, that these constitutional bills will require a 'yes' vote in a binding constitutional referendum," said Minnis in the House on Wednesday, July 23."Those persons who might feel some way discomfited by events which have followed a recent referendum should not be in any way discouraged. This constitutional referendum will count. The results of this referendum will be important and binding."So Minnis wanted Bahamians to vote. Then he emphasized that he wanted Bahamians to vote 'yes' on these proposed measures."Though there is much which divides us in this place, let us speak with one voice when the issue is equality before the law," he said. "Let us, Mr. Speaker, speak as one in this place."If we can do so, we will signal to every Bahamian and the watching world our unified commitment to the advancement of human dignity in our beloved Bahamas."The success of this effort will require a bold and unified, multi-partisan and multi-sectoral effort on the part, not just of the political parties, but of civil society organizations, the Constitutional Commission, as well as social, civic and religious leaders."Bahamas Information Services, the government's communications arm, released to the public the communications to the House of both Christie and Minnis on the reform bills. The government then paid for ads in the newspapers with the communications of both men.So, Minnis seemed fully behind the effort with Christie. Then came yesterday when Minnis revealed concerns about the bills and the reform process undertaken by the government. He said the opposition is not fully onboard with the approach to the November 6 referendum.Minnis said constitutional amendment bills number two and three can be dealt with through legislation in Parliament, rather than constitutional change. Bill number two seeks to enable a Bahamian woman who marries a foreign man to secure the same access to Bahamian citizenship that a Bahamian man enjoys. Bill number three would reverse the law that prohibits an unwed Bahamian man from passing his citizenship to his child if he or she is born to a foreign woman.Minnis then said the fourth bill, which seeks to end discrimination based on sex, should be sent to committee in the House "so that it can be thoroughly discussed".Minnis' stunning change of position further demonstrates that he is a student of Christie's leadership style. In 2002, Christie supported similar bills to remove gender discrimination in Parliament with the Free National Movement (FNM). Christie then opposed the measures he voted for on the campaign trail.Minnis' new view on the amendments is quite different than that of his deputy, Loretta Butler-Turner, it seems."Most fundamentally, this is a debate about fairness and justice and full equality under our constitution, the supreme law of the land," she said during her contribution to the debate on Wednesday, August 6.Butler-Turner, who led off for the opposition, was not then voicing the concerns Minnis yesterday expressed."This referendum is about confronting and striking down discrimination," she said in that contribution. "Just as those who fought for majority rule confronted prejudice and discrimination and warnings of dire consequences back then, it is our time to confront and strike down discrimination today."So is Minnis' new view the view of the FNM? Or is he now acting alone and dragging his party along? If that is the case, we wonder what his position will be when the House meets next week. Will he be for the bills again? Or will he be undecided? We remember during the gambling referendum that Minnis had every possible position on the issue - for, against, abstinence - before the debate was done.The FNM will lose credibility on this issue if it is that Minnis has "gone rogue" and he makes up his positions each day without deep reflection. Our country will also be in deep trouble if Minnis enshrines the Christie leadership style in the FNM. We don't need both of our major parties acting first, thinking later and never planning. That would worsen the tough circumstance we are already in.

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