The House of Assembly on Monday passed the Gaming Bill. It will allow Bahamians to gamble in web shops. It also allows for mobile gaming, something the casino owners want. So, Bahamians will be in web shops and visitors in casinos.
The debate was contentious. The opposition Free National Movement (FNM) voted against legalizing web shops and Bahamians gambling in them. Another debate continued to play out during the passage of this legislation, however. Fort Charlotte MP Dr. Andre Rollins, a member of the governing Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), furthered his attack against his leader, Prime Minister Perry Christie.
You would remember that Rollins said last month that Christie is no longer the man for these times.
"The political threats uttered by the prime minister and minister of finance this morning left me with one impression, and that is we need new political leadership in The Bahamas," Rollins said during his contribution to the value-added tax debate on August 20.
The Fort Charlotte MP was fired as chairman of the Gaming Board as a result of that remark. He remains a PLP representative.
Rollins clearly no longer has respect for Christie as his leader. He is now the most articulate critic of the prime minister and his party in Parliament. He even voted against the Gaming Bill, a piece of legislation championed by Christie.
During the Gaming Bill debate, Rollins noted that while the PLP has brought forth legislation to aid the wealthy web shop bosses, it has yet to bring mortgage relief, or to lower the cost of electricity.
"Are Bahamian homeowners and consumers less important than web shop owners and operators?" Rollins asked.
"We said we believe in Bahamians, but our actions thus far have made it difficult for Bahamians to believe in us."
Christie does not like his leadership being questioned. It angers him. He spent the first half hour of his contribution on the Gaming Bill discussing his frustrations with Rollins.
"When people on my side, in the process of governance, disagree fundamentally with me, they have a choice. Firstly, to recognize that the Progressive Liberal Party operates on a revolving door, the door swings in and it swings out. So you are free at all times to stay or to leave. There is no problem with my leadership in that regard," he said.
Rollins should have been expelled from caucus for what he said about Christie. It is fine for backbenchers to attack policy. But saying the leader must go crosses the line.
What exists now is a situation in which Rollins is the opposition voice against the prime minister while serving as a member of the prime minister's party. He will not stop his attacks on his leader. And it is obvious that they hurt and anger Christie.
How will it end? We suspect Rollins won't spend all of the rest of this term as a PLP. He will push and push until he so embarrasses Christie that the PLP leader has to throw him out of the party.
Christie should prepare to hear more from his member from Fort Charlotte.

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