South Beach MP Cleola Hamilton yesterday suggested Fort Charlotte MP Dr. Andre Rollins is a "turncoat" who is trying to "dismantle" the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP).
While the parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not name Rollins, she made clear references to Rollins' verbal attacks on Prime Minister Perry Christie.
"Mr. Speaker, I sometimes question what is the price to those of us who seek to carry out such obvious backstabbing methods of politics," she said during debate on a resolution to borrow $16 million for The College of The Bahamas.
"What is the price for what appears to be trying to force the PM to resign?
"Mr. Speaker, I ask what is the price for trying to disrupt the government?
"What is the price for trying to dismantle the party [that] took us in and embraced us?
"I believe this practice is called scorching the earth.
"It appears that those of us who desire to leave the party, rather than just leaving are trying to force the party to fire us.
"To this I say, if you desire to leave, do the honorable thing, man up your testicular fortitude and leave."
Rollins has said the country needs new leadership and he is tired of hearing Christie quote scripture.
He said while Christie "waxes eloquently with his words", those words must live up to actions.
He also said that the PLP used young politicians as tokens to win the election.
But Hamilton said the new members of the PLP knew what they were getting into.
"...Some of us young politicians, who because we knew we did not have a chance in the bottomless pit with the other parties, used the PLP to get in this honorable place," she said.
"Then they...tried to dismantle the PLP and demean our leader.
"What is more concerning to me, Mr. Speaker, is how the phrase 'in the best interest of the constituents and the Bahamian people', is being used as a motive.
"Mr. Speaker, one thing I find with Bahamian people, we are not stupid. We love our parties. We love our politics.
"But one thing we despise is a turncoat who would stop at nothing for what appears to be political mileage. Not principled, but political mileage."
Hamilton said as a child she had to read William Shakespeare's political tragedy Julius Caesar for her Bahamas Junior Certificate exams.
"I can see the plot of this story being played out over and over again," she said.
"But we are not worried. We see the dagger coming. We have seen it for a while. In time, we will know what is the real purpose.
"One thing I have always found is that time has a way of revealing all things."
The PLP's National General Council has demanded that Rollins apologize in Parliament.
But Rollins has said he will not apologize to Christie for anything he said based on his convictions.
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