Prime Minister Perry Christie yesterday shot back at Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller, who described the upcoming Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival as "garbage". Christie said while he doesn't mind Miller's "intrusiveness", the PLP MP should have come to him with his concerns.
On Wednesday, Miller said he has grave reservations about whether Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival is in the best interest of The Bahamas, and said the country should not import any "garbage" to further destroy young people. But Christie, who defended the cultural festival, pointed out that Miller's daughters are heavily involved in Junkanoo Carnival.
"The first people who spoke to me when I walked into this room with hundreds of people gathered together for Junkanoo Carnival was Leslie Miller's two daughters, leading one segment of these new corporations that will be involved in Carnival," said Christie as he addressed the Bahamas Business Outlook, which was held at the Melia Nassau Beach resort.
"I welcome his intrusiveness. I don't frown about that. I mean, he could have talked to me about it and I would have been able to explain my views the same as any colleague that I have. Somehow people in public life believe that the people who are in the Cabinet don't have those views.
"Leslie could never be as radical as Mrs. [Glenys] Hanna-Martin in terms of her identification of things Bahamian as she perceives it. But she is in a cabinet and if you want to be in a cabinet you conform with how cabinet works."
Miller's daughter Leslia Brice is a part of Enigma, which is one of 30 companies that will produce costumes for the festival. When asked about carnival recently, she told Tourism Today she was excited about the opportunities that it offers.
"Carnival is all about fun, having an awesome time," Brice said. "It's an awesome experience and we're excited about this new event that The Bahamas is bringing to the world."
However, her father is singing a different tune.
"When I look at those things and I look at if you want to import garbage to my country, I take exception to it, to be honest with you, as a member of Parliament and as a Bahamian," Miller said. "I say garbage because I was there one time as the minister of trade and industry, in Trinidad when they had the thing, and it didn't impress me.
"I saw a lot of vulgarity, people were, I don't want to say hitting on each other, but almost a sexual situation in broad daylight."
Christie also addressed criticisms of the costumes. He said carnival provides an avenue for builders and artists to showcase their talents. "[This is] about being able to have an enterprise," he said. "It has nothing to do with lack of dignity, nothing to do with outrageous costumes but it has to do with the concept."
The prime minister also questioned whether Miller attends Junkanoo, which he said has featured carnival themed costumes in recent years.
"When I go to Bay Street now and I look at the girls last Christmas and this Christmas, I said, 'Lord they have carnival costumes on," Christie said. "I don't know if you people go to Junkanoo. I don't know. I don't know if Leslie Miller goes to Junkanoo."
Miller is among the latest to criticize the event which is scheduled to take place in May. On Monday, the Bahamas Christian Council released a statement saying carnival will encourage "promiscuity, fornication, rape, incest and other sins of the flesh."
Despite the opposition, Christie insisted that "now is the time" to bring a festival that has the potential to bring significant economic benefits. "We are going to move relentlessly to put in place the best cultural expressions," he said as Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Danny Johnson shouted his support from his seat.
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