"A great democracy has got to be progressive or it will soon cease to be great or a democracy."  - Theodore Roosevelt

Recently in Parliament, Dr. Bernard Nottage, Minister of National Security, asserted that the Christie administration is arguably "the most progressive government The Bahamas has ever seen". Therefore, over the next few weeks, we would like to Consider this... Do the facts support Nottage's assertions that the Christie administration is the "most progressive government The Bahamas has ever seen"?

This week, we will review what a progressive, liberal government entails. We will also review several aspects of the progressive, liberal agenda including civil rights and liberties, consumer protection, environmental protection and growth, government performance, health, public safety, social services, taxation, voting and elections and wages and benefits.

The liberal agenda
The liberal political philosophy is founded on the ideas of liberty and equality, including ideas such as freedom of speech, press freedom, free markets, civil rights, democratic societies, secular governments and international cooperation. Historically, the concept of a liberal political philosophy rejects the notions of hereditary privilege, state religion, absolute monarchy and the Divine Right of Kings.

The British philosopher John Locke, often credited with founding the concept of liberalism, argued that each man has a natural right to life, liberty and property. He also maintained that governments must not violate these rights based on the social contract. Liberalism was opposed to traditional conservatism and replaced absolutism in government with representative democracy and the rule of law.

The progressive agenda
Progressivism is a philosophy which asserts that advancements in science, technology, economic development and social organization are vital to improving the human condition. This concept emerged from the enormous social changes that were driven by industrialization in the late 19th century, particularly out of the view that human progress was being stifled by vast economic inequality between the rich and the poor, minimally regulated laissez-faire capitalism with out-of-control monopolistic corporations, and the conflicts that arose between workers and capitalists.

The progressive, liberal agenda
The characteristics of a progressive, liberal government can be summarized in the following subtopics:

Civil rights and liberties
Liberal and progressive democratic nations are founded on the principle that all men and women are created equal. That idea demands that we should defend liberty and justice for all people and forbids discrimination on the basis of race, gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity. In addition, a progressive government provides fundamental fairness for immigrants, protects the personal privacy of individuals from intrusion by government or businesses, including the collection, use and sale of data without individuals' active consent.

Consumer protection
A progressive, liberal government also prescribes fundamental laws and regulations to ensure consumer protection. These edicts ensure that food is safe, drugs are pure and products are free from dangerous defects. Such protections also guarantee that financial institutions do not cheat or take advantage of customers and require businesses to follow basic rules of economic decency.

Environment and smart growth
A liberal and progressive government protects the quality of life for all of its citizens and residents. Such a government not only protects against the degradation of our environment and implements methods to reduce air, water and land pollution, including gases that accelerate climate change, but also conserves energy and encourages the development of clean, renewable sources of energy as well as implementing policies that build infrastructure to create environmentally friendly communities.

Government performance
A liberal and progressive government ensures that government workers and contractors are paid wages and benefits that support a decent standard of living and guarantees that economic development subsidies are used sparingly to create middle-class jobs that operate transparently and with the highest ethical standards.

Health
Every citizen should be able to access the healthcare they need, when they need it, and at a price they can afford. For too many years, insurance companies have overcharged their clients, and coverage can very easily be denied or revoked. To combat these deficiencies, a progressive, liberal government will ensure that medical coverage is available at an affordable cost to every citizen as a matter of right, encourage healthy behavior and protect others from unhealthy behaviors, allowing people to make their own healthcare choices.

Public safety
The most fundamental job of government is to protect residents from crime and the fear of crime. Progressive, liberal governments focus on strategies that enhance our safety. While serious crimes deserve serious punishment, greater measures should be taken to prevent crime and ensure justice.

In addition, there is an urgent need to reform police procedures, including interrogations and the use of force, which lead authorities to apprehending the wrong suspects. Finally, a progressive, liberal government will reform judicial procedures that harm the innocent, thereby exonerating theguilty. It will also reform prison procedures and practices that increase recidivism.

Social services
A progressive, liberal government has a responsibility to assist persons in our communities who are vulnerable and cannot meet their basic human needs. This especially includes our children, the elderly, the disabled and victims of illness, crime and natural disasters.

Taxation
A progressive, liberal government will ensure that everyone pays their fair share of taxes. To this end, it is vitally essential that taxes are applied fairly and even-handedly, that concessions should not unfairly benefit the rich and powerful and that taxes are reduced, if not eliminated altogether, for people who cannot reasonably afford them.

Voting and elections
In order to ensure that our electoral system is transparent, a progressive, liberal government must guarantee that every citizen can easily register, is afforded the opportunity to vote and that campaign financing laws are enacted to minimize corruption of the electoral process by rich special interest groups.

Wages and benefits
A progressive and liberal government will require that the lowest-level jobs provide at least a living wage and that middle-class jobs support a middle-class standard of living. To this end, laws must be enacted to ensure that a minimum wage and minimum benefits are established for all citizens, that hiring and retention processes are fair and that the right to collective bargaining is implemented.

Conclusion
Next week, we will assess whether Nottage's assertion satisfies the criteria for a progressive, liberal government and, more importantly, whether or not the Christie administration is the most progressive government The Bahamas has ever seen.

o Philip C. Galanis is the managing partner of HLB Galanis and Co., Chartered Accountants, Forensic & Litigation Support Services. He served 15 years in Parliament. Please send your comments to pgalanis@gmail.com.

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