Former Labour Minister Dion Foulkes has hit out at Prime Minister Perry Christie for appointing newly elected North Abaco MP Renardo Curry as a parliamentary secretary and said Christie has formed the "most expensive" government in history. Foulkes, a contender for the Free National Movement's upcoming chairman race, also said Curry's new post undermines local government. "The appointment of a parliamentary secretary to be stationed in Abaco will add additional costs as that office will have to be established and staffed," Foulkes said in a statement yesterday. "Not only is this an abuse and a waste of the people's money, it strikes at the heart of the role of local government in the Family Islands.
It diminishes the power and influence of elected local government members. "It is clear that the PLP intends to roll back the significant and positive effects of local government, which was established by the Hubert Ingraham-led FNM government in our first term. This is bad for our economy and it is a threat to local government." On Thursday, Prime Minister Christie said Abaco needs Curry stationed there. "Under ordinary circumstances, I would have been disinclined to increase the number of parliamentary secretaries," he told the House of Assembly.
"Abaco is the third largest economy in The Bahamas. It is important for my government -- in particular the Office of the Prime Minister -- to have a permanent place in Abaco so that the economic and social challenges can be systematically and directly addressed with close attention on a daily basis." Foulkes also said the Christie administration has ignored the country's financial straits by creating a bloated Cabinet and placing too many ministers, executive chairmen and parliamentary secretaries on the government's payroll.
"The PLP cabinet is the largest in the history of The Bahamas," Foulkes said. "Mr. Curry joins a crowded field of current and former PLP parliamentarians who have been given high paying ministerial appointments, executive and nominal chairmanships by the PLP government since the general election, a sore point for the thousands of suffering unemployed Bahamians." The Cabinet consists of 16 ministers and five ministers of state. The prime minister also selected South Beach MP Cleola Hamilton, Exuma and Ragged Island MP Anthony Moss and Bamboo Town MP Renward Wells as parliamentary secretaries.
"In addition to ministers, four other MPs serve as high profile executive chairmen of BEC, the Gaming Board, BAIC and National Insurance," Foulkes said. "The ambassador to CARICOM is also an MP. That brings to 30 the number of the PLP parliamentarians rewarded with high paying jobs since the PLP assumed office in May." Foulkes said this evidenced the government's "disregard" for the thousands of Bahamians who are unemployed. He also chided the government for the creation of the Ministry of Grand Bahama, which he said was a "needless expense". Back in May, Christie defended the large size of his newly formed Cabinet and said the challenges confronting the nation warrant as many hands on deck as possible. At the time, Christie said the size of his Cabinet is similar to the one formed by former Prime Minister Ingraham at the start of his term in 2007. However, Ingraham's Cabinet was later reduced to 17 members.
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