Free National Movement (FNM) Senator Carl Bethel yesterday charged that the Christie administration

is suffering from a "chronic lack of legislative focus" and called on the government

to "get its act together".
Bethel was responding to Chairman of the Constitutional Commission Sean McWeeney's recent admission that the government may have to delay the planned constitutional referendum on gender equality for a third time.
Bethel, who is a member of the Constitutional Commission, said he is "deeply disappointed" in the government's failure to keep many of its promises as it relates to the referendum.
"I'm sure on behalf of every Bahamian woman, I'd have to express great disappointment that the government has been unable to get its legislative act together in order to advance the cause of women," Bethel told The Nassau Guardian.
"As the chairman of the Constitutional Commission already admitted what we all know, that even so much as an educational campaign on [the matter] has not been instituted by the government."
Bethel said the government now faces a legislative bind as it has yet to present several key pieces of legislation, including the Value-Added Tax (VAT) Bill.
"So many things are going to be backed up. If they are going to be putting in VAT by July 1, then they are doing an extraordinary disservice to the Bahamian people, the business community and our nation that we should be guessing in April and the budget communication and the bills will be here at the end of May," he said.
"Then add to that their terrible neglect of a profound commitment made at the commencement of the Constitutional Commission process that if nothing else were to arise, steps would be taken to protect and enshrine the equal rights of women. And now two years later, nothing has materialized for women.
"It is a symptom of what appears to be a chronic lack of focus. And I would just urge the government to get their act together, bring focus to their message and bring some focus to their legislative agenda because the only ones who suffer from this apparent neglect are Bahamians."
Last October, Prime Minister Perry Christie announced that the constitutional referendum would take place before the end of June 2014 after a public education campaign.
Christie also said constitutional bills would be brought to Parliament before the end of 2013 and passed by February 2014.
The bills have not yet been introduced in Parliament and the public education campaign has not started.
Opposition Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis said he would not be surprised by a delay as the government has been consistently late.
"We should have expected a delay," he said.
"Since they came in, [they have] been late again. So I ask the Bahamian people when they promise you something, remember their dictum, 'late again'."
When asked on Tuesday if the June date was still feasible, McWeeney said, "That probably is unlikely.
"At this point in time there are other more pressing bills, like the upcoming budget [bills]. And the budget debate has historically been a lengthy one.
"So there may be a change in time. But we are confident that we will present the bill in its final form in a matter of weeks."

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