Thank you so much PLPs for your warm welcome here tonight.
I'm Chester Cooper and I don't think it's any secret that Exuma is PLP country. With your help and with God's help in the next election we will keep Exuma P-L-P!
Thank you Mr. Party Leader - Prime Minister Christie, for your confidence, support and endorsement of my candidacy.
Thank you Deputy Leader Davis, Chairman Roberts, the Candidates Committee, National General Council and Party Officers. A special thanks to those who came before me the Hon. George A. Smith, Hon. Livingston Coakley, Hon. Ruby Anne -Darling [Cooper-Darling...here tonight to show her support] and special thank you Hon. Anthony Moss for you contributions over the past 15 years and for facilitating such a seamless transition in passing the baton to me, so that TOGETHER we can continue to make Exuma the envy of The Bahamas.
By the way, there was also a gentleman [Elliott Lockhart] on the other side, who represented Exuma from 1997 to 2002. We thank him as well.
Special thanks to Team Cooper Movement in Exuma, My wife Cecillia (who is the original member of the TeamCooper Movement); My Family, Stalwarts, Branch Officers, Young Liberals and the Exuma Community in general, for embracing me. I am also grateful for the wonderful people who came here today from Exuma mainland, Ragged Island & the Cays to throw your support behind me. I am humbled; I will do my best. I will not let you down. Thank you!
Ladies and gentleman, In my brief remarks...
I reflect on a call from a reporter a few days ago who asked about me being a descendent of Exuma. I said "No, No I am not 'a descendent, ' that sounds so very distant". I was born and grew up at Forbes Hill Little Exuma. I am the last of 12 children of Rev Eulon & Louise Cooper. My father died tragically when I was 5 (and I had 7 siblings who were under the age of 18). My mother sacrificed all she had to see that I got a good education, developed strong values and became a good & productive son of the soil.
But even with my mother's help, I couldn't do it alone.
It took a community, a Village (if you will), it took a PLP government willing to help with scholarships, and it took the support of a nation to get me where I am today.
And now my Brothers & Sisters, it's time for me to give back. It's time to pay it forward. It's time to Empower Exuma, so that more children with meager means can also succeed if they are willing to work hard, to commit themselves, if they have a support system from a caring Government; and if they truly believe in the possibilities that exist in our great country.
Over the past five years, many have been critical of our PLP. And we know that every move we made hasn't been perfect, but when you stop and take stock, you'll see that what we've been doing is making the difficult decisions, doing the heavy lifting and laying the foundation for a new Bahamas.
A Bahamas where we can all benefit from the groundwork that's being laid and the superstructure that will be the envy of the region, and even the world - from tax reform, to the University of the Bahamas to NHI. We recognize that there is a lot more work to be done. So I am answering the call tonight, to do my part.
We have made some progress in boldly and fearlessly addressing the challenges confronting this country from food security, energy reform and criminal justice. There is more that we can and will do.
The University of The Bahamas promises to be a Center of Excellence, leading solutions driven research and development in addressing our national challenges.
It is a matter of public record that since the commencement of the Christie Administration in May 2012, The Bahamas has succeeded in securing significant capital commitments of some $7.8 billion in foreign direct investment, delivering an additional 1500 hotel rooms and 300 high-end estate homes and villas in resort inventory over the next decade. Mr. Prime Minister, we know that Exuma has not been left out and I look forward to what can only be described as an economic renaissance over the next decade. I offer just a few examples:-
- JMMC Bahamas Ltd's $311 million multi-faceted Great Exuma Adventure Resort on 275 acres at Hooper's Bay Estates, Great Exuma.
- Further food and beverage expansions at Sandals Emerald Bay are planned in addition to its continued community and education outreach
- A $185 million residential community resort, marina and golf course on Children's Bay Cay and Williams Cay.
- The redeveloped February Point includes a world class Welcome Center, a new marina and marina village with condo units, Bistro Bar and Spa.
- The Stocking Island Development Ltd, will develop the Stocking Island Club, a luxury $600 million residential resort boutique hotel and villas on Stocking Island.
So Prime Minister, we know that our government has been hard at work securing the economic future of Exuma and The Bahamas and I look forward to playing a pivotal role in securing job opportunities and expanded entrepreneurial opportunities for Exumians as these developments unfold.
I have just outlined a plan for Exuma comprising billions of dollars of projects in the pipeline and hundreds (maybe thousands) of jobs as solid evidence of the PLP's plan in the pipeline for our Exuma.
But water can't do you no good if it stays in the pipe, aye?
So step one is working together to get it out of the pipeline and into the taps where everyone in Exuma and Ragged Island and many from elsewhere in the Bahamas could have a drink.
It's going to take hard work by Exumians. But hard work ain't nothing new to us in Exuma, so we could handle that...
From Ragged Islland to Rolle Town. From Little Exuma to the Forrest; from Rolleville to Black Point; and from Georgetown to Ramsey we will work together to empower our people through entrepreneurship.
What we also want is ownership for Exuma in Exuma, by Exumians. That's what Empower Exuma is all about. That's what TeamCooper is about! We want to own the plumbing company; we want to own the tour company, we want to own the airline, we want to own the hotel, we want to own the ferry boats. No we don't just want to be job-seekers; We are Exumians - we are job creators!
We want to make Exuma a hub between the northern and southern Bahamas with the type of staging we saw during the recent hurricanes. We can have more fights from the U.S., Canada and Britain to this new airport we're building there in the next few months.
I will tell you that Exumians are progressive people. We don't mind paying our share of taxes BUT we want to make sure we always get our fair share for what we contribute.
I know we plan to improve our roads, improve our schools, improve our internet capabilities to do business better on Exuma and so I plan to shortly unveil shortly my "eVision 2030", a blueprint to Empower Exuma for the next five, 10, 15, even 30 years. This will include.....Jobs & Entrepreneurship, a Fully functional hospital, an expanded healthcare network for Ragged Island and the Cays, youth & community programs, Scholarships, the encouragement of sustainable nature-based tourism and the leveraging and developing of Elizabeth Harbor to bolster Exuma's position as the yachting capital of the region.
As I wrap up Let me also say that as a boy from Forbes Hill, I know what it means to feel left out...so Ragged Island, Little Exuma, Black Point, Staniel and Farmers Cays you have important planks in our Vision for Exuma. I will fight for you every day, every step of the way.
But Exuma and Exumians we need your help. We need every man woman and child on Exuma, from Exuma, who has roots in Exuma, who may be descendent and who born and grew there and who want to be a part of this Movement to build what we believe can be the best community in the country, we need you to get involved, to take part, to come home, to join Team Cooper, to Build & Grow and help us empower our Exuma together.
On the National stage, I look forward to contributing to the next level of the evolution of our country towards economic independence. I hope to bring all of my skills and experiences gleaned in buildings successful private sector businesses in the Bahamas & the Region to now contribute to the public sector. I will endeavor to be an agent for Positive Progressive Change, and work hand in hand with my Colleagues to implement some necessary public sector reform!
On that note Mr. Chairman, Mr. Party Leader, Party Officers, Fellow PLPs; Fellow Exumians:
I HUMBLY & PROUDLY ACCEPT THE NOMINATION OF THIS GREAT PARTY FOR THE EXUMA & RAGGED ISLANDS CONTISTITUENCY.
Thank you so much again, ladies and gentleman.
See you in Exuma tomorrow for a continuation of this grand celebration
Team Cooper - we are on the move!
EXUMA IS PLP COUNTRY
WE WILL KEEP EXUMA PLP!
Good Night! God Bless!
PLP!!!
Source: Bahamas Scoop
