Remaining defiant in the face of damning revelations over his emails to developer Sarkis Izmirlian soliciting contracts for his father's business, Marathon MP Jerome Fitzgerald last night quoted Scripture in passionate tones, embraced his mother and declared he won't be stopped by what he insisted were unfair attacks intended to destroy him politically.
Fitzgerald's voice cracked and Sizzla's "Solid as a rock" with the lyrics "they can't keep a good man down" blared from the speakers as he declared his determination to stay focused and emerge victorious with his party on May 10.
"Every day I get the paper, I see they calling my name," Fitzgerald said.
"I see now the whole PLP and the whole of the FNM fixated on Fitzgerald.
"But you know, dog don't bark at parked car.
"They fixated on Fitzgerald because they don't have any plans or ideas on how to move this country forward.
"So the only thing that they are good at now is to attack anyone who they feel will expose their ineffectiveness and who they really are."
Fitzgerald's defiance on the rally stage at R. M. Bailey Park last night came one week after The Tribune revealed that he wrote Izmirlian on several occasions seeking to lock in big-money limousine, trucking and brokerage contracts.
Fitzgerald claimed that he was negotiating on behalf of his sick father.
The matter triggered a firestorm around the minister and the Progressive Liberal Party.
Fitzgerald has shown no contrition and Prime Minister Perry Christie has avoided speaking to the issue entirely.
Yesterday, The Tribune revealed that A. Scott Fitzgerald Insurance Brokers and Agents Ltd. was made the broker of record for National Insurance Board (NIB) contracts without participating in the contract bidding process.
Fitzgerald said in a statement early in the day his mother's business has had contracts with government and quasi-government agencies for years, and he had nothing to do with the NIB contract.
As he spoke last night, the deejay played the popular Bahamian song, "Dog don't bark at parked car".
"Talking about my sick father wasn't enough," Fitzgerald said.
"They had to go and talk about my mother.
"I mean how low can you go? But God is in charge. God is in charge.
"And I have said it over and over again; I walk by faith and not by sight.
"I am also reminded of the verses of Psalm 91 which over the course of my life [have] helped to frame my mind, my spirit and my heart for a time such as this -- 'He who dwells in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty...My God, in Him I will trust. Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence..."
Fitzgerald insisted that he has had no greater honor than serving as the minister of education.
"Big things are at stake this election PLPs," Fitzgerald said.
"Let us stay focused. I want you to stay focused.
"We can't let the noise shut out all the great things we are doing."
Then, screaming over the crowd, Fitzgerald said, "Marathon come election day, all I want to hear is 'Fitzgerald'."

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