Rt. Hon. Perry G Christie
Prime Minister, Commonwealth of The Bahamas
Leader, Progressive Liberal Party
Cooper’s Town, North Abaco
October 11, 2012
Oh North Abaco, lovely North Abaco, it’s good to be back with you!
Thank you for your open arms and your warm welcome, North Abaco!
Four more days – and it will be a new day for you and yours!
I think it’s safe to say we’re all ready for the 15th, wouldn’t you agree?
If it’s one thing I hear over and over in North Abaco – it’s that there is no room to doubt the courage and character of Renardo Curry.
You can see it in his success as an entrepreneur and in his long record of youth advocacy in your communities.
I’m so proud of him, and I know you are, too. I know he will be an excellent role model for the young people of North Abaco, and I know he will stay close to the ground, available to listen, available to help, even as he is a strong advocate for you in my government.
I’m very proud of his campaign. He’s a high road kind of man – and his campaign reflects that.
On the other hand, we have his poor opponent.
Let’s just say this: the other party did not make a careful or thoughtful or respectful choice. I don’t know what they were thinking, but they very clearly were not thinking about the people of North Abaco. There has been a lot of confusion about things that should be very simple, like employment and sources of income and the like. There has been a false claim of victimization – which I never understood, really, as the basis of a political campaign – I’m a victim, vote for me? But who would mistake a victim for a leader? And then of course there was that very inconvenient, very cheerful letter of resignation that contradicted the claim in the first place, the claim that was supposed to be the rationale for his candidacy.
I don’t think any of us have the appetite to rehash all the other sorry facts, so I’m going to leave it at this: they over-estimated him and they under-estimated you, North Abaco. They didn’t act in his best interests and they didn’t act in yours, either.
Because you deserve representation of the finest caliber. And no last-minute dirty tricks, crazy stunts or desperate allegations can change that basic fact. They have been the last to recognize it, but the fact is – it IS a new day in North Abaco. And as the fact of their electoral defeat has sunk in, they have become more dirty and more dangerous.
But ain’ no stopping us now. You have come to know and trust Renardo, not just in recent months but in the years before that, too. You know he is ready to lead.
Renardo has already been in serious talks with the tourism and financial teams of my Government –he knows that greater attraction of investment and promotion of Treasure Cay and Green Turtle Cay are a priority for North Abaco.
Roads, Urban Renewal, education, agriculture, better protection of our fishing waters – Renardo is ready to help. All of us are here to help.
Renardo started his own research project to understand how we can support farmers here, and make you competitive and successful. That’s just one example of why I’m looking forward to having him by my side.
And that’s the kind of leader you deserve in Parliament.
Look, here we are in Cooper’s Town, the place in The Bahamas with the deepest loyalty to the former Prime Minister.
And yet, even here, a great many of you are telling me that they’re thanking their former MP for his service, but they’re ready for a new day.
Many of you are grateful to the former Prime Minister for what he accomplished. Of course, many of you do have your doubts about how they handled that power plant – five years and almost 50 million dollars over budget – and you continue to suffer rolling blackouts and power surges…but look, that’s the kind of mess we’re going to clean up.
And many people who considered themselves loyalists to the other party are feeling disrespected by the choice of nominee – none of you were consulted first, were you?
No, I didn’t think so.
But listen, the point is, for you, this election is not about politicians and political parties. You have your thinking caps on. You know what’s at stake: It’s about you. It’s about your children. It’s about your future.
It’s about a new generation and a new day. It’s about new ideas and a bright new future.
So North Abaco – I know Renardo is ready for this moment.
Are you ready?
Are you ready for bold initiatives and strategies for jobs and empowerment?
Then come Monday, the choice is clear – we will be serving curry all day.
And all night, too – I’m sure looking forward to announcing Renardo Curry as your new MP!
God Bless You, North Abaco!