I am pleased to announce that Ms. Nicole Martin has accepted my invitation to serve as a senator on behalf of His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition. She is a changemaker who enters the Senate with an impressive record of public service.
Ms. Martin made history in 2009 as the first woman and the youngest person elected President of the Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union—the largest union in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. During her tenure, she helped lead the charge for critical legislative reforms to the Industrial Relations and Employment Acts, and she was part of the team that advanced the legal recognition of trade unions and the protection of collective bargaining rights.
In recognition of her contribution to the labour movement, Ms. Martin was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2019. She is also a Justice of the Peace and a committed educator, having served as a part-time lecturer at the Labour College of the National Congress of Trade Unions and a regional workshop facilitator.
Ms. Martin is also a second-year law student at the Eugene Dupuch Law School and holds an Associate Degree in Law and Criminal Justice, as well as a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) with Honours from the University of The Bahamas.
Her voice in the Senate will reflect the everyday struggles and aspirations of working Bahamians. She understands what it means to advocate, to listen, and to lead.
We welcome Ms. Martin to our caucus and look forward to her continued impact on the Free National Movement’s ongoing work to transform our nation.