FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HON. MICHAEL C. PINTARD, M.P. : DAVIS AND MUNROE DEFEND THE INDEFENSIBLE WHILE COMMUNITIES LIVE IN FEAR
Wayne Munroe’s recent comments on crime show just how out of touch this PLP government is with the fear Bahamians live with every day. Instead of speaking to the people honestly, the PLP has chosen to defend the indefensible. This is what we have come to expect: excuses, spin, and arrogance from a government that refuses to face the reality on our streets.
Here is that reality: under the PLP, murders are up nearly 40 percent. On average, thirty more Bahamians are dying every single year compared to when the FNM was in office. Families are burying their sons, their daughters, their loved ones, and this government had no answer when confronted with that alarming fact. They could not deny it, so they tried to distract from it. That silence speaks volumes.
And if Mr. Munroe and the Prime Minister want to dismiss our plan as “recycled,” then let them explain this: if they already have the tools, why have they not acted? Why has the Green Paper on the prevention of violence, produced by their own administration, sat on a shelf? Why have they failed to implement it with urgency, bring churches, NGOs, and community leaders together, and put resources behind the groups already saving lives? The truth is simple: this government is unwilling to act. They prefer photo ops and press releases while Bahamians continue to bleed.
Meanwhile, the double standard is plain for all to see. Young men are arrested for guns and drugs while the real bosses — the people financing these operations — sit comfortably at government tables signing million-dollar contracts. Some individuals remain neck-deep in criminal activity yet enjoy political protection and public funds. Under an FNM government, that will never happen. No public contracts will go to anyone tied to criminal networks. So again, I challenge Philip Davis directly: will you say the same? More importantly, will you admit whether your administration has awarded contracts to people known to be engaged in criminal enterprises? Bahamians deserve an answer.
And let us not forget the timing of Mr. Munroe’s remarks. On the very day he claimed communities are “safer” and young people are getting “opportunities,” four Bahamians were hospitalized in three separate shootings, and another man was murdered. The 58th killing of the year. Add to that a youth unemployment rate hovering near 20 percent, and his words are not just out of touch, they are insulting to families living this nightmare.
The PLP continues to treat Bahamians like they don’t know any better. But the people know how they feel and under this government, they do not feel safe. That is the reality Wayne Munroe refuses to face, and it is the reality Philip Davis runs from every day.
The FNM’s position is clear. We will not make excuses, and we will not hide behind empty talk. Our 10-point plan combines tougher, smarter policing, faster and fairer justice, and a public-health approach that stops violence before it spreads. We will work hand-in-hand with churches, civil society groups, and community leaders already doing the work, and we will back them with real resources. Above all, we will lead with urgency, transparency, and zero tolerance for corruption.