By K Quincy Parker
Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell has lashed out at FNM Senator Zhivargo Laing – who has called for the continuation of the FNM’s 52-week jobs programme: Mitchell said Laing had “a bloody nerve to open his mouth and lecture people on fiscal prudence and responsibility.”
Still, though, Mitchell did say that the Christie administration would potentially rehire those participants in the programme who could are “required, needed and can be funded in the system.” In fact, he said a determination will be made this week about those people hired in the Departments of Immigration and the Passport office – for which Mitchell is responsible: if the finances are in order, he said, “the matter should be resolved in favour of the retention of all needed workers within a very short time frame.”
In a blistering response to Laing’s call for the PLP to ‘invest in Bahamians,’ Mitchell waxed poetic.
“Zhivargo Laing has a convenient but pickled and jaundiced memory on this matter,” he said. “Just over 100 days ago, his government was booted out of office for their wild and wooly running of the affairs of the country.”
Mitchell said the FNM’s so-called mismanagement of the economy necessitated a $500 million deficit and exceeded the cost of the New Providence Road Improvement Programme by almost $100 million. He accused the FNM of “inflating the government payroll with gratuitous contracts to their friends and cronies.”
“It is clear that the fiscal policies and reckless spending of the FNM were pushing the economy and the public treasury to ruins,” Mitchell said. “Mr. Laing has a bloody nerve to open his mouth and lecture people on fiscal prudence and responsibility having left the public treasury in an utter shambles. He must surely jest when he seeks to lecture the PLP on compassion from a government of the FNM known for its spitefulness, meanness, vindictiveness and victimizing Bahamians with impunity.”
Mitchell laid out the matter this way: the progamme the FNM started was a 52-week programme for which $25 million was budgeted. Then, he said, in a desperate attempt to save their party in office, the FNM allowed the bill to run up to $48 million and counting.
“There was no accounting for it, few proper records and general disorder on the point,” Mitchell said.
The minister added that when the International Monetary Fund arrives in a few weeks for customary consultations on economic and fiscal affairs, the PLP will be forced to account for what he termed ‘the misdeeds and wild spending of Mr. Laing and the then Leader of his party Hubert Ingraham.’
“We intend to present a picture of a plan to rescue the nation, with reasonable policies, fiscal prudence and yet supporting the job security of our people. It cannot be done by supporting misdirected political schemes like the rushed one which Mr. Laing now seeks to defend,” Mitchell said.
As noted, however, Mitchell said the government has decided to review the status of each person hired in the programme individually.
“It was a programme which people knew when they signed on, and which the FNM said, would only last 52 weeks. Those persons who are required, needed and can be funded in the system will be returned to the public payrolls in a responsible manner,” he assured.
“In the case of the Departments of Immigration and the Passport office for which I have the political responsibility, this will be addressed within the coming week. Subject to financial clearance, the matter should be resolved in favour of the retention of all needed workers within a very short time frame.”
Mitchell added that the government is in the process of launching a “comprehensive national jobs training program designed to address the skills needs and demands of our dynamic economy.”
