When the House of Assembly reconvenes on Wednesday, the Free National Movement (FNM) representatives will be outnumbered by the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) 29 to nine, but according to FNM Member of Parliament-elect for Long Island Loretta Butler-Turner, the official Opposition will not be outmatched.
While appearing as a guest on Love 97’s daily talk show Issues of the Day with host Wendall Jones, Mrs. Butler-Turner said she is confident that the nine FNM MPS have what it takes to form a strong bloc, quickly pointing out that numbers do not dictate strength.
“We do not have a weak Opposition,” she added. “We have a very small Opposition and our numbers are few, but we will be a very strong Opposition,” she said.
The landscape in the lower chamber will now take on a different look than it did when it was dissolved in April.
A number of new MPs will officially take their seats in the House of Assembly and the FNM and PLP will swap sides, with the latter representing more than 60 per cent of House members.
House of Assembly meetings are known to get a little rowdy at times as the government and Opposition members go through heated debates.
In the last House session, 17 PLP opposition members went head-to-head with 22 FNM MPs – making the stand offs a little bit more competitive.
However, this time around, four of the already nine FNM MPs-elect are newcomers.
“[They are] new people to politics, but obviously not new people to the business and political landscape of The Bahamas,” Mrs. Butler-Turner added.
“They will learn very quickly. They are all very accomplished individuals. We know that with them and with the team we have assembled in the Senate we are going to be a very strong, viable Opposition that will certainly make it very clear and demonstrate to the Bahamians people that we will be ready in 2017 to regain the government of this country.”
Peter Turnquest, Richard Lightbourne, Theo Neilly and Hubert Chipman will be representing the FNM for the first time.
Mrs. Butler-Turner also fielded questions about the FNM’s election loss, her bid for the deputy leadership of the party and the resignation of former prime minister and FNM leader Hubert Ingraham.
The FNM MP-elect is preparing to play a key role in the House of Assembly and the FNM party if delegates would vote her in as deputy leader during the FNM’s convention this Saturday.
She was asked about her decision to go for the deputy leader spot and not the leader.
“I have weighed in on many of the comments made to me as a very small number of persons that was elected during the election on the FNM side,” she said.
“I have considered the persons in the House of Assembly that will be representing us and I have concluded that I will give my support hopefully as deputy leader to Hubert Minnis, who I think is a very capable man.”
The opening of parliament takes place tomorrow at 10:00 a.m.
