The 24-page Speech from the Throne read by Governor General Sir Arthur Foulkes was “long and exhaustive,” according to the Leader of the Opposition Dr. Hubert Minnis.
Dr. Minnis said it was still early to give a comprehensive analysis but added that there were some things that stood out to the former government.
“What is beneficial for the Bahamian public, we will not oppose,” he said yesterday.
“It was interesting that they said they want Bahamians to share in the opportunities that they are creating because that is exactly what we did. We made The Bahamas into a share system like buying shares into the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) and the port. The idea was to share the wealth to the average Bahamian so they can benefit financially.”
The governor general also read that the government will enact amendments to the Subdivision Act to make the building and planning process more efficient and less costly.
“In terms of town planning and the amendment to the Subdivision Act, I’m interested because I’ve been complaining about some areas in Killarney for awhile specifically Munnings Drive – that’s an area that needs it and I hope the town planning would deal with that adequately,” Dr. Minnis explained.
The government also highlighted three main health care initiatives – the introduction of National Health Insurance, universal access to health care and the acquisition of new cancer –screening technology.
But Dr. Minnis, who served as the former Minister of Health, said none of that is really new.
“We have always said that every Bahamian should have access to affordable and the best possible healthcare not just here but throughout the world,” he said.
“When they talk about cancer screening, we had already gone ahead with purchasing a new digital mammogram machine. We have several machines on order, I would just hope that they would continue the process of digitising the system as opposed to using the analog system.”
Dr. Minnis said the reason for that would be because there are not enough radiologists or technical staff to place on every island throughout the country.
“Once we use the digital system, we would be able to centralise the system,” he said.
Dr. Minnis also spoke about his relationship with former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham.
“We did not speak on government matters today,” he told the Bahama Journal.
“I will consult him from time to time because he has a wealth of knowledge. I think it’s only fair that individuals tap people with knowledge wherever they may be especially if you want to move The Bahamas forward.”
Dr. Minnis explained that the Opposition will go through the speech and release a formal statement at a later date.
