Strictly Speaking With Earl Thompson - October 13 2026

[00:00:00] Speaker A: This is Guardian Radio, your station for up to the minute news and intelligent, interactive and engaging conversations. 96.9 FM. The views and opinions of the hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the management and staff of Guardian Radio. [00:00:22] Speaker B: When the issues matter, when the questions need answers. [00:00:26] Speaker A: Strictly Speaking with Earl Thompson [00:00:32] Speaker B: Strictly Speaking with Earl Thompson is brought to you [00:00:35] Speaker A: by Bella Signature Suites. And Good afternoon, Bahamas. Welcome to Strictly Speaking Amarell Thompson. And it's so good to be here with you today. I hope everybody had a wonderful holiday. I had a restful day. I just chilled, relaxed in the evening, went to my mom, watched a movie, a movie with my mom and my sisters. It's a nice, relaxing day. So I'm here today, excited to be here with you. So excited. But before we get started, I need to pay tribute and I know everybody did this last week, but this is my first time back since Thursday. I want to pay tribute to one of our constant callers and most of us, and all of us know everything about this man, Sparky. Some of us don't like when he called, but I just want to give a little story. Last week, Monday, he didn't get on the show and oh, I got it. Oh, did I get it. He sent me a text rowing me right out. I would not repeat the 5, 10, 20 pound words he threw at me and he was upset. So I called him and I said, let me ask you a question, bro, have I ever cussed your. No, you? Never. But you know, when we in the bar say, ah, come on bro, we're [00:01:56] Speaker B: not in the bar. [00:01:57] Speaker A: So we talked and, and you know, he said, earl, I like being on the show. I like, I like what you do. And we had a nice talk. It was really a good talk and I'm happy we had that talk. And then he sent me a text on Wednesday saying he was going in surgery. And then his friend text me on, on Thursday and said he was resting and Thursday night that he was resting and just can go and get some rest and see him in the morning. And then 1:30 that morning she texted me and said he passed. So it hit me, it hit me, you know, because I could rest assure if I have a show and nobody calls. I was always certain that Sparky would call and I've lost in the last few months two good callers that I personally had a relationship with. Muff Roll, God rest his soul, and now Sparky. And you know, you don't, you don't realize how people, you know, you don't and you don't understand people or you don't realize how important people are even till after they're gone. And sometimes it takes the thing that I just say, man, I didn't get down there to get my peers. I didn't get down there to see him and heal him. So I, you know, I want to, on behalf of Earl Thompson and my family and all our. And the strictly speaking family, would like to send my condolences to the family, to Angela, to his kids. We've lost a good guy. He had his way. Oh, yeah, he had his way, but he meant well. He loved his Bahamas. He loved his part, his plp. Of course, he would cuss them out, but he loved his plp and he loved what he was doing around his neighborhood prior to. Said he loved the park, that he had all the fruits. And I hope the residents of the area. I hope the residents of the area and his memory do not allow those trees to die and keep them going, because it was a good thing that he was doing there. And I want to say that I'm continued, you know, that may his soul rest in peace. And I just needed to say that today because I, you know, I haven't been on the show since then, so. You're gonna miss you, Spocky. I'm gonna miss you calling me. I'm gonna miss you fussing me out. I'm gonna miss that. But I'm gonna miss the conversations you and I had offline many times. Many, many times. So today, the leader of the opposition sent out a statement, an update on the pac. I just want to read the statement so that we could be clear on it. I received so far and what serious. Let me know. Let me take it from the beginning. Sorry, sorry, my bad. G', day, everyone. I want to give you a clear update on two investigations now being carried out by the Public Accounts Committee, the Pacific. The first is into the National Investment Fund, or nif. The second is into the voucher program funded through the Ministry of Finance. Let me make one thing clear from the start. Neither investigation is finished. The committee has not made any final findings. As such, this update is not intended to prejudge the outcome. But the public deserves to know where the investigation stands, what evidence we have received so far, and what serious questions are beginning to emerge. In many other countries, the PAC meetings are open and broadcast publicly, the same way our parliamentary proceedings are broadcast. I have now written formally twice asking for PAC to be broadcast publicly. But so far, the speaker has refused my request. Once the speaker reverses her ruling and allows our parliamentary channel to carry PAC meetings live. The need for these updates will diminish the Voucher Program Let us begin with the voucher program. The Committee has heard testimony from several people connected to the program. They include Simon Wilson, the Financial secretary Jerome Fitzgerald, who was then a senior advisor to the Prime Minister John Nixon, a consultant to the Ministry of Finance Carl Oliver, the Director of Public Procurement Duane Ellis, a finance officer at the Ministry of Finance and Whitney Kenney, Deputy Controller of Customs. We have also heard from at least five vendors from New Providence, Grand Bahama and Alberco who took part in the program. In addition, the Committee has received payment records, correspondence and other supporting documents. This is still significant. There is still significant work to be done. However, the evidence received so far raises serious concerns about how the program was managed to and who was responsible for it while looking at a program involved more than $1 million in taxpayer funds. Yet the evidence so far suggests that it was operated through an informal arrangement outside the normal government processes. The officials interviewed have not proved have not provided the committee with any indication that the program was managed with the necessary and proper transparency according to accountability, fairness or care for the public's money. So far, the Committee has not seen clear qualifying rules explaining who was entitled to receive a voucher. We have not seen evidence of an open and advertised process through which all eligible members of the public could apply and we have not seen a proper paper trail connecting individual vouchers to specific people who who qualified to receive them. In simple terms, there appears so far to be no formal record showing who received the vouchers, why they qualified, who approved them, and how the vouchers were tracked. Another major concern is the level of involvement of private individuals and members of political parties. The testimony and documentary evidence suggests that private actors with no official government role or responsibility may in some cases have exercised operational control over public resources. Of course, our laws make clear that public money and public resources must be managed for proper public purpose and under lawful public authority. They cannot be placed under private or political control without clear authority, purpose, proper safeguards and full accountability. The Committee is therefore examining several important questions. How did the private individuals and political party members come to have control over taxpayer money? What legal authority allows them to be involved? Were funds used for expressly private or political purposes? And what protections were put in place to safeguard the Bahamian people's money? These questions remain at the center of the voucher investigation. The National Investment Fund now let me turn to the National Investment Fund. The Committee has started the detailed work for reconstructing what happened. We are examining how the NIF was established, how it was supposed to be governed, what legal authority was relied upon and what financial activity took place in its name. Through testimony and documents provided to the Committee, we finally obtained the names of the persons appointed to the NIF Board. They are Sean Longley, a member of the Apparent Chairman, a member and apparent Chairman Designate John Rule, Governor of the Central Bank. Diane Bo Pinley. Brian Jones, Andre Ramey. The appointment documents go back to August 2025, but we have not yet received an explanation for why the government did not tell the public that the Board had been appointed. We also have not received an explanation for why the NIF Board was left off the government's most recent list of boards and committees. For months, the opposition and members of the media asked the government to identify the members of the Board. The government refused to revise those names. We now know that appointment documents existed from August 2025. The government must explain why these very basic information was withheld from the Bahamian people. There is another basic question. Why was the Board never called together even after it was appointed? Over a year ago, money was apparently being allocated and transactions were taking place in in the name of the National Investment Fund. To the tone of hundreds of millions of dollars, Government statements and reports refer to activities under the fund. Yet the evidence received so far indicates that the legally appointed board was not involved. Indeed, one piece of correspondence received by the PAC indicates that the Board members did not even know that the activities were taking place in the Fund's name. This is a serious matter. Who has cooperated? The Committee wishes to publicly acknowledge the cooperation of the Central bank and the Department of Legal Affairs. The Governor of the Central bank and the Director of Legal affairs gave clear and helpful testimony. They also provided important documents to the Committee in a timely manner. Unfortunately, we cannot say the same thus far about the Ministry of Finance and the Treasury. The Central bank, the Department of Legal affairs, the Ministry of Finance and the treasury all received formal requests for information at around the same time. Yet critical information requested from the Ministry of Finance and the treasury is still outstanding. The Financial Secretary and the Treasurer have both appeared before the pac. However, we still do not have the full documentation documentary record needed to understand what happened, nor do we have answers to key questions regarding the nif. We need the records of the transactions to determine how the money was spent. We also need the Ministry of Finance to point to the specific legal authority that has allow it to carry out transactions in the name of the NIF without The involvement of the Board. These are not minor or technical details. They go directly to who controlled the money, who approved the transactions and what lawful authority they relied upon. The 700 million dollar question the evidence and documents provided by the Governor of the Central bank and the Director of Legal affairs made it even more urgent for the Committee to receive the missing information. The government publicly connected approximately $700 million in excess borrowing to the National Investment Fund. But the Committee does not yet have the transaction details needed to account for the money. We do not have a complete explanation of where the funds went, how they moved, what accounts were used and what transactions were carried out. The Bahamian people deserves a clear accounting of that money. Was this really an NIF account? One of the most significant issues emerging from the evidence concerns the accounts held at the Central Bank. The account has commonly been described as a national investment fund account, but based on the evidence received so far, it does not appear to have any real connection to the national investment fund created by law. The evidence suggested that suggests that the legally appointed NIF Board did not establish the account. The Board was not operational. Indeed, the testimony and the documents received so far suggest that the account was created and operated under a different arrangement under the sole control of the Ministry of Finance and the Treasury. The Committee is therefore asking a very significant, a very simple but important question. If this account was not established and operated by the National Investment Fund created under the law, then what exactly was the nature of this account? Public officials have not yet clearly explained the legal basis for creating and operating that account. And the Committee does not have the details of the approximately 700 million that the Minister of Finance publicly said was was deposited into the nif. The Committee still requires the Ministry of Finance and the treasury to address these matters when they respond to the Committee's written request and provide the requested records. The Government has formally committed to cooperate fully with this investigation. The Committee intends to hold the Government to that commitment. What happens next? The purpose of both investigation is straightforward. We want to establish a complete and accurate record of what happened. We want to determine whether public money was managed lawfully. And we want to determine whether the standard legal authorities and financial controls established by Parliament were followed. We will follow the evidence where it leads. We will carry out this work fairly and professionally. And we will not be and we will not prejudge the final outcome. And we will not prejudge the final outcome. The Committee expects to complete the main investigation work in both matters over the next over the rest of this month. Our aim is to finalize the reports during October and publish these both reports by the middle of November. The Bahamian people have a right to transparency in the management of public money. They have a right to clear answers when serious questions are raised. They have a right to accountability and financial controls appear to have broken down. And they have a right to expect Parliament to carry out its constitutional responsibilities to protect the public purse. The Public Accounts Committee remains committed to that responsibility. We will continue this work until the facts are fully established. Thank you to your honorable Michael C. Pindad, mp, leader of the official opposition and leader of the Free National Movement. That was a mouthful and that is quite interesting. And I know this is a topic that we have been beaten and beaten over the last few weeks, but it's also a very important topic because we need to know and I don't think we're getting clear answers. We've talked about it, the media talk shows on the streets around the water cooler, people have talked about it and some things come out of it. And look at the vouchers. Look at the vouchers. March, April 2026 Purchases less than 30 days before the May 12 election. All direct awards, no competitive bidding. Is this coincidence or election strategy? Why were they rushing? You had vouchers that had candidates name on it, particularly the abaco. Something is not mathing, let's put it that way. The math is not mathing, I should say. Do we think that the PAC is being forceful enough? Do we feel that the PAC should be on the parliamentary channel so we can all see and you know, everywhere you see it, the Senate hearings in the United States, they're on C span. You get to see that. You can sit down if you choose to and watch the questioning. Is this subcommittee, that subcommittee, that subcommittee easily and say what you want to say about how you feel about the sitting president. But it happens. And whether we like what we hear or not, it happens. Should the PAC be allowed to. Should the PAC be broadcast live on the parliamentary channel? And my impression of the parliamentary channel was not just for Parliament, not just for the Senate to be heard, for programs to come out of the parliamentary channel, for the subcommittee meetings and investigations to be be seen on the parliamentary channel for other programs so we have a clearer understanding what Parliament is all about. Because you can have these kind of talk. We won't go Republic. We want to do this, we want to do that. But do we have a clear understanding the role of Parliament? But more so the committees that come out of Parliament? And I don't think we do. The PAC is a committee that is very important. Very important. And we as Bahamians should want to know where our money is going. The business owners. You have to audit your books. You have to bring in accountants to audit your books and prove to the bank that you're doing this and all. Why shouldn't they be. They do that for our money. Why shouldn't. They should be allowed to investigate where this money gone? Yeah. We just reelected the PLP in May12. But that don't mean you get carte blanche. And when you look at how. When I say how they re elected, I don't get me. Don't get me wrong. Don't. Wrong amount of people who voted. I should say that. That's interesting. Very interesting. Callie on there. Welcome to Strictly speaking. [00:19:19] Speaker B: Hey, good day. How you doing, brother? [00:19:21] Speaker A: I'm good. Anton. What's up? [00:19:23] Speaker B: Right. I'm good. Afternoon to the nation. I have about three. Three comments. [00:19:26] Speaker A: Okay. [00:19:27] Speaker B: I'd like to make. [00:19:28] Speaker A: Fair enough. [00:19:28] Speaker B: I know you're early in your show. [00:19:30] Speaker A: We are. [00:19:31] Speaker B: And so my comments are specifically related to the pocket. Ongoing. [00:19:38] Speaker A: Okay. Fair enough. And understand, I know you like. And I. I don't want you to think I'm gonna be cutting you anything, but I got three other callers waiting, so you got to go as quickly as you possibly can. [00:19:48] Speaker B: Appreciate you could put me on all of you. No, no, no. [00:19:51] Speaker A: I want to hear from you. [00:19:52] Speaker B: All right. Okay. No, no problem. Probably. Let me. Let me first acknowledge that your last comment where you said you made a reference to the amount of persons that participated in the last Bahamas general elections. [00:20:09] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. [00:20:10] Speaker B: And you highlighted that as a negative. [00:20:12] Speaker A: No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. That's why I said. I said before I said that. Hold on. Don't think I've seen anything. Just looking at the amount of people that voted. That's an indictment on both parties. Not just on both parties. [00:20:24] Speaker B: That's what you should have said. [00:20:25] Speaker A: Well, that. That is. Understand, I've said it already before. [00:20:28] Speaker B: It's more of an indictment. However. [00:20:30] Speaker A: No, no, Anton. Antonio. And on. Is an indictment on both parties almost equally. Don't say it's more on one or the other. Don't do that. That's not fair. [00:20:38] Speaker B: Who's the government? [00:20:39] Speaker A: It doesn't matter who's the government in matters that a bunch of people did not vote. Period. [00:20:43] Speaker B: Okay. [00:20:44] Speaker A: Didn't vote for the plp. Didn't vote for the F and M. Didn't vote for the coi. Did not vote. [00:20:48] Speaker B: You made your point on that. I made my point. [00:20:50] Speaker A: Yes, please. [00:20:52] Speaker B: Yes, My brother, as it relates to what's happening. Let me take my. My heart or hot off. [00:21:00] Speaker A: Okay, okay. [00:21:02] Speaker B: To the government of the bomb. [00:21:04] Speaker A: Okay. [00:21:05] Speaker B: For its transparency in engaging the Public Accounts Committee. [00:21:10] Speaker A: Okay. [00:21:11] Speaker B: Something that we haven't seen in this country, perhaps ever. [00:21:14] Speaker A: Okay. [00:21:15] Speaker B: Where the government has opened itself completely [00:21:18] Speaker A: and you're satisfied that they're giving everything they should. They're doing everything they should. Considering that the PAC and. [00:21:22] Speaker B: Follow me, follow me. [00:21:23] Speaker A: Okay, okay, go ahead. [00:21:25] Speaker B: Let me just get over them. [00:21:26] Speaker A: Okay, I'll let you go. [00:21:28] Speaker B: And so I think hats are deserving to go off on acknowledgments. Right. For the transparency and accountability that the government is subjecting itself to. Do you agree, Burleigh? [00:21:40] Speaker A: Hats off. Okay, fair enough. [00:21:42] Speaker B: Okay. No, I'm asking, do you agree? [00:21:44] Speaker A: I like that. I'm happy because I know what I saw over the last few years that they weren't participating. Pss were told not to come out. So hats off for what is happening so far. Yes. [00:21:55] Speaker B: No, PS's. One told not to come out. PS's were told what the law was and told that they didn't have to. [00:22:01] Speaker A: That's your opinion. But anyway, go ahead, brother. [00:22:02] Speaker B: That's, that's, that's the fact. Okay, but, but, but nonetheless, also, I believe that it would certainly be a deepening of democracy. A further deepening because we Having a good display as it starts. [00:22:17] Speaker A: Okay, okay. [00:22:18] Speaker B: But it would be a further deepening of democracy and a creation of some exciting democratic time under this Davis administration if we were to realize the televising of the Public Accounts Committee's actions and activities. Right. And so I believe that can only help and further strengthen the statement and the actions of the governments and deepening democracy by allowing access and opening itself to transparent, full transparency and accountability coupled with the live televising. [00:22:57] Speaker A: Okay. [00:22:57] Speaker B: I believe it's nothing. It's nothing. It doesn't hurt in my view. In my professional view. [00:23:03] Speaker A: Fair enough. [00:23:04] Speaker B: It does not hurt the government at all because the information is flowing. [00:23:08] Speaker A: Yes. [00:23:08] Speaker B: Right. And the opposition will create its report based on that information. Right. [00:23:13] Speaker A: Fair enough. [00:23:14] Speaker B: I think. [00:23:14] Speaker A: No, no, no. Before you. No, no. The PAC also has. I think they have government members on it too, if I'm not correct. Okay, so the. Don't say the opposition, say the PAC would make its report. [00:23:24] Speaker B: Well, the PAC headed by the opposition. [00:23:27] Speaker A: You good? I thought I was good, but you good. [00:23:32] Speaker B: Really? Listen, listen, this is a good moment in our country so far. [00:23:37] Speaker A: Yes, it is. But I still think more needs to be done, though. Anton, don't you Think so? [00:23:40] Speaker B: I'm not disagreeing with you, don't get me wrong. [00:23:43] Speaker A: Okay, cool, bro. [00:23:44] Speaker B: See, listen, I like what the. Whoever put that statement in there that they are not preempting the results of the ongoing investigation. Right. [00:23:56] Speaker A: Okay. [00:23:57] Speaker B: That's very mature, very material, and that's where we should have been from the onset, before all of the frivolous or unresponsible or irresponsible. Sorry. Statements went out. We should have not preempted. We should have put out what we believe could be the case and state the premise of the investigation, carry out the investigation. But also purely. And I'm going to end right here, also, if there is something untoward that is discovered, what happens? [00:24:28] Speaker A: Let the chips fall where they may. [00:24:29] Speaker B: And what does that mean? Okay, and similarly. Similarly, if nothing is found, and to what? What happens? [00:24:43] Speaker A: Let the chips fall where they may. Thank you, Anton. Thank you very much. But, you know, I just wanted. Before you hung up, I wanted to say don't beat your chest on something that should have been done a long time ago. I'm happy that the government is, at some levels, are cooperating. I'm extremely happy about that. And I'd like to see more cooperation. I like to see the documents that the PAC is asking. It's not. It's not a gotcha moment, you know, it is that this is a committee that exists and it's working, and it should be working. And I'm happy to see that is happening. Caller, welcome to Strictly Speaking. Oh, I do apologize. Caller. Carla, welcome to Strictly Speaking. [00:25:16] Speaker B: Yes, good afternoon, Mr. Thomson. How you doing today, sir? [00:25:19] Speaker A: I'm good, my brother. What's up? [00:25:21] Speaker B: Yeah, I can't complain. You know, I want to again give my condolences to Spocky's family and to all his friends and individuals who love him like that, you know? [00:25:29] Speaker A: Yes, sir. Yes, sir. [00:25:30] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah, man. That was. [00:25:32] Speaker A: That was a blow, bro. That was a blow. [00:25:34] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. [00:25:35] Speaker A: I mean, and say, you know, say what you want to say about him. Say. But, you know, people just attack and saying, oh, this bit. But Spocky was a very loyal listener, and he felt that he had some contribution, regardless of if he went from left field to right field, he made a contribution and that we must respect. [00:25:52] Speaker B: Yeah, my man. For me, for me personally, I just felt as if it was kind of weird for people to be getting so offended by him calling in, you know what I mean? As if he was stepping on their toe or something physically, you know what I mean? [00:26:04] Speaker A: I know what you mean. [00:26:05] Speaker B: Yeah. I mean, Because I mean, for me, as an adult, you could have just ignored that man. [00:26:09] Speaker A: For real. For real. I agree. [00:26:10] Speaker B: You know what I mean? Well, you know what I mean, to see people take it to the. To the point like that they had to call in and complain to that point to me was kind of ridiculous. But what I did, too, because I felt like that, too, when I ran by him, you know, a couple. About a month or two ago. [00:26:22] Speaker A: Okay. [00:26:22] Speaker B: I gave him a gift. You know, what I made, you know, something I make, you know. [00:26:25] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah. [00:26:25] Speaker B: And I mean. And I appreciate his. His hospitality. [00:26:29] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:26:29] Speaker B: You know, kind of his gratitude. [00:26:31] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:26:32] Speaker B: You know what I mean? For the. For the. For the. For the thing that I gave him. Because I messaged him and let him know I was coming to give it to him. And before I reached there, he had. He had. He had sent me a message. Three different messages telling me, thank you. [00:26:40] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, trust me. [00:26:43] Speaker B: I went by him. And when I went by him, you know what I mean? He was. He was hospitable. I mean, he. He was. I mean, you know, the kind of. He wanted to hang out, you know what I mean? He wanted me to stay, you know, the kind of. [00:26:52] Speaker A: He was. [00:26:53] Speaker B: You know what I mean? He was a cool guy, man. [00:26:54] Speaker A: Y. Yeah. And when people get at that age, they like company, you know? [00:26:58] Speaker B: Yeah. But you know something, too, I. I feel as if what we need to do to Mr. Thompson is that we need to. Don't take things so personal sometimes when people say things. [00:27:06] Speaker A: Yes, yes. [00:27:07] Speaker B: You know, the kind of need to be the bigger person, you know, the kind of way to say, you know something. Don't worry about that. You know what I mean? And I'll probably tell you why I said that about sparking another time. Right? [00:27:15] Speaker A: Yeah, But. [00:27:17] Speaker B: But when you was talking about understanding Parliament. [00:27:20] Speaker A: Yes, sir. [00:27:22] Speaker B: Can we. Can we truly understand Parliament without. Without observing and understand and seeing what goes on in Cabinet? [00:27:29] Speaker A: Yes. Cabinet is different. Yes, because cabinet is different. Cabinet is the ministers of the government meeting, deciding certain things, bringing it to. Bringing whatever they talk about, because you got to have some kind of national security. So whatever they discuss, they still bring it to Parliament and Parliament hashes it out. So, yes, you can understand Parliament or Robin, to see what's going on in Cabinet. I think so. [00:27:51] Speaker B: I mean, because. Because. I mean, because they said cabinet is where all the decisions are made. The real decision. [00:27:57] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:27:58] Speaker B: Right. [00:27:59] Speaker A: One of these days I could tell you one story when former cabinet minister tell me. But I can't say that, right. No, no, you're Right, Yes. [00:28:04] Speaker B: You know what I mean? And I personally feel as if the whole, the whole, the whole thing about cabinet that they swear to secrecy is ridiculous to me. I think that's crazy. Well, in my personal opinion and I respect. Because yesterday these individuals were just. Were on the street like me and you, you know what I mean? I don't mean like literally on the street, you know what I mean? But outside of government, outside of the scope of things. Right. And yeah, they in it, okay. All of a sudden they spread a secrecy. I could understand that. These were individuals who were raised from birth to be a certain type of way. [00:28:35] Speaker A: I got you. [00:28:36] Speaker B: You understand? And then, and then to think about it too. But then five years, some of them will be out of the place. I mean that to me that's, that's not right. You know what I mean? Especially when we question the decisions that they make in that place. [00:28:46] Speaker A: Ah, I understand, but they, what they discuss should to some degree of it come into parliament, but because of national security. But some things, you just can't just say every single thing. [00:28:56] Speaker B: That's a note I'm in. Every single thing, right. By talking about things like contract deals that you make with foreign investors and different stuff like that. Then national security issues. [00:29:07] Speaker A: Well, some decisions are made, but they should talk about. And I hear your point. I hear your point. I'm not going to disagree with you. [00:29:14] Speaker B: And I feel too, I mean, yes, I agree with you. I feel as if the PAC should be televised, Right. I feel as if all gatherings of elected officials that we voted for should be televised and we should be able to observe it. But I wanted to ask you a question. [00:29:31] Speaker A: Yeah. Okay. I got an important caller coming through. [00:29:34] Speaker B: I feel as if party politics is a serious thing in this country. And I feel as if as long as we have party politics, we'll never have unity. Right, but let me ask them. You see how Anton is calling defend the plb. [00:29:45] Speaker A: Yes. [00:29:47] Speaker B: Indefensible, right? [00:29:48] Speaker A: Yes. [00:29:48] Speaker B: Let me ask them because I mean I know, I know that you deal with other party and I know that you're cut your line of work. It's kind of like PR and stuff, right? Am I correct so far? [00:29:55] Speaker A: Listening. [00:29:55] Speaker B: Go ahead. Yeah. So if the FNM was caught up in the situation right now, right, what would you have been doing? Would you have been trying to save face with them and trying to get the public to forget about it, for it to go away? Or would you be insisting that your party reveal this thing or you're going to drop out the body One of the two. What would you do, Birdie? [00:30:15] Speaker A: If you know me, I'd be on my lead. I'd be on my leader's case and my party's case to bring the truth to the people. Because I. That's what I stand for. [00:30:23] Speaker B: But would you still do your job instead of trying to get it to go away? [00:30:27] Speaker A: Getting it is not about getting you to go away. You know, it's about bringing transparency to the public and letting the public see this is what's going on. And that's what I stand for. Transparency, openness, and seeing. It was not about getting you to go away. It's getting the public to understand what is happening. Fair enough. [00:30:42] Speaker B: Good day, my brother. [00:30:43] Speaker A: Thank you, my brother. Welcome to Strictly Speaking. This is Earl Thompson. [00:30:49] Speaker B: Hi, Earl. Michael, how are you? [00:30:50] Speaker A: I'm good, my brother. How you doing? Welcome. [00:30:52] Speaker B: Good, good, good. I heard you commenting on the pac. As you may or may not be fully aware of, we released an update today on the proceedings relative to the government voucher program and the small home repairs in light of the fact that more than 100 million. Sorry, more than $1 million was utilized in the lead up to the election. And so we're in the midst of investigating that, as well as the National Investment Fund. And we're grateful to those government officials who have been providing information. The governor of the central bank has been, again, forthright in terms of providing not just testimony but documentation. The Director of Legal affairs has also done the same thing as it relates to the National Investment Fund and backed it up with documentation. And while we have interviewed the financial secretary and we have also interviewed the treasurer, we are still awaiting them, fully cooperating by providing documentation that we have requested. We were pleased to note that the Auditor General has also entered this discussion and they have launched a formal investigation into the movement of funds from the consolidated fund into an account with the name National Investment Fund. And so we are looking at all of these matters at the moment. It is unfortunate that the speaker, and I must say the government, largely because the parliament is not completely operating as a separate branch of government. But it's most unfortunate and tragic that they would not allow these proceedings to be broadcast live. It would give the public an opportunity to hear all of the witnesses, all of the vendors, for example, who sold vouchers to the government, and a number of them have been very forthright, provided wonderful documentation, including emails of transactions with government officials, et cetera. And so we have, I mean, a treasure trove of information that gives us a much clearer picture of the voucher program and a much clearer picture of what has happened relative to the monies that the Minister of Finance claimed that he transferred into the National Investment Fund, which we obviously have learned that that fund, according to the act, does not exist. There's another account carries the same name, but it's run by the treasury and Ministry of Finance. But it is not according to the 2022 Act. And so I just wanted to let the public know that we expect to wrap up both of these investigations by the end of this month, not later. We believe that in the middle of November, we are hopeful, if all goes well, that we'll be able to end these the end of the October and very early in November. We lay both reports sort of so that the Parliament and the public can read all of the testimonies around these two programs. [00:34:11] Speaker A: Let me ask you a question. You said that the Central bank and others have been very cooperative, but yet the Ministry of the Director of Legal affairs and then the Ministry of Finance and treasury has still have some outstanding documents. Are you at liberty to say it [00:34:27] Speaker B: is the desire of Finance to have us wait until the Auditor General has completed their work? But that is the Auditor General is separate and apart and has their responsibility and so does the Public Accounts Committee. We have a set of responsibility and we have no intention on waiting to see what the Auditor General does. We believe that additional information would be extremely valuable to the public, but we have a duty ourselves. And so we have proceeded. And again, the government ought to live up to its word that it will in fact be cooperative. And so I'm grateful to all of the committee members, both on the government side and the opposition side, for the vigilance, because we have been holding meetings now twice per week, with few exceptions. We've been meeting twice for weeks, Tuesdays and Thursdays, addressing these critical issues. It's not a small amount of money. When you start talking about 700 million plus dollars that has possibly been spent on various projects, we ought to verify how that money has been spent. Have those persons who have spent funds, have they followed the law? And so we are looking at all of the accounts that have been identified, and there are multiple accounts that have been identified that these funds have moved through. And so again, because we do not wish to lead the public in the conclusions based on the evidence we receive, I would be intentionally general, but that information that's already in the public domain. We could speak in detail on. [00:36:13] Speaker A: Okay, we got several on the nif. We got several different comments from these OPM spokesperson Latre Rami saying one thing. Al Qaedas minister Al Qida saying one thing. AG Monroe saying one thing. The prime minister say one thing. Who lying? [00:36:31] Speaker B: Who telling again, again, you know, this is, this is really troubling, I believe. And again, just to be clear for the public, I'm going to speak only on what this part that is already in the public domain. [00:36:43] Speaker A: Fair enough. [00:36:45] Speaker B: When you have a minister of finance makes a comment that he has transferred X amount of dollars and in this case the excess borrowing which we peg at around $700 million, that he has transferred those funds into the national investment account, he sought to give the impression that this was a fund that had already been established. But we know now that the public knows that the fund was never established because they did not establish, they did not appoint a board. And that board, we later learned when it was appointed that that board never met, so it could not have opened a bank account to which he could have transferred the funds. And then furthermore, that board never appointed an investment committee that would make a decision on the details of moving monies in and out of the account. And then you have other ministers weighing in on the issue, all giving different accounts of what has happened. And so again, it is very troubling when you know that cabinet ministers meet on Tuesday. They should all be on the same page concerning such a large amount of money. And unfortunately they were again contradicting each other. Quite frankly, some of it is beyond just contradiction. I mean, it's an outright misleading of the public behaviorists say lying to the public. And so again, I mean, I look forward at your convenience being happy to unpack this issue on with you on the radios and answer any questions members of the public would have. I've just left the national honor ceremony and going into parliamentary caucus meeting, but wanted to just call and just give the public an update on this matter. It's a very serious matter given the amount, the staggering amount of money that's in question here that we cannot get a straight explanation on. None of us would want our money in the hands of other people. And when we ask the folks, how are you managing it, where is this amount that I'm unclear. I've not seen it on the account. Help me understand. And if I'm unable or anyone is unable to give an explanation for a tremendous amount of money that the government claims it has moved from one location to another, even though it was not duly authorized to move the funds, that would be troubling in any jurisdiction. And so this is a matter we will stay on in the Public Accounts Committee. [00:39:30] Speaker A: And I will. The day you table that, I expect you to come on my show the next day. I'm holding you to that, sir. [00:39:35] Speaker B: All right, sir. [00:39:36] Speaker A: Thank you. Thank you so much for calling. I really appreciate it. And you have a wonderful day. Take care. [00:39:40] Speaker B: You too, sir. [00:39:41] Speaker A: You're listening to Strictly Speaking here on Guardian Radio, 96.9 FM. We just had the Leader of the Opposition and Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Michael Pindad, who just gave us a brief update on what's going on. And he's. He's committed that he will give us more details once the. The investigation is finished. And it is, it is tabled in the House Assembly. We look forward to that. We can take a quick break. Well, we take a double break, Mr. Producer. We'll be right back. Thank you. There's a place where every detail whispers elegance. 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We offer tiny hearts Merchant Invitational presented by Visa infidelity bank on November 1st at the Royal Blue Golf Club. Enjoy a great day of golf, network with the corporate community and help provide life saving heart procedures for children in the Bahamas. Bring your team, make valuable connections and support a great cause. Register today with the Bahamas Heart Association. Tee off for tiny hearts and help save a life. [00:42:46] Speaker A: This is Guardian Radio, 96.9 FM. Fresh news Smart talk all day. And you're listening to strictly speaking here on Guardian radio. This is Earl Thompson. So happy to be here with you today. Let's read a couple of these texts. Plenty people text. Good day, Pearly. My condolences to the family of Sparky. These cases are with the NIF and the vouchers. They ain't going nowhere. Stsy that's supposed to be. Stay stone. Stay tuned for more details. The people are laid back. Yeah, yeah, I hear you bro. I hear you loud and clear, Pearly. I laugh when I hear a pinning on the board. Oh my goodness. She, she marry a Penland she she was in born as she's a bow from Elutra. Pretty good day. PAC should have its own channel. The only thing beyond the PAC is civil disobedience. Plenty rock bottle and conch shell getting thrown at the PM and his cabinet members and their cars. That grenade launcher they found. No, no, no, no, no no no no. Rock a bottle please. I don't condone violence. And you know, and Dwight spoke about it. This monumental debate I did to that nine year old boy while I was. I. You should be punished. You should be punished. I, I don't. He should be punished, but not that way, you know. So when, when you say no, no text. I hear what you're trying to say and I'm hoping you're just trying to be a little funny. But no less civil disobedience. We can march down Russian Square. We could could be down Rawson Square. We could show the chief is this who gotta go, who gotta stay. You know all that kind of stuff we could do but and, and do it peacefully. Let's do it peacefully because there's a no win for anybody if it gets dumb or stupid or violent and no win for anybody. It's no win for the police because they're forced to do a job. And most of them may agree with the protesters. It's no win for the protesters because you could get arrested, you could get hurt and there's no win for the government because then they look bad in the eyes of the international world. So this march let's make our noise. Let's shout the scream after we finish our protest. Let's go. The media will take it from there in terms of the public getting to know what happened and all that. But a car, text a car lets you rock bottle. You do that. Good. Good show. Does Anton know there would not have been a PAC investigation if the government was open and transparent? But he is saying this is a good thing. Make it make sense, please. And I agree. You know, I agree. I. I see my brother Anton beating his chest and shouting is a good thing for democracy. It's a good thing for democracy when. When the PAC have nothing to talk about. Because then you, you being transparent as a government, you're giving the people the information that they want you. Let's say, bro, I got your dollar. This how I spent it. If I give event when my kids were in school, if I give them X amount of money to go to school and do certain things, you gotta come back and tell me, daddy, I got the T shirt but. Or, daddy, I got the book or I did this, I did that. When I was a marketing manager for certain places, I had to account for the. I love to spend. Now, trust me, I love doing promotions. I love giving away trips and cars and I love doing all kinds of stuff. I love creating excitement. I love doing that. But I had to, I had an accountant. I had to show him I spent this, I spent that, I spent that, I spent this. And I knew one thing. You call her many things in life, but you can call me no thief. So I can always explain how I spent your money. And that's all we're asking, you know? You know, Bahamians like to show thief thief teeth. Quick, quick, quick. So while we just do it right, let's just show them how the money is spent. And guess what? You cool if a lot of times governments, politicians get in trouble because you don't want to tell the public the truth. And when I'm not saying I'm not, and I do not say purely say, you lie. I said, you know what? Tell the government the truth. You hold back, you spin, you do this, you change the story. When I say change the story, you divert, you deflect, you do all kind of things because. And all of a sudden people want you to explain to them what's going on. What's going on. That's all the people want to know, you know, and I bet you it'll be a lot better. April, Sparky was the star. He brought Spock to the show. He might he May have run on, on sometime. That's Sparky, man. Pearly. I know so much people just listening to the show, but never met them in person. RIP Soldier, condolences to, you know, something. And a lot of people who call and I've never met, but I have a connection to a lot of them. And when I'm out on the streets and people say, hey, Perley, I listen to the show all the time and I know I shouldn't let it, and I don't. I try to stay grounded as best as possible, you know? Cause you could get your head swelled quick, quick, quick. But I appreciate hearing that because that tells me, okay, people are listening. People are hearing some things. Not everybody's going to call in. Not everybody's going to text in, but it's always welcome to call 323-623-2325-431632-54259 or 242-33-00-5720. It's always great for how you call those numbers. It's always great for you to text it. 422-4796. That's fine. I love that. And I can always be accommodating as much as possible. All right. Oh, but okay. Lol. To transparency. Transparency would be here. Transparency would be. Here's the report on everything. Transparency doesn't wait for a question to be asked. It reports exactly what is done with no ambiguity. And all we've gotten from Brave Davis is government under the Muddy Rick Muddy Rock to let Anton say nonsense. Where do you see the government cooperating? Saying, well, cooperate doesn't tell us zippo about what data they provided. This Brave Davis government especially has a history of doing information gymnastics. You see what Mr. Pintad said, to understand what happened, they had to call all around the. Had to go all around the Mulberry Bush. That is not a transparent government. That is deliberate obstruction. Because all the information Mr. Pindar needs, if the government wanted, they could have handed it over last week. Transparency would have been if they released the information before the election. They were the opposite of transparent. Please do not Antoine razzle dazzle you. Oh, nobody razzle dazzle me now. Call up. Welcome to Strictly speaking. [00:49:30] Speaker B: Well, good afternoon, Mr. Thompson. How are you calling? Because I want the public to know you and I attended St. Augustine's at the same time and take my lunch money. But I call him to tell them how proud I am of you, all you have become, and especially the quality of the show that you now conduct. [00:49:50] Speaker A: Thank you. [00:49:51] Speaker B: Have a blessed afternoon. [00:49:52] Speaker A: Thank you and you still owe me dollar for that lunch the other day. Take care. I so appreciate that call. Thank you. That's my, that's my mentor. My mentor. Somebody who means a whole lot to me, who I've known since I was in St. Augustine's Jeff Lloyd, who I've known since I was in St. Augustine's and he's a dear, dear friend and one of my, one of my greatest, my greatest advisors. Thank you so much for calling. You're listening to Strictly Speaking here on Guardian Radio, 96.9 FM. We're going to take a quick break. When we get back, we'll read some more of the text and we consider continue to talk about what's going on with the pac. Transparency, good governance. We'll be right back. [00:50:56] Speaker B: The Guardian Media Group is giving football lovers the ultimate NFL experience. Tickets to the New England Patriots and [00:51:03] Speaker A: Miami Dolphins showdown Sunday, November 1st at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Good afternoon from Miami where it's 86 degrees. [00:51:12] Speaker B: You will see the Miami Dolphins clash with the New England Patriots live in an AFC rivalry. Score tickets to the big game. [00:51:20] Speaker A: Check the Nassau Guardian for contest details. Read, listen and follow us on all social media platforms. Deadline for entry is October 26th. Winners will be announced on October 27th. [00:51:30] Speaker B: The ultimate NFL experience brought to you [00:51:33] Speaker A: by Bahamas Air Holiday and Express Plantation, Going places, travel. So now's watch the clock. [00:51:40] Speaker B: A sure win. And by the Guardian Media Group. Deep shot down the sideline. [00:51:46] Speaker A: It's Ryan Miller. [00:51:47] Speaker B: He'll take it all the way for a Miami touchdown. You try to rest. [00:51:53] Speaker A: Appropriate the best for all your printing needs. There ain't no one better, no. [00:51:59] Speaker B: For posters and banners, magazines and flyers. [00:52:02] Speaker A: For window decals, greeting cards and newsletters. No job too big and there's no job too small. You name it, we can print it. [00:52:12] Speaker B: Just give us a call. [00:52:14] Speaker A: Let print masters bring your masterpiece to [00:52:17] Speaker B: located the Nassau Guardian Building. [00:52:19] Speaker A: Telephone 302-2361. Always on the go. Miss the show. You can now listen to Guardian Radio talk shows anytime, anywhere on Spotify and YouTube by searching Guardian Radio 96.9 or by entering the name of your favorite show. You can also listen by logging on [00:52:37] Speaker B: to guardiantalkradio.com and clicking on the podcast tab. [00:52:42] Speaker A: Guardian Radio continuing to provide you with fresh news and smart talk anywhere, anytime, all day. This is Guardian Radio, your station for up to the minute news and intelligent, interactive and engaging conversations. 96.9 FM. [00:53:10] Speaker B: Let's go. [00:53:23] Speaker A: Welcome back to Strictly Speaking here on Guardian Radio 96.6.9 FM. Shout out to Our sponsor, Bella Signature Restaurant and Sweets. Ah, tomorrow, tomorrow. Carabingo. Don't forget them. Soldier Road, just north of Prince Charles. Left hand side there. You can't miss the building. Food off the chain. Everything is right. Bella Signature Restaurant and Sweets. Thank you so much. Hey. Your football weekend of the year starts right here on Guardian Radio and the Guardian Media Group score tickets to the big game, the New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Nov. 1, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. Win the complete package, round trip airfare, hotel accommodations, car rental, and yes, tickets for you and a friend to enjoy the big game. Fill out the entry form in today's newspaper and drop it in the box at the Nassau Guardian. Follow us on all social media platforms and check the Nassau Guardian for contest details. Let's go see the Dolphins. Listen, I know you can say the Dolphins ain't winning no games. The Dolphins this. I know you want to say that. Did you know? It's. It's the experience that we're selling you will be giving you. It's a wonderful experience. I've been to many games at Hard Rock Cafe. I had so much fun. Just the whole thing going in there. You're watching the people out there playing, throwing the football, all the tailgate parties, grills going, people high fiving, you excited. Then you go inside. The stadium is beautiful. I got to stay on level two. So I got to go into the dining area with open bars and food and stuff and sit down and chill in the AC during the halftime and enjoy myself. It's a wonderful experience. Get your newspaper, enter. Enjoy that experience. Even if you don't know nothing but football, trust me, the experience is like they used to say. My children say. They don't say off the chain no more, but it was off the. Is be off the chain. And it's really, really fantastic. So check it out. [00:55:26] Speaker B: Okay? [00:55:26] Speaker A: Check it out. Let's read a couple of texts here. The public is still waiting on the 50 Independence Day report from Minister Leslie Miller. So much dishonesty is going on. Who are these people who put our trust, who we put our trust in? They need to stop abusing the public purse. Next text here says Aprily Sparky was one of was one way all the time. I worked at Batalco where he also worked. He was just the type of guy who always spoke his mind. He sure did. And you, you know where you stood. He ain't gonna BS you. You know where you stood when it came to Sparky, you knew that. Good afternoon. Pearly sent out a call to Minister of Works, Mr. Clay Sweeting, to please meet with his constituents and explain why we have to go through these power outages every day in Eleuthera and the solutions going forward. You know, Brother Dexter. Oh, man, I feel for Eleuthera. And I'm a descendant, you know, my grandma born in Savannah Sound, so I am a descendant of Eleuthera, all right? And it's one of the most beautiful islands. And I feel for Eleutherans. It ain't fair. Man can't be right. And I saw the former candidate for the Free National Movement, Madam Kelly, who put out. He put out. She put out a statement asking the questions. And I can't blame her. I cannot blame her. And this ain't nothing. This ain't got. And you know what? This ain't politics. You know, this ain't politics, people. This is not politics. This is a way of life. This is people livelihood. People. They are equipped. Their appliances, their televisions. Businesses who cannot afford a generator rely on BPL to provide power for them. You might listen, I like butterbecan ice cream. Imagine, I can't eat butter pecan because it melted. And I can't buy it because I can't trust my fridge, my electricity to be on. People got meat in the fridge. Christmas coming. I always say we in the Bermouth, September, October, November, December, we 70 some days away from 70 some days away from Christmas. And my lady was telling me, I [00:57:37] Speaker B: said, look at you. [00:57:38] Speaker A: You get excited about Christmas. I am excited about Christmas in October right now. And I want us, not just me, I want everybody to have a wonderful and safe Christmas. And as we get into that, I feel for Eleuthera. I feel for Eleuthera. It's not fair, man. And I get really emotional about this because I get a text and I have family and friends. Any Lutheran, I hear from them on a regular, it ain't good. They say, t ain't good. Minister, let's just make it happen, man. Let's make it happen. Oh, you know what? I extended an invitation to Minister Glaze Eden to come on my show. They explained to people what's going on. No route, no carrying on, nothing like that. Just so we can understand, I don't inherit from you, sir, what's going to happen. Some things you do in the ministry works and what's happening in Lutheran, the invitation is there. It's an open decision to you, to any minister that wishes to come. I will talk to you. We can have a nice conversation. I promise you. I ain't trying to play no gotcha moment. That ain't my style. Okay. Strictly speaking on Guardian Radio. Callie. You're welcome. How are you, my brother? How are you? How was your weekend? [00:58:47] Speaker B: My weekend? Boy, remember one time I bragged to you all right. On the rail station? I said, oi, they put us in the white people grid. [00:58:54] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. [00:58:55] Speaker B: So we don't get cut off, huh? Show me we. I ain't all that special. [00:59:03] Speaker A: All right, Lord. [00:59:07] Speaker B: Current cut off from about 12 o' clock till 4 o' clock in the morning. Wow. [00:59:12] Speaker A: Oh, boy. [00:59:13] Speaker B: Yeah. Second thing I'll make a note on, right. I feel sorry for them people. My boy called me the other day, right? I said, mom, how them pineapples is made in neutral, man, you know, you got to keep them pineapple girls looking good. You can't have all them pineapples for us there, right? I know it's ready. Pineapple. [00:59:34] Speaker A: Ah, Lord. [00:59:36] Speaker B: Yeah. So I feel it for them for a while. [00:59:39] Speaker A: I feel it for them. Yeah. I really am feeling for them. And I, I hope and I pray that it gets resolved because this ain't just start this week, you know, this been going on for over a year, maybe two, I think. [00:59:48] Speaker B: No boy, no boy, no boy. That made a water problem being going over well over three years. I can tell you why. Right. [00:59:54] Speaker A: And not just the water. Electricity too. [00:59:56] Speaker B: Nobody. Yeah. But the water fairly. Guess what? You can live without electricity, you know, but man, you can't live without water. [01:00:03] Speaker A: That's true. [01:00:04] Speaker B: You can't live without water. Think about it. You got a bed. [01:00:06] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:00:07] Speaker B: You got to brush your teeth. [01:00:08] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:00:08] Speaker B: Think about it now. You got to wash your clothes in the water. [01:00:12] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're right. [01:00:15] Speaker B: You're very important. So, so you have to put it in perspective. Water then is electricity. [01:00:22] Speaker A: I, I listen, if I pay in my taxes and I pay my BPL bill, I want my electricity on so I can and I want and I pay my water, I want my water on. And the most thing and as well, I want my Internet on. You know what? Let me tell you what annoyed me last night. I was watching the game and where I was watching the game, they have BTC Internet services. When the fella was about to kick that field goal, the one that got blocked like the, the Internet drop. Yeah, they, they, they, yeah. I'm not knocking any of these because both have his issues at times, so there's no, no, no row there. But it went, the Internet went off just when he was about to kick. And the field goal was block and I didn't get to see it till the highl I was so vexed. [01:01:15] Speaker B: So guess what? [01:01:16] Speaker A: I just hope he get this result [01:01:18] Speaker B: when the gang come across there, right? He try and make a Tik Tok video, right? And he start in the Internet. [01:01:23] Speaker A: Buffalo. [01:01:23] Speaker B: Trust me, he can guess us real quick. [01:01:25] Speaker A: They got some, they got an interesting Tik Tok video going around that we could talk about that later on. Thank you, my brother. I appreciate your call. Take care of yourself. Welcome to Strictly speaking. How are you? [01:01:38] Speaker B: Yes, good afternoon. [01:01:39] Speaker A: Don't listen to your radio. Listen to your phone and turn your radio down. [01:01:42] Speaker B: Okay, okay, I'll call back. [01:01:44] Speaker A: No, no, you ain't gotta call back. This right, Turn it down and talk to me as you talk to me. [01:01:47] Speaker B: Turn the radio down? [01:01:49] Speaker A: Yeah, talk to me on the phone. [01:01:51] Speaker B: Okay, okay. [01:01:52] Speaker A: What's up? [01:01:53] Speaker B: I have a question. [01:01:55] Speaker A: Yes, ma'. [01:01:55] Speaker B: Am. There's something going on with our clinic and now and now Carmichael Road, Okay. I think and they need to put at least two doctors or three doctors down there. [01:02:09] Speaker A: It be that busy. [01:02:11] Speaker B: Be going down there from 8 o' clock in the morning and you can't come out until after four or five. [01:02:16] Speaker A: Oh my goodness. [01:02:17] Speaker B: Running sometime from the room back to the emergency room. Down in the back, up and down. [01:02:22] Speaker A: Oh boy. [01:02:23] Speaker B: This is not fair to the people. [01:02:24] Speaker A: Yeah, it's not fair to the people. It's not fair to the doctors either. There's only one doctor there. [01:02:29] Speaker B: But most of the time you go there only one. One or two doctors. One doctor. Sometimes you may have two doctors. [01:02:35] Speaker A: Okay. [01:02:36] Speaker B: They need to do Panama. They need to do something have to happen. [01:02:42] Speaker A: Yes. [01:02:42] Speaker B: And then the phones are not. You call there, no telephone answer. You can't ever get through to the clinic. Never. [01:02:50] Speaker A: Oh boy. Well, if it's that busy, they probably run up and down. Can't even look at the phone is still busy. I, but I hope, I hope people from the public health Hospital authority listening and understanding that there's a need and I hope that Minister, Minister Dava, take a look at that, please, sir. Fair enough. [01:03:09] Speaker B: So now I got to do better when they're doing. I, I, I had family in the Princess Margaret Hospital and the kidney room. Yes, ma', am, all in there. They got a spot blowing air from one person bed to the next spot. That's the spot for the hospital. [01:03:25] Speaker A: What happened to EC Weekend? [01:03:27] Speaker B: No, no, no. Air condition. [01:03:29] Speaker A: How, when was this? Recently? [01:03:31] Speaker B: Yes, recently. [01:03:33] Speaker A: Oh, boy. [01:03:34] Speaker B: Bunch of fans inside of the, the room. The kidney people room is. [01:03:39] Speaker A: And ain't that noise to fix that man, ain't that noiseman fan blowing hardy on you? Thank you so much for calling, darling. Thank you so much. [01:03:47] Speaker B: And. [01:03:48] Speaker A: And you know, it's you. You. You don't want to seem that all you're doing is completing, completing, completing, completing, completing, completing. But we have a right. We pay taxes. We pay vat. We pay all kind of things. We pay real property tax. We pay road tax. We pay all kind of things. Gas. When you buy gasoline, you're paying taxes. Only asking for to have the basics. Working property, you know, water running, electricity, good hospital or clinics to go to and police to protect you. That's what you're asking for so we can live a good life. I saw some young men. I sit down with some young men this morning. They were talking about this wall being built out. Yarmo craw. And you know the fellas, you know where their mind went on this. Oh, you put that wall up now, fellas could be hiding behind it. I can't say the words they use. Fellas could be hiding behind the wall waiting to rob you when you're trying to go on the beach. That shouldn't be, man. That shouldn't be. Welcome to. Strictly speaking. How are you? [01:04:45] Speaker B: Hey, Broly. How's it going, buddy? [01:04:46] Speaker A: Hey, my brother. What's. Hey, what's happening? [01:04:49] Speaker B: Rachel, man? What you discussing today for? Like, something I saw and observed just now that I called and I wanted to share with you. [01:04:55] Speaker A: I have. Base is basically an open lab. We started out talking about the public accounts committee. The chairman pit, Michael Pindar gave us a call, but we have a basic open line for this hour. You can talk right now. What's on your mind? [01:05:06] Speaker B: Okay, well, as you would know, there's plenty rain going on right now. Obviously, I've long said if pretty much are spit one time and I saw this flood. I can repeat that again. If pretty much of us spit one time and I saw this flood. And it's been that way for decades. [01:05:23] Speaker A: It has been. [01:05:23] Speaker B: However, clearly I observed something just now that. That. That really, really, really kind of threw me for a loop. And I didn't even know what. What to do to engage the situation or if I should just. Just leave people business alone. [01:05:35] Speaker A: What happened. [01:05:36] Speaker B: But again, we are a village, so I'm watching. I'm parking the area where one of our local high schools is. And I watched his mother just now with her high school student, the boy. He's much taller than her and obviously in my. It appears to be much stronger. He looked like he could be her grandson for Anything. [01:05:56] Speaker A: Okay. [01:05:57] Speaker B: But as the grandmother or the mother in this situation. And again, the student is obviously physically bigger than the guardian or parent, whichever one of them. [01:06:06] Speaker A: Okay. [01:06:07] Speaker B: And from my observation, it looks like one of those other nationalities other than. Than that of bohemian. [01:06:14] Speaker A: I got you. [01:06:15] Speaker B: Okay. But the mother is walking, holding the umbrella. Was this young man got his hand in his pocket and she hold. He is towering over her and she's holding this umbrella over his head. And I'm like, wow, look at. Look at where we've come to stop. Stop. [01:06:34] Speaker A: This woman holding. And she. Was she getting wet or. That's him getting wet. Him getting. Was she getting wet? [01:06:40] Speaker B: She holding umbrella. She getting wet, but she holding an umbrella for him not to get wet. [01:06:44] Speaker A: Oh, Father in heaven. [01:06:46] Speaker B: And I'm like, what are we training? [01:06:49] Speaker A: You think I can let my ma. Let me rephrase that. You think any female with me and my mother, my sister, my girlfriend, my friend, my cousin, Anybody walking with me and I ain't gonna allow them. That ain't the way I was raised. You gotta be a gentleman. [01:07:01] Speaker B: And that's what I. That. That was my thing, Purdy. And it cost me the. To stop and think and say, babe, if we just stop and watch our society or our communities for a second, we would see how much our system of values have degraded. And it's almost like. But I ain't got nothing to do with me. Don't get in them people's business. I literally wanted to walk up on them and say, young man, take the umbrella from your mother or something. Yeah, I know. The umbrella for you, for your guardian to walk through this rain who picked you up from school and what's not [01:07:29] Speaker A: here and took you everything to reach. Maybe she didn't want him or maybe that was her. She didn't want him all in it. I'm not trying to defend, but I understand. I mean, you know, you give me an idea for something to talk about one day. Talk about how we raising our boys, [01:07:47] Speaker B: the plight of our boys. Yes, we have a lot. [01:07:49] Speaker A: Not just our boys, our kids, our girls as well. [01:07:51] Speaker B: Our kids in general. [01:07:52] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:07:53] Speaker B: But just recently we heard the government talk about the shortage of men or males in particular in our armed forces. That. That there's a lacking of in the education system here. There's not enough men in the school system that we have to address. And there's this notion of, oh, you know, you know, fathers my lucky. That. That from eon time for my granddaddy them time granddaddy them was out working and was there no fathers in the home. And that ain't changed how a lot of us who did not have fathers were raised. [01:08:22] Speaker A: Yep, yep, yep. [01:08:23] Speaker B: So we got to stop that, crop out an excuse and, and really get down to how are we raising some of our boys and young men in this society. What example are we setting for them? We're not teaching them to do anything with their hands and stuff anymore. Hence why a lot of them won't go and pick up something else because they don't know how to use their hand for nothing productive. [01:08:43] Speaker A: I hear you call him. I hear you loud and clear. [01:08:47] Speaker B: Enjoy it, April. [01:08:48] Speaker A: Thank you, my brother. I appreciate your call so much. And he's right. He's right. He is so right. [01:08:52] Speaker B: I. [01:08:53] Speaker A: He is so right. How are we raising our kids? I say this all the time. When I took my oldest son to Xavier's for kindergarten, the principal at the time, Diane Siparo, Diane Forsyth Sipero, who actually taught me in the fifth grade, said to me, the parents that participate in every aspect of the kids education are the kids who do better. I got a doctor, I got an accountant, I got a banker. God has been good, but I made sure I participated in that. And their mothers, well, I'm never gonna mother was probably better than me. Most times that spent time with our kids, the kids, school room, parent, president of pda, participating in everything, going to watch assembly, talking to the teachers, checking the homework, asking them if they got everything done, making sure they have everything. And God has blessed me that these kids did well. So we have to ask, what are we doing? And you know, and he was right. When you make the excuse, but all the father ain't there. Our former prime minister Huber Ingram was raised by his grandmother. His father wasn't there. My father's father died when he was a baby. When he was young, my grandmother raised him and his siblings. And I think my dad turned out pretty good. And he put that onto me and he raised me good. And I think I did a good job with my kids. And when my son told me he was having a son, I said, just take care of your child. Be there for your child. Welcome to Strictly speaking. How are you, sir? Ma'? [01:10:22] Speaker B: Am? [01:10:24] Speaker A: My brother. [01:10:25] Speaker B: The Internet is raising our kids. That's who's raising our kids. The Internet. [01:10:31] Speaker A: And, and, and, and, and the iPad. And the iPad. And the thing like that, eh? [01:10:35] Speaker B: Yeah, we shove it down, they showed. Yeah, we shove it down, they told, let them raise it. We busy working. [01:10:42] Speaker A: Yeah, but you got to find it. I mean, I'm a workaholic I work hours. I work some long hours in my day, but I found the time. Maybe I could have given more, but I still found the time. [01:10:53] Speaker B: Let me show you something. Right. My. My mother raised me by herself, right. She's a banker. [01:10:59] Speaker A: Okay. [01:11:00] Speaker B: My mother used to be work. She married her job and she still found time to spend with us. [01:11:07] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:11:07] Speaker B: Mommy used to be the city bank. So must be 8 o' clock until 10 o' clock in the night. [01:11:13] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. [01:11:15] Speaker B: No daddy, just mommy. [01:11:17] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:11:18] Speaker B: I can lie you. I. I try use the Indian. The. The satellite didn't make satellite dish to drop that way up in the sky. [01:11:25] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I know what you're talking about. Straight up. Straight up. Yeah. [01:11:33] Speaker B: No other thing is, right. You won't believe it. The problem with us nowadays, right. We don't invest in our kids. You know, even if we don't have time, we don't invest in our kids. You have to spend my most of my childhood in after school program. [01:11:49] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. [01:11:51] Speaker B: After class. After school. I had to go back to after classes for about two hours every day after class because I had problems like with math. [01:12:02] Speaker A: Okay. [01:12:02] Speaker B: And stuff like that. So she made provisions, right. To improve my learning. [01:12:07] Speaker A: Yes. [01:12:07] Speaker B: But we don't even invest market. We let them go outside. We let them do whatever they have to. These children nowadays have too much options. That's my opinion. [01:12:14] Speaker A: I got you. I got you. [01:12:16] Speaker B: We. We not option to go to church. [01:12:19] Speaker A: Option. [01:12:21] Speaker B: Option after today. I know where the church bathroom is yet down and that's it. [01:12:28] Speaker A: Yeah. And you hold if you got to use the bathroom. Yeah. [01:12:33] Speaker B: Audible. [01:12:34] Speaker A: Thank you, man. I appreciate that. That's. That's another story for another day. What's going on by being going to church. Yeah. And you can hear this. Yeah, I can hear it. I can hear it. I know. I can hear all kind of different things. I can hear kind of different things. And I respect what you believe in and respect what purely believe in. Birdie. How can you feel sorry for people who love bad treatment? Elitro was experiencing power issues from last turn, but they love it so much they put them right back in. So tell them bracelet, brace up, take it and enjoy the bad treatment they voted for. [01:13:02] Speaker B: Whoa. [01:13:03] Speaker A: Okay. Get dip early. The Bahamian people will pay $100 to see Bahamian artists, but only 80% of them will be older people. If Michael Jordan comes From the grave, 110% Bahamians will come and see him for 1000. Wow. It's like they voted like they voted for Half Pint. Of a wrist. What is this? Aristo. Aristo. Oh, two words. Aristocrat. What a small sellout. That rum only gave them a bad headache. But that's okay. Apparently the people in illusion vote for bad treatment. So hi for them now. Welcome to strictly speaking, how are you? Hey, brother, what's up? [01:13:45] Speaker B: All right, I want to touch on something. Earlier show and on Dwight show they were speaking about the situation. But the little boy. [01:13:54] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:13:55] Speaker B: He string up who stole the bicycle. [01:13:57] Speaker A: It hung him up on the bike straight on the fence. Yeah, I saw that. [01:13:59] Speaker B: They had some very good commentary on that. Right. But my thing is this, you know. I think our law and our court system need to take a harder stance. [01:14:12] Speaker A: I'm listening. [01:14:13] Speaker B: I say that because, you know, a lot of single mothers out there, a lot of them put their fathers in court and all the judges do is tell them, pay a certain amount of money. But I think what it is, I think they need to go further with that. They need to make them as a community service that you be in your child life every week until he's 18 years old. Okay, you see what I said? [01:14:40] Speaker A: I gotcha. [01:14:41] Speaker B: And if that don't happen, you get remanded the prison. They need to force these fellas now to take care of these children, man. [01:14:50] Speaker A: I gotcha. You see, they said just, just how they bring in a lot for the, the elderly people's bill. They should do that for fathers bill. [01:14:57] Speaker B: Yeah, man, because I think that need to be mandatory because now it found to be your kid. Your community service tends to give everybody else community service. Your community service could be 18 years. Meaning you have to be in that child life for that 18 years. Not just the money, but you, you [01:15:13] Speaker A: know, we have it, we have something called the department of social Services. [01:15:18] Speaker B: Yeah, but let's, let's be real, buddy. [01:15:20] Speaker A: No, I know. I being real. I being real, hear me? I being real. No, no, I, I agree with you. I'm agreeing with you on this call. [01:15:27] Speaker B: Nothing in this government working. They need to mandate that. [01:15:31] Speaker A: I'm agreeing with you. And maybe the mandate you won't come, huh? [01:15:35] Speaker B: And spend time, carry the child sometime, you will be held accountable, bro. [01:15:41] Speaker A: Yeah, but I think that's. [01:15:43] Speaker B: Even though it shouldn't have to be that way, huh? I think the government and the court system need to make it mandatory so that these dads could be in these children life, bro. [01:15:51] Speaker A: Now I don't want you to skill the dads on this one because. No, no, no, no. Because, because you got, you got. [01:15:56] Speaker B: Because I know a lot of Single guys taking care of their children too. [01:15:59] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:15:59] Speaker B: That can be for all, not just one. [01:16:01] Speaker A: Yeah, but I also know a lot of single guys, him and the girl dating, they break up. He still wants to be in the child. You don't want nothing to do the woman because he's moved on to another girl. Another woman, whatever. And a lot of mother. A lot of mothers punish their fathers because they don't let you see the chat. So all I got to be in it. Okay. They're just making sure you know, all [01:16:22] Speaker B: of that could be a part of that. Because some women do get spiteful, bro. And I know that's true. [01:16:26] Speaker A: Okay. [01:16:27] Speaker B: But all of that need to be a part of that. So when that he said, it don't matter what you're all in together, you still got to come pick up this child. [01:16:35] Speaker A: Yes. [01:16:36] Speaker B: You gotta still spend time with this child until the child is 18 years old. [01:16:39] Speaker A: Yes, I agree with you. I agree with you on that. You have to spend time with your children. Thank you. You're listening to Strictly Speaking here on Guardian Radio, 96.9 FM. I'm your host, Earl Thompson. We take a quick break. We're coming right, right back. [01:16:56] Speaker B: Let's go. For fast, reliable and impactful printing services, look no further. [01:17:10] Speaker A: Let Printmasters bring your masterpiece to life. We stand by our quality products that [01:17:14] Speaker B: are second to none. Our affordable pricing and friendly, efficient staff makes Printmasters the ultimate choice for all your printing needs. [01:17:21] Speaker A: We can deliver any type of printing [01:17:23] Speaker B: services from banners to book booklets to business cards. You name it, we can print it. [01:17:28] Speaker A: Let print masters bring your masterpiece to life. Located the Nassau Guardian Building, telephone 302-2361. Burger King Nassau is teaming up with Dragon Ball. 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We bring the whole world to you. Take the hassle out of your planning and book your next adventure with a going places travel advice advisor. Whether you already know where and when you want to go or are looking for inspiration or direction, we'd be delighted [01:18:48] Speaker B: to work with you. [01:18:49] Speaker A: Rely on us for everything from simple weekend getaways to the most complex and special occasion itinerary. Together we are going places. [01:19:05] Speaker B: Love the show. [01:19:06] Speaker A: Want to give you a support support. [01:19:07] Speaker B: Become a sponsor today. [01:19:09] Speaker A: Call 302-2300 for our rates and packages. [01:19:13] Speaker B: That's 302-2300. Become a sponsor on Guardian Radio 96.9 FM. Fresh news smart talk all day. [01:19:24] Speaker A: This is Guardian Radio 96.9 FM. Fresh news smart. And welcome back to Strictly Speaking here on Guardian Radio. I'm your host, Earl Thompson. Ah, this has been a good day. Let's read a. Let's read a couple of more of these texts. Good afternoon. Perhaps the young man is asthmatic and could not and couldn't get wet. So mom held the umbrella. Okay, okay, okay. Speaking about the Yamakur beach wall being built 10 years ago, I parked my vehicle on that beach to take a stroll. And within 15 minutes my vehicle was broken into. My radio and tape layer was ripped out and all other personal items were gone. They also professed they are professional criminals out there watching you. It was that quick that they stole everything and disappeared without a trace. Sad. Good day, Earl And I have to praise the work of the rbdf, the Royal Bahamas Defense Force for the excellent escort at the National Heroes Award. The escort made us proud. Believe it or not, many fathers aren't present. But cultural changes what watered our culture down. Pay attention to just how well they played their roles. And I'm proud of the RBDF mentoring program for our youth. Yes, a great, great program. And I'm proud of these Defense Force officers who are taking that stand. We could solve 80% of this spiteful woman problem. Don't have children with a woman you didn't take time to know and you're not married to. You all know what to do. The no good man problem would be solved 75%. Yeah, yeah. But in the same sense too text. You know, when you get and partner the sweetness or enjoying. Enjoying whatever you're enjoying with that person and the baby comes out of it. It ain't about you and that person anymore. You know, it's about the child. It's about the child. You and that person could stop speaking. But you cannot turn your back on your child and mothers because my brain checking for you, you can't be mad, move on. But allow that person to be a part of that child. Be a part of it. And if you don't want none of that and you still want to do the do to do, then protect yourselves. That's all. Protect yourselves. Then you won't have this problem. Some dads are perverts. I would not leave my child with them. [01:22:09] Speaker B: Okay, okay. [01:22:11] Speaker A: All right. But then that ain't all. That's some. And that even ain't no big pile of dads. That's some. And we deal with them through the law. You deal with them through the law. Pearly, your son and my daughter were in the same classes from, if not from kindergarten, grade one to grade six. He truly was a well mannered and disciplined student. I even saw him working in Kelly's one time during the summer break. Yes, they wanted. He, my oldest son, wanted a G shock watch. And I said, bro, you're gonna work and you're gonna earn the money for that. And I called a friend who was in. Who's in town. Hi there, Mr. Parking Boy. And this. These brothers was making sometimes $80 a day in tips. They had it down back. Good afternoon, ma'. [01:22:52] Speaker B: Am. [01:22:52] Speaker A: How are you doing? Did you find everything you're looking for? Have a wonderful day. So you have a dollar and automatically can make it too. And they did well. And I told them when you go out there, you're not going out there as Trey or Vincy or Avery. You're going as Earl and Ava children. So act accordingly because they can say earlier, son. So. Yes, thank you so much, Dexter. Your son and my daughter was in the same class as obvious if. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Thank you so much. I so appreciate that. I so appreciate it. Thank you so much, Dexter. Okay. Okay. We don't want to solve the welcome to strictly speaking, how are you today? [01:23:27] Speaker B: Good day. How are you doing? [01:23:29] Speaker A: I am most wonderful. How are you? How was your week? How was your weekend? [01:23:33] Speaker B: My weekend was kind of disturbed. Especially when I was hearing about the elderly citizen Bill. That just was playing in my head all weekend. But other than that, I was fine. [01:23:42] Speaker A: Talk to me. [01:23:43] Speaker B: Don't like it at all. Absolutely, positively don't like it. The reasons being because I don't think anybody should be responsible for another human being's life. I think we should all love our parents. We should care for them as much as possible. But to have that responsibility transferred to somebody Simply because you gave birth to somebody is not fair. Because everybody that gives birth doesn't mean that you are actual good parent or you have your parenting skills were productive in getting persons to where they needed to be. And so I think to just push that on somebody and say, hey, listen, yeah, you have to be responsible for the person's life, no matter what your life is, what's going on with your life, no matter what the situation is. I think there are other ways that that could have been handled. I think the government is not investing sufficiently into elderly persons. I think that we spend more money on a Christmas tree at Christmas time. We invest more money into Junkanoo than what we can see being invested in the elderly. And so when we have all of this fluff in saying, hey, we love the elderly, we should care for the elderly, what in the world are you doing in our country to support the elderly? What as a government are you doing to support the elderly and to support children who want to help their parents? Some parents will even want to discuss you ask them a power of attorney, they shut right down. If they feel like you're trying to kill them, you trying to. Whatever, they don't want to have a discussion. So what are you supposed to do when you're trying to figure it all out? As a child who's never walked that road before, you have no, you have no path or you have no map to what is supposed to happen. And so to say to somebody, okay, you were not designed, God have not designed you to carry an adult yet. The adult, the father, the mother was designed to carry the child. So how do you carry somebody who you have no awareness on how to carry? How do you do it properly? And I'm not saying not to do a period. I'm just saying where are the tools to get it done and what is the government doing? I heard the minister, the good minister of health talk about elderly. To me, it seemed like he talked about them as if they were a burden to the government. They're being left in the hospital, this, that, and the third. And I don't disagree that some persons are leaving the elderly there, but some persons. [01:26:08] Speaker A: Okay, okay, I can't. I can't hear you. We just had a power cut. So I can't hear you right now, caller. So I do apologize for that, but I understand where the call is coming from, you know, because there is. But I guess what I'm trying to say is I hate that the government needs to do some things, but in my belief, if you are my Belief that it. Once a month, twice a child. So when you're. You're. You're. You. You come into this world, you're. And call her. You can call back if you. If you want to. I probably be on a power cut, but we're back up if, if you're. If you're. If. All right, let me, let me. Give me as an example or my family is my. Me and my sisters. My dad got sick but you couldn't beat my sister Marisi, my sister Jacinda and me in the terms of what we were doing to help our father. Now I'm not good at the cleaning up and that kind of stuff, you know when they, when they. But I said I'll take you out running whatever else has to, I'll make all the runs, I'll come to the house. And we did that and particularly my sister Marie. She was, oh man, a heaven sent person when it comes to stuff like that, particularly when it comes to family. She was there. So we didn't feel a burden. Yes, it got trying at times, but we didn't feel a burden. We felt a necessity. We felt an obligation that we should be there for our parents because they were there for us. When we growing up, we didn't want for things like we had tv, we went to New York, we went to Palm beach, we had vacations, wonderful Christmas, we ate well every day. You know my dad and my mom provided. So my dad got sick and we were there. My mom is. Thank God she has her faculties. Yeah, she's in pain. She complains every day how you do. Oh my back. She is there and yes, she's giving Mazabid's rahu sometimes and not because we don't beloved because we want her around us 100 more years. So I don't see the how best to put this. I don't see why is a burden to take care of your parents. Yes, some people had some really bad experience with their parents and I had a call one time call and said his dad wasn't there for him. His dad was rough on him but he still took help taking his dad and don't believe me now. My dad was strict on me. I bring home an A whiting A plus I bring home B widening A. And it was strict on me and things and I had friends and oh God rest his soul. Penny Bobbs. Rest your soul. My brother used to tease me old and say oh, you couldn't come from behind the bougainville tree. You was. Yes, my dad was Strict on me. But I am here today talking to you and talking to you today because of the way I was brought up, okay? Because of the way I was brought up. And I am ever so grateful for that. I am ever so grateful for the way my dad treated me, the way they were there for us. And I am even more grateful for the discipline that they displayed upon me and my sisters. I am ever grateful for that. Welcome to strictly speaking. [01:29:17] Speaker B: How are you today, man? [01:29:18] Speaker A: I'm good. My brother. What's up? [01:29:19] Speaker B: Everything cool? Listen, I don't think that lady went in depth and understandable completely in this true form because it still spoke about persons who don't have a relationship with their parents from. From day one. So that wouldn't include a poison like, oh, she don't have a relationship with her parents. Okay, thank you, man. [01:29:40] Speaker A: I understand and you know, I. I hear what you're saying. Don't go. You're gone. Okay, I understand. He's saying that. Don't be. Because you don't think she understands it like properly the main. She didn't have a good relationship with her parents. She probably did. She probably did. Boy. It's interesting though. It's interesting that we have to bring a bill and I've not had an opportunity to read the bill yet and I will do that tonight because I want to talk about it a little more at another time because I hear what some people and what I'm hearing generally the people ain't too much comfortable with that bill. They're not too comfortable with that bill. So I like to read upon it and give Billy, give me that opportunity to read it and then I'll be able to. I'll be able to comment on it a lot better. I just wanted to make a quick comment on. And Dwight them spoke about it today somewhat. Let's take this call for a time. We can talk about what I wanted to say. You're welcome to. Strictly speaking. [01:30:41] Speaker B: Yes, sorry, this is me again. [01:30:42] Speaker A: How you doing? There you go. [01:30:43] Speaker B: I just called but yeah, yeah. I have amazing relationship with my parents. My concern is the fact of persons be having to go to court and possibly go to jail because hey, they did not meet. And then their parents who I know for a fact would have put their children out the house. Yeah, they disowned. Hey, I'm finished with you. 18. You're finished. Parents who would have left their children in the hospital. Parents who go partying and leave their children at home to raise each other. How you could put them. How you could put These children before the court for death. [01:31:15] Speaker A: Yeah, I understand that. [01:31:16] Speaker B: My relationship with my parents is fine. It's just a. This is a. This situation is just. There's so many variables to it. [01:31:22] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:31:22] Speaker B: To say, just make a court decision based on a fact or whatever. You would have decided that, hey, you. You're not taking care of your parents, so this is what should happen. I don't want to see that happen to my children. I don't want my children to be forced to take care of me. [01:31:36] Speaker A: And you know what? They don't. My sister said this one, damn it. I couldn't. You're trying to owe you nothing. They have. They don't owe you nothing. [01:31:43] Speaker B: And I've already had my conversation with my children on, hey, this is what you should do. And this is how I. I do a moving with you and your husband. I don't want to be there. I don't hear your baby's crying and stuff like that. And I don't want the government to force me to go live with them. [01:31:57] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. [01:31:58] Speaker B: That's just my two cents. [01:31:58] Speaker A: But, you know, before you go, I think. And I got to get the government credit for it. I think that is why there's public consultation on this, because they put it out there, because they want to get the views of as many behemoths as possible. [01:32:09] Speaker B: So I encourage Amir. Have they passed it already or are they still discussing? [01:32:12] Speaker A: I am not. That's why I say I'm not 100% certain, but I'm pretty certain that it's out to public consultation. But I'll follow up on that for you, and I'll be able to better explain that when I get on there tomorrow. [01:32:22] Speaker B: But the bottom line is also, if it's not, how do you stop a bill from taking place that you don't like? [01:32:26] Speaker A: Okay, I'll do that. [01:32:27] Speaker B: I'd like to know that, too. [01:32:28] Speaker A: All right. [01:32:28] Speaker B: Have a blessed day. [01:32:29] Speaker A: Take it home. Welcome to Strictly speaking. How are you? [01:32:32] Speaker B: Hey, Pearling. [01:32:33] Speaker A: Hey. [01:32:34] Speaker B: Yeah, I'd like to say one thing about this. The older person. [01:32:39] Speaker A: Huh? [01:32:40] Speaker B: Yeah. Look, really. The reality of life. Whether. [01:32:46] Speaker A: Whether one before Countdown. Before you go on, has the bill been passed? Not yet. Huh? [01:32:50] Speaker B: Not. Not to my knowledge. [01:32:51] Speaker A: Go ahead. Okay. Go ahead. Go ahead, brother. [01:32:53] Speaker B: Yeah, but the reality of life. The reality of life purely. Whether one wants the parents to take to live with them or not, whether one as children or guardian wants to take responsibility for their parents or not. Here's the reality of life. Once a man and twice. What, Pearly? [01:33:16] Speaker A: Once a man, twice A child. Yeah. [01:33:18] Speaker B: So if your parents live long enough, God blessed them with life, longevity, health and strength. And they live long enough, will they not come to the point where they require support and assistance? Pearlie. [01:33:33] Speaker A: Yes, that. Yes, but you shouldn't. I don't think you should have to. It should be a natural thing. That's what I'm trying to say. [01:33:40] Speaker B: It should be. I don't disagree with you, Perley. I wholeheartedly agree. It should be. Listen, parents who sacrifice for you, who took care of you, who went beyond the call of duty in many instances for you, who gave you love and care, provided a womb, love, opportunities, exist. The exist, your very existence you owe to them. It shouldn't come down to a question of if I want to. Pearly, listen. Pearly, listen. The reality. Before I even go into that. The reality, Pearly, is when you check at what's going on with all folks homes, when you check on what's going on at PMH with Borders, etc. The reality is it should not have to be the case, but it is the case. All the folks. All the folks who have children who they took care of all their life are being left to bleed and die a miserable death in many instances. And that's not only the only circumstance really, because you are a person who are in some instances inside people's. Their children's homes. [01:34:44] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:34:45] Speaker B: And are being mistreated. Etc. Etc. Pearly, man, look, man, your parents. Your parents probably. Would you ever subject your parents to that nonsense? [01:34:56] Speaker A: No. And I had. I. My ib. Had to take in my dad before he passed. So. [01:35:00] Speaker B: No, we got to. Listen, Curly, that is what's wrong with the mindset in this country today. We are too Duggin it. Selfish. Too selfish. If we could do that to our own, imagine what we could do to the average man on the street early. Thank you for the opportunity, bro. [01:35:18] Speaker A: All right, Anton. Take care. Oh boy. Anton. God. Now that's. I mean, Anton is called. I mean that's. That's very emotional. And I hear his point. Texas says Burly the elderly Bill is to clear the hospital of older people. Darvel got the idea from someone that ain't that smart that Bill is a threat to the children to take care of their parents out. Take their parents out the hospital in time to be discharged. That's a good thing. That will. But you're still lousy. Call it. Don't go anywhere. We can take a quick break and we come right back to you. You're listening to Strictly Speaking. This is Guardian Radio. It's 96.9 FM. I'm Earl Thompson, your host. You take a quick break and we'll be right back. There's a place where every detail whispers elegance. [01:36:12] Speaker B: Where our art greets you at every corner. [01:36:15] Speaker A: Where flowers linger like a secret well kept. And your sweet dreams become your sanctuary. This isn't just an ordinary bed and breakfast. It's a name that says signature. The Bella Signature Restaurant and Suites. A taste of the Bahamian dream. Orthopedics. Where movement becomes medicine and treatments become triumphs. At Cleveland Clinic, it's more than just repairing what's broken. It's how we put ourselves back together to reconstruct, rehabilitate and restore the things that give us life. The future of orthopedics is already in motion. For every care in the world. Cleveland Clinic. [01:37:01] Speaker B: Bulla Gal. Can you believe this? [01:37:02] Speaker A: We are now the patrol queens of the neighborhood. [01:37:04] Speaker B: We now lodge and in charge. [01:37:06] Speaker A: So we need to check out what going on in everybody yard. [01:37:09] Speaker B: What about that gun that we know [01:37:10] Speaker A: that junior and his homeboys just ran out. [01:37:12] Speaker B: Can we report that too? [01:37:14] Speaker A: Of course we can. But we could be in deep trouble [01:37:17] Speaker B: if they find out. We need to report what we see. See Bula, when you call Crime stoppers [01:37:21] Speaker A: they just answer your call in Miami. So then we can report everything. [01:37:25] Speaker B: Guns, where they hiding the drugs, who [01:37:27] Speaker A: shoot who, who part of which gang or who disturbing the peace with the loud music and the motorcycles. [01:37:32] Speaker B: Then our neighborhood will be the best in the Bahamas. And everybody gonna want to come live here. And then our house price will go up. Gal. So what we waiting on? [01:37:40] Speaker A: What's the number? If you see something, say something. Let us all pitch in and stop the crime before it's your time. Call 328-8477 from Nassau or 2423-008477 from the family islands. Or text us through the crack crime Bahamas up. Stop the crime before it's your time. This is Guardian Radio 96.9 FM. Fresh news Smart talk all day. Welcome back. This is strictly speaking here on Guardian radio. This is your host Earl Thompson. It's always a pleasure to be with you. Straight to the phone lines caller. Welcome to strictly speaking. [01:38:21] Speaker B: Hey ready brother. All is well. [01:38:24] Speaker A: You can't complain too much. [01:38:26] Speaker B: Listen, this is the first time I agree with Andrew 1000%. Okay, but now you have some parents with their man really don't give a too sensible their children, you know, I mean sometimes the children can't wait to grow up to get out them houses what they were they in. Okay, what you gonna do with people like them. [01:38:43] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:38:44] Speaker B: Force them to take any people who do them wrong all their life. [01:38:47] Speaker A: It's, it's, it's all these things you [01:38:48] Speaker B: gotta take into consideration. [01:38:50] Speaker A: Yeah. And I think that's why. I think that's why there's a ship, there's. And I gotta give the government credit for this is a public consultation so that we can. So people can talk and give their view. So I think so they can come up with the right bill if that's what they're gonna do. [01:39:03] Speaker B: Only think about them taking these parents over the hospital. But look at the drama some of these parents put on some of these children. [01:39:11] Speaker A: Gotcha. [01:39:12] Speaker B: The children can't be around them. You know what I mean? Sometimes you got to get out your environment and sometimes your family is the ones who do waste to you. So they need to really sit down and think about this bill before they pass this thing. You know, you should take care of your parents. Listen, all the things with Anton say who was there for you, who do this for you. [01:39:37] Speaker A: School, you do all these things. [01:39:39] Speaker B: Of course you can have children who will look after their parents if their parents live long enough. You will do those things because your parents did that to you. But what about the ones who. Parents didn't do that things to them. [01:39:49] Speaker A: I understand. [01:39:50] Speaker B: You see what I said, all these things I gotta take into consideration. Bro. You know, you'll have a good day. [01:39:55] Speaker A: Thank you, my brother. Appreciate the call. CALLIE on Strictly speaking, how are you doing? Hello. [01:40:03] Speaker B: Hi. Yes. Good afternoon. [01:40:05] Speaker A: Hey. Right here. [01:40:07] Speaker B: Yeah. So I have a couple points of my grand. One, the fact that the government found it necessary to pass this legislation. [01:40:14] Speaker A: Well, it didn't pass yet. [01:40:15] Speaker B: It's not right. [01:40:18] Speaker A: It's not passed yet. It's still in public consultation. So it's just been table. Okay, so go ahead. [01:40:22] Speaker B: But my other point is that I am not sure if that will be constitutional that you can force children and I understand what the government is trying to do and it's, you know, it has its merit, but I'm not just. I'm not sure if you can. That can pass that's constitutional to say, force children to have to take care of the parents. [01:40:44] Speaker A: I hear your point, but I will in the bet good money that this, this is, this is something. This is not an original bill that's coming to the Bahamas. I'm sure some other jurisdictions have implemented it and I got to do my research, but I'm pretty certain and I'll be able to talk more articulately on this tomorrow. [01:41:04] Speaker B: Okay. Because I just want to add one other thing that I think that with an aging population, right. As we get older, the government is going to have to make provisions to take care of more elderly people. That's just a fact. That's just what is going to happen. [01:41:17] Speaker A: Increase the old age pension, maybe pension [01:41:21] Speaker B: and like I say, some other, you know, assistance with nursing homes and. And that sort of thing. Because the population globally is aging, especially in our country as well. [01:41:31] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:41:32] Speaker B: So that's something they can have to look in, you know, for future planning. [01:41:35] Speaker A: Okay, I hear you loud and clear. [01:41:38] Speaker B: But that those are my contributions. Thanks for. [01:41:40] Speaker A: Thank you so much. [01:41:41] Speaker B: Great show. And I'll continue listening. [01:41:43] Speaker A: Thank you so much. I appreciate that. Thank you. Texas tell Anton what goes around will come around one day. Those same children who didn't take care of their parents will one day become old too and will experience the same neglect that they put their parents through. So no need to get all hyper. God is watching. You can't do wrong and get and get by. Next text says the act is about accountability. If someone is identified as the next of kin, not just children, is unable to care for the elderly when they state why not. But the burden should not be on the public to take care of the elderly who are people capable of caring for them. We want things to get better, but don't want to do what it takes to get there. They are screwing to be growing. They are growing to be. They are going to be growing pains. Good day. I thought the bill on its way to the Senate. I'm going to follow up on that and see. All right. I'm going to follow up on that and see. Good day, Pilly. Will the King be touring pmh. Good question. And we're going to talk about the King's visit real soon. Good afternoon, Pearly. Great show as always. What about the parents who don't take care of their kids when they were young, though? Should you return the favor when they're up in age or they should take care of them? What the Christian person would. The Christian person will do. Do unto others not as they do unto you. Caller, welcome to Strictly speaking. How are you, my brother? [01:43:05] Speaker B: Pearly? Good afternoon. [01:43:06] Speaker A: Hey, my brother. What's up? [01:43:07] Speaker B: Right here, my brother. It's great seeing you earlier today. [01:43:10] Speaker A: You saw me today? Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. I apologize. [01:43:15] Speaker B: Yes, let's leave that there. [01:43:18] Speaker A: We can leave that right. Right there. [01:43:19] Speaker B: Yes, yeah, yeah. Listen, we all have to understand that when you see children and even those who are adults now behave in that Manner towards their parents. That is basically a learned lesson. [01:43:32] Speaker A: Yes. [01:43:32] Speaker B: You know, whatever you cultivate in the home is what comes out into these children. Look at. Look at the other day. The fight in the school between the students and the parent got involved. What kind of example is that? You see, this whole thing comes back down to how you are nurtured and how you were brought up. We have a lot of parents who are negligent in their duties. They love the children too much. Instead of imparting the discipline that is necessary for them to understand that there's a natural order to things, and they neglect them by loving them too much, Letting them get away with a whole bunch of stuff, letting them have their way. And then we have all of these other organizations that now dictate to you how you must bring up your children and all that stuff. You know, it has a whole gamut of things that we have to consider here. But the half of the thing in my closing remark is simply this. When a child is brought up in a nurturing, balanced, and disciplined, loving home. [01:44:31] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:44:32] Speaker B: Guess what? Those children will turn out. They may not be exactly on the mark, but they would not be too far from the mark. [01:44:38] Speaker A: Gotcha. [01:44:39] Speaker B: And all we see today is a lot of undisciplined children, because the children are only an example of what happens in the home. [01:44:47] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:44:48] Speaker B: And until we decide to begin to address a whole lot of these parents and what they're doing in these households, then. Then we would not correct what we see going on even today. You know, so that's all I can say for now. I have to accept a lot of the responsibility. [01:45:03] Speaker A: Thank you. [01:45:04] Speaker B: Thanks for taking my call. [01:45:05] Speaker A: Thanks for calling my brother. Take care of yourself. Good to see. Really good to see you today, Texas. Good day. A lot of people have done wrong and got by. They say, you can't do wrong and get by. That's the point. That's the point. And just before we go, I was. I get Ralph with this, But I used to be on my phone a lot. I call it my office. So I saw this video come up where I saw this man park his bike, went in the store, little boy walked. They jump on the bike and roll out. I was like, what? And then I think the next day, there was another video that came out that showed these other kids saying, this, the boy who teach the bike this. The boy. And the camera zoom right in on him. I'm like, okay. And then you see this other video with a little boy hanging up on the fence by his shirt and let Me get one thing straight. I believe in discipline. I don't necessarily believe in beating kids. I could probably count on one hand amount of times I spank my kids. But I believe in discipline. And there are many ways that you can discipline a child. The problem I have with Woodman down is I. And I don't know how true it is. I heard and I could be wrong. And I hope that they, the community or some people in the area gave this young boy a bike because he didn't have a bike. What is that saying to him? Thief. If you get catch, you get in trouble, we can bail you out, we can give you a bike. And I'm not not saying that, you know. And listen, ain't nobody more who softer towards kids than I am. I have a bunch of young kids in the area where I live that, that they come to me for every little thing and I'm soft and I. But I believe in discipline. I may not agree, I don't agree. But hanging that boy up on that fence. No, no, no. But I don't agree with giving him a. I feel that you give him a bike if that happened, if that happened as a reward. I can't agree with that. Caller, you're the last one for the day. Welcome to Strictly Speaking Early. [01:46:59] Speaker B: Yes, Correction on information. I spoke with Dr. Dabble. Yes, it was passed, but I. In the House that evening. [01:47:04] Speaker A: Okay. [01:47:05] Speaker B: I left around 7. 7:30 after 7. [01:47:08] Speaker A: Okay. And one taxi did say they had on his way to the Senate. [01:47:11] Speaker B: Okay, it's on its way. It's on its way to the Senate. All right. But the debate was still going on, so I was of the opinion they were going to close and resume at the later session of the 14th. [01:47:22] Speaker A: Okay. [01:47:22] Speaker B: Dr. Daba confirmed that it has been passed. [01:47:25] Speaker A: Okay. [01:47:25] Speaker B: And it's on its way to the Senate. [01:47:26] Speaker A: Thank you, Anton. Appreciate that. Well, I'm like a final ready at the last say, everybody. Thank you so much. Thank you for the call. Thank you to Michael Pendad for calling in. Thank you for everybody who called, who text, who contributed to the show. It is you that make this show not really you. Thank you so much. You've been listening to Strictly Speaking here on Guardian Radio, 96.9 FM. Tomorrow there's some interesting things to talk about and as well as Thursday, we're working on some other things. Ah, boy, this the bermont. September, October, November, December, Christmas on his way. I can't wait. Take care, everybody.