From whence cometh the arrogance in the Bahamas Political Class?

Sidney sweeting, DDS

It has always been a puzzle to me why our Government, FNM or PLP, appear to resent any advice from anyone who is not in the inner circle. It makes one wonder if each Minister, when presented with his articles of office, is then declared to be omniscient.

I will point to three glaring examples.

For many years education has been in a free fall and is now a national disaster yet each successive Government pontificates on their plans for education and they end up tweeking this and tweeking that and their "grand" plans end up being tantamount to rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. The country is now blessed with having Mr. Ralph Massey living in the Bahamas and he has done an exhaustive study on the country's educational system and, as a result, has made some brilliant suggestions for improvement in the education plans. Anyone who really cares about the future of our children would like to believe that our Government would be anxious to at least listen to what he has to say. Is it arrogance that prevents them from doing so?

In the latter days of the last administration a bill was passed in the House of Assembly to allow the introduction of a National Health Plan. After the FNM become the Government there has been indications that they will implement the Plan. The Nassau Institute hosted a symposium shortly after the election and one of the featured speakers was Dr. Michael Walker of Canada's Fraser Institute whose topic was Lessons From Global Experience For Canadian Health Care Reform. Arrangements were made for Dr. Walker to meet with the new Minister of Health, Dr. Hubert MInnis. I had the privilege to escort Dr. Walker to the meeting and he kindly asked that I go in with him. Before we arrived there I was thinking of what a great opportunity it was for the Minister to be able to meet someone who had studied health plans all over the world. At some point during the meeting Dr. Walker offered to come to the Bahamas, at his own expense, to help in any way he can with the proposed National Health Plan. The Minister said nothing in reply. The silence was deafening. I have been reliably informed that at a subequent open meeting the Minister was asked why he did not accept the offer of Dr. Walker. He replied that the Bahamas does not need the help of anyone outside our country.

It was recently reported on this website that our Government was offered the help of a young lawyer who has a wealth of knowledge in US tax laws and he had offered his help virtually free of charge and it was refused. It is well known that his family is of a different political persuasion.

So, I ask again. Why the arrogance and to what purpose?