PHOTO OF THE WEEK

AT COP 31: Prime Minister Philip Davis as he addresses the Conference of The Parties in Turkiye 12 November 2026

COMMENT OF THE WEEK

ANDRE ROLLINS LOSES HIS HEAD

Despite being an opponent, there are some people that you wish well. One of them is the MP for Long Island Andre Rollins who has been from a youngster a pretty smart fellow with ambitions to be right where he is today in Parliament. Clearly, he is a tenacious survivor but gosh he can act the fool and act the fool too many times. The latest was the disruption of the House by calling the Speaker a disgrace and then being thrown out.

One of the marks of a really smart man is to know when enough is enough, to have a sense of objectivity and judgement about yourself and your own conduct, and recognize when it is time to pivot and make a change. As Michael Jackson sings, the man in the mirror must make a change.

Another public figure that we can use as an example was the late former Senator Rodney Moncur. He got into public prominence by the antics of an activist. He was always in trouble with the police, not really trouble but annoyance trouble. It captured the headlines. He was from pillar to post on one cause or the next and could not be ignored by the establishment.

Then he struck gold, Loretta Butler Turner became Leader of the Opposition and decided to appoint him to the Senate. He took it seriously, even as he entertained us. His personality changed and he began to operate from the middle, capturing a talk show that informed us and entertained us. That is the point from which a successful politician operates, from the middle.

Dr. Rollins knows better but it appears just cannot govern his conduct and his head. Sir Lynden Pindling speaking at the funeral of the late Sir Cecil Wallace Whitfield described him as having a heart of gold but a head of fire. That is not quite Andre Rollins, we don t know where his heart is but he certainly has a head of fire. He doesn t think before he acts.

Then after standing up after disrupting the House, calling a female speaker a disgrace, he speaks words of contrition, like a little child after being taken to the woodshed, surrounded by his FNM colleagues like he was in prison, to say word sorry that everyone knows he does not mean.

One day, we hope he gets it for his sake. We need all the brain power that we can to run this country. Opposition and government. You really hate to see a man who is well trained and who has some good instincts ruin his opportunity to act from the centre because he just cannot control his head.

Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 14 November 2026 up to midnight: 1,306,572,

Number of hits for the month of November up to Saturday 14 November 2026 up to midnight: 2,753,831

Number of hits for the year 2026 up to Saturday 14 November 2026 up to midnight: 53,717,073

THE SPEAKER GIVES A GOOD SCOLDING

The Speaker of the House of Assembly took no nonsense and generally brooks no nonsense. That was clear on Wednesday 11 November 2026 when she unceremoniously booted MP Andre Rollins whom we dub Mad Max from the House. Mr. Rollins called her a disgrace. The word was unparliamentary, and he was being argumentative in a vicious back and forth, disrupting the chamber. He left on his own steam after being ordered out, without the police having to lift him out. Later, he stood down stairs in false contrition saying that he was apologizing for the word that he used, that it was unparliamentary. Of course, no one believes that he meant a word of it.

MICHAEL PINTARD MASTER OF TWO SIDES OF THE MOUTH

We have said this many times in this column, a word of cheap advice to the Leader of the Opposition Michael Pintard, you cannot aprobate and reprobate at the same time. It must be one or the other. The latest in his all too often attempts to have his cake and eat it too was the false apology given by the Member of Parliament Andre Rollins for his disruptive behaviour in the House of Assembly on 11 November 2026. Mr. Rollins stood in the Committee Room of the House with a contrite look on his face saying sorry and he was surrounded by the choir of the FNM MPs, looking equally as pious but the Leader of the Opposition could not leave well enough alone, he had to give an explanation as to what led to the disruptive behaviour that amounted to we are only saying sorry because we know it did not go over well with the public. When will the FNM ever learn.

CHANGES TO THE LAW ON JUSTICES OF THE PEACE

One of the few sinecures or political gifts that the government of the day can give to its ordinary foot soldiers who have done well in the society is to offer them the position of Justice of the Peace or J.P. A Justice of the Peace under the current Magistrate s Court act is able to notarize documents including administering in the courts and issuing summonses or warrants for searches. Mainly they notarize affidavits. This has annoyed many in the legal establishment and they have now persuaded the government to move to stop the present system and make it more difficult to become a JP and to maintain being a JP. This is one of these things that you say if it ain t broke why are we trying to fix it. But fix it we are and in the end the hundreds of PLP and FNM supporters who will be looking to the government when their political party is in power for their piece of the pie will not be able to get it.

COP 31 IS OVER THE PM IS BACK HOME

Prime Minister Philip Davis is back home after spending a few days at the Conference of The Parties (COP 31) in Turkiye. There he once again made the case for climate action and climate justice as it relates to the small island developing states like The Bahamas. The big players did not show up. China s president was absent and so was the President of the United States. In fact the President of the United States calls climate change a con job. It appears that the show is going on and so it should. The Bahamas revealed its plan to market carbon credits based on the sea grasses that we have in our waters. It has taken some time to quantify and to organize but the Prime Minister said that it was almost time to go to market. The country hopes that by marketing the carbon credits there will be a significant windfall of funding to support the fight against the rising sea and harsh hurricanes.

MEANWHILE IN GRAND BAHAMA

We remind the public that the period of public consultation has come for the proposed framework for Grand Bahama and Freeport. The website is www.gbframework.com. It is important for the public to make its input into the changes that must come to Grand Bahama. In the meantime, it would be prudent for the families that run and own the city of Freeport to try to find a way to divest themselves of it and find an investor who can transform the city. The consultation period ends on 30 April 2026.

THE AMERICANS ARE WRONG PUTTING OUT SALACIOUS INFO

Last week, the Americans went further in their campaign to undermine the PLP and the government of The Bahamas by putting another public document in their courts that said that the politician number one that they identified as being the person to whom drug cash was being sent on election day when a plane crashed and they rescued the Bahamians in the crash, was a recently re-elected politician. That set off a firestorm again in the Bahamas, with the press and the Opposition running off the deep end about who was this politician umber one. They pinned down Kingsley Smith MP for West Grand Bahama and he told them not friggen me. I don t do nonsense . At last we have a PLP who has the balls to tell these stupid people eff off. This should have been done long time. The Chairman of the PLP in in a voice note on Friday 13 November 2026 said that he supported Mr. Smith.

THE BAHAMIAN RESPONSE IS TOO LADY LIKE: KUDOS KINGSLEY MP

The Bahamian people are so terrified of losing their right to shop at Walmart s that they let these folks from across the water talk to them any kind of how and say whatever they like, call the country crooked, attack its leaders, and we say nothing. Such lady like behaviour will not get us anywhere.

FELIX SANDS WRITES FROM GRAND BAHAMA

Caveman Politics: Crossing the Line

This year on May 12th , 2026, Mr. Michael Pintard leader of the FNM, after executing a nasty Caveman approach to Bahamian politics; it can be described as the "Jack Them Up" campaign. A campaign of assailing the character of PLP'S, he failed most miserably. It was his third election defeat as leader with the same failed strategy.

The Davis Administration became the first government in twenty five years to win a second consecutive five-year term. This was not by chance. In that tumultuous campaign, lines of human decency was over and repeatedly crossed. Forces inside and outside of the country sought to bring down the PLP government. The people rejected that message of Darkness instead choosing light, hope, and progress .

In recent days, the scurrilous accusations of drug trafficking have, once again, resume against a PLP MP they referred to as politician number one. The opposition MP's from Grand Bahama, themselves, know it to be a lie; yet, they persist. The circumstances of the so-called drug transaction in the House of Assembly Cramped quarters doesn't allow the space for any such transaction to take place. The second point is, in Grand Bahama, we all know each other. Where is the manifestation of a financial windfall in the life style of the accused from wrongdoing? It is a bald face lie and Caveman actions. Back benchers are ordinary MPs; they have no standing in community, other than having special front seating at official programs. They have very little influence like the average citizen.

I now appeal to MP'S Thompson and Gibson; you have the singular high privilege of Public Service with these five-year contracts for service. When these contracts end and you return to private life in your community; let it not be said that when you held power, you engaged in activities unbecoming of a BELIEVER: you gave aide and comfort to those who have lost their way and continued in crossing the line of human decency to win at all cost. This strategy will ultimately fail.

Power is Temporal! Truth is Eternal!

Felix Sands

ABAGAIL CARTWRIGHT FROM DEAN S BLUE HOLE

The Unmaking of a Leader

Last week, I watched the parliamentary proceedings as Long Island MP Dr. Andre Rollins unleashed a verbal assault on the Speaker of the House, sparking mixed reactions across the country.

Through my eyes, nothing in the Speaker's conduct warranted such an outburst. Some have described Dr. Rollins behaviour as unparliamentary. I will go further. It was disgusting, disgraceful, disrespectful, and, above all, disappointing.

Members of Parliament are elected to serve their constituencies, but their greater responsibility is to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. That honour demands the highest standards of integrity, dignity and decorum.

As a woman, I was repulsed by Dr. Rollins' condescending attitude and blatant disrespect for the Speaker of The House of Assembly, Hon. Patricia Deveaux. Parliamentary disagreements are inevitable, but disrespect should never become an acceptable substitute for reasoned debate.

Further, Dr. Rollins embarrassed the hardworking, industrious and self-respecting people of Long Island. These are people who need reliable mailboat services, decent roads, an airport, upgraded healthcare facilities and meaningful representation. They deserve an advocate, not a spectacle.

Dr. Rollins, last week, single-handedly damaged his political career and disqualified himself, from any serious leadership consideration. He also risked alienating a significant voting bloc: women, particularly Black Bahamian women, whose influence extends throughout their families and communities.

Whether he was grandstanding, auditioning for party leadership or simply allowing his ego to overpower his judgment, he failed.

Worse still, his colleagues' subsequent walkout shifted attention away from his conduct rather than demonstrating accountability. The apology offered, while necessary, was insufficient, as he neglected to apologize specifically to his constituents in Long Island for his behavior. Then, in a familiar display of political deflection, he doubled down with a statement attempting to justify his actions, effectively undermining his own apology by suggesting that an apology should also come from Politician #1.

Dr. Rollins, leadership is not measured by how loudly you can disrespectfully challenge authority, but by how responsibly you exercise your own.

I remember when Dr. Rollins entered Parliament a few months ago, he demanded respect for democracy, but now, regrettably, he has left the Bahamian people questioning his respect for the institution itself.

And perhaps the greatest irony is this: in attempting to demonstrate that he is fit to lead, he may have demonstrated precisely why he is not.

Dr. Rollins, preserve what remains of your dignity and withdraw from your party’s leadership race. Before aspiring to lead a political party, you must first demonstrate the temperament and maturity that leadership requires. At this juncture, you have demonstrated neither.

-Abigail Cartwright

IN PASSING

A Trip To Westminster Abbey

Facebook:

Very Reverend Harry Bain began his Foreign Affairs assignment this evening at Evensong at the Westminster Abbey in London. Joining me was Antonio Butler who is the Acting High Commissioner to London and our host was Dr James Hawkey , the Canon Theologian and Chaplain to the King.

Fred Mitchell MP

Fox Hill

8 November 2026

The Cynthia Munnings Masterpiece

Facebook:

I was stunned by the inventiveness of this piece by Cynthia Munnings, a Bahamian artist living in UK. The piece is made of straw, top from the palms of The Bahamas, used in the straw market. Great stuff. You can view it in our high commission in London.

Fred Mitchell MP

Fox Hill

6 November 2026

Meeting The Greek Orthodox Archbishop

Facebook:

It was an honour to visit with and exchange views with His Eminence Nikitas, Archbishop of Thyateira and Great Britain of the Greek Orthodox Church. I introduced him to Very Reverend Harry Bain ( retired Dean of Christ Church Cathedral). Rev Bain's mission is to assist the Foreign Service in the outreach to the civic and religious community on the themes of climate change, human rights, the environment, the rule of law and multilateralism. With me was the Acting High Commissioner Antonio Butler. It turns out that The Archbishop is a cousin of the Minister of Finance Michael Halkitis. I was able to connect them by phone.

Fred Mitchell MP

Fox Hill

10 November 2026

Being Briefed On IMO News

Facebook:

Being briefed by Ambassador Paul Rolle in London on the affairs of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and that of our campaign to be re-elected to the council of the IMO.

Fred Mitchell MP

Fox Hill

10 November 2026

Meeting The British Baptists

Facebook:

We met today at our offices in London Reverend Alex Afriyie, President of the Baptist Union of Great Britain. Joining me was Very Reverend Harry Bain and Ambassador Paul Rolle. We discussed how the Baptist Church can engage with us on common themes like climate change, the environment, reparatory justice and the rule of law.

Fred Mitchell MP

Fox Hill

10 November 2026

A Visit To The House Of Lords

Facebook:

With the Rt Rev Graham Usher Bishop of Norwich at the House of Lords in London to discuss the environment and climate change with the Anglican communion and extensive discussions on reparatory justice. Joining us is the Very Rev. Harry Bain.

Fred Mitchell MP

Fox Hill

11 November 2026

Farewell To Patrice McDonald

Facebook:

I signed the Book of Condolences at St Agnes Church to mark the passing of the late Patrice McDonald nee Astwood at St Agnes Church were the mass of the Resurrection was held. Rest in peace.

Fred Mitchell MP

Fox Hill

13 November 2026