Perry Christie

The Right Honourable Perry Christie MP
3rd Prime Minister of the Bahamas
Incumbent
Assumed office 8 May 2012
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor General	Arthur Foulkes Marguerite Pindling
Deputy	Philip Davis
Preceded by	Hubert Ingraham
In office 6 June 2005 – 4 May 2007
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor General	Ivy Dumont Paul Adderley (Acting) Arthur Dion Hanna
Deputy	Cynthia Pratt
Preceded by	Cynthia Pratt (Acting)
Succeeded by	Hubert Ingraham
In office 3 May 2002 – 4 May 2005
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor General	Ivy Dumont
Deputy	Cynthia Pratt
Preceded by	Hubert Ingraham
Succeeded by	Cynthia Pratt (Acting)
Personal details
Born	Perry Gladstone Christie 21 August 1943 Nassau, Bahamas
Political party	Progressive Liberal Party
Spouse(s)	Bernadette Hanna
Alma mater	University of Birmingham City Law School

Perry Gladstone Christie (born 21 August 1943), PC, MP, is a Bahamian politician who has served as Prime Minister of the Bahamas since May 2012; previously he was Prime Minister from 2002 to 2007. He is the longest-serving Bahamian elected parliamentarian, representing the Centreville constituency since 1977. He is also a former athlete. His Progressive Liberal Party is the governing party and the oldest Bahamian political party, holding a solid majority government of 30 of 38 seats in the Bahamian Parliament. Christie was sworn into office on 8 May 2012.

Education and athletics

Christie’s athletic skills developed as a member of the Pioneers, and led to his representing The Bahamas at the 1960 West Indies Federation Games in Kingston, Jamaica, and at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Kingston in 1962, when he won a bronze medal in the triple jump. Christie was a student at the Eastern Senior School in New Providence, the University Tutorial College, Inner Temple in London and the University of Birmingham (law degree with honours 1969).^[1]

Political career

The University of Birmingham

Christie is believed to have been the youngest Bahamian ever appointed to the Senate. Named as a Senator by Prime Minister Lynden Pindling in November 1974, Christie served in that capacity until June 1977. In January 1977 he was appointed chairman of the Gaming Board, which regulates casinos in The Bahamas.

Receiving the PLP’s nomination for the Centreville constituency in the 1977 general election, Christie was elected Member of Parliament for that constituency, and shortly afterward appointed Minister of Health and National Insurance. During the June 1982 general election, he was re-elected Member of Parliament for Centreville, and was once again appointed to the Prime Minister’s Cabinet, but as Minister of Tourism.

A dynamic Minister, Christie moved tourism in The Bahamas to new heights. In 1984, however, he was dismissed from the Cabinet, and during the 1987 general election ran as an independent candidate. He retained his seat in the Centreville constituency. Three years later – in March 1990 – Christie returned to the fold of the Progressive Liberal Party, and was appointed Minister of Agriculture, Trade and Industry by the Prime Minister. Christie’s ministerial responsibilities included the Ministry of Agriculture, Trade and Industry; mining, geological surveys, petroleum, fuel, oils and petrochemicals, industries encouragement, manufacturing, relations with The Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation, relations with The Bahamas National Trust, Andros reef and blue holes, and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Co-operatives.

In January 1993, following the PLP’s defeat in the August 1992 general election, Christie was elected Co-deputy leader of the PLP with responsibility for party activities outside parliament. Victorious in the newly created Farm Road constituency in the general election, he was elected leader of the PLP at a special convention on 5 April 1997 and appointed as Leader of the Opposition by the Governor-General on 7 April. Christie thus succeeded Lynden Pindling, who had led the PLP since 1956.

Events since 2007

Christie's party, the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), was defeated in the May 2007 general election, taking 18 seats against 23 for the Free National Movement (FNM), and Christie conceded defeat in a phone call to FNM leader Hubert Ingraham.^[2] After the new FNM government was sworn in, Christie was sworn in as leader of the Official Opposition.^[3][4]

In November 2009, Christie was overwhelmingly returned as Leader of the PLP at its Annual General Convention, garnering more than 80% of the vote over Dr. Bernard Nottage.

Christie was re-elected as Prime Minister of the Bahamas on 7 May 2012.

Christie ran his campaign on reducing crime (specifically murder) and The Bahamas has seen a yearly increase in murders since his inauguration.

Christie has brought programmes like Urban Renewal.^[5]

Christie also introduced Value Added Tax at a rate of 7.5%. The money raised from VAT was slated to pay off National Debt.

No Freedom of Information Act has even been implemented under his government, although while in opposition he pushed for it.^[6]

Credits

Under Perry Christie's current administration, many new initiatives are underway.

BAMSI - .^[7]

PMH Critical Care Block - the Princess Margaret Hospital was expanded under the previous administration the building was open under Perry Christie's leadership. To date the facility is still not in full use despite being ready since 2013.^[8]

Multiple human rights violations have been investigated under his leadership, none of which have been solved.^[9]

References

1. "Hon. Perry Gladstone Christie" (PDF). bahamas.gov.bs. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
2. "Bahamas government ousted in poll", BBC News, 3 May 2007.
3. Stephen Gay, "Christie Sworn In As Leader of Official Opposition; Appeals For National Healing", The Bahama Journal, 9 May 2007.
4. Annan Boodram, "Changing of the Guard in the Bahamas", Caribbean Voice, May 2002.
5. Letter from Rick Lowe (24 September 2012). "Urban Renewal 2.0 An Admission Of Failure?". Tribune 242.
6. Travis Cartwright-Carroll (30 March 2015). "Minnis: PM does not respect democracy". The Nassau Guardian.
7. Adrian Gibson (19 March 2015). "Young Man's View: Brave New World Besmirched By Bamsi And Bec". Tribune News.
8. Nico Scavella (23 January 2015). "Two Years Late, But Ribbon Cut On New Critical Care Block". Tribune 242.
9. Ava Turnquest (23 March 2015). "Hearings On Human Rights Hailed As A Great First Step". Tribune 242.

External links

• Government of the Bahamas web page of The Rt Hon. Perry Gladstone Christie
• Rise Up Sweet Island details an account of opposition to Christie's anchor development policy
• Rashad Rolle, "Audio: Pm Says Of Journalists: 'To Hell With Them'", Tribune 242, 27 March 2015.