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C M C M Y K Y K WEATHER TRY OUR DOUBLE FILET-O-FISH HIGH 87F ANY TIME...ANY PLACE, WE’RE #1 LOW 78F The Tribune CLOUDY, T-STORMS BAHAMAS EDITION www.tribune242.com Volume: 105 No.238 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2009 PRICE – 75¢ (Abaco and Grand Bahama $1.25) S Hewitt fires verbal E R Soul S U W T E A searching N volley at magazine story E F SEE WOMAN SECTION SEE STORY ON PAGE THREE Dr Nottage to ‘launch leadership campaign during PLP convention’ By PAUL G Christian Council TURNQUEST Tribune Staff Reporter pturnquest@ tribunemedia.net UNLIKE his colleagues PLP MP for Bain and Grant’s Town Dr Bernard Nottage is reportedly set to launch his campaign for the leadership of the party not months before the conven- tion, but rather during the party’s convention in Octo- in rape law feud ber of this year. With two candidates already declaring their interest in the deputy lead- Former president SEE page eight MANf CHARGED WITH MURDER f a t s criticises organisation e n u b i By MEGAN REYNOLDS husband to force sex on his r T / Tribune Staff Reporter wife on Thursday, after the e k [email protected] Catholic Archdiocese, the r a l Bahamas Conference of the C A FEUD has broken out Methodist Church and the m i within the Bahamas Christian Seventh-Day Adventist T Council over the position tak- Church had already expressed en by leader Rev Patrick Paul their support for governmen- on the proposed amendment t's proposal. to outlaw marital rape. Bishop Hall, who presided Former Council president over the Christian Council in and outspoken social activist 1999 and 2000, expressed his Bishop Simeon Hall released disappointment at the sus- a statement yesterday criticis- pected failure of council lead- ing the organisation for its ers to consult others before apparent failure to seek con- taking a controversial stance sensus on the issue. on marital rape and creating a The Christian Council, the division both within the organ- largest religious federation in isation and the Church. the country, expressed its In a statement released to rejection of government's attempt to make it illegal for a SEE page eight Concerns raised over recent 30-YEAR-OLD Jamar approvals of crown land Munnings leaving court yesterday. By PAUL G TURNQUEST Tribune Staff Reporter [email protected] By NATARIO McKENZIE Claim that turtle ban will turn PM weighs in Tribune Staff AS THE House of Assembly’s Select Committee continues Reporter its work looking into the disposition of all crown land grants, nmckenzie@ Bahamians into ‘criminals’ on student sex concerns have been raised over recent approvals issued since tribunemedia.net August and whether or not a new “transparent” system has tru- By TANEKA THOMPSON according to those who oppose clause addition to ly been implemented at the Department of Lands and Surveys. Tribune Staff Reporter the ban. A MAN was remand- [email protected] On July 20, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham pledged his gov- Opponents argue that by ed to Her Majesty’s removing the option for impov- teachers contract SEE page eight Prison yesterday after RECENTLY implemented erished residents of the family being arraigned in Mag- regulations that placed a ban islands to occasionally eat turtle By DENISE MAYCOCK istrate’s Court on a mur- Tribune Freeport Reporter on the harvesting and sale of meat government also will be [email protected] der charge. turtles will turn hard-working Police have charged Bahamians into "criminals," SEE page eight 30-year-old Jamar Atiba FREEPORT – Prime Minis- Munnings with the mur- ter Hubert Ingraham has Minister approves strike weighed in on the debate over der of Mario Rahming. the student sex clause that gov- Munnings, who is rep- ernment wants to attach to the resented by attorney vote for the GBPA union contract of teachers. Stanley Rolle, is accused By DENISE MAYCOCK Mr Ingraham noted that gov- of intentionally causing Tribune Freeport Reporter ernment has asked all teachers Mr Rahming’s death on [email protected] to acknowledge in writing that Saturday, August 29. they understand his adminis- Appearing before Chief FREEPORT - Labour Minister Dion tration’s zero tolerance stance Magistrate Roger on child molestation. He also Gomez in Court One, Foulkes has approved a strike vote for the acknowledged that the Bank Lane, he was not Grand Bahama Port Authority Workers Bahamas Union of Teachers required to enter a plea Union, which is calling for the reinstate- has asked its members not to to the murder charge. ment of two union shop stewards at the sign the clause, but said this is Grand Bahama Shipyard. of no importance. SEE page eight Mr Foulkes told the media in Grand SEE page eight DION FOULKES SEE page eight NASSAU AND BAHAMA ISLANDS’ LEADING NEWSPAPER C M C M Y K Y K PAGE 2, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2009 THE TRIBUNE LOCAL NEWS Are unions serving their purpose? MICHAEL SAUNDERS HILLWOOD SMITH MRS ROLLE MICHAEL THOMPSON MINISTRY EMPLOYEE M FERGUSON on proactive solutions instead giving about the union and the Michael Saunders, 51, of just reactive, I think a lot of bank accounts — that should- Attorney STREET confusion could be avoided. n't be happening.” "Not at this stage because Sometimes the personal aspi- they seem embroiled in inter- rations of union executives Russ Owens, 50, nal disputes. When these conflict with their duties." Trucking Industry TALK things happen the needs and desires of the workers are not Hillwood Smith, 29, "I'm self-employed so I don't being addressed." unemployed have any first-hand experience in any union, but from what "I personally believe that a I've seen basically unions M. Ferguson, 35, union is like a double-edged suck. They make me ashamed JACINTHA CHARLTON Dept. of the Auditor General OR the past few weeks there has been sword. They are based on and they should be "I've witnessed one incident great ideals built to protect embarassed simply because quite a bit of disagreements in various where I really don't feel as and support its members, they can't seem to get it unions. In the wake of controversy though they represented the securing them jobs or bene- together. They can't sit down spawned by the new sex clause for workers at all. I really can't fits. At times though I find to a table and come to any Fteachers and another round of hotel layoffs, The speak unequivocally, but I feel their methods bordering on amicable agreement on any- that in certain scenarios the the extreme, too often when- thing and that's bad for the Tribune took to the streets yesterday to find out unions discourage civil meet- ever there is a problem a lot of entire country, all the in-house how Bahamians feel about unions. Are they real- ings and encourage extremi- unions immediately resort to fighting is ridiculous." ly serving their purpose, and representing the ties like sick-outs, not taking the sick-out tactic. I think that workers? everything into consideration. there should be some com- Ministry of Works If greater emphasis is placed mon ground, as union leaders Employee (Physical Plant) they should be able to orches- trate negotiations in a "I am not happy with union reserved manner." politics at this time. My rea- sons being our union had told Mrs. Rolle, PMH employee us that we will receive funds during the month of October, "I must admit I am a little right now feedback from our disappointed with unions at representatives is looking as the moment. It seems as if this will be put off even fur- though, with the current state ther. So basically we are just of economy, fees are only being put on the back burn- going up and with no real er. We haven't received any increase to the amount of ben- salary increments so we're efits engendered. I would have doing all the work and not get- hoped that seeing as there is ting paid for it." no coverage increase, they would have waited until work- Jacintha Charlton, 49, ers received their salary Bus No. 286 increases. Prices are going up everywhere, but our wages are "A lot of people are losing staying the same, sometimes their jobs and as representa- I just don't feel as though the tives of the workers they unions share our common should be giving some kind of interest." response or call to action- and quite frankly at this time Michael Thompson, 58 it appears as if they're doing nothing. “I think just by looking at “With the global economy in what's going on with the Hotel this state, every action is cru- Union, they're not being rep- cial and they should be doing resented properly. I mean just more to represent the people look at what excuses they’re and fulfil their commitment." Govt ‘at least a month away’ from decision on change to gambling laws By ALISON LOWE Tribune Staff Reporter [email protected] TOURISM stakeholders keen for “radical change” to the nation’s gambling laws and regu- lations will have to wait at least a month longer to find out if gov- ernment is likely to implement its recommendations, according to Tourism Minister Vincent Van- derpool-Wallace. VANDERPOOL-WALLACE A committee comprised of peo- ple from the tourism industry and government officials formed to review the proposals put forward by the Bahamas Hotel Association in conjunction with the Casino Association in early April this year was initially scheduled to report back by the end of August.