(Governor’s Harbour, Eleuthera) –  “Grow what we can and buy what we must”, is what the country must do, Minister for Agriculture, Marine Resources and Local Government, Hon. Alfred Gray told local government practitioners from across the island gathered at Worker’s House in Governor’s Harbour on Friday afternoon, July 13th, 2012.

The minister was on island for the day, spending the morning with local farmers and fishermen, and the afternoon with local government practitioners.

He advised the elected local government officials gathered that afternoon, to encourage farmers to grow what the country can. “You are a part of the Government of this country, you have a role to play”, he told his audience.

The minister also took a moment to encourage the officials to be good at what they do, “If you’re a good council member or township member, you will win [in subsequent elections] because the people like you and no amount of money can stop it, if you work and do what you’re supposed to do”, he said. The comment came after making reference to allegations of practices of financial favours being done during previous local elections.

Speaking to the group for the first time since being elected to government in May 2012 and being appointed to his current position, he congratulated them on their success in the 2011 local elections,  and  said he intended to speak to them on what happens now that they have been elected.

After briefly talking about the genesis of local government in the Bahamas with the current legal framework being established in 1996, he encouraged the men and women to read and learn the ‘Local Government Act’. “When you do not know for yourself, anybody can fool you”, he reminded the group. He told them they should be aware of what actions contradict the law and what actions uphold the law. He also recommended they get a copy of the “Green Book” – a local government manual, if they did not have a copy currently. He urged them to make decisions based on the rules outlined in their manual and not based on personal bias. “When you’re guessing or making decisions based on what color shirt he’s wearing… you’re bound to mess up, because you’re making decisions for the wrong reason, on the wrong premise.”

Gray focused on five qualities, which he shared with the attendees as critical during their tenure with local government, including, ‘commitment’, ‘integrity’, ‘transparency’, ‘accountability’, and ‘clear communication’.

The Minister announced to his audience of local government practitioners that his Ministry was in the process of making ‘temporary’ central government workers, who were currently being paid by local government, and had been employed full time for 5 years or more, like some janitresses in schools and clinics and others – monthly workers under his ministry and eventually, permanent government employees. He emphasized that the monies used for their salaries would be reverted from local government to the central government budget.

He also expressed his intention to seek to return the responsibility of licensing back into the hands of local government.

The minister was accompanied by Ms. Rena Glinton, Undersecretary; Hon. Mr. Anthony Moss, M.P. and Parliamentary Secretary; Mr. Clay Sweeting, Deputy Chairman BAIC; Mr. Michael Braynen, Director – Department of Marine Services and Mr. Simeon Pinder, Director of Agriculture.