Greetings by
Hon. Fred Mitchell MP
ST. AGNES CHURCH,
MIAMI, FLORIDA
17th December 2006
Canon Barry; Consul General, members of the congregation of St. Agnes, I am honoured to be here as usual. It is a special pleasure to be here at Christmas time. I thought that having had a year of successes working with and for the Bahamian American community in South Florida that I ought to come and simply say thanks on behalf of the Government and people of The Bahamas.
The year 2006 has been fortunate for The Bahamas in many ways. The first thing that we ought to do is count our blessings. Chief amongst them must be the fact that we have had no hurricanes this year. We share that good fortune with Miami and the people of South Florida. For that alone we ought to be thankful.
Another blessing has to be the success of the economy of The Bahamas over the past year with unemployment nationwide dropping to just above 6 per cent in Nassau and just above 7 per cent nationwide. The economy continues to expand. We share that good fortune with Miami and South Florida in that this is the area where most Bahamians come to shop and I am told that hotel bookings are at record levels in the area as we speak.
In The Bahamas, we also are thankful for good leadership. In seeking to make this a comment that is not political, I think about the fact that the leadership has kept us out of any kind of strife whether external or internal. Whatever differences and problems there have been we have been able to manage them without resort to social disorder.
Those are just a few aspects of life over the past year that I can think of for which I think we can and should be thankful.
I pay a special tribute to the people of St. Agnes, Canon Barry and the Bahamians in South Florida in general for their steadfast support and concern for their ancestral homeland The Bahamas. You are all aware of the international political pressures, not of our making, that caused great stress over the past year. Your support in this area helped us to be able to negotiate our way through the treacherous waters of international diplomacy.
No doubt, there will be more to come as it is clear that changes are taking place in each of the countries that surround our country, as indeed there are challenges on the horizon in The Bahamas.
In a few months, the country will hold a general election. This is usually a period of tension in many countries as the tensions rise over who will govern the country over the next five years. I expect that the elections in The Bahamas will be peaceful and that our stewardship over our country will be reaffirmed. However, I wish for these purposes to say that the relationship with this community of Bahamians abroad is not a partisan one. Whatever happens, you can expect that relations will continue to grow and strengthen.
This is Christmas time; a time to visit with loved ones and reflect on what has happened over the past year and to look forward to the future. I wish then to thank you again as you prepare for your reflections and I hope that you will remember us in those reflections as we remember you.
I thank the Consul General Alma Adams and her team here in Miami, Michael Young who has joined the team as Honorary Consul for this district working out of Atlanta and all the team in the United States of America for the work that you have done in making this such a successful year for us. I hope to come back early in the New Year to visit with the community in the Palm Beaches and in Broward.
All that is left then for me to say on behalf of the Right Honourable Prime Minister is Merry Christmas to you all, God bless you and I wish you continued blessing in New Year and in the months and years ahead.
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