Ron Pinder’s Blunder
The Bahama Journal



A “miscommunication” involving the Member of Parliament for Marathon Ron Pinder and related to departure procedures for MP’s travelling through Nassau International Airport led to a US Airways aircraft being forced to return to the airport on Tuesday.

Mr. Pinder, who is also the Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Environment, and Carmichael MP John Carey left for Washington D.C. to attend celebration activities marking the inauguration of President George W. Bush as the president of the United States.

But the debacle in which the Marathon MP was involved resulted in him having to change aircraft.

“There appears to have been a miscommunication about the procedures that ought to be followed with regard to Members of Parliament accessing the tarmac when you use the US international departure area,” Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell explained to his parliamentary colleagues in the House of Assembly Wednesday.

“It did involve the aircraft having to be returned to the gate,” he said.

He was responding to an inquiry from the Member of Parliament for Lucaya Neko Grant who referred to the incident and asked for an official to explain the circumstances.

He had labelled it a pressing matter and called it a security breach.

Minister Mitchell said the matter was ultimately resolved and the plane left “without incident.”

“[Mr. Pinder] did not travel on the aircraft. I would not say that he was not allowed on the aircraft,” he said.

A press statement from Mr. Pinder’s Marathon constituency office on Tuesday said that he and Mr. Carey would be travelling to Washington D.C. to attend the 55th Inaugural Celebrations of the 43rd President of the United States George Bush. The celebrations were to have included a breakfast meeting, the swearing in ceremony and the Inaugural Ball.

The statement said that while at the celebrations, it is expected that the MP’s would meet with a number of US legislators, including Senators John Thame and Chuck Schumer, as well as Congresswoman Sue Kelly and Congressman Charlie Rangel.

Mr. Pinder is expected to return to the capital on the weekend, according to his office.

This isn’t the only airport incident that has drawn attention to the travel and flight arrangements for parliamentary, diplomatic and government officials.

In October 2003, the Governor General Her Excellency Dame Ivy Dumont was involved in a situation at Miami International Airport in which she was required to remove her shoes. It resulted in a complaint to the State Department.

What does him going to DC for Bush's inauguration have anything to do with Marathon? This gives me a bad taste in my mouth, I hope his constituents remember this is '07!

The Member of Parliament for Marathon's "blunder" caused our nation a level of unnecessary embarrassment that I have not been privy to in eons. Did he think himself bigger than the Prime Minister? Maybe he's the President of the United States, and someone forgot to inform the thinking global community. Pathetic sir. Utterly Pathetic. But this comming from a Government whose members still remain in place when accused of rape. A government whose leader stated that the "Code of conduct" had nothing to do with morale standards. A government who refuses to acknowledge that one of it's members is bankrupt. What next? March on Bahamaland. March on :-(

I would like to give Mr. Pinder the benefit of the doubt, if indeed he did not know the procedures. But I imagine that procedures such as airport departure should have been discussed on instatement into government office. But if he was on a private trip, then he should have used the procedures that all citizens are obligated to follow. I am surprised by his beahviour if it was indeed done in arrogance, he seemed like oneo f the more sensible politicians.

I would like to give Mr. Pinder the benefit of the doubt, if indeed he did not know the procedures. But I imagine that procedures such as airport departure should have been discussed on instatement into government office. But if he was on a private trip, then he should have used the procedures that all citizens are obligated to follow. I am surprised by his beahviour if it was indeed done in arrogance, he seemed like oneo f the more sensible politicians.

My mommy always told me, 'when you don't know ask?'