Day and Night in the Dupuch Family

The landslide victory of the Progressive Liberal Party in the May 7, 2012 General Elections resulted in many a commentary by those who have been recording the history of the Bahamas for decades.  Much contribution to this cause was made by the Dupuch family.  The legacy of Sir Etienne Dupuch is one of fairness in his reporting; while doing justice to the black people who account for the majority of the population, yet their cause is normally not promoted.


A veteran of the First World War, Sir Etienne introduced into the Bahamian House of Assembly the first comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation in the country's history, which outlawed the practice of racial discrimination in hotels, restaurants and other public places at time when the country's tourist industry was experiencing dramatic growth.  His children, left to carry on his legacy, have each maintained publication and commentary of the Bahamas, but their views contrast differently.


Pierre Dupuch followed in his father's footsteps, in that he served honorably in Parliament.  Eileen Dupuch - Carron, also followed in her father's footsteps, carrying on the legacy of the Tribune Newspaper, now more than 100 years old.  However, her publications have contrasted greatly from that of her father and even her brother, Pierre.  Mrs. Carron has sided with the Free National Movement so many times in her editorials that it has resulted in the branding of a once independent newspaper as a biased one.  

Eileen Dupuch-Carron

The latest blatant biased editorial took place on May 8, the day after the PLP literally upset former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham and the FNM.  Her scathing criticism of the governing party on its first day in office showed just how out of touch she is with the general public.  Her newspaper has a duty to be fair and just but her editorial allows her to take the liberty to influence reader's impressions with negativity instead of optimism.  If she continues this trend that she has started right out of the gate with, she runs the risk of costing her company its reputation and its bottom line.  

Earl Deveaux

Even when her reporters broke the news that former Minister of Environment Earl Deveaux had been riding up and down in luxury helicopters with a rich investor with his proposal on the table, she used her editorial to soften this big blow to the FNM instead of maintaining the journalistic principle of justice and revelation of the facts.


Her reporters were obviously gagged because the story was dropped while stories of less significance were promoted.  The reporters failed to continue the story when that investor, Aga Khan IV, shaved own a major hill without a permit.  They also failed to pick up the story when former Minister Deveaux's friend, Brian Hughes, dug deep into the fish nursery in Andros, upsetting the cycle of thousands of fish.  


If Eileen Carron had any intention of being just in reporting the news, why would she ignore the series of letters that her brother, Pierre, has written and dispersed concerning the corruption that he was aware of taking place in the FNM Government?  

Pierre Dupuch

Steve McKinney

Brent Symonette

Pierre Dupuch was known for his hard-hitting letters about what was going on in the FNM.  For example, he revealed the undercover deals that FNM Cabinet Ministers were partaking in, selling the very rock of the Bahamas.  His letters were coming out during the same time that veteran journalist and broadcaster Steve KcKinney was making the same revelations on his talk show, Hard Copy.  They were both crying shame on the government of the day for allegedly selling Bahamian limestone rock to pharmaceutical companies and road paving companies in the United States.  Both of these men of credit in the Bahamian political discourse called out the FNM Ministers for this practice, which they claim resulted in billions of dollars of money that should have gone to taxpayers, going out of the country under the radar.  The words of Dupuch and McKinney led many to discern that former Deputy Prime Minister Brent Symonette had a hand in these deals, because each time the FNM is in power, his Bahama Hot Mix Company is awarded contracts that all have to do with excavation and road paving.  

Hubert Ingraham

In recent days, Mr. Dupuch used his series of emails to reveal much about Hubert Ingraham, whose Cabinet he served in.  He revealed that the former Prime Minister is a dictator and described his heartless approach to governance.  He called him out for the suspected black "Obeah hat" and declared that God would decide this election and not Obeah.  


The common saying, "The voice of the people is the voice of God"would hold true if everything these men have been saying is correct.  It seems that Eileen and Pierre, son and daughter of the late Sir Ettienne, are like night and day when it comes to what is truth and what is falsehood.  Their virtues will be tested now that their party, the FNM, doesn't even have a respectable cadre of MPs to take to the House of Assembly for the next five years.