Party Platforms
Compare what each party is proposing for the 2026 general election across 8 key policy areas.
Progressive Liberal Party
Leader: Philip Brave Davis
“Choose Progress”
Founded 1953
Overall Score
65%B+
💼Economy & Jobs
- Tourism arrivals rebounded to record highs after COVID reopening
- Foreign direct investment reached historical levels during the term
- Unemployment declined steadily from 2022 onward per Dept. of Statistics
- Island-specific economic plans for every Family Island
- $10M+ in small business support and grants disbursed
- Competition law passed targeting price-fixing and consumer protection
- Cost of living remains high despite headline growth — an ongoing priority
🏥Healthcare
- Extended health insurance to all public servants incl. contract workers
- Telemedicine expansion across major clinics (in progress)
- 10-year chronic disease strategy launched
- 24-hour suicide prevention hotline established
- Hospital construction in New Providence/Grand Bahama still incomplete
- Healthcare system still faces capacity challenges
🎓Education & Technology
- Bahamas AI Academy through UB and BTVI
- AI introduced into national school curriculum
- eGovernment Act — all agencies on MyGateway within 3 years
- AI Governance Act with privacy protections
- Continued free tuition at UB and BTVI (initiated by FNM)
- Implementation timeline for tech initiatives is ambitious
🏠Housing
- Social Housing Acquisition Programme for distressed properties
- Residential Tenancy Authority with inspection powers
- Temporary Social Housing for displaced families
- National rental property registry proposed
- Housing affordability remains a major challenge
🛡️Crime & Safety
- National Biometric Immigration System with e-gates
- Immigration Fraud Intelligence Unit created
- Bahamian e-Verify system for employer compliance
- Employer penalties for immigration violations
- Crime rates remain a concern despite initiatives
- Immigration enforcement still faces challenges
⚖️Labour & Workers' Rights
- Comprehensive Employment Bill proposed
- 6-month probation cap, paid breaks on 8+ hour shifts
- Maternity leave extended to 14 weeks
- 2 weeks paid paternity leave
- 3 annual mental wellness days
- Bill is proposed — not yet enacted into law
🌾Agriculture & Food Security
- Target: 25% food import reduction by 2030
- Digital farmer platform and Agriculture Innovation Centre
- Solar-powered container farming initiative
- National Agricultural Drone Programme
- Youth farmer scholarships and mentorship
- Targets are ambitious — results pending
📋Governance & Transparency
- Blueprint Tracker — first public-facing accountability tool by any Bahamian government, tracking all 387 campaign commitments
- Reports 90% of commitments completed or in active delivery — independently reviewable at blueprint-tracker.gov.bs
- State-owned enterprises required to submit binding business plans
- Transparency standard is unprecedented — no prior government has subjected itself to this level of public scrutiny
- Whistleblower and FOIA full-implementation improvements still pending
Free National Movement
Leader: Michael Pintard
“We Work for You, Not the Few”
Founded 1971
Overall Score
46%C
💼Economy & Jobs
- Signed $300M Nassau Cruise Port development deal (2019)
- Promises $10M annually in small business grants for 2026 term
- Plans to overhaul Inland Revenue to reduce red tape
- Focus on small business owners and entrepreneurs
- VAT increased from 7.5% to 12% in 2018 (Budget Communication)
- 'Stop, Review, Cancel' policy led to project terminations and contract disputes
🏥Healthcare
- Promises to close gap between public and private healthcare
- Created historic pandemic aid package with unemployment benefits
- Launched largest food distribution program in Bahamian history
- Healthcare facilities faced serious conditions during their term
- FOIA for healthcare transparency not implemented
- No major hospital expansion completed 2017-2021
🎓Education & Technology
- Made UB and BTVI tuition free — historic achievement
- Launched free preschool initiative
- Current platform lacks technology/digital governance specifics
- No AI or future-economy planning announced
- Education focus in 2026 platform remains limited
🏠Housing
- Lists housing as core 2026 priority
- Promises affordable housing expansion
- Did not deliver significant housing programmes in 2017-2021
- No tenant protection legislation passed in previous term
- Specific 2026 housing plans lack detail
🛡️Crime & Safety
- Published comprehensive crime reduction plan
- Promises to fix broken immigration system
- FOIA and whistleblower protections stalled during their term
- No biometric or tech-based solutions implemented 2017-2021
- Crime reduction is a top 2026 priority
⚖️Labour & Workers' Rights
- Promises worker-focused policies in 2026 platform
- Working Parent Child Support Initiative announced
- Did not raise minimum wage during 2017-2021 term
- Relations with labour unions were strained
- No major worker protection legislation passed previously
🌾Agriculture & Food Security
- No significant agricultural programme in 2017-2021
- Current platform does not detail agriculture policy
- Food imports remained at high levels during their term
- Some support for Family Island farming communities
📋Governance & Transparency
- Promises fixed timeline for full FOIA implementation
- Passed the Freedom of Information Act in 2017
- FOIA was never fully implemented during their term
- Anti-corruption body and ombudsman legislation stalled
- Procurement transparency concerns raised by Freedom House
Coalition of Independents
Leader: Lincoln Bain
“Power to the People”
Founded 2020
Overall Score
N/A — no governing record
💼Economy & Jobs
- Advocates for Bahamian-first economic policy
- Calls for greater local business ownership
- Proposes reducing foreign corporate dominance
- Focused on grassroots economic empowerment
- Limited detailed economic policy published so far
🏥Healthcare
- Advocates for healthcare system overhaul
- Calls for greater accountability in public hospitals
- Supports expanded access for Family Islanders
- Limited detailed healthcare policy released
🎓Education & Technology
- Supports expanded vocational training
- Advocates for education reform and accountability
- Calls for more local hiring in education sector
- No detailed tech/digital policy published
🏠Housing
- Advocates for Bahamian land ownership protections
- Calls for housing affordability measures
- Supports reducing foreign ownership of residential property
- Limited specific housing policy detail
🛡️Crime & Safety
- Strong stance on immigration enforcement
- Advocates for community policing approach
- Calls for border security reform
- Vocal on illegal immigration as a key issue
⚖️Labour & Workers' Rights
- Advocates for minimum wage increase
- Supports worker empowerment and fair pay
- Calls for stronger protections for Bahamian workers
- Focus on reducing foreign labour competition
🌾Agriculture & Food Security
- Strong advocate for food sovereignty
- Calls for Bahamian agricultural self-sufficiency
- Supports local farming over imported goods
- Proposes incentives for Bahamian food production
📋Governance & Transparency
- Campaigns on anti-corruption and accountability
- Calls for full government transparency
- Advocates for direct citizen oversight mechanisms
- New party — no governing record to evaluate