Party Platforms

Progressive Liberal Party

Leader: Philip Brave Davis

“Choose Progress”

Founded 1953

Overall Score

💼Economy & Jobs

• Maintain trajectory toward 50% debt-to-GDP target, building on first credit upgrade in almost 20 years
• Strengthen revenue administration without raising VAT; maintain primary surplus
• Consolidate all Encouragement Acts into one modern, sector-neutral investment incentives framework
• Establish Foreign Direct Investment Compliance Unit to audit concession agreements
• Expanded SBDC access, enhanced credit support, and a Bahamian Entrepreneur Investment Fund
• Require SOEs to submit binding business plans by 2027 with subsidy reduction milestones by 2029
• Launch National Workforce Demand Index mapping high-paying jobs across priority sectors
• Enact modern competition law banning price-fixing and penalising abuse of market dominance

🏥Healthcare

• Complete Freeport Health Campus and deliver new modern hospital facility in New Providence
• Extend contributory health insurance to all public servants, including contract workers
• Fully integrate National Prescription Drug Plan into NHI and broaden covered drugs
• Expand NHI access to GLP-1 medications to combat obesity and Type 2 diabetes
• Grow Catastrophic Care Fund so no family is financially destroyed by a diagnosis
• Expand telemedicine to all major Family Island clinics within three years
• Deploy mobile clinics for preventative care, screenings, and maternal and child services
• PHA Academy training the next generation of Bahamian health professionals

🎓Education

• Make early childhood care and pre-primary education universal and compulsory from age four
• One Tablet, One Child — a dedicated device for every government school student
• Set clear literacy, mathematics and digital-skills benchmarks, with teacher training
• Breakfast in every primary and junior high school
• New purpose-built BTVI main campus with tech and renewable-energy facilities
• Innovation and Science Hubs in secondary schools linked to UB and BTVI
• Expand Upskill Bahamas: 25,000 Bahamians trained by 2031
• High-speed internet in every school on every island

💻Technology & AI

• Enact AI Governance Act — first AI-specific law in CARICOM
• Enact eGovernment Act requiring all agencies on MyGateway within three years
• Launch National Digital ID; implement 'Once Only' principle across government services
• Enforce Data Protection Act with mandatory 72-hour breach notification
• Target 250,000 MyGateway users by 2031; deploy AI-powered permit and application processing
• Launch Bahamas AI Academy through BTVI and UB; adaptive AI learning tools in all government schools within 3 years
• Introduce AI into K–12 curriculum from Grade 4
• Ethical AI guardrails: no facial recognition without parliamentary approval, no predictive policing, no social scoring
• Deploy 5G in Nassau and Freeport within 3 years; Nassau Internet Exchange Point; expand Family Island broadband
• Comprehensive cybersecurity legislation; National Cybersecurity Authority; CIRT-BS 24/7; National Digital Forensics Lab
• Support Bahamian digital creators: Creator Micro-Grant Fund, online rights registry, '242 Creator Passport,' National Digital Creative Lab

🏠Housing

• Partner with high-capacity developers through PPPs to deliver affordable homes at scale
• Social Housing Acquisition Programme to purchase and rehabilitate distressed properties
• Affordable housing subdivisions across Abaco, Eleuthera, Exuma and beyond
• Affordable Housing Development Fund drawing on public investment and multilateral financing
• Significantly expand Rent-to-Own programme with more properties and simpler application
• Mandatory National Rental Property Registration system with minimum habitability standards
• Residential Tenancy Authority with power to inspect, investigate, and enforce violations
• Family Island Workforce Housing on economically active islands to ease shortages

🛡️Crime & Safety

• Deepen five-pillar crime strategy and complete expansion of the national CCTV network
• Zero-tolerance enforcement for illegal gun possession with expanded specialist firearm courts
• Backlog Reduction Court to clear outstanding cases within 24 months
• Establish dedicated Sexual Offences Court to expedite justice for victims
• Expand community policing and the Clear/Hold/Build strategy nationwide
• Expand digitisation and virtual hearings to Family Island Magistrates Courts
• Build on 787 new police officers and 379 correctional officers hired in first term
• Recruit at least 100 new frontline police officers per year in second term

⚖️Labour & Workers' Rights

• Employment Bill 2026 — most significant upgrade to labour law in a generation
• Cap probation at 6 months in private sector and 12 months in public service
• Paid 1-hour break on shifts of 8+ hours and at least 8 hours rest between shifts
• Maternity leave extended to 14 weeks; 2 weeks of paid paternity leave
• 3 mental wellness days per year with no doctor's note required
• Legal right to adoption leave and reasonable breastfeeding breaks for nursing mothers
• Contributory pension plan for public servants as first phase of universal coverage
• Bring informal workers into formal contributory base with defined contribution system

🌾Agriculture & Food Security

• Reduce national food import spend by 25% by 2030 — keeping ~$200M/yr in the economy
• FarmBahamas Digital Platform giving every farmer real-time weather, soil, and market prices
• Agriculture Innovation Centre in partnership with UB, BAMSI, and CARDI
• National Containerised Farm Programme: solar-powered, AI-controlled across 7 islands by 2028
• 50 containerised farm units operational by 2029, prioritising schools, clinics, and community centres
• Require government food programmes to source 30% locally by 2027, rising to 50% by 2030
• Legislate National Import Substitution Priority List; 80% egg self-sufficiency target
• National Agricultural Drone Programme training and certifying 100 pilots by 2028

📋Governance & Transparency

• National Master Development Plan setting spatial and infrastructural blueprint
• Fully fund and operationalise the Independent Investigations Commission
• Appoint fully independent Ombudsman with authority to investigate and resolve complaints
• Public Progress Dashboard on MyGateway tracking delivery against every Blueprint commitment
• Publish annual State of Progress report with mid-term public review at 30 months
• Fully fund and expand FOIA with trained FOIA officers and disclosure logs in public bodies
• AI Governance Act: no facial recognition without parliamentary approval
• Require all SOEs to submit binding business plans by 2027

⚡Energy & Renewables

• Bring LNG online at Clifton Pier by commissioning receiving terminal and gas turbines
• Deploy 70MW of solar and 35MW of Battery Energy Storage into the New Providence grid
• Integrate 27MW of solar across Family Islands, each with its own customised plan
• 30% of national electricity from renewable sources by 2030 — no Family Island paying more
• Complete acquisition of Grand Bahama Power Company and integrate into national reform
• Reduce energy losses from 15–20% to 10% by 2030; cut system outages by 30%
• Unbundle grid from generation by 2030, allowing private investment in grid management
• Set LNG penetration targets through 2030, including coastal tanker distribution to remote communities

🏖️Tourism

• Grow visitor arrivals from new source markets: Latin America, Europe, Gulf, India, African diaspora
• Work with airlines to expand international airlift, leveraging US Preclearance advantage
• Grow room inventory with new hotel investment across Nassau, Grand Bahama, and Family Islands
• Support boutique hotels and guesthouses across the Family Islands
• Expand high-yield niche tourism: fly fishing, wellness, nautical, cultural, digital-nomad economy
• Establish Cat Island as flagship wellness destination; redevelop Dean's Blue Hole as eco-tourism attraction
• Bahamas Immersion Centres and a curated Nassau Heritage Trail
• Launch National Sailing Museum and expand sailing clubs on each island

🛂Immigration & Borders

• National Maritime Domain Awareness Platform integrating radar, satellite and UAV feeds
• National Biometric Immigration System with e-Gates flagging prior deportees and fraud
• Daily overstay fines from day one; unpaid fines block future visa applications
• Employer Immigration Compliance Act: penalties raised to $15K plus 12 months' imprisonment
• Bahamian E-Verify portal and new Immigration Fraud Intelligence Unit
• National Immigration Digital Transformation phasing out paper forms entirely
• National Identity Verification Database with AI-powered fraud detection
• Mandatory sentences for officers facilitating fraud — up to 10 years or $50K fines

🏝️Family Islands & Grand Bahama

• Dedicated economic development plan for every Family Island, tailored to its assets
• Begin public consultation on the City of Andros as a hub of sustainable development
• Targeted investment incentives for businesses outside New Providence and Grand Bahama
• Functional broadband on every inhabited island by 2031, via Family Island Digital Connectivity Fund
• Complete Family Island Renaissance programme for 19 designated airports
• Family Island Banking Access Programme expanding Sand Dollar adoption and mobile banking
• Complete Freeport Health Campus, Grand Bahama International Airport, and Grand Lucayan redevelopment; relaunch US pre-clearance at GBIA
• Expand direct airlift to Family Islands; establish a National Seaplane Network

🌿Environment & Climate

• Establish the Bahamas Environmental Tribunal
• Increase fines for illegal dumping; implement environmental performance bonds
• Pass comprehensive waste management and marine pollution legislation
• Blue carbon governance: independent oversight, transparent revenue reporting, community benefit-sharing
• Conservation priorities: mangrove protection, freshwater lens conservation, climate resilience
• Negotiate a second debt-for-nature swap targeting $500M–$1B (building on first $300M)
• Verra-certify 10,000 sq km of seagrass and mangrove ecosystems by 2028; monetise carbon credits
• Advance the Sovereign Blue Carbon Bond

Free National Movement

Leader: Michael Pintard

“We Work for You, Not the Few”

Founded 1971

Overall Score

💼Economy & Jobs

• Cut VAT on all everyday essentials, medical costs and educational supplies to 0%
• Establish Sovereign Wealth Fund, repealing the ineffective National Investment Fund Act
• Introduce a fiscal rule requiring a balanced budget; move debt-to-GDP toward 50%
• Invest $100M in entrepreneurs; $10M annually in grants to small and micro businesses
• Reform Business Licence Tax from gross turnover to a net-earnings basis
• Establish new generation of industry-specific Free Trade Zones on select islands
• Put National Development Plan (Vision 2040) on a statutory footing via new Bill
• Create Department of Innovation consolidating government entrepreneurial entities

🏥Healthcare

• Hire 100 new doctors and 200 new nurses into the public healthcare system
• Redevelop Princess Margaret Hospital with new multi-storey medical, surgical, maternal facility
• $50M+ investment in Family Island healthcare including AI and telemedicine upgrades
• Expand NHI Authority to cover catastrophic care including cancer treatment
• Deploy mental health professionals across all 53 major community clinics
• Create national blood bank and standalone morgue and coroner facility
• Modernise dental regulations through a new Dental Professions Bill
• Introduce mental health first aid training in every public secondary school

🎓Education

• Continue expansion of universal, free pre-school and declare literacy and numeracy a universal right
• $200/month child support for the first two years of life
• $100 weekly stipend for young people enrolled in training courses
• Day One curriculum transformation modernising syllabi and teaching materials
• Expand high-school apprenticeship programmes with Bahamas TVET partnerships
• Higher Education Strategy for UB within first year, with increased nursing intake
• Reintroduce technical and vocational school model on the Family Islands
• $100M over 5 years for cultural entrepreneurs supporting Bahamian arts

💻Technology & AI

• Recharge MyGateway e-government platform originally introduced by prior FNM administration
• Single digital-ID portal: register business, file taxes, obtain approvals online
• Expand high-speed internet and telecoms, leveraging recent satellite-connectivity developments
• Create Department of Research & Development in the Office of the Prime Minister
• Refocus curriculum on digital literacy, problem-solving, and critical thinking
• Establish tech hub at UB Grand Bahama campus, partnering with global tech companies
• New Free Trade Zones target fintech and digital-assets sectors (alongside maritime and logistics)
• Manifesto has no dedicated Technology & AI chapter — tech commitments are scattered across pillars

🏠Housing

• Build at least 5,000 new housing units through public-private partnerships
• Reduce down-payment requirements for first-time home buyers; modernise VAT rebates
• Create Real Estate Investment Trust funded partly by $100M from the National Investment Fund
• Eliminate outside toilets by setting minimum living standards for rental properties
• National home insurance scheme pooling risk for affordable flood and hurricane cover
• Make Crown and Treasury land available for affordable homes for public servants
• 10-year Real Property Tax exemption for apartment dwellings of four+ units
• Prioritise new housing in Abaco, Eleuthera, Exuma and islands facing shortages

🛡️Crime & Safety

• Deliver 10-Point Crime Plan with a major police recruitment drive and manpower audit
• Strengthen Independent Commission of Investigations for law enforcement oversight
• Modernise Firearms Act to cover high-powered weapons, assault rifles, and 3D-printed/ghost guns
• Clear court backlogs via virtual hearings, case digitisation, and modern forensic lab
• Commission an expert-led policing review within first year on training, standards and technology
• Reinvigorate the National Neighbourhood Watch Council and broaden community policing
• Expand evidence-based rehabilitation programmes with skills training and job placements
• Stop bail abuse; take a stronger stance on high-risk individuals

⚖️Labour & Workers' Rights

• Strengthen National Tripartite Council with quarterly PM, Minister, and union meetings
• Review all outstanding labour agreements within the first 90 days
• Update labour legislation to address union-busting tactics and agency-shop recognition
• Fully implement modern Health and Safety at Work Act
• Increase maternity grant value by 50 per cent
• Designate House of Labour as historic site and provide land for union HQ development
• Add personal days to Employment Act so parents can attend to children's school needs
• Invest in teacher housing support, professional development, and mentoring programmes

🌾Agriculture & Food Security

• Target self-sufficiency in poultry meat and eggs within two years
• Establish 6 agro-villages on different islands with training, equipment, and affordable financing
• Island-wide community pantries, expanded community gardens, and food distribution
• Enforce 'Buy Bahamian' policy: 40% of hotel/restaurant food from local producers
• Increase government food spending to 70% from locally produced items
• Establish agriculture and aquaculture initiatives in schools
• Make land available to credible farmers through lease arrangements and crown grants
• Support agribusiness innovation improving distribution networks and hotel sourcing

📋Governance & Transparency

• Fully implement 2017 FOIA within first 90 days; complete within first year
• Comprehensive anti-corruption Bill with a Public Officials' Code of Conduct
• Place Auditor General's Office under Parliament supervision, independent of the Executive
• Require SOEs to publish quarterly unaudited statements alongside annual audited reports
• Establish a whistleblowing hotline with statutory protections and rewards for tip-offs
• Publish all government contract details online; enforce existing procurement laws
• Fully empower Public Accounts Committee to undertake investigations and hearings
• Fully implement Ombudsman Act with independence, resources, training, and digital appeals

⚡Energy & Renewables

• 30% of electricity needs from renewable energy by 2030
• Institutionalise fuel hedging to ensure energy price stability
• Introduce senior-citizen electricity discounts for qualifying Bahamians
• Readjust household discounting based on consumption, benefiting those most in need
• Bolster EV charging infrastructure at workplaces with tax incentives
• Upgrade aging diesel units at Clifton Pier plant to cleaner alternatives
• Improve Small-Scale Renewable Generation (SSRG) programme for grid-connected solar
• Implement pre-paid electricity meter option to encourage conservation

🏖️Tourism

• Develop, publish and implement 10-year strategy diversifying tourism beyond the resort model
• Target 35% increase in stopover visitors; refocus on tourist expenditure
• Support Bahamian hospitality entrepreneurs with capital access and technical training
• Strengthen partnerships with airline carriers and tour operators to stabilise visitor growth
• Reinvigorate Bay Street as Promenade Way with creative industries and pedestrian access
• Develop Central Park from Marcus Bethel Way to Chippingham Road, including Botanical Gardens
• Create Downtown Authority partnering with BCCEC and Downtown Nassau Partnership
• 24/7 Nightlife Project supporting Bahamian entrepreneurs to revitalise downtown Nassau

🛂Immigration & Borders

• Operation SHIELD: Secure land, Heighten surveillance, Investigate abuse, End unfairness, Limit approvals, Disclose data
• Explicitly bar illegal entrants from ever gaining citizenship; tighten regularisation pathways
• Launch national audit of public and private land occupation, pursuing swift legal action
• Strengthen Immigration Reservist Body with reservists on every Family Island
• Rigorous vetting free from political interference; enforce renunciation in naturalisation
• Independent Oversight Body to ensure immigration reform implementation and enforcement
• Publish the overdue migration report and all related findings
• Zero tolerance of illegal immigration as a cross-government priority

🏝️Family Islands & Grand Bahama

• Redevelop Grand Bahama Airport; negotiate reintroduction of US pre-clearance
• Establish a tech hub at UB's Grand Bahama campus
• Develop world-class industrial park for maritime, logistics, and technology businesses
• Position Grand Bahama as global yachting hub, marketed in Florida, Europe, South America
• Create new Free Economic Zones on Family Islands with tax incentives and streamlined licensing
• Bring bank branches back to Family Islands; establish community-led credit unions
• Redevelop Family Island airports: complete Exuma; build North Eleuthera and Long Island
• Empower Family Island councils to approve basic projects without waiting on Nassau

🌿Environment & Climate

• Fund Disaster Risk Management Authority and local disaster committees
• Implement nature-based solutions — including mangrove restoration — for flood resilience
• Initiate sea walls and construct a storm-surge berm to protect coastal communities
• Increase penalties for illegal dumping
• Establish proper waste-management sites across Family Islands
• National campaign to address the rodent problem in communities
• Invest further in national parks and environmental conservation
• Designate Marine Zones for Aquaculture with training centres for fish hatchery management

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

• Supports expanded vocational training
• Advocates for education reform and accountability
• Calls for more local hiring in education sector
• Limited detailed education policy published

💻Technology & AI

• Advocates expanded internet access across Family Islands
• Supports digital literacy programmes for Bahamian youth
• Calls for transparency tech tools to hold government accountable
• Limited specific technology policy detail

🏠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

⚡Energy & Renewables

• Supports renewable energy investment
• Advocates for lower electricity costs for Bahamians
• Calls for public accountability at BPL
• Limited specific energy policy detail published

🏖️Tourism

• Advocates for more tourism revenue staying in Bahamian hands
• Calls for stronger local participation in the tourism economy
• Supports curbing foreign dominance of tourism sector
• Limited detailed tourism policy published

🛂Immigration & Borders

• Illegal immigration is COI's signature issue
• Advocates aggressive deportation and tighter border enforcement
• Opposes any pathway to citizenship for those who entered illegally
• Calls for a full audit of past naturalisations

🏝️Family Islands & Grand Bahama

• Advocates stronger representation for Family Island residents
• Calls for decentralisation of government services
• Supports protection of Family Island land from foreign purchase
• Limited specific Family Islands policy detail

🌿Environment & Climate

• Advocates stronger environmental protections for Bahamian waters
• Supports curbing foreign development of sensitive coastal areas
• Calls for Bahamian oversight of natural resources
• Limited detailed environmental policy published