TCI News
BREAKING NEWS: (CORRECTED) Hon Connolly speaks, says Independent not PNP
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos – March 20, 2018 – (CORRECTED) On Thursday March 15, in the House of Assembly, I requested to move my seat from the government benches and to sit elsewhere in the House.
I walked the floor to sit as an Independent not, let me be clear, with the PNP.
I believe I owe the public and my supporters an explanation. 
I was voted in by more than 3,000 people in the 2016 election to represent them and to help bring about the change that the country wanted.
Since being fired by the Premier as a Minister in June 2017, without explanation, I have been side-lined.
For the last 9 months I have not been contacted by the Premier nor anyone in Government. I have not been asked to comment on any bill, nor asked if I can assist with the Hurricane assistance program, nothing. Not one communication in 9 months!
As a back bencher I believe I still have much to offer the government with both ideas and practical solutions to the many problems we face. The Premier has chosen to ignore me and disrespect the people who voted for me because of her long standing personal animosity towards me.
I have wrestled with my conscience as the problems for this country have multiplied and as this Government under the dominant leadership of the Premier has floundered.
I have watched in silence, as our borders are breached, our children are left to study under atrocious conditions, our tourists are left to collapse from heat in long immigration lines, and Salt Cay, Grand Turk and South Caicos are ignored. 
The Premier’s public pronouncement on Wednesday on Exhale indicated that Honourable Connolly is not part of my team and will never be part of my team certainly cleared all doubt that my exclusion was some type of oversight. What in fact the Premier was saying was ‘I will ignore the representative of more than 3,000 people, nearly half the voting population, because I do not like her’.
To repeat what I said during election time, for me, ‘enough is enough’. My silence, up to now, has been out of loyalty to the Party and the people who elected me, but I have come to the realization that if I am to be loyal to the Party and the people of this country I need to take a stand against the failings of this Government and the lack of leadership before it is too late.
If I cannot represent my people inside this Government, I will represent them as an independent member outside of Government.
I have spoken to many PDM supporters who agree with my stance and are unhappy with the way this Government has performed. The PDM voters know that this present Government does not reflect the values and principles of the PDM party, but their protests are muted because of the fear of retribution. 
The fear is justifiable, in my opinion, as I and my family have been the subject of vicious attacks in social media by the unsavory elements who have attached themselves to the coat tails of this Government.
The Premier is a Leader of a Democratic Party with a constitution that was drawn up by the founders of the Party led by Hon. Jags McCartney.The supporters, the Party Branches and the NGC all have a part to play under the PDM Constitution to ensure that the Party represents the people, to ensure democracy.
The PDM, as a Democratic Party, no longer exists. A few influential enablers in the NGC have ceded absolute power to the Premier. The NGC hardly meets, the Constitution is routinely ignored, and the Branches and supporters will not be needed again until 2020, so do not expect your calls to be returned until then.
Those with strong opinions are side-lined or purged from the Party. The list of long serving PDM’s who have been driven out of the Party since the appointment of the Premier as leader in 2012 is long and well known so it does not need repeating.
I am sure my actions will be painted as being disloyal to the Party. They are not! They are the actions of a committed democrat who believes in the party and loves her country. I have no goals other than for my country to succeed. I do not play games, I do not do deals and I will not be intimidated.
I am sure that the usual puppets in the social media will say that ‘she was never a real PDM’. But I would ask all PDM members and supporters to consider the other people purged from the Party, some who were founders of the Party, perhaps they were never ‘real PDM’s’.
The truth is that the party stands apart and above any one individual and it is dangerous to label all dissenters as disloyal. That is a recipe for dictatorship, not democracy.
Last week the Premier sought to blame the hardworking civil servants for the queues at the airport. As Minister of Finance (she has many ministries) she is well aware that the chaos at the airport was a direct result of her decision to cut the salaries budget of every department in the Immigration and Border Control Ministry.
The Premier was being disingenuous, but this type of attack on perceived enemies either directly or by proxies in social media is the one defining characteristic of this government. The ‘I didn’t get the email’ excuse has become a running joke as it has been used so often as the explanation for none attendance at important community events. Important for the community that is, if not for this government.
The Premier continues to use social media to distract, deflect and blame others for the ills of this country, but the real problems in this country cannot be fixed by the spin doctors.
Without a brave and honest NGC holding the Leader to account then the Government, the PDM Party and the country are destined to the same failed leadership for the next 2.5 years that we have seen in the last 16 months. I am not sure this country can stand another few months of mismanagement let alone 2 years and more.
There has been a remarkably bitter, vicious and long running campaign against me by the Premier since I won my seat in 2012. There was a brief truce during the run up to voting in the 2016 election which, as she gloatingly told me later, was because “she had an election to win”. 
I am comforted that I am not the only one who was fooled by the false promise of the campaign. I am sure all the hotel workers will understand that the Premier ‘had an election to win’, as will the voters who were promised change only to find that the only thing that changed was the promise.
Well I am fooled no longer. As an independent member of the House I will be an outspoken supporter of the promises the PDM party made in the 2016 campaign, including the payment of the 100% service charge for hospitality workers. If there are some who want to brand me as disloyal for seeking to carry out the promises that the PDM made to its supporters and the country in the election, so be it.
by Deandrea Hamilton | Editor
PROVIDENCIALES, TCI — In a country where government press conferences are virtually non-existent, ministers are often difficult for
journalists to access and regular broadcast television news has disappeared, TCI Innovation, Technology and Energy Minister E. Jay Saunders has challenged Caribbean media to become “impossible to ignore.”
Speaking at the Caribbean Broadcasting Union gathering, Saunders argued that the Caribbean does not have a relevance problem but a “discoverability and positioning problem.”
Discoverability is precisely the issue in Saunders’ home country. Even Government’s own attempts at video news broadcasting have struggled against the realities of consistently producing a daily, weekly or even monthly newscast.
The difficulties confronting TCI media extend well beyond algorithms: limited advertising revenue, underfunding, shortages of trained professionals and insufficient human capacity leave newsrooms struggling for both staff and stamina.
Then there is the reality of operating in one of the region’s smallest societies. Politicians, journalists, advertisers, businesses and the subjects of stories often exist within the same tight economic and social circles. A controversial report that might create a ripple elsewhere can produce a tsunami in TCI, intensifying concerns among journalists about commercial and professional victimisation.
Saunders believes AI can help.
He urged Caribbean media to use the technology to transform one original story into television, radio, web, podcast, social and translated content without multiplying newsroom workload.
He also wants regional journalism structured so AI systems can find, understand and trust Caribbean sources, moving media beyond traditional SEO into Answer Engine Optimisation.
His ultimate message was emphatic: “Use AI not to make Caribbean media more artificial — but to make Caribbean voices more visible.”
For Turks and Caicos media, however, becoming visible may require more than technology. It requires an environment in which journalism can survive.
That last sentence is where I think we land the plane. It acknowledges that EJ actually has some us
Bahamas News
Bahama Brass Band Invitation Sparks Heritage Debate Ahead of TCI Constitutional Holiday
Turks and Caicos, August 20, 2026 – The planned participation of the Bahama Brass Band in the Turks and Caicos Islands’ inaugural Constitutional Holiday celebrations on August 30 has sparked public debate over culture, heritage and the historical contributions of Turks and Caicos Islanders abroad.
Organizers defended the invitation, saying the band’s inclusion is intended to highlight the deep historical ties between the two countries
and honor Turks and Caicos men who helped establish and develop the institution in Grand Bahama.
According to the organizers, the Bahama Brass Band began in 1955 in Pine Ridge, Freeport, with Turks and Caicos Islanders, including the late Deacon Reuben Hall Sr. of Middle Caicos and Jenkins Williams and Mervin Hendfield of North Caicos, among those who helped build its foundation. The band eventually grew to more than 50 men.
The organizers also pointed to the participation of Turks and Caicos men in The Bahamas’ Independence celebrations on July 10, 1973, arguing that their contributions became part of Bahamian history while maintaining strong connections to their homeland.
Supporters say bringing the band home represents an opportunity to honor those pioneers, showcase their regional influence and expose younger generations to an important part of Turks and Caicos history.
However, concerns raised publicly described the invitation as potentially disrespectful to local culture and heritage. Organizers acknowledged those concerns, apologizing to anyone who felt overlooked or offended, while maintaining that no disrespect was intended.
The committee said the event should ultimately unite rather than divide, presenting the band’s history as evidence of the reach and resilience of Turks and Caicos heritage.
PHOTO CREDIT: Bahamas Brass Band
News
BermudAir Launches New York Area’s First Nonstop Service to South Caicos, Now Just a 3.5 Hour Flight from Newark
Twice-Weekly Nonstop Flights Begin December 20 with Fares from $347 One Way, Creating Direct Access to Salterra Resort & Spa
– New Route Expands BermudAir’s Winter Turks & Caicos Network –
[New York, NY – August 20, 2026] – BermudAir, the leading premium leisure carrier to Bermuda and the Caribbean, today announced it will introduce nonstop flights to South Caicos from Newark this winter. The route places one of the Caribbean’s most secluded island destinations just 3.5 hours from the New York area for the first time.
The new service starts on December 20, 2026, operating on Sundays and Thursdays, and will be the only nonstop service to the destination
from the New York area. This seasonal service will operate through April 25, 2027. Fares start at $347 one way ($773 roundtrip) and go on sale today.
The new South Caicos route creates gives travelers two distinct luxury resort options, with direct access to Salterra, A Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, recently named the No. 1 resort in Turks and Caicos by Condé Nast Traveler.
Set across 85 beachfront acres with a 3,000-foot private white-sand beach, Salterra brings a full luxury resort experience to an island still defined by its historic salinas, pristine waters, bonefishing flats and uninhabited cays. Upon landing at South Caicos International Airport (XSC), guests are approximately 10 minutes from the resort.
While flights go on sale today, the airline’s BermudAir Holidays vacation-packaging division will offer curated travel to South Caicos from next month, featuring flights, hotels and authentic island experiences, with bundled discounts and value-added perks, making it even easier to explore the destination.
Previously BermudAir announced seven new routes to Providenciales in Turks and Caicos, from Newark (EWR), Boston (BOS), Baltimore-Washington (BWI), Raleigh-Durham (RDU), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), St Petersburg/Tampa (PIE) and Toronto (YYZ) which will all start in December except for Fort Lauderdale which begins October 26.
Expanded Winter Season
- To South Caicos:
- Twice-weekly nonstop from Newark (Sundays and Thursdays) from December 20 through April 25, 2027.
- To Turks and Caicos:
- Weekly nonstop from Newark (Saturdays) and one weekly direct service (Thursdays) from December 19 through April 29, 2027;
- Weekly nonstop service from Boston (Saturdays), from December 19 through May 1, 2027;
- Weekly nonstop service from Baltimore-Washington (Thursdays), from December 24 through April 29, 2027;
- Twice-weekly nonstop service from Raleigh-Durham (Thursdays and Sundays), from December 20 through May 2, 2027;
- Thrice-weekly service from Fort Lauderdale (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays), from October 26 through May 3, 2027;
- Twice-weekly nonstop service from St Petersburg/Tampa (Mondays and Thursdays), from December 21 through May 3, 2027; and
- Weekly nonstop service from Toronto (Saturdays), from December 19 through May 1, 2027.
“We’re thrilled to continue expanding our Caribbean network as the premium leisure carrier from North America,” said Adam Scott, Founder and CEO of BermudAir. “Now New Yorkers can fly nonstop to two distinct sides of the Turks and Caicos Islands — Providenciales and the secluded island of South Caicos, home to the exquisite Salterra and Sailrock South Caicos resorts.”
The airline consistently earns Net Promoter Scores of 70+, one of the highest ratings in the airline industry. All flights will be operated on comfortable Embraer E190 aircraft, offering passengers the airline’s signature warm service and authentic island hospitality.
“South Caicos has always felt worlds away, and that is part of its magic,” said Michael Tibbetts, Founder and CEO of Salterra. “Beginning this winter, guests can fly nonstop from Newark in 3.5 hours, land at one of the newest international airports in the region and be at Salterra minutes later. This route makes a long weekend escape and an extended stay to one of the Caribbean’s most unspoiled islands remarkably easy, without changing the sense of discovery that makes South Caicos so special.”
For more information or to book flights, visit www.flybermudair.com. Salterra will offer dedicated stay packages timed to BermudAir’s Thursday and Sunday nonstop service. To book a stay at Salterra, A Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, visit www.salterra.com
