Brent Symonette is a prominent Bahamian businessman, a Member of Parliament

Member of Parliament

A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...

 for the St. Annes constituency, and the current Deputy Prime Minister

Deputy Prime Minister

A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some counties, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, but is significantly different, though both...

 and Foreign Minister of the Bahamas

The Bahamas

The Bahamas , officially the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is a nation consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 islets . It is located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba and Hispaniola , northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeast of the United States...

. He is a member of the Free National Movement

Free National Movement

The Free National Movement is a socially liberal and economically conservative political party in The Bahamas. It is currently the ruling party, winning 23 of the 41 seats in the Bahamas House of Assembly on May 2, 2007; two of these seats are currently being contested in Electorial Court by the...

 (FNM).

Symonette was born in Nassau, Bahamas

Nassau, Bahamas

Nassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 248,948 , 70 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas...

. Symonette studied law

Law

Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...

 in London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 and is a member of the Bahamas Bar. Symonette is also an established real estate broker.

Symonette was appointed to the Senate

Parliament of the Bahamas

The Parliament of The Bahamas is the bicameral national parliament of Commonwealth of The Bahamas. The parliament is formally made up by the Queen , an appointed Senate, and an elected House of Assembly...

 in 1987 by the late Sir Cecil Wallace Whitfield and was re-appointed to the Senate in 1992 by Prime Minister

Prime minister

A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...

 Hubert Ingraham

Hubert Ingraham

Hubert Alexander Ingraham is the Prime Minister of the Bahamas. He first served as Prime Minister from August 1992 until May 2002 and became Prime Minister again in 2007. He is a member of the Free National Movement Party . The Rt. Hon. Hubert A...

. Symonette is one of a handful of current white Members of Parliament.

Following the May 2007 general election

Bahamian general election, 2007

General elections were held in the Bahamas on 2 May 2007. The result was an opposition victory, with the Free National Movement, led by former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, claiming 23 of the 41 seats. Incumbent Prime Minister Perry Christie conceded defeat in a phone call to his rival. Ingraham...

, which was won by the FNM, Symonette was sworn in as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs in Ingraham's government on May 4.

In the past, Symonette has served as Attorney General

Attorney General

In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...

, Minister of Tourism and Chairman of the Airport Authority.

As Chairman of the Hotel Corporation of the Bahamas, Symonette was instrumental in negotiations that resulted in bringing the Atlantis Hotel and affiliated resort properties to the Bahamas.

Symonette is the youngest son of Sir Roland Symonette

Roland Theodore Symonette

Sir Roland Theodore Symonette achieved high office as a Bahamian political figure.Roland "Pop" Symonette was born on the small island settlement of Current, Eleuthera...

 (1898-1980), the first Premier

Premier

Premier is a title for the head of government in some countries and states.-Examples by country:In many nations, "premier" is used interchangeably with "prime minister"...

 of the Bahamas and Lady Margaret Symonette née Frances. Symonette is also the half brother of Bobby Symonette

Robert Symonette

Robert "Bobby" Hallam Symonette was a Bahamian yachtsman, businessman and politician.Bobby Symonette was an accomplished international yachtsman. He represented the Bahamas at five Olympic Games, at Melbourne in 1956, Rome in 1960, Tokyo in 1964, Mexico in 1968 and Munich in 1972...

, former Speaker of the House of Assembly.