November 12, 2025

I thought I might —
The President: Assist.
Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: —assist with how the
Government is looking at carrying this mandate at the
moment.
And as you would see from the affordable basket, that that affordable basket was created in collaboration with all of the key, you know, Lindo’s and The
MarketPlace, the key providers of food, Butterfield &
Vallis and so on, on the Island. And we believe it is in
our interest to collaborate as much as possible. So, the idea of a legislation to force the hand of the suppliers of food isn't contemplated immediately. And I think that
we have to examine how the voluntary programme is
going.
I, for one, was incredibly impressed to see the
retailers coming to the table and pitching in on the ef-fort. And I think if anyone attended the Cost of Living
Summit, for, I think, average Bermudians to be able to
hear firsthand from that business sector what goes into their pricing in a way that we never had an opportunity to understand before is something that underlies even more, I think, why these efforts must be collaborative at first. And we see that we have to examine the results of
those collaborative efforts and see where we stand.
Thank you, Madam President.
The President: Thank you, Attorney General Wilkerson. Your explanation is appreciated.
With that said, I think the questions have been
answered. So, we will now move on to the third Statement that was provided by Senator Lindsay Simmons, and that was entitled the Update on the Landlord and Tenant Act 2025 [Consultation].
Would any Senator care to ask questions on
this Statement?
Senator Tannock, you have the floor.
QUESTION 1: LANDLORD AND TENANT ACT 2025
CONSULTATION UPDATE
Sen. Tawana Tannock: Thank you, Madam President.
I think that I did hear this in Senator Simmons' State-ment, but can you just clarify, will we be looking to in-clude in the Act a pro forma lease that landlords or tenants can look at or can use as a template that is gov-erned by the revised Act? Because right now, I know I
often get a lot of requests about, Do you have any lease
templates? And I'm like, I'm not that type of lawyer. So,
it's an area where people are always looking for clarity. And I always say, Well, you know, get one from one of
the estate agents and make sure that it's compliant with the Act. But I wanted to ask, will there be a pro forma
lease template that includes all of the provisions re-quired under the new Act in this revision?
The President: Thank you, Senator Tannock.
Would any other Senator care to ask questions?
Yes, Senator Cunningham, you have the floor.
QUESTION 1: LANDLORD AND TENANT ACT 2025
CONSULTATION UPDATE
Sen. Victoria Cunningham: Thank you. And thank
you for the delivery of the Statement.
I have, or I guess it's one and maybe a supplemental. So, will there be a transition period for landlords and tenants to adjust to these new obligations? And then secondary to that, supplemental to that is how will
existing leases be treated under the law, given that
some are, you know, three- to-five-year terms?
Thank you.
The President: Thank you.
Yes, Senator J ohn Wight, d o you hav e a qu estion on the Statement?
Sen. John Wight: Just to follow up on Senator
Tannock's comment, having been party to a lease in
an-other jurisdiction where it was . . . the lease was
defined by law, every single lease in that province had
the exact same wording. It made it v ery easy, both as
a tenant and as a landlord, to understand. So, the
greater the consistency, I think the more beneficial it
will be to all Bermudians in their dealings, whether
they are a tenant or a landlord.
The P resident: T hank y ou.
Sen. L indsay Simmons: Thank y ou for t hat c omment,
Senator W ight.
There will be a template, but th e templat e will
not b e mandatory, Senator Tannock.
[Inaudible r esponse]
Sen. L indsay Simmons: You ar e welcome.
[Pause]
Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Yes, this is also intended for
the transition period and for the existing leases to be
continued.
Thank you, Mada m President. I think that answers al l the questions.
The President: Thank y ou, Senator Lindsay S immons,
and thank y ou, S enators, f or your ques tions.
Therefore, now, Senators, w e will mov e on to
the final S tatement t hat w as del ivered by t he


Bermuda Senate Honourable Kim Wilkerson, Attorney General and Minister of Justice, and that was the Launch of Public Consultation on Jury Reform.
Would any Senator care to ask questions on
this Statement?
Senator John Wight, you have the floor.

Sen. John Wight: Maybe just to thank the Minister of
Justice, the Attorney General for certainly educating me, and I am sure many others as to the current system
which, based on the suggested recommendations, sounds very outdated and in need.
So broadly speaking, I was very favourable
with the recommendations that she outlined, and I look forward to supporting the progress of this as more community feedback is obtained by the Government on
this. So, I just want to thank the Minister for providi ng
the updates for our education and for improving the protocols and legislation in jury duty, which is a very important function for any jurisdiction.
So, thank you, Madam President.
The President: Thank you, Senator John Wight.
Would any Senator care to speak?
Senator Cunningham, you have the floor.

QUESTION 1: JURY REFORM, LAUNCH OF
PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON

Sen. Victoria Cunningham: Thank you, Madam President.
I will echo Senator Wight’s comments, and I
believe I asked a question a few weeks ago in this
Chamber. And I think, following on from that, well (a) I
think, What is the timeline for this legislation to come
through?
So, we have got the consultation to the end of
the year. I assume there has obviously been a raft of
proposals already made, which, as my colleague mentioned, many seem fairly innocuous. But what kind of
timeline can we expect for that legislation to come forward? And then, I think, people will be asking themselves, we do have a very small and close- knit population, so how will these reforms ensure that our jury remains broadly representative? So, making sure that we
have the jury of peers across age, gender, race, socioeconomic backgrounds, et cetera.

The President: Would any other Senator care to ask
questions on this?
Senator Tannock, you have the floor.

QUESTION 1: JURY REFORM, LAUNCH OF
PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON

Sen. Tawana Tannock: Yes.
My first question is, Are we taking advantage
of the jurors that are currently serving to ask them to do
any type of exit interview or exit questionnaire once they finish serving? For instance, we just had a jury
pool that . . . a jury that would have been on a five- week
murder trial. And it would have been interesting to hear after numerous delays and legal arguments what their
feedback was. And I believe that case actually lost three jurors over the course of the trial, maybe two. But
it would be very int eresting if we did some type of exit
interview or questionnaire for our current serving jurors
to find out a little bit more about their experience and
what the challenges were. That's my first one.

QUESTION 2: JURY REFORM, LAUNCH OF
PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON

Sen. Tawana Tannock: And my second one is, have
we given any more thought of trial by judge that is present in several jurisdictions, if we have an issue where it may be jury tampering? And are we exploring any fear
of the jury and jury tampering? And have we explored
trial b y judge only? Not only for summary offences, but
also for indictable offences only.

The President: Thank you, Senator Tannock. I think
those are the questions.
Senator Wilkerson.

Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: Thank you, Madam
President. I was just pausing to see if there were any
more—

The President: Other questions. Mm- hmm.
Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: Okay. The first question, the timeline for the actual completion of the legislation, I think that is what . . . and I want to thank Senator Cunningham because she asked the question, I
think at the last sitting, as to when the consultation
would start. And because I publicly answered her and I
said October, or I think I said November, I wanted to
make sure that it did start and it was due to go up on
October 31 . . . but the hurricane. And so, we did not
put it up that day because we thought that would be a
couple of days of lost engagement. So, thank you.
I can't work back to when the legislation will be
completed. The intention is that we should have drafts done before the end of this next legislative year, so by
July. However, some things will depend on what comes
out of the consultation, what comes out of the feedback.
We may get propositions from the feedback,
which are things that we didn't contemplate, that might take a little more consideration. So, we do want to be
open to making sure that we have proper time to consider, analyse all of the feedback and then work towards the legislation. Thank you.
The second question was how do we make
sure that the jury pool remains diverse? I think that is
really what the whole point of many of the reforms are.
And I think that extending the age potentially gets more
seniors in the pool, considering going beyond t he voter
548 12 November 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate list to people who may not have Bermudian status, but
they have lived in Bermuda for a very long time, they
consider this their home. They are a peer in many circumstances.
And I think . . . it's certainly not in the legislative
proposals, but we are also looking at the mechanisms
for how people are called into the first pool, because
consistently we hear people saying, I've served jury
duty many times. And other people say, I've never been
called; I'd love to be called. So, we have to examine what is happening there. Is there a problem in the mechanism for actually calling people? So, we're looking at that as well. But that is the whole idea, to make
sure that we have a diver se pool and that it remains
diverse.
Senator Tannock asked whether we had explicitly considered I guess a stakeholder group, which
would be exit interviews from jurors. We have not. And
particularly in relation to recent cases, because in certain circumstances there could be appeals. So, we d id
not want to immediately look at people who just
stepped down. But we would hope that people who
have served give their input. I am one of those people.
And it's a very, very unique experience. And you're able
to give input that wouldn't otherwise come t o the table.
But I think that it is a good suggestion. So, I will
take that on board to assess if there are ways to identify and perhaps target that group of people to make sure that they aren't overlooked in this consultation. So,
thank you for that suggestion.
The fourth question was around trial by judge
only. That is in the considerations already. And because jury temper has been an issue that has been
raised. And also, we have considered where the mat-ters in a case could be so complex that a lay jury might
not be able to properly assess the evidence. Those could be the kinds of cases, when we think about cases in the future, that may deal with cryptocurrency, digital
assets, things that were not even contemplated at the
moment. Those are the cases that could be ripe for
judge only, if that judge, of course, is a specialist judge.
Which is also something that we have to be thinking
about for the future.
Thank you for these questions. They have
given me food for thought.

The President: Thank you, Attorney General and Minister of Justice for answering the questions.
And with that said, that brings us to the end of
the questions on the Statements that were delivered.
[Inaudible interjection]

The President: No, of the Statements that were delivered.
We will now move on to the questions that had
been presented by Senators for oral response today.
And the first are questions from Senator Victoria Cunningham to the Honourable Crystal Caesar, spokesperson for Finance, for her to provide oral responses.
So, Senator Cunningham, I would like for you
to state your question—

Sen. Victoria Cunningham: Thank you.

The President: —at this time, please.

QUESTION 1: COMPREHENSIVE DISASTER RISK
FINANCING STRATEGY

Sen. Victoria Cunningham: Thank you, Madam President.
Will the Honourable Minister please inform the
Senate whether the Government has developed a comprehensive disaster risk financing strategy to enhance fiscal resilience in the face of increasing climate- related
hazards, particularly hurricanes and winter s torms, and
within that framework, whether the use of a catastrophe bond or other parametric insurance instrument, such as
that recently issued by the Government of Jamaica with
World Bank support, has been considered? Thank you.
The President: Mm-hmm.
Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: Thank you, Madam
President.
The Ministry of Finance monitors financial risk
reporting on these to the Financial Policy Council. It has been considered, and the view has been taken that
given our robust infrastructure, catastrophe bonds or
other parametric insurance instruments would not have been required. But consideration will continue to be examining the support of financial preparedness in response to any evolving climate risk.

The President: A supplementary?

SUPPLEMENTARY
Sen. Victoria Cunningham: I have a supplementary
to that.
Is the Government happy or okay with the level
of insurance protection that they buy, I am assuming,
from the private market on the Island?
[Pause]
Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: Just for the listening
public and Madam President, just awaiting a response.
I assume it would be affirmative, but I will not respond
without confirmation.
The President: So, you are waiting for confirmation?
Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: Yes.
[Pause]



Bermuda Senate Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: And Madam President,
while we wait, if there are other questions, I would welcome them so that we can try and be expeditious in
getting those responses.

The President: Senator Tannock, you have additional
questions?

QUESTION 1: COMPREHENSIVE DISASTER RISK
FINANCING STRATEGY
Sen. Tawana Tannock: Yes. Has the Government
taken out a catastrophe bond?
Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: Madam President, I
can respond to Senator Tannock. In my original re-sponse, I had indicated that a robust infrastructure and catastrophe bonds and other parametric insurance instruments have been considered but not necessarily
required at this time. But w e will continue to review our
fiscal preparedness for evolving climate risks.
So, the answer is yes.

The President: Thank you.

Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: I am sorry, the answer
is no, not at this time.
The President: Oh, not at this time.
Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: My apologies, yes.

[Laughter]

Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: It has been considered
yes—
The President: It has been considered.
Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: — but we do not actually have it —

The President: But not at this time.

Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: Correct, yes.

The President: Thank you for that response.

Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: Yes.
I am just still waiting to see if I have gotten an
answer.

The President: Would you like to . . .

Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: Yes, in the interest of
time, Madam President, like I said, I believe the answer
is in the affirmative, but I can confirm with Senator Cunningham at a later time so that we are not waiting. I think we could also explain to the listening
public that there is a bit of a delay in what the supporting technical officers who are off -site have, and I think
it's about 14 seconds, so they have to hear it, respond, type, and it has to come back. So sometimes that's why we have a bit of a delay. It's not because people don't
know. But I do want to undertake to get that response
to you.
The President: Thank you, Minister.

Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: No problem.

The President: Madam Attorney General.
Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: Yes. Madam President, I thought I might help.
Members may be aware that prior to sitting
here, I sat in another capacity and where I would have had a conflict of interest. So, I am aware that the Government has adequate . . . considers it has adequate
insurance.
The covers are reviewed annually through our
on-island brokers as well as overseas. And on the capon question, while we consider that the protections in
place are currently sufficient based on the level of our
building structures and the history, there is an openness to receiving a quote on a parametric cover that would trigger on, you know, we have heard of [category] sixes that would trigger on the above [category]
five.
The President: Thank you.

Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: So, we can report back
on that. Thank you.
The President: Thank you, Madam Attorney General,
for that response.
Senators, so we will move on then with the next
item on the agenda, and that is Senator the Honourable Crystal Caesar, spokesperson for Finance, to provide
oral response to parliamentary questions by Senator
Tawana Tannock.
Senator Tannock, would you like to present
your question? Even though it was presented for oral
responses today, I would like for you to read your question again. Thank you.

Sen. Tawana Tannock: Yes, thank you, Madam President.

The President: Your first question.

QUESTION 1: POLICE RETIREMENT SCHEME

Sen. Tawana Tannock: First question. Prior to the
passing of the Public Service Superannuation (PSSF
Stabilisation) Amendment Act 2025, police officers
550 12 November 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate were able to pay more to the scheme to receive a fiveyear bump upon retirement. Can the Honourable Minister please inform the Senate if this benefit is still available to officers?
Do you want me to read them all at one time
or—
The President: Minister? One at a time.
Sen. Tawana Tannock: Okay.

The President: Yes.

Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: So, I can respond in
the affirmative, yes, that this benefit is still available to officers.
We should note that there are members of a
special group that is police officers below the rank of
superintendent, for fire officers below the rank of divisional officers, prison officers below the rank of deputy
commissioner, and the Bermuda Regiment staf f contribute to the PSSF at a higher contribution rate than
members of the non- special group. As at October 1,
this rate is 10.2 per cent versus 8.7 per cent for the
non-special group. And the provision of additional service of five years in the computatio n of pensionable service is indeed still available.

The President: Thank you, Minister.

QUESTION 2: POLICE RETIREMENT SCHEME

Sen. Tawana Tannock: Thank you, Minister.
My second question is, Can the Honourable
Minister please inform the Senate what consideration,
if any, was given to providing police officers the option
to transfer to the new pension scheme, allowing them to remain employed until 60, but for those who have
plans and want to retire stay on the current scheme and
retire as planned?
Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: Okay, thank you,
Madam President.
Consultants modelled a significant number of
scenarios. However, the scope was on sustainability
and the reforms and the accepted delivery on this objective was gradually moving to the retirement age for
police to 60 years.
Police do have the option of retiring early after
completion of 25 years of service with a full pension at 60.

The President: Mm-hmm.

Sen. Tawana Tannock: Thank you.
And my last question.
The President: Your third question, yes.
QUESTION 3: POLICE RETIREMENT SCHEME

Sen. Tawana Tannock: Yes. Can the Honourable Minister please inform the Senate whether expatriate po-lice officers will have to remain on Island for several ex-tra years to get the benefits under a different pension
package than the one that they agreed to in accepting
their co ntract when they originally arrived on Island?
Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: Thank you, Madam
President.
Those expatriate workers —police officers,
sorry, do not have to remain on Island in order to get those benefits.
Sen. Tawana Tannock: No other, thank you, Minister.

The President: Senator Tannock, you are happy with
the response?
[No audible response]
The President: That brings us to the end of the questions that were posed for oral responses today. Thank you, Senators, and thank you, Ministers, for your responses.

ORDERS OF THE DAY

The President: Senators, that now moves us to the Orders of the Day. And I would just like to point out that we only have one Order of the Day, and that is the second reading of the Revenue Amendment Act 2025 to
be presented by Senator Lindsay Simmons, Junior
Minister o f National Security.
Item No. 2, which is the second reading of the
Charities Amendment Act [2025], will be carried over.
So, Senators, we will now deal with the first
item, the second reading of the Revenue Amendment
Act 2025, and that's in the name of Senator Lindsay K. Simmons, Junior Minister for National Security.

ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

SENATE VISITORS

The President: And before you start, can I just
acknowledge the presence in the Chamber of Mr. Ro-derick Masters, the Principal Customs Officer, as well
as Mr. Richard Amos, Assistant Collector of Customs.
Welcome to you both.
Senator Simmons, you can begin to present
your—

STANDING ORDER 25
Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Thank you, Madam President.
Madam President, I move that the provisions of
Standing Order 25 be granted so that the Senate may

B ermuda Senate now proceed with the second reading of the Bill entitled
Revenue Amendment Act 2025.
The President: Is there any objection to that motion?
No objection.
[
Motion carried: Leave granted for the Revenue
Amendment Act 2025 to be read a second time on the same day as its first reading.]
Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Thank you, Madam President.
Madam President, I move that the Bill entitled
Revenue Amendment Act 2025 be now read a second
time.
The President: Is there any objection to that motion?
No objection .
BILL
SECOND READING
REVENUE AMENDMENT ACT 2025
Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Thank you.
The Bill amends the Revenue Act 1898, the
principal Act, for the purpose of tightening Bermuda's border control and security. It seeks to amend the prin-cipal Act by expanding the information provided in a manifest that is to be delivered to the Customs Depart-ment. It increases the types of advanced passenger
data and information that must be included in aircraft
arrival and departure manifests, including information provided by private jets.
More importantly, the amendments address
specific AML/ATF [anti -money laundering and anti- terrorist financing] deficiencies identified by the CFATF [Caribbean Financial Action Task Force] assessors. The Act also provides that the exact information as re-quired by Customs is to be prescribed by notice made
under sections 3A and 6B [of the principal Act]. The no-tices will specify the detailed requirements, including
the means of transmission and exactly when and where
the information is to be delivered to Cust oms.
Madam President, the Customs Department
currently relies on limited information and data from the airlines, which is delivered after an aircraft has de-parted for or from Bermuda. This process does not accord with internationally accepted border protection
and control strategies relating to the apprehension of or the removal of a passenger from an aircraft prior to its departure.
In this uncertain border security climate, the Bill
allows for the expansion of the data to be collected and
included in an aircraft manifest. It puts in place a recognised worldwide system to manage risk. The amend-ments will facilitate the timely processi ng of legitimate
travellers. They will ensure that all aircraft departing for or from Bermuda deliver advanced data elements in line with internationally recognised time frames, stand-ards, format, and rules. The rest of the world currently receives this data, and Bermuda must modernise our efforts in order to catch up.
Thank you, Madam President.
The President: Thank you, Senator Lindsay Simmons.
Would any Senator care to speak on this Bill?
Senator Cunningham, you have the floor.
Sen. Victoria Cunningham: Thank you, Madam President.
I think I can say that the Opposition s upports
this Bill. Obviously, seeking to modernise and tighten
our border control and customs framework is a good
thing, and obviously be in line with international bes t
practice.
I do have a few questions to ensure the balance between our security and privacy. The first one is:
How will compliance with PIPA, the Personal Information Protection Act 2016, be monitored in practice
particularly around the c ollection, sharing, and retention of that passenger data?
Second question: Who will have access to this
data? Will it jus t be limited to Customs, or will it be other
agencies like Immigration, Police, National Security,
et cetera?
And then thirdly, what system upgrades, if any,
or integration c osts will this impose on airlines or our
Customs Department, and who will be responsible for
covering those?
Ultimately, we support the intent. It is just I think
we need to . . . If we are enhancing our Customs or border patrol and security, we need to make sure that we
continue that c ommitment to privacy and accountability.
[Pause]
The President: While we are waiting, [does] any other
Senator care to ask questions on this Bill?
Senator Tannock.
Sen. Tawana Tannock: Yes, Madam President.
My question is regarding the collection of the
information. Will the current entry forms be revised?
Will there be an additional form? How will this additional
information be c ollected?
The President: T hank you.
[Crosstalk]
[Pause]
Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Thank you, Madam President.
To the question about whether the information
will be shared, [the ans wer is] no, unless it is a matter
552 12 November 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate of crime or national security. That is the only time that
it will be shared.
How will compliance be monitored? Customs
information powers are contained in the Customs Department Act 1952 with specific provisions that PIPA applies. There is a caveat, a carve out, for [law] enforcement information sharing [with] both local and
overseas agencies.
And for Senator Tannock's question: Collection
of information, will current forms be revised? How will it
be collected? Yes, information will now be collected electronically, sent by the airlines via a secured electronic means to the Customs ATS -G, Automat ed Targeting System Global.
I believe that answers all the questions.
Thank you, Madam President.

The President: Thank you, Senator Simmons.
If there be no further questions, then we will
ask you to pass your Bill.
Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Thank you, Madam President.
Madam President, I move that the Bill entitled
Revenue Amendment Act 2025 be now read a second time.
The President: Is there any objection to that motion?
No objection.

SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDER 26

Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Madam President, I move
that [Standing Order] 26 be suspended in respect of
this Bill.
The President: Is there any objection to that motion?
No objection.

[Motion carried: Standing Order 26 suspended.]
Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Madam President, I move
that the Bill entitled Revenue Amendment Act 2025 be now read a third time.
The President: Is there any objection to the third reading?
No objection
.

BILL

THIRD READING

REVENUE AMENDMENT ACT 2025
Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Madam President, I move
that the Bill do now pass.
The President: It has been moved that the Bill entitled
Revenue Amendment Act 2025 do now pass. Is there any objection to that motion?
No objection.
The Bill is passed.
[Motion carried: The Revenue Amendment Act 2025 was read a third time and passed.]

Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Thank you, Madam President.

The President: Thank you very much, Senator Lindsay
Simmons. And thank you to your technical officers who
were present this morning.
Senators, that brings us to the end of our Orders of the Day. As I had indicated, the second reading
of the Charities Amendment Act 2025 is being carried
over.

MOTIONS
The President: There are none.

CONGRATULATORY AND/OR
OBITUARY SPEECHES

The President: Would any Senator care to speak on
that?
Senator Lindsay Simmons, you have the floor.

Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Thank you, Madam President.
Madam President, I rise today with immense
pride to recognise an outstanding young Bermudian,
Ms. Callahj Simons, a shining example of leadership,
intellect and promise, and a true reflection of the strength and potential of Bermuda's youth. Callahj is a
remarkable young lady whose life thus far has been
marked by excellence, service, and purpose. Having
begun her educational journey a year ahead of schedule, she has always demonstrated exceptional maturity, focus, and determination. Her path has been one
of steady growth guided by clear goals and an unwavering sense of responsibility.
Raised by her loving and devoted mother, Ashley Lavonne Smith, Callahj has thrived under the care of a woman who embodies resilience and grace. Ms.
Smith, a single mother, has poured daily into her daughter, taking the time to listen, encourage, and nurture her dreams. Their bond stands as a powerful reminder that when we invest in our children with love,
time, and attention, we help them build lives rooted in confidence and possibility.
Madam President, I have had the pleasure of
personally watching Callahj grow over the years from a
bright, curious child into a confident young leader. Her
presence has always been defined by poise, kindness,
and an unmistakable spark of purpose.
Madam President, Callahj has served as head
girl at every stage of her public school journey, at

B ermuda Senate Francis Patton, the Dellwood Middle School, and now
the Berkeley Institute. This consistent record of leader-ship is a reflection of not only her academic excellence but also her character of integrity. She leads by exam-ple with humility, respect, and a genuine desire to uplift those around her.
In addition to her leadership roles, Callahj is a
dual-enrolment student balancing responsibilities at the
Berkeley Institute with college- level coursework. She
demonstrates discipline and ambition beyond her years.
Madam President, most recently Callahj
proudly represented Bermuda in the United Kingdom at the House of Commons where she stood among her peers from across the world using her voice to repre-sent her country with confidence and distinction. In do-ing so, sh e has made her school, her family, and our
entire Island proud. She is the youngest Bermudian to
represent Bermuda.
Callahj's story is one of perseverance, excellence, and [the] transformative power of public education. She stands as living proof that Bermuda's public -
school students are capable of achieving greatness
when given support, encouragement, and the opportunity.
To Ms. Ashley Lavonne Smith, I extend sincere
commendations for your steadfast love and commit-ment. Your investment in your daughter has shaped not only her future but also the example she now sets for
others.
Madam President, to Ms. Callahj Simons, on
behalf of this Honourable Chamber, we celebrate you.
You have made us proud through your achievements, your leadership, and your representation of Bermuda at the highest level. May you continue to shine brightly
guided by the same humility, discipline, and courage
that has brought you this far.
Madam President, Honourable Senators, I ask
that this tribute be entered into the official record of the
Senate and that a copy be presented to Ms. Callahj Simons in recognition of her outstanding accomplishments of exemplary representation of Bermuda.
Thank you, Madam President.
The President: T hank you, Senator Simmons.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
SENATE VISITORS
The President: Before I move on and open the floor to
others, I would jus t like to ac knowledge the presence of
the Opposition Leader, The Honourable Robert King
and his dear wife who are in the Gallery. Welcome to
you both.
Thank you.
[Congratulatory and/or Obituary Speeches , continuing]
The President: Would any other Senator c are to
speak? Senator Cunningham.
Sen. Victoria Cunningham: Thank you, Madam President.
I would like to echo. I do not think I can do quite
as much justice as my colleague on the other side of
the aisle did, but Callahj Simons is quite an exceptional
young lady. I saw her a few weeks ago at Bermuda Col-lege, and she is quite inspirational. And I think, you
know, it is a personal achievement as was mentioned. It is also something that Bermuda can rightly be proud of, and I think it speaks to our young Bermudians in
general.
I also wanted to highlight two other young ladies, Naomi Crofton and Zarah Siddiqi, who attended
the Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast last week. These are all, you know . . . As a female in politics (and I will
say we are in the majority in this Chamber, but not in
general) it is inspiring to see the next generation of tal-ent coming through the ranks. So, I want to pass on my congratulations as well.
And I would also like (it happened just before
the end of the last session) to pass on . . . extend condolences to the Fahy family following the passing of their mother, Gwen Fahy, who is the mother of my col-league in another place. She was a woman of visi on.
She was one of the founding members of Somersfield Academy, and I think she has had an impact on gener-ations of Bermudian students, not least her grandchildren.
And I would also like to express my deepest
condolences to the family of Stuart Albouy who passed
away suddenly a few weeks ago. I had the privilege of attending his funeral last Friday, which was beautiful. I have been a mentor to his son, Jordin, and his, as he
called it, special daughter, Jubilee. So, I extend my condolences to him, Jordin, and his family during this time.
On a lighter note, I would like to congratulate
the organisers of the Bermuda Rugby Classic for a safe, successful, and non -headline- grabbing tournament this year. There was some outstanding rugby, and the event brings together locals and an awful lot of visitors. And it is great. I am part of the organising committee for Club 22, which is where the players come down with their hosts. And just seeing the return visitors every year come down for an event, which is generally
very well held, it is always great to welcome them back
and see those lasting friendships that the tournament
has built.
And finally, I am off to [the] National Stadium
tomorrow for the final leg of our World Cup qualifier, so wishing the Gombey Warriors all the best of luck as
they continue to march on towards the World Cup. [It
is] not looking at all likely with Curaçao, —
[
Laughter]
Sen. Victoria Cunningham: But I think, you know,
they have made us proud. They have given us
554 12 November 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate something to stand behind. And I think the atmosphere
is great. So [I am] just encouraging anyone listening. I
believe there are probably still tickets. I do not know
what the weather forecast looks like. Probably bring a
rain jacket, but I will see you there.
Thank you very much.

The President: Thank you, Senator Cunningham.
I call on Senator Dion Smith. You have indicated that you want to speak.

Sen. Dion Smith: Yes, thank you.
Madam President, I would like to give condolences to the family of the late Eugene Phillip Feldon Bassett (He was in charge of ITO [Information Technology Office] services, or the Department of ICT); the
family of the late Jermaine Darrell; to the family of the late Joanne McCaul; to the family of Amanda Cynthia
Jennings; the family of the late Shirley Anne White, who
was a deputy principal at the Sandys Secondary
School; to the family of the late Jairus MacDonald Landy of Sun Valley who was one of our neighbours in
Warwick; also to the family of Cleveland Patrick Wade,
the Clevie and Leola Wade family [and] the Jones family; and condolences to the family of the late Carlos Al-bert Nathan Tavares, a Bermudian top bodybuilder, a
true champion.
Also, I would like to extend congratulations to
the Somerset Cricket Club, to the President Richard
Scott, Vice President Trenton Fubler, the officers and
members for their recent Cup Match Prize presentation held on September 19.
I was especially proud to hear Captain Terryn
Fray speak about success being built on collective pride, responsibility. He noted that he would rather lead
a team where every individual takes ownership and works together than rely on a single exceptional pl ayer
who cannot contribute to the unity of the team. I found
his words inspiring because they speak to values that
are essential not only in the sport but also in our wider
community —values such as pride, unity, responsibility—values I believe we need to h old on to and
strengthen here in Bermuda.
Thank you.

The President: Thank you, Senator Dion Smith.
Would any other Senator . . . Quite a few.
Senator John Wight, first and foremost.

Sen. John Wight: Madam President, tomorrow is the
start of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, which
is a PGA golf tour event that is hosted beautifully by
Bermuda every year. And we have three locals, three
Bermudians, participating in the event. I want to give
best wi shes to Oliver Betschart and Kenny Leseur and
Will Haddrell, who are all participating in the event. I
know that the event is well supported by Bermudians. I
think the weather forecast is fortunately better the next
few days than it was yesterday, so I look forward to great support for our young Bermudians participating in
this professional golf event.
Thank you, Madam President.

The President: Thank you.
I will call on Senator Mischa Fubler at this time,
and then Senator Tannock.

Sen. Mischa Fubler: Thank you, Madam President, for
sliding me in. It is a full slate this morning. It has been a while since we have been here and had the break.
I would like to open by first congratulating the
folks at the Corporation of Hamilton and all of the vendors who participated in their Taste of Bermuda Festival. I went down on Sunday, October 12, with my family. I had a great time. I tried a bunch of food. The per-formances were good as well, and so I wanted to make sure I highlighted that. I would really like to also highlight that they had free activities for the youth— always
a great way to ensure you get some folks down with
their families with the rides and activities and rock
climbing wall.
And yes, PST1, congratulations to them.
I would also like to offer congratulations . . . I
think a colleague of mine in another place already
called it out on Friday, but I would be remiss in not congratulating Mr. Carlton “Pepe” Dill and his wife Valerie on celebrating their 60th anniversary recently. Ms. Dill
is a long -serving member of the constituency 30
branch. She was the branch chair for many years. I am
indebted to her for her services, and so I just wanted to
make sure I highlighted that.
I would also like to congratulate the Department of Culture for hosting another successful Gombey Festival, that was towards the end of the last month as
well, on the 19th of October. I understand it was well
attended, and it helps to highlight a cornerstone of our
Bermudian culture.
Following on, I would also like to congratulate
them for hosting a successful event commemorating
the 176th . . . Sorry, you will have to correct me on the
actual year, but [it is] well over 100 years of the Portuguese community arriving in Bermuda. And it was a
pleasure to present them with the commemoration of that day.
Moving on, I would like to associate myself
somewhat with my colleague Senator Cunningham's
remarks around the [Senior] Men's National [Team].
Although I will not deign to prejudge their performance on the evening, I wish them all the best in their competition, and I would like to especially highlight the four
new members of the team that will be coming up to
play, which include Brighton Morrison, Danavon
Thompson, Jace Donawa, and Logan Jimenez.
And rounding out my congratulations, I would
like to congratulate the folks at Treehouse. They celebrated their one- year operation very recently, and it is
something that I encourage the public to check out. I
know one of the co- founders is keen to make th e


Bermuda Senate activity of yoga more inclusive, and to that end, I have
participated in the events when they do the kind of dadand-me to bring your kid along for some yoga. And the
kids seem to enjoy quite a bit. And if you are unfamiliar with where it is, it is in town just off Church Street over
near Bermudiana.
Moving on to a more sombre note, I would like
to provide obituary to Ms. Ingrid Pitt and send my con-dolences to the Pitt family. She's a member of the Riviera [Road] community, and she passed recently, so I
wanted to make sure that that was captured.
And finally, I would like to associate myself with
my colleague across the aisle, Senator [Dion] Smith's
comments highlighting Mr. Bassett's long service to the
now Department of Information and Digital Technologies.
Thank you, Madam President.

The President: Thank you, Senator Mischa Fubler,
and I can now call on Senator Tawana Tannock.
You have the floor.

Sen. Tawana Tannock: Thank you, Madam President.
I would like to associate myself with the comments made by Senator Lindsay Simmons. It was really
heartening, and I was very proud to see one of our
young women represent themselves so well in Parliament. And so, congratulations to both her and her mother, and I hope that she can be an example to other
young women on Island.
Secondly, I would like to wish a happy 90th
birthday to Ms. Euless Tucker, Ms. Euless Tucker -Collington, sorry, my nursery school teacher. I said the first place I ever graduated from. I remember donning a white cap and gown complete with a tassel at three
years old and graduating in her yard in Warwick.

[Laughter]
Sen. Tawana Tannock: So happy 90th birthday to Ms.
Euless Tucker -Collington.
And then I would like to say a thank you to all
of the men and women who have served in memory of Remembrance Day, November 11. And if you just bear
with me, I would just like to say a couple of words.

The President: Mm-hmm.

Sen. Tawana Tannock: When Winston Churchill visited Bermuda, he said to our House of Assembly in
1942, “you have cause to be proud that it has fallen to
your lot to make this important contribution to a better
world.”
Over 3,000 Bermudians served in the First and
Second World Wars, with approximately 600 volunteering for overseas service. During World War II alone, 544 Bermudians served, including 29 women. A great
contribution considering Bermuda's small population. Bermuda suffered 90 deaths in the First World War and 35 deaths in the Second World War.
And as I was doing some research on this yesterday, and I haven't been able to get to the bottom of
it, so if any members of the public have any information I would . . . please reach out to me. I also saw that there
was one Bermudian man, a Henry Dowling, who lost
his life in the Korean War. And I am really intrigued and interested to know more about his service and how he
ended up in the Korean War.
But this is a thank you, a hearty thank you, a
heartfelt thank you, to all of the men and women who
have served overseas and who serve locally and also
who serve in our Regiment, who go out during storms,
during hurricanes, who assisted us during COVID -19.
This is a thank you to all those who have died and a thank you to all those who continue to serve in com-memoration of Remembrance Day.

The President: Thank you, Senator Tannock.
And I call on now Minister Crystal Caesar. You
indicated you would like to speak. You have the floor.

Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: Yes, thank you,
Madam President. I have a few.
I wanted to celebrate the open houses that I
have attended for the signature schools that we have.
And if we recall, there are now three senior signature
schools on Island, that being CedarBridge Academy,
The Berkeley Institute, and Sandys Secondary School .
Each welcomes students from the middle years to attend those schools as it pertains to the different signatures that they have. Sandys Secondary, that being Hospitality and Education Services, The Berkeley, Financial Services and the Health Sciences, and CedarBridge Academy. (Oh gosh, it escaped me.) But the . . .
the vocational areas of study in addition to the creative arts which they will be standing up very shortly.
With that said, I congratulate our fellow Senator who is the chair of the board at the CedarBridge
Academy for the opening of the Creation Station at the
CedarBridge Academy this past . . . gosh, I do not know
where we are now.

An Hon. Senato r: Monday?

Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: Monday.

[Laughter]

Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: I am sorry, my week is
all over the place right now.
In terms of the work that they're doing for students who are interested in those vocational creative arts inspiring young minds. All schools did a very commendable job in highlighting what they will be offering
young people in terms of the types of signatures that
they're interested in. I do not envy any of them in trying
to choose a school, but I do believe that the schools
556 12 November 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate have done a wonderful job in embracing the different
signatures and welcoming students.
I tried my best to stay a fly on the wall. I am not
sure how that was possible. But nonetheless, I wanted
to see how the students were interacting, and I must say that the schools and their leadership teams have
done a remarkable job in opening up their doors to
young people and potentials for their futures.
I would like to congratulate the Parliamentary
Prayer Breakfast Committee for putting on another inspiring and very blessed occasion this past Friday in terms of opening up the parliamentary year for all of the
politicians and members of the legislature. I t, again,
was, like I said, [a] very inspiring event, and I congratulate them.
I also would like to acknowledge this speaker,
Mr. Gil Tucker, for his inspiring words as it pertained to education, which I thought was very timely.

The President: Mm-hmm.
Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: Yes. I want to congratulate the PLP for their 62nd Legacy Gala, which took
place this past Saturday, as well, with the theme of including young people and ensuring that we did so, or have done so, over the last 62 years and encouraging
that into the future.
On a more sombre note, I want to just
acknowledge the people, our fellow compatriots in Jamaica who suffered severe losses as a result of Hurricane Melissa. I want to just recognise them and let them know that (and I believe I can associate the—

The President: The entire Senate. Mm- hmm.

Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: —entire Senate in that)
we are keeping them in our prayers. I commend those helping agencies and BermudAir for the efforts that
they are continuing in providing supplies.
I would like to mention that there is a volunteer
effort today, and they are looking for volunteers to come
and help sort. And so, I am asking the public and any
Senators who can give time to assist up at the Seventhday Adventist Church for another flight that will be going down to assist with sorting the items and supporting
our compatriots in Jamaica.
Again, I say congratulations to our national
team for their efforts. Whilst we probably will not be par-ticipants going forward, I have enjoyed the camaraderie
in attending all of the games that have happened lo-cally. I am not sure I will make it on Thursday, but nonetheless, to date it has been inspiring. And you know,
better luck next time. Nonetheless, we want to encourage them with their efforts and acknowledge that it is
still a feat to even have been included, so congratulations to them on their effort s. Let's try and get one win
at least tomorrow night.

[Laughter] Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: Nonetheless, I say
congratulations to them and best of luck. That is it.
Thank you, Madam President.

The President: Thank you, very much, Minister.
Would any other Senator care to speak?
Yes. I see the hand of Senator Tarik Dunbar
Smith. You have the floor.

Sen. Tarik Smith: Thank you, Madam President.
Good afternoon to my Senate colleagues and
listening audience. I just have a few congratulations
and two obits.
I would just like to say again congratulations to
our men's Gombey Warriors and also a special shout
out to Logan Jimenez. I have watched Logan since a
young boy. He is an exceptional footballer. He plays for Hibs over in Scotland. He and his mother left B ermuda
about five years ago to venture on this journey. Being
a parent of a young man who is also on the same journey, I know that it has been a long, tedious journey. But
I am happy that he has been included finally in our national team to play for our beloved Island tomorrow. I
know his mother, Lyndsey, and his father, [Jared], are
very, very proud of him. I wanted to send that shout out
to him.
Also, I had the privilege of speaking at the
Vasco da Gama 90th Anniversary Gala a few weeks ago. It was an honour as my first official Senate speech,
as a Senator, to honour the contributions that Vasco da
Gama has made, not just the Portuguese community
but to the entire Bermuda community. So, I was very
honoured to do that.
On a sombre note, I send out two obits to the
family of Ms. Amanda Jennings. Her son Jemeiko Jennings is part of the North Village coaching staff, which I
am a part of. He is a wonderful young man. His grandson is a very good friend . . . I am sorry, his s on, her
grandson, Z'ani , is a very good friend of my son, Roman’s. So, I do send my deepest condolences to the
entire Jennings family.
Also, an obit to my neighbour, Jairus Landy of
Sun Valley. As also Senator Smith in front of me did
say earlier, his son Michael -Jay Landy is one of my very
best friends. I was in his wedding; he was in my wedding. And to Mrs. Landy, Nathley, his sister an d [Michael -Jay], I do wish [to send] my deepest condolences
to them.
That is all from me for this. Thank you very
much, Senators and listening audience.
The President: Thank you, Senator Tarik Dunbar
Smith.
Would any other Senator care to speak on congratulations or obituaries?
Hearing none, then we will . . . Oh, sorry.
Madam Attorney General, Minister of Justice.



Bermuda Senate Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: That is just fine,
Madam President.
I thought it was appropriate, Madam President.
I will be doing a short recap, but I certainly wanted to
join some of the comments that have been made in this Chamber this morning.
And starting with the amazing Callahj Simon, I
heard her address to the House of Commons, and I was completely floored. I know that she is quite a talent,
but I cannot tell you the amount of pride I had listening
to her. And so, yes, we are just looking at the bright
future that is ahead of her, and I just wanted to join colleagues in acknowledging and congratulating her and
her parents.
Then on the condolences, I did want to join the
condolences to the Fahy family, which were mentioned
here. The family and friends of Jermaine [Darrell] —of
which Senator Dion Smith and I share a close bond with
Jermaine. And I think that his passing highlighted the
existence of an incredible programme for me that I was
not aware of called the Eden Project run out of the An-glican Church where that project gives chances to
young men who are either recently released from incarceration or on the road to recovery following drug rehabilitation programming and helps to provide work, housing and opportunities for young men in that paradigm,
Madam President. And so, with that, I just want to congratulate the founders of that project Terry and Jeff El-lison, for the fine work that is being continued through
the Anglican Church. This is love in action, and there is nothing more Christian than seeing that played out, Madam President.
I also wanted to connect with the condolences
to the family of Clevie and Leola Wade and the Jones family who are family friends of mine on the loss of their
son. So, hearts go out to them as well.
And congratulations now to the Department of
Culture again joining the Gombey Festival, a fantastic
event.
And another hats -off to the Department of Culture for the Halloween culture series, the storytelling
that took place at the National Museum in Dockyard for
Halloween. These stories were just incredible. They
were stories that related to Western properties —ghost
stories, haunted tales. They actually had me on the
edge of my seat, and I have to say, Well done! on that
initiative. It was truly superb, Madam President.
And finally, I want to say congratulations to the
Bermuda Pacers Track Club who held their annual
prize -giving last Sunday at the Police Recreation Club.
That is a club that affords opportunities for our young
people to travel and to compete at the highest level with
sport. It is a club that requires discipline and dedication,
and I love that the awards recognise not just winning
but also consistency and improvement.
We know, Madam President, that sport is the
antidote to antisocial behaviour. We have heard it in this room already talking about the national team that
will be competing in football. But to see our young athletes in track and field, we know that those are opportunities and bridges to scholarships to university,
and to different lives. So, I congratulate [the] Pacers
and the parents who are behind their kids getting them
to these meets and to training week in and week out for a whole season.
Thank you, Madam President.
The President: Thank you, Madam Attorney General
and Minister of Justice.
I would just like to also associate myself, first
of all, with the condolences extended to the Fahy family
on the passing of their mother.
And from the congratulations side, I would just
like to also associate myself with the congratulations to
Mr. Carlton “Pepe” Dill and his wife Valerie on their 60
years of marriage, and to the student Callahj Simons who gave an outstanding address in Londo n, and also
for the Gombey Festival which I had the privilege of attending. And that is it for congratulations.
So, with that said, we will now move on to the
maiden speeches by our two new Senators. The first
one being Mr. Dion Smith.

[Crosstalk]

The President: Sorry. Beg your pardon. I am jumping
the gun here
Madam Attorney General and Minister of Justice, we have to hand over to you for return.

ADJOURNMENT

Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: Thank you, Madam
President.
I move that the House adjourn until November 26.
The President: November 26. And with that said, I will
move that we . . . Since I have been advised that the
maiden speeches will be done at this time, I will call on
Senator Dion Smith to begin.
You have the floor.

MAIDEN SPEECH

Sen. Dion Smith: Thank you.
Madam President, Honourable Members of the
Senate, it is both a profound honour and solemn re-sponsibility to rise and speak in this Chamber for the
first time. I do so with humility, with gratitude, and with
[a] deep sense of duty to the people of Bermuda—the
very people whose hopes, frustrations, and daily reali-ties we are all here to represent.
I am at my core a doer. I believe in action. And
sometimes I must confess that this brings me into frustration —frustration with systems that move too slowly,
with structures that resist change, and with attitudes
that confuse process for progress. I get fr ustrated when
558 12 November 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate I see capable men and women, good public officers,
constrained by rigidities and weighed down by old habits. I get frustrated when our institutions recoil from bold
decisions and retreat into routine. Too often we hide
behind what has been done before even when we know
it has not worked.
But Madam President, we are all human, all
subject to frailty, to failure, and to fear. And yet as lead-ers, we cannot allow our fears to dictate our future. If
we are to serve our people, we must be decisive, courageous, and unafraid to think differently because true service is not about self -preservation; it is about public
transformation.
Madam President, too many of us have forgotten a simple truth. We earn nothing in this life. We cannot take power, wealth, or possessions with us. We are
merely temporary stewards, caretakers of the posses-sions we hold, the opportunities we are given, and the
blessings we enjoy. So let us act according. Let us lead
with humility, compassion, and justice knowing that no
one is inherently better than anyone else.
At some point in life we can no longer blame
our past for how we choose to live today. After a certain
age, life becomes a reflection not of where you come
from but of what you decide to become. Healing is your responsibility. Growth must be your decision. If you
want a better Bermuda, we must each begin by taking responsibility for the part we play in shaping it.
Madam President, the cries of the public are
not faint. They are loud, persistent and often painful. I have listened to the frustrations of ordinary Bermudi-ans, those who feel unseen, unheard. I have also listened to the frustrations of our public servants , those
working tirelessly within a system that often seems unwilling to reward initiative or embrace innovation.
At the same time, I cannot ignore the economic
imbalance that persists within our borders. In a country this small, it is alarming that so much economic power
is held by so few. A handful of entities control vast segments of market, from shipping [to] milk distribution,
from road paving to tourism, from grocery stores to im-portation of basic goods. We speak of fairness, yet we
continue to accept an imbalance that stifles opportunity
and locks too many Bermudians out of true ownership.
If only we had more visionaries among us,
leaders motivated not by personal gain but by national
purpose. If only we had more decision makers who truly
understand what is happening in our communities, our
schools, and in the hearts of our people.
Madam President, Bermuda in all her beauty
has become a nation defined too often by self -interest,
complacency, and greed. Yet I refuse to believe that
this is who we are destined to be. We could have been
and still can be something far greater —a country t hat
puts its people first, a country that embraces free mar-kets, yes, but ensures that its citizens have a real stake in ownership and the success of its economy.
Imagine a Bermuda where a majority of our national assets, our businesses, our industries, our innovations are owned by Bermudians themselves.
Such a nation would not just be wealthy; it would be
proud. Its workers would give 120 per cent each day
because their labour would build their community, their country, their future, and their legacy.
Without vision, Madam President, we perish. I
fear that our lack of vision, our absence of long- term,
courageous, people- centred planning is costing us
dearly.
It is remarkable that this small Island, once
debt-free, now carries billions in national debt. I must
ask: How did we arrive here? Who allowed it to happen? And most importantly, how do we fix it?
Our country is suffering not only economically
but spiritually and socially. Too many are hurting in silence. Too many feel abandoned. We are not the Bermuda we used to be. We have lost the sense of com-munity that once defined us. There was a time when
we shared what we had, when we looked out for one
another, when every child belonged to the whole neighbourhood. Where are the grandmothers, the grandfathers that hold families together? Where are the uncles
and aunts who corrected us with love and raised us with
discipline? They are gone, and with them much of the
moral compass.
Madam President, we must also speak the
truth about accountability, especially among ourselves. How long will we continue to blame others for our stagnation? How long will we invoke the memory of the
White man as the source of our woes? Yes, history has
wounded us deeply. Slavery, segregation, [and] systematic discrimination have shaped the trajectory of Black Bermudians in painful ways. But history is not a crutch for the future. It is a teacher. We cannot heal by
looking backwards. We must rise by moving forward together. Education must be the centre point [of] that rise.
But Madam President, I ask: What are we truly
teaching our children? Are we giving them discipline or
just diplomas? Are we preparing them to compete globally or simply to pass locally? We have made it increasingly difficult for educators to do their jobs. Teachers
are unable to discipline effectively. They are held hostage by regulations that remove authority but demand
results. How can a teacher inspire learning when home
provides no reinforcement and when respect for au-thority has all but vanished?
We cannot complain about antisocial behaviour, about fights and killings when we have failed to raise our children with values. We cannot resent the progress of others who come to our shores, expats who
have arrived as blue- collar workers but come equipped
with discipline, education, and drive when we ourselves
have abandoned the same virtues.
Madam President, we must face an uncomfortable truth. Too many Bermudians have become uncomfortable with mediocrity. Too many of us would rather complain than commit. Too many would rather reject hard work because the money is not enough yet


Bermuda Senate fail to see that effort and consistency are the seeds of
the better opportunity.
We cannot keep blaming the system when we
refuse to rise above it, and we cannot raise our children
to believe that talent alone will save them. Talent with-out discipline leads nowhere. Talent without humility
breeds entitlement.
We see this even in sports. Our young athletes
excel locally, but too few reach the world stage. Why?
Because greatness demands sacrifice. It demands respect. It demands perseverance.
Madam President, Honourable Members, our
morals and values are fading. They have become foreign words in our vocabulary. We speak often of progress. But I ask: Progress towards what? It seems that
the more things change, the more they stay the same.
We hav e modernised our systems but lost our soul.
Yet, despite it all, I remain hopeful. I believe in
the resilience of Bermudians and their spirit. I believe
that we can rise again, but only if we choose unity over
ego, responsibility over excuses, and action over rhet-oric.
Let us return to being our brothers’ keeper. Let
us rebuild a Bermuda where values are lived, not just spoken. Let us raise a generation of Bermudians who know their worth and their duty. Madam President, if we
do not, then we will continue to drift. But i f we stand
together, [if] we dare to lead the vision, discipline, and
compassion, we can yet become a small nation with the
biggest heart, the tiniest island with the greatest example to the world.
Bermuda's future will not be written by those
who wait. It will be written by those who work. So let us get to work and work together.
Thank you, Madam President.
The President: Thank you, Senator Dion Smith.
We will now hear from Senator Tarik Dunbar
Smith on his maiden speech.
You have the floor.

MAIDEN SPEECH
Sen. Tarik Smith: Good day, Madam President and
fellow Senate colleagues and the listening audience.
Today I stand here before you, Madam President, my fellow Senate colleagues, Opposition, Gov-ernment, Independent and before our Island a humbled, honoured citizen.
To Opposition Leader Robert King, thank you
for your trust to appoint me to represent our party, the One Bermuda Alliance, as an Opposition Senator.
Madam President, this role is one that holds
tremendous responsibility. Responding to this request, I answered the call to serve our Island in the Upper
House.
Madam President, I say, along with many Bermudians, that I feel a sense of unease and a worrying
feeling of what is next. Our shores have changed. Things that we used to frown upon have become normalised. Our unfortunate reality is that many Bermudians hardly bat an eye when we see bloodshed. How
has it become normalised, Madam President? How
have we as a people become desensitised to the gen-ocide in our streets?
Madam President, I do not claim to have the
magic formula to fix the mess we have with major crimes. I have ideas. And maybe now all of us who
have a bit more influence, if we agree, we who wear
red ties or green ties, can come together with a wider community so that we can find solutions.
I will not give up on our youth, Madam President. They are our future. “Teach them well and let them lead the way,” the famous song says. It starts in
the home, but parents are working two jobs, many folks
say. Well, Madam President, that is nothing new. Most of our forefathers worked two jobs, but the village
chipped in to help. Where is our village, Madam President? Surely, we can find our village again. Houses
were built. Mortgages and bills were paid from people
working two and sometimes three jobs. But the support
of the village was there. We looked out for one another.
We knew right from wrong.
As much as I wanted to stop on the streets of
Ord Road as a student at The Berkeley Institute after
school, [at] even the slightest pause on the street, I was
told to beat it over the hill by the man on the street. Yes,
Madam President, the man on the street looked out for
me and sent me home. I was so blessed as a young
boy with Mrs. Raynor who would pick me up from the
Gilbert Institute when my mother was at work, [with] Mrs. Dickerson who would look out to make sure all my homework was done. Granny Todd and Tuffy Todd
would call out to make sure I was safe when home
alone. To Tyrone, Aunt Ginny, Trevor and Travanda,
that was my Tearoom Hill village.
I can say that many neighbourhoods still have
this, Madam President. But we need our entire Island
to become a village again and have our countrymen's
back looking out for our neighbours and our friends
again, allowing someone to come by and maybe borrow s ome sugar now and then.
No, the blame is not solely with the Government when it comes to our crimes. I do believe that we have the best interest and intent for our Island. We all
want to help to make a difference it is just we take different roads to get to the destination. There is more
than one way to get to St. George's, Madam President.
Will we always agree? History inside these Chambers
has proven that it is not possible. But we can discuss
and disagree with respect. Respect is what it all boils
down to, Madam President.
A great man, Stanfield Smith, taught me at The
Berkeley Institute that respect is earned. And to get respect you must give respect to others. I have a ton of
respect and admiration for you, Madam President, and
my fellow Senate colleagues on both sides of the floor.
560 12 November 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate Although we will not agree on all matters, I will agree
respectfully and honestly.
I have been asked over the past few years by
many, Madam President: Why would you get involved
in the political world, Tarik? You must be out of your
mind. I tell them I am here to make an impact no matter
the circumstances —an impact to help others and ensure them that all hope is not lost, an impact to show our youth and everyday citizens that they, too, are valued, Madam President.
When appointed to these Chambers, I reflected on some examples that I witnessed as a young
primary school student by my uncle, the late Kenneth
Richardson. He was an example on how to operate with
calmness, poise, dignity, and humility when making decision s that affect our beautiful Island. I learned,
Madam President, important decisions should not be
made with haste, arrogance, or lack of judgment. One
should always have an understanding of the long- term
effect of how the decisions affect our Island.
Madam President, I was told I can have 15
minutes to speak. I assure you and my colleagues on
both sides of the aisle I will not be that long. Points are
often made in few words. Thank -yous are oftentimes
meant for private moments. They can be appreciated
with a simple, Thank you. But today I want to thank my
mother, Julie, my stepfather, Tracy Bean, my father, Collins Smith, and my stepmother, Michelle Smith. Without you four being what you were in my life, I do
not know where I would end up at times. The experiences that you have given me and the examples that
you have set have set me on this pathway to success
in life. Although I am just a picture that is beginning to
be painted, I thank you for remaining steadfast and the best examples for me even today as a 45- year-old man.
Madam President, I carry a heavy heart as well
today as my political career was heavily influenced by my grandmother, the late Betty Smith. Those who knew
my grandmother knew she was very steadfast in where
she stood politically. And if you did not know, s he would
let you know. She was one that taught me that politics should not be about race but about Bermudians, as
Bermudians are made up of many different races and
different demographics. One should strive to represent all our Island first and foremost an d nothing else.
Madam President, race is a real thing. I will not
deny that. But Betty Smith, along with my parents, taught me that despite race you go forth. We do not use
it as a crutch when things get rough or an excuse for
when things do not happen or go the way that we want them to be. It should be a motivation as to why I will be
successful —because I earned it. Nothing was given.
That is the pride of the Bermuda I grew up in. We made
it happen, and we were immensely proud when we did.
Madam President, let me thank also the constituents of constituency 24, Warwick South East who
trusted me with their votes and their continued support.
Still, much work is to be done in our community. But know that I will walk tall and continue my commitment to our community.
Madam President, I cannot leave out two of my
very closest friends who I call my day -and-night and
any-circumstance friends, Renee and Tinee. You two
ladies have been through everything with me and stuck
with me and been by my side passing no judgment, just
supporting. Eve n if you felt that I should go another
path, you still stayed loyal and true.
To my grandparents who have passed, Betty
and Malcolm Smith, Julia and Hilton Tucker. My life
would not be as easy as it is without you paving the way
so that I could have a piece of the rock, building a foundation so that I can pass it on to the next generation. I
will not take any of what you have laid down for me for
granted. Thank you.
Lastly, Madam President, to my beloved Susan
and my son Roman. You two are the reason I am here
today. I strive to be a better man and a human for you.
It is not an easy road, finding balance of family and
serving our Island. You have been there for me, understanding the greatest sacrifice is that of the family when
you choose to serve. Roman, my son, press on with
those endless opportunities in the UK. I will be there to
support you and help you achieve all your dreams. I
love you both very much.
Madam President, thank you for obliging me
this time. Thank you to my Senate colleagues and a listening audience for your ear.

The President: Thank you, Senator Tarik Dunbar
Smith for your maiden speech.

ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

SENATE VISITOR

The President: Before I move on, I would just like to
acknowledge the presence of Opposition MP Scott
Pearman who is in the Gallery.
Welcome to you, sir.
[Motion to adjourn, continuing]

The President: Would any other Senator care to speak
on the motion to adjourn?
Hearing none, Senators, the Senate stands adjourned until the 26th of November.
[The] Senate stands adjourned. Thank you for
all that you have done today.

[At 1:28 pm, the Senate stood adjourned until
10:00 am, Wednesday, 26 November 2025.]