July 23, 2025

2025/26 SESSION of the
BERMUDA SENATE
OFFICIAL HANSARD REPORT
23 JULY 2025
Sitting number 11 of the 2025/2026 Session
(pages 421–456)
Sen. The Hon. Jo an E. D illas- Wright, MBE, JP
Presi
dent
Disclaimer: The electronic version of the Official Hansard R eport is for
informational purposes only. The p rinted version remains the offici al
record.

Official Hansard Report 23 July 2025 421

Bermuda Senate BERMUDA SENATE
OFFICIAL HANSARD REPORT
23 JULY 2025
10:0 4 AM
Sitting Number 11 of the 2025/26 Session


[Sen. the Hon. Joan E. Dillas -Wright , President , presid-
ing]

The President: Good morning, Senators.
The Senate is in session.
Shall we pray?

PRAYERS
[Prayers read by Sen. the Hon. Joan E. Dillas -Wright ,
President ]

The President: Please be seated.

CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES
[Minutes of 16 July 2025]

The President: Minister Wilkerson.

Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: Good morning, Madam
President.

The President: Good morning.

Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: I move that the Minutes
of the meeting of Wednesday, 16 July 2025, be taken
as read.

The President: Is there any objection to that motion?

Sen. Marcus Jones: Yes, there is.

The President: Yes, Senator Marcus Jones .
Sen. Marcus Jones: My unreadiness, Madam Presi-
dent, is on the first page. It is noted incorrectly that Sen-
ator the Honourable Crystal C aesar ask ed a question
to Senator Marcus Jones. The correct version should
be that Senator Marcus Jones ask ed a question of Sen-
ator the Honourable Crystal C aesar.
The President: Senators, is there any objection to that
correction?
Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: None on this, Madam
President.
The President: The amendment will be made.
Thank you, Senator .
Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: Madam President, with
that amendment, I move that the Minutes of Wednes-
day, 16 July 2025, now be confirmed as amended.

The President: Is there an objection to the amendment
on the passage of the M inute s?
No.
Thank you, Minister Wilkerson.

[Minutes of 16 July 2025 confirmed as amended]

MESSAGES

The President: Mrs. Beale.
The Deputy Clerk: There are no messages, Madam
President.

The President: Thank you.

REPORTS OF COMMITTEES

The President: There are none.

ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

APOLOGIES

The President: I would just like, Senators, to let you
know that Vice President John Wight will not be in the
session today. He has a former commitment this morn-
ing.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
The President: We have a few announcements. The
first in the name of myself.

OMBUDSMAN FOR BERMUDA SPECIAL REPORT:
BETWEEN A DOCK AND A HARD PLACE
AN INVESTIGATION INTO MARINE AND PORTS’
FAILURE TO IMPLEMENT A PLANNING
CONDITION FOR A MOORING REGISTRATION
The President: Senators, I wish to announce that in
accordance with the provisions of s ection s 24(2) and
24(3) of the Ombudsman Act 2004, a copy of the spe-cial report entitled “ Between a Dock and a Hard Place:
An Investigation into Marine and Ports ’ Failure to
422 23 July 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate Implement a Planning Condition for a Mooring Regis-
tration ” has been forwarded to me as the President of
the Senate, and that copies of the said report are hereby tabled in the Senate for the information of Sen-
ators.
Senators, you can access a copy of the report
on your tablet and/ or on the Parliament website. Thank
you.
And the next announcement is in the name of,
the first one being in the name of Senator Lauren Bell, the Minister of Economy and Labour.
Senator Bell , you can present your a nnounce-
ment.

EMPLOYMENT (MINIMUM HOURLY WAGE)
AMENDMENT ORDER 2025
Sen. Lauren Bell: Yes, good morning. Thank you,
Madam President.
I hereby present for the information of Senate,
the Employment ( Minimum Hourly Wage) Amendment
Order 2025, as made by the Minister responsible for
Labour, in exercise of the power conferred by section
11 of the Employment (Wage Commission) Act 2019.
Senators may access copies on their tablets and/ or the
Parliament website.

The President: Thank you, Senator Bell, and I believe
you have a second a nnouncement.

BERMUDA IMMIGRATION AND PROTECTION
(PROHIBITION OF ENTRY) (NO. 2) ORDER 2025
Sen. Lauren Bell: I do. Thank you, Madam President.
I hereby present for the information of Senate,
the Bermuda Immigration and Protection ( Prohibition of
Entry ) (No. 2) Order 2025, as made by the Minister re-
sponsible for I mmigration, in exercise of the power con-
ferred by section 26( 1) of the Bermuda Immigration and
Protection Act 1956. Senators may access copies on
their tablets and/ or the Parliament website.

The President: Thank you, and I believe you have a
third announcement. Do proceed when you are ready.

WAGE COMMISSION —RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
THE MINIMUM HOURLY WAGE IN BERMUDA
Sen. Lauren Bell: Thank you, Madam President.
I hereby present for the information of Senate,
the Wage Commission —Recommendations for the
Minimum Hourly Wage in Bermuda June 2025. Sena-
tors may access copies on their tablets and/ or the Par-
liament website.

The President: Thank you, Senator Bell .
The fourth announcement is in the name of
Senator Lindsay Simmons, the Minister of Youth, So-
cial Development, and Seniors . Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Good morning, Madam Pres-
ident.

The President: Good morning.

HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION—ANNUAL
REPORT 2024

Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Madam President, I hereby
present for the information of the Senate the Human Rights Commission 2024 Annual Report. Senators may access copies of the report on their tablet and /or the
Parliamentary website.
The President: Thank you, Senator Simmons.

NOTICES OF MOTIONS

The President: The first one is in the name of Senator
the Honourable Crystal C aesar, Spokesperson for Fi-
nance.
Senator C aesar, you have the floor.

Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: Sorry, apologies,
Madam President.

[Pause]

Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: Madam President , I—

[Crosstalk]

CONTRIBUTORY PENSIONS (AMENDMENT OF
CONTRIBUTIONS AND BENEFITS) ORDER 2025

Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: Thank you. Thank you
for the clarification.
Madam President, I now introduce for consid-
eration the Contributory Pensions ( Amendment of Con-
tributions and Benefits ) Order 2025 proposed to be
made by the Minister of Finance i n exercise of the
power conferred by s ection 37 of the Contributory Pen-
sions Act 1970. And I will move that this O rder be con-
sidered later in the meeting.
The President: Thank you, Senator C aesar, Spokes-
person for Finance.

PETITIONS
The President: There are none.

STATEMENTS
The President: We have two S tatements this morning.
The first one is in the name of Senator Lindsay Sim-
mons, Junior Minister for Youth, Social Development
and Seniors.
Official Hansard Report 23 July 2025 423

Bermuda Senate Senator Simmons, you have the floor.

HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION—ANNUAL
REPORT 2024

Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Thank you, Madam Presi-
dent.
Madam President, I am pleased today to lay
before this Honourable House the Annual Report of the
Human Rights Commission for the year ending 31 De-
cember 2024.
Madam President, the Human Rights Commis-
sion has a statutory remit to protect and promote hu-
man rights under the Human Rights Act 1981. The
Commission's mandate involves education, the promo-tion of principles of non- discrimination and equality,
and to investigate and endeavour to settle allegations
of discrimination.
Madam President, the Executive Officer of the
Commission screens and investigates alleged contra-ventions of the Act, provides assistance to those who believe they have experienced discrimination or assist
those who have questions related to rights and obli ga-
tions under the Human Rights Act. The Commission is
both a public watchdog for human rights compliance
and a resource to foster and promote human rights
principles by working with stakeholders across the Is-
land, inclusive of the government, employers, service
providers, landlords, community organisations, schools
and individuals.
Madam President, the Commission works to
further its objective of eradicating discrimination
through the following means :
• addressing all queries related to rights in Ber-
muda ;
• screening and investigating complaints of dis-
crimination under the Human Rights Act 1981;
• providing dispute resolution services through
mediation to help settle complaints of discrimi-nation;
• referring meritorious complaints to the Human
Rights Tribunal ;
• reviewing policies and providing guidance with
all stakeholders in support of their human
rights obligations ;
• engaging in collaborative presentations, re-
search and educational programming;
• facilitating and participating in consultations to
support the evolution of human rights in Ber-muda ;
• providing educational presentations, work-
shops and training tailored to meet stakeholder needs in support of their human rights educa-
tion and compliance commitments ;
• providing recommendations to the G overn-
ment on proposed legislative amendments to
ensure consistency with international stand-
ards; • supporting the independence of the Selection
and Appointment Committee and the Human Rights Tribunal ;
• providing guidance to the Government, organ-
isations, businesses and educational institu-
tions on the development and implementation of a human rights -based approach to legisla-
tion, policies, program mes and complaint han-
dling mechanisms to ensure compliance with the Act and international human rights agree-ments.
Madam President, included in the Annual Re-
port, you will note that during the 2024 calendar year
the Commission received 179 intakes, which account
for both complaints and queries. The Commission ob-
served significant increases in intakes that appeared to
contravene the Ac t, with a higher volume of matters ad-
vancing through the complaint handling stages, in con-trast to previous years. Of the total in- takes received in
2024, Madam President, 16 per cent remain ongoing,
as the remaining 84 per cent have been r esolved.
Madam President, t he intakes primarily identified dis-
criminatory treatment based on the protected ground
relating to,
• disability [at] 17 per cent;
• sex [at] 15 per cent; and
• ethnic or national origins, which accounted for
14 per cent.
Madam President , within the protected areas
of discrimination, 27 per cent of the intakes received re-
lated to concerned alleged contraventions of section
6(1) of the Act. The protected area of work place har-
assment contrary to section 6B(1) of the Act accounted
for 17 per cent of intakes, followed by allegations of dis-
crimination within the provision of goods, facilities and
services, accounting for 15 per cent of intakes re-
ceived.
Madam President, the Annual Report further
states that 68 per cent of the intakes received con-
cerned employment and/or the workplace. This total
combined matters under the protected areas in the Act,
such as section 6, section 6B, section 9 and matters
that came to the Commission which were identified as
being em ployment related. The complaints field in-
cluded various individuals reporting that they were sex-
ually harassed within the workplace, were denied em-
ployment because of a criminal record, were termi-
nated because of their family status and experienced
discriminatory treatment with respect to pay because of
their place of origin and/or ethnic or national origins.
Madam President, on 21 March 2024, the
Commission hosted the “What Can I Do? What Can We
Do?” conference, a day dedicated to learning, connec-
tion and collective action to protect and promote human rights in Bermuda. In June of 2024, the Commission
launched a public consultation to gain deeper insight
into the lived experiences of people with disabilities. The consultation was designed to hear from people
with disabilities, their families, disability [advocates ]
424 23 July 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate and support services and members of the public. It was
aimed to create a platform for sharing experiences and
highlighting the barriers faced while navigating life in
Bermuda. And in October 2024, the Commission
acknowledged the extension of the UN Convent ion on
the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to Bermuda.
Lastly, Madam President, the Annual Report
highlighted that Palestine continued to feature among the work of the Commission as the ongoing genocide
against Palestinians continued in 2024. The Commis-
sion joined the Peace March [Walk for Palestine] and the gathering on Cabinet grounds, [coinciding] with the
International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian Peo-
ple, emphasising the need for vigilance in protecting
rights.
Madam President, I commend the Officers of
the Commission under the leadership of the Executive Officer for their steadfastness and commitment to the
work of the Human Rights Commission. I invite this
Honourable [Senate] to read the Annual Report of the
Human Rights Commission and become informed
about the engagements, educational activities and ac-
complishments that the Commission was involved in
during 2024. Also, Madam President, I want to inform
the listening public that the Selection and Appointment
Committee of the Human Rights Commission is receiv-
ing applications to serve as Human Rights Tribunal
Panel Members. More information about this can be found at www.humanrights.bm.
Madam President, in closing, and in accord-
ance with section 30A of the Human Rights Act 1981, I
now lay before this Honourable [Senate] the Human
Rights Commission Annual Report for the year ending
31 December 2024.
Thank you, Madam President .
The President: Thank you, Senator Linds ay Simmons,
Junior Minister of Youth, Social Development, and Sen-
iors.
The second S tatement is in the name of Sena-
tor Lauren F. Bell, the Junior Minister for Economy and
Labour.
Senator Bell, you have the floor.

MINIMUM WAGE FOR BERMUDA
ADVANCING A FAIR AND SUSTAINABLE
MINIUM WAGE

Sen. Lauren Bell: Good morning, Madam President
and listening audience.
I am pleased to introduce to this H onourable
Senate today the Wage Commission's report on rec-
ommendations for the minimum hourly wage in Ber-
muda. This report marks a pivotal step in our ongoing commitment to ensuring a dignified standard of living
for all Bermudian workers.
Madam President, M embers of the Senate
may recall that in September 2024, the Government's
position paper on progressing Bermuda's minimum hourly wage rate from the current rate of $16.40 to a
rate between $16.81 to $17.23 in 2025 was presented
in the House. This paper underscored the G overn-
ment's unwavering commitment to advancing the mini-mum hourly wage, initially enacted on 1 June 2023, and
proposed a clear framework for its progression.
Madam President, the Wage Commission, in
accordance with its obligations under s ections 9 and 10
of the Employment ( Wage Commission) Act 2019, has
affirmed the G overnment's position in this regard. Crit-
ically, the Commission has recommended that the stat-utory minimum hourly wage rate be increased in 2025
to $17.13. This adjustment is not merely an incremental
change. It is a vital investment in our society and our
economy. A minimum wage that keeps pace with the
cost of living is fundamental to ensuring that full- time
work provides a pathway out of poverty, rather than
trapping individuals in it. This progressive approach
helps to reduce reliance on social safety nets and
builds a more resilient economy from the ground up.
Madam President, it is anticipated that more
than 2,500 workers will benefit from this adjustment,
primarily those in the service and sales sectors. These
workers include individuals employed in hotels and res-
taurants, retail workers, personal care workers , clean-
ers, beauticians and domestic workers.
Furthermore, Madam President, this position
aligns directly with international best practi ces and the
principles advocated by the International Labour Or-
ganization, otherwise known as the ILO. The ILO con-
sistently emphasises that minimum wages should be
reviewed and adjusted periodically to ensure they pro-
vide a living wage, taking into account the evolving cost of living, social security, and the prevailing wa ge levels.
Their conventions and recommendations highlight that
fair minimum wages are essential f or decent work, so-
cial protection, and inclusive economic development.
They play a critical role in reducing inequality and en-
hancing social cohesion.
The Commissioner's report states that the min-
imum hourly wage rate should be progressed by the
annual average of inflation using the Consumer Price
Index as the indicative measure, capped at 2.5 per cent
per year every two years. Taking the annual rate of in-
flation for 2023 and 2024 of 3.3 per cent and 1.9 per
cent respectively, the Wage Commission proposes a
statutory minimum hourly rate of $17.13, an increase of
$0.73 per hour from the current rate.
Additionally, Madam President, the Commis-
sioner's report recommends that the statutory minimum hourly wage rate be reviewed every two years, utilising
information from the Annual Employment Survey as
well as the Labour Force Survey. As the Commission
notes , this biannual review will minimise potential busi-
ness disruptions and afford employers an opportunity to adjust their operations and pricing strategies accord-
ingly, mitigating any adverse effects on employment
levels or business viability. Moreover, know ing that the
wage adjustments will occur every two years based on
Official Hansard Report 23 July 2025 425

Bermuda Senate an objective economic indicator allows for better long-
term planning and budgeting for businesses and
households alike.
Madam President, the Employment (Minimum
Hourly Wage) Amendment Order 2025, which reflects
the recommendation by the Wage Commission to in-
crease the statutory minimum hourly wage rate, has
been laid in the House. It will take effect on 1 Septem-
ber 2025, and the minimum hourly wage rate of $17.13
will apply.
Madam President, the Government wishes to
express its sincere gratitude to the distinguished mem-
bers of the Wage Commission and their unwavering
commitment has been instrumental in ensuring a basic
standard of living for the people of Bermuda.
Thank you, Madam President.
The President: Thank you. Thank you, Senator Lauren
Bell, the Junior Minister of Economy and Labour.

INTRODUCTION OF BILLS
The President: There are none.

FIRST READING OF PUBLIC BILLS

CORPORATE INCOME TAX
AMENDMENT ACT 2025
The President: The following public Bill has been re-
ceived from the Honourable House of Assembly and is hereby read for the first time. Its title is the Corporate Income Tax Amendment Act 2025.

FIRST READING OF PRIVATE BILLS
The President: There are none.

QUESTION PERIOD

The President: Senators, we will now entertain ques-
tions o n the Statements that were given this morning,
and the first one will be the Human Rights Commission, Statement which was delivered by Senator Linds ay
Simmons.
Would any Senator wish to ask questions?
Senator Tannock , you have the floor.

Sen. Tawana Tannock: Yes, thank you. Good morn-
ing, Madam President —
The President: Good morning.
Sen. Tawana Tannock: —and good morning to mem-
bers of our listening public.
QUESTION 1: HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION—
ANNUAL REPORT 2024

Sen. Tawana Tannock: First, I would like to congratu-
late the Bermuda Human Rights Commission for the
hard work that they do in often very sensitive and
touchy areas that cannot be easy to investigate. I noted
that the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination
of People with Disabilities was extended to Bermuda at
the end of last year, and that it is mentioned in the
Statement, and that the Human Rights Commission in-
dicated that they look forward to working with the Gov-
ernment to help implement the convention require-
ments.
I wanted to know if there was any clear
timeframe or framework of how the convention require-
ments would be implemented, or how the Human Rights Commission would be working with the Govern-
ment to do so. And the background to that is that, as
you would know in this Senate, the Convention [on the]
Elimination of Discrimination Against Women was ex-
tended to Bermuda in 2017. And a survey was sup-
posed to have been compiled to indicate what areas
were required for the Island to work on. To date, that
survey has not been compiled. That was in 2017.
And I also note that the CEDAW C onvention
[Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrim-
ination against Women] is not mentioned in the Human
Rights Commission report. So, given the fact that the
Human Rights Commission is not mentioning CEDAW
at all, or any steps toward it, and now we have ex-
tended another C onvention to Bermuda, I wanted to
know, are there any concrete steps that will be taken? Is there any timeline or frame of reference for how and
what the Human Rights Commission will help the Gov-
ernment to implement with a Convention that aims to
get rid of discrimination against people with disabilities?
And I mean, by the by, if there is any update on
CEDAW, even though it was not in the Human Rights
Commission paper, it would be great to get that infor-mation as well.

The President: Thank you, Senator Tannock.
Would any other Senator care to ask ques-
tions?
Senator Cunningham, you have the floor.

QUESTION 1: HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION—
ANNUAL REPORT 2024
Sen. Victoria Cunningham: Thank you, Madam Pres-
ident, and thank you to the Junior Minister for providing
her Statement.
I will echo the comments from Senator Tan-
nock about the important work that the Human Rights Commission does. I believe the Statement talked about
a significant increase in complaints over the previous year. So, I would like to know with 179, I guess they call
them intakes, complaints and queries for this year, how
426 23 July 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate does that relate to the previous years, and what are we
seeing the main increases from? I know that they said
the majority were the employment and workplace dis-
crimination.

SUPPLEMENTARY
Sen. Victoria Cunningham: But if I may have a sup-
plementary to that, I would be interested to know how
long on average it takes to actually resolve one of these
human rights complaints. I believe it mentioned that most were resolved in the year, but it would be interest-
ing to know how long that takes.

The President: Thank you. Those are your supple-
mentary.
Would any other S enator care to ask questions
on this S tatement?
Hearing none, then we will wait for a response
from the Senator.
Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Thank you, Madam Presi-
dent.
While I am waiting for a response, I just want
to highlight that we are merely laying the report. The Commission is independent.
Also, I would say that each case is individual,
so some might take longer, but I am happy to report
that I believe it was 86 per cent . . . 86 per cent were
closed within the year . So, I think each case it would be
different lengths of time. Some might have been faster than others.
Also, I just want to highlight that Senators or
the public are always able to write directly to the Human Rights Commission [HRC] as they are independent.
We are merely just laying the report in the Senate.
The President: Senator Tannock.
Sen. Tawana Tannock: Yes, thank you. I appreciate
that. But as a former chairperson of the Human Rights Commission, what I do know is that for the Executive
Director, the person that supervises her job description,
her salary request for increases is actually the Cabinet Secretary. So, while there is a level of independence,
there has to be some oversight for implementation and
development, and that's simply what I was asking for.

Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Again, I did say I was still
waiting for answers from my technical officer, but I just
wanted to highlight that for the Senators and the listen-
ing public.

The President: Thank you.
Sen. Lindsay Simmons : We also rely on the UK con-
vention authority to work with us with our compliance
as we do act yearly for their reporting obligations.
[Pause]
Sen. Lindsay Simmons: And her oversight is the Gov-
ernor.
Regarding the Convention on the Rights of Dis-
abilities, the Government is best suited to answer re-
garding the progression of the timelines.

[Pause]
Sen. Lindsay Simmons: I think I just have one more
to answer.

The President: Senator Tannock.

SUPPLEMENTARY

Sen. Tawana Tannock: Yes, thank you, Senator.
I had a supplementary question. I do not know,
so while you were waiting for that one, I had actually a supplementary question to Senator Cunningham's
question—

The President: Yes.

Sen. Tawana Tannock: But I was waiting for the an-
swer, but I can probably forward it now.
If you look at the 2023 Human Rights Report, it
does not appear that there were any tribunals in the
2023 year. It appears that all tribunals were reported in
the 2024 year. So, to Senator Cunningham's question,
how many . . . or when were those tribunals that were
adjudicated and finished in 2024 start? And why were
there no tribunals in the 2023 year?

The President: Thank you, Senator Tannock.

Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Again, I want to reiterate, re-
garding the timeframe for intakes, it depends on the complexity of the complaint, responsiveness of the par-
ties, and the volume of the matter before the Commis-
sion.
[Pause]

The President: Senator Simmons, are you anticipating
any further responses?
Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Yes, they are sending me a
response right now. Thank you.
The President: Thank you.
[Pause]
Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Regarding 2023, directions
and preliminary hearings were held.
Also, there are some matters that were re-
solved through mediation and did not have to go to the
Official Hansard Report 23 July 2025 427

Bermuda Senate tribunal. I did mention in my report that we tried to do
mediation first.
And I believe, Madam President, that covers
everything.

The President: Senator Tannock.

Sen. Tawana Tannock: Thank you, Senator Simmons.
I was still waiting for the reason why the Con-
vention [on] the Elimination of Discrimination Against
Women and children was not highlighted, or any work toward it highlighted in the Human Rights Commission
report of this year, when they have highlighted th e con-
vention to assist people with disabilities. And if any
work had been done with the HRC and the Government
towards that Convention, or if it had fallen off their ra-
dar, which is why it is not in this report for this year.
So, it was just the CEDAW information I was
waiting for.
[Pause]

Sen. Lindsay Simmons: The Government will report
on the work of the Gender Affairs Council . . . which
oversees the progression of the CEDAW.

SUPPLEMENTARY

Sen. Tawana Tannock: I do have a supplementary
question.
So, does that mean that the HRC is not actively
working towards any of the convention requirements of
CEDAW?

[Pause]
The President: We are—

Sen. Tawana Tannock: Madam President, in the inter-
est of time —

Sen. Lindsay Simmons: I have an answer.
Sen. Tawana Tannock: Oh, okay.

The President: Sorry, Senator Simmons. You pro-
ceed.
Sen. Lindsay Simmons: The state has the obligation
to adhere to the obligations. However, the nature of the
Commission's work addresses some of the concerns
through education, advocacy, and engagement.
Thank you, Madam President. I believe that I
answered all the questions.

The President: Thank you, Senator Lindsay Simmons,
and thank you, Senators, for your questions regarding
the Statement. We will now move on to the second Statement
that was delivered by Senator Lauren Bell, the Junior
Minister for Economy and Labour, and that was Ad-
vancing a Fair and Sustainable Minimum Wage for Ber-
muda.
Would any Senator care to ask questions on
this Statement?
Yes, Senator Marcus Jones, Opposition
Leader [in the Senate], you have the floor.

QUESTION 1: MINIMUM WAGE FOR BERMUDA
ADVANCING A FAIR AND SUSTAINABLE WAGE

Sen. Marcus Jones: Thank you, Madam President.
Good morning to my fellow colleagues here in the Sen-ate, and good morning to the listening public.
First, I would like to thank the Junior Minister
for bringing this Statement, Advancing a Fair and Sus-
tainable Minimum Wage for Bermuda. I believe that we
all can agree that this is a very important issue within
our country.
My question to her would be, Has the Govern-
ment researched and consulted with private busi-
nesses and other stakeholders to ascertain the impact
[of] the original increase of minimum wage [and how it]
has affected their businesses?

SUPPLEMENTARY

Sen. Marcus Jones: And I would also offer a supple-
mentary to that question. Has this increase caused the
size of their staff to diminish or remain the same?

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

QUESTION 1: MINIMUM WAGE FOR BERMUDA
ADVANCING A FAIR AND SUSTAINABLE WAGE

Sen. Victoria Cunningham: Thank you, Madam Pres-
ident, and thank you to the Junior Minister for delivering the Statement.
My question is around the inflation adjustment,
and I think it was mentioned that it would be capped at
2.5 per cent, which, (a), the first part of that question is
actual inflation back in 2023, although we are a few
years and months behind, was actually 3.3 [per cent].
And so, my question would be, Has there been any
analysis on the long- term impact of that cap (so the
2.5 per cent every two years) on any wage stagnation
and ultimately purchasing power over time for these in-
dividuals?
The President: And you have a supplementary?
Sen. Victoria Cunningham: A second question.

428 23 July 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate The President: A second question, yes.

QUESTION 2: MINIMUM WAGE FOR BERMUDA
ADVANCING A FAIR AND SUSTAINABLE WAGE

Sen. Victoria Cunningham: So, this Government put
forth the minimum wage a number of years ago, and I
would just like to know what policies are being thought
about (or in place) that were likely to reduce underem-
ployment, that will upskill workers and ultimately create
full-time j ob opportunities through this minimum wage?

SUPPLEMENTARY
Sen. Victoria Cunningham: And as a supplementary
to that, what is being done to make sure that the mini-mum wage is not resulting in reduced hours or job losses, particularly in our seasonal sectors like hospi-
tality? Thank you, Madam President.

The President: Thank you, Senator Cunningham.

[Pause]

[Crosstalk]

ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

SENATE VISITOR

The President: While we are waiting for the re-
sponses, I would just like to acknowledge and welcome
the Opposition Whip, Senator . . . sorry, [Shadow] Min-
ister Craig Cannonier, who is in the Gallery. Welcome
to you, sir.

[Question Period, continuing]

[Pause]

The President: And for the benefit of the listening au-
dience, we are waiting for the Senator to receive re-
sponses to the questions that have been posed.
Sen. Mischa Fubler: Hello, Madam President. I would
just like to interject, if appropriate. I declare my interest
as the Chairman of the Wage Commission.
To the question around consultation taking
place, the Wage Commission is represented by a
cross- section of Bermudian society. Third sector ser-
vice industry, corporate sphere have representation.
And we collaborated with any organisations that indi-
cated their interest in providing feedback around the methodology for increasing the minimum wage.
Hopefully, that answers the Senator's ques-
tion.

The President: Thank you, Senator Fubler. Sen. Marcus Jones: Supplemental, Madam Presi-
dent?

The President: Senator Marcus Jones, yes. What is
your supplemental?

SUPPLEMENTARY

Sen. Marcus Jones: Actually, I thank the Junior Minis-
ter for interjecting that information. It is very helpful.
My only question would be, are those interac-
tions, were they recorded where it can be viewed by the
public just to see what their response was to your de-
liberations with them in regard to that?
Sen. Mischa Fubler: Yes, as a legislative commission,
official minutes are captured for all of our meetings.

The President: Thank you.
That answers your questions? Thank you.

Sen. Lauren Bell: Madam President, I do have some
responses, and I thank my Senate colleague for his in-
put on this topic.

The President: Thank you, Senator Bell. Do proceed.
Sen. Lauren Bell: Thank you.
In response to Senator Cunningham's question
regarding the CPI cap on the increase to the minimum
wage. As my brief and as the report from the Commis-
sion has stated that is a cap of 2.5 per cent. She did
point to the fact that the cost of living was tagged at
3.3 per cent in [2023] and I just wanted to highlight that
in [2024], the CPI was at 1.9 per cent.
As part of the long- term impact on the cap of
the CPI it is the Wage Commissioner's remit to consider and provide its recommendations on the proposed min-imum hourly wage rate, and this includes the cap of the
CPI into consideration. We recognise the Senator did
ask whether there were any studies or reports done on
the impact of that cap, and we recognise that the mini-
mum wage has been newly implemented to the coun-
try, so we will be looking forward to how that cap does impact going forward.
And just for some more background to Senator
Cunningham, page three of the report does detail why the cap was implemented and also speaks to the con-
sideration of other methods used. And we do recognise
the balancing act that has to be struck when we con-sider protection of jobs in light of the increase in mini-
mum wage. So it is that balance that we are very cog-
nisant of.
Senator Cunningham also asked regarding up-
skilling. I want to draw her reference to the work that's
been done by the Department of Workforce Develop-ment. There is extensive work that has been done by
various initiatives coming out of Workforce Develop-
ment that's focused on doing exactly that: the upskilling
Official Hansard Report 23 July 2025 429

Bermuda Senate of the Bermuda workforce. I encourage her to have a
look at the work that is being done by that Department.
Senator Cunningham also asked a question
about the loss of hours or the potential of loss of hours.
The Department of Labour has not received any reports of lost hour complaints as a result of the implementa-
tion of the minimum wage rate. Employers have re-
ported challenges with implementation of the minimum
wage rate as it pertains to adjusting contracts and has sought the advice of the Department of Labour on how
that can be facilitated.
Madam President, I do believe I have an-
swered all the questions posed by my Senate col-
leagues with the support, of course, by the—
The President: Senator Fubler.

Sen. Lauren Bell: Yes, thank you very much.

The President: Thank you.
Senators, that completes the questions then on
the Question Period for the two Statements that were given this morning. We will move on.

ORDERS OF THE DAY

The President: The first Order of the Day is the second
reading of the Parliamentary Election Amendment Act
2025, and that's in the name of Senator Mischa Fubler,
the Junior Minister for the Cabinet Office and Digital In-novation.
Senator Fubler, you may present your Bill.

Sen. Mischa Fubler: Thank you, Madam President.
I move that the Bill entitled Parliamentary Elec-
tion Amendment Act 2025 be now read the second
time.
The President: Is there any objection to that motion?
No objection.

BILL

SECOND READING

PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION
AMENDMENT ACT 2025
Sen. Mischa Fubler: Thank you, Madam President.
The purpose of the Parliamentary Election
Amendment Act 2025 is to grant the Parliamentary
Registrar the authority to appoint staff within the Parlia-mentary Registry. This amendment is a key step in sup-
porting the ongoing reorganisation of the department,
which commenced in February 2024 with the aim of en-hancing t he operational efficiency, independence, and
overall effectiveness of the office. By formalising the Registrar's staffing authority in legislation, this amendment ensures that the Parliamentary Registry
can remain appropriately resourced to fulfil its crit ical
mandate of administering elections and maintaining the Parliamentary Register while aligning with best prac-
tises for independent electoral bodies.
Madam President, this amendment comes at a
time when there is increasing public expectation for
electoral reform and modernisation. To meet these ex-
pectations, the Parliamentary Registry must be posi-
tioned to recruit and retain the right talent and experti se
and to do so in a timely and efficient manner. Granting
the Registrar the authority to appoint staff and engage
technical advisors ensures that the office can remain
responsive to the evolving needs of the electoral sys-
tem while upholding its independence and maintaining
the highest standards of electoral integrity.
Madam President, the Parliamentary Election
Amendment Act 2025 introduces a new clause under
section 6 of the Act to formalise the staffing arrange-ments within the Parliamentary Registry. This clause
provides that the Registrar will be supported by such number of public officers as may be required for the
discharge of the Registrar's functions. It further empow-
ers the Registrar to delegate specific duties, powers, or
functions to staff, with the exception of the power to del-egate itself.
Madam President, the amendment also allows
the Registrar to engage technical or professional advi-
sors as needed to assist with the specialised demands
of electoral administration. Importantly, all staff ap-
pointed or engaged under this provision will be under the direction and control of the Registrar in the perfor-
mance of their duties under the Act.
Madam President, this change reinforces the
operational independence and flexibility of the Parlia-
mentary Registry, ensuring the office is properly re-
sourced and positioned to meet its constitutional re-sponsibilities effectively.
Thank you, Madam President.

The President: Thank you, Senator Fubler.
Would any Senator care to speak on this Bill?
Senator Cunningham, you have the floor.

Sen. Victoria Cunningham: Thank you, Junior Minis-
ter, for that overview. I just have a few questions on
this.
One around so . . . from the Budget Book,
which was not too long ago, the Budget Book called for
the PR's office to have up to six FTEs [full -time equiva-
lents]. Now, my understanding is this: this Bill is poten-
tially for advisors as well, so not necessaril y full -time
equivalents, but I would be interested to know how they
are going to be budgeted in and if there is a dedicated
budget to any of these increased hiring of external ad-
visors or full -time staff.
Should I just keep going? Okay. Thank you.
Thank you, Madam President.
430 23 July 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate I would also be interested . . . the Junior Minis-
ter talked about empowering the [ Parliamentary Regis-
trar] to delegate staff and appoint staff. To what extent
are they expecting to increase staffing around looking
into absentee balloting and any data digitisation to up-
date [Parliamentary Registry] records?
Then, I have got another question based on, I
guess, electoral integrity, if you will, Madam President. How will the Parliamentary Registrar demonstrate that
these powers are given or used to enhance electoral
fairness and not politicise any staffing?
And I think . . . well, I would also be interested
to know how these roles will be filled. Will it be through
public recruitment or will it be through internal govern-
ment appointments, and what would the qualifications
be?

Sen. Mischa Fubler: Thank you. I will endeavour to —

The President: Minister —

POINT OF ORDER

Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: A point of order. Not a
single question asked by our colleague relates to the
substance of the Bill in front of us. We are merely in-
serting the provision to enable staff to be hired. Her
questions relate to things outside of the Bill in front of us.
Sen. Victoria Cunningham: They relate to the how .

Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: Absolutely. Which is
. . . the how is not in front of us.
This is enabling legislation —

The President: Mm-hmm.

Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: —to create the frame-
work for the Registrar to be able to hire staff.
I do not believe, Madam President, that the
questions are appropriate in the context of what is in front of us.

POINT OF CLARIFICATION

Sen. Marcus Jones: A point of clarification, Madam
President.

The President: Yes—

Sen. Marcus Jones: We do take the Honourable Kim
Wilkerson's point, but in listening and considering the
questions that Senator Cunningham brought before
this Chamber, we understand that the full answers will
not be made ready at this moment of passing this Bill.
But I think the fact that we do support this Bill,
let us first make that quite clear, and the questions that
she raises at least allow us as the Senate Chamber to consider the full context of how this amendment will im-
pact what the Parliamentary Registry does.
So, I think she's raising it to bring about the
awareness that, yes, we support it, let us do it, but
these questions are something to consider in the future.

The President: Questions to be considered in the fu-
ture, yes, but not at this time.

Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: Thank you, Madam
President. I am much obliged with that clarification.

Sen. Mischa Fubler: Thank you, everyone.
Madam President, I have some of the re-
sponses. And so, in regard to the budget and the pos-
sibility of increasing headcount, any additional hires will
need to be done within the constraints of the currently approved budget.
And how will the Registrar be used to enhance
electoral fairness and ensure the . . . so, the Parliamen-
tary Registrar's Office operates under the highest levels
of integrity. I think we can all agree that there were no
instances of concern raised during t he most recent
election. And I would like to make sure that I send out my support to the Parliamentary Registrar for them car-
rying out their essential task and electoral fairness is
inherent to our legislation.
And for Senator Cunningham's questions
around recruitment, the Bill allows for the Parliamentary
Registrar to recruit staff, and the staff will still fall under
the Government Collective Bargaining Agreement with
the Bermuda Public Service Union and follow the usual
onboarding process for employees. The difference is
that the recruitment will be done by the Parliamentary
Registrar and not the DEOD, the Central Department
for Hiring. Like central HR, I think is the short of it, for
the DEOD.
Hopefully that answers the questions that were
posed satisfactorily, Madam President.

The President: Yes. There is a nod.
So, you may proceed to pass your Bill.

SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDER 26 (3)

Sen. Mischa Fubler: All right, excellent.
Madam President, I move that Standing Order
26(3) be suspended in respect to this Bill.
The President: Is there any objection to that motion?
No objection.

[Motion carried: Standing Order 26(3) suspended.]

Sen. Mischa Fubler: I move that the Bill entitled the
Parliamentary Election Amendment Act 2025 be now read the third time.

The President: The second time.
Official Hansard Report 23 July 2025 431

Bermuda Senate Sen. Mischa Fubler: We started with the second
. . .and—

The President: I missed it. Sorry.

Sen. Mischa Fubler: Yes, okay.
We have just moved that to be read the third
time.

The President: Is there any objection to the third read-
ing?
No objection.
[Laughter]
Sen. Mischa Fubler: Thank you. You did catch me out
here. I am like did I get the process wrong?
I think we are good for now.

BILL

THIRD READING

PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION
AMENDMENT ACT 2025

Sen. Mischa Fubler: Thank you, Madam President, I
move that the Bill do now pass.
The President: Is there any objection to the passage
of the Bill?
No objection.
The Bill is passed. Thank you—

Sen. Mischa Fubler: Thank you, Madam President.

The President: Senator Mischa Fubler and Senators.
[Motion carried: The Parliamentary Election Amend-
ment Act 2025 was read a third time and passed.]

The President: We will now move on with the second
[item on the] Orders of the Day, and that is the second
reading of the Building Amendment Act 2025. And that
is also in the name of Senator Mischa Fubler, the Junior
Minister for the Cabinet Office and Digital Innovatio n.
Senator Fubler, when you are ready, you can
move your second Bill.

Sen. Mischa Fubler: Thank you, Madam President.
I now move that the Bill entitled the Building
Amendment Act 2025 be read for the second time.
The President: Is there any objection to the second
reading?
No objection.
BILL

SECOND READING

BUILDING AMENDMENT ACT 2025
Sen. Mischa Fubler: Thank you, Madam President.
I am pleased to present to my fellow Senators
a Bill entitled the Building Amendment Act 2025.
Madam President, in a Ministerial Statement
delivered on the 30th of May in another place, Minister
Rabain, the substantive Minister for this Ministry spoke
to a range of initiatives under consideration by the De-
partment of Planning to address long- standin g chal-
lenges in processing building permits and managing
planning procedures. At that time, he committed to
keeping this group of the Senate and the public in-
formed as measures designed to streamline and mod-
ernise the planning process advanced.
Madam President, the Bill before us today,
while procedurally modest, sets us firmly on that path. It proposes a straightforward but important change
amending section 23 of the Building Act 1988 by re-
placing the affirmative resolution process with the neg-
ative resolution process for regulations made under
that section.
Section 23 empowers the Minister to make reg-
ulations for carrying out the purposes of the Act, includ-
ing adopting or updating building codes and setting
construction standards. This amendment will enable
such technical regulations to be updated more effi-
ciently with out the need to refer each change back to
the full House for approval while preserving parliamen-
tary oversight and accountability.
Madam President, this change enables the
Ministry to act more swiftly where appropriate without compromising the high standards and safeguards the
public expects. It supports the broader aim to build a planning system that is responsive, reliable, and fit for
purpose. In short, it aligns with the Government's com-
mitment to be builders not blockers, to respect the time and expertise of applicants and professionals and de-liver the practical reforms the public has consistently
called for and which we have a du ty to implement.
Madam President, one regulation that will im-
mediately benefit from this amendment is the Compe-
tent Persons’ Scheme (CPS), an initiative referenced in the May 30th Statement. Under this Scheme, suitably
qualified professionals designated as competent per-
sons will be empowered to self -certify that building
works comply with applicable codes and regulations.
By shifting certain responsibilities to these qualified
professionals, the Scheme is expected to significantly reduce reliance on inspections carried out by the De-
partment's building inspectors. This in turn will acceler-ate project timelines, reduce administrative burdens,
and deliver meaningful cost savings across a wide
range of building developments, all while maintaining
high standards of safety and regulatory compliance.
432 23 July 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate Madam President, to implement the Compe-
tent Persons’ Scheme effectively, the legislative frame-
work underpinning the Act must be sufficiently adapta-
ble. This regulatory change is therefore both necessary
and practical. It ensures we can move promptly to mod-ernise the regulatory environment and support industry
innovation while retaining proper oversight of stand-
ards.
Timely implementation is critical. It will facilitate
more efficient credentialing of professionals and help
uphold rigorous safety and quality standards informed by industry experts and professional best practices as
determined by the appropriate regulatory committees.
Given the technical nature of these updates, the nega-
tive resolution process is both appropriate and propor-
tionate.
Madam President, by adopting this more
streamlined approach, the Government is taking a de-
cisive step towards the modernisation of Bermuda's
construction regulatory framework. This amendment
not only supports the successful rollout of the Compe-tent Persons ’ Scheme but also lays the foundation for
further reforms aimed at reducing delays and enhanc-
ing efficiency across the sector.
Thank you, Madam President. I now invite
comments from my honourable colleagues.

The President: Thank you, Senator Fubler.
Would any Senator care to speak on this?
Senator Tannock, you have the floor.
Sen. Tawana Tannock: Yes, thank you, Madam Pres-
ident.
I have been here flipping furiously, and I have
to say that I am a bit annoyed with myself because I
had notes on this because I thought it was coming last week, and now I do not know where I have written them down, so I have to go off the top of my head.
[Laughter]
Sen. Tawana Tannock: But the gist of them, Senator
Fubler, was that, you know, to change the resolution procedure, as you know, the section that we are talking about . . . so the regulations that we are talking about
that can be made under that section are extensive.
They go with, like you said, credentialing. They also go
with building permits. They go with changes to struc-
tures. And so, my question was (and I had a list of eve-
rything that would be impacted by that procedure, but my question is), you know, are we not waiving . . . I
guess, waiving scrutiny, parliamentary scrutiny, for the
sake of effecting change in one particular area?
I understand about the credentialing and how
we have to be flexible. So, my question is twofold. Num-
ber one, why wouldn't we just change the resolution procedure for that area?
And number two, gosh—
[Laughter]
Sen. Tawana Tannock: I have lost my actual train of
thought. I do not have my notes written down. I guess number two would be, oh, yes, this was it. Can you in-dicate or give us an idea of any type of enhancements
beyond credentialing to the building process, to moving
forward with building permits that have been slowed
down because of the current resolution procedure?

The President: Thank you, Senator Tannock.
Would any other Senator care . . . Senator
Cunningham, you have the floor.
Sen. Victoria Cunningham: Thank you, Madam Pres-
ident.
So, I guess, kind of following on a bit from what
Senator Tannock was just saying, with this resolution
change, I guess from the affirmative to the negative, I
understand it allows speed. But it reduces that potential
accountability because there's no long er the explicit
parliamentary approval required. So, my question is, how will the public know that these new regulations
have passed and how long will they have an oppor-
tunity to lodge any objections?
And to follow on from that, I understand any-
thing that we can do to reduce or speed up the permit turnaround times is a good thing. But are there going to
be benchmarks set to track these improvements with
less reliance on the building inspectors and things?
And then, I guess, on the credentialing, are our
local contractors and tradespeople, small contractors,
aware of these changes and is there a plan to offer the support? I believe I read somewhere that there was go-
ing to be some support. But I just wondered if that was
coming independently or from the government.
Thank you very much.

The President: Would any other Senator care to ask
questions on this?

ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

SENATE VISITOR
The President: While we are waiting for any other
questions, I would just like to acknowledge and recog-
nise MP [Robert] King, Opposition Member, in the Gal-
lery.
Welcome to you, sir.

[Second reading debate, continuing]

Sen. Mischa Fubler: Madam President, while we await
any potential additional questions, I think I would like to
endeavour to begin my responses.

The President: Certainly.

Official Hansard Report 23 July 2025 433

Bermuda Senate Sen. Mischa Fubler: And it seems like both Senators
touched on the need for oversight.
So, for the elucidation of my colleagues as well
as the listening public, the negative resolution process
requires official notice, i.e., gazetting of regulation changes. And we, as Members of the Legislature, have
the ability to make a motion for annulment of any such
regulation to end up to 21 days after the notice has
been made to the Legislature, which is at the next ear-
liest convenience.
And so just as a use case, we are now prepar-
ing to go on summer break. If a regulation change were
to be required under positive resolution, it could not be
done so until we return in the fall. And so, this negative
resolution change allows for the change to be made.
And then when it has made notice to either the other
place or here in the Senate, you have the opportunity to then say, well, I do not think this is the right approach,
and maybe we should not do that.
And to some of the other questions around if
we would anticipate using the change to other en-
hancements to the process, as it were, the Ministry an-
ticipates using this amendment to enhance other areas
of the building permit process. As these are prepared,
stakeholders will be consulted, and the public will be informed. And around further to this information and
consultation, the department routinely meets with key
stakeholder groups to obtain feedback on policy changes and procedural changes. No changes are pro-
gressed without unilateral support. Making changes is ultimately for the public benefit in respect of streamlin-ing procedures to bring about greater efficiency.
I think we are all in agreement that there is no
shortage of examples of folks saying that the Depart-ment of Planning needs to provide opportunities for re-
ducing red tape and increasing the velocity that plan-ning applications are approved and to be more modern in their approaches to developing buildings, especially
housing.
I think there was a question around local con-
tractors being aware of the changes. And specifically to
that, no changes are moved forward without the sup-
port of the key stakeholder groups. For example, we
consult with the multiple divisions of the Chamber of Commerce, such as the Construction Division and En-
ergy Division, both of which read out to their members
with policy change ideas. And further, we consult
widely with agents such as architects, engineers, solar
installers, draftspersons, et cetera.
And I am just waiting on a response from the
technical team around benchmarking to track improve-ments.

Sen. Tawana Tannock: Madam President, I do have a
supplemental because I did not hear the answer to my question specifically. But thank you, Senator Fubler, for your responses.

The President: Senator Tannock. Sen. Tawana Tannock: Thank you. Sorry. Thank you,
Madam President.
I just wanted to mention to Senator Fubler,
thank you for his responses thus far. I do not think I
heard a response to my question with regard to outside of the credentialing, do you have an example where
perhaps in the past year, having the current resolution
procedure has impacted the implementation of an initi-
ative?
Sen. Mischa Fubler: Understood, Madam President.
My apologies. So, we are looking for an exam-
ple of where, due to the positive resolution requirement
to changes in regulation, we have not been able to im-
plement changes in the planning policy or in this de-
partment's workspace. And I think I would point ou t the
Competent Persons’ [Scheme] as one, and I will await
some other examples from the technical officers.

The President: Thank you.
Senator . . . sorry, Minister Wilkerson, Attorney
General, you have the floor.

Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: Thank you. Thank you,
Madam President. And good morning again to the lis-
tening public.
I thought while my colleague is awaiting an an-
swer, because I believe Senator Tannock's question may be around data as opposed to something anecdo-
tal, I wanted to offer two things.
First, certainly my support for this initiative. And
it is born, as Senator Fubler has said, out of a real con-
cern for moving progress as it relates to certainly some of the key issues facing the country, number one
amongst them being housing and development. These
changes certainly are a result of feedback from stake-
holders with respect to how long it takes for the plan-
ning process. And so, I am obliged to certainly have the
support of the Opposition on this measure.
As far as anecdotal kind of evidence, I would
offer my own particular story in where I live. Madam
President, I live in a house that was a house. It was a
residence of one of Wil Onions’ early architectural ac-
complishments in Bermuda on his return to the I sland.
My home was built in 1937. It was always a dwelling, a
residential dwelling. But for three years, an owner used
the dwelling. She applied to have it as a rest home.

The President: Mm-hmm.

Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: I was in the planning
process for two years to have the designation of the
property changed back to residential, although it was
always a residence. It was sold to me as a residence.
And some of the delay in that processing was actually
having people come out to view the property for which
I was doing no construction whatsoever.
I nevertheless had to submit a building permit.
I was doing a building . . . a full planning process in front
434 23 July 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate of the board to do something that would otherwise be
an administrative change. So that's clearly anecdotal,
but a clear example. And I have heard many, many
more examples of where, if there was the ability, a
Competent Persons’ Scheme, for example, to have al-
ready in place for other qualified people who are quali-
fied as inspectors, but they may not be an inspector
with the department, people who are subject to a plan-
ning application are not left waiting and waiting. It alle-
viates some of the challenges around staffing and hav-
ing qualified people from the Planning Department ac-tually get onto a site.
And so that is offering, Madam President, just
a practical example of how I believe this fantastic en-hancement will help average Bermudians.
The President: Thank you, Minister Wilkerson, Minis-
ter of Justice, Attorney General and Government
Leader in the Senate. I think that helps the explanatory
process.
Senator Marcus Jones, you have the floor.
Sen. Marcus Jones: Thank you, Madam President.
May I just add to what Madam Attorney Gen-
eral has said?
The President: Mm-hmm.

Sen. Marcus Jones: We, in the Opposition, do in fact
support this Bill. We see the importance of enhancing the process, modernising it, making it more efficient, cutting back on the time spent, as we have heard the
anecdotal story from Madam Attorney General. Any-
thing that is going to improve the efficiency in the work that they do in the Planning Department, we are defi-
nitely in favour of.
Thank you, Madam President.

The President: Thank you, Senator Marcus Jones,
Opposition Leader in the Senate.

[Pause]
Sen. Mischa Fubler: Thank you, Madam President.
A couple more responses. This around the
benchmarking raised by Senator Cunningham. When
developing new policy, the benefits and potential chal-
lenges are explored. And this is, of course, done in con-
sultation with key stakeholders to flush out all potential
impacts, both positive and negative.
And regarding examples of delays as a result
of the need for the positive resolution, I did call out the
Competent Persons’ [Scheme]. But it is also important
for us to be cognisant of the differentiation between the
planning application process versus the building permit
and construction process. Each process is governed by
its own separate legislation. And in this case, I think the
Competent Persons’ [Scheme] is definitely something
that will help to add efficiency to the planning process, something that we are all very much looking forward to
seeing, I think.
And if there are no further questions from my
colleagues, I will proceed, Madam President.

The President: Senator Cunningham.

Sen. Victoria Cunningham: Sorry, I do have a supple-
mental from that.
And so, we talk about streamlining the planning
process. But what you have just said has made me
think, you know, surely the Planning Department, and I
believe they did from the budget, off the top of my head,
have some employee needs. But surely if we had a fully
staffed and competent Planning Department, we would not have the need for the Competent Persons’
[Scheme] and those kinds of things.
So, my question is, if the Planning Department
is properly staffed with a qualified team that can do this,
why are we looking into adding additional legislation
that we do support? But I am kind of looking to get my
teeth into something and this really is way too exciting
for me.
[Laughter]
Sen. Mischa Fubler: Okay, Madam President —

The President: Senator Fubler.

Sen. Mischa Fubler: I do want to start by saying that it
feels a little like I am being asked to provide my opinion on the change, which I do not think is appropriate. But given there are a multitude of reasons why people who
are qualified as building inspectors may choose t o not
work for the Department of Planning, I think us taking
this approach to still incorporate them into the process to increase efficiency is a way forward. I do know anec-
dotally, through talking to some of the consultants the
Planning Department has had on in recent years to ad-
dress the backlog, [they] are doing what is feasible within the current budgetary constraints to reduce that.
And this negative resolution change to facilitate
Competent Persons’ [Scheme] is another opportunity
to enhance the throughput of the Planning Department. And I would just say that I do not think the argument
posed by Senator Cunningham has basis because
there will always be some sort of queue unless we have
infinite planners involved in the process so that they
would reduce the backlog. I do not think that is feasible.
And so yes, I think that is hopefully a sufficient
response to the supplementary question, Madam Pres-
ident.

The President: Certainly. It now leaves you to pass
your Bill.

Official Hansard Report 23 July 2025 435

Bermuda Senate Sen. Victoria Cunningham: Sorry, just wanted to
make one . . . I was not asking for your opinion. It was
a policy, a planning policy question.

Sen. Mischa Fubler: Fair enough, Madam President.
Although it did seem that . . . do I think that if we just
had more people, then there would not be the backlog.
And I think that is more opinion based without some
metrics behind it.
Although I do encourage the Senator to reach
out to the Department of Planning to request some of those numbers so we can get a better feel for what the
current backlog is, how many staff are currently work-
ing on the planning applications, and what would b e an
appropriate increase in headcount to resolve that.

The President: That said, now you [may] pass your
Bill.

Sen. Mischa Fubler: Okay, thank you, Madam Presi-
dent. (And where is it?) Here we go.
Madam President, I wish to thank my fellow
Senators for their thoughtful contributions to this debate
and for the constructive spirit in which the Bill has been
received. And while today's amendment is procedural, its significance should not be understated. As noted,
modernising our regulatory framework is essential if we
are to meet the evolving needs of the construction sec-tor and uphold the high standards that the public rightly
expects. As I said, when I tabled the Bill, the Competent
Persons’ Scheme is just one example of how this
change will be applied in practice. We are already iden-
tifying additional areas where this streamlined process
will allow us to act more efficiently and responsibly.
Madam President, one example which has
been highlighted in recent weeks concerns drainage and site runoff issues, problems that if not addressed proactively can have serious consequences for neigh-
bouring properties and the wider environment. And
specifical ly, there have been instances where projects
were completed in accordance with the building code and granted a certificate of use and occupancy. How-
ever, the compliance measures required to secure that
certificate were subsequently removed or altered.
The ability to adopt technical regulations more
swiftly under the negative resolution process will ena-
ble us to implement targeted measures to prevent such
issues in the future, including regulations that will re-
quire certain compliance measures, such as drainage
controls, and runoff barriers to be retained and properly maintained after construction is completed and occu-
pancy certification has been issued.
Hopefully, this is an additional response to
Senator Tannock, who had questions around, well, what else could we do if we changed it to negative res-
olution? And Madam President, this is precisely the kind of practical solutions -focused reform that the pub-
lic has asked us to deliver. It strikes a balance between
the need for efficiency and the imperative of maintaining rigorous standards and accountability. I am
confident that this amendment lays a solid foundation
for further improvements that will benefit homeowners,
developers, professionals, and the community as a whole.
Again, I thank my honourable colleagues for
their engagement and support.
Thank you, Madam President.

The President: Thank you, Senator Fubler. That just
leaves you to pass your Bill.

SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDER 26 (3)

Sen. Mischa Fubler: Madam President, I move that
Standing Order 26(3) be suspended in respect to this Bill.

The President: Is there any objection to that motion?
No objection.

[Motion carried: Standing Order 26(3) suspended.)
Sen. Mischa Fubler: Madam President, I move that
the Bill entitled the Building Amendment Act 2025 be
now read the third time.

The President: Is there any objection to that motion?

[Crosstalk]

BILL

THIRD READING

BUILDING AMENDMENT ACT 2025

Sen. Mischa Fubler: Madam President, I move that
the Bill now do pass.
The President: Is there any objection to the passage
of the Bill?
No objection. The Bill is passed.
[Motion carried: The Building Amendment Act 2025
was read a third time and passed.]
The President: Thank you, Senator Fubler and all
Senators for your input.
We will now move on with the Orders of the
Day. The third item is the second reading of the Corpo-
rate Income Tax Amendment Act 2025, and that is in
the name of Senator the Honourable Crystal Caesar, Spokesperson for Finance [in the Senate].
Senator Caesar, you have the floor.

Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: Thank you, Madam
President. I am just trying to pull up the proper Standing
Order to enable me to read this.
436 23 July 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate [Crosstalk]

Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: No, I have it. I just have
to pull it up. Give me a second.
The President: Oh, you have it in front of you?

Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: I do, I do. My computer.
The President: You can proceed.

Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: Okay.

STANDING ORDER 25

Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: Madam President, I
move that Standing Order 25 be granted so that the
Senate may now proceed with the second reading of
the Bill entitled the Corporate Income Tax Amendment
2025.

The President: Is there any objection to that motion?
No objection.
[Motion carried: Leave granted for the Corporate In-come Tax Amendment Act 2025 to be read a second
time on the same day as its first reading.]
Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: Thank you, Madam
President.

BILL

SECOND READING

CORPORATE INCOME TAX
AMENDMENT ACT 2025
Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: Madam President, it is
my distinct honour and privilege on behalf of the Gov-ernment to rise this morning in this Honourable [Sen-ate] to debate the Bill entitled the Corporate Income
Tax Amendment Act 2025.
Madam President, this Bill proposes amend-
ments to the Corporate Income Tax 2023, or the CIT
Act, to clarify certain provisions, resolve interpretive is-
sues that have arisen, and enhance the overall align-ment of the legislation with international standards and
administrative best practices.
Madam President, by way of background, I
would note that the Corporate Income Tax Act 2023
was enacted in December 2023. The CIT Act imposes
a statutory tax rate of 15 per cent on the profits of Ber-
muda entities that are part of multinational enterprises,
or MNE groups, with total global revenues exceeding
EUR 750 [million] in at least two of the preceding four
fiscal years. Since that time, the Corporate Income Tax Agency has been established and is now operational. Madam President, another milestone on this
journey was reached yesterday with the launch of the Corporate—not yesterday, but recently —with the In-
come Tax Agency of the CITA Online. This is a secure and user -friendly digital platform developed to enable
corporate taxpayers to submit their CIT payments and
is further evidence of the jurisdiction’s ability to quickly
and effectively deliver complex change. I would like to
thank the CEO [of the Corporate Income Tax Agency], Mr. Mervin Skeet; [Managing Director] Louisa Lewis -
Ward; and all the team at the Agency for this achieve-
ment.
Madam President, following the decision to im-
plement a corporate income tax the Bermuda Govern-ment acted swifty to advance the necessary legislation. Given the complexity and technical nature of interna-
tional tax matters, it was anticipated that further r efine-
ments and supplementary legislation would be needed
to establish robust enforcement and compliance frame-
works consistent with international best practices.
Madam President, the Corporate Income Tax
Agency held a public consultation on the proposed amendments to the Act from May to June 2025 which
included an illustrative Bill. The feedback received dur-
ing the consultation process has been thoroughly re-viewed and thoughtfully considered. Where appropri-
ate, revisions have been incorporated into the legisla-
tion to address the concerns and suggestions raised by stakeholders. This approach ensures the legislation is
both practical in its application and reflective of the in-
put from those it will affect.
The proposed amendments relate to the fol-
lowing matters and were put forward for consideration:
• unit linked insurance;
• short -term portfolio shareholdings;
• fiscal transparency election;
• elective reduction in entry year taxable loss off-
set;
• location rules including treatment of part year
BCEs;
• de minimis exemption translation of non- USD
denominated tax balances;
• clarification as to the treatment of entities for
section 9 purposes if less than 80 per cent
owned for part of the year, and greater than
80 per cent owned for another part of the year,
delegation of the fund and other minor correc-
tions.
Madam President, in addition to the substan-
tive amendments previously outlined, a number of tech-nical changes are also proposed. These include conse-
quential amendments to the Corporate Income Tax
Agency Act to define the term “officer” as well as amendment s to the Public Treasury (Administration
and Payments) Act 1969. Specifically, it is proposed that new section 10G be inserted to the Public Treasury Act to formally establish the Minister of Finance as re-
sponsible for the administration and management of the Tax Refund Reserve Fund which was created
Official Hansard Report 23 July 2025 437

Bermuda Senate under section 50A of the Corporate Income Tax Act
[2023]. The proposed amendment would require the
Minister to ensure that tax receipts are paid into the
fund rather than the Consolidated Fund and that all dis-
bursements, including transfers into the Consol idated
Fund are made in accordance with relevant regula-
tions. The provision would also allow the Minister to del-
egate these responsibilities to the Corporate Income
Tax Agency in coordination with the Accountant Gen-
eral.
These administrative provisions are essential
to ensuring the effective and transparent operation of
the Tax Refund Reserve Fund. By clearly defining the
roles and responsibilities for the management of tax re-
ceipts and disbursements, the amendments suppor t ro-
bust governance and accountability. This forms a criti-cal part of the broader infrastructure required to imple-ment and maintain a well -functioning corporate income
tax system.
Madam President, I would like to inform this
Honourable [Senate] that work is well underway to fi-nalise the regulations for the Tax Refund Reserve
Fund. While the necessary provisions are being devel-
oped, the relevant legislation will be tabled in the Hous e
of Assembly at a later date. This fund represents an
important component of the corporate income tax sys-
tem ensuring appropriate management and allocation
of tax revenues in accordance with international stand-ards.
Madam President, in closing, I wish to empha-
sise that the Government remains confident that the corporate income tax framework reinforces Bermuda’s
steadfast commitment to global compliance and trans-
parency while preserving the Island’s strong and re-spected international standing. The progress made to
date has been greatly supported by the invaluable con-tributions of th e International Tax Working Group
whose continued expertise and dedication remain cen-
tral to this important initiative.
I would like to sincerely thank everyone in the
Ministry of Finance, the Corporate Income Tax Agency
along with our dedicated advisors, for the time, effort
and expertise they have contributed to this work. I also
extend my appreciation to the drafting team at the At-torney General’s Chambers for their valuable support
throughout the process.
Thank you, Madam President.
The President: Thank you, Minister, Senator the Hon-
ourable Crystal Caesar, spokesperson for Finance [in
the Senate] .

ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

SENATE VISITOR
The President: And before I open to the floor , I would
just like to acknowledge the Minist er for the Cabinet Office and Digital Innovation, the Honourable Dial lo Ra-
bain who is in the Gallery.
Welcome to you, sir.

[Corporate Income Tax Amendment Act 2025, second
reading debate, continuing]

The President: Would any Senator care to speak on
this Bill?
Yes, Senator Marcus Jones, Opposition
Leader in the Senate. You have the floor.

Sen. Marcus Jones: Thank you, Madam President.
From the outset, we as the Opposition do sup-
port this Bill, keeping in mind and recognising that in
this new venture, this new path that this country has
taken, that amendments would be necessary through the course, especially in the early stages as we pu t this
regime, this new corporate income tax regime together.
I will leave these two caveats. One is, even at
the budget time when numbers were being presented
as potential revenue coming in under this regime, we
asked a question at that time, if the number of multina-
tional companies were known to be a part of this , who
actually fell into this category? That question still re-
mains on record. And we do ask those questions every
time this point and amendments come up because I be-lieve the country needs to have some sort of idea of
how many are actually a part of this r egime.
We appreciate, of course, the contributions of
the international business community as it does impact them directly. And the expertise that is needed from this
particular sector is in fact important. We do understand also that receipts for this particular corporate income
tax will be expected as early as next month, in August.
And my second caveat would be in regard to
expected tax refunds . Is there a percentage of receipts
taken that will be set aside in the event that during filing
time, which I believe is going to be in January of 2026 .
. . is there a percentage of the tax receipts that will be
set aside to ensure that in the event of any submissions by these participating companies that sufficient funds will be there to satisfy those financial obligations that
the government will have?
Again, realising that this is a new venture all of
the eventualities that may come up may not be known
at this point . But I believe we on this side would like to
have a little bit more information to bring us comfort that
in the outset we will be able to take care of our obliga-tion as a jurisdiction. But as I stated at the outset, we
do support this Bill, this amendment. It does make
sense that we have these amendments be brought to
this Chamber as we go through the stages of framing
this Corporate Income Tax Agency.
Thank you, Madam President.

The President: Thank you, Senator Marcus Jones.
Would any other Senator care to speak on this
Bill?
438 23 July 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate Senator Tannock, you have the floor.

Sen. Tawana Tannock: Yes, thank you, Madam Pres-
ident.
I echo Senator Jones. There have been sub-
stantial amendments already to this legislation. And
what would be particularly helpful would be if there was
a tracking document that perhaps could be presented
to Senators and to the other politicians perhaps that
showed us the tracking of all of the amendments,
maybe by some type of chart. That is a suggestion.
But my first question is regarding the system
that Senator and Minister Caesar mentioned that went
online yesterday. I believe that 125 companies have
registered. And I wanted to know if that is in line with
the number of companies that the Government ex-pected to be registered.
And then my second is with regard to those
questions . . . Sorry. Those questions. My second
question is with regard to clause 30 and the amend-ment that allows the Minister of Finance to delegate the management of the tax refunds to either . . . and it says
either . . . and/or, or jointly, as should be the Minister’s
instruction upon writing. The Attorney General’s Cham-bers or the Corporate Income Tax Commission. And
my concern with that amendment is that unless there
will be other, there will be further c larity around that,
how can we avoid arbitrariness?
So, when will either the Accountant General or
the tax refund . . . sorry. When will either the Corporate
Income Tax Agency or the Accountant General be used
to manage these funds? What is the process and what
is the procedure? When will the determination be made
so that one body rather than the other handles them?
And what will be the rationale? Thank you.
The President: Thank you, Senator Tannock.
Senator Cunningham, you have the floor.
Sen. Victoria Cunningham: Thank you, Madam Pres-
ident. And thank you to the Minister and Senator for bringing this forward.
I just have one question, and I guess it speaks
to part of what Senator Jones and Senator Tannock were talking about.
Having seen all these amendments, how close
are we to actually being done, given that the first pay-ments are expected in the next month or so? And given
that, you know, as of January they will be reporting, I
think, our taxpayers now . . . we have obviously flipped
the dial from a Bermudian tax to an international tax-
payer model and I think, you know, are our international
business partners on the Island happy with it?
I know that you have spoken about the collab-
oration and the support from the International Tax
Working Group , which I assume they would be part of.
But I just want to know how much more legislation is
expected in order to finalise this , because I recall things
about qualifying tax credits and things that I don’t think have been finalised. So, my question is, How much
more is there to be put in place or amended in order to
go forward and continue? With the understanding that,
yes, there are always going to be amendments that
need to be made. Thank you, Madam President.

The President: Thank you, Senator Cunningham.
Senator Tannock, yes, you have the floor.

Sen. Tawana Tannock: Yes, thank you. I do have one
supplementary question from Senator Cunningham’s
[question] and also mine .
So, we have the companies that have now reg-
istered, and they will be getting TINs [Tax Identification
Numbers]. But as Senator Cunningham has indicated,
we are now in an international tax model. Currently
companies, when they make filings to the US, maybe on tax form W -8 BEN-E, whatever the case might be, if
you are based in Bermuda you normally indicate (if it is
not applicable to you) that you do not have a TIN. We
can no longer state that we are part of jurisdiction that
does not give out TINs.
So, now that we have the system up and run-
ning for the companies that are registered, I have not
seen it mentioned anywhere in the legislation and no-
where in these amendments, how we will address the
issue of handing out or not handing out TINs for com-
panies that do not fall in- scope, but can no longer claim
to be par t of a jurisdiction that doesn’t issue them.
The President: Thank you, Senator Tannock.
[Crosstalk]

[Pause]

Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: Okay, Madam Presi-
dent, I have some answers for my colleagues.
Specifically, to Senator Tannock, some of the
questions that she asked are actually quite highly sen-
sitive information and so we will be happy to give a spe-cific briefing to her at a later date—
The President: Mm-hmm.

Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: —if she doesn’t mind.
And we have actually taken those questions down for
further response.
Senator Cunningham did ask about, basically,
how do other stakeholders feel about some of the amendments that are being made. We have actually
. . . there has been wide consultation, or robust consul-
tation with them. And so, these amendments actually
incorporate some of those concerns, some of those ideas, et cetera, from stakeholders. So, it would be that
they are quite satisfied with the amendments as they
currently stand.
And then there was also the question with re-
gard to the refundable tax legislation in terms of where
Official Hansard Report 23 July 2025 439

Bermuda Senate we are with that. I can definitely indicate that that legis-
lative framework is actively being developed with legis-
lation anticipated by 1 December 2025. It is quite com-
plex and technical. And the Ministry is undertaking a
thorough and diligent process to ensure that any frame-work that is put into place is efficient, effective and ben-
eficial to both the Government and any key stakehold-
ers.
It is our objective to ensure that Bermuda’s re-
gime is . . . while reinforcing our reputation and attrac-
tiveness for businesses, we are ensuring that it is in
alignment with broader tax implications and policies, et
cetera. So, it is still underway as it pertains to the legis-
lation for the QRTC, or the Qualified Refundable Tax
Credit regime.
I believe there was a question with regard to
how we are accounting for any tax refunds. And again, that would be incorporated in the legislative framework
and/or policies that are being developed. And as I pre-
viously stated, this legislation is scheduled for enact-
ment by 1 December. And obviously, we are continuing
to liaise with and engage stakeholders such that we can
ensure that it is robust and fully vetted before it is
brought forth. But in due time we will definitely have
sight of that regime and that framework.
I believe that answers the majority of ques-
tions. Madam President, if there is any thing further I
welcome those questions at this time.

The President: Senator Cunningham, do you have a
supplemental?

Sen. Victoria Cunningham: I just have a supple-
mental to one of those answers.
You talked about how some of the framework
is still being established and going to be before the Leg-
islature . But if companies are already declaring or pay-
ing part of their proceeds in August and then something else changes, will there be an expectation that some of
these changes will be retroactive? So , they might, well,
I would hope end up owing less , but maybe end up ow-
ing more than they had anticipated when they first filed
in August.

The President: Thank you.

Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: And I thank you for that
question. That's actually a good consideration. And I
am actually . . . I am, like I said , some of the calcula-
tions are quite complex and considerations are quite
complex, and I am more than sure that this will be under
consideration, any retroactive, et cetera, i n due course.
But as I said, it is still in process. B ut, again, thank you
for that . Because if it has not been considered ( but I
doubt that it has not ) that intervention is appreciated.
But we will definitely be able to give additional insight
as we get them for that .
The President: Senator Cunningham. S orry, I beg
your pardon.
Senator Tannock .

Sen. Tawana Tannock: I know it's easy to confuse the
two of us.

The President: No, no, no, no.
[Crosstalk]

The President: There's no . . . there's no confusion on
my part .
Sen. Tawana Tannock: We are both wearing St.
George’s colours. The President: There’s no —

[Laughter]
The President: There’s no confusion on my part.

Sen. Tawana Tannock: As you yourself, Madam Pres-
ident. I see you are wearing St. George’s proudly.

[Laughter]

Sen. Tawana Tannock: So I—

The President: You have a further —
Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: Point of order. This is
our Somerset Senate, Thank you very much.

[Laughter]

The President: Senators, we will get down to the busi-
ness.
Senator Tannock, you have an additional
question?

Sen. Tawana Tannock: I do, Madam President, t hank
you very much.
So, I guess I may have put the cart before the
horse when I asked about the tax information number .
So, I was assuming that because companies . . . be-
cause you went live earlier this week and companies registered, that when they registered, they might have
gotten a number . So, I thought that what that might
have meant was that if other companies who don't reg-ister, for instance have to fill out paperwork, which we
have to all the time, and remit to the US , it would be
difficult for us to now say we don't . . . we are in a juris-
diction that doesn't give out a number , which is why we
don't have one. W hich is what we always used to say .
But if we are not at the point yet where we are
giving out tax ID numbers , then my concern does not
really come into play yet . But I am just thinking about
440 23 July 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate the next . . . even now , you know , we fill out paperwork
all of the time to send to the States, and we indicate ,
Listen , we don't have the number you're asking for . But
I want to make sure that companies who are not in-
scope can still safely say that , or if there is an alterna-
tive, if numbers are already being given out . That is it. I
guess some clarity as to the thought behind my ques-
tion. Which I understand , if no numbers are given out ,
it does not come into play yet .

The President: Mm-hmm.
Thank you, Senator Tannock.

Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: Yes, again, thank you,
Senator Tannock.
I am familiar with th ose forms as well . And so ,
in order , obviously , to keep track of those that are reg-
istering there would be some sort of identification num-
ber. Now how that will play out jurisdictionally and be
used as formal identification numbers for cross jurisdic-
tions , again, that is something that is still under consid-
eration at this point . So, obviously , there would need to
be conversations with other tax jurisdictions as to how
those numbers would be used, o r if at all.
So, we are . . . the numbers are being provided
but whether they would be official numbers that would
be potentially used as tax identification numbers for
other filing purposes , that remains to be seen . Again,
we are still in the process of bearing out how that . . .
what that looks like and how they will be used . And
again, we take on board your points . I certainly believe
that the team does have that under consideration, but
at this point as to how specifically it will be used cross jurisdictionally , bear with us as that consideration is un-
der . . . in process .
The President: So, thank you, Senator Crystal Caesar,
spokesperson for F inance [in the Senate].
You can pass your B ill.

SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDER 26

Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: Thank you, Madam
President .
Madam President , I move that S tanding 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. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: Madam President , I
move that the Bill entitled the Corporate Income Tax
Amendment Act 2025 be now read a second time .

The President: Is there any objection to a second
reading?
No objection. Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: Madam President , I
move that the Bill entitled the Corporate Income Tax
Amendment Act 2025 being now read a third time.
The President: Is there any objection to the third read-
ing?
No objection.

BILL

THIRD READING

CORPORATE INCOME TAX
AMENDMENT ACT 2025
Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: Thank you, Madam
President .
Madam President , I move that the Bill do now
pass .

The President: It has been moved that the B ill do now
pass .
Is there any objection to that motion?
No objection. T he Bill is passed .
[Motion carried: The Corporate Income Tax Amend-
ment Act 2025 was read a third time and passed.]


The President: Thank you . And I would just like to also
acknowledge and thank Ms. Genesis Iris from the . . .
who's the policy analyst from the Ministry of Finance who has been very helpful in—

Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: Yes.

The President: —responding . . . helping the Minister
respond to the questions .
Thank you for your attendance this morning .

[Second reading debate, continuing]
The President: Thank you, Senators.
We will now move on to the final item on our
Orders of the D ay, and that is consideration of the C on-
tributory Pensions (Amendment of Contributions and
Benefits ) Order 2025 . And that is also in the name of
Senator the Honourable Crystal Caesar, spokesperson
for Finance [in the Senate].
So, Minister Caesar.

SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDER 71(2)
Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: Thank you, Madam
President.
Madam President , I move that the provisions of
Standing Order 71(2) be suspended in respect of the
Contributory Pensions [(Amendment of Contributions
and B enefits )] Act 2025 .
Official Hansard Report 23 July 2025 441

Bermuda Senate The President: Is there any objection to that motion?
No objection.

[Motion carried: Standing 71(2) suspended.]

Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: Thank you, Madam
President .
I move that the Senate do take under consid-
eration the C ontributory Pensions (Amendment of Con-
tributions and Benefits ) Order 2025 proposed to be
made by the Minister of Finance in exercise of the
power conferred by section 37 of the C ontributory Pen-
sions Act 1970.
The President: Is there any objection to that motion?
No objection.

DRAFT ORDER

CONTRIBUTORY PENSION S (AMENDMENT OF
CONTRIBUTIONS AND BENEFITS) ORDER 2025

Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: Thank you, Madam
President .
Madam President , I come before this Honour-
able House with a message of reassurance, respect
and responsibility . It is my duty today on behalf of the
Minister of Finance, the Honourable David Burt, JP, MP
and my privilege to present the Contributory Pensions
[(Amendment of Contributions and B enefits )] Order
2025 .
Madam President, Bermuda’s seniors are the
architects of our modern nation. They worked tirelessly, raised families, supported communities, and laid the
foundation of our progress. Now in their later years it is
our moral obligation to ensure that they are cared for
with dignity and gratitude.
This Government’s commitment to our seniors
is unwavering. Today’s legislation is more than an
amendment; it is an affirmation that their needs are not
forgotten, and their well -being remains our priority .
Madam President, Bermuda provides retired individu-
als with a combination of social insurance benefits from
the Contributory Pension Fund ( CPF) and a mandatory
Occupational Pension from their employer.
Ideally, the Social Insurance Benefit would pro-
vide a first tier or basic pension which will be supple-
mented by the second tier, or Occupational Pension.
Through no fault of their own, however, several retired
persons are currently not receiving the Occup ational
Pension and therefore rely on the Social Insurance
Benefit as their sole source of income. Madam Presi-
dent, this situation could be better, and the Government
continues to work to ensure that seniors who rely heav-
ily on their social insurance benef its have a dependable
resource.
Madam President, notwithstanding the above,
the CPF benefits provide an important base retirement
income. Currently, the maximum pension paid under the CPF is around 29 per cent of the median annual
gross earnings for Bermudians as indicated in The Ber-
muda Job Market Employment Brief produced by the Department of Statistics in September 2024. This com-
pares closely to the UK with a full basic state pension
as a percentage of average earnings around 30 per
cent; The Bahamas, 28 per cent; Jamaica, 20 per cent;
Barbados, 30 per cent; and Trinidad and Tobago,
29 per cent. In the Cayman Islands, the structure of re-
tirement benefits differs due to the absence of a gov-ernment -provided contributory pension.
The Cayman [Islands] operates a mandatory
private pension scheme which we also have as an ad-dition.
Madam President, the proposal is straightfor-
ward but meaningful. All pensions and benefits pro-vided under the Contributory Pensions Act 1970 will be
increased by 2.3 per cent, effective 16 August 2025.
The adjustment will be reflected in the payment issued on 15 September [2025]. This adjustment directly
matches the 2.3 per cent rise in Bermuda’s cost of liv-
ing, ensuring that our seniors are not disadvantaged by inflation.
Madam President, there are five types of ben-
efits payable under the Contributory Pensions Act 1970. All the pensions and allowances will be in-
creased by 2.3 per cent. These pensions and allow-
ances are:
• contributory old age pension;
• contributory widow’s or widower’s allowance;
• contributory disability benefit;
• non-contributory old age pension; and
• non-contributory disability benefit.
In practical terms, the basic contributory pen-
sion will rise from $1,179 per month to $1,206 per
month.
The maximum contributory pension will in-
crease to approximately $1,752 per month. Some 15,086 of our fellow Bermudians depend on these ben-efits. From 15 September 2025, they will see their pen-
sions rise offering not just financial support but peace
of min d.
Madam President, in July 2018, the PLP Gov-
ernment formally pledged to raise pensions every year
at the inflation rate. A commitment to which they have
abided by except for 2020. And of course, that was dur-
ing the COVID -19 pandemic strike, [which] promoted
the Government to exercise fiscal conditions amid st
economic uncertainty. The Government compensated
with a broader increase in 2021. As a result, the com-bined inflation for 2020 and 2021 was about 1.50 per
cent. However, in 2021, the Government increased the
pension by 2.75 per cent.
Madam President, I am proud to remind this
Honourable [Senate] that this marks the seventh [pen-
sion] increase by this Progressive Labour Party Gov-
ernment since 2017. In each instance we have acted decisively to protect the purchasing power and dignity
of our seniors. Since 2017, we have delivered 1.75 [per
442 23 July 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate cent] increase in 2017; 1.40 [per cent] increase in 2018;
1.20 per cent increase was done in 2020 for 2019 and
2020. [Also,] a 2.75 per cent increase in [2022] for the
years 2021 and 2022. [There was a] 4.10 per cent in-
crease in 2023; 2.40 [per cent increase] in 2024 and
2.30 per cent increase now in 2025.
This consistent record stands in contrast to the
former Government who allowed seniors to wait five
years without relief. Madam President, compassion
alone does not secure pensions. Financial responsibil-
ity is essential.
The Contributory Pension Fund remains strong
with net assets exceeding $2.25 billion, as of 31 March
2025, ten times the annual value of benefit payments.
Even without further contributions the fund could sus-
tain payments for almost 10 years.
Madam President, the Government, however,
believes it must strengthen the fund’s position. Contri-
butions will be increased by 4.81 per cent in August
2025. This is 2.51 per cent more than the benefit in-
crease proposed for the year. Weekly contributions for
those under 65 will increase from $71.84 to $75.30,
split equally between employer and employee. For those over 65, contributions will rise from $35.92 to
$37.65, paid entirely by the employer and none by the employee.
Madam President, this modest increase en-
sures that we protect future generations of pensioners while honouring current beneficiaries.
In this regard, Madam President, the Govern-
ment’s sound investment strategy for pension fund as-sets is achieving good results. As of 31 March 2025,
the contributory pension fund investment stood at
$2.099 billion. The nominal rate of return for the 10 years preceding 31 March 2025 has been 5.8 per cent.
Madam President, as evidenced by the 2023
Actuarial Report tabled in the Senate, the viability of the fund in the short -term to medium- term is good with the
fund being positive for the next 19 years until 2042. However, in addressing the long- term challenges asso-
ciated with pensions generally, the Ministry will con-tinue to monitor the performance of the fund. It shoul d
also be noted that the funding policy for the CPF is based on sustainable funding rather than on full actu-arial funding. That is, contributi ons plus investment in-
come should cover benefits and administration ex-
penses on an annual basis while the fund builds suffi-
cient reserves to cover several years of benefits and
expenses to withstand future adverse circumstances.
Madam President, we must remain vigilant.
Bermuda, like many countries, faces demographic challenges. I note the important work done by the Pen-
sion [Fund] Committee. This committee includes offi-
cials from the Ministry of Finance, the Public Funds In-
vestment Committee (PFIC), assisted by consultants
McKinsey & Company and TELUS Health which have been assessing the current state of the PSSF [Public
Service Superannuation Fund] and the CPF [Contributory Pension Fund] while evaluating options to address the government pension funds.
Madam President, this Government will never
shirk its duty to Bermuda’s seniors. Each pension in-
crease, each policy change is a demonstration of our
care and our commitment to them. To the seniors lis-
tening today, this Government sees you, this Govern-
ment values you, and this Government will always
stand with you. Today’s legislation is not merely about
finances; it is about fairness. It is about dignity. It is about ensuring that those who built Bermuda can retire in security and in peace.
Thank you, Madam President.

The President: And thank you, Honourable Senator
Crystal Caesar, spokesperson for Finance [in the Sen-
ate].
Would any Senator care to speak on this [Or-
der]?
Yes, Senator Marcus Jones, you have the
floor.
Sen. Marcus Jones: Thank you, Madam President.
I thank the Minister of Education and spokes-
person for Finance [in the Senate] for bringing this [Or-
der] to this Chamber. We understand that this pension fund that has been a concern for the community for a number of years now is not as funded as it should be,
so we can definitely understand why the Government
has had to bring these increases as an amendment to
this contributory pension Order.
My only observation would be, and the Minister
has given us ample information, and I guess a good grade to the fund managers that actually manage these
funds. I would be curious to see what percentage of
these funds are actually managed by local fund man-
agers and how much is overseas now. Granted, she is
not going to have those answers right at the moment,
but I am just posing that and throwing that out there
because when assessing the performances of the fund
managers on these assets, I believe that consi deration
has great importance because it leads me to the next
question.
With these additions and increases to contribu-
tions, which before this point was going up until 2042, (a) I am sure the Government is going to be anticipating
increases over the next few years, and (b) how much
will these contributions, increased contributions, actu-
ally extend beyond 2042? I mean, these are things, these are questions that come to mind as I looked at
this [Order].
We do support it. We know why it needs to be
done. But as an Opposition that is looking to see all the
different angles and how this will impact our seniors go-ing forward, of course, we are very much interested in
the performance of the fund managers, locally or over-
seas, and how much these increases will impact, ex-
tend the funds being available beyond 2042.
Thank you, Madam President.
Official Hansard Report 23 July 2025 443

Bermuda Senate The President: Thank you, Senator Marcus Jones.
Would any other Senator care to speak on this
[Order]?
None. Then, Minister, it is back to you.

Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: Thank you, Madam
President, and I thank my colleague. He is correct. I
don’t have specific answers as how many pension
funds are managed locally versus overseas. But I have
noted that. And that is something I can get from the
technical team and provide.
In addition, the question was around beyond
the 19 years that we have already projected up to 2042.
That’s a good question, Senator Jones. I can say be-
fore me, and what I have in front of me, is up to that
point. So, again, that is something that I am sur e that
has been under consideration, beyond that, but again,
that is something that I would have to get from them. I
am sure they do modelling out longer than that, but at
the very least it is for the next 19 years. Yes. So, I can
undertake to see what additional modelling and/or pro-tections there may be beyond that.

The President: With that being the only question, it is
for you to pass the [Order].

Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: Okay. Thank you,
Madam President.
Madam President, I move that the said draft
Order be approved and that the following message be
sent to His Excellency the Governor :
“May it please your Excellency, the Senate
having had under consideration the draft Order entitled the Contributory Pensions (Amendment of Contribu-tions and Benefits) Order 2025, proposed to be made
by the Minister of Finance, in exercise of the power con-ferred by section 37 of the Contribution Pension Act 1970, has the honour to inform Your Excellency that the
Senate has approved the said draft Order.”

The President: Thank you, and there is no objection to
the message being sent. So, thank you for —

Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: Thank you, Madam
President.

[Motion carried: The Contributory Pensions (Amend-
ment of Contributions and Benefits) Order 2025 was
approved.]

The President: Thank you, Senators. That concludes
our Orders of the Day.

MOTIONS
The President: There are none.
CONGRATULATORY AND/OR OBITUARY
SPEECHES
The President: Senator Cunningham, you have the
floor. First off the bat.
Sen. Victoria Cunningham: Thank you, Madam Pres-
ident.
Firstly, I would like to start by offering condo-
lences from the One Bermuda Alliance , and for many
of my Opposition Senate colleagues , to the Harvey
family in St. George’s. The Harvey family name in St. George’s is synonymous with the St. George’s Cricket
Club. So, we want to pay our respects and condolences
to Mr. Dale Harvey who is the older brother of one of
our OBA colleagues, Mr. Tommy Harvey. But Dale
spent his life caring for others and I think you could de-
scribe him as the definition of a gentle giant. But at this
time of year particularly you would always see him driv-
ing his car around town with at least eight Cup Match
flags attached in support of the best team, St. George’s.

[Laughter]

Sen. Victoria Cunningham: I just want to send condo-
lences to his mother, Margaret, who has now sadly lost
three of her children, and send condolences to Tommy
and the rest of his entire Harvey family in St. George’s.
I would also now like to extend my congratula-
tions to team Bermuda for their performance at the 2025 Island Games in Scotland. We secured five met-
als. Both our football teams under -23, men and women
secured the gold medal.

[Desk thumping]

Sen. Victoria Cunningham: Yes! And we also had a
silver medal in squash with Taylor Carrick, Jake Bris-
lane in the 5,000 metres and then Sienna Mosquera,
an 18- year-old coming up with bronze in the golf. I ac-
tually flew back with a number of the athletes on Sun-day and found out that the 18- year-old had only picked
up golf about two or three years ago. So, there is hope
for the rest of us with our golf game.
But I just wanted to offer congratulations to
Team Bermuda. We are always proud when our ath-letes go on the international stage. So, well done!
And then because I was not here last year and
everyone in this Chamber knows how passionate I am about scholarships , I thought I would thank the Minister
for her Statement last week. And I would also like to
acknowledge and thank Shanaye Smith and her team
at the Ministry of Education for their work behind the scenes.
But I also want to congratulate all of the schol-
arship award winners for the 2025 academic year.
Many of them are obviously government, but a lot are
private and institutional scholarships. So, to each recip-
ient I am just going to say Well done! Your recognition
444 23 July 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate is well deserved. And I wish them all the best as they
prepare to go on with the next chapter. Some are obvi-
ously going into . . . not freshman years, but for those
going into freshman year, I would say when you are packing think about taking a little piece of Bermuda with you. So, go to one of the tourist shops and get a post-
card or a flag or something, just something to keep you
remembering home when you are away.
And then for those students who maybe
missed out on awards, don’t be discouraged. I think the
journey does not simply end here. You can keep going next year and your potential is no less valuable. So, I
tell those to keep striving and stay open to the opportu-
nities. Believe in yourself. And I think Bermuda can say
we are proud of each and every one of them.
Finally, Madam President, I would like to send
my best wishes to the St. George’s Cup Match cricket
team. I think this is the year for us to bring it home. With
that in closing, I would like to wish my Senate col-
leagues and listening audience and all of Bermuda a
very happy and safe Cup Match and may St. George’s win the Cup.

[Laughter]

The President: Senator Lindsay Simmons, you have
the floor. I saw you first.
Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Thank you, Madam Presi-
dent.
Madam President, I give condolences to the
family of Josh Fri as. He was a student at CedarBridge.
He unfortunately lost his life on July 17. He was . . . as
the Chairman of CedarBridge I go up there often and Josh was larger than life. I did speak to his father yes-
terday with Principal Caesar . CedarBridge is mourning.
Minister Caesar gives her condolences as well. And from the PLP we give condolences to his family, his fa-
ther Bruno and his mother Ingrid. We are here for you
and we pray you during this difficult time. Thank you,
Madam President.
And I do want to . . . I don’t necessarily agree
most of the time with the OBA, but —

[Laughter]

Sen. Lindsay Simmons: —you are on point today with
your last comments. Madam President, as somebody
who is leading the Chamber, you are beautiful in your
blue and blue. So, I see I did a quick count —

[Laughter]

Sen. Lindsay Simmons: —we have six in here for St.
George’s [and] five for Somerset. Minister Caesar is not impressed but we will take home the Cup. Thank you
so much. So, congratulations to all Cup Match people
[who] get selected for the team. But I pray that we bring the Cup home finally. I am not a sore loser ; but we def-
initely need to win the Cup this year. Thank you.
So, congratulations to everybody. And happy
Cup Match.

The President: Thank you, Senator Lindsay Simmons.
Senator Mischa Fubler, you have the floor.
Sen. Mischa Fubler: Thank you, Madam President.
I would like to start by associating myself with
Senator Cunningham’s remarks in regard to congratu-lating the Bermudian team, the contingent who went
out to the Island Games, most especially to our
women’s and men’s football teams who returned with
gold m etals. They are actually beneficiaries of the FIFA
Talent Academy, which leads me into my second con-gratulations to the Bermuda Football Association [BFA] and the several coaches who received accreditation on
Monday evening. The BFA has been officially rec og-
nised by FIFA [Fédération Internationale de Football
Association] as a talent academy. We are actually the
seventh member association out of 150 or more mem-
ber association, so kudos to the BFA for their efforts in
establishing that programme and the exam ple of its
success and hopefully future success that we have
seen with our teams who have returned with gold met-
als from the Island Games.
Thank you, Madam President.

The President: Thank you, Senator Fubler.
Would any other Senator care to speak?
Sorry. Senator, Minister Caesar?

Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: Yes, thank you,
Madam President.
I would like to give condolences in advance to
all Senators who are for the St. George’s team.
[Laughter]

Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: I do feel sorry for you
and your delusions of grandeur. But we can all dream.

[Laughter]

Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: I did however want to
just say that during this time this is very festive. And I
think this shows the country at its best. We are all very
. . . we represent our teams. The country actually feels
lighter. It feels happy. I do want to take the time to just
say happy Cup Match to Bermuda. We know who the winners and the victors are. (Somerset)

[Laughter]
Sen. the Hon. Crystal Caesar: But in a more serious
note, I do wish all in the Chamber and the listening pub-lic a happy Cup Match. Remember the reason that we
are celebrating. It is not just for us to party. But us to
Official Hansard Report 23 July 2025 445

Bermuda Senate celebrate culture and freedom of the enslaved. So, with
that, Madam President, I finish.
Thank you.

The President: Thank you, Minister Caesar.
Would any other Senator . . . Senator Tannock,
you have the floor.
Sen. Tawana Tannock: Yes, thank you. I don’t need
to say anything else about the teams , but what I will say
as just a comment to Minister Senator Caesar’s words that, yes, remembering the reason for the season. And
with that I picked up a wonderful deck of cards from a
local company with regard to Cup Match history. I found
them at Caesar’s Pharmacy in Somerset.
The President: Hmmm.

Sen. Tawana Tannock: I don’t know if they are availa-
ble anywhere else. But it is a specific Cup Match edition
of Bermuda history cards that are playing deck size. And so, I am sure the folks at Bermuda Bookstore can
source them if they do not already have them. And I
wish I w ould have taken a picture of the name of the
company. But if you are interested in Cup Match history
and a fun way to learn with your family, they are Cup
Match history cards. They are a playing size pack. And
I got my pack at Caesar’s Pharmacy.

The President: Thank you for that promotion. I think
that is excellent to hear.

[Inaudible interjections and laughter]

The President: Would any other Senator care to
speak?
Then . . . oh, Madam Attorney General, Minis-
ter—
Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: Thank you, Madam
President.
Let me start with joining certainly Senator Cun-
ningham in the condolences to the Harvey family. Dale was a classmate of mine; the class of 1979 of The Berkeley Institute. Our entire class has been in mourn-
ing over his passing. He was a person who was alway s
the same whenever you saw him. I usually saw him if I
was going east, probably at Shelly Bay, driving his
truck. Obviously his sister, Esther, was in high school
at the same time as us. As you mentioned, she had also passed away not that long ago. So, th e Harvey family
certainly are in our thoughts and prayers.
Madam President, in terms of congratulations,
let me first join again with Senator Cunningham in con-
gratulating the Bermuda teams all across the disci-
plines for doing the country so well and putting us on the map. I believe these athletes carried themselv es
admirably across all of the disciplines. In relation to
sports though, I have to say, Madam President, in this forum I would like to congratulate u mpire Precious
Smith on her accomplishment at the Eastern Counties
on Saturday in being the first female to officiate—yes,
at the Counties. And she is an attorney, but she is also
clearly a cricket player and a cricket aficionado. I trav-elled from Somerset to St. David’s just to mark the oc-
casion and to support her efforts in being out there.
Needless to say, the game was a nailbiter, as well. And
I am not going to say who I was rooting for; I was
dressed in red and white though.

[Laughter and inaudible interjection]

Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: Yes. Madam Presi-
dent, in the vein of congratulations and Bermudian ath-letes of another sort, I had the distinct pleasure of at-
tending the Earl Cameron Theatre last Friday to see the ballet performance of the Cannonier -Watson children.
So there Ravi Cannonier -Watson, his sister Vidya, and
their youngest sister, Inanna. They were absolutely fab-ulous. They came to Bermuda. They brought friends of
theirs who were professional dancers. And I think this
Island got to see dancers from the Zurich Ballet, The
English National Ballet [School], obviously The Royal Ballet, the Hungarian National Ballet perform at an in-
credible standard. And so, I just say congratulations to
the Cannonier -Watson children. And particularly to
their parents who have invested so much and to see
kind of the product of their labour and their love on dis-
play in this form. And it certainly was inspiring.
All of the children who were in the room, as
well, to see dancers of this standard who, you know,
cross every UN complexion performing at the highest standards on our little Island. I was moved to see that
they will be undertak ing to do this on an annual basis.
And I believe everybody who saw the performance, the
one thing that people said was that they hoped that it
would be on for more than one night when they return
to do this next year. So, hats off to them.

The President: Mm-hmm.

Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: And finally, Madam
President, I want to take this opportunity in this forum to congratulate OUTBermuda. Some of us attended the Pride festivities a few weeks ago, going into the first
weekend of July. I had the pleasure of being invited and
attending along with Minister Tinee Furbert . . . they
hosted an appreciation breakfast this morning for spon-
sors and supporters. And I just want to put my . . . in
this forum hats off to the E xecutive Director Joshua
Samuels, and to the boar d of OUTBermuda. They are
doing incredible work in the forum that they are in. And though there is certainly a way to go in this jurisdiction,
I believe, Madam President, that Bermuda is becoming
a place where young queer Bermudians are feeling like
this is home.
Madam President, in the . . . OUTBermuda has
presented to me as the Minister of Justice and the
446 23 July 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate Attorney General their policy manifesto. And in it they
reference the fact that Bermuda is the first English
speaking Caribbean jurisdiction to decriminalise homo-
sexuality and legally recognise same- sex couples. And
they suggest Bermuda has a responsibility to lead by
example in advocating for t he fairer treatment of the
LGBTQ+ community across the region. And this is cer-
tainly something that will be in front of mind as we think
about advocacy in CARICOM and through our other in-
ternational connections, Madam President.
Thank you.

ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

SENATE VISITOR

The President: Thank you, Senator Wilkerson.
And before I move on, I would just like to
acknowledge the presence of MP Mr. Scott Pearman in the Gallery. Welcome to you, sir.

[Congratulatory and/or Obituary Speeches, continuing]

The President: Would any other Senator care to
speak?
Senator Tannock, you have the floor.

Sen. Tawana Tannock: Yes, just briefly. I did some
quick research and the playing card decks with Cup
Match history trivia, they also have five other decks with Bermuda history, and you can find their resources at
bermudatrivia.com. I don’t know the company. It is a local company . But anytime we can support locally I
suggest we do so, especially with subjects as interest-
ing as this.

The President: Thank you.
With that, would any other Senator care to
speak at this time?
Hearing none on the congrats and obits . . . I
would just like to acknowledge and add my support to
all the teams and the congratulations to the Bermuda
teams who have participated and won and put Ber-
muda on the map, I would say.
So, thank you all for your comments and we
will now move on.
Madam Attorney General.

ADJOURNMENT

Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: Madam President, I
move that the Senate adjourn until 12 [sic] September
[2025].

[Inaudible interjection]

Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: I’m sorry. It is 17 Sep-
tember.
The President: Yes. The 17th.

Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: It is the House that is
returning on the 12th, but we will return on Septem-ber 17.

The President: Yes.

Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: My colleague across
the aisle looked like I was cutting into his cruise again.
[Laughter]

Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: So, forgive me.
The President: The confirmation is that we will return
on 17 September.
Would any Senator care to speak on the mo-
tion to adjourn?
I recognise Senator Foley. That is the first per-
son who caught my eye.

EMIGRATION —SOLVING THE REASONS FOR
SHOULD BE A NATIONAL PRIORITY

Sen. Maurice Foley: Thank you, Madam President.
And Madam President, and Members of Parlia-
ment who are in the Gallery, Senate colleagues and the
listening public, I always look forward to Cup Match.
Even while living abroad , I would also make a point to
come home for Cup Match because that was a highlight
for me living abroad and coming home to this beautiful
country.
When we talk about Bermuda’s future, we of-
ten talk about budgets. We often talk about policies. We
often talk about international business. But the truth is
our greatest resource is our people. Without us, nothing else works —no policy, no plan, no strategy. So, I speak
here today deeply concerned about a trend that threat-ens this foundation. More and more Bermudians are
leaving our shores , or at least making plans to do so.
This isn’t just a statistic. It is a story we all know , as I
am certain we all have a friend, a relative, a neighbour
or even a working colleague who has moved away be-
cause they felt they had to. Some do leave for school.
Some for better jobs. And some because the cost of
living has just become too heavy.
Now, I have to ask myself first, What is this re-
ality we face? Madam President, earlier this year the
Ministry of Economy and Labour published a position
paper on Retaining [the Local] Workforce. It spelled out
what many of us already know, and that is: Bermuda’s
population is shrinking. And we are losing talent we
desperately need. Now, the research behind that report
identified the five biggest reasons Bermudians are
leaving.
1. The high cost of living, obviously.
2. The difficulty of retiring here.
3. Concerns about management of our economy.
Official Hansard Report 23 July 2025 447

Bermuda Senate 4. Limited career opportunities.
5. A lack of quality of life options and activities.
Now as I wrote recently in my op- ed on 7 July,
entitled “Bring Them Home: Why Bermuda Must Re-
claim Its Greatest Resource,” I stated that when we al-
low the pressures of our cost, opportunity and govern-
ance to push Bermudians away we are draining the
very life blood of our community. Now thes e are not ab-
stract issues. They are in fact realities shaping people’s lives and decisions right now.
So, I would like to share a real story regarding
the cost of living. Madam President, just last week I
spoke with a young Bermudian couple. Both of them
have good jobs and are hard- working, talented people.
But they told me they are seriously thinking about mov-ing overseas. Not just because they want to. In fact,
they said, This is home. But we don’t know if we can
afford to stay. The rent takes up half their income. And
with the cost of groceries and utilities and so on, they
can’t imagine ever buying a home or raising a family
here.
When young families feel they have to leave,
that should set off alarm bells for all of us. Because if
they leave, we lose not just two people, we lose the
next generation that would have grown up calling Ber-muda home.
Now, why does this matter, Madam President?
For a country with approximately 60,000 people, losing even a few hundred working- aged Bermudians every
few years is devasting. Now, to me, that’s like watching an entire graduating class disappear. When people leave, we don’t just lose numbers, we lose experience,
creativity and leadership. Now, even the World Bank has put it plainly: Human capital is the most important wealth of a nation. And when it leaves, development
slows.
Now, I also mentioned in that previous op- ed
that our greatest challenge and greatest opportunity
lies in how we treat Bermudians both here and abroad.
We cannot afford to take their presence or their contri-
butions for granted. And I believe that now more than
ever. Bermudians like myself, we still love this Island.
Bermudians abroad, especially, love this Island. And
they would love to return. But they need a reason. They need a pathway. They need a real opportunity to come
back home.
Another story I would like to share is regarding
career opportunities in Bermuda, Madam President, I met a young Bermudian woman not long ago at a local
coffee shop who said to me, If there were real opportu-nities in Bermuda, I would love to come back home to-
morrow. But instead, she is in Canada leading major
projects while her talent and experience are benefiting
someone else’s economy. Now just imagine what she
could contribute here if she had the chance. And she is
not alone. How many more Bermudians lik e her are out
there? People with world- class skills who would bring
that expertise and experience home if only they saw a
place here for themselves. So, again, I ask myself, What needs to
change? Well, Madam President, the solutions to this
challenge are not complicated at all. Well, in theory. But
they do require political courage and focus. First, we do
have to continue to tackle the cost of living. As we all know, Bermuda is consistently ranked among the most
expensive places in the world. If young professionals,
even those working full -time cannot afford to pay rent,
let alone buy a home, they will in fact look elsewhere.
Second, we need to create a meaningful ca-
reer pathway. That means continuing to support local
businesses, investing in industries where Bermudians
can lead and make entrepreneurship a viable option,
not just a dream.
Third, we must rethink retirement. Our seniors,
the people who built this country (in my opinion) should
not have to leave Bermuda just to retire with dignity.
Fourth, we must engage our diaspora. There
are over 70 per cent of Bermudians abroad, according
to recent research, [who] have expressed interest in contributing to Bermuda’s growth, if we build the right
channels for them to do so.
And finally, Madam President, we need to a
culture of innovation. Small nations like Singapore and
Estonia (in fact) have proven that you can overcome
size and geographic location. How? Buy investing in lo-
cal talent and technology. And I do believe Bermuda
can do the same.
Now, from a retiree’s perspective, Madam
President. Not long ago I did hear from a retiree who
told me, I never thought I would have to leave Bermuda
to enjoy my retirement. This is my home. But I cannot afford to stay. Now, this is one person who gave their
life to building this country. I do understand that this one
story is based upon their circumstances. And I can only
assume there are others. However, if retirees feel
pushed out at the very moment they should be enjoying
the fruits of their labour, then something is deeply
wrong with our approach.
Now, on a personal note, Madam President, I
know what it means to leave Bermuda for opportunities.
I’ve been there. I know the sacrifices and uncertainty of
building a life in another country. But I also know the
pull of home, the pull of Bermuda. The deep sense of
belonging you can’t find anywhere else.
Now, when I made the decision to return home
it wasn’t easy. I didn’t just wake up one morning and say, Okay. I’m going to pack up and return home next
week or next month. No. It took planning and making
sure it was feasible and that I would have total support from my family and friends, and most importantly I
asked myself, Would I not just be able to live in Ber-
muda, but to also thrive? Fortunately for me, I was able to check all of those boxes; however, not everyone has
that kind of support in place. Ther efore, I can’t assume
. . . I can’t just assume people will come back because
of nostalgia.
One Bermudian I spoke with living abroad put
it perfectly. And this is a friend of mine. This is a friend
448 23 July 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate of mine. We want to be part of Bermuda’s future, but
Bermuda needs to show it wants us.
Now, I also wrote in the same op- ed, that if we
truly want to build a sustainable future, we must make
Bermuda a place where Bermudians feel wanted, val-ued, and inspired to return. Not simply because it is
home, but because it is a place where they can liv e and
thrive.
So, in closing, Madam President, Bermuda is
at a crossroads. And I know we have heard this saying
before: We can either keep watching our people leave or we can take bold action to make Bermuda a place
where our people choose to stay, return and contribute.
This isn’t about politics. This is about survival. It is
about building a future that includes all Bermudians, no
matter where they are today. So, I challenge this Gov-
ernment, and all of us in this Chamber, Madam Presi-dent, to make this issue a national priority. Let’s not wait
until we have lost too much. Let’s act now while we still
have the time to turn things around.
Thank you, Madam President.
The President: Thank you, Senator Foley.
Would any other Senator care to speak?
Senator Lindsay Simmons, you have the floor.
Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Thank you, Madam Presi-
dent.
Madam President, I wasn’t actually going to
speak today but something this morning sparked some-
thing in me to speak. Madam President, before I begin with my remarks, I just want to say that as somebody
with light skin, somebody that is born of a Black Bermu-
dian father, somebody that went to predominantly Black schools. I went to The Berkeley Institute.
The President: Senator Lindsay Simmons, I have
been aware of the comments that you are about to
make, and I would ask that you meet with me after-
wards because I have been forewarned about an issue
that you raised—

Sen. Lindsay Simmons: So, I am not allowed to give
my motion to adjourn is what you are saying?
The President: Not on the matter on which you want
to speak to. My understanding it is Bermuda branch is-
sue. It is not an Opposition or a Government issue.
Sen. Lindsay Simmons: I’m sorry.

[Pause]

The President: I would like to recess for two minutes.

Proceedings suspended at 12:39 pm

Proceedings resumed at 12:43 pm
[Sen. the Hon. Joan E. Dillas -Wright , President, presid-
ing]

The President: Senators, we are back in session and
the issue has been resolved outside of the Senate
Chamber.
Would any other Senator care to speak on the
motion to adjourn?
Senator Fubler, Mischa Fubler, you have the
floor.

EMANCIPATION AND THE
FRIENDLY SOCIETIES —HISTORY OF
Sen. Mischa Fubler: Thank you, Madam President. I
seem to have finally managed to slip in before my col-league on the other side who often seems to beat me to the punch. And so, I would like to start off by ac-
knowledging, I guess I will lend my support to Somerset
because I a m here decked out in my traditional red and
blue.
But I wanted to take a moment before we wrap
up for the summer, take our summer recess, to take a
look at kind of the reason for the season, as it were.
Everyone has been speaking to Cup Match and just, I
guess, for the benefit of someone who is in the li stening
public who is not already aware (I feel like that is maybe
a small demographic but just in case), you know, the
origination of Cup Match, the combined holidays of
Emancipation and now Mary Prince Day. Something I
am very pleased to see we had renamed, although
maybe some may feel differently.
And so, on that note, the origination of Cup
Match sits with our Friendly Societies, including the largest that began recognising our emancipation, our
liberation (as it were) from enslavement. And they were
the Somers Pride of India Lodge, No. 899 of St.
George’s and the Victoria and Albert Lodge, No. 1027
of Somerset. And they are both under the banner of the
Grand United Order of Oddfellows.
And in preparation for my statement today I
went back, I wanted to kind of brush up (as it were) on
my understanding of the Friendly Societies. I have a fa-
milial connection. My, I think my great, great Uncle
Clarence Orister Darrell was influential in that group.
Actually, in the annual Good Sportsmanship Award that
is awarded by the Friendly Societies is something that
was made in recognition of his contributions as well as
sponsored by one of his family members.
And on that it is important to call out, kind of
their ideals, the idea of collective economics. And so, I wanted to also make mention of Dr. Bradshaw who I
believe is still the Chairman of the [Bermuda] Friendly
Societies Association and also, I want to g ive kudos to
the Department of Culture and the National History Mu-seum of Bermuda who both have content available
online. There are some interviews or lectures. Both
some kind of joint . . . and those too from Dr. Bradshaw
that are captured by both of thos e groups. Freely
Official Hansard Report 23 July 2025 449

Bermuda Senate available to the public. I encourage you to watch them.
They are informative.
And one of the things that I wanted to talk
about, right? Like one of their core tenets of that collec-
tive help group, they were formed primarily by free Blacks prior to emancipation. And those who were liv-
ing in a position of privilege even though they were still
disadvantaged in society saw the imperative that they
offer a helping hand up to their brothers and sisters who
were emancipated in 1834. And also, [it] is interesting
to note that for well over 100 years we celebrated that emancipation through the celebration of emancipation
by playing a cricket game but . . . having Cup Match, it
wasn’t until 1947 that it was made a national holiday.
So, for well over 100 years, we just decided we were
going to take the day off. I hate to think . . . that takes
great courage. That should be acknowledged. Right?
Like living in those times that would have been risky
business to do.
And also, on that group of free Blacks who pro-
vided opportunity to their siblings who were then eman-
cipated in 1834 through providing opportunities for em-
ployment credit so that they could purchase the neces-
sities of life, housing, food, et cetera. And the extenua-
tion of the need for education. Right? So those kind of core tenets of the Friendly Societies, education and col-
lective help, I want us all to consider and kind of carry
through our day today as we go . . . and then, you
know, also I touched on th e renaming of the second day
of the Cup Match holiday, Mary Prince Day. And for me
personally, just you know, Emancipation Day in 2028 will be 3 August, which is my daughter’s birthday. And
then in 2029, that will be Mary Prince Day. Both of
those momentous occasions to both celebrate, you know, something that is perpetually notable for us in the
country. And also, personally significant.
Again, coming back to this theme of liberation.
I encourage those of us who are here in the penultimate
week prior to the Cup Match holiday, the week before,
I encourage everyone to kind of carry some of those
friendly society ideals into how they conduct them-
selves over the holiday. Some of the groups are known
as “temperate lodgers.” Right ? Like they . . . discour-
age public drunkenness and . . . Well, you know, its
Bermuda, we have a culture. I encourage the listening public to think about that and about its affect on our lib-
eration.
How liberating is it for us to consume to a state
of being unable to conduct our day -to-day activities?
How liberating is it for us to (and I touched some of this
last week) operate vehicles at breakneck and reckless
speeds or in a reckless manner? How liberating is it for
us to allow petty differences to devolve into altercations
over the weekend? So, you know, give some thought
to how you liberate yourself and carry forward that cour-
age that was demonstrated by the Friendly Societies and the free Blacks of Bermuda for 113- or-so years that
we just decided it was going to be a holiday until the
Government finally caught up. And also, on that whole idea of those of us in
positions of privilege feeling obligated to offer assis-
tance to those less privileged. I wanted to highlight that
comment from my colleague, Senator Foley, around we
can’t just rely on nostalgia for Bermudians to return home. I would posit those of you who have left for edu-
cation and experience who have established your-
selves as successes, whatever success means to you,
that you feel a similar obligation to return home and
contribute to the betterment of your Island. It is some-
thing that I did personally. Right? I left in 2002, and it
was not until 2017 that I was in a position to be able to
return. But when I did, I made sure to join the commu-
nity groups like the Board of the Chewstick [Founda-
tion] so that I c ould share my talent and experience with
the Island in a way that helps to better it. And I encour-age more of us to consider the same.
I also would [ask] my colleagues to consider
moving beyond just identifying the problems. I think
they are well established. The challenges we are facing
around population and emigration I encourage more
proffering of tangible solutions. So, it is not jus t enough
to say that we need to encourage Bermudians to come
home or that the Government needs to make it a prior-
ity. Something that . . . I think I want to take a slight of-
fence to there. Please take the time in your kind of scru-
tiny of the Government’s o perations to apprise yourself
of the programmes that are underway. Things that ad-
dress housing and child care and access to food and
medicine are initiatives that are priorities of the Govern-
ment, all things required for a good society and an at-
tractive on e to encourage people to return.
And for those of us in the retirement age who
are considering [the] standard of living, I also want you to consider the legacy of colonialisation and its impact.
And your impact in that regard by choosing to take your
assets and retire in a region that is possibly less eco-
nomically developed. Because that is an ironic turn of events, given our own current situation as a British
Overseas Territory.
Also, just to close out. Again, some tangible so-
lutions. I encourage all of us. Dr. Bradshaw mentioned
in one of the videos I watched of his in preparation for
this statement that, you know, there were double digit
friendly society lodges even in his time of joining. But I
think that this video was from two or three years ago,
and there were only six lodges remaining. So, get out
there and join a lodge.
He made sure to mention that it is not a Black -
only thing. I think colloquially people think of the Friendly Societies as like the Black lodges of Bermuda
in contrast to those of the, say, Freemasons, as another
society of lodges that do community service and collec-
tive help. But that is not the case. He is a stewardess.
And so I reach out to someone. Watch those videos. He provides some mechanisms for contacting the
lodges so that even if you are not an active participant
in their operations (although I would encourage you to
do so), that you are at least helping to fund the
450 23 July 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate continuing existence of them through your membership
dues. And in that regard I have already started the pro-
cess of joining a lodge myself to that end.
And so, in closing, I would like to thank you,
Madam President, for allowing me the time to share these thoughts and would encourage both my col-
leagues here and everyone in the general public to
carry those ideas of collective help, collective econom-
ics and liberation in front of mind as you make your way
through the Cup Match holiday.
Thank you, Madam President.

The President: Thank you, Senator Mischa Fubler.
Senator Cunningham, you have the floor.

MODERNISE OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM;
CREATE A NATIONAL MENTORSHIP
PROGRAMME ; EXPAND ACCESS TO
INTERNSHIPS AND APPRENTICESHIPS
ACROSS ALL SECTORS

Sen. Victoria Cunningham: Thank you, Madam Pres-
ident. Thank you to the speakers before me. I think we
are all on the same vein although mine is going to be
slightly more of a tangent. But I think, you know, the reason for the season . . . and I will say, as we are ob-
viously going on a summer break, that I think Cup Match and the hurricanes are two of the best times of year that show Bermudians coming together. And I
think a lot of what we need to do is come together. And
you know, share our culture, share our heritage.
So, I want to speak this afternoon about a chal-
lenge that I see but also see as an opportunity that faces us, and that is how we support our people in building sustainable careers at every stage of life. So,
not just our students. And I think because, you know,
we say we are serious about national development, but we have got to be also very serious about human de-
velopment.
As people may be aware, for the past decade,
or decades, I have had the privilege of working with
hundreds of Bermudian students and some adults look-
ing to reskill and pivot. But they are all part of a story.
And that is Bermudians who are trying to grow and con-tribute to our society and basically secure their future in
our country. But a lot of times that journey is harder
than it should be. But if we talk about our youth, you
know, it is the summer holidays . Hundreds of Bermu-
dian students are likely parti cipating in internships
across a wide range of industries . And they are tal-
ented, ambitious and committed to what . . . you know,
their future and hopefully their future in Bermuda. But I am not sure that talent is enough. Because access is
what matters. So, it is access . It is networks . It is the
confidence of these young people. And a lot of times you see that some of our students do not have the same chance as everyone else to get through that door.
I think that reality was echoed in the recent em-
igration survey which found that many young Bermudians are leaving because they don’t see clear
professional pathways or professional opportunities here at home. I guess if our young people can’t see a
future, they are going to start looking elsewhere. So,
we have to create a system that opens the doors to them, especially our public school students whose ca-
reer ideals may not potentially fit into that ideal box.
But, Madam President, it is time to celebrate all
careers. So, I think we need plumbers and electricians
just as we need accountants and actuaries and under-
writers. You know, we need chefs. We need nurses. We need marine pilots. We need hospitality worker s,
entrepreneurs, and all work, we have to celebrate all
work with the same value. But I think a lot of our sys-
tems still favour certain paths while neglecting others.
I do note, and we have had many conversa-
tions about this, that the Department of Workforce De-velopment has gone to great efforts. But in my mind,
we need more. I think vocational training is under-
funded. Apprenticeships are hard to find. I mean, we
have he ard about the IT apprenticeships and other ap-
prenticeships. I also see firsthand career guidance in schools is fairly uneven. But I think we need to modern-
ise our education system and celebrate those talents.
But I also want to consider or allow people to
consider that it is not just our students, it is also our
young people. Or career shifters in their 30s, 40s, 50s who may be coming back into the workforce from rais-
ing children. Maybe they have been made redundant.
Maybe they realised that their industry is shrinking or
that their passion lies somewhere else. And these indi-
viduals are amazing because they are enrolled in night
classes at Bermuda College. They are looking at certi-fications. They are applying f or internships that are go-
ing to be, you know, 35- year-olds with 22- year-olds in
the room.
But they are looking to start over. And I think
the Labour Force Survey that recently came out makes it clear that many of our workers want to upgrade their
skills. But the cost and the time just aren’t . . . and ac-
cess in some cases is holding them back. So, I think
we need to support those because I don’t think learning
should stop at 25.
And then as we go through the summer into
August, we have got the back -to-school season upon
us. And I guess our social media will soon be flooded
with photos of school supply drives and children receiv-
ing new backpacks. You know, these efforts matter. I
am probably in the process of organising one myself.
But I just want people to recognise that while back-
packs and pencils and whatever may ease the burden
for a family and show that someone cares, it is not nec-
essarily a strategy. It’s a gesture. Right? It is here is a
backpack . And what happens after the photo is the con-
sistency that is needed. So, do these children have a
working device at home? Do they have Internet? Do
they have the support they need from parents, friends,
family, whoever it is if they are struggling?
Official Hansard Report 23 July 2025 451

Bermuda Senate And so, I think a lot of times the answer is no.
And I think it is up to us, you know, Government, the
private sector and the civil sector to stop making edu-
cation seasonal. Look, you know, show up for our chil-
dren. Not just in the summer holidays, not just for the
backpack, but throughout the year.
So, per Senator Fubler’s comments about
providing tangible solutions, I think we need to expand access to internships and apprenticeships across all
sectors. I know international business is year on year
increasing the number of opportunities available. Bu t
for the students who aren’t necessarily interested in
business, what is there for them to see things? And I
think we need to invest more in vocational education
that reflects the needs of our economy as well as schol-
arships and certifications, not just f or degrees, but also
more for the trades and tech.
So, you know, while I celebrate the $1.7 million
that the Government is giving out, I think we can focus a lot more on the Bermuda College certifications that
these young people can do, and create a national men-torship programme. I work with kids, and I see the value
every day of mentorship. And I think we need to cele-
brate these students having mentors across the Island,
across industries, across roles and make sure that our career guidance is robust.
So, while we are doing a lot, I think there is
more that can be done. Because I think when our future . . . when our people, especially our youth will see a fu-
ture, then they will stay. And when our people or our adults can reskill then they will also stay . And you know,
maybe, perhaps, see a future on the Island.
But I think opportunity is perceived to be lim-
ited. I actually have had about 10 or 11 career shifters this year successfully transition from different back-
grounds into international business. So, I would say the opportunity is there. But again, it goes back to the avail-ability and the access that our people have. So, I would
say that the emigration survey is the warning sign, but
the Labour Force Survey is the roadmap, and it is time
to act.
So, I think . . . what I say as we come across
the summer season, I want to say to our business lead-
ers: Open your doors . Offer an internship to someone
young. Create an apprenticeship. Take a chance on
someone who may not have the polished résumé but
whose attitude and potential and work ethic are . . . you
know, shine through and you can see it. To our educa-
tors: Celebrate all pathways. And to our community:
Just go out and mentor someone. Find a young person
or someone who is looking to career shift and mentor
them and show them that they matter. Show them that
what they want to do can be done. Because I think it is
not just the job of Government. I think it is a job for all
of us. And I think if we truly invest in our people then
we will hopefully not just retain it, retain our talent, but we will unlock it and for future generations to come.
Thank you, Madam President.
The President: Thank you, Senator Cunningham.
Now, Senator Lauren Bell, you have the floor.

Sen. Lauren Bell: Thank you, Madam President.
Before I start my prepared motion to adjourn, I
just want to first acknowledge and thank Senator Cun-
ningham for her plea to industry. And her request that
industry participate in extending increased access to
our youth to internships and mentorships. I thi nk that is
one that I personally support and along with my party. So, I thank her for that plea.

PLP G OVERNMENT —STRATEGIES,
PROGRAM MES AND INITIATIVES PUT IN PLACE

Sen. Lauren Bell: I also want to speak for a minute on
the comments offered by my Senate colleague, Sena-
tor Foley , who made a plea to make the issue around
emigration a priority. And, Madam President, with the
upmost respect, I acknowledge the concerns Senator Foley has raised, but I also encourage him to have a
look at what this Government is doing to address the
concerns he raised today pertaining to emigration and
the current econom ic conditions of Bermuda.
The issues he has highlighted have formed the
core of my party’s campaign platform and our Throne
Speech. And we have clear strategies to address the
concerns he has raised. I can point directly to the recent
Cost of Living Summit. Now, that was not just a meeting
to exchange words, but it was a deep commitment that
we saw that came from our various industries and sec-
tors, a willingness to collaborate, t o address this na-
tional issue on the cost of living.
I also would like to draw his attention to this
Government’s deep commitment to investing in our
youth. Those are not just words, Madam President.
You would only need to look to our commitment to the
increase in our scholarships to know that we are deeply
committed to our youth. I hesitate to highlight that it was
the O BA who slashed the scholarships to our students ,
and I would respect fully say that we're seeing the im-
pact of that these many years later .
We also have invested heavily in workforce de-
velopment and providing opportunities and access to
training for our youth and for adults who are looking to transition to different industries . Our Government has
committed to growing, expanding and diversifying our
economy and I encourage Senator Foley to have a look
at the N ational Economic Development Strategy that
was tabled by the M inister of E conomy and Labour. T he
Minister of Economy and Labour has also tabled a re-
port on “A ddressing the C hallenge of an A geing Popu-
lation [in Bermuda].”
We also recogni se that the importance of
grounding our youth is . . . in one way can be done
through home ownership. And I'm incredibly proud of
the work that my party has done on trying to find path-ways to home ownership by creating a government
452 23 July 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate guarantee to support home ownership with enviable
terms and conditions .
We also recogni se that while our population is
ageing, it is also a population who is also healthy and
looking for access to the right to work and working be-
yond the traditional 65 years old. S ometimes is not just
for economic reasons . Some of it is because our age ing
population want to continue to contribute and we rec-ognise the importance of having conversations around
the retirement age .
And, Madam President , these are not just
words that we see in our campaign platform or in our
Throne Speech or in reports that we table both here
and in the H ouse, but we also actually see results .
Right? So, we're seeing the lowest unemployment
numbers that we've seen in a very long time including
the lowest youth unemployment . We are recogni sing
the milestone of the passing of our recent budget that
speaks to the fiscal responsibility of this G overnment
and our commitment to ensuring a strong future for B er-
muda going forward. W e also recognise the increased
number of businesses and the growing entrepreneur-
ship supported through the BEDC [Bermuda Economic
Development Corporation] by this G overnment .
So, in summary , Madam President , I just want
to first thank Senator Foley for the recognition of these
challenges that we collectively face. I encourage him to
become more aware of the strategies and the pro-
gramme s and initiatives that this Government has put
in place. And [I] welcome him to have a sit down with
me to discuss , in particular , the ministries that I'm a
Junior Minister o f, so, the Ministry of Health, the Minis-
try of Economy and Labour , and the Ministry of Hous-
ing.

CUP MATCH AND EMANCIPATION —
REMEMBRANCE BRINGS JUSTICE
AND CELEBRATION BRINGS HEALING
Sen. Lauren Bell: On that note, Madam President , I
just want to go to my prepared motion to adjourn and in keeping with many of the comments made by my col-
leagues , I just want to rise today to give you assur-
ances , Madam President , that my daddy raised me
right. And you can tell my daddy raised me right by the
blue and blue that I'm wearing in this honourable place.

[Laughter and crosstalk ]
The President: I'm sorry . I’m sorry, I laughed.

Sen. Lauren Bell: My father instilled in his children life-
long loyalty and support for the great and mighty St.
George’ s. Unfortunately , Madam President , I appar-
ently do not have the same high level of parenting skills
as my father as I'm sad to report to you that two of my four children support the other team. You can imagine
the banter in my family as a result .
The President: Yes. Mm -hmm.
Sen. Lauren Bell: Yes. W e had . . . my youngest at the
tender age of three and a half declare d that he does not
need to follow the tradition of blue and blue and he was going to don red and blue in celebration of his nursery
school Cup Match celebration. I t was that year that, of
course, Somerset won and while watching the celebra-
tions my three- and-a-half-year-old managed to con-
vince his elder sister to also convert .
[Laughter and desk thumping]

Sen. Lauren Bell: Madam President , Cup Match is ar-
guably one of the most cherished holidays and for many it means friendly rivalry and a time for family gath-
erings . But at its core, Cup Match is sacred .

The President: Mm-hmm.

Sen. Lauren Bell: It is a living tribute to Emancipation
Day marking the abolition of slavery in Bermuda in
1834 . And to Mary Prince Day named in honour of one
of Bermuda’s bravest daughters .
Madam President, as a W hite Bermudian
woman I am deeply grateful and feel privileged to live
in a country where our culture is rich, our traditions vi-
brant , and our history , though painful , is honoured with
honesty and reverence.
Madam President , I say this not as someone
removed from the weight of that history but as someone
who seeks to acknowledge it with open eyes and full
heart . And I recogni se that I stand here today benefiting
from generations of unearned privilege in a society
shaped by slavery , colonialism and its long shadow .
But I also stand here committed to being part
of a future where remembrance brings justice and cel-
ebration brings healing. And while my father loved to
take his children to the M atch so we could fully experi-
ence for ourselves the unique energy of the holiday , the
amazing food, the friendly rivalry , and the deep connec-
tion to community , my mother was committed to ensur-
ing her children had a deep understanding an d appre-
ciation of Bermuda’s history and the significance of this
holiday .
While the public schools my siblings and I at-
tended many , many decades ago offered very little on
Bermuda’s history , my mother (bless her) . . . my
mother filled the shelves of our home with books by great Bermudian authors . It was on the pages of these
books that I gained my knowledge of Bermuda’s history
and her race- based injustices .
In a similar work , Chained on the Rock: Slavery
in Bermuda, the late Cyril Outerbridge Packwood re-
minds us the people of Bermuda were chained not just physically but by laws , by attitudes , and by an entire
system built to preserve slavery. Emancipation did not
end struggle . It marked the beginning of a new kind of
resistance. He also said emancipation was not a gift , it
Official Hansard Report 23 July 2025 453

Bermuda Senate was a demand. And freedom once claimed had to be
defended in the face of new systems of control .
Madam President , Packwood's words remind
us that emancipation was not a finish line but a starting
point . A moment of possibility that demanded continued
courage and collective determination.
In her autobiography , The History of Mary
Prince , Mary Prince, born in Bermuda, and the first
Black woman to publish an account of her life as a slave
in the British Empire wrote, “All slaves want to be free—
to be free is very sweet . . . . I have been a slave [my-
self]—I [know] what slaves feel . . . and I know what a
slave knows .” These words , though simple , cut to the
bone . They are a reminder that freedom is never to be
taken for granted. That joy and justice are not luxuries .
They are rights . They are rights that must be remem-
bered, protected and expanded.
Madam President , whether we are wearing
blue and blue or the begrudging red or blue, let us re-
member that C up Match is a celebration of freedom not
only in a historical sense , but in a living , evolving prin-
ciple. Let us ensure our children, our grandchildren,
and future generations know our history .
May we continue to preserve and honour this
sacred cultural tradition , not only as a cricket holiday ,
but as a solemn celebration of justice, memory and
freedom hard won. Let us honour the strength of those
who endured the unthinkable, and the courage of those
who told their stories. Let us make space for reflection
alongside our celebration and for truth alongside tradi-
tion.
Madam President , I am proud to live in a Ber-
muda where we do not turn away from our past . We
commemorat e it. W here we do not erase difficult truths .
We rise above them. A nd where we honour freedom
not just with our words but with our continued efforts to build a more just and equitable society for all .
Madam President , on that note, I wish to wish
you, Madam President, my Senate colleagues , the lis-
tening audience, and all B ermudians both here and
overseas , a safe, fun and reflective C up Match holiday .
I look forward to joining my Senate colleagues in return-
ing after our summer break to continue our work , the
work of the people.
Thank you, Madam President .

The President: Thank you, S enator Lauren Bell.
Would any other Senator care to speak?
Senator Marcus Jones , Opposition Leader in
the Senate, you have the floor .

EMIGRATION —SOLVING THE REASONS FOR
SHOULD BE A NATIONAL PRIORITY
Sen. Marcus Jones: Thank you, Madam President .
I am not going to be long or belabour my points .
I'm going to keep it quite brief . But it would be remiss of
me if I did not bring some context on what Senator Mau-
rice Foley was trying to present to his fellow colleagues in this C hamber and to the wider audience of the listen-
ing public .
Senator Foley is a Bermudian who spent much
of his years crafting his skills and expertise in a foreign
country but always had an eye for Bermuda. He repre-
sents a number of Bermudians who have left looking to
educate themselves , looking to widen and broaden
their knowledge base, their expertise, [and] their skill
sets. And Bermuda is at a place in our history where
we have many who are thinking of leaving, many who
have left . And as I listened very intently to Senator Fo-
ley’s presentation, I realis ed what was rising through
his words was a love for his country , . . . with an intent
desire to incentivi se his fellow Bermudians who are liv-
ing abroad to come back to the I sland .
He was only giving the current status of Ber-
muda's situation with emigration. A lot of it right from
the report that was produced by this Government . He
was not telling us anything new , but what he was doing ,
he was keeping in the forefront of the minds of every-
one in this community that we must do everything that
we can , not just Government , but all of us need to do
as much as we can to . . . for one, keep as many of our
Bermudians here contributing to the I sland and attract-
ing as many of our Bermudians wh o have gone abroad
back to the I sland.
I think that needs to be highlighted. I think it
needs to stay in the forefront of our consciousness and
all of our planning and all of our policymaking. L et's en-
sure that we make those fellow Bermudians who have
left and have a desire to come back home , make them
feel that they're welcome. D o all we can to have things
in place to have them come back . I think it was im-
portant that I bring that context .
And Madam President , as we are about to re-
cess for the summer I want to wish all Bermudians of
all persuasions , whether from the West End and cele-
brating the west’s upcoming victory or whether you are
from the east and you may need a blanket or two to wipe the tears .

[Laughter]
The President: A blanket?

Sen. Marcus Jones: I want to wish everyone a very
wholesome, healthy and safe Cup Match holiday . We
know that during this time we like to . . . Bermudians
like to celebrate, love to party . And that's good. A nd
along with that celebrating, we like to partake of adult
beverages . But I will say , as you do partake in those
adult beverages remember don't drive. K eep it safe .
Let's have a holiday where we have no tragedies , noth-
ing of the sort. And that when we come back to these
Senate Chambers , we will know that we had a good
time, but it was also a safe one.
And on that note , I thank you, Madam Presi-
dent.

454 23 July 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate The President: Thank you, S enator Marcus Jones ,
Opposition Leader in the Senate.

ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

SENATE VISITOR

The President: And before I opened the floor again to
anyone else who wants to speak , I would just like to
acknowledge the presence of Neville Tyrrell, the MP and G overnment Whip in the G allery .
Welcome to you , sir.
[Motion to adjourn, continuing]

The President: Would any other S enator care to speak
at this time ?
We have Minister Wilkerso n, G overnment
Leader and Senator of . . .

CUP MATCH AND EMANCIPATION —ORIGIN OF
THE HOLIDAY

Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: Thank you , Madam
President . I just want to take a few minutes . And let me
start by joining in the comments of my colleague
straight across from me. H e mentioned blankets —

[Laughter]

Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: —for the tears of the
St. George’s fans . And I concur on that point .
But, Madam President , it isn't certainly lost on
this Chamber , and many colleagues have referenced
here, the import ance of the origin of the holiday that we
are about to undertake. A nd thinking back to 1834,
Madam President, I wanted to mention in this C hamber
that exactly 100 years later , in 1934, August 5, to be
correct , was the birthdate of my mother . So, she will
turn 91 years old on the 5th of August .
And I have reflected, Madam President , think-
ing about what life must have been like for her as a Ber-
mudian, a B lack Bermudian woman of not very high
means , from a family of 13 children growing up in the
Bermuda of 1934. And to try to give myself a little bit of
context , Madam President , I thought just for the fun I
would search to see what the newspaper was saying in
the year that my mother was born, that was 100 years
after the emancipation of slavery . I was lucky to find in
the archives of the library , online , a newspaper from
1934 .
Madam President , I was surprised to see that
The Royal Gazette then was called The Royal Gazette
and Colonist Daily. The advertisements during that
time, I scoured the whole paper , as to be expected,
there would not be a Black face to be seen. S o, if we
think about what representation must have been like for
children like my mother at that time, so much of what we see is , you know , if you see it then you can be it .
But she couldn't see it then.
And the advertisement , just for fun, Madam
President , the English Sport Shop read, Tweed suits by
Fortnum and Mason (no less) £6.00, “Clothes wash
cleaner if you use Sunlight soap. ” Some of us may re-
member stories about Sunlight soap.
But my mother , Madam President , she was a
woman who, despite coming from that time , somehow
managed to reinvent herself a couple of times . You
know , raise d five children successfully with my father .
None of us managed to get in trouble . We became ei-
ther skilled trades people or educated, and we became
professionals . But my mother herself , she grew up . . .
she was a chambermaid. S he was a seamstress . And
at one point I remember , I was probably in university
myself then, just starting, and I came home, and I re-
member saying, Mom, what are you doing? And she
says, Oh, I'm doing a course.
And in those days , Madam President , you
know, you didn't get online to do an online course. It
was a send- away . . . a send- away course, is what I
think what it was referred to as then. A nd my mother
did that course and qualified through, I think , an insti-
tute in California and she became an upholsterer , and
ordered in her equipment . So, with her sewing skills she
then becoming qualified as an upholsterer . She did
very well for herself . She certainly taught me the value
of hard work and dedication and finding a way —some-
times even when you think things may be impossible.
So, Madam President, just in front of the immi-
nent celebrations in Somerset where my mother lives
with me , as we celebrate our win shortly , I want to also
take the opportunity to use this forum to wish my
mother a happy birthday as she sees 91.

[Desk thumping]
Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: Thank you , Madam
President .

CUP MATCH AND EMANCIPATION —ORIGIN OF
THE HOLIDAY
The President: Thank you, M inister Wilkerson .
Would anybody , would any other Senator care
to speak? The Minister was the last?
Well, I would just like to say to Senators that as
we have come to the close of this Senate session and break for the summer and proceed to our Cup Match
holiday s, I want to thank . . . first of all, I would like to
thank Senator Mis cha Fubler, for his historical over-
view. I think that was really , really quite, you know , . . .
particularly when you talked about the friendly socie-
ties. I certainly . . . my grandparents belonged to it, and
I have given presentations to the Friendly Societ ies.
So, I was very impressed with the historical overvi ew.
And also , I would like to thank [Senator] Lauren
Bell and Minister Wilkerson for their personal
Official Hansard Report 23 July 2025 455

Bermuda Senate summaries. B ecause I think that we all have these sto-
ries about our families and what we've been told and
. . . and generally speaking, the origin of Cup Match,
and what families actually do on those days .
And so, as we break , I want to wish each and
every one of you a most wonderful , safe and enjoyable
Cup Match as I do for all those listening to us today . I
think they have really . . . all those who have tuned into
the Senate session today would have really enjoyed
the session and the historical overview , aside from the
work and the B ills that we pass . But I think this part of
our agenda has been very informative and I want to
thank each and every one of you.
So, as we leave, I would say , have a very safe
and most enjoyable C up Match. A nd I'm a St. George’s
fan—

[Laughter]

The President: —and even though I refuse to . . . I'm
going wait until the game is played. B ut nevertheless ,
whatever you all do, do enjoy it . And we will come back
refreshed to continue with the Senate session on 17
September .
So, with that, thank you all for your attendance
today and for the work during this past session. A nd I
wish you well .
The Senate stands adjourned.

[At 5:34 pm, the Senate stood adjourned until
10:00 am, Wednesday, 17 September 2025.]



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