This was a brief Senate session focused mainly on one piece of legislation. The Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority Amendment Act 2021 was successfully passed through all readings without opposition. Minister Peets delivered a statement about upcoming Emancipation Day celebrations with the theme "Resilience of the African Spirit," including events planned for July 23rd. Two other bills were postponed to the following week.
Amendment to Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority Act regarding banking and reporting requirementsEmancipation Commemoration 2021 events and programmingRecognition of Freedom Park plaque unveiling at City HallCondolences for community member Althea Lightbourne
Bills & Motions
Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority Amendment Act 2021 - Passed all three readings and became law (allows Authority to use interest-bearing accounts outside Bermuda and extends annual report preparation time from 30 to 60 days)
Debt Collection Act 2021 - Postponed to next week
Education Amendment (No. 2) Act 2021 - Postponed to next week
Notable Moments
Minister Peets praised the recent unveiling of Freedom Park at City Hall, encouraging citizens to use QR codes around Hamilton to learn about the Theatre Boycott history
Senator Tucker thanked local charities and volunteers for supporting Bermudians during difficult economic times, noting that one in ten Bermudians are currently unemployed
Debate Transcript
9 speeches from 2 speakers
Madam President.
The PresidentSorry. Would you repeat that, Senator Tucker? Sen. Robin Tucker: Yes, Madam President. Under 10:06 am. Thank you. The President: Senators, with those corrections . . . Senator Michelle Simmons. Sen. Michelle Simmons: Madam President, I move that the Minutes of Wednesday, the 7 th of July 2021, be confirmed …
Sorry. Would you repeat that, Senator Tucker? Sen. Robin Tucker: Yes, Madam President. Under 10:06 am. Thank you.
The President: Senators, with those corrections . . . Senator Michelle Simmons.
Sen. Michelle Simmons: Madam President, I move that the Minutes of Wednesday, the 7 th of July 2021, be confirmed with those two minor adjustments .
The President : Is there any objection to that motion? No objection. The Minutes a re confirmed with those two corrections.
[Minutes of 7 July 2021 confirmed as amended. ]
The President: Thank you, Senator Michelle Simmons. Sen. Michelle Simmons: Thank you.
MESSAGES
The Clerk: There are no messages, Madam President.
The President: Thank you, Mr. Somner.
REPORTS OF COMMITTEES
The President: There are none.
ANNOUNCEMENTS The President: There are none.
NOTICE S OF MOTION S The President: There are none.
PETITIONS The President: There are none.
STATEMENTS The President: We do have one Statement, the Emancipation Commemoration 2021. And that is in the name of Senator the Hon. E. G. V. Peets, Minister of Youth, 582 14 July 2021 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda Senate Culture and Sport, and Government Leader in the Senate. Minister Peets, you have the floor.
EMANCIPATION COMMEMORATION 2021
Sen. the Hon. Dr. Ernest PeetsGood morning, Madam President. Good morning, fellow Senators and good morning to my fellow countrymen. It is indeed with a great deal of prid e and pleasure I have this morning to bring a Ministerial Statement containing good news and information that we can all look forward to. Madam President, …
Good morning, Madam President. Good morning, fellow Senators and good morning to my fellow countrymen. It is indeed with a great deal of prid e and pleasure I have this morning to bring a Ministerial Statement containing good news and information that we can all look forward to. Madam President, the Bermuda cultural calendar highlights three events that we mark in subsequent months. May is of course Heritage Month where we celebrate our shared Bermudian identity . In June we salute our National Heroes who have made lasting contri-butions that have shaped our i sland home. In July and August we as Bermudians embody the spirit of the Sankofa, bird of Ghana, as we commemorate our emancipation from the horrors of slavery. The Sankofa bird symbolises the act of going back to the past in order to retrieve what is useful. Madam President, during Heritage Month, our theme was “ Bermudian Resilience. ” We kn ow that the COVID -19 pandemic has challenged us in many ways that have been unique and difficult. However, we also know that it is not the first time that our people have faced challenges —challenges more profound than those we are currently grappling with. There is a comfort that comes from knowing that we come from a peo-ple who have faced great adversity and found ways to overcome trials that bruised and crushed the spirit. For Bermudians of African descent, knowing where we came from provides an opportunity to tap into the strength of our ancestors and consider the ways in which our history, our culture and our traditions have sustained us through the generations. Madam President, with this in mind the Department of Culture set the theme for this year’s Emancipation Commemoration as the “ Resilience of the African Spirit .” This theme has two meanings : It calls upon us to consider the ways in which aspects o f African cultures have been retained in our Bermudian culture de-spite hundreds of years where these values, histories and ways of living were maligned , yet somehow survived. The second meaning calls upon us to consider the ways in which this spirit of our ancestors still lives in us and how we as African Bermudians reflect this gift of resilience in our present day . Madam President, the Department of Culture, in partnership with the cultural group Jumuiya ya Af rika Bermuda, has planned a programme highlig hting examples of the resilience of the African spirit. The programme, which will take place on Friday , July 23, will focus on African clothing —the diversity of textiles that can be seen throughout the continent, which Bermudi-ans in the diaspora wear now w ith increasing frequency. There will be a focus on food —how staple foods of certain West African cultures , such as salted codfish and cassava , remain in Bermudian cuisine. There will also be an opportunity to learn about some of the traditional foods of Et hiopia, including their famous coffee ceremony. Lastly, music —the soul of our celebrations can often be marked with the heartbeat and rhythms of the African drum , and the similarities with music genres of the diaspora will be explored. Although there will only be a limited number of in-person spaces available as a result of COVID -19 restrictions, the event will also be livestreamed on Facebook . Madam President, in addition to this signature programme, the Department of Culture has worked with stakehol ders to put together a community calendar of events that speak to the theme. The Department of Libraries and Archives has also assisted with the sponsorship of several of these events, most of which are events hosted by small entrepreneurs. Especially now the Department of Culture thought it important to shine a spotlight on the work of tour guides such as Rashida Godwin at Titan Express Ltd. ; as well as Maxine Esdaille, Shirley Pearman, and Charles Jeffers of Treasures of Bermuda Tours; and Dr. Michael Bradshaw of the Bermuda Friendly Societies. These founts of knowledge in our community are the ones who are telling the stories of how we emerged from the oppression of enslavement , how we fought as individuals and struggled as a community for our rights , and the history of the buildings and memorials that help to tell these stories. Madam President, as we approach the season of Cup Match, Emancipation Day and Mary Prince Day, now more than ever we must direct our energies in ways that our ancestors have taught us. Like the Sankofa bird, as we look to the past [we ask,] What can we retrieve that is useful ? What strength can we bring to bear on our present moment ? And what reminders can we tap into that speak to the value of community? Madam President, let us spend this Emancipation Day and Mary Prince Day as a community revelling in the resilience of the African s pirit. Madam President, 187 years after Emancipation, we are still here. We have found ways to survive and thrive. And our journey is not yet finished. Thank you, very much, Madam President. The President: Thank you, Minister Peets.
INTRODUCTION OF BILLS
The President: There are none.
FIRST READING OF PUBLIC BILLS
The President: There are none.
Bermuda Senate FIRST READING OF PRIVATE BILLS
The President: There are none.
QUESTION PERIOD
The President: Senators, are there any questions relating to the Statement that has been read by Minister Peets? Hearing none, we will move on.
ORDERS OF THE DAY
The President: The first Order of the Day is the second reading of the Debt Collection Act 2021. This is in the name of Senator L. K. Simmons, the Junior Minister for Home Affairs.
Sen. the Hon. Dr. Ernest PeetsWe request that this particular Bill be carried over to our Senate session next week. The President: Thank you, Minister Peets. The Bill will be carried over to next week.
Sen. the Hon. Dr. Ernest PeetsThank you, very much, Madam President. The President: The second reading, the Education Amendment (No. 2) Act 2021. This is in the name of Senator O. K. Darrell, the Junior Minister of Education. Minister Peets.
Sen. the Hon. Dr. Ernest PeetsRegarding the Education Amendment (No. 2) Act 2021, Madam President, we ask that, in the absence of the Junior Minister, we carry this Bill over to next week as well. The President: Thank you, Minister Peets. And that takes us to the third item on our agenda, and that is …
Regarding the Education Amendment (No. 2) Act 2021, Madam President, we ask that, in the absence of the Junior Minister, we carry this Bill over to next week as well.
The President: Thank you, Minister Peets. And that takes us to the third item on our agenda, and that is the second reading of the Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority Amendment Act 2021. And this is in the name of Senator C. P. Richardson, the Junior Minister for Transport. Senator Richardson, you have the floor.
Sen. Curtis Richardson: Thank you, Madam President. Madam President, the purpose of my statement today is to introduce a Bill designed to allow for the Operating Fund of the Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority (the Authority) to be —
The President: Senator Richardson. Sen. Curtis Richardson: Yes?
The President: Do you want to do the motion? Move the second reading first.
Sen. Curtis Richardson: I do apologise. Madam President, I move that the Bill entitled the Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority Amendment Act 2021 be now read a second time.
The President: Is there any objection to that motion? No objection. Carry on, Senator Richardson.
BILL
SECOND READING
BERMUDA CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY AMENDMENT ACT 2021 Sen. Curtis Richardson: Madam President, the purpose of my statement today is to introduce a Bill designed to allow for the Operating Fund of the Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority (the Authority) to be in interest - bearing bank accounts wherever possible, wi thin or outside Bermuda; and to increase the time required to prepare a report after receiving the auditor’s report from 30 days to 60 days. Madam President, the Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority Act 2016 (the Act) clarifies that the Authority should maintain Operating Funds in interest -bearing bank accounts in Bermuda. Currently, there are no banks in Bermuda that provide interest income on current accounts. Therefore, the Authority is unable to meet statutory requirements. Notwithstanding this, it should be noted that the Authority does utilise threemonth call accounts that are interest -bearing for funds that are not readily needed for operations. Madam President, the Act also requires that the Authority’s annual report be prepared within 30 days after receiving the auditor’s report. The Authority has found that 30 days is not a commercially realistic timeframe to prepare, review and edit the annual report and then submit it to the Board and Office of the Auditor General for their review. They b elieve that 60 days will give the Authority a more practical timeframe to get the annual report prepared, including reports, graphs and photos, content checked and printed, considering that a fair amount of preparatory work is done in advance. Thank you, Madam President.
The President: Thank you, Senator Richardson. Would any Senator care to speak on this Bill? Senator Jones, you have the floor.
Sen. Marcus Jones: Thank you, Madam President, and good morning to you and my fellow Senators and to the listening audience. 584 14 July 2021 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda Senate Madam President, we in the Opposition do not have any objections to this a mendment. We see the wisdom in extending the time from 30 to 60 days. It seems to me to be the right thing to do to give the principals the sufficient time t o scrutinise, report and to process it in an efficient manner. With that said, Madam President, we support this Bill.
The President: Thank you, Senator Jones. Would any other Senator care to speak on this Bill? Hearing none, then it is over to you, Senator Richardson.
Sen. Curtis Richardson: Madam President, I move that the Bill entitled the Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority Amendment Act 2021 be now read a second time.
The President: Is there any objection to that motion? No objection. Carry on, Senat or Richardson.
SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDER 26
Sen. Curtis Richardson: Madam President, I move that [Standing Order] 26 be suspended in respect of this Bill.
The President: Is there any objection to that motion? No objection. [Motion carried: Standing Order 26 suspended.]
[Pause] The President: The third reading, Senator Richardson.
Sen. Curtis Richardson: I am doing that now. The President: Oh, okay. Carry on.
Sen. Curtis Richardson: Madam President, I move that the Bill entitled the Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority Amendment Act 2021 be now read a third time.
The President: Is there any objection to that motion? No objection, Senator Richardson. Sen. Curtis Richardson: Madam President, I move that the Bill do now pass. The President: It has been moved that the Bill entitled the Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority Amendment Act 2021 do now pass. Is there any objection to that motion? No objection. The Bill is pass ed. [Motion carried: The Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority Amendment Act 2021 was read a third time and passed. ] The President: Thank you, Senator Richardson, and thank you, Senators.
MOTIONS The President: There are none.
CONGRATULATORY AND/OR OBITUARY SPEECHES The President: Would any Senator care to speak?
Sen. the Hon. Dr. Ernest PeetsYes. Thank you, Madam President, for allowing me just a few mi nutes. I know some of us as Senators had an opportunity just a little over a week ago to be at the City Hall for the unveiling of the Freedom Park plaque at City Hall. I , as …
Yes. Thank you, Madam President, for allowing me just a few mi nutes. I know some of us as Senators had an opportunity just a little over a week ago to be at the City Hall for the unveiling of the Freedom Park plaque at City Hall. I , as a young 51- year-old, was very, very much excited, as well as being in awe of our history, particu-larly as it relates to those individuals who demonstrated immense courage and commitment to social justice and equal rights, of which all of us today actually still enjoy. So I certainly wanted to extend my thanks and my gratitude to all of those who during that particular era sacrificed much in order for us to enjoy the freedoms which we enjoy today, particularly those of the Progressive Group and those individuals who stood by their convictions for the T heatre Boycott. I also want to thank and congratulate the Corporation of Hamilton for their due diligence and their recognition of these events and these individuals, and their commitment to freedom of speech as well as social justice, in creating the Freedom Park. And I certainly invite the listening public to grab their electronic devices and use the QR codes at the various sites around the City of Hamilton, starting at City Hall, to educate themselves about our unique history and about the important events that took place during the T heatre Boycott. I know there are a few living members still among us, and we certainly thank God for granting them length of life.
Bermuda Senate The President: Thank you, Minister Peets. Would any other Senator care to speak? Senator Tucker, you have the floor.
Sen. Ro bin Tucker: Thank you, Madam President. I would like to express condolences to the family of Althea Lightbourne. She was the [mother] of Jerome, [and sister o f] Marshall and [also] Kim Minors . And she was also the niece of Jewell Eve. So I just wanted to express sincere condolences to Althea’s en-tire family and friends. Also, I would like to just say thank you, or congratulations and also a thank -you just to highlight Bermuda’s charities. Obviously, there is a lot that has been going on, and the charities . . . I would like to express just a very heartfelt thank -you to our charities, and our donors and our volunteers who support them. We have had and we continue to have people in food lines. It was announced not too long ago by the Minister of Labour that there were one in ten Bermudians out of work. And there is a lot of challenge that comes with that, and there are a lot of people going through a lot of hardships , so I just wanted to take a moment and say thank you to the charities and all of the volunteers and, as I said, the donors and everyone who supports them. So I just want to say thank you.
The President: Thank you, Senator Tucker. Would any other Senator care to speak? Hearing none, I would just like to associate myself with the condol ences that have been expressed by Senator Tucker for Althea Lightbourne and her family. She attended the church that I attend in Devonshire. I was very much aware of her and also her brothers and her father, and they also attended the church. So may she rest in peace and the family have fond memories of her. I would also like to be associated with the comments that have been made by Minister Peets with respect to Freedom Square. I know that myself and certainly Senator Simmons were present, and it was an awesome occasion and an awesome achievement. We were able to see many of those who are still living of the Progressive Group, and it was moving. So I really want to thank you, Minister Peets, for the comments you have made about the occasion. With that, we will move on. Minister Peets.
ADJOURNMENT
Sen. the Hon. Dr. Ernest PeetsYes. Thank you, Madam President. I make a motion to adjourn to July 21, 2021. The President: Would any Senator care to speak on the motion to adjourn? Hearing none, this was a very short session. Thank you all for your attendance this morning. The Senate stands adjourned until next …
Yes. Thank you, Madam President. I make a motion to adjourn to July 21, 2021.
The President: Would any Senator care to speak on the motion to adjourn? Hearing none, this was a very short session. Thank you all for your attendance this morning. The Senate stands adjourned until next week, the 21 st. Thank you.
[At 10:2 4 am, the Senate stood adjourned until 10:00 am, Wednesday, 21 July 2021.]