The Premier announced the launch of SafeKey, a QR code system that allows fully vaccinated people or those with negative COVID tests to access indoor dining and church services. The Deputy Premier presented the final Bermuda Plan 2018, which sets development rules for the entire island except Hamilton, following extensive public consultation and tribunal hearings. The Education Minister outlined a new saliva screening program for all public and private schools to help detect asymptomatic COVID cases. The National Security Minister warned residents about the approaching hurricane season and a potential storm system expected this weekend.
Introduction of SafeKey QR code system for vaccinated people and those with negative COVID testsFinal approval of the Bermuda Plan 2018 development guidelines for the islandNew electricity rate reductions taking effect June 1stSchool saliva testing program starting May 24th to detect COVID in students and staffHurricane season preparations and early weather warnings
Bills & Motions
The Bermuda Plan 2018 was tabled for House consideration and approval
Multiple COVID-19 public health regulations and amendments were tabled
The Wage Commission Report 2021 recommending minimum wage options was presented for information
Notable Moments
The Premier emphasized that SafeKey was developed by young Bermudians at minimal cost, compared to New York's $2.5 million system
Over 1,800 parents have already given consent for their children to participate in the school saliva testing program
A weather system currently 500 miles northeast of Bermuda may become a subtropical cyclone and bring adverse conditions this weekend
Debate Transcript
437 speeches from 24 speakers
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMembers, we are now calling the House to session. Ms. Beal e, would you like to do the prayers at this time for us? Thank you. PRAYERS [Prayers read by Ms. Kara Beale, Assistant Clerk ] CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES [Minutes of 7 May 2021]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Members, the House is now in session. The Minutes of the 7th of May have been ci rculated. Members, are there any amendments, adjustments, correc tions that are required? There are none. The Minutes are confirmed as printed. [Minutes of 7 May 2021 confirmed] MESSAGES FROM THE GOVERNOR
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThere are none. ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE SPEAKER OR MEMBER PRESIDING APOLOGY
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThere is one announcement this mor ning. We have been duly informed by the Minister of Transport, Minister Scott, that he will be absent t oday. And we are just having it dul y noted. Thank you. MESSAGES FROM THE SENATE
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThere are none. PAPERS AND OTHER COMMUNICATIONS TO THE HOUSE
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThere are a host of them, about 12 this morning. The first is in the name of the Deputy Premier. Deputy Premier. Hon. Walter H. Roban: Good morning, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerGood morning. THE BERMUDA PLAN 2018 Hon. Walter H. Roban: Good morning to Members of the House and the listening public. Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to attach and submit for the consideratio n of the Honourable House of Assembly the Bermuda Plan 2018, the Tribunal Report Draft Bermuda …
Good morning.
THE BERMUDA PLAN 2018 Hon. Walter H. Roban: Good morning to Members of the House and the listening public. Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to attach and submit for the consideratio n of the Honourable House of Assembly the Bermuda Plan 2018, the Tribunal Report Draft Bermuda Plan 2018 and zoning maps. Note that the z oning maps can be found on our parliamentary website at an appropriate link : https://planning.gov.bm/index.php/bermuda-plan -2018/ . Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Deputy Premier. The next Minister I am going to call on is Mi nister Wilson. Minister Wilson, I believe you have most of the remaining [papers] . So, Minister, would you like to present all of yours at this time? Hon. Kim N. Wilson: Yes, thank you. Good …
The SpeakerThe SpeakerGood morning. PUBLIC HEALTH (COVID- 19) EMERGENCY EXTENSION ORDER 2021 PUBLIC HEALTH (COVID- 19 EMERGENC Y POWERS) AMENDMENT (NO. 4) REGULATIONS 2021 PUBLIC HEALTH (COVID- 19 EMERGENCY POWERS) AMENDMENT (NO. 5) REGULATIONS 2021 1418 21 May 2021 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly PUBLIC HEALTH (COVID- 19 EMERGENCY POWERS) …
Good morning.
PUBLIC HEALTH (COVID- 19) EMERGENCY EXTENSION ORDER 2021
PUBLIC HEALTH (COVID- 19 EMERGENC Y POWERS) AMENDMENT (NO. 4) REGULATIONS 2021
PUBLIC HEALTH (COVID- 19 EMERGENCY POWERS) AMENDMENT (NO. 5) REGULATIONS 2021
1418 21 May 2021 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly PUBLIC HEALTH (COVID- 19 EMERGENCY POWERS) AMENDMENT (NO. 6) REGULATIONS 2021
PUBLIC HEALTH (COVID- 19 EMERGENCY POWERS) (STAY AT HOM E) REGULATIONS 2021
PUBLIC HEALTH (COVID- 19) EMERGENCY EXTENSION (NO. 2) ORDER 2021
PUBLIC HEALTH (COVID- 19 EMERGENCY POWERS) (STAY AT HOME) AMENDMENT REGULATIONS 2021
PUBLIC HEALTH (COVID- 19 EMERGENCY POWERS) (STAY AT HOME) AMENDMENT (NO. 2) REGULATION S 2021
QUARANTINE (COVID -19) (NO. 3) AMENDMENT ORDER 2021
PUBLIC HEALTH (COVID- 19 EMERGENCY POWERS) (PHASED RE- OPENING) REGULATIONS 2021
Hon. Kim N. Wilson: Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to attach and submit for the information of the Honourable House of Assembly the following: • Public Health (COVID -19) Emergency Exte nsion Order 2021; • Public Health (COVID -19 Emergency Powers) Amendment (No. 4) Regulations 2021; • Public Health (COVID -19 Emergency Powers) Amendment (No. 5) Regulations 2021; • Public Health (C OVID -19 Emergency Powers) Amendment (No. 6) Regulations 2021; • Public Health (COVID -19 Emergency Powers) (Stay at Home) Regulations 2021; • Public Health (COVID -19) Emergency Exte nsion (No. 2) Order 2021 ; • Public Health (COVID -19 Emergency Powers) (Stay at Hom e) Amendment Regulations 2021 ; • Public Health (COVID -19 Emergency Powers) (Stay at Home) Amendment (No. 2) Regul ations 2021; • Quarantine (COVID -19) (No. 3) Amendment Order 2021; and finally, • Public Health (COVID -19 Emergency Powers) (Phased Re- opening) Regul ations 2021 . Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. The next paper this morning is in the name of the Minister of Labour, Minister Hayward. Hon. Jason Hayward: Mr. Speaker —
The SpeakerThe SpeakerWe hear you; we do not see you. Now your camera is on, yes. Go ahead. THE WAGE COMMISSION REPORT 2021 : RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A MINIMUM WAGE IN BERMUDA Hon. Jason Hayward: Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to attach and submit for the information of this Honourable House of …
We hear you; we do not see you. Now your camera is on, yes. Go ahead.
THE WAGE COMMISSION REPORT 2021 : RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A MINIMUM WAGE IN BERMUDA
Hon. Jason Hayward: Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to attach and submit for the information of this Honourable House of Assembly the Recommendations for a Minimum Wage in Bermuda report .
PETITIONS
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThere are no petitions. STATEMENTS BY MINISTERS AND JUNIOR MINISTERS
The SpeakerThe SpeakerWe have six Statements this morning. The first Statement this morning, Members, is in the name of the Premier. Premier, would you like to put your Stat ement? Hon. E. David Burt: If I may, please, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYou may. Go right ahead. IMPLEMENTATION OF SAFEKEY Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you ver y much, Mr. Speaker. Good morning to you, Mr. Speaker, and good morning to colleagues and the listening audience. Mr. Speaker, this morning I am pleased to provide this Honourable House and members of the …
You may. Go right ahead.
IMPLEMENTATION OF SAFEKEY Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you ver y much, Mr. Speaker. Good morning to you, Mr. Speaker, and good morning to colleagues and the listening audience. Mr. Speaker, this morning I am pleased to provide this Honourable House and members of the public with additional details regarding the SafeKey
programme announced on Tuesday. This initiative is part of the Government’s effort to allow for more activities and businesses to open safely with reduc ed risk of coronavirus exposure as we continue our work to eliminate local transmission. It is also in keeping with our efforts to upgrade our coronavirus test and COVID -19 vaccination certificates to ensure that they cannot be forged. With this technology , residents and visitors can begin to enjoy activities and events again that are so important to the cultural fabric of our Island while minimising the risk of any gathering becoming a super -spreader event. Mr. Speaker, SafeKey is a QR code that will be issued to persons with a negative coronavirus test result or to persons who are fully immunised against COVID -19 through vaccination, which is two weeks after an approved course of a vaccine is completed. SafeKey was designed with privacy in mind and will contain only the information necessary to ensure that it is being used by the person to whom it was issued.
Bermuda House of Assembly This limited information includes the user’s initials, month and day of birth, and the expiry date of the SafeKey. A SafeKey QR code is valid for three days for a negative test result, and until June the 15th for fully immunised persons during the initial rollout phase. As this is a new programme these expiry per iods may be adjusted while we learn how best to apply them. Mr. Speaker, when a SafeKey is presented by the user to a business or establishment, the business can check to ensure it is authentic by going to verify.gov.bm on the web browser of a phone, and scan the QR Code using the camera. This means no special equipment is needed in order to validate that the SafeKey is authentic and not a forgery. Once the SafeKey is confirmed as valid, identification such as a passport or driver’s licence must also be checked to ensure the SafeKey is being used by the person to whom it was issued. This ensures that if you lose your SafeKey, it cannot be used by someone else. To further preserve your individual privacy, the SafeKey does not contain information about whether the holder tested negative or if the holder has been immunised. Mr. Speaker, the QR codes that will now appear on Bermuda’s vaccination certificates, test r esults and SafeKey are developed according to the MIT PathCheck Foundation’s Paper Verifiable Credential Standard. Initially they will be verifiable by scanning them via verify.gov.bm on any mobile phone. This programme is built on open- source technology, and this means that any local company or local application developer can write programmes to leverage the SafeKey. I can confirm that the Government engaged a young Bermudian, Mr. Dejae Trott, who participated in the Bermuda Government ’s coding bootcamp in 2019, to build a mobile application to store SafeKey QR codes on mobile phones. Additionally , Mr. Speaker, there is strong interest from other local technology and event companies who have contacted my office to learn how they can leverage the technology. Mr. Speaker, negative test results sent by email were upgraded as of yesterday , May the 20th, to include QR codes on the test certificate, and persons were also sent a separate SafeKey. The SafeKey QR codes for immunised persons will be gradually rolled out over the coming weeks with emails containing a link that persons can click to verify their vaccination record details and be issued an upgraded vaccination certificate as well as a SafeKey. Mr. Speaker, as we look forward to the opening of a new luxury hotel this weekend, it is important that we do not forget our tourists who will be visiting Bermuda. Travellers who are not required to quarantine will receive their SafeKey QR c odes with their negative tests results. This will ensure that our visitors to the Island can also utilise this technology without needing to do anything extra. Mr . Speaker, SafeKey is not a vaccine passport , as you do not need to get a vaccine in order to be issued the QR code to enjoy activities. The initial use for SafeKey will be to allow indoor dining to safely begin again and for churches to increase in- person attendance for corporate worship. The public health regulations are currently being amended to change the existing restrictions for indoor dining and churches. Next week w e will look to make further amendments to expand the use of SafeKey to gyms and other higher -risk activities. Mr. Speaker, i t is important to note that though indoor dining is limited to persons with Saf eKey at this time, this will not be the case forever . If Bermuda successfully meets the targets for our move to Phase 3 of our reopening, all restaurants will be able to be open for indoor dining for all persons. Ho wever, Mr. Speaker, using SafeKey for indoor dining now will allow many businesses to rehire more staff who have been laid off due to the existing restrictions while we continue our collective work as a country to eliminate local transmission. As a country we have sacrificed , and this Government wants to get as many persons back to work as quickly as possible. Mr. Speaker, a successful initial pilot event was carried out last weekend for an exempted gathering of people. Immunised attendees and persons who were not immunised but tested beforehand were pr ovided a SafeKey QR c ode. The technology was successfully tested, and SafeKey will be used next week for participants and attendees at the Bermuda Day event at t he National Sports Centre, as well as for participants in the Bermuda Day Half Marathon. With this new technology we can move boldly towar ds the future and plan for events like the Annual Cup Match Classic, knowing that there is a method to minimi se the risk for fans, staff and players. SafeKey is flexible, and due to the fact that it can be read by any mobile phone, it allows individuals to use SafeKey for personal events such as a private party at their home where guests can be asked to share their Saf eKey. This can help to minimise the risk of coronavirus exposure and can provide added comfort for important family gatherings. Mr. Speaker , before I close I must thank the teams who worked behind the scenes to get us to where we are today. I would like to thank the public officers in the Information and Digital Technology D epartment led by the Chief Information Officer , Mr. Daron Raynor. I w ould like to thank the team at the D epartment of Communications , led by the Director , Aderonke Bademosi Wilson, for their work to support the public rollout of this initiative. And finally , Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Mr. Denis Pitcher , who has giv en extensive time and effort, and adapted the core technology behind this initiative at no additional cost to the Bermuda Government. While jurisdictions like the State of New York have implemented similar programmes for $2.5 mi llion, we have implemented best -in-class technology in Bermuda at minimal cost to the taxpayer. 1420 21 May 2021 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly This technology and the applications that will support it will be built in Bermuda, [will be] supported by Bermudians and will yield many benefits for our summer tourism season. Any resident, visitor or app developer , or any Member, Mr. Speaker , who wants to learn more about SafeKey can visit the website: www. gov.bm/ safekey to learn more. Again, Mr. Speaker, that is the Government of Bermuda website, www. gov.bm/ safekey. Mr. Speaker, as we utilise this newest tool in our arsenal, we can take confidence from how well Bermuda has applied cutting- edge technology throughout the pandemic. The WeHealth app has helped to notify persons of potential exposure and has helped to manage outbreaks. Our travel authorisation and testing system s have earned praise from res idents and visitors alike. And now we will use techno logy again through the SafeKey programme to stay one step ahead of the coronavirus , to support bus inesses and to continue our drive to get Bermudians back to work. SafeKey has the potential to be a useful tool to help continue our positive trend towards elim inating local transmission while reopening our economy as this Government moves Bermuda beyond the pandemic. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Mr. Premier. The next Statement this morning is in the name of the Deputy Premier. Deputy Premier, would you like to present your Statement at this time? Hon. Walter H. Roban: Yes. Good morning, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerGood morning. Go right ahead. THE FINAL BERMUDA PLAN 2018 Hon. Walter H. Roban: Again, g ood morning, Mr. Speaker. T oday I lay for the consideration and approval the F inal Bermuda Plan 2018 . The Bermuda Plan [2018] (the Plan) is a development plan prepared by the Department …
Good morning. Go right ahead.
THE FINAL BERMUDA PLAN 2018
Hon. Walter H. Roban: Again, g ood morning, Mr. Speaker. T oday I lay for the consideration and approval the F inal Bermuda Plan 2018 . The Bermuda Plan [2018] (the Plan) is a development plan prepared by the Department of Planning to guide development for the Island for many years to come. The Plan, which covers the entire Island with the exception of the City of Hamilton, comprises a policy document and zoning maps , and the T ribunal report. Once approved by both Houses, notice of the approval of the Bermuda Plan 2018 will be published in the official Gazette . Mr. Speaker , it must be noted that due to the size of the documents, the Plan can only be accessed electronically. T he Planning statement and the Tribunal reports are 200 and 700 pages , respectively. The zoning maps are multi- layered, which can be more instructional to Honourable Members as the layers can be manipulated. I invite members of this Honour-able House and the public to access the Plan on the Planning Department’s website or more specifically by entering the URL https://planning.gov.bm/index.php/bermudaplan- 2018/. (Obviously this will be avai lable to the public to see, and they will be able to click quite easily on the website and not be guided by my either misstatement of this URL code . . .) Mr. Speaker , the Plan 2018 is the product of consultation with the public, key stakeholders, statut ory bodies and extensive research. The overarching aim of the Plan is “to effectively manage Bermuda’s natural and built environment, resources and development , and to help build healthy, sustainable communities.” In support of this aim, the Plan is based on three strategies —a development strategy, a conserv ation strategy and a community strategy. Mr. Speaker , within the framework of these strategies, the Bermuda Plan 2018 sets out the following five key goals: 1. conserve open space and protect the Island’s natural and built heritage; 2. provide sufficient development potential to meet the community’s needs; 3. facilitate community improvements in neighbourhoods to create better, healthier and safer places to live and visit; 4. encourage a more efficient and sustainable use and development of land and buildings; and 5. to ensure a high quality of design and accessibility in all new developments. Mr. Speaker , Honourable Members ma y recall that the Bermuda Plan 2018 was first released as a draft Plan and was the subject of a three- and-a-halfmonth public consultation period from the 3 rd of December 2018 to the 15th of March 2019. During this consultation period, a total of 457 objections and counter -objections were received. Mr. Speaker , of the objections, 282 ( or 62 per cent) were objections, 161 (35 per cent ) were counter - objections and 14 (3 per cent ) were representations in support of zonings or policies in the draft Plan. A total of 50 objections were ultimately withdrawn or deemed invalid. Of the remaining 232 objecti ons, 147 (63 per cent) were zoning related. The most common zoning objections involved landowners wanting to remove Agricultural Reserve and Woodland Reserve Conservation Areas from their property. This has been a common theme with objections to previous draft Bermuda Plans and reflects landowners wanting greater development potential for their properties. Mr. Speaker , on the 10th of January 2020, I appointed the Draft Bermuda Plan 2018 Tribunal [the Tribunal ] to hold public inquiries for objections and representations to the Bermuda Plan 2018. Members of the Tribunal were Mr. John Payne ( the Chair), Ms. Jennifer Haworth and Mr. Carlos Amaral. Additionally, Mr. Jonathan Starling, Ms. Vanessa Turner and Ms. Quinell Francis were appointed as alternate member s.
Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Speaker , in the department’s processing of the 232 valid objections it was pleasing to note that 52 per cent of them were resolved between the Planning Department ’s technical officers and the objector. This left the remaining 48 per cent of object ions in an unresolved status to be heard by the Tribunal. Mr. Speaker , the Tribunal commenced inperson public inquiries on 27th of February 2020; however, the inquiries were halted shortly thereafter in response to the health restrictions imposed by the COVID -19 pandemic. The department acted as swiftly as possible to amend the Tribunal procedures , which involved holding the hearings virtually and live strea ming them from the department’s website. A total of 16 Tribunal meetings were held in this manner with the last hearing concluding on the 10th of December 2020. Mr. Speaker , the D raft Bermuda Plan 2018 Tribunal Report, which included the Tribunal’s recommendations for each objection along with general remarks, was submitted to me for review and a resolution. Following the completion of my review, this report was finali sed to reflect the resolutions of each objection and representation. Mr. Speaker , the Bermuda Plan 2018 Planning Statement and digital zoning maps reflect the final resolutions for amendments to the d raft Bermuda Plan 2018. We will discuss further the resolutions in a more fulsome debate on the 4 th of June. I look forward to receiving the input and questions of Honourable Members at that time. Mr. Speaker , the importance of the Bermuda Plan 2018 cannot be understated. There is a reco gnised need to provide flexibility within the policy to provide the necessary mechanism s to support development and new investment. This , of course, should not be to the detriment of our natural environment . The work of the d epartment involves assessing the competing interests and is becoming increasingly challenging in today’s dynamic environment. Mr. Speaker , I would like to take this opportunity at this time to thank the members of the Tribunal for their hard work and contributions to the Bermuda Plan 2018. In addition, I would like to recognise the efforts of the Director, Ms. Victoria Pereira, of the Department of Planning and all of her team. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. The next Statement this morning is also in your name, Minister. Would you like to continue with that Statement? Hon. Walter H. Roban: Yes, Mr. Speaker. Absolutely. Thank you very much for allowing me to continue with my next Statement.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerGo right ahead. REGULATORY AUTHORITY ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING ELECTRICITY RATES Hon. Walter H. Roban: Mr. Speaker, I rise to take this opportunity to address the Honourable House in order to clarify some elements of the recent reduction in electricity rates b y the Regulatory Authority (the RA). The RA has published …
Go right ahead. REGULATORY AUTHORITY ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING ELECTRICITY RATES Hon. Walter H. Roban: Mr. Speaker, I rise to take this opportunity to address the Honourable House in order to clarify some elements of the recent reduction in electricity rates b y the Regulatory Authority (the RA). The RA has published their report on the decision and order resulting from their 2021 Electricity Retail Tariff Review , dated 13 May 2021. The new rates, effective on the 1st of June, are lower than those set last year, which are in turn lower than those in 2019. The most dynamic difference is in the lowest tier of use, which started at 15.75 cents per kilowatt -hour, decreased to 12.81 cents in 2020 and has now been set at 12.53 cents. The rate applies to the first 250 kilowatt - hours of use. The second tier, for electricity use of more than 251 kilowatt -hours and up to 700 kilowatt - hours, started at 24 cents per kilowatt -hour in 2019, dropped to 21.72 cents in 2020 and reduced again to 21.24 cents in the new revised tariff. These are not the only reductions made, Mr. Speaker . The f acilities charges (the tariff charged for the fixed costs of bringing electricity to customer s) have also decreased by [about ] 3.6 per cent from that which was set last year. A customer using 600 kil owatt-hours per month should expect to pay $143.72 for energy (that is , the kilowatt -hours used) in the months to come, whereas in 2019 they would hav e paid $166.33, and up until now $147.51. I will provide Honourable Members with copies of some tables prepared by the RA to illustrate what the real impact is to an average customer. Furthermore, Mr. Speaker , businesses will see a reduction in rates varyi ng between 1.4 [per cent] and 1.8 per cent. This is meaningful in these challenging economic times. Mr. Speaker , I remind the Honourable House that electricity tariffs can only be changed by the Regulatory Authority regardless of any representations or assertions made by any other party in any other forum. The responsibility of the Minister as defined by the Electricity Act [2016] (the Act) is to provide policy direction when necessary. And I will repeat that sentence so that it is clear the role that the Minister and the Government play. The responsibility of the Minister as defined by the Electricity Act 2016 is to provide policy direction when necessary. It is worth noting that existing policy, particularly as expressed in section 6 of the Act, specifically states that the RA’s duty is in part ( and I quote) “to protect the interests of end- users with r espect to prices and affordability, and the adequacy, reliability and quality of electricity service . . . .” These new rates, resulting from this year’s r ate review, r eflect the purpose and in fact reflect the commitment of the 2020 Speech [from] the Throne. The RA is independent in respect of its processes and its decisions, but like all regulators is bound by the covenant of pol icy as defined by the Act. 1422 21 May 2021 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Speaker , while these reductions are welcome news on the backdrop of an increasingly expensive cost of living, it is vital to recogni se the role that fuel costs play in our electricity bills. The RA strives to ensure that those costs are allocated fai rly to all cu stomers and that those costs reflect the true costs of fuel. For the avoidance of doubt, Mr. Speaker, the utility makes no profit on the importation of fuel. Therefore, Mr. Speaker , with this step in the right direction for energy costs, it i s perhaps more important now than ever to increase our uptake of r enewable energy so that fuel costs can be reduced or eliminated. With more renewable energy comes less [use of ] fossil fuel, which accounts for a good portion of every electric ity bill. Fina lly, Mr. Speaker , we must simultaneously focus on encouraging energy efficiency, which will help control all energy costs. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Deputy Premier. The next Statement this morning is in the name of the Mi nister of Education. Minister, would you like to present your Statement at this time? SALIVA SCREENING PROGRAMME Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this morning I rise before you …
Thank you, Deputy Premier. The next Statement this morning is in the name of the Mi nister of Education. Minister, would you like to present your Statement at this time?
SALIVA SCREENING PROGRAMME Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this morning I rise before you and my honourable colleagues to share the pl ans that have been put in place to implement a Saliva Screening Regime Programme in our public schools, commencing Monday, May 24th. Mr. Speaker, having students in school for inperson learning is a priority. Additionally, ensuring that our schools and school environments are safe for staff and students is equally important. In light of this, the school staff are working diligently to keep COVID -19 from s preading in school buildings. Our schools are making tremendous efforts to keep students, staff and by extension our families safe and healthy by impl ementing safety and health protocols aligned with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other international health organisations. These safety and health protocols provide schools with a daily structure for applying the Government’s compr ehensive prevention and control measures aimed at protecting staff and students and mitigating and r educing the risk of transmitting COVID -19. Mr. Speaker, the Entry to Exit Safety and Health Protocols for our schools are comprehensive documents and include universal prevention strat egies such as the following: 1. morning screenings that include temperaturetaking; 2. students and staff wearing face masks; 3. handwashing and sanitising; 4. respiratory etiquette; 5. physical distancing; 6. using cohorts , or bubbles; 7. wearing personal protection equipment (PPE) when necessary; 8. ensuring good ventilation in rooms; 9. cleaning, saniti sing and disinfecting rooms and frequently touched surfaces throughout the school day using EPA -approved products; and 10. posting safety and health signs to promote safety and protective measures. We recognise that the implementation of one safety measure wi ll not work on its own. Therefore, a combined approach of all of these aforementioned prevention strategies will reduce the transmission of COVID -19 and help keep our school environments safe. Mr. Speaker, in addition to the Entry to Exit Safety and Heal th Protocols created for each school level, the Department of Health has used current r esearch and best practice to develop another layer of safety -specific protocols to reduce the transmission of the COVID -19 virus. These include specific protocols for the following: • minibuses when transport ing students to and from school; • sitting exam s in large rooms; • field trips; and • the use of the computer labs. These protocols drill down and outline explicit practices that staff and students must follow to reduce the t ransmission of COVID -19 when engaging in these types of activities. As schools make every effort to implement these protocols, the Department of Health has made it very clear that the protocols must be strictly adhered to 100 per cent of the time to r educe the spread of COVID -19. Mr. Speaker, the EEMC (Education Emergency Measures Committee) met on May the 3 rd to discuss the implementation of yet another safety meas-ure—the introduction of a saliva screening strategy for public and private schools. The sal iva screening strategy provides a means for identifying and mitigating the risks for exposure of COVID -19 in school buil dings. The goal is to use the saliva test as a screen to help break the chains of transmission quickly. The screening strategy will iden tify persons in our schools who may be COVID -19 positive and asymptomatic. Health officials will then determine the exposure risk and put in place the proper requirements to isolate individuals who have tested positive. The EEMC supported the introduction of the saliva screening pr ogramme in schools. Mr. Speaker, the ability to offer COVID -19 testing at both public and private schools at every le vel, from preschool to senior school, and at Success Academy and Dame [Marjorie Bean] Hope Academy, is one more tool to help ensure our students can continue in -person learning safely. Bermuda’s public and private schools will join other schools around the
Bermuda House of Assembly world that have implemented saliva screening pr ogrammes and have demonstrated that saliva testing in schools i s feasible, acceptable and effective. These include some schools in Canada, the United States, France, England and Germany. Mr. Speaker, our research revealed that for schools to sustain saliva screening programmes, partnerships are required with organis ations that can support, oversee and coordinate the programme. The Department of Education has been very fortunate to establish a partnership with the Government’s Mo-lecular Diagnostic Lab (MDL). Schools are respons ible for ensuring the organisation of staff, students and the facility for testing. At the same time, MDL provides all of the equipment, resources, saliva kits, the sched-ule and their staff to oversee the testing. This pr ogramme would not be possible without the partnership with MDL, and we are i ndebted to them for their support. Mr. Speaker, only students who have parental consent will participate. Each school will know in a dvance when testing will occur at the school so that parents and students are aware. We are also appr eciative of MDL for ma king special testing provisions for students who are in our ASD and Functional Skills programmes and who also attend Dame Hope Aca demy. Mr. Speaker, the saliva screening programme involves each school organising students into groups, as detailed by the MDL Team, with one group of st udents from across classes to be tested each week. Testing groups of students each week will provide the Molecular Diagnostic Lab with samples across clas srooms, and it will help determine any COVID -19 risks in the school on an ongoing basis. Repeated testing increases the chances of detecting the virus at a m oment when new infections are occurring or have just occurred. Dr. Carika Weldon, the Director of the Go vernment’s MDL, has also advised us that the saliva tests are as accur ate as the nasal pharyngeal tests. Mr. Speaker, staff who consent to participate in the programme will be scheduled for testing based on the frequency of their interactions with others. For example, a member of staff who interacts with many different students or other staff would be tested each week. Staff members who have contact with only some students and some staff would be tested every two weeks. Lastly, those staff with fewer interactions such as [with only] one class, would be tested once per month. Mr. Speaker, the Ministry of Education sent out information letters to parents and principals that explained the process that must be followed when participating in the programme. On the day students and staff are scheduled for the saliva test, they must not eat, drink or chew gum at least 30 minutes prior to the test. This involves depositing a saliva sample in containers as provided by the MDL with oversight by MDL staff. Mr. Speaker, once MDL secures the saliva samples, the results are available wit hin 24 hours. The results of the saliva tests are sent to parents and guardians, not to the school principal or the Depar tment of Education. If a positive test is detected, then the result is sent to the individual’s physician or GP and must be followed up with a nasal pharyngeal test. Mr. Speaker, a series of town hall meetings were held with the Department of Education staff, school staff, and parents and guardians the week of May 10. We were also fortunate to have Dr. Carika Weldon and Mr. Tarik Bean- Darrell, MDL’s School Saliva Testing Coordinator, on hand to present information about the saliva testing programme and r espond to questions. Videos of the sessions have been posted on the Education Department’s YouTube Channel. Mr. Speaker, as previously m entioned, the Ministry also sent letters to parents and guardians about the saliva testing programme via their respective schools. These efforts were undertaken to ensure that parents had various opportunities to receive ade-quate information to make an inf ormed decision. Mr. Speaker, parents have been sent a link to an electro nic consent form which must be completed and r eturned to the department. As of Wednesday, May 19, a total of 1,863 parents and/or guardians have given consent for their children to par ticipate in the saliva testing programme. We appreciate their support of our efforts to make our schools safer. Mr. Speaker, the Ministry recognises that when children are not in school full -time and engaged in face- to-face learning, this is directly ass ociated with a decline in health, well -being and educational achievement. We intend to do all that we can to keep our students in school with continuous learning until the end of the school term. The saliva screening programme will enable us to do this by being proactive with the asymptomatic saliva screening, which will add another layer of pr otection against COVID -19. Mr. Speaker, our school staff are doing an excellent job conducting in- person classes while simultaneously implementing various layers of safety measures in classrooms and schools, which now include the saliva screening programme. This regime will be implemented during the remainder of this school year. Mr. Speaker, in closing I must emphasise that we need families and the community at lar ge to do their part to keep our children and schools safe for learning. Therefore, it is critically important that we follow public health guidelines, wear a mask, practice good hand hygiene, maintain physical distance and download the WeHealth Bermuda app. Lastly, I encourage everyone to do the research, talk with their doctor and make an informed decision about getting the COVID -19 vaccine. Let us all work together to keep our students, staff and school environments safe 1424 21 May 2021 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly so schools remain open and in- person learning can continue for the remainder of the school year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. The next Statement this morning is in the name of the Minister of Labour. Mr. Hayward, would you like to present your Statement? THE WAGE COMMISSION REPORT 2021 : RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A MINIMUM WAGE IN BERMUDA Hon. Jason Hayward: Mr. Speaker, today I laid before this Honourable …
Thank you, Minister. The next Statement this morning is in the name of the Minister of Labour. Mr. Hayward, would you like to present your Statement?
THE WAGE COMMISSION REPORT 2021 : RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A MINIMUM WAGE IN BERMUDA
Hon. Jason Hayward: Mr. Speaker, today I laid before this Honourable House the report entitled Recommendations for a Minimum Wage in Bermuda . Mr. Speaker, the Wage Commission [the Commission] was established by the Employment (Wage Commission) Act 2019 (the Act) based on a recommendation from a Parliamentary Joint Select Committ ee on the establishment of a living and minimum wage regime. Its function is to “conduct such studies, reviews and analyses as are necessary . . . and . . . to make recommendations on the minimum hourly wage and the living wage rate to be prescribed by the Minister [of Labour].” The Commission functions as an independent authority. It is chaired by Mr. Cordell Riley and consists of eight members. The Commission is charged with consulting extensively with relevant stakeholders, including representatives of employers and employees, to help determine the effect of a minimum wage on businesses. The Commission will also work with businesses to minimise the shock on any establishment. Mr. Speaker, according to some reports, studying the impact of a minimum wage on the economy is the most researched topic in all of economics. No matter what side of the debate you are on, you will find many studies to support your viewpoint. The Commission remained focused on its task of recommending a minimum wage for Bermuda with the knowledge that a minimum wage will assist in the following: 1. promoting fair compensation for employees; 2. improving an individual’s quality of life; 3. preventing exploitation of workers; and 4. preventing working families that are below the poverty line from receiving what many would consider to be unliveable wages. Mr. Speaker, most modern developed cou ntries have a mi nimum wage regime. More than 90 per cent of the countries designated as International Labour Organization (ILO) member states currently have a statutory wage scheme of some sort. Considerable evidence- based studies have outlined the many benefits realised by both the employers and employees in countries where a minimum wage has been instituted. Mr. Speaker, I would like to reiterate that the debate surrounding the introduction of a mandatory statutory remuneration regime has concluded. With the passage of the Employment (Wage Commission) Act 2019, this debate has been settled and the questions now become How and when do we implement this regim e? I tabled this report today as part of the Ministry’s efforts to transparently share with the public at the soonest possible opportunity all of the information that has been provided to us. We encourage discussion amongst all of Bermuda on the setting of appropriate rates. Mr. Speaker, the Commission sub-mitted three options for a minimum wage, depending on what is expected to be achieved, as follows: • Option 1: A minimum wage of $13.19, which is 42 per cent of the median hourly wage in 2019 . • Option 2: A minimum wage of $15.71, which is 50 per cent of the median hourly wage. This option is at the threshold of the poverty level, thus setting a wage level that is not below the poverty level . • Option 3: A minimum wage of $17.28, which is 55 per cent of the medi an hourly wage. At this level, the wage is set at the lower bounds of a liveable wage. A minimum wage at this level would pave the way for transition to a liveable wage. Mr. Speaker, while some have express ed concerns about the production of the Wage Com mission’s Report and the publishing of the report in this format, we believed it important for all stakeholders to digest the unabridged report. Businesses can be as-sured that the Government will take a measured approach as it considers the way forward. Mr . Speaker, any business currently operating with a business model that is predicated on poverty wages should seek to change its business model. In closing, the Ministry extends sincere thanks to the Commission for its work on this matter and awaits receipt of its second report on a living wage. Following this, the Government will review the rec-ommendations and considerations contained in the reports with the aim to table a Wage Bill in Parliament that will establish a statutory minimum wage in alignment wi th a living wage regime. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. The final Statement this morning is in the name of the Minister of National Security. Minister Ming, would you like to present your Statement at this time? Hon. Renee Mi ng: Good morning, Mr. Speaker. I just want to beg your indulgence because there have been developments …
Thank you, Minister. The final Statement this morning is in the name of the Minister of National Security. Minister Ming, would you like to present your Statement at this time?
Hon. Renee Mi ng: Good morning, Mr. Speaker. I just want to beg your indulgence because there have been developments since my Statement was written. And I would just like to add those last two paragraphs at the end if you do not mind.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerFor clarity? Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. Re nee Ming: Yes.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThere are matters of importance that you would like to highlight at this time that just deve loped? Hon. Renee Ming: Yes, please, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerSo, Members, we are going to seek your permission, because normally, w hat is printed is what has to be read. And we are pretty stringent that that is stuck to in normal cases. Minister, I am looking at the title, which is Hurricane Preparedness, and I have been following …
So, Members, we are going to seek your permission, because normally, w hat is printed is what has to be read. And we are pretty stringent that that is stuck to in normal cases. Minister, I am looking at the title, which is Hurricane Preparedness, and I have been following the news and the weather today in reference to what po-tentially is out there. So I am going to take it that your additional comments will be in reference to the current status that has just come up?
Hon. Renee Ming: That is correct, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerWith that clarity, I will allow the add itional. But under normal circumstances, it is not done. So, Minister, continue. HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS Hon. Renee Ming: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to remind this Honourable House that we are about to enter hurricane season …
With that clarity, I will allow the add itional. But under normal circumstances, it is not done. So, Minister, continue.
HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS Hon. Renee Ming: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to remind this Honourable House that we are about to enter hurricane season , which runs from June 1st until November 30th. Mr. Speaker, based on records of the last 30 years the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admi nistration (N OAA) National Hurricane Center (NHC) has raised the number from what is considered an aver-age season. The numbers have risen from a yearly average of 12 main storms to 14 main storms, and from six hurricanes to seven hurricanes. The average for major hurri canes classified as a Category 3 or above remains the same, at three. Mr. Speaker, the 2020 season saw a r ecordbreaking season with 30 named tropical storms, 13 hurricanes and 6 major hurricanes. Bermuda saw Hurricane Paulette strike overnight on the 13th and 14th of September, and Hurricane Teddy strike overnight one week later on the 20th and the 21st of September. Mr. Speaker, with this said, the early [predi ctions] for the 2021 are that the season will be even more active than the newer, higher averages. Color ado State University, which is recognised as the world’s leader in predictions, have predicted that the early season forecast is 17 main storms, 8 hurricanes, [and] 4 major hurricanes. NOAA, NHC issued their predi ctions for the 2021 season. The fi rst tropical storm of the 2021 season was announced on May the 10th for the Pacific Coast. Due to climate change, the NHC started its forecast two weeks earlier this year, on May the 15th. Mr. Speaker, each year the Government begins its preparations for hurricane season in advance of the start of the season. In preparation for the 2021 season, the Emergency Broadcast Facility 100.1 FM has now been fully relocated to the new government tower at Prospect and is broadcasting every day at reduced power. Power will be increased if needed. Honourable Members may recall that the station was used last December during the Island- wide power outage. The public is encouraged to familiarise them-selves with the station by tuning in from time to time. Mr. Speaker, Hurri cane Preparedness Week is traditionally held during the first week in June and will run this year from Monday, May 31 st until Friday, June the 4th. During Hurricane Preparedness Week, the Disaster Risk Reduction and Mitigation Team, commonly known as DRRM, will coordinate a number of exercises to familiarise staff and train new staff with the Emergency Measures Organisation Operations Centre located at the Hamilton Fire Station. This week will also be used to test equipment and conduct staff training for the Emergency Broadcast Facility (the EBF). The Emergency Broadcast Facility will test its connections with the Bermuda Weather Service and the Government Facebook Live link. Additionally, Mr. Speaker, the Emergency Broadcast channel will go live each day d uring lunchtime for 30 minutes with guest speakers for the daily preparedness teams, which are as follows: • Monday, Personal Safety; • Tuesday, Family Safety; • Wednesday, Financial Security; • Thursday, Strengthen Your Home; and • Friday, Community and Neighbours . Mr. Speaker, during this week the EMO will meet on Wednesday, June the 2 nd, to ensure planning from each organisation is underway for the 2021 sea-son. Mr. Speaker, we all understand that it only takes one hurricane to make 2021 an active season for Berm uda. And I urge all residents to be prepared. • Now is the time to prepare and repair your house for hurricane season. • Now is the time to look at your fami ly plans and update them with any changes to phone numbers and other important information. • Now is t he time to stock all of your medical prescrip tions that your family and pets require and ensure that you have at least two weeks’ supply on hand. • Now is the time to check your hurricane kit to make sure you have working flashlights, a portable radio with spare batteries and a stock of non- perishable food to last your family for seven days. • Now is the time to ensure your house insur-ance policy is up to date. 1426 21 May 2021 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly • Now is the time to visit your vulnerable neighbours and ask them if they need any help with their preparations —keeping COVID -19 safety precautions in mind, of course. Mr. Speaker, several years ago the Depar tment of Communications released their smartphone application called Treefrog. This app will alert all users to news and alerts posted by the Berm uda Gover nment and includes any alerts posted by the Emergen-cy Measures Organisation that the public needs to be urgently aware of. I urge all of this Honourable House and all of Bermuda’s residents to sign up for this app, which is free, to ensure that yo u receive all emergency alerts. Mr. Speaker, the DRRM team will hold a further EMO meeting for all Emergency Measures O rganisation agencies in late August to update the coun-try on the last hurricane season forecast for 2021, which will be published at the beginning of August. Each year during the hurricane season, Bermuda has an opportunity to demonstrate its strength and resil ience. I am confident that with proper preparation this year will be no different, and we will safely weather any storms that may t est our shores. The DRRM team and the Ministry of National Security will continue to work to ensure that we are well prepared. Mr. Speaker, as we speak, the Bermuda Weather Service is in constant communication with the National Hurricane Center in Miami, as there is a non-tropical low -pressure area located about 500 miles east/northeast of Bermuda which is producing winds to storm force and disorganised showers and thunderstorms. We are expecting this storm to pass, to move towards Bermuda over the weekend and bring adverse weather conditions. And it will likely become a subtropical cyclone later today or on Saturday near to the northeast of Bermuda. Mr. Speaker, the Disaster Risk Reduction and Mitigation Team are in constant communication with the Bermuda Weather Service and will be over the weekend in case this storm intensifies, and the Eme rgency Measures Organisation has to be convened. This is not expected to occur, but Bermuda residents should check the Bermuda Weather Service website during the weekend for the latest updates. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Much appreciated. Members, that brings us to a close of the Statements for today. We are moving on [with] the Order Paper. REPORTS OF COMMITTEES
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThere ar e none. QUESTION PERIOD
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMembers, we have a series of questions today, both written questions and questions from Members regarding Statements that were given this morning. Before I acknowledge the first set of questions, let me just make re ference to the last sitting. During Question Period, the Minister of Works, Minister Burch, made …
Members, we have a series of questions today, both written questions and questions from Members regarding Statements that were given this morning. Before I acknowledge the first set of questions, let me just make re ference to the last sitting. During Question Period, the Minister of Works, Minister Burch, made an indication that he would supply additional information in reference to a question that was put. The Minister has supplied that information and it is has been put up on the Shar ePoint for Members. And that was in reference to the Stimulus Programme contracts. Thank you, Minister, for following up with that. Now begins our question time, and you know there are 60 minutes for that. It is now 10:54. We will turn to the written questions. The first written question this morning is in the name of the Opposition Leader and it is to the Minister of Works, Minister Burch. Opposition Leader, would you like to put your written question? You have three questions, and each of them is indicated for an oral response. Opposition Leader.
QUESTION 1: CORRECTIVE MEASURES TAKEN AT NOTORIOUS ACCIDENT BLACKSPOT
Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Honourable Minister please inform this Honourable House what remedial action and what additional corrective measures the Government i ntends to take to ensure that the frequent accident spot on the corner of Zuill’s Park Road and South Road is safer for all road users?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Minister, would you like to respond?
Lt. Col. Hon. David A. BurchGood morning, Mr. Speaker. Yes. Mr. Speaker, my response is [that] this matter was first brought to my attention in June 2020 when I received a petition from the residents of Zuill’s Park calling for the rem oval of a new hedge and fence. The Ministry of Public Works to …
Good morning, Mr. Speaker. Yes. Mr. Speaker, my response is [that] this matter was first brought to my attention in June 2020 when I received a petition from the residents of Zuill’s Park calling for the rem oval of a new hedge and fence. The Ministry of Public Works to this point had already a pplied a number of traffic -calming measures to the junction of Zuill’s Park Road and South Road to i mprove road safety. The key issues are [that] visibility for drivers (on the South Road and those exiting on Zuill’s Park Road) is severely limited to the west by a wall and to the east by a fence, a hedge and a BELCO column. The main problem with this location is that the vehicles on South Road traveling from the west speed up as they travel downhill in an easterly direction, and due to the limited visibility emerging traffic from Zuill’s Park will on occasion not see these rather fast -moving vehicles. The circumstances of the accidents provided
Bermuda House of Assembly by BPS [Bermuda Police Serv ice] indicate this to be the main cause of accidents at this location. In order to compensate, vehicles turning right to exit Zuill’s Park Road watch for both westbound vehicles and then turn very quickly once there is a gap in the eastbound traffic. But because the visibility is severely limited, on occasion the gap they can see is inadequate to allow them to cross the eastbound lane. The accident record also bears this out. Such driving behaviour remains risky and could not be encouraged. Zuill’s Park R oad is a private street, and maintenance of safety on the highway for users of this road is the responsibility of the owners of this street. The Minister also has a statutory duty to address road safety issues irrespective of the status of the road. The st atutory duty, however, is not a strict duty. Work carried out so far is as follows: (1) Sets of rumble strips have been installed on South Road on both approaches to the junction. Some residents are reporting that they have been effective, whilst others feel that they have had no i mpact. However, observations indicate that these have had a calming effect on traffic, particularly motorcycles on South Road. One resident has also complained about the increase in road noise, which is a known effect of rumble strips. (2) The rumble strips, however, have been formed with thermoplastics, and under certain adverse weather conditions this material can cause a loss of grip. The plan is to replace the thermoplastic with anti - skid resin when the resources are availab le. Nevertheless, a judgment was made that on balance the rumble strips improved safety at this junction despite the possible loss of grip. (3) A pedestrian crossing was installed at the top of the bank near St. Mark’s Church not only to provide a safer c rossing point, but also to create awareness of the road environment for eastbound drivers on South Road. (4) A number of road signs warning of the hidden junction on the new crossing were erected again to improve awareness of drivers. (5) The stop line o n Zuill’s Park Road has been moved forward to improve visibility of drivers waiting to emerge. (6) Action markings have been introduced on the west side of Zuill’s Park Road to indicate the safest waiting area for vehicles waiting to join South Road. (7) Three mirrors were installed, one curved and one flat mirror to improve sight of vehicles approaching from the left, and one curved mirror to i mprove sight of vehicles approaching from the east. Some residents dislike the curved mirrors, as it di storts th e reflection of the approaching vehicles. Ho wever, the curved mirror provides a wider viewing angle and thus improves the distance of the visibility of approaching vehicles. (8) Unfortunately, the supplier of the curved mirrors has not supplied the proper fixings, and W&E [Works & Engineering] staff have been making wood-en formwork to install these mirrors. That formwork imposes unusual strain upon the glass, causing the mirror to crack. This has been attributed to vandalism in the past, but proper consideration of the pattern of cracks indicates otherwise. New mirrors have been ordered which are more expensive but have the correct fixings. And the additional cost is much less than the cost of labour for making the formwork and replac-ing broken mirrors. (9) The landowner of the farmland to the east has given an undertaking to regularly prune his hedge. Several residents contact the Ministry every time the landowner is neglectful of trimming his hedge back; it is not clear if they contact the landowner be-forehand. Further work planned to be carried out: 1. To replace the thermoplastic rumble strips with anti -skid resin to reduce the prospect of bicycles losing grip on South Road. This requires the resin ket-tle to be repaired in order for the work to be carr ied out. 2. Replace the broken mirrors. There have been some delays in procurement of the mirrors because of the new supplier that is being used and also due to the disruption due to COVID -19 restrictions.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerI was about to call on the Opposition Leader to put a further supplementary.
Lt. Col. Hon. David A. BurchI am trying to turn the phone off. I am trying to get as fulsome an answer as possible over what has taken place over the years.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerContinue. Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Much appreciated.
Lt. Col. Hon. David A. BurchOptions to resolve the issues for the longer term: Option 1: Move the wall to the west back by around five feet. This would resolve visibility problems for the eastbound vehicles. However, the cost of this option is likely to be around $200,000, plus land purchase costs. As the work …
Options to resolve the issues for the longer term: Option 1: Move the wall to the west back by around five feet. This would resolve visibility problems for the eastbound vehicles. However, the cost of this option is likely to be around $200,000, plus land purchase costs. As the work will be on a private street, the liability for the cos t lies with the owners. However, the Minister is able to contribute to some or all of the costs under certain conditions, at his discretion. Nego1428 21 May 2021 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly tiations need to be had with the owner of the property on the western side of the junction, as there will be a loss of a sizable portion of his property. Option 2: To create a new five- foot footpath along the northern side of South Road for the length of the farmland property including underground BELCO cables and removing the column. This would also improve the v isibility for the private access onto South Road further to the east of Zuill’s Park Road and enable moving the existing bus stop to a more commodious and safer location, enabling passengers to emerge onto a footpath. The budget estimate for the work will be around $50,000, plus land purchase cost. Preliminary discussions were held with the landowner, and he initially indicated a willingness to neg otiate the sale of land required for this footpath. Ho wever, some altercation with his neighbours appears to have caused him to change his mind, and he is r eportedly no longer willing to sell a strip of his land. Nevertheless, there is provision in legislation for compulsory purchase of land in such situations should the Minister consider it appropriate to do so. A dvice is being sought from the Attorney General’s Chambers. Option 3: In order to improve visibility to the east, the BELCO column could be moved or the c ables installed underground. The cost for moving a col-umn at another location has been quoted as being $3,000. But the problem remains as to where it could be moved so that it would not interfere with visibility. A preferred option would be to underground the cables, and this could cost in the region of $20,000. An easement will need to be negotiated with the lan downer of the farm for this action. Option 4: Negotiated contract between the neighbours to agree a process of trimming back the hedge before requesting the Ministry to intervene in this neighbour dispute. Option 5: The Minister would be able to instruct the defined visibility splay to the east is mai ntained clear of obstruction at all times, necessitating the removal of the hedge in the visibility splay area. A normal Bermuda highway standard for visibility splays for development purposes is 8 feet by 120 feet. The landowner has already moved his hedge back to this standard after a request. However, given the higher vehicle speed for this location and the unusual driving behaviour of users of Zuill’s Park Road, it may be appropriate to impose a hi gher standard for this splay. A splay of 15 feet by 150 feet may be more appropriate where actual speeds are up to 40 miles per hour. To impose this higher standard, it is prudent for the Minister to make a formal decision detailing the reason for this im position. Also, this option does not address the obstruction caused by the BELCO column, and it is advised that this option should be taken in conjunction with aforementioned option 3, as the argument for keeping the visibility splay clear would apply equally to BELCO. Considerations: Options 1 and 2 combined would provide the best technical solution overall, but would be very costly at $250,000 to $300,000. O ption 2 alone solves most of the technical issues and also improves bus passenger facilities and addresses the visibility problem for the access to the east. Al though we could try to persuade the landowner, we can use compulsory purchase powers if necessary, and that cost would be $50,000. Option 3 is the cheapest solution that has technical merit. Residents may still complain about the hedge regardless, however, for biased reasons — $3,000 for pole relocation or $20,000 for underground cables. Option 4 is aspirational, as the residents have been very antagonistic to one another thus far. It would take m uch effort, and residents still may be u nhappy in the future —zero cost, but huge headache. Options 5 and 3 combined would be the cheapest option. This would leave the landowner unhappy, but solve the technical issues for the cheapest cost and appease the majority of the residents — $3,000. Based upon the disposition of the neighbourhood, it is unlikely that any option other than 5 will satisfy them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Opposition Leader, do you have any suppl ementary questions for this? I cannot hear you. Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Yes, I do, sir.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerOkay. Put your supplementary. Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: First of all, I would like to thank the Minister for such a thorough response. It is much, much appreciated.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerIt was thorough, yes. SUPPLEMENTARY Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: He has identified the five options. And I am delighted that some of the thoughts that I had in my mind as to a solution were included in the options. So my question is, When will the Minister be in …
It was thorough, yes.
SUPPLEMENTARY
Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: He has identified the five options. And I am delighted that some of the thoughts that I had in my mind as to a solution were included in the options. So my question is, When will the Minister be in a position to select the final option, and when will the final option be implemented?
Lt. Col. Hon. David A. BurchI have not had a final recommendation from the technical officers. Once I do that, I will consid er the options and then make a dec ision. I expect that this will happen within the next month.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Bermuda House of Assembly Supplementary or do you want to move on to your next question? I cannot hear you. [Pause]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYou are still muted. Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: My next question. Thank you, Minister. Thank you, Minister.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerNext question. Thank you. If you would, read the second question so that the Minister and the public can hear it. QUESTION 2: CORRECTIVE MEASURES TAKEN AT NOTORIOUS ACCIDENT BLACKSPOT Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Yes. Will the Honourable Minister please provide an update to this Honourable House as to …
Next question. Thank you. If you would, read the second question so that the Minister and the public can hear it.
QUESTION 2: CORRECTIVE MEASURES TAKEN AT NOTORIOUS ACCIDENT BLACKSPOT
Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Yes. Will the Honourable Minister please provide an update to this Honourable House as to when the entire remediation plan for this intersection will be made public?
Lt. Col . Hon. David A. BurchMr. Speaker, I just provided an update on the background and the co nsiderations I must make before we move forward. So it has just been made public.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerAs thorough as it was, I agree that it is now public, as well. Hon. N . H. Cole Simons: I agree. I accept that.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerOkay. Would you like to move on to your third question, Opposition Leader? QUESTION 3: CORRECTIVE MEASURES TAKEN AT NOTORIOUS ACCIDENT BLACKSPOT Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Yes, please. Will the Honourable Minister please inform this Honourable House when will the Minister meet with the residents of the Zuill’s Park …
Okay. Would you like to move on to your third question, Opposition Leader?
QUESTION 3: CORRECTIVE MEASURES TAKEN AT NOTORIOUS ACCIDENT BLACKSPOT
Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Yes, please. Will the Honourable Minister please inform this Honourable House when will the Minister meet with the residents of the Zuill’s Park area to share all of the remedial options and invite their input?
Lt. Col. Hon. David A. BurchMr. Speaker, I would not be meeting with the residents. Ministry technical officers have already met and then communicated with residents on multiple occasions, and since which the Ministry has received copious amounts of feedback from them. Many disagree with the options o ffered. This feedback has been compiled to …
Mr. Speaker, I would not be meeting with the residents. Ministry technical officers have already met and then communicated with residents on multiple occasions, and since which the Ministry has received copious amounts of feedback from them. Many disagree with the options o ffered. This feedback has been compiled to give me a full understanding of the issues. And together with the advice of my technical officers, I have outlined the course of a remedy in the answer to the first parli amentary question. It remains for us to put the options and costs to the residents of Zuill’s Park to see if they can agree a way forward before a recommendation is put to me to make the decision. Despite all of our efforts, I am mindful that we will never satisfy all of the residents no matter w hat scheme is decided upon. But I can assure that the decision will be made after considering all options. And as I indicated in the previous question, all of this should occur within the next month.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Supplementary? Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: No. I have no further questions. Thank you.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. We will now move on to the next written question. And that is in the name of MP Cannonier. And, Minister Burch, this is for you as well. MP Cannonier, you have your three questions. Would you like to read your first question? And again, it is indicated …
Ms. Susan E. JacksonGood morning, Mr. Speaker. MP Cannonier is outside of the House of Assembly today. And so I have been asked to please read these on his behalf.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYes, the rules do allow for another Member if the House has been informed that the current Member is absent. [Inaudible interjections ]
Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerOkay. J ust to verify for myself. MP Jackson, will you read the question? QUESTION 1: BERMUDIANA BEACH RESORT — PROGRESS UPDATE
Ms. Susan E. JacksonThank you, Mr. Speaker, and good morning. Will the Honourable Minister (and this is the Honourable Colonel Burc h) please provide this Honourable House with an update on the progress of the Bermudiana Beach Resort redevelopment, including the Hilton Franchise Agreement and local/overseas buyers/investors of the units?
Lt. Col. Hon. David A. BurchMr. Speaker, the plan involves converting the existing property into a mid1430 21 May 2021 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly market condo hotel with additional leisure facilities which will be operated as a resort under a Hilton franchise. The condo hotel model is well proven in most islands, …
Mr. Speaker, the plan involves converting the existing property into a mid1430 21 May 2021 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly market condo hotel with additional leisure facilities which will be operated as a resort under a Hilton franchise. The condo hotel model is well proven in most islands, but was not feasible in Bermuda until the latest hotel development Act removed earlier real estate ownership restrictions. Condo buyers have only 90 days annual personal occupancy, and the condos are in a hotel rental programme the balance of the year. The nine buildings containing 78 apartments will be converted into 97 units for sale, which with lock -off subdivisions provide 111 hotel keys for rentals. All of the condos are being refitted with new improved kitchen and bathroom fixtures as befitting a boutiqu e hotel. Additional kitchenettes and bathrooms are being added to facilitate the 111 hotel keys format, and the patios are being added or extended. External elevators are being added to the building exteriors as part of hotel upgrade requirements. Buildings have been painted an attractive range of Bermuda pastel colours. All of the cold- and hot -water supplies have been redesigned on a centralised basis to meet hotel specifications. Electrical and IT systems are being similarly upgraded. Seven of the exist ing condo units are to be converted to communal facilities to include a reception area, restaurant, bars, meeting room, spa, gym and back -of-house support areas. Outdoor amenities i nclude two recreational pools, one with an infinity pool design, walking pa tio areas and dual funicular lifts to the beach below. Phasing and development schedule: The first phase of redevelopment has commenced, including a full survey of all buildings to identify all infrastructure and building services routing; sidewalks and l andscaping on the west end of the site; construction of two elevator towers, one on each of Blocks A and B; fit-out of four model types as show units —a studio, a one-bedroom, a two- bedroom and three- bedroom condos; fit -out of the sales office suite; equipp ing of four office areas for project management, hotel management and contractors. Furniture for 60 per cent of the condos has been manufactured, paid for and is in the process of shipping. All condo designs have been approved by Hilton. Construction can c ommence i mminently for completion, and an initial hotel opening in 2021/22 subject to debt funding. Construction works comprise the conversion of four blocks, A, D, F and G; further site works and landscaping; the installation of two additional elev ators, one on each of Blocks F and G; conversion and expansion of ground floor units in Block F for the r eception area, the restaurant and bar; conversion of units in Block C for back -of-house facilities; construction of the clifftop infinity -edge pool in front of Block F; installation of the first tram on the funicular down to the beach; and completion of initial car park. The i ntention is for phase 1B conversion works to gain the finance partially from condo sales, which would accelerate significantly with the phase 1A, hotel opening. The phase 1B works is 19 condos equivalent to 21 hotel units for rent and can commence from the 1 st of November 2021 for completion in June 2022 in time for that year’s high season. Phase 1B construction works comprise conversion of two further blocks, B and C; further site works and landscaping; install ation of two additional elevators, one on each of Blocks B and C; conversion of ground floor units in Block C for the spa; and an expansion of back -of-house areas; construction of t he second pool adjacent to the spa in Block C; and installation of the second tram on the funicular down to the beach; completion of further car park areas. The intention is for phase 2 conversion works to be financed totally from condo sales, which should accelerate again with the phase 1 being larger hotel operations. The phase 2 works adds 36 condos equivalent to 42 hotel units for rent and is likely to commence on the 1 st of November 2022 for compl etion on the 1st of April 2023 in time for that year’s high season. Phase 2 construction works comprise the conversion of three further blocks, E, H and J; further site works and landscaping; installation of three additional elevators, one on each of Blocks E, H and J; the completion of further car park areas; and the supply of the remaining condo furniture. The project team are the Bermudiana Beach Resort. Redevelopment is in the process of completing the final negotiation for financing the next phase of the redevelopment. The Hilton franchise agreement is completed, and the team is in the process of revam ping the sales and marketing programme for the units to take advantage of the extensive Hilton network. The current sales pipeline consists of approximately 200 potential buyers. COVID -19 is delaying site vis its to the Island, Americans and Canadians who say they want to view the four show units. Local potential bu yers are deterred by perceived delays in the project and the current lack of construction progress onsite. There is currently one potential purchas er who has placed a deposit for a unit. We believe the current arrangement to secure $10 million will address the reservation being shown by both the local and overseas investors. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Is there a supp lementary question?
Ms. Susan E. JacksonNothing from me, Mr. Speaker. Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: I have a supplemental, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerSupplementary? Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Yes.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerPut your supplementary, Opposition Leader. SUPPL EMENTARIES Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Thank you. Thank you, Mi nister. You indicated that most of the financing for phases 1 and 2 will be derived from condo sales. Can the Minister confirm what type of commitment has the Government made from a …
Put your supplementary, Opposition Leader.
SUPPL EMENTARIES Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Thank you. Thank you, Mi nister. You indicated that most of the financing for phases 1 and 2 will be derived from condo sales. Can the Minister confirm what type of commitment has the Government made from a financing poi nt of view? How much will this total development cost the go vernment and people of Bermuda, given that the property is owned by the government and people of Bermuda?
Lt. Col. Hon. David A. BurchMr. Speaker, $7 mi llion has been spent already. We expect that phase 1A and B will be completed with the proceeds of the $10 million loan, which is nine -tenths of the way there. We have about 55 items that need to be completed in order for Clarien [Bank] …
Mr. Speaker, $7 mi llion has been spent already. We expect that phase 1A and B will be completed with the proceeds of the $10 million loan, which is nine -tenths of the way there. We have about 55 items that need to be completed in order for Clarien [Bank] to finally approve the l oan. We are halfway there, with the remainder expected to be completed in various stages before the end of the month.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Supplementary? Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Yes. And so the $10 mi llion—
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThe second sup? Hon. N. H. C ole Simons: Yes. So the $10 million guarantee that was approved by the House is used to support the Clarien loan?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. You used your two supplementaries. Does any one else have a supplementary on that question? There are none. MP Jackson, before you put the second question, to clarify for Members, Standing Order 17(4) speaks to the ability for another Member to put the questions of the Member who …
Thank you. You used your two supplementaries. Does any one else have a supplementary on that question? There are none. MP Jackson, before you put the second question, to clarify for Members, Standing Order 17(4) speaks to the ability for another Member to put the questions of the Member who had a written question but was not present in the House at the time. So MP Jackson has been asked by the Member who wrote the question to put the question, and it is allowed under Standing Order 17(4). MP Jackson, would you like to put the second question?
QUESTION 2: DA NIEL’S HEAD , SITE UPDATE
Ms. Susan E. JacksonThank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Honourable Minister please provide this Honourable House an update on Daniel’s Head? This is concerning the leasing of government land to Westover Farm, the marketing of Nine Beaches R esort to both local and foreign developers, or any Bermuda Land Development Corporation redevelopment of …
Lt. Col. Hon. David A. BurchMr. Speaker, in a Mi nisterial Statement to this House on the 13 th of Jul y 2018, I stated that I had recently met with the Bascome brothers to discuss their continued occupation of Westover Farm. I later announced that their lease would be renewed for 21 years less …
Mr. Speaker, in a Mi nisterial Statement to this House on the 13 th of Jul y 2018, I stated that I had recently met with the Bascome brothers to discuss their continued occupation of Westover Farm. I later announced that their lease would be renewed for 21 years less a day from the 1st of May 2019. The marketing of Nine Beaches Resort ended in December 2019 when the Bermuda Government instructed BLDC [Bermuda Land Development Company] to end its agreement with KPMG for advisory services as related to positioning and marketing of Daniel’s Head to an international market. The Government decided that Nine Beaches would be r emoved from consideration for development and the focus would be on promoting vacant tourism properties. We would explore a technological solution to the smells emanating from Westover Farm first before looking to restart marketing efforts at Nine Beaches. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerSupplementary? No supplementaries? MP Jackson, would you like to put the third question? QUESTION 3: DANIEL’S HEAD , SITE UPDATE
Ms. Susan E. JacksonThank you, Mr. Speak er. Will the Honourable Minister please provide this Honourable House the expenditure from January 2018 to present spent on advisory services to market the Daniel’s Head site to potential developers? (But that has been answered.)
The SpeakerThe SpeakerHave you been able to achieve your answer from the earlier response from the Minister?
Ms. Susan E. JacksonYes, I did. 1432 21 May 2021 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly The Speaker: Minister, the question was answered from your earlier response.
Lt. Col. Hon. David A. BurchI did not actually give that answer, Mr. Speaker. Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: I did not think so either.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThe next wr itten question this morning is a question put in the name of MP Jackson to the Minister of Education. Member, would you like to put your first question to the Minister? QUESTION 1: DELIVERY OF CHROMEBOOKS, PROGRESS UPDATE
Ms. Susan E. JacksonYes, please. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Honourable Minister please provide this Honourable House an update on the progress and delivery of 1,600 high- tech Chromebooks to support teachers, and primary and middle school students?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMinister. Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Speaker, a total of 1,601 Chromebooks were purchased and delivered the week of April 26 through the IT Section of the D epartment of Education. I am pleased to say that our IT technicians have now completed the configuration of all 1,601 Chromebooks. …
Minister. Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Speaker, a total of 1,601 Chromebooks were purchased and delivered the week of April 26 through the IT Section of the D epartment of Education. I am pleased to say that our IT technicians have now completed the configuration of all 1,601 Chromebooks. These Chromebooks are designated for st udents at the primary school levels. The department is in the midst of organising summer programmes for students which will integrate the use of the Chrom ebooks. In September 2021, we will commenc e with the rollout of the devices proper to the offer of primary school students P4, P5 and P6 with the goal of having a device in every student’s hands.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerPut your supplementary. SUPPLEMENTARY
Ms. Susan E. JacksonYes. I am wondering if the Minister would share to the Honourable House the final amount of the cost for the Chromebooks. Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Speaker, that amount was given in previous S tatements on several occ asions. I want to say . . . I cannot …
Yes. I am wondering if the Minister would share to the Honourable House the final amount of the cost for the Chromebooks.
Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Speaker, that amount was given in previous S tatements on several occ asions. I want to say . . . I cannot remember, but I can get an exact figure, but I want to say it was around $580,000, or between $560,000 and $580,000.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. And you can always ind icate that the information is already in the public domain from the previous Statement. Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Yes.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMP, I would refer you to the previous Statements that were given. Any further supplementary?
Ms. Susan E. JacksonSo yes. Given the reference to the previous Statement in the public domain, did I understand that this $580,000- odd was a donation from a foundation in Germany? I am just wondering, what was the pr ocedure for accepting the cash don ation into education for the purpose of these …
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMinister. Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Again, Mr. Speaker, that information was revealed last year when we received the donation. And it is in the publ ic domain.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Again, MP, I provide the same response. The Minister has already provided the information in the earlier Statement. And that earlier Statement can be referenced for the correct answer. Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: I have a supplemental on that topic, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerSupplementary? Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Yes.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerOpposition Leader, yes, put your supplementary. SUPPLEMENTARY Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: If we have a benefactor in Bermuda who would like to m ake a donation, cash donation and not an in- kind donation, a cash donation to support our students in the IT sections and any other section, …
Opposition Leader, yes, put your supplementary.
SUPPLEMENTARY
Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: If we have a benefactor in Bermuda who would like to m ake a donation, cash donation and not an in- kind donation, a cash donation to support our students in the IT sections and any other section, what is the procedure in place that donors can follow to make a cash donation to support education in Bermuda in th e public sector?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Minister. Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Anyone who wishes to make a donation to the Bermuda Public School System is free to contact the Ministry. And , depending on the type of donation, we will sit down and discuss what is the best possible …
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. No further supplementaries? No. MP Jackson, would you like to put your second question? QUESTION 2: REIMBURSEMENT OR STIPEND FOR TEACHERS
Ms. Susan E. JacksonWill the Honourable Minister please inform this Honourable House if the Ministry of Education will provide a stipend or other reimburs ement for teachers who use their personal resources to deliver online classes and keep contact with students?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMinister. Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in order for us to navigate through this pandemic, all of us in Bermuda had to give of ourselves to help our fellow citizens. So with that said, there will be no stipend or other reimburs ement given. …
Minister.
Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in order for us to navigate through this pandemic, all of us in Bermuda had to give of ourselves to help our fellow citizens. So with that said, there will be no stipend or other reimburs ement given. But I will also preface that with, most teachers have been supplied laptops from the D epartment of Education. And all teachers have been given full Zoom licences to conduct their classes. In addition to that, during the remote learning phase, whenever we have been on remote learning, all teachers have been given access to teach from their respective classroom.
Ms. Susan E. JacksonThank you. Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, MP Jackson.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerWe will move on to the next series of questions this morning that are written. And those are to the Minister Wayne Furbert f rom the Opposition Whip, Mr. Richardson. Opposition Whip, would you like to put your questions?
Mr. Jarion RichardsonYes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good morning to you and to the listening audience.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerGood morning. QUESTION 1: SHORESIDE FISH PROCESSING PLANT AT MARGINAL WHARF — PROGRESS UPDATE
Mr. Jarion RichardsonAnd thank you, Honourable Minister Furbert. Will the Honourable Minister please update this Honourable House on the progress of the shor eside fish processing plant at Marginal Wharf?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Minister. Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Good morning, Mr. Speaker. Good morning, Mr. Richardson. BEDC [Bermuda Economic Development Corporation] has formed a steering committee made up of representatives from the Department of Env ironment and Natural Resources and the Fishermen’s Association of Bermuda. This steering committee has updated a …
Thank you. Minister.
Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Good morning, Mr. Speaker. Good morning, Mr. Richardson. BEDC [Bermuda Economic Development Corporation] has formed a steering committee made up of representatives from the Department of Env ironment and Natural Resources and the Fishermen’s Association of Bermuda. This steering committee has updated a previous business plan and design plan for the project based on current economic conditions, as well as taking into account short - to long- term fishe ries department or development sectors. The steering committee has been meeting as a collaborative on this project since March 2021, and it is anticipated that the planning phase of the work will be completed by July 2021. The committee will subse quently progress the construction phase of the plan in conjunction with i mplementing a phased approach, the cooperative bus i1434 21 May 2021 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly ness model, inclusive of all aspects of facility and membership governance.
Mr. Jarion Rich ardsonYes. What are the—I am sorry, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I have a supplementary.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYes. Put your supplementary. SUPPLEMENTARY
Mr. Jarion RichardsonWhat are those phases wit hin the phased approach starting July 2021? Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Well, as I mentioned, the first phase is to review and have discussions, and di scussions with the Fishermen’s Association. And the next phase will be deciding on the construction, which is being worked …
What are those phases wit hin the phased approach starting July 2021?
Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Well, as I mentioned, the first phase is to review and have discussions, and di scussions with the Fishermen’s Association. And the next phase will be deciding on the construction, which is being worked on right now, the construction of the actual joints being taking place. And the next phase, as we mentioned, will be putting the shovels in the ground if everything goes according to plan.
Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Supplemental.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerSupplementary? Yes, Opposition Leader. SUPPLEMENTARY Hon. N. H. Col e Simons: Thank you, Minister. So can you give us an estimated date that you plan to have the shovels in the ground? Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: What I will say, Opposition Leader, is that we would like to have it …
Supplementary? Yes, Opposition Leader.
SUPPLEMENTARY
Hon. N. H. Col e Simons: Thank you, Minister. So can you give us an estimated date that you plan to have the shovels in the ground?
Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: What I will say, Opposition Leader, is that we would like to have it in before this financial year is finishing up, the Government’s financial year.
Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Right.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. No more supplementaries to that? Okay. Mr. Richardson, MP Richardson, would you like to put your second question? Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: Mr. Speaker, I have a supplementary, sir.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerHold on one sec ond. You have a supplementary to the first question? Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: Yes, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMP Dunkley, put your question. SUPPLEMENTARY Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: Thank you, Mr. Speaker . Can the Honourable Minister please inform this Honourable House if he is aware of any other fish processing plants currently in operation in Bermuda? Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: No, I am not.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerSecond supplementary? None? Okay. Opposition Whip, go ahead and put your second question. QUESTION 2: SHORESIDE FISH PROCESSING PLANT AT MARGINAL WHARF —CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT
Mr. Jarion RichardsonThank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Honourable Minister please inform this Honourable House which constructi on company (or construction companies) was contracted to build the shoreside fishing plant at Marginal Wharf? [Inaudible interjection] Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Mr. Speaker, no construction companies have been contracted to date.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Supplementary? None. Opposition Whip, you can put your third question. QUESTION 3: SHORESIDE FISH PROCESSING PLANT AT MARGINAL WHARF —DoE POLICY IMPLEMENTATION
Mr. Jarion RichardsonThank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Honourable Minister please inform this Honourable House how the preliminary steps required in the Environmental Protection Department ’s report “A Strategy for the Sustainable Use of Berm uda’s Living Marine Resources ” [page 21] have been satisfied , and whichever specific White Paper they …
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Honourable Minister please inform this Honourable House how the preliminary steps required in the Environmental Protection Department ’s report “A Strategy for the Sustainable Use of Berm uda’s Living Marine Resources ” [page 21] have been satisfied , and whichever specific White Paper they are using to guide their decision- making and policy i mplementation?
Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Mr. Speaker, the [report] “A Strategy for the Sustainable Use of Bermuda’s Living Marine Resources” continues to provide guidance to the Department of Environment and Natural R esources. However, it must be acknowledged the schedule was written in 2010. And at that time the Department of Environmental Protection was charged with developing a business plan for shoreside facil ities’ protocols contained in the 2005 White Paper on The Marine Environment and Fishing Industry in Ber-muda.
Bermuda House of Assembly This revised project is now being led by the BEDC (the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation), and they are working closely with the Depar tment of Environment and Natural Resources and the Fishermen’s Association on a new business plan that meets the current and future needs of the fishing i ndustry based on today’s context.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerPut your supplementary. SUPPLEMENTA RY
Mr. Jarion RichardsonGiven that some of those required steps outlined in the 2010 report are under consideration, when would we find out what the new considerations are? Or what are the new steps that would be required to be taken after you conduct y our consideration/review of the old report? Hon. Wayne …
Given that some of those required steps outlined in the 2010 report are under consideration, when would we find out what the new considerations are? Or what are the new steps that would be required to be taken after you conduct y our consideration/review of the old report?
Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: The department, as I said, Mr. Speaker, the EDD [Economic Development D epartment] is looking at what was in the report. And as to the Member, we can update them as time goes on. But right now it is just reviewing everything, making sure. But we are working with the Department of Marine Environment and the fishing industry.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Members. Thank you, Mi nisters. Members, Ministers, that brings us to a close of the written questions. We have just under 19 minutes left to deal with the questions from Stat ements that were given today. And each Minister has questions that have been indicated for every Minister …
Thank you, Members. Thank you, Mi nisters. Members, Ministers, that brings us to a close of the written questions. We have just under 19 minutes left to deal with the questions from Stat ements that were given today. And each Minister has questions that have been indicated for every Minister who put Statements this morning. So let us start at the top. Mr. Premier, you have questions this morning from two Members. The Opposition Leader would like to put a question to you this morning referencing your Statement on the I mplementation of SafeKey. Opposition Leader, you can put your question.
QUESTION 1: IMPLEMENTATION OF SAFEKEY Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My first question is, Who controls the information and the data stored in this application and the technology used?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerPremier. Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker, no one controls the information and the data. A SafeKey is simply a QR code that reflects the negative test result or an i mmunisation status of an individual. And so the i mportant thing to note, Mr. Speaker, is that right now …
Premier. Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker, no one controls the information and the data. A SafeKey is simply a QR code that reflects the negative test result or an i mmunisation status of an individual. And so the i mportant thing to note, Mr. Speaker, is that right now vaccination certificates are issued. Negative test r esults are issued. Those matters do not contain QR codes. Someone can take a Photoshop of them and, you know, create a forgery. With the addition of the QR codes, the v accination certificates and also to the negative test results, these things can no longer be forged. But the QR code only contains the information which is on the certificate itself —the negative test r esult or the vaccination certificate. That information is part of the Government’s database. Once this infor-mation is issued, it is put and encoded in an encrypted QR code which can be read or verified at gov.bm . So there is no information that is stored anywhere at all.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Premier. Supplementary? Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Yes, thank you.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerPut your supplementary. SUPPLEMENTARIES Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Who owns the technology and application? Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker, there is no technology or application. As I indicated, this is open- source. For the Opposition Leader again: SafeKey is a QR code, that’s all, encoding the information which …
Put your supplementary.
SUPPLEMENTARIES
Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Who owns the technology and application?
Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker, there is no technology or application. As I indicated, this is open- source. For the Opposition Leader again: SafeKey is a QR code, that’s all, encoding the information which is hel d on either a vaccination certificate or a negative test result. The SafeKey that is issued in addition to the vaccination certificate and a negative test result con-tains the initials of the individual, the month and day of birth of the individual and expiration date of the QR code itself. And that information is all of the infor-mation that is there. It is not stored anywhere. It is sent out to individuals. And individuals can keep it on their phone, they can print it out, they can use it, they can carry i t. And as I indicated in my Statement, we have a young Bermudian who was part of the bootcamp who is developing a Government of Bermuda app to store these matters. But these things are for individu-als to control, and it is not centrally controlled.
The S peaker: Thank you. Further supplementary?
Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Yes, my last supplementary.
1436 21 May 2021 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly The Speaker: Go ahead.
Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: The Minister said that the costs to Bermuda will be minimal to the taxpayer. Can the Premier quantify the cost to the taxpayer in total?
Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker, I cannot quantify the costs to the taxpayer in total at this present m oment. What I can say is that the technological impl ementation of the SafeKey itself is . . . as I said, there is a project to upgrade our vaccination certificates so our vaccination certificates cannot be fraudulent. In regard to the SafeKey, which will be an additional thing issued in addition to the vaccination certificates, this work, as I indicated in my Statement, was prov ided by Denis Pitcher at no additional charge to the Government of Bermuda. I know that there are lots of people who would like to say that Denis Pitcher is a FinTech consultant to the Government of Berm uda. Mr. Pitcher has been on an unpaid contract, as he [has been] busy with other matters for about the last two to three months. So it was basically provided, the technology, free of charge to enable SafeKey. However, there are some other supplementary expenses such as the marketing information, the videos that DCI prepared and which were internal, and also the contract for the young Bermudian who was part of the bootcamp to develop our mobile app. And I think I will get the information on the dollar value of his hourly contract, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. You used up all of your supplementaries. Would you like to put your second question? Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: No. That is it for me, Mr. Speaker, on this topic.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Mr. Premier, the next Member who has indicated that they have a question for you is MP F amous. MP Famous, would you like to put your question?
Mr. Christopher FamousYes, sir. And good morning, Mr. Premier. Hon. E. David Burt: Good morning. QUESTION 1: IMPLEMENTATION OF SAFEKEY
Mr. Christopher FamousMr. Premier, may you clarify for me and thousands of other Bermudians? I heard you earlier mention about SafeKey and Cup Match. Will SafeKey allow for domestic cricket to r esume safely (no pun intended)?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerPremier. Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Honourable Member for his question. One of the most important things to recognise is that, though we are using SafeKey in the early i mplementation for items such as indoor dining, the longterm view was to have a …
Premier. Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Honourable Member for his question. One of the most important things to recognise is that, though we are using SafeKey in the early i mplementation for items such as indoor dining, the longterm view was to have a simple way to veri fy that individuals would minimise coronavirus risk in the large group settings. So we have a view to look to the f uture, as was said inside of my Ministerial Statement. We are going to be using this for the Bermuda Day Half Marathon. We are also going to use [this going] into the Bermuda Day events at the National Sports Centre. And it is our intention to use it to support Cup Match this year and to make sure that the annual Cup Match Classic can happen. The Government of Bermuda continues to work with the clubs, and we are going to make sure that they have clear and early indication that we have the technology in place and we are ready and able to make sure that this event happens and other events happen. We have done an excellent job in this country. Mr. Speaker, 50 per cent of the people in this country have been vaccinated. Eligible populations being vaccinated is a lot higher. We are continuing the work and the progress. So I think that we are in good stead to make sure that we can claim our summer, and we have technology at our hands to be able to do this. So in short answer, Mr. Speaker, I expect to see the Honourable Member at the St. George’s Cricket Club on the last Thursday and Friday before the first Monday in August.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Supplementary? No supplementary? Thank you. SUPPLEMENTARY
Mr. Christopher FamousYes . . . no! Whoa! Hello, Mr. Speaker. Sorry I did not press the button. Yes. Thank you, Mr. Premier. So for clarity, the SafeKey will allow safe entry into large events. S o on the note of Cup Match, no one is going to tweet this where we …
Yes . . . no! Whoa! Hello, Mr. Speaker. Sorry I did not press the button. Yes. Thank you, Mr. Premier. So for clarity, the SafeKey will allow safe entry into large events. S o on the note of Cup Match, no one is going to tweet this where we get more people from the West coming in than East, would it?
Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker, SafeKey is equal opportunity, and all persons, whether they have or [have] not been immunised, are able to participate to make sure that we minimise the risk of any large gathering.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMr. Premier, I thank you for your comment. And I will assist you by saying whether it is one person, or a whole host of people, the Cup will still come do wn and go back after the game. [Laughter] Bermuda House of Assembly The Speaker: Thank you for your …
Mr. Premier, I thank you for your comment. And I will assist you by saying whether it is one person, or a whole host of people, the Cup will still come do wn and go back after the game.
[Laughter]
Bermuda House of Assembly The Speaker: Thank you for your question, MP. The next Minister who has questions this morning is the Deputy Premier. Deputy Premier, you have a question from the Opposition Leader in reference to your Statem ent on the Bermuda Plan. Opposition Leader, would you like to put your question?
QUESTION 1: THE FINAL BERMUDA PLAN 2018
Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister provide details on the mitigation strategies that had been included in the Bermuda Plan 2018 that address climate change risk and its impacts on Bermuda, its coasts, its property develo pment and easements, et cetera?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMinister. Hon. Walter H. Roban: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Certainly we can address those matters in great detail when the debate comes on this particular motion. But as a preliminary answer for the Honour able Member, we are actually working on plans to have a coastal study done that will …
Minister. Hon. Walter H. Roban: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Certainly we can address those matters in great detail when the debate comes on this particular motion. But as a preliminary answer for the Honour able Member, we are actually working on plans to have a coastal study done that will look at some of the i ssues related to coastal erosion, and perhaps I am straddling into another Ministry, because that is more of an environmental issue, but it also has relevance to planning. But the mitigation strategies to address cl imate and coastal reserve zoning are an entire section of the policies [which restrict] development. And as we present the plan at the next possible sitting of the House, those details can be discussed in fullness.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerSupplementary? Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: No, thank you. That is it.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. The next Statement this morning that requires questions is to the Minister of Education. Minister, you have two Members who would like to put questions to you. The first is MP Jackson. MP, would you like to put your question? QUESTION 1: SALIVA SCREENING PROGRAMME
Ms. Susan E. JacksonThank you, Mr. Speaker. And good morning again, Minister. My question is from page 5. There is a reference that “a total of 1,834” students’ parents have given consent. And May 20 in the Bernews it says that that was 31 per cent of the public school students. And just …
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And good morning again, Minister. My question is from page 5. There is a reference that “a total of 1,834” students’ parents have given consent. And May 20 in the Bernews it says that that was 31 per cent of the public school students. And just wondering what is going to happen to the children or the students who do not have to consent for saliva testing? Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Thank you, Member. Mr. Speaker, just a slight correction. The number that we see now in the Statement of 1,863 actually represents around 42 per cent. The plea was made on Monday, the date that the Member references. And at that point it was 31 per cent. So we have had more persons sign up since then. But to answer the Member’s question, saliva testing is not mandatory; it is optional. And so we are planning to move ahead with the saliva screening programme with the persons who have indicated that they have given parental consent. We will continue to encourage parental consent, and that option is still open. We are sending home paper consent forms to parents as well. And so if they do consent, then those children will be added to the process. I would also like to clarify that this is in addition to what has already been in place. W hat has already been in place has been very effective in keeping our schools open, as we reopened our schools in September. And we have been out for a few weeks per term since we have instituted that. This is just an additional layer, and so it is just hel ping us to go even further. And so we encourage our parents to volunteer their children. But if they do not, the programme will still move forward.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerOkay. MP Pearman, would you like to put your question to the Minister? QUESTION 1: SALIVA SCREENING PROGRAMME
Mr. Scott PearmanThank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Minister, for your Statement. At page 4 of 6 of your Statement, you indicate that Dr. Weldon has advised the Ministry that the sal iva tests are as accurate as the nasal pharyngeal tests. Do you have percentage accuracy numbers for those two categories …
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Minister, for your Statement. At page 4 of 6 of your Statement, you indicate that Dr. Weldon has advised the Ministry that the sal iva tests are as accurate as the nasal pharyngeal tests. Do you have percentage accuracy numbers for those two categories of tests?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerWould you like a supplementary or a second question?
Mr. Scott PearmanYes, a supplementary. 1438 21 May 2021 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly The Speaker: Put your supplementary. SUPPLEMENTARY
Mr. Scott PearmanThank you. Minister, if th ey are the same calibre of acc uracy, why at page 5 of your Statement do you indicate that the follow -up test will be the nasal pharyngeal test? Why do you have to switch test types if the acc uracy is the same? Hon. …
Thank you. Minister, if th ey are the same calibre of acc uracy, why at page 5 of your Statement do you indicate that the follow -up test will be the nasal pharyngeal test? Why do you have to switch test types if the acc uracy is the same?
Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Thank you for that question. You are taking me way beyond my knowledge of how these particular tests do work. But it was always established that when a saliva test triggered a pos itive, it will be followed up with a nasal pharyngeal test. I can endeavour to get more informat ion on why that is so. But I am assuming that it is a policy of the D epartment of Health.
Mr. Scott PearmanNo supplementary, Mr. Speaker, no further question.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Minister of Labour, the next questions are for you this morning. And there are two Members who have indicated they would like to put questions. The first is from MP Pearman. MP Pearman, would you like to put your question? QUE STION 1: THE WAGE COMMISSION REPORT 2021
Mr. Scott PearmanThank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Minister. My first question is, in your Statement to the House you have given three numbers, $13.19 up to $17.28. No matter which of those three numbers is ultimately selected, or indeed another number ult imately selected, can you assist the House as to …
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Minister. My first question is, in your Statement to the House you have given three numbers, $13.19 up to $17.28. No matter which of those three numbers is ultimately selected, or indeed another number ult imately selected, can you assist the House as to whether this is going to be a gross wage or a net wage in respect of payroll tax and social insurance?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMinister. Hon. Jason Hayward: Mr. Speaker, I cannot make any assurance to the House what will be the wage rate, whether it will be gross or net. Those will come out when the Ministry of Labour does its deliberations and decides on a methodology, a rate and decides on whether …
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYes. Put your supplementary. SUPPLEMENTARIES
Mr. Scott PearmanThank you, Mr. Speaker. Minister, are we to understand from that answer that these numbers have been established wit hout first considering even if they are gross or net of tax?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMinister. Hon. Jason Hayward: Mr. Speaker, in the report we will share the methodology that was used and the considerations that were given. Those are options. There were recommendations that followed those options that are in the report. And so I cannot speak to the full deliberations of the Wage …
Minister. Hon. Jason Hayward: Mr. Speaker, in the report we will share the methodology that was used and the considerations that were given. Those are options. There were recommendations that followed those options that are in the report. And so I cannot speak to the full deliberations of the Wage Commission, as they are an independent body. But certainly when I from a Ministry standpoint have to move forward with determining or deciding on a wage rate, certainly I will have that dialogue with the Wage Commission.
Mr. Scott PearmanSo, Minister, I understand your answer is that at the moment we do not know whether the numbers selected would be a take- home number in someone’s pocket or not? Hon. Jason Hayward: Mr. Speaker, the Wage Commission presented options and recommendations within a report. It is now the Minister’s …
So, Minister, I understand your answer is that at the moment we do not know whether the numbers selected would be a take- home number in someone’s pocket or not?
Hon. Jason Hayward: Mr. Speaker, the Wage Commission presented options and recommendations within a report. It is now the Minister’s responsibility to review those recommendations in alignment with the second report, which is the Living Wage Report, and come to the appropriate rate. Once that appropriate rate is decided, all of the specific s, whether or not it will be net or gross, will be stipulated at that particular time. I think what is important today is that this is simply the Government accepting a report that was produced by the Wage Commission. And no final de-termination on wage rates or how they will be applied has been made.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYou used both of your supplementaries. Bermuda House of Assembly Do you have a second question? QUESTION 2: THE WAGE COMMISSION REPORT 2021
Mr. Scott PearmanI do, Mr. Speaker. T hank you. Still on the same theme. So will the Minister then be recommending one of these three numbers to Cabinet? Is that what happens next? Hon. Jason Hayward: The Minister in the Statement says that it would wait for the report on the living …
I do, Mr. Speaker. T hank you. Still on the same theme. So will the Minister then be recommending one of these three numbers to Cabinet? Is that what happens next?
Hon. Jason Hayward: The Minister in the Statement says that it would wait for the report on the living wage, take into consideration the two wage rates and prescribe a statutory minimum remuneration rate that is in line with the living wage regime.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYes. Put your supplementary. SUPPLEMENTARIES
Mr. Scott PearmanCan the Minister share with this House when that recommendation will come from the Ministry to Cabinet? Hon. Jason Hayward: That is dependent on the Wage Commission providing the Ministry with the second report, which is the Living Wage Report. The way in wh ich the Wage Commission Act was …
Can the Minister share with this House when that recommendation will come from the Ministry to Cabinet? Hon. Jason Hayward: That is dependent on the Wage Commission providing the Ministry with the second report, which is the Living Wage Report. The way in wh ich the Wage Commission Act was actually set out, it sets out in Part 3 that the commission should provide a recommendation on a minimum wage, and in Part 4 should provide a second report on a living wage. We think it is best if we review both r eports together to ensure that there is some sort of alignment between statutory minimum remuneration rates and a living wage regime.
Mr. Scott PearmanDo I understand that answer, Minister, to mean that we will not have a minimum wage until we have a report on a living wage? Hon. Jason Hayward: I cannot speak to the Member’s understanding, Mr . Speaker.
Mr. Scott PearmanWell, could — Hon. Jason Hayward: He is asking about his understanding. I simply cannot provide clarity on his understanding. The Speaker: Yes. Can you put that in a question form, in a question form —
Mr. Scott PearmanI certainly can. Minister, will we have a minimum wage before we have the report on a living wage? Hon. Jason Hayward: Mr. Speaker, as indicated in my Statement, no.
Mr. Scott PearmanI thank the Minister for his answers. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Minister of Labour, the next question for you this morning is from the Opposition Whip. Opposition Whip, would you like to put your question?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerOh, I think yo u all hear a bell. And that is our 60 minutes for Question Period come to an end, which brings us to a close of Question Period this morning which started at 10:54. It is now 11:54. Thank you, Members, for your contributions. And we will …
The SpeakerThe SpeakerWould any Member like to make a contribution at this time? An Hon. Member: Mr. Speaker. Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYes. It sounds like the Deputy Speaker. Hon. Derrick V. B urgess, Sr.: Yes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerDeputy Speaker, you have your three minutes. Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: Yes, good morning, everyone. Mr. Speaker, I would like this House to send out condolences to the family of 27- year-old Kemba Anika Outerbridge. Gone too soon, but she will certainly be missed by her mother, Clarene Butterfield; …
Deputy Speaker, you have your three minutes. Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: Yes, good morning, everyone. Mr. Speaker, I would like this House to send out condolences to the family of 27- year-old Kemba Anika Outerbridge. Gone too soon, but she will certainly be missed by her mother, Clarene Butterfield; her father, Blake Outerbridge; her two sisters, Sham ari Asher and Shamari Anika; and numerous other rel atives and friends. Mr. Speaker, I would like t o also send out condolences to the family of Ms. Delesa Elaine Ga l1440 21 May 2021 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly lion Smith. She is the mother of Kevin Smith from G.E.T., and his two siblings Roslyn and Junior Clement. I am sure she will be sorely missed by her family. And also, Mr. Speaker, to the family of Shi rmelle Gomes, the daughter of famous gospel singer, Bermuda gospel singer Gary Bean, and Jennifer Bulford. These folks will certainly be missed by their families and certainly their neighbourhoods. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank y ou, Deputy. I will associate m yself if you do not mind to the condolences to the Outerbridge family. I do not know her mother; I know her father, Blake. So my condolences be added to yours. Does any other Member wish to make a contribution at this …
Some Hon. Members Some Hon. MembersYes. Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerI heard, I think it was the Attorney General’s voice? Hon. Kathy Lynn Simmons: Yes, it is. Thank you.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMadam Attorney General, you have your three minutes. Hon. Kathy Lynn Simmons: I will no t need three minutes, Mr. Speaker. Good morning to you and ev eryone. I just wanted to associate myself with the r emarks with respect to Mr. Smith, as well as the Bulford family. We …
Madam Attorney General, you have your three minutes. Hon. Kathy Lynn Simmons: I will no t need three minutes, Mr. Speaker. Good morning to you and ev eryone. I just wanted to associate myself with the r emarks with respect to Mr. Smith, as well as the Bulford family. We have them in the constituency in our thoughts and prayers. And to Kevin and Terry and all of the family, we have you close to our hearts and in our prayers. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Any other Member?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMr. Swan, MP Swan, you have your three minutes.
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. SwanThank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I bring condolences on the loss of some dear friends. Mr. Lloyd Van Putten, a former member of the Corp oration of St. George’s and a closely connected family friend of mine from both Whale Bay and …
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I bring condolences on the loss of some dear friends. Mr. Lloyd Van Putten, a former member of the Corp oration of St. George’s and a closely connected family friend of mine from both Whale Bay and St. George’s, that strong connection who has recently passed away. I will miss our communications immensely, and our friendship, which blossomed when I moved to St. George’s. This week, Mr. Speaker, the fragility of life was brought to home because on the fifth hole of St. George’s I saw my opening bat partner. And he reached out and says, That’s my opening bat partner from St. George’s! And we sang St. George’s boys forever. And five holes later he collapsed, and later that day he died. Larry “Cocky” Steede, the grandson of the great Alec “Cocky” Steede. And he died in Spring Benny community. But he was a St. George’s boy forever. And to all of his family and all of his friends I offer my deepest condolences. And finally, Mr. Speaker, the Honourable H ubert Hughes from Anguilla, my friend, the most fear-less Chief Minister and former Opposition Leader of Anguilla, whom I knew personally has recently passed away. His advocacy for independence is mirrored only by his namesake i n Bermuda, which I certainly told him about, his cousin David, through our St. Kitts/Anguilla/Nevis connections. And I just want the people of Anguilla to know how much I admired and respected and cherished having known the Honour able Hubert Hughes. May he rest in peace. And finally, a letter of thank -you to the fir efighters in Bermuda, all of the emergency medical people who provide great service even on their days off playing around the golf. We appreciate what they do, and we appreciate that they do it when called upon, which in many cases is not even when they are on duty. May God continue to bless their ministry through service in life. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, MP Swan. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker. The S peaker: Is that MP Campbell? Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: De Silva.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerDe Silva, I am sorry. MP De Silva. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Well, we do look alike, Mr. Speaker. We have been mistaken for being brothers in the past.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerWell, I h ear you, but I do not see you. It would be good if we could see you this morning. I saw MP Campbell; that is why I was calling out to MP Campbell. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Okay. I am clicking —there it is.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerOkay. Yes, we see you now. You have your three minutes.
Mr. Vance CampbellAnd, Mr. Speaker, you can see we do look almost identical. [Laughter] Bermuda House of Assembly The Speaker: Let me get glasses or I will get confused, right? [Laughter] Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Let me help you out.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerOkay. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Mr. Speaker, I would like to be associated with the condolences for Ms. Delesa Smith, Kevin Smith’s mother and Terry Ann’s mother - in-law. You will know that she spent much of her time in Jamaica, and it was her wish to get …
Okay.
Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Mr. Speaker, I would like to be associated with the condolences for Ms. Delesa Smith, Kevin Smith’s mother and Terry Ann’s mother - in-law. You will know that she spent much of her time in Jamaica, and it was her wish to get bac k home to see her family. She must have had some divine inter-vention, Mr. Speaker, because she was determined to get back here and she did. And of course, she passed within a couple of days of getting back on Island. And I know that her grandchildren and her family will miss her dearly. So I certainly send out my condolences to the family. I would like to associate with the condolences to [the family of] Larry Steede, Mr. Speaker. I think MP Swan gave a very nice send- off in his remarks. And of course he gave the story about his being at Port Royal earlier this week. And I missed him as well. I had the good fortune of working with him a very long time ago at American International, Mr. Speaker. And he was certainly a character indeed and one whom I will ne ver forget. And my condolences go out to his family. Mr. Speaker, I would like to finish my cond olences today by giving condolences to the [family of] the late, great Walter J. Seymour from Sunnyside Park, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYou can associate yours elf; it was done last time. But go ahead. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Okay. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will associate myself with that. And of course he will be funeralised tomorrow, Mr. Speaker. And of course I had the honour to —
The SpeakerThe SpeakerI believe it is Sunday, Sunday. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: I mean Sunday, Mr. Speaker. And I will not be on Island for that, so I am going to miss it. But I am sending a tribute to my good friend, Walter Seymour, Mr. Speaker, who as you …
I believe it is Sunday, Sunday. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: I mean Sunday, Mr. Speaker. And I will not be on Island for that, so I am going to miss it. But I am sending a tribute to my good friend, Walter Seymour, Mr. Speaker, who as you know was in his —I think you may have attended, I cannot remember if you attended his 100 th birthday. But he was still quite lively when he turned 100, Mr. Speaker. But of course Walter will live with me forever. He endorsed me when I first ran in 2007, Mr. Speaker. And of course I am not going to give an ything away to my tribute for the funeral. I will save it for then. But I will miss Walter dearly. He was a good friend, and many of his family members are, too. So I give all of my sympathy to not only family, but the e ntire Sunnyside fa mily and Southampton family, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much.
[Timer chimes]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. You just made it under the bell. Does any other Member wish to make a contribution at this time?
Mr. Vance CampbellYes. Mr. Speaker, I would like to send congratulations to the 79 Bermuda College graduates who received their associate’s degrees, diplomas or certificates yesterday in a virtual c ommencement ceremony. I believe 52 per cent of the Class of 2021 graduated with honours , which meant their GPA was between …
Yes. Mr. Speaker, I would like to send congratulations to the 79 Bermuda College graduates who received their associate’s degrees, diplomas or certificates yesterday in a virtual c ommencement ceremony. I believe 52 per cent of the Class of 2021 graduated with honours , which meant their GPA was between 3.0 and 3.49, or with distin ction with a GPA of 3.5 to 4.0. So congratulations and well done! And that includes a number of students at the CedarBridge Academy and Berkeley Institute who were enrolled in the dual enrolment programme. Switching to condolences, I would like to associate myself with the condolences sent out to the family of Mr. Van Putten. Now switching to sports, I woul d like to congratulate Jah- Nhai Perinchief at the University of Tennessee who recently won the triple jump in the SEC Outdoor Championships. He is the first Volunteer to do so since 1987, Mr. Speaker. So congratulations to him! He won by 48 centimetres wit h a leap of 16.89 metres. Mr. Speaker, I would now like congratulations to go out to the recently announced BFA Legends, Mr. Larry “Cracks” Darrell, who played for Young Men’s Social Club, Vasco [Da Gama] and Bermuda. And he is currently on the management team at Young Men’s Social Club. Mr. Darrell scored the winning goal in the game in which Bermuda defeated Canada 1– nil at the BAA Stadium. I remember that game quite well. Ms. Shawnette Perott, who has committed over 30 years to the Western Stars Sports Club, as a player, as a member of the executive and a player in multiple sports —I would add that, not just soccer. And as a player as far as soccer, she was a player, a captain and a coach, winning many individual awards. And as I said, she is involved in the youth programme at Western Stars. Mr. Quinton Rudolf “Rudy” Minors, a Somerset boy who played in left back in a highly successful Somerset Trojans team that helped establish them —
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYes. Silver City. 1442 21 May 2021 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Vance Campbell: —with the nickname of Silver City.
Mr. Vance CampbellHe also played for the national team. And many would have feared his long throw -in and would have preferred to give a corner kick than to have him throw the ball in from deep in their ha lf. [Timer chimes]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMember, that bell is tolling for you. Your three minutes have expired. You ended on a good note by talking about that strong Somerset fel-low. So that is a good note to end on. [Crosstalk]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerWould any other Member like to make a contribution?
Some Hon. Members Some Hon. MembersYes, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMP Foggo? Is that your voice?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerGo right ahead, MP. You have your three minutes.
Ms. Lovitta F. Fog goYes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would definitely like to be associated with the condolences given for Mr. Lloyd Van Putten, [and] Mr. Larry Steede. I would also ask that this House recognise condolences for Ms. Madree Nearon, formerly Madre e Bean, a well -known St. Georgian who …
Yes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would definitely like to be associated with the condolences given for Mr. Lloyd Van Putten, [and] Mr. Larry Steede. I would also ask that this House recognise condolences for Ms. Madree Nearon, formerly Madre e Bean, a well -known St. Georgian who spent the later years of her life in St. David’s, was my constituent and also a relative of mine. She passed, I would say, a while back when we were not in the House. But I know that her family is listening, and I want them to know that we have recognised her loss today. Mr. Speaker, I would like to give congratulat ory remarks to the Bermuda College graduates. They performed during a time when it has been most diff icult for any student. And so to be able to get throu gh it and successfully matriculate out of the school to me speaks volumes. And I wish them all much success in their future endeavours as it relates to either educ ation or careers. And on that note, Mr. Speaker, I thank you.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, MP Fo ggo. Would any other Member like to make a contribution at this time?
Some Hon. Members Some Hon. MembersYes, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: Deputy Premier. Hon. Walter H. Roban: Yes, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerOkay. Deputy Premier, you have your three minutes. Hon. Walter H. Roban: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I would like to be associated with the condolences to the family of Mr. Lloyd Van Putten. I would also like to offer a condolence message for the family of Ms. Norma …
Okay. Deputy Premier, you have your three minutes.
Hon. Walter H. Roban: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I would like to be associated with the condolences to the family of Mr. Lloyd Van Putten. I would also like to offer a condolence message for the family of Ms. Norma T. A. Raynor, a constituent of mine who pas sed a couple ––a number of weeks ago. She is the mother -in-law of a very noted member, Mr. Roderick Burchall. And she was an active member of the Heard Chapel AME Church on the Glebe Road. [Also she] was an outstanding senior member of the Pembroke East com munity, whom I interacted with quite a bit in my journey thus far as a representative of that area. I would also like to echo the tribute to all of the Bermuda College grads, but also to all of the gradu-ates of all of the schools in Bermuda for this 2020/ 21 season who have had to navigate and accomplish their academic and non- academic goals through a very trying COVID -19 period. I think they all as st udents have perhaps had to deal with an environment like no other (than any of us when we were in their place have had to deal with) to still reach their goals. So tribute should be given to those who have been successful. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Deputy Premier. Would any other Member like to make a contribution at this time?
Some Hon. Members Some Hon. MembersYes. MP Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYou came loud and clear that time.
Mr. Neville S. TyrrellThank you. Mr. Speaker, in the vei n of congratulating graduates this year, I would like to send out congrat ulations to two of my young constituents who have r ecently graduated. The first one was Zuay Smith. She is actually the daughter of Alaire and Andre Godfrey of Warwick …
Thank you. Mr. Speaker, in the vei n of congratulating graduates this year, I would like to send out congrat ulations to two of my young constituents who have r ecently graduated. The first one was Zuay Smith. She is actually the daughter of Alaire and Andre Godfrey of Warwick Lane. She gradu ated from the University of Tampa with a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. And I think she has a bright future ahead of her. The other young constituent is Hidea Scott Riley, daughter of Shi rell Riley of Spice Hill Road. And she graduated magna cum laude from Howard Un iBermuda House of Assembly versity with a Bachelor of Art and Science, majoring in English and minoring in Photography. So she is another young Bermudian who I think has a good future ahead of her. While I also have the floor, Mr. Speaker, I would like to say congratulations and happy belated birthday to a very supportive constituent of mine, Ms. Mabel Albou y, who turned 91 recently. And I would be remiss if I did not say Ms. Albou y and her daughter, Deborah, are two of my biggest supporters i n repr esenting the constituency, C -26. Thank you, very much, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, MP Tyrrell. Does any other Member wish to make a contribution at this time? Hon. Renee Ming: Yes, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerIs that MP Ming? Okay. I was trying to catch your voice. MP Ming, you have your three minutes. Hon. Renee Ming: Surely. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First of all, I would like to be associated with the comments for Lloyd Van Putten. Mr. Van Putten, commonly known as “Ni …
Is that MP Ming? Okay. I was trying to catch your voice. MP Ming, you have your three minutes.
Hon. Renee Ming: Surely. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First of all, I would like to be associated with the comments for Lloyd Van Putten. Mr. Van Putten, commonly known as “Ni p,” was my consti tuent and one who was definitely a supporter of the Progressive Labour Party. He will truly be missed. He,1768, driving around St. George’s picking up anybody who needed a ride. I would like his family to know that they are in our thoughts and our prayers at this time. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to be associated with the condolence comments for Mr. Larry Steede. These are all St. George’s people, Mr. Speaker, so you can imagine that our community at this time is reeling from [the loss of] these two wel lknown persons. But we are resilient, and I am sure that we will gather together and support each other during this time. Mr. Speaker, while we are here in the House this morning, I was unable to attend a virtual prom otion ceremony at the Bermuda Police Service. But I would like to send congratulations to the following four officers who have been promoted to the rank of Chief Inspector. They would be Chief Inspector Dennis Astwood, Chief Inspector Peter Stableford, Chief I nspector Sherwin Joseph and Chief Inspector Alex Rowling . We wish them all the best in the next steps of their career with the Bermuda Police Service. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to be associated with the condolence comments as well for Madr ee Nearon. I know her daughter and her famil y well, and they are in our thoughts and prayers at this time as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: Mr. Speaker. [Pause] [Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr., Deputy Speaker, in the Chair]
The Deputy SpeakerDeputy SpeakerMr. Pearman, go right ahead. Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: Mr. [Deputy] Speaker.
The Deputy SpeakerDeputy SpeakerOh, is that Mr. Dunkley? Go right ahead. I am sorry for that. Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: Yes. Thank you, sir. I would like to join in the congratulations sent to all of the graduates — [Crosstalk ] Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: Deputy Speaker, you are not talking to me, …
Ms. Lovitta F. FoggoMP Burgess, we can hear you. Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: Deputy Speaker, your other microphone is on. Hello?
The Deputy SpeakerDeputy SpeakerYes. Go ahead. Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: Sorry. I could hear another microphone being on. Mr. Deputy Speaker, I would like to be ass ociated with congratulations to all of the graduates certainly of the Bermuda College and high schools, public and private in Bermuda. Certainly during COVID -19, it …
Yes. Go ahead. Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: Sorry. I could hear another microphone being on. Mr. Deputy Speaker, I would like to be ass ociated with congratulations to all of the graduates certainly of the Bermuda College and high schools, public and private in Bermuda. Certainly during COVID -19, it has been difficult through the educational process. But I think most graduates look forward to the opportunity to have their traditional ceremony. So it is pleasing, I am sure, for them for Members of Parliament to recognise them with their tremendous accomplishment during this difficult period. So I would like to be ass ociated with those congratulations. Also, Mr. Deputy Speaker, associated with congratulations to Triple Jump Champion for the SEC, Mr. P erinchief, on a fabulous jump. I know the SEC is a great conference in itself. So it is a worthy achiev ement, and certainly we are excited as Bermudians to recognise that. I would like to be associated with the congra tulations just given by the Honourable Minister for N ational Security for the four newly promoted Chief I nspectors within the Bermuda Police Service and wish them all the best. And thank you for stepping up to a higher position of leadership, which is well needed within that service, as more and more senior people retire through the years. And on a sadder note, Mr. Deputy Speaker, condolences to the Smith family on the passing of Deletha Smith recently. I know Kevin quite well, and I know some of the other members of the family. And I 1444 21 May 2021 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly am sure they were pleased to have their mother come back to the Island, as she wanted to have her final moments on the Island. I know they went through quite an ordeal to get her back on the Island. But I am sure she rested in peace, and I wish the family all the comfort and strength that are required during this diff icult period. And, Mr. Deputy Speaker, my final condolence is to the family of Mr. Larry Dennis, former Auditor General of the Government of Bermuda. He served for many, many years. And, Mr. Deputy Speaker, I think Members of the House on both sides had their run- ins at times with this Auditor General, but I believe he served our community very well. And I would like to pass on condolences to his wife and family on his passing just recently. Thank you, sir.
The Deputy SpeakerDeputy SpeakerThank you, Mr. Dunkley. Any further speakers? Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Yes, Mr. [Deputy] Speaker.
The Deputy SpeakerDeputy SpeakerThe Honourable Opposition Leader Hedley Cole Simons, continue. Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: I would like to start where Honourable Member Dunkley finished. I would like to associate myself with the comments made in regard to the former Auditor General, Larry Dennis. As was said, he was a very tenacious …
The Honourable Opposition Leader Hedley Cole Simons, continue.
Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: I would like to start where Honourable Member Dunkley finished. I would like to associate myself with the comments made in regard to the former Auditor General, Larry Dennis. As was said, he was a very tenacious Auditor General. He did not care who it was, he stuck to his principles and he stuck to professionalism. He had many bumpy roads, but that did not deter him. And those are the types of people that we need to provide oversight when it comes to government finances. So I send my condolences to his wife, Nancy, and the rest of his children. I would like to also associate myself with the comments made in regard to the graduates of Berm uda College and all of the other schools. I mean, as was said earlier, it has been a difficult year academ ically for all of our students and t eachers. And so I would like to send congratulations to all of those st udents who graduated, be it from primary schools, mi ddle schools or secondary schools and the Bermuda College. I would like to also associate myself with the comments made regarding Larry “Cocky” Steede. We worked together in international business for many, many years. He was a wise person. He was a very, very good friend. He left international business and started his own business doing maintenance and ot her things. And he loved golf. So again, my condolences to his family. And he is a personal miss to myself. I was so shocked to see it in today’s paper; it just threw me back. I would like to send congratulatory remarks to a junior equestrian. His name is Cody Rego. He won the championship honours in show jumping in the 2021 Tryon Spring Series in [North Carolina]. I wish him continued success in his endeavours in his equestrian field, and I am sure that he will be a star going forward. Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker.
[Hon. Dennis P. L ister, Jr., Speaker, in the Chair]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, MP, Opposition Leader. Would any other Member like to make a contribution at this time? Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMinister Furbert, you have your three minutes. Hon. Tinee Furbert: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to take this opportunity to congrat ulate two constituents of mine, both graduates. Jair Duke, who is the son of Tina and Michael Duke. Can you hear me, Mr. Speaker?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYes, I hear you. Hon. Tinee Furbert: Okay . Jair Duke graduated from Bermuda College, and so we would just like to send congratulations out to Jair Duke, as well as Jada Samuels , who is the daughter of Jah and Devonn a Samuels, who graduated from Thomas College with …
Yes, I hear you.
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Okay . Jair Duke graduated from Bermuda College, and so we would just like to send congratulations out to Jair Duke, as well as Jada Samuels , who is the daughter of Jah and Devonn a Samuels, who graduated from Thomas College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Entrepreneurship. Also wanting to send my congrat ulations out to all of the graduates of Bermuda College as well. Just wanting to say Well done! to all of the graduates of Bermuda College. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Does any other Member wish to make a contribution at this time?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYou have your three minutes.
Mr. Christopher FamousI would like to associate myself with the remarks for the late Mr. Larry Dennis, who was actually one of my constituents from A. P. Owen Road. And also another constituent wh o passed was Mr. John Moniz of Cloverdale Close, who passed about a month ago. Also, congratulations to …
I would like to associate myself with the remarks for the late Mr. Larry Dennis, who was actually one of my constituents from A. P. Owen Road. And also another constituent wh o passed was Mr. John Moniz of Cloverdale Close, who passed about a month ago. Also, congratulations to Bermuda College graduates, specifically one of my constituents, Ms.
Bermuda House of Assembly Serena Simmons of Chaingate Hill; Mr. Ryan Tyrrell, who graduated from Bermuda Coll ege as well. And I also would like to just thank the people of Devonshire for coming together the last few weeks since we have been out of lockdown who helped clean up the area. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, MP. Does any other Member wish to make a contribution at this time?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerOkay. There you go. You have your three minutes.
Mrs. Ianthia Simmons -WadeThank you. I would like to associate myself with the r emarks to the graduates of Bermuda College. This has certainly been a very challenging time doing the r emote learning, et cetera. And I think they are prepared to move forward in the future to contribute to our coun …
Thank you. I would like to associate myself with the r emarks to the graduates of Bermuda College. This has certainly been a very challenging time doing the r emote learning, et cetera. And I think they are prepared to move forward in the future to contribute to our coun try. I would also like to congratulate Ariana Caines, the daughter of Tina Evans and Glenn Caines, who will be called to the bar —and also I must say the granddaughter of the great Dame Lois Browne -Evans, who will be called to the Bermuda Bar next month. Congratulations! Thank you. Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: I would like to be associa ted with that as well, please, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYes. We will associate the House. Okay. Does any other Member wish to make a contribution at this time?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMinister Burch, you have your three minutes.
Lt. Col. Hon. David A. BurchThank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to be associated with the congra tulations to Jah- Nhai Perinchief who is a young man at university in the US and doing very well in triple- jump, also a constituent of mine. I would also like to be associated with the condolences …
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to be associated with the congra tulations to Jah- Nhai Perinchief who is a young man at university in the US and doing very well in triple- jump, also a constituent of mine. I would also like to be associated with the condolences to Lloyd Van Putten, whom I knew very well, and for a number of years, as a strong PLP supporter. I would also like to be assoc iated with the condolences to [the family of] Larry Steede, a very good friend of mine––bu t [it was] shocking news that came about just earlier this week. We used to work together years ago in reinsurance and stayed in touch over these many years. But a very shocking change. And then finally, I would like to be associated with the condolences to [the family of] Ms. Deletha Smith, mother of Kevin and mother -in-law of Terry Ann Smith. I think many people know she was a good friend of mine. I have known Ms. Smith for about 30 years. And it was always an interesting and enjoyable engagement with her. She was a straight shooter. You never had to guess where she stood on any issue. She was not reluctant to let her views be known. I saw her I guess about a year ago in Jamaica on one of my trips there. And I was so pleased that they were able to arrange her final wish to come home to pass. And so I offer my condolences to the entire family at this most difficult time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Does any other Member wish to make a contribution at this time? Hon. E. David Burt: Yes, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMr. Premier, you have your three minutes. Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to be associated certainly with the condolences out to the family of the late Ms. Deletha Smith, affectionate ly known as “Ma,” who r ecently passed away. Ms. Smith moved from …
Mr. Premier, you have your three minutes.
Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to be associated certainly with the condolences out to the family of the late Ms. Deletha Smith, affectionate ly known as “Ma,” who r ecently passed away. Ms. Smith moved from Jamaica to Bermuda in her early 20s. She worked many different jobs —cook, cleaner and as a nanny. She also r esided in Sunset Pass, Pembroke, on the border of the— it is my constituency and the constituency of the Honourable Member from constituency 19. Certainly my thoughts and prayers are with her son, Mr. Kevin Smith, whom I have worked with closely in my branch, and also her daughter -in-law, Kevin’s wife, Terry Smith. As well as the remainder of her family, Ms. Smith’s grandkids and others. She will certainly be missed by the family. And I know that it was certainly incredibly difficult. But as you have heard from the many tributes which were given today, the affection in which “Ma” was held into and certainly addition to her family. Mr. Speaker, on a matter for congratulations, I would certainly like to congratulate our Bermuda Col1446 21 May 2021 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly lege collegian athlete, Mr. Jah- Nhai Perinchief, for being crowned the Men’s Triple Jump Champion of the South E astern Conference Championships last week and associate myself with the congratulations which have already been given. This was the first —it is an incredible, incredible achievement. When speaking about the fact that he won in a major conference like that, the SEC, I was pleased to wish him well with an email directly to him. But I just want to say, Mr. Speaker, it is an incredible achievement. And he and his family should be incredibly proud. Mr. Speaker, we have had many congratul ations certainly that ha ve been extended to a number of graduates from the Bermuda College. So I just want to be associated with those particular ones, Mr. Speaker. I certainly would like to be associated with the remarks for the CedarBridge students who graduated with dual enrol ment honours. That would be S usanna Guerreiro, Shamori Fox, Bryan Hayward- Smith and Richard Mitchell -Minors. And they graduated from Bermuda College Dual Enrolment Programme yester-day at the CedarBridge Academy. So that means when they graduated from Cedar Bridge, they would have had their associate’s degree earned at the same time. And it is a very incredible achievement for them, Mr. Speaker. So I wish to be associated with the congrat ulations already issued to all Bermuda College st udents. And it is good to know, Mr. Speaker, that enrolment is up because this Government has made finances not a barrier for going to Bermuda College. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Mr. Premier. Does any other Member wish to make a contribution? Any other M ember? No other Member. Before I close, just let me add a couple of comments to some of the remarks that have been given already. MP Swan gave condolences to our si ster island …
Thank you, Mr. Premier. Does any other Member wish to make a contribution? Any other M ember? No other Member. Before I close, just let me add a couple of comments to some of the remarks that have been given already. MP Swan gave condolences to our si ster island of Anguilla on the passing of one of their most outstanding MPs. And I would l ike to join in with those remarks of the MP for that Member of Parli ament, Mr. Hughes. If anyone knew him, they knew him for his stance on independence. It was a mark in his feather that he never put down. He stood up strong and stands in regard to that, and he will always be remembered for that. I would also like to, on a lighter note, give birthday wishes to a constituent of mine, Ms. Ma e Smith. And for those who know Mae Smith in Somerset, you would know that she enjoyed her birthday yesterday, and cele brations came from all over. But I single her out today only because last week when we were here, or two weeks ago, we gave condolences [concerning] her husband who had passed. And it is fitting now to give our warm regards and warm r emarks to her, having given the sombre remarks last week when we were here. And on a sad note, as I looked in the paper this morning I saw the passing of a constituent of mine, Ms. Coralie Fox, nee Cross. And I want to give condolences to her family, to her husband Charlie, her son Charles and to her sisters, whose names you will know around certain Chambers here, Ms. Lilymay Bulford, Ms. Rhonda Mas kal and Roseanne Paul. I would like to express condolences to you on your loss. I did not realise that she had passed, and I will have my words with the family later on today. With that said, we are on that 12:30 mark. But before it comes to 12:30, I would just like to go through the other Orders that are here so we get to the Orders of the Day.
MATTERS OF PRIVILEGE
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThere are none. PERSONAL EXPLANATIONS
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThere are none. NOTICE OF MOTIONS FOR THE ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE ON MATTERS OF URGENT PUBLIC IMPORTANCE
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThere are none. INTRODUCTION OF BILLS
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThere are none. Members, it is 12:30 now. Premier, if you would adjourn us now, when we come back we will start on the Orders of the Day, which the first item will be the Fire Safety Amendment [Act 2021].
Mr. Premier.
Hon. E. David BurtpremierThank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move that this Honourable House do now adjourn for lunch.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerDoes any Member object to that? There are no objections. The House now stands adjourned until 2:00 pm. Proceedings suspended at 12:30 pm Proceedings resumed at 2:00 pm [Hon. Dennis P. Lister, Jr., Speaker, in the Chair]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerGood afternoon, Members. It is now 2:00 pm and the House is back in session to resume the business for today’s sitting. Bermuda House of Assembly We broke earlier for the lunch period. At that point we were about to start the Orders of the Day with the first item. …
Good afternoon, Members. It is now 2:00 pm and the House is back in session to resume the business for today’s sitting.
Bermuda House of Assembly We broke earlier for the lunch period. At that point we were about to start the Orders of the Day with the first item. However, Members, I am going to seek your indulgence to allow the Deputy Premier to address a matter. In the earlier session this morning reference was made to the opportunity to debate the Bermuda Plan at the next sitting. However, the item was not tabled to enable us to put that to debate, so, we are going to allow him to put that on the Orders for debate for the next sitting. With that said, Deputy Premier?
SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDER 14
Hon. Walter H. Roban: Thank you, Mr. Speaker and I appreciate the indulgence of the House on this matter. Mr. Speaker, I ask that Standing Order 14 be suspended to enable me to give notice of a Motion.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerAre there any objections to that? No objections, c ontinue, M inister. [Motion carried: Standing Order 14 suspended.] NOTICES OF MOTIONS BERMUDA PLAN 2018 Hon. Walter H. Roban: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that at the next day of meeting I propose to move the following motion: That …
Are there any objections to that? No objections, c ontinue, M inister. [Motion carried: Standing Order 14 suspended.]
NOTICES OF MOTIONS
BERMUDA PLAN 2018
Hon. Walter H. Roban: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that at the next day of meeting I propose to move the following motion: That this Honourable House, in accordance with sections 10 and 11 of the Development and Planning Act 1974, approve the Bermuda Plan 2018. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the House.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Deputy. It will appear on the Order Paper at the next sitting where it can be dealt with as an item on that particular day if you choose to pick it up then. Thank you, Members. ORDERS OF THE DAY
The SpeakerThe SpeakerWe are now moving on and the first item on the Paper today is the second reading of the Fire Safety Amendment Act 2021 in the name of the Minister of National Security. Minister, would you like to present your item at this time? Hon. Renee Ming: Good afternoon, Mr. …
The SpeakerThe SpeakerGood afternoon. BILL SECOND READING FIRE SAFETY AMENDMENT ACT 2021 Hon. Renee Ming: I move that the Bill entitled the Fire Safety Amendment Act 2021 be now read the second time.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerAre there any objections? There are none. Continue, Minister. Hon. Renee Ming: Mr. Speaker, the Bill before this Honourable House i s the Fire Safety Amendment Act 2021. Mr. Speaker, the Bill seeks to amend the Fire Safety Act 2014 (the principal Act) to establish the Chief Fire Officer (CFO) …
Are there any objections? There are none. Continue, Minister. Hon. Renee Ming: Mr. Speaker, the Bill before this Honourable House i s the Fire Safety Amendment Act 2021. Mr. Speaker, the Bill seeks to amend the Fire Safety Act 2014 (the principal Act) to establish the Chief Fire Officer (CFO) as the Authority Having J urisdiction (AHJ) in relation to the interpretation, appl ication, modification and enforcement of the National Fire Protection Association Codes under the Act. Mr. Speaker, this Honourable House will be aware that the principal Act provides for the adoption of the NFPA Codes as the standard for fire safety and protection of all buildings and premises in Bermuda. Although it has been commonly accepted that the CFO is the authority on decisions regarding the appl ication of the NFPA Codes, this is not enshrined in the legislation. Mr. Speaker, as a result of the proposed amendments, the CFO may issue written directions as to compliance and written guidance regarding the i nterpretation, application or modification of the NFPA Codes and revise any guidance so issued. Additiona lly, as the AHJ, the CFO shall carry out such consul tation as he considers appropriate before issuing or r evising any guidance or directions. Mr. Speaker, the proposed amendments will ensure that the CFO is empowered to give direction on the application and interpretation of the NFPA Codes where discrepanc ies or misunderstanding may arise, thereby ensuring that fire safety and protection in Bermuda is consistent and proficient. Mr. Speaker, with these introductory remarks I am pleased to commend the Bill entitled the Fire Saf ety Amendment Act 2021 to this Honourable House for Honourable Members to discuss.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Does any other Member wish to make a contribution at this time? Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: Yes, good afternoon, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMP Dunkley, you have the floo r. 1448 21 May 2021 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and good afternoon to colleagues. I thank the Honourable Minister for her brief and the amendment to the Fire Safety Act 2021 . . …
MP Dunkley, you have the floo r.
1448 21 May 2021 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and good afternoon to colleagues. I thank the Honourable Minister for her brief and the amendment to the Fire Safety Act 2021 . . . sorry, amends the Fire Safety Act 2014 in this amendment we are dealing with today. Mr. Speaker, [by] way of a background, the original Fire Safety Act 2014 came under my jurisdi ction when I was the Minister of National Security, and it actually had started to be put together under the former PLP Government before the change of go vernance in the election in 2012. I remember remarking at one time when I brought a Cabinet Paper on the Fire Safety Act 2014 to Cabinet, that, although I had not been around long sitting in Cabinet (it was only about nine months at the time when these papers first started circulating) it appeared that this piece of legi slation —the original Act of 2014— was one that had come to Cabinet more than I could ever imagine any other piece of legislation had come in front of Cabinet. And I guess there are many reasons for that. Obvious-ly, we needed to bring our fire safety codes up to a modern standard. Obviously, Mr. Speaker, I think we all agree that prevention is just as good as a cure, as they say in health care, but certainly in dealing with emergencies, safety and protection is much better than being able to deal with an emergency when it comes up, because you obviously would like to put that to the side and not have to deal with it. But the challenge that we faced with the Fire Safety Amendment Act was t hat we knew there was a need, we knew that we had to balance between providing the emergency service and we knew that that balance was important when it came to safety and protection. But when you look throughout the I sland at the buildings we have —some very old, some relatively modern, and then modern buildings —there was a real balance when we enacted legislation to make sure that: (1) it was effective; (2) it was fair; and (3) I guess, that it was not overly costly or burdensome to businesses to meet the requirements. And that is why the original legislation of 2014 took so long to actually get to the floor of the House and be passed. And now, here we are today in 2021 and the Honourable Minister of the day is bringing an amendment which the Opposition (OB A) has no issue with. We accept that this amendment could be needed for clarification where the Chief Fire Officer will be considered the officer of the . . . having the authority and jurisdiction to deal with matters in regard to the interpretation, appli cation, modification and enforcement. And this just deals with a small part of the 53- page Bill that is the original Bill of 2014. It deals with section 7 of the original Bill. So, we accept that this clarity is not in any way going against the grain of what we are tr ying to do. It should allow the enforcement of the Fire Safety Amendment Act to be done in a proper way. Mr. Speaker, one of the things I was always concerned about as the Minister was that, while I a ppreciated that we needed safety and protect ion, I also always wanted to make sure that we did not become overly bureaucratic in doing it. We wanted to make sure that, as I alluded to earlier in my comments, it did not become too much of a burden on businesses and individuals in conforming to it and so, there were [time allowances] for people to get up to code. Having said that, Mr. Speaker, we still have quite a bit of work to do. I look forward to updates from the Minister on where we stand in this regard as far as fire safety concerns. It would pr obably be hel pful for Members of the House as we consider this amendment here today for the Minister to provide some background on just who is in the department, in the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service, who deal with fire safety and protection, How big is t he department? How many officers are in there and what type of wor kload they face at the present time, Mr. Speaker. Having said that, let me take this opportunity to thank members of the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service for their work, not only through this period of COVID -19, but through the years in their professionalism and in their ability to deal with emergency ser-vices. I was immensely proud to be the Minister of National Security and, certainly, as a former volunteer, I have the deepest respect for [t he] Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service and the work they do. So, Mr. Speaker, with those comments we support this small piece of legislation today. We hope it gives the clarity that the Government believes it will give. And I look forward to the Minister prov iding some more background on just how big that department is and how big the Minister expects it to be in the near term as they assume more of the responsibility, Mr. Speaker. And the last question I have for the Honour able Minister is: In light of this amendment and the Fire Safety Act now being part of law since a number of years ago, does the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service believe that they have the budget to deal with the safety and protection under this law that they have to oversee and enforce withi n our community? Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for those comments and I look forward to the Minister’s answers and any comments in Committee.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Does any other Honourable Member wish to make a contribution at this time?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMP Foggo, you have the floor.
Ms. Lovitta F. FoggoEver so briefly. You know, we live in an ever -changing world. Technology changes. When we are speaking about buildings, spacing, and Bermuda House of Assembly the type of infrastr ucture that you have, [it] requires one to revisit the regulations and codes that are in place. And we know …
Ever so briefly. You know, we live in an ever -changing world. Technology changes. When we are speaking about buildings, spacing, and
Bermuda House of Assembly the type of infrastr ucture that you have, [it] requires one to revisit the regulations and codes that are in place. And we know that building codes do change from time to time. And so, it seems very fitting that, under this legislation, the Fire Chief would be made the point person who has the experience, has the knowledge, to be able to just go ahead and change regulations as it is deemed necessary. And so, it demonstrates that, you know, we are ever trying to be responsive to the current demands that confront those who oper ate within the Fire Department and it allows, in a very expedient way, the Chief to be able to go out when they do their inspections and the likes to be able to, after seeing first -hand the structure of buildings, keeping in mind various codes that change, then he/she is readily able to then make the requisite changes that will ensure people’s safety comes first and foremost. Mr. Speaker, a few years back I served on the Fire and Safety Committee within the House of A ssembly. And it was a very good experience. I would definitely say when we were in the field, I guess, participating in certain behaviours that we were sort of, should have been able to engage in, I would definitely say, Mr. Speaker, I had everybody running out of the yard. Because while I was supposed to be putting the fire out I was actually putting the fire extinguisher fumes on everyone else. So I guess I became the laughingstock that day. I laughed myself. But I say all of that to really speak to the fact that the security and safety of individuals in a building is first and for emost —should be first and foremost —and should a lways rest in the hands of those who have the skill and the expertise to deliver at the most important hour, should something arise. And so, with those brief comments, Mr. Speaker, this is a good thing that the Minister has done and I have no doubt she will continue to review the legislation and make the requisite amendments to make certain that the legislation is current, is responsive, and aligned with the codes of the day. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Member. Does any other Member wish to make a contribution at this time? No other? Minister, would you like to wrap up and move us to Committee? Hon. Renee Ming: Mr. Speaker, good afternoon. I mov e that the Bill be committed.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Deputy Speaker? Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. House in Committee at 2:16 pm [Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr., Chairman] COMMITTEE ON BILL FIRE SAFETY AMENDMENT ACT 2021
The ChairmanChairmanHonourable Members, we are now in Committee of the whole [House] for further consider ation of the Bill entitled the Fire Safety Amendment Act 2021 . Minister Ming, you have the floor. Hon. Renee Ming: Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman. There are actually three clauses here, can I move them all …
The ChairmanChairmanYes. Yes, you may. Hon. Renee Ming: Okay. Mr. Chairman, the Bill amends the F ire Safety Act 2014 (the Act) to establish an Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) in relation to the interpretation, a pplication, modification, and enforcement of the NFPA Codes under the Act, and to make related amendments. …
Yes. Yes, you may.
Hon. Renee Ming: Okay. Mr. Chairman, the Bill amends the F ire Safety Act 2014 (the Act) to establish an Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) in relation to the interpretation, a pplication, modification, and enforcement of the NFPA Codes under the Act, and to make related amendments. Clause 1 is the citation. This Act may be cited as the Fire Safety and Protection Amendment Act 2021. Clause 2 inserts new sections 7A and 7B into the Act. New section 7A establishes, in accordance with the NFPA 1—Fire Code, an AHJ who shall be responsible, for the purposes of the Act, for the e nforcement of the NFPA Codes under the Act, and establishes the Chief Fire Officer as the AHJ. New section 7B enables the AHJ to establish written guidance in relation to the interpretation, application or modific ation of the NFPA Codes and to iss ue written directions for compliance with the NFPA Codes. Clause 3 provides that the Bill shall be deemed to have come into operation on 1 January 2018, the same date that the Act came into operation. This clause also provides, for the avoidance of doubt, the exercise or performance of any functions by the Chief Fire Officer as AHJ for the purposes of the Act and in accordance with the NFPA Codes, prior to this Bill coming into operation, shall be deemed to have been validly exercised or performed.
The Cha irman: Thank you, Minister. Are there any further speakers? Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: Yes, Mr. Chairman.
The ChairmanChairmanHonourable Member Dunkley, you have the floor. 1450 21 May 2021 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: Thank you. I thank the Honourable Minister for the explanation of the three clauses. The third clause, this is self -explanatory, because obviously the Minister would like that …
Honourable Member Dunkley, you have the floor.
1450 21 May 2021 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: Thank you. I thank the Honourable Minister for the explanation of the three clauses. The third clause, this is self -explanatory, because obviously the Minister would like that clause to start from the time the Bill actually starts, which is cri tical to make sure that there is no ambiguity in this whole operation. Going back to the first, the second clause — the first clause is self -explanatory as well. I just have a couple of observations and a question to the Honourable Minister. So, clause 2 of the amendment we are dealing with today inserts the clause “Authority Ha ving Jurisdiction” after [section] 7 of the original 2014 Act. Mr. Chairman, I just want to provide some background. The original Act of 2014 says in [section] 6 that [the] Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service is r esponsible for fire and safety protection. So, [section] 6(1) says “The Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service shall have overall authority and responsibility with r espect to fire safety and protection, and the promotion thereof. . . .” Mr. Chairman, what that means, because the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Ser vice has overall r esponsibility, it also means that the Chief Fire Officer, as the leader of that organisation, is the one who pr ovides the direction, the guidance, and the input. So, what we are doing today —inserting this clause with the AHJ —is just prov iding any clarity that is necessary. Because, as the Minister said in her brief . . . someone has got their microphone on, Mr. Chairman, and there is a lot of noise.
The ChairmanChairmanYes. I really do not know who it is from my end. Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: It seems to be cleared up now, Mr. Chairman.
The ChairmanChairmanOkay, thank you. Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: So, Mr. Chairman, what the Minister did say in the brief [is] that it is commonly accepted that the CFO is the officer having jurisdi ction. So, section 6 (originally covered in the Act) and this [new] section 7A provides more clarity, if …
Okay, thank you.
Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: So, Mr. Chairman, what the Minister did say in the brief [is] that it is commonly accepted that the CFO is the officer having jurisdi ction. So, section 6 (originally covered in the Act) and this [new] section 7A provides more clarity, if the clar ity is required. And that is just a background for Me mbers of Parliament and for people listening. The question I have to the Honourable Mini ster is on clause 2, [new] section 7B, which says the “AHJ may issue directions or guidance in relation to the NFPA Codes.” So, the question to the Honourable Minister is, going back to the principal Act, the Fire Safety Act 2014, section 8[(1)] says the “Minister may issue su pplemental fire safety codes. . . .” So, the question to the Honourable Minister is, how will this new section 7B that we are putting into this Act work in tandem with the section 8 in the orig inal Act? How does the Minister expect those two—the change —to meld with what is already in the Fire Saf ety Act? Because, from what the Minister has said t oday the Chief Fire Officer can “issue written guidance regarding the interpretation” —that is section 7B[(1)](a) —provide “application or modification of the NFPA C odes, and revise any guidance so issued.” But the Minister, in the original Act in section 8, also has the ability to issue supplemental fire codes. So, how can we ensure that they are going to work together for seamless enforcement and oversight of this Fire Safety Amendment Act? That is the only question I have, and I think it is important based on how the amendment is written and how the original Act remains written in Part 2, section 8. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The ChairmanChairmanThank you, Honourable Mem ber. Are there any further speakers? Minister? Hon. Renee Ming: Mr. Chairman, I believe there was only one question from my colleague—
The ChairmanChairmanYes. Hon. Renee Ming: —and that spoke to how will section 7B work with section 8 of the Fire Safety Ac t 2014. And what I would like to do is . . . the amendment is clear in terms of the role of the Fire Chief — Chief Fire …
Yes. Hon. Renee Ming: —and that spoke to how will section 7B work with section 8 of the Fire Safety Ac t 2014. And what I would like to do is . . . the amendment is clear in terms of the role of the Fire Chief — Chief Fire Officer —and the AHJ (which is the authority within the jurisdiction), but in section 8 it says, as well, that “In preparing” (this is sec tion 8(2) of the Fire Saf ety Act 2014) “In preparing and issuing any fire safety codes under this section, the Minister shall act on the advice of the Chief Fire Officer who shall consult as he considers appropriate” and it goes on to explain it. So, I th ink that the question that the Member asked has been answered in the actual section 8 of the Act.
The ChairmanChairmanOkay. Mr. Dunkley, are you satisfied with that? Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: I appreciate the explan ation, Mr. Chairman, but I understand that in preparing and issuing any fire safety codes under section 8 the Minister shall act on the advice of the Chief Fire O fficer. Now, going back …
Okay. Mr. Dunkley, are you satisfied with that?
Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: I appreciate the explan ation, Mr. Chairman, but I understand that in preparing and issuing any fire safety codes under section 8 the Minister shall act on the advice of the Chief Fire O fficer. Now, going back to the amendment we are making today, section 7B[(1)](a), is that “advice” —that section 8, the Chief Fire Officer “ issuing written gui dance regarding the interpretation, application or modi-fication” of these codes? Because the Minister, in the original Act, has to act on the advice, but in this amendment we are allowing the Chief Fire Officer as the AHJ to actually iss ue the guidance. So, is the abi lity to do that taken out of the Minister’s hands comBermuda House of Assembly pletely and now all [decisions are] with the Chief Fire Officer? That is, I guess, the crux of the question. Because it appears that is so because the original Act —repeati ng myself for clarity —says —
The ChairmanChairmanYes. Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: —that the Minister must act on the advice of the Chief Fire Officer; but now we are giving the Chief Fire Officer the ability to actually revise the codes. It does not mention the Mi nister in this amendment.
The ChairmanChairmanHmm. Minister, do you have that? Hon. Renee Ming: Yes. Mr. Chairman, I believe that was the intention that the Chief Fire Officer becomes the AHJ, which is the [Authority Having] Jurisdiction. So, whilst the Mi nister still has the . . . “may issue supplementary fire safety codes,” the …
Hmm. Minister, do you have that?
Hon. Renee Ming: Yes. Mr. Chairman, I believe that was the intention that the Chief Fire Officer becomes the AHJ, which is the [Authority Having] Jurisdiction. So, whilst the Mi nister still has the . . . “may issue supplementary fire safety codes,” the Chief Fire Officer now is the Authority Having Jurisdiction within the amendment and that will be added into the Act as part of the Act.
The ChairmanChairmanOkay. Hon. Renee Ming: If tha t is . . . I am not sure if that is what you are referring to because that is actually where . . . the Authority Having Jurisdiction. So, that is the AHJ and that role is now affixed to the Chief Fire …
Okay. Hon. Renee Ming: If tha t is . . . I am not sure if that is what you are referring to because that is actually where . . . the Authority Having Jurisdiction. So, that is the AHJ and that role is now affixed to the Chief Fire Officer.
Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: That is what I was assu ming. That is why I have questioned section 8. So, if that is the case, why is section 8 not amended to make it clear that the Minister has no real authority in this matter? Because if it falls with the Chief Fire Officer as the AHJ, the Minister has no authority.
Hon. Renee Ming: Well, I would not say that . . . sorry, Mr. Chairman.
The ChairmanChairmanYes, go right ahead. Hon. Renee Ming: Okay. The Act is clear in that it still says that in section 8(1) —and you are referring to the Fire Safety Act 2014 —that “The Minister may issue supplementary fire safety codes that are essential to take account of the operational requirements …
Yes, go right ahead. Hon. Renee Ming: Okay. The Act is clear in that it still says that in section 8(1) —and you are referring to the Fire Safety Act 2014 —that “The Minister may issue supplementary fire safety codes that are essential to take account of the operational requirements of the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Services and which relate to matters which are not specifically provided for by the NFPA Codes.” So, when you look at this amendment here in front of us, it speaks specifically to the NFPA Codes and the section 8 . . . I think you are looking at it as . . . in the inference of the NFPA Codes, but section 8 speaks to [matters] that are not specificall y provided for. So, I see where you are . . . I can see your confusion in it, but I think the Act actually clearly ex-plains it there.
Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: I accept where you are coming from, but I still have some difference because in section 8(2) it says, “In preparing and issuing any fire safety codes under this section, the Minister shall . . .”—so it refers to the codes right there. Mr. Chairman, I do not need to belabour the point. I am just making sure that we have clarity because this —
The Ch airman: Yes.
Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: —the Fire Safety Amendment Act 2021 is bringing clarity to these codes, which are important. And so, I just want to question that to make sure that if the Chief Fire Officer is the AHJ, that this is clear, and the Minister’s responsibilities are very well defined and we do not have to come back and make further amendments. So, the point has been made. And I do not think there is any need to belabour it anymore. I appreciate the Minister’s explanations.
The ChairmanChairmanAny further questions? Any further speakers? There appear to be none. Minister, do you want to move these clauses? Hon. Renee Ming: Surely, Mr. Chairman. I move that clauses 1, 2 and 3 be approved.
The ChairmanChairmanIt has been moved that clauses 1, 2 and 3 be approved. Are there any objections to that? There appear to be none. Approved. [Motion carried: Clauses 1 through 3 passed.]
The ChairmanChairmanWe will do the preamble now. Hon. Renee Ming: I move that the preamble be approved.
The ChairmanChairmanIt has been moved that the preamble be approved. Are there any objections to that? There appear to be none. The preamble is approved. Hon. Renee Ming: I move that the Bill be reported to the House as presented or amended. 1452 21 May 2021 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House …
It has been moved that the preamble be approved. Are there any objections to that? There appear to be none. The preamble is approved.
Hon. Renee Ming: I move that the Bill be reported to the House as presented or amended.
1452 21 May 2021 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly The Chairman: It has been moved t hat the Bill be reported to the House as printed and amended. Any objections to that? There appear to be none. The Bill will be reported to the House.
[Motion carried: The Fire Safety Amendment Act 2021 was considered by a Committee of the whole House and passed without amendment.]
The ChairmanChairmanThank you Honourable Minister. Mr. Speaker. House resumed at 2:29 pm [Hon. Dennis P. Lister, Jr., Speaker, in the Chair] REPORT OF COMMITTEE FIRE SAFETY AMENDMENT ACT 2021
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Deputy Speaker. Members, are there any objections to the Bill entitled Fire Safety Amendment Act 2021 being r eported to the House as printed? There are none. The Bill has been reported as printed and received. That now brings us on to the next item on the Order …
Thank you, Deputy Speaker. Members, are there any objections to the Bill entitled Fire Safety Amendment Act 2021 being r eported to the House as printed? There are none. The Bill has been reported as printed and received. That now brings us on to the next item on the Order Paper for today, [Order] No. 2, which is the second reading of the Public Service Superannuation Temporary Amendment Act 2021 in the name of the Minister of Finance. Minister, are you ready to present your matter?
Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: If it pleases you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerContinue on. BILL SECOND READING PUBLIC SERVICE SUPERANNUATION TEMPORARY AMENDMENT ACT 2021 Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Mr. Speaker, I move that the Bill entitled the Public Service Superannuation Temporary Amendment [Ac t] 2021 be now read the second time.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerAre there any objections? There are none. Minister. Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Mr. Speaker, the Gover nment wishes this Honourable House to now give con-sideration to the Bill entitled the Public Service S uperannuation Temporary Amendment Act 2021. Mr. Speaker, 2020 was a very challenging year for countries around the …
Are there any objections? There are none. Minister.
Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Mr. Speaker, the Gover nment wishes this Honourable House to now give con-sideration to the Bill entitled the Public Service S uperannuation Temporary Amendment Act 2021. Mr. Speaker, 2020 was a very challenging year for countries around the world. The unexpected onset of the pandemic and the fallout from that has had a devastating impact on people and on econ omies. Bermuda, like other countries globally, has had to deal with serious health and economic challenges. A number of critical actions were taken to protect and preserve life and then to provide economic support for the people of Bermuda. Government revenues dropped significantly and the unexpected expenditure [INAUDIBLE ] reached . . . Government therefore stepped up and took prudent and considered action to address the expected significant deficit. Mr. Speaker, we were fortunate that in this crisis Bermudians and residents of Bermuda came together and worked together for the common good. Thus, Government was able to negotiate with some of its union partners in the public sector and reach an agreement on a package of austerity measures aimed at reducing expenditure in the short term, while at the same time ensuring that public service employees were not negatively impacted from a financial point of view. Mr. Speaker, the Bermuda Public Services Union, the Bermuda Industrial Union, and the Berm uda Union of Teachers all agreed to a list of measures which included: a reduction of 10 per cent of all sal aries and wages for one year, or until the 31 July 2021, and [until] the 31 August [2021] for teachers and pri ncipals; a suspension of Public Service Superannuation Fund contributions by the employee and the Gover nment for one year or until 31 July 2021. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, on 17 July 2020, the Legislature passed the Public Service Superannuation Temporary Amendment Act 2020. The purpose of the Temporary PSSA [Public Service Superannuation Act] was to provide for a one- year temporary suspension of the Government’s contributions to the Public Service Superannuation Fund [PSSF] and an optional one-year temporary suspension of a contributor’s contributions to the PSSF. Mr. Speaker, the Temporary PSSA has a predefined suspension period with a suspension period defining specific dates of when contributions can be suspended from the PSSF. The PSSA defined the suspension period as 1 August 2020 to 31 July 2021. And for persons that fal l within the category of teac her, from 1 September 2020 to 31 August 2021. Mr. Speaker, the suspension period was in itially instituted with the expectation that all gover nment unions would reach agreement on the suspen ding of PSSF contributions at the sam e time. However, the negotiation process has been more extended with some of the unions. As a result, the government employees in those unions —this includes the police officers of all ranks, superintendent and above, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, and the Commi sBermuda House of Assembly sioner of Police and Magistrates —will complete their 12-month suspension period after the pre- defined end date of the suspension period of the Act. The group of employees that have not started as yet are still a work in progress, but the date on which an agreement is made is still to be determined. Mr. Speaker, to avoid having to make multiple amendments of the Temporary PSSA to allow for di fferent suspension periods each time the Government negotiates with the remainder of its union partners, the Act will be amended to allow for modification of suspension periods by order subject to the negative resolution procedure, and that such order may be made with retrospective effect. Mr. Speaker, I want to make it clear that the decision to suspend contr ibutions to the PSSF was not taken lightly and, as noted previously, came on the back of a pandemic that had a negative impact on the global economy with the Government experiencing a major decline in tax revenue and, at the same time, needing to increase its expenditure in order to safeguard the health of Bermuda and its residents. The agreement to suspend contributions helped the Government to avoid mass lay -offs, or forced early retirement within the public service, and helped to save the taxpayers milli ons of dollars. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I wish to take this opportunity, once again, to thank our union partners and, by extension, our dedicated public service officers for their active engagement and willingness to work with us in the best interests of Bermuda. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Does any other Member wish to make a contribution at this time? Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerOpposition Leader, you have the floor. Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: I would like to begin by stating that the Opposition realises that this is something that has to be done and not something that we would like to have done. As we all know, and as the Minister of …
Opposition Leader, you have the floor.
Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: I would like to begin by stating that the Opposition realises that this is something that has to be done and not something that we would like to have done. As we all know, and as the Minister of F inance has indicated, we faced a challenge econom ically prior to the pandemic and the pandemic has exacerbated the economic challenge that we all face, whether we are an individual employee, whether we are a business, or whether in fact we are a gover nment. The truth of the matter that is everybody in the economy has suffered. We have seen our salaries reduced, we have seen our incomes reduced, we have seen people laid off, and we have seen some really, really tough times with our brothers and sisters. So, I understand that we have to make some tough decisio ns to get through this situation which we find ourselves in. Mr. Speaker, I would like to first state that we support this endeavour and, in essence, with the suspension of the contributions —be they voluntarily or not—we are funding today by borrowing fro m our f uture. We are using our own money that we had put aside for a rainy day to cover our living expenses for today in some cases. And I know it is difficult and I also know that a number of people would prefer not to borrow from their pensions, but had no choice to do otherwise. Not only that, Mr. Speaker, when we borrow from our pensions, we are not just taking out capital, we are also taking out potential earnings that enure to our benefit over a life of our contributions to our pe nsions. And at the end of the day, when it comes to our pensions, what you put in is what you get out. So, if you reduce your contributions, if you make withdra wals from your contributions, your benefits when you are ready to retire are diminished accordingly. And so, at the end of the day, this challenges us in the imm ediate term and also in the long term. We not only lose our contributions, but we lose the earning power of our contributions, and I think this needs to be made clear as well. Mr. Speaker, the other issue is when we put through the legislation last year, the Minister of F inance had indicated that he was doing an actuarial review on the pension plans —the government pe nsion plans —and he gave an indication that the actuarial review would be completed by the end of July 2020. I would invite the Minister to give an update on where things stand on the actuarial studies and their findings in regard to the liquidity and sustainability of our pension plans. I think one of the pension plans that I read i ndicated that, if we did not make a contribution, the plan would last for another 10 years. Given where we are this year it would be interesting to see what assessment the actuaries will make given that we have withdrawn funds from our pensions, and because we withdrew funds with the $12,000 which is not a government pension, but the principle is the same, if we are not making contributions then it just compromises the income and it compromises the ability of the fund to meet its liquidity requirements. As I said, Bermuda w as [having] challenging economic times before. We were on a glide path of reduced tourism. People were leaving Bermuda because they were facing challenges. And so, we should have had a recovery plan then, but that is history and it is easy to say. And I see that the Minister has a r ecovery plan which will be debated sometime in the future. The other reason that I think we had to do it was to basically address money in circulation. If we are to grow our economy, if we are to get people back to work, the inc entive for Government was to release some of the pension money to its participants so that they can spend money in the community and, as a 1454 21 May 2021 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly result, bring some liquidity and growth to our econ omy. So, it is an interesting dilemma in regard to suspension of c ontributions because it touches the entire fabric of Bermuda’s economy. As I said, I do not have a lot to say. We support it and on that . . . oh, I know. The Minister indicated that on occasion— and the legislation states “on occasion” —the Minister will have the discretion to add members or certain classes of members to the suspension of contributions. When he does his summary, I would like for him to repeat what he said because I did not have a clear sense. I was trying to determine whether he meant wher e they have employees in government who have not agreed to the suspension of their contributions or have not agreed to the collective bargaining agreement that is crafted by the unions, that their suspension has been tabled for now and will be presented [again] in regard to this legislation when agreement is reached. So, can the Minister just clarify this because I am not very clear as to how one qualifies to have a suspension within the government sector as well as the contributory pension sector in the next legislation? So, with those few comments, that is all I have to say at this point in time, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Honourable Member. Does any other Honourable Member wish to make a contribution at this time?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYes, MP Adams, you have the floor.
Mr. Jache AdamsMr. Speaker, I will be very brief. As the Minister articulated, this is simply a measure to avoid making multiple amendments to the Temporary PSSA. The Government recognises that the negoti ations to suspend contributions to the PSSF with some union partners took longer than originally anticipated and that some …
Mr. Speaker, I will be very brief. As the Minister articulated, this is simply a measure to avoid making multiple amendments to the Temporary PSSA. The Government recognises that the negoti ations to suspend contributions to the PSSF with some union partners took longer than originally anticipated and that some are, in fact, still ongoing. As a result, the beginning and ending dates are different. So, Mr. Speaker, I am naturally supportive of the amendment. Mr. Speaker, if I may, I, too, would like to take this opportunity to thank our union partners and public officers for their sacrifice. It goes without saying COVID -19 has resulted in a loss of government rev enue, increasing expenditure, and ultimately, an i ncrease in our national debt. And it was their sacrifice that assisted in providing the Government additional capacity to work through the economic challenges brought on by the pandemic. Mr. Speaker, it is not lost on us that our pub lic officers provide critical services on a daily basis to enhance the lives of everyday Bermudians, that many have gone above and beyond having been asked to do more with less and that the added pressure has had an impact to their everyday lives. Mr. Spe aker, it is for reasons such as those that this Government’s agenda is now to put policies in place that will have us move past the pandemic. Mr. Speaker, I will finish by simply saying that the sacrifices of our union partners and public officers, once again, demonstrate their commitment to each other and our country and they have not gone unnoticed. Thank you.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Honourable Member. Does any other Honourable Member wish to make a contribution at this time? Mr. Scott Pearman: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, MP Pearman.
Mr. Scott PearmanThank you, Mr. Speaker. Like the last speaker, I will be very brief. As the Opposition Leader has already i nformed this Honourable House, we do not oppose this Act or this Bill. Nonetheless, we recognise that it is regrettable, because what we are doing in practice and in practicality …
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like the last speaker, I will be very brief. As the Opposition Leader has already i nformed this Honourable House, we do not oppose this Act or this Bill. Nonetheless, we recognise that it is regrettable, because what we are doing in practice and in practicality is suspending payments into pension money and pension money is that pot for rainy days. We all recognise right now that it is raining and, therefore, there has been legitimate consideration and focus as to whether or not pension money should be released or releasable or suspended, et cetera, to allow for the trouble t hat is being faced on a global basis in respect of COVID -19. But nonetheless, that which is spent today is unlikely to be there tomorrow. It is always helpful when these sorts of Bills come through just to remind ourselves what the Bill is actually doing. This Bill, as the Honourable Minister of Finance explained, is really very, very narrow. The previous Bill dealt with various periods of suspension, and it had two periods of suspension. This Bill is intr oducing a third period, which period is at the dis cretion of the Minister. And it, therefore, allows for suspe nsions now that did not happen before. The questions I have, therefore, are two. The Minister of Finance explained how the previous per iods were general in the first instance and specific to teachers in the second, so my first question is this to the Honourable Minister of Finance: What are the categories that this new discretionary flexible period will allow for suspensions? Is it police and fire only, as he described? Or does it apply to anyone else? So, we know it applies to the police and fire because he said so. Does it apply to anyone else? My second and final question for the Honourable Minister of Finance is this: This Bill allows the
Bermuda House of Assembly setting of a period on a retrospective basis. It goes back in time if the Minister wishes. He has the power to go back in time and suspend for a period in the past. And my second and final question, Mr. Speaker, is to the extent to which he will exercise that retr ospective power, will he be going back or not? I think he was commenting on that when he addressed the Bill in the beginning, but I am afraid I just missed that point. Will he be applying this retrospectively against the police, the fire, or indeed, any other category that he identifies in respect of my first question? Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for allowing me that brief moment.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Does any other Member wish to make a contribution at this time? Any other Member? No other Member? Minister. Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Honourable Members for their contributions and for the opportunity to provide some clarifying comments on areas that may …
Thank you. Does any other Member wish to make a contribution at this time? Any other Member? No other Member? Minister.
Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Honourable Members for their contributions and for the opportunity to provide some clarifying comments on areas that may be a bit confusing. By way of background, the Government entered into discussions and negotiations with all the public service unions and associations. They would include the BPSU, the BIU, the BUT, the Bermuda Police Association, the Fire [Service] Association, as well as the Prison Officers Association. While we would have liked for those negotiations all to have concluded with all parties agreeing to participate in this programme, it did not end that way. And two unions, in particular, did not —the Prison Officers Association and the Fire Service Association. Discussions with the police organisation took a bit longer, so their commencement date, because this programme was intended to be for 12 months in duration . . . so the concern expressed around the dates and the retrospective nature of this amendment, let me allay those concerns by saying this. Inasmuch as a union commenced the austerity programme after July 1st, let us say it is August 1st, their end date would be 12 months from commencement. The retrospective nature of the Bill is intended to capture the start date, which may not have been when the legislat ion was originally contemplated. And so, you will see in experience that actual start dates will be varied for each particular union and this legisl ation is intended to allow for the suspensions to occur for that period of time for which the 12 months is r unning. We have not had agreements with the Prison Officers Association or the Fire Services Association. This legislation, in some ways, is a bit optimistic and is hopeful that, like their other colleagues in the public service who participated in the austerity measures, that they will see fit to do so as well. So it contem-plates that inasmuch as they do agree we can provide for their suspensions without having to come back and amend the legislation. I think that there might have been some confusion, especially for the general public, with respect to some of the comments made by the Honourable Opposition Leader. This amendment relates only to the Public Service Superannuation Fund, the defined benefit plan for public service officers. It does not r elate t o private sector plans or defined contribution plans. And so, there have been no monies taken out of this plan. There has been in effect a suspension of the contributions. With that, Mr. Speaker, I move that the Bill be committed.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerAny object ions? None? Deputy Speaker. Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House in Committee at 2:53 pm [Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr., Chairman] COMMITTEE ON BILL PUBLIC SERVICE SUPERANNUATION TEMPORARY AMENDMENT ACT 2021
The ChairmanChairmanHonourable Members, we are now in Committee of the whole [House] for further consider ation of the Bill entitled the Public Service Superannuation Temporary Amendment Ac t 2021 . Minister Dickinson, you have the floor. Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Mr. Chairman, I move clauses 1 through 3.
The ChairmanChairmanContinue. Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Clause 1 is self - explanatory. Clause 2 amends the definition of “suspension period” i n section 2 of the principal Act, to allow for different suspension periods of 12 months to be spec ified by order made by the Minister of Finance in rel …
Continue.
Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Clause 1 is self - explanatory. Clause 2 amends the definition of “suspension period” i n section 2 of the principal Act, to allow for different suspension periods of 12 months to be spec ified by order made by the Minister of Finance in rel ation to specified categories of contributors, and such orders shall be made subject to the negative res olution procedure and may be made with retrospective effect. Clause 3 provides for retrospective commencement of this Act on July 27, 2020, the date on which the Temporary PSSA came into effect. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The ChairmanChairmanThank you. 1456 21 May 2021 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly Any furt her speakers? Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Yes, just one question.
The ChairmanChairmanYes. Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: And I would like to speak to [new section] 2(1)(c) based on comments the Minister made during his presentation.
The ChairmanChairmanContinue, Honourable Leader of the Opposition Cole Hedley Simons. Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My question is this: He indicated that he has not reached an agreement with the Bermuda Police Union. If the Bermuda Police Union — Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Mr. Chairman, the Police …
The ChairmanChairmanYes, continue. Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: The Police Union are among the parties who have agreed. It is the prison officers and the fire officers who have not. Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Okay, s o, if the Prison O fficers and the Fire Officers agree today, then you have …
Yes, continue. Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: The Police Union are among the parties who have agreed. It is the prison officers and the fire officers who have not.
Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Okay, s o, if the Prison O fficers and the Fire Officers agree today, then you have the discretion to give them a suspension as of May 21, 2021 to December 31, 2021? So that could be effective today given the changing circumstances of our economy in regard to the i mpact of COVID -19. And that is the question I have. So, our economy is evolving continuously and the longer we go down the road economically we may strengthen and you may find yourself in a position that these two entities —the Prison Officers and the Fire Officers —are not required to make their contribution because of the strengthening of our economy. But if it is required, you do not have to give them a year’s suspension, you can give them whatever you deem fit given the evolution of our economy. Thank y ou.
The ChairmanChairmanAny further speakers? Minister?
The ChairmanChairmanMP Pearman, continue, I am sorry.
Mr. Scott PearmanThank you. Honourable Minister, just to follow up on something from the debate, but in respect of the [new section] 2(1)(c) that is being inserted into the Bill, my question is this: It says, “such other periods of twelve months as may be so specified.” And so, I guess, my …
Thank you. Honourable Minister, just to follow up on something from the debate, but in respect of the [new section] 2(1)(c) that is being inserted into the Bill, my question is this: It says, “such other periods of twelve months as may be so specified.” And so, I guess, my question is this, as I understood what you were sa ying, the suspension periods for the various job categories will not necessarily align by their dates, but the suspension periods will be the same length of 12 months. Is that correct or have I misunderstood?
The ChairmanChairmanMinister. Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Mr. Chairm an, the suspension periods will be for 12 months in duration, so—
Mr. Scott PearmanAcross the board. Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Across the board.
The ChairmanChairmanAny further questions or comments? Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Mr. Chairman, I am not sure . . . I am hopeful that that response answered the question put forth by the Opposition Leader, but if it is not, then I — Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Just a question. And …
Any further questions or comments?
Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Mr. Chairman, I am not sure . . . I am hopeful that that response answered the question put forth by the Opposition Leader, but if it is not, then I —
Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Just a question. And so, I heard what you said and, as you can see, our management of COVID -19 is becoming more positive and the economy is beginning to open. And it may not be necessary to suspend the contributions for the me mbers in question for 12 months because we may have a more robust economy by December. So, the question becomes, why hamstring yourself to a year if you can only be required to do it, given our economic i mprovement, for six months? That is my question.
Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Mr. Chairman, I will r espond to that by saying that the answer is rooted in a concept of equity. And so, the other public officers — those from the BPSU, the BIU, the BUT and the P olice Association— have all agreed to suspend their contributions for a period of 12 months. And in the spirit of them taking a reduction in their benefits, it is my view that they would probably ask for the same kind of sacrifice from their colleagues in the Prison Service and in the Fire Service.
Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Okay, I accept that.
The ChairmanChairmanAny further comments? There appear to be none. Minister? Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Mr. Chairman, I move that the preamble be approved.
The ChairmanChairmanDo the clauses first. Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: I am sorry. Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Chairman, I move that clauses 1 through 3 be approved.
The ChairmanChairmanIt has been moved that clauses 1 through 3 be approved. Are there any objections to that? There appear to be none. Approved. [Motion carried: Clauses 1 through 3 passed.]
The ChairmanChairmanNow you can do the preamble. Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Mr. Chairman, I move that the preambl e be approved.
The ChairmanChairmanIt has been moved that the preamble be approved. Are there any objections to that? There appear to be none. Approved. Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Mr. Chairman, I move that the Bill be reported to the House as printed. The C hairman: It has been moved that the Bill be …
It has been moved that the preamble be approved. Are there any objections to that? There appear to be none. Approved.
Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Mr. Chairman, I move that the Bill be reported to the House as printed.
The C hairman: It has been moved that the Bill be reported to the House as printed. Are there any objections to that? There appear to be none. The Bill will be r eported to the House as prin ted. [Motion carried: The Public Service Superannuation Temporary Amen dment Act 2021 was considered by a Committee of the whole House and passed without amendment.]
The ChairmanChairmanMr. Speaker. House resumed at 3:00 pm [Hon. Dennis P. Lister, Jr., Speaker, in the Chair] REPORT OF COMMITTEE PUBLIC SERVICE SUPERANNUATION TEMPORARY AMENDMENT ACT 2021
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Deputy Speaker. Members, are there any objections to the Public Service Superannuation Temporary Amendment Act 2021 being reported to the House as printed? There are none. It has been reported as printed and received. We now move on to the next item on the O rder Paper, which …
Thank you, Deputy Speaker. Members, are there any objections to the Public Service Superannuation Temporary Amendment Act 2021 being reported to the House as printed? There are none. It has been reported as printed and received. We now move on to the next item on the O rder Paper, which is the second reading of the Contributory Pensions Temporary Amendment Act 2021, again, in the name of the Minister of Finance. Minister. BILL
Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Mr. Speaker, I move that the Bill entitled the Contributory Pensions Temporary Amendment Act 2021 be now read the second time.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerAre there any objections? There are none. Continue, Min ister. Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Mr. Speaker, the Gover nment wishes this Honourable House to now give consideration to the Bill entitled the Contributory Pensions Temporary Amendment Act 2021. Mr. Speaker, as previously noted, the COVID - 19 pandemic had a …
Are there any objections? There are none. Continue, Min ister. Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Mr. Speaker, the Gover nment wishes this Honourable House to now give consideration to the Bill entitled the Contributory Pensions Temporary Amendment Act 2021. Mr. Speaker, as previously noted, the COVID - 19 pandemic had a major impact on countries and their residents around the globe. Bermuda, like other countries globally, has had to deal with the serious health and economic challenges. The Bermuda Government, therefore, had to take prompt and decisive action to protect t he health of its residents and to pr ovide support to navigate significant challenges. The Government also developed and impl emented an unemployment benefit allowing for persons to wit hdraw funds from their pensions and progressed other initi atives to prov ide residents with additional income. Businesses were also given consideration and actions were also taken to help them navigate the challenging waters. One key initiative, which was progressed to provide benefits to both businesses and individuals, relate d to social insurance payments. Thus, on the 19 th of June 2020 the Legislature passed the Contributory Pensions Temporary Amendment Act 2020 (or the Temporary CPA). The purpose of the Temporary CPA was to provide for a one- year temporary suspe nsion of contributions to the Contributory Pension Fund with the aim of providing assistance to businesses, employees and the Government due to the negative economic impact of the COVID -19 pandemic on Ber muda’s economy. Mr. Speaker, on the back of the passing of the Temporary CPA the Government negotiated with some of its union partners and reached an agreement on a package of measures aimed at reducing ex-pend itures in the short term. Bermuda Public Service s Union, the Bermuda Industrial Union, and the Berm uda Union of T eachers agreed to a list of measures which included a suspension of Contributory Pension Fund contributions by the employee and the Gover nment in respect of a defined suspension period. Mr. Speaker, the Temporary CPA has a suspension period with the suspension period defining 1458 21 May 2021 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly specific dates when contributions can be suspended from the CPF [Contributory Pension Fund]. In partic ular, the Tem porary CPA d efines the suspension period as July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021. Mr. Speaker, it was originally anticipated that all government unions wo uld come to an agreement on the suspending of CPF contributions at the same time. However, the negotiations were concluded at different time periods and for some groups of emplo yees—police officers of the rank of Superintendent and above, the Deputy Commis sioner of Police, the Commissioner of Police and Magistrates —negotiations are still ongoing. As a result, the government employees in some unions will complete their 12- month suspension period after the predefined end date of the suspension period of the T emporary CPA. Mr. Speaker, to avoid having to make multiple amendments to the Temporary CPA to be able to a ppropriately reflect these extended time periods, the Temporary CPA will be amended to allow for modif ication of the suspension periods by order subject to the negative resolution procedure and that such orders may be made with retrospective effect. Mr. Sp eaker, the Contributory Pension Fund has served the citizens of Bermuda well during the 50 years that it has been in existence by providing an impo rtant base retirement income. Government has been consistent in taking steps to encourage contributions to maximise future income streams. However, given the unprecedented tragedy of the COVID -19 pandemic, as noted earlier, Government has r esponded with cr eativity and decisiveness to offer relief to those negatively impacted by this global disaster. The deferment in CPF contributions has helped keep people employed, businesses afloat, and helped the Government to prudently control expenditure. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I wish to, again, take this opportunity to thank our union partners, our bus iness partners, our health workers, our essential wor kers, and all the public for their support during this pandemic period. It is with their strength and backing that the Government will help Bermuda come out of the pandemic stronger than before it went in. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Does any other Member wish to make a contribution at this time? Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Thank you, I wil l be very brief because —
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYes, Opposition Leader, you have the floor. Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Thank you. I will be brief because the principles discussed in the opening r emarks in the previous legislation apply to this as well. As I said, we support the legislation because it has to be done because …
Yes, Opposition Leader, you have the floor. Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Thank you. I will be brief because the principles discussed in the opening r emarks in the previous legislation apply to this as well. As I said, we support the legislation because it has to be done because of the challenges faced in Bermuda, because we need to support the people of Bermuda, we need to support our businesses, we need to support our economy, and the only way to support all of them is t o have more money in circul ation, which will be the foundation for the growth of our economy. The only thing that I would like for the Minister of Finance to address is the issue of the actuarial r eview. When we did the original temporary suspension back in July or June of last year, he made a commi tment to have the actuarial review completed by July of last year. And I am not aware that it has been completed and I just ask the Minister for an update on when that actuarial report will be made public. And those are my comments. As I said, I am not going to be long on this one because we di scussed the principle in the previous legislation. Thank you.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Opposition Leader. Does any other Member wish to make a contribution at this time? There appear to be none. Minister. Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With respect to the actuarial review, I think it has been a tradition of myself and my predecessors to table …
Thank you, Opposition Leader. Does any other Member wish to make a contribution at this time? There appear to be none. Minister.
Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With respect to the actuarial review, I think it has been a tradition of myself and my predecessors to table before this Honourable House the actuarial r eviews once t hey have been completed. I can advise the Honourable House that I have not yet received the latest update. When I do so I will be first sure to share that update with Cabinet, at which point they will a pprove for me to table such report for the considerat ion of the Honourable House. But as at this point, no report has been submitted to my office and, therefore, I am still waiting for the update. I am pleased to advise honourable colleagues that work is ongoing with respect to both the PSSF and the CPF as w e develop strategies around ensuring that their solvency is extended beyond their exis ting lifecycle. With that, Mr. Speaker, I move that the Bill be committed.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Deputy Speaker. Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. House in Committee at 3:08 pm [Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr., Chairman] Bermuda House of Assembly COMMITTEE ON BILL CONTRIBUTORY PENSIONS TEMPORARY AMENDMENT ACT 2021
The ChairmanChairmanHonourable Members, we are now in Committee of the whole [House] for further consider ation of the Bill entitled the Contributory Pensions Temporary Amendment Act 2021 . Minister, you have the floor. Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Mr. Chairman, I move clauses 1 through 3.
The ChairmanChairmanContinue, Minister. Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Clause 1 is self - explanatory. Clause 2 amends the definition of “suspension period” in section 2 of the Temporary CPA, to allow for different suspension periods of 12 months to be spec ified by order made by the Minister of Finance in rel …
Continue, Minister. Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Clause 1 is self - explanatory. Clause 2 amends the definition of “suspension period” in section 2 of the Temporary CPA, to allow for different suspension periods of 12 months to be spec ified by order made by the Minister of Finance in rel ation to specified categories of contributors, and such orders shall be made subject to the negative resol ution procedure and may be made with retrospective effect. Clause 3 provides for retros pective effect of this Act on 29 June 2020, the day on which the Te mporary CPA came into effect.
The ChairmanChairmanThank you, Minister. Any further speakers? There appear to be none.
The ChairmanChairmanMr. Pearman, I am sorry Honourable Member, continue.
Mr. Scott PearmanThank you so much, Mr. Chai rman. Honourable Minister of Finance, I have effectively the same two questions, but in respect of this Contributory Pensions Bill. In respect of clause 2 i nserting the new [section 2(1)(a) and (b), and specif ically, in respect of the new (b), “in relation …
Thank you so much, Mr. Chai rman. Honourable Minister of Finance, I have effectively the same two questions, but in respect of this Contributory Pensions Bill. In respect of clause 2 i nserting the new [section 2(1)(a) and (b), and specif ically, in respect of the new (b), “in relation to such category or categories of persons,” can the Honour able Minister just confirm that the categories of persons that this is considering are the same as the previous Bill, namely, the police, who we now resolved matters with, and the fire and prison officers? Is it the same categories as the last Bill? And my second and final question is the same question put previously, which is that we understand that the suspens ions will be for the same length of time no matter what category of employment it deals with, even if the periods themselves are different. Can the Minister simply confirm that this is also the pos ition under this Bill? Thank you, Honourable Minister and thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The ChairmanChairmanThank you, Mr. Pearman. Minister. Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Mr. Chairman, I can confirm both points.
The ChairmanChairmanOkay. Any further speakers? Minister, do you want to move? Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Mr. Chairm an, I move that clauses 1 through 3 be approved.
The ChairmanChairmanIt has been moved that clauses 1 through 3 be approved. Are there any objections to that? There appear to be none. Approved. [Motion carried: Clauses 1 through 3 passed.] Hon. Curtis L. D ickinson: Mr. Chairman, I move that the preamble be approved.
The ChairmanChairmanIt has been moved that the preamble be approved. Are there any objections to that? There appear to be none. Approved. Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Mr. Chairman, I move that the B ill be reported to the House as printed.
The ChairmanChairmanIt has been moved that the Bill be reported to the House as printed. Are there any objections to that? There appear to be none. The Bill will be r eported to the House as prin ted. [Motion carried: The Contributory Pensions Temp orary Amendment Act 2021 was considered by …
The ChairmanChairmanThank you, Honourable Minister Dic kinson. Mr. Speaker. House resumed at 3:11 pm [Hon. Dennis P. Lister, Jr., Speaker, in the Chair] REPORT OF COMMITTEE CONTRIBUTORY PENSIONS TEMPORARY AMENDMENT ACT 2021
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Deputy. 1460 21 May 2021 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly Members, are there any objections to the Contributory Pensions T emporary Amendment Act 2021 being reported to the House as printed? There appear to be none. The Bill has been reported as printed and received. Members, …
Thank you, Deputy. 1460 21 May 2021 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly Members, are there any objections to the Contributory Pensions T emporary Amendment Act 2021 being reported to the House as printed? There appear to be none. The Bill has been reported as printed and received. Members, that now brings us to a close of the Orders for today and we will do our third readings starting with the Minister of National Security. Minister, would you like to do your third rea ding? Minister? Minister Dickinson, will you do your third readings for your two items in the meantime?
Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Sure.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerAnd can we have Minister Ming be on standby for her readings after you complete your two? SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDER 21 Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Mr. Speaker, I move that Standing Order 21 be suspended to enable me to move the Bill entitled Public Service Superannuation Temporary Amendment Act …
And can we have Minister Ming be on standby for her readings after you complete your two?
SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDER 21
Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Mr. Speaker, I move that Standing Order 21 be suspended to enable me to move the Bill entitled Public Service Superannuation Temporary Amendment Act 2021 be now read the third time by i ts title only.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerAre there any objections to that? There are none. Minister, continue. [Motion carried: Standing Order 21 suspended.] BILL THIRD READING PUBLIC SERVICE SUPERANNUATION TEMPORARY AMENDMENT ACT 2021 Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Mr. Speaker, I move that the Bill be now read the third time by its title only and passed.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMembers, the Bill has been read a third time by its title only and passed. [Motion carried: The Public Service Superannuation Temporary Amendment Act 2021 was read a third time and passed.]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMinister, will you do the next one? SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDER 21 Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Mr. Speaker, I move that Standing Order 21 be suspended to enable me to move the Bill entitled Contributory Pensions Temporary Amendment Act 2021 be now read the third time by its title only. …
Minister, will you do the next one?
SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDER 21 Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Mr. Speaker, I move that Standing Order 21 be suspended to enable me to move the Bill entitled Contributory Pensions Temporary Amendment Act 2021 be now read the third time by its title only. The Speaker: Members, are there any objections to that? There are none, continue Minister.
[Motion carried: Standing Order 21 suspended.]
BILL
THIRD READING
CONTRIBUTORY PENSIONS TEMPORARY AMENDMENT ACT 2021 Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Mr. Speaker, I move that the Bill be now read the third time by its title only and passed.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMembers, the Bill has been read a third time by its title only and it is now p assed. [Motion carried: The Contributory Pensions Temp orary Amendment Act 2021 was read a third time and passed.]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMinister Ming. Hon. Renee Ming: Mr. Speaker, I apologise. I move that Standing Order 21—
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYou almost got caught in your slips there, but I know you are a St. George’s person so that is not a surprise. [Laughter]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerGo ahead, Minister. Hon. Renee Ming: The resilience of St. George’s. SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDER 21 Hon. Renee Ming: Mr. Speaker, I move that Standing Order 21 be suspended to enable me to move the Bill entitled the Fire Safety Amendment Act 2021 be now read the third time by …
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMembers, are there any objections to that? There are none, continue. [Motion carri ed: Standing Order 21 suspended.] BILL THIRD READING FIRE SAFETY AMENDMENT ACT 2021 Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. Renee Ming: I move that the Bill be now read a third time by its title only and passed.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMembers, the Bill has been read a third time by its title onl y and passed. [Motion carried: The Fire Safety Amendment Act 2021 was read a third time and passed.]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMembers, that brings us to a close of today.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYes, Mr. Premier. Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker, before I move the motion to adjourn, I am informed that one or two of my Honourable Members would like to speak to this m otion, so I would hate for you to throw down a gavel at 3:15 pm on …
The SpeakerThe SpeakerWell, Mr. Premier, you know how the process goes. If my gavel goes down before they stand, then we all go home. Hon. E. David Burt: I can see MP Christopher F amous is ready to go, so I will say, Mr. Speaker, I move that this Honourable House do …
Well, Mr. Premier, you know how the process goes. If my gavel goes down before they stand, then we all go home.
Hon. E. David Burt: I can see MP Christopher F amous is ready to go, so I will say, Mr. Speaker, I move that this Honourable House do now adjourn until Fr iday, June 4 th at 10:00 am.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerWould any Member care to speak to that?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerIt sounds like a friend of mine from down in Devonshire.
Mr. Christopher FamousWell, I am actually on the west side of your right today, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerWell, being you [do not have] any thing to do in the west t oday I know you will get your 20 minutes in easily. Give us your 20 minutes , then. BERMUDA’S ECONOMY
Mr. Christopher FamousMr. Speaker, there was an actor years ago, you may know him, he was named Ed Asner. Do you remember him?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerHe was a westerner, liked to play in westerns. No, he was a . . . yes, yes.
Mr. Christopher FamousReading is Fundamental, RIF. So, back in the 1970s he used t o encourage young children to always read, take up a book. You know, we did not have Internet back then and all that type of stuff, so how we learned was by reading. And by reading you were …
Reading is Fundamental, RIF. So, back in the 1970s he used t o encourage young children to always read, take up a book. You know, we did not have Internet back then and all that type of stuff, so how we learned was by reading. And by reading you were able to comprehend, by reading you were able to sift, you know, in a biblical sense, the wheat from the chaff, what is fiction from non- fiction. Mr. Speaker, recently I was reading som ething (because reading is fundamental), and I read something that was most likely written by an OBA consultant, but put out i n the name of someone else, who . . . I will not call their name, but they know who they are. This OBA consultant, fronted by someone else, put out some ludicrous claims about the current state of our country. The first claim: We have an economy in the toilet. So, I said, let me do my r esearch on this because reading is fundamental. And then I read something that was put out by our Ho nourable 1Minister of Finance. Let me read that, Mr. Speaker, if possible: “After the evaluation of the information r eceived through t heir discussion and research, S&P [Standard & Poor’s] has affirmed Bermuda’s A+ long-term sovereign credit and senior unsecured debt ratings as well as its A -1 short -term rating and its AA+ transfer and convertibility assessment with the outlook assessed as Stable.” Now, I never studied finance, but I know what the word “stable” means. It means the exact opposite of the claim of that the OBA consultant, fronted by someone else, wrote. They went on: An unstable education system. Unstable education system . . . so, here we have, again, the OBA attacking the public education system. Now, it does not take a genius to recognise what they are really saying, Mr. Speaker, because they never attack the private education system, but they are always attacking the public education system. Let us look at the demographics, one set of demographics in the private education, another set of demographics in public education. But the OBA is freely attacking the public education system. So, we have to ask ourselves, are they attacking the teac h1 Ministerial Statement 7 May 2021 1462 21 May 2021 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly ers? No. Are they attacking the principals? Are they attacking the parents of the children that go to public education? Are they attacking the children themselves? Or are they attacking the BUT —Bermuda’s Union of Teachers? Maybe they are just attacking everybody because, you know, for some people, es-pecially OBA consultants, they see us all as one and they just attack us unrelentingly. Moving on, Mr. Speaker, the next claim: U nemployment benefits not being paid. Mr. Speaker, again, let me say something that I read. The Honourable Finance Minister read out that over $5 million had been paid out recently in unemployment benefits to over 4,000 persons. There were about 600 persons where there were some glitches due to incomplete or incorr ect forms. But for the most part, 85 per cent (according to my Berkeley math) of the people have been paid. Now, if you are a person [who is] waiting on unemployment benefits, yes, of course, you are going to be a bit angry. But to say unemployment benefit s have not been paid, is a total lie . . . sorry, misrepresentation of the truth. They go on to make some more claims. Cit izens unable to pay mortgage and rent. People unable to feed themselves. Growing numbers of people out of work. Businesses that have closed or are on the brink of closing. Mr. Speaker, I could be wrong, but the Go vernment of Bermuda did not invent COVID -19. We did not put out a big sign and say, Hey, COVID- 19, come to Bermuda and cause us gross economic pandemic. It definitely did not say put people’s lives in danger. It did not say that gatherings of more than 10 could r esult in becoming a super -spreader event. No, we did not do that, Mr. Speaker. Circumstances beyond our control happened and we —the Government of Bermuda, led by the Ho nourable Premier David Burt and the Honourable Health Minister Kim Wilson and all other supporting Ministers —had to put things in place to stop a health threat in this country, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my wife runs a salon. She had to close it for three weeks. It hurt financially, but she is alive. Her staff are alive. Her customers are alive. This is the price we all have to pay for something that is beyond our control. Mr. Speaker, they go on to say, Roads in deplorable states. Roads in deplorable stat es, the same roads that the OBA had, that they did not pave —those roads. Is the OBA attacking the people driving on the roads? Maybe not. Are they attacking the workers who toil on the highways section at Works & Engineering? Or are they attacking the BIU? No one knows. But they just make these blatant statements. They go on again: Trash overflowing in certain areas. Mr. Speaker, I do not drive from west to central as you do every day, but I was up in Somerset on Sunday. I was actually on East Shore Road. Mr. Speaker, you know that road.
Mr. Christopher FamousAnd I saw people on Su nday putting their trash out religiously. So, I said, Auntie, why is this trash like out ahead? And she said, Oh, well, you know, Christ opher, they put it out on Sundays because every Mon-day the trash truck comes bright and early and picks …
And I saw people on Su nday putting their trash out religiously. So, I said, Auntie, why is this trash like out ahead? And she said, Oh, well, you know, Christ opher, they put it out on Sundays because every Mon-day the trash truck comes bright and early and picks it up. Now, anyone who knows my Aunt Mae knows that if the trash did not come get picked up, I would not hear the end of it, and you would not hear the end of it. So, these claims about trash overflowing in certain areas . . . who are they attacking? Are they attacking the Wor ks & Engineering sanitation workers who are out there every day picking up trash? I put my trash out every Thursday. Town people put their trash out on Thursday. Every Thursday night my trash is empty. So, who are they attacking? Moving on, Mr. Speaker, unkempt lan dscapes . Is the OBA attacking the Works & Engineering and Parks Department staff? I do not know, but they keep attacking. They go on again: Unreliable public transportation. Let us see. The gentlemen and ladies in blue driving the pink and blue buses doing their utmost to move people around this country. Mr. Speaker, of all the Caribbean islands, Bermuda has one of the most . . . most Caribbean islands do not even have a public transportation system. The Cayman Islands wants to get what we have, the BVI wants to get what we have. And in all of this, our transportation workers are out there risking their lives every day because they are being exposed to people getting on the bus. But they do it. And if they have to shut down for a day to get teste d, that is what we do, because we do not want a bus driver (bus operator, I should say) who is sick who may pass it to others. But no, the OBA, instead of sa ying let us help the bus drivers , they say unreliable public transportation. Mr. Speaker, reading is fundamental; comprehension is key. The narrative which the OBA is trying to paint is to try and attack the PLP. But in real ity, they are really attacking the workers of this Island. They are attacking the unions of this Island. They simply cannot have i t both ways, Mr. Speaker. They cannot on one hand say, Oh, we need to trim down the deficit. Oh, we need to trim down the budget. And then, on the other hand, complain that we do not have enough staff to fulfil all that we need to do as a go vernment. Do they want us to hire more people? And then they say, Oh look, you’ve bloated the civil service. They cut . . . they . . . they are . . . what is the
Bermuda House of Assembly saying the Indians used to say? They speak with forked tongues. You see, Mr. Speaker, a couple of months ago the OBA had an advert We need a public rel ations consultant. It seems to me they must have hired him, because over the last few months they have been churning out a lot —a lot—of stuff. Well, here is the thing, Mr. Speaker. This party will not have the OB A or their consultants attacking the workers of this island. This party will not have the OBA or its consultants attacking the unions of this country.
Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Mr. Speaker, point of order. I have sat here and listened to this —
The SpeakerThe SpeakerPoint of order. Point of order. Yes, Opposition Leader? POINT OF ORDER [Misleading] Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: The gentleman, the Member, is misleading the House. We are not criticising the unions. We are not criticising the people of this country. We are not criticising civil servants. What we are …
Point of order. Point of order. Yes, Opposition Leader?
POINT OF ORDER [Misleading]
Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: The gentleman, the Member, is misleading the House. We are not criticising the unions. We are not criticising the people of this country. We are not criticising civil servants. What we are doing is, we are making recommendations on how we can improve the services provided in this country. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMP, be mindful of the Member’s co mments.
Mr. Christopher FamousMr. Speaker, I am mindful about the people’s comments. Attacking and saying the roads are in a deplorable state, saying that it is an unstable education system . . . that is no recommendation, Mr. Speaker. That is an attack on the workers of this Island. So, let me move …
Mr. Speaker, I am mindful about the people’s comments. Attacking and saying the roads are in a deplorable state, saying that it is an unstable education system . . . that is no recommendation, Mr. Speaker. That is an attack on the workers of this Island. So, let me move on, Mr. Speaker. This party will not have it. I will not have it. This party is a labour party, as you know, born out of the struggles of the 1940s, the 1950’s and the 1960s. Persons like Joe Mills, Robert Johnson, Cal Smith, Dorothy Thompson, Dr. Barbara Ball, Mr. Socky Wade. All of these people knew that to further the aims of the labour of this country —Black, white, Portuguese, whatever —we needed a political entity. And i n 1963 this labour party was born. And since then we have effected political change in one way or the other. Forty years ago, Mr. Speaker, this month, the workers of Bermuda banded together and had to show the forefathers of the party that Honourable Cole Simons, Opposition Leader (who was part of the UBP) that we are not going to take their insults. You are not going to come to us with a 5 per cent raise when the cost of living has gone up by 20 per cent. You are not going to do it. It is not going to happen. Mr. Speaker —
Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Mr. Speaker, I would like to intervene. Point of order.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMember, will you yield? We have a point of order. State your point of order.
Mr. Christopher FamousNo, I do not . . . no, I do not yield. Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: He is misleading the House, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMembers, Members. A point of order has to be accepted. A point of clarity you do not have to accept; but a point of order . . . we will take the point of order. POINT OF ORDER [Misleading] Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Mr. Speaker, I know that no …
Members, Members. A point of order has to be accepted. A point of clarity you do not have to accept; but a point of order . . . we will take the point of order.
POINT OF ORDER [Misleading]
Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Mr. Speaker, I know that no one in our team is insulting any member of our co mmunity. But as I said, making contributions and ways to improve the Island is not insulting or disrespectful to the community.
Mr. Christopher FamousMr. Speaker, reading is fundamental. Words such as “unstable education system,” words such as “deplorable roads,” words such as . . . negative words. You cannot use negati ve words to encourage people. Mr. Speaker, moving on. The OBA consul tants seem to think we have forgotten 1981. No, we …
Mr. Speaker, reading is fundamental. Words such as “unstable education system,” words such as “deplorable roads,” words such as . . . negative words. You cannot use negati ve words to encourage people. Mr. Speaker, moving on. The OBA consul tants seem to think we have forgotten 1981. No, we have not. We are Government because labour stood by us. We are Government because the workers of Bermuda believe in us. Is everything perfect, Mr. Speaker? No. Do we agree on everything? No. No family does. However, let it be clear that this administration under the Honourable E. David Burt has made tr emendous strides in making things better for the wor kers of this country —the Employment Act Amendment 2020, increasing employee benefits; the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act [2020], which, I may add, put in place that all workers in any 1464 21 May 2021 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly union shop pay union dues because they all get union representation. We closed 42 additional job categories; we provided training and development for 176 workers since September 2020; we successfully i mplemented a graduate training programme; we impl emented unemployment benefits and supplementary unemployment benefits with $65 million spen t—all for the workers of this Island. Mr. Speaker, in closing, the unions assisted us, our political party, in our times of need. And I cha llenge each one of my MPs —yourself included, Mr. Speaker —to do your part to assist the unions, encourage every worker on this Island to get unionised because, if you do not, you are going to be subject to attacks from people. Mr. Speaker, I have two words, two terms, and then I close here: O nward and upward together and United we stand. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Honourable Member. Does any other Honourable Member wish to make a contribution at this time?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerOkay. A CRISIS OF CONFIDENCE —RESTORING HOPE IN OUR YOUTH
Mr. Jamahl S. SimmonsMr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on behalf of a group that for many, many years has felt unvalued, unwant ed, unheard in their own country. It is a group that has seen economic conditions like none of us have seen in our lifetime. They have seen periods of …
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on behalf of a group that for many, many years has felt unvalued, unwant ed, unheard in their own country. It is a group that has seen economic conditions like none of us have seen in our lifetime. They have seen periods of almost non- stop war and conflict. They are a group that saw our Island ravaged by gang violence and gun v iolence in a way that we ne ver experienced growing up. Mr. Speaker, I am talking about our youth, specifically our people under 30, who are a unique group shaped by their experiences. And you know, we can always feature the outliers and the people who are doing well and people who do not share these attitudes and beliefs, but we must also look towards those who feel that they are being left behind, that they are not being heard, and that there is no place for them in their own country. Mr. Speaker, when I first got involved in pol itics, initially in the late 1990s, and elected in 2002, I was not quite 30 years old. And at the time I was passionate, and I remained passionate about Bermudianisation. I remained passionate about not having a Bermuda where my children, your children, other people’s children will not have the same opportunities, not have the same chances, not have the same treatment that their countrymen of a different colour or a different name or a different background would have. Mr. Speaker , when I came back to Bermuda, I saw Bermudians my age who had done what they were supposed to do —go to college, work hard, study hard—and still [were] subjected to things like teaching a non- Bermudian how to be their boss, subjected to things like being t old, You’re just a little boy or a little girl to me, so just . . . you have nothing to contribute. Mr. Speaker, while the years have passed and I no longer fit into that category, I have never forgotten the feeling of not being wanted in my own country, not being heard, not being listened to, not seeing a place for myself. And so, Mr. Speaker, when I went into my constituency initially in 2014, I was the then Shadow Minister of Tourism. And during my time as Shadow Minister of Tourism and even as Minister of Tourism, I spent a lot of time encouraging. I was very passionate about getting a Bermudian industry growing within tourism, whether it was within the workforce, whether it was in entrepreneurship, whether it was within supporting services —Bermudian le d, Bermudiandominated, Bermudian to the core. I would talk to a lot of young men and some young women and I would try to encourage them, particularly some who had parents who had served in the hospitality industry. And they told the same story. My mother worked her fingers to the bone and never was paid a decent wage. My mother worked her fingers to the bone and never got a promotion. My mother worked her fingers to the bone and never was able to fully make ends meet. And they would ask me, Why should I f ollow in that path? Why should I follow in those footsteps? And I struggled to answer it and I struggle with the answer. And while I continue to encourage and conti nue to fight for improved conditions and things like the living wage, we have to deal with, within some of our young people, a crisis of confidence. As a generation this is not just unique to Bermuda, this is a global condition. There are those of our young people who are losing faith with the institutions that we held dear, institutions that got us through slavery, institutions that got us through segregation. Everything is being questioned and found wanting, whether it is political parties, whether it is politicians, whether it is church. There is a crisis of confidence that is the elephant in the room that we do not speak of. Mr. Speaker, the economic conditions that they have seen are so different. And it is easy to point
Bermuda House of Assembly the finger of blame, but we have been through some global economic times that I think even our grandparents did not experience, and a global pandemic. And what I am hearing more and more is that there is no desire to return to the world that was, there is no d esire to achieve the Bermuda that they have never seen and that we talk about so fondly. They believe we are capable of better. They expect better and they want better and they are demanding better. Mr. Speaker, when you talk to a group who believes it is likely that they will never own a home in their own country, a group that is perhaps the most gifted and talented that our people have produced, the loss of faith in institutions, the loss of faith in proces ses, represents a dangerous, dangerous catalyst for the years ahead. And this is something that is not the job of one politician, or the blame of one politician, or the job of one party, or the blame of one party. This is something that each of us should be concerned about and each of us should be doing our part to address. Where their perceptions are wrong, we should be engaging with them where they are— not through Ministerial Statements and press releases and speeches in Parliament, but where they are. We want them to be ––not where we hope they will be, not what we think they should be ––where they are, in their spaces, in their places, in their environment, listening without judgment, accepting their world view and finding ways to incorporate ideas that can help, whether it is necessary to improve their world view or improve the world that they see and they want to see changed. Mr. Speaker, it would be easy now, because that is the pattern of this political system that we have inherited from white supremacy and colonialism, to use this platform as an opportunity to [take] pot-shots at each other, shoot shots at each other, and it is a great deal of fun, you know, when you really get into it. But at the end of the day, it does not matter because these young people are not impressed and they are not even listening. So, Mr. Speaker, I would encourage Members, instead of firing shots at each other on this i ssue, to actually begin speaking as passionately with, to and about our young people as we do for our seniors. I am proud of my Members, like the Honourable Derrick Burgess and the Honourable Zane DeSilva who will say proudly I love my seniors. And I love them too. But I lov e our youth. I love their potential, I love their idealism, I love their passion for change. And that is something that we have a part in making sure never gets extinguished, never gets dulled, and, more importantly never, ever is led to antisocial b ehavio ur or to another country. We have a role to play to restore hope; we have a role to play by pushing idealism over pragm atism. We have a role to play, Mr. Speaker. And if you are playing it already as a Member of this Chamber or in the other place, then you need to continue. And if you are not, I really encourage you now, beginning this weekend, to get in the spaces of our young people, meet them where they are, where they are comfortable, and listen and see the Bermuda that they see, see the Bermuda that they want to see for themselves and for their children and all of us do our part to help build it. They are in the what -have- you-done- for-melately business. While our history is important, while our achievements are important, if they are not feeling them, if they are not touching them, it is not what they want to hear. So, Mr. Speaker, as I close my remarks, I would just encourage every Member to reflect: Are we doing enough for our young people? Are we connec ting enough with our young people? Are we liste ning to them? Are we being an example to them? Are we guiding them? And, where appropriate, are we provi ding a vision that excites them and drives them forward? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, MP Simmons. Would any other Member wish to make a contribution at this time? Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Yes, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMP Opposition Leader. Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Thank you.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerOpposition Leader, you have your 20 minutes. A CRISIS OF CONFIDENCE —RESTORING HOPE IN OUR YOUT H Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Thank you very much. I would like to start off where the Honourable Jamahl Simmons just left. I think he raises very good points about our young people. …
Opposition Leader, you have your 20 minutes.
A CRISIS OF CONFIDENCE —RESTORING HOPE IN OUR YOUT H
Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: Thank you very much. I would like to start off where the Honourable Jamahl Simmons just left. I think he raises very good points about our young people. In fact, I share his sentiment. I have interacted with a number of young people on a daily basis in my job at the bank and through my children and their friends. And I have to commend Jamahl for his contributions, because he is saying what these young people are saying to us. And, as a consequence, I am making it my personal business to address and support our young people wherever I can and try to regain some of the respect that they had for their seniors and adults that we had when we were coming along. MP Simmons is right. If you talk to many of them, they feel that they cannot buy a home like their parents have and that they, in some cases, have gi ven up hope and are just living day -to-day and whate ver will be, whatever will be because they feel that we are not supporting them and that their voices are not being heard. 1466 21 May 2021 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly So, again, I am prepared to work with Mr. Simmons if he has got a group that he is working with, and I am on the same band wagon as he is in that space. The reason I . . . I just had to speak on that because he moved me and I thought that he was spot-on in regard to a number of young people in this country.
BERMUDA DAY
Hon. N. H. Cole Simons: I would like to take this opportunity to offer my warmest regards to the people of Bermuda as we celebrate Bermuda Day next week. We will not be in the House of Assembl y and so, I thought it was appropriate that I do it today. As you all know, we are in unprecedented times because of the pandemic, and next week’s Bermuda Day will not be like the Bermuda Days of the past where we had celebrations and we had the Gombeys, we had the carnival trucks, we had the m ajorettes, we had the dancers, and [this year] all that has to be curtailed. We still have the sailing and we still have beaching, but Bermuda Day, this coming year, again, will be different. And be that as it may, we, as a community, will relax. We as a community, we will have fun. We will spend time with our families and we will spend time talking to our elders, talking about our rich culture and our rich character. The other interesting thing that we need to also address in this country is the faces of Bermudians are changing. We are diverse Bermudians. We have seen mixtures and Bermudians of different et hnic backgrounds, different country origins, and the tapestry of Bermudians is becoming more cosmopol itan. But a t the end of the day, despite the diversity, we are one people and we are all Bermudians. And Bermuda Day will give our diverse Bermudian population the opportunity to reflect on who we are and what we have in common. You know, we are proud to be Bermudian. When you went away travelling with your family —your mother, your father —or you were going to university, people asked you, Where are you from? And you proudly stuck out your chest and said, I am Bermud ian. The fact is, despite all the challenges that we face today, we still have that sense of pride in who we are and the role that we have to play in Bermuda and in the world. As you all know, are a small country —21 square miles. And I hate to say this, we are always punching above our weight. We have world- acclaimed scholars, world- acclaimed athletes, musicians, artists, designers, educators, any profession, medicine— we are world- class people , world-class people because we have founded our base through Bermudian family traditions, through the strength of our families, and the strength of our communities. So, I would like to close by saying, Bermuda is our home, it is a beautiful place, and we all here today are committed to improving this country. We continue to strive to promote its success, to protect it, and maintain our Island home. In closing, this Bermuda Day, let us extend our thoughts and prayers to the families and friends who have been affected by COVID -19. We must continue to assist where we can, no matter what the challenge because we are our br others’ keepers, we are Bermudian. So, with all this in mind, with this great pride, I wish the Members of the House and the people of Bermuda—Happy Bermuda Day! Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Opposition Leader. Does any other Member w ish to make a contribution at this time?
Mr. Michael A. WeeksMr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity, like the Member before me, as this is our last sitting prior to Bermuda Day, I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Bermuda Day! And Mr. Speaker, in the midst of this pandemic, this Bermuda Day is …
Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity, like the Member before me, as this is our last sitting prior to Bermuda Day, I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Bermuda Day! And Mr. Speaker, in the midst of this pandemic, this Bermuda Day is going to be one like none ot her. Not just a lack of the celebration, but it is going to be a testament to who we are as Bermudians and it is going to test our mettle. Now is the time, while we celebrate Bermuda Day, Mr. Speaker, to look out for those who need looking out for. I have heard Members before me talk about the seniors. We need to look out for our seniors, we need to look out for our youth, and make sure that this Bermuda Day can still be enjoyable. But Mr. Speaker, I take th e opportunity every chance I get to talk about how this holiday has actually evolved. From changing it from a May 24 th celebr ation from the colonial era, over the years it has evolved from celebrating on May 24th to celebrating the last Friday of May, to n ow we have evolved to celebrating the Friday before the last Monday. This is really a testament, Mr. Speaker, to our Government. The “progressive” in the Progressive Labour Party where we have moved 50 times as we celebrate and acknowledge Bermuda Day and what that means, what that means to our seniors, what that means to our children, what that means to our economy , beBermuda House of Assembly cause this is an opportunity for us to come together, Mr. Speaker, and grow together. But you know a lot of . . . there is a segment of us t hat are averse to or slow in changing, I should say, Mr. Speaker. Because I have had some calls, I have had some WhatsApps from people saying that they prefer for us to celebrate Bermuda Day on the 24th of May. That is a bygone era, Mr. Speaker, and I think change . . . change takes time to adjust to. You know it has always been traditional, but that, too, we will get used to, Mr. Speaker. Just yesterday, which made me want to speak to it, I was talking to an old friend of mine. He popped by to visit. And h e said that a friend of his had talked to him and was telling him that he misses the time when Bermuda Day was celebrated on the 24th of May and he really wished we could go back to it. And it turned into a spirited conversation as to the history of it, wh y we sought to do it from a cultural perspective, from an economic perspective, and just moving away from our colonial mind- set step by step. So, each thing that we do to rid ourselves of the colonial mind-set is, in my humble opinion, a step closer to ind ependence, which should be and is —for most of us — our ultimate goal. But I ended that conversation, Mr. Speaker, saying that we will be all right , you know, that we will grow together, we will understand what it means to really celebrate Bermuda Day. But Mr . Speaker, I do not have much else to say other than, that as we stand on the . . . my r eminder now to the participants of Bermuda Day next week, mainly the fans , as we line the streets to cheer on our residents who run the race in this gruelling heat some times, but heat or not, 13.1 miles to a lot of us is gruelling, Mr. Speaker. I am one of those that always say I am going to run next year. I have not gotten to that yet, but, again, I am saying hopefully I will be ready for next year. But Mr. Speaker, dur ing the cheering, I i mplore our residents, our spectators, to be mindful that we are still in the midst of a pandemic. As much as our Premier and our Government want us to get back to normal as quick as possible, we have to be mindful that while we are on the side of the street we have to remember that physical distancing and other safety measures must still be in effect. So, let us . . . let us be sensible in our celebration next week, Mr. Speaker. And lastly, as we celebrate, let us be mindful that those field marshals, those marshals that are g oing to be along the route, they are part of us too, so let us give them an easy time and obey their urgings and whatnot so that we all could have an enjoyable Ber-muda Day, Mr. Speaker, and still come out of it with our cases of COVID -19 on the decrease rather than on the rise. So, Mr. Speaker, as I close, Happy Bermuda Day to you! Happy Bermuda Day to my colleagues! Happy Bermuda Day to Bermuda! And Godspeed and good health to all those who will be running in the race next week. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, MP Weeks. Does any other Member wish to make a contribution at this time? Mrs. Ianthia Simmons -Wade: Yes, I do, Mr. Speaker. It is Ianthia Simmons -Wade.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMP Simmons -Wade, you hav e the floor. REMEMBERING AND CARING FOR OUR SENIORS
Mrs. Ianthia Simmons -WadeMr. Speaker, I take this opportunity as well to wish a Happy Bermuda Day to my colleagues and to all of Bermuda. I also take this opportunity to shout out to my constituency — constituency 25. But I am aware, I am sure, most of us are aware that the …
Mr. Speaker, I take this opportunity as well to wish a Happy Bermuda Day to my colleagues and to all of Bermuda. I also take this opportunity to shout out to my constituency — constituency 25. But I am aware, I am sure, most of us are aware that the majority of the people who listen to the House are seniors. We have more people who are home, but seniors tend to listen to the House and li sten to the Senate. So, my message, as the Chair of the Ageing Well Committee, is to give some messages to our seniors and just a few tips. I am sure all of you are aware that seniors are the fastest growing segment of our population. This year . . . well, in 2019, the senior population was approximately 18 per cent. By 2026, the senior popul ation is going to be 25 per cent, which means that for every 100 people, [25] of them will be seniors. Many of our seniors are living at home and what is very i mportant is that we ensure that these seniors [may continue to] stay at home. So, the increase of the popul ation for our seniors is going to impact every segment of our community —health care, pensions, insurance, housing— every single segment is going to be impac ted. So, for our seniors I am just going to give a few tips today. First of all, decide if you want to get the vaccine by checking the facts, speaking to your doc-tor, and making a decision if you get your vaccine. Secondly, which I think is very important, that vaccine is not going to give you superpowers. So, it means that suddenly having the vaccine does not mean that you can get out and do whatever you want to do. Thirdly, it is important that as a senior you must realise that you are extremely vulnerable in terms of being affected significantl y with your health in terms of the COVID -19, so it is very important that you avoid large gatherings, do not go out in crowds, and sort of segregate yourself. Also, it is important as a senior to ensure that you do go outside, that you exercise, that you get fresh air. Also, you need to, in terms of taking care of 1468 21 May 2021 Official Hansard Report B ermuda House of Assembly yourself as a senior, it is also important that you do not delay getting any medical care or any emergency treatment. Also, if you are a senior and you are going out to work, it is also important that you ensure that you protect yourself. Now, one of the things that we do not like to think about is whether we end up getting COVID -19— and I say this to everyone —you need to be sure that you are prepared in the event that you get COVID -19 or anyone in your house gets COVID -19. So, it is i mportant to ensure that you have everything in place to treat yourself, whether it is Tylenol or whatever your doctor recommends, that you also do that. One of the things that happens with many of our seniors is that during the quarantine they have been extremely isolated. So, I encourage everyone who is listening to check on your neighbours, to check on your senior family members, and stay connected with those individuals. And as Minister Ming had said, with the hurricane coming, it is also important that you reach out to your neighbours and your senior family members to ensure that they are looked after or the communication is there. And most important for our seniors, many of them who are out there and who are still capable, it is important to reach out and to help other people, whether it is financially, whether it is physically, or whether it is during a hurricane. So, my message to everyone today, as a child or even as a senior, is not to forget our seniors and realise they have laid the foundation for this country, they deserve the respect and they would deserve the honour as seniors. So, Happy Bermuda Day! And thank you very much.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, MP Simmons -Wade. Does any other Member wish to make a contribution at this time?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMP Campbell, you have your 20 minutes. UNITING BERMUDA—NO ONE IS SAFE UNTIL WE ALL ARE S AFE
Mr. Vance CampbellMr. Speaker, on May 11th an article came out that contained a call for unity from two of the former Premiers of the country, Sir John Swan and the Honourable Alex Scott. They both were quoted . . . and Mr. Speaker, do I have your permi ssion to read …
Mr. Vance CampbellMr. Speaker, Sir John is quo ted in this article as saying, “It is time for us to find the collective will as a country, as a people to work t ogether and work together in collaboration in moving Bermuda forward.” And the Honourable Alex Scott is quoted as saying …
Mr. Speaker, Sir John is quo ted in this article as saying, “It is time for us to find the collective will as a country, as a people to work t ogether and work together in collaboration in moving Bermuda forward.” And the Honourable Alex Scott is quoted as saying “It is our responsibility to bring everybody t ogether with the object of solving problems. . . . If collectively we now focus on finding those solutions to the challen ges we have today, we are not going to do too badly.” Mr . Speaker, Bermuda has a long history of coming together to overcome challenges, whether these challenges are internal or external. Our international business community continues to innovate and evolve to meet the challenges from competitive juri sdictions thereby Bermuda remains as a premier juri sdiction for doing business. Mr . Speaker, earlier today we heard the Honourable Renee Ming, Minister of National Security encourage us to be ready for the upcoming hurricane, get our supplies together, get our batteries, our flas hlights, our medications. Again, history demonstrates that we readily come together when facing a hurr icane. We assist our neighbours. Once our prepar ations are finished, we assist our neighbours in their preparations ahead of the storm. In the aftermath, if there is a tree down, we ban together, Black , white, Portuguese, it does not make a difference, to get that tree out of the way. If our neighbour’s roof is off, we help them cover it up to protect their assets and their possessions. If they need food because the electricity is out, we help them in that area. How we can help seems to be fairly clear. And we just jump to it and get it done. Mr . Speaker, today, as has been the case f or the last 15 months, Bermuda is engaged in a battle against the coronavirus, COVID -19. Mr. Speaker, in the initial stages of this fight, in true Bermuda spirit, we came together as a community as a whole and supported sheltering in place, lockdowns, wearing of masks, social distancing, curfews, et cetera. But, Mr. Speaker, as we have seen over the last several months, there has been opposition to some of the measures implemented and proposed by the Government, particularly around continued restrictions and different options for vaccinated and non - vaccinated individuals. I have had conversations with many of my constituents around these topics. No doubt, Mr. Speaker, we have neighbours, work colleagues, friends and family divided by their beliefs on and around the vaccine. And I will declare that I am fully vaccinated. I did so to protect a young one at home. And as a country, we are blessed to have doses of the vaccine in our possession. That has caused some disagreement.
B ermuda House of Assembly Mr . Glenn Fubler, one of my constituents, r ecently released an op- ed entitled “No one is safe until we are all safe.” And I want to thank him for reminding us that this phrase is the slogan of a six -month campaign initiated by India and South Africa. And the object of this campaign was to expedite the distribution, the delivery of the vaccine to the many nations that either do not have any of the vaccine at all or who have insufficient vaccine. How is this relevant to Bermuda, Mr. Speaker? I am not safe, Mr. Speaker, until you are safe. My children are not safe until I am safe. My neighbours’ children are not safe until their parents are safe, and so on. Mr. Speaker, it is also relevant to Bermuda in that whilst other nations have no vaccine, or insufficient vaccine, we have vaccine but ins ufficient people, insufficient individuals seeking to receive it. Now, Mr. Speaker, I am not trying to add to any division that may already exist, but rather, like my colleague, the Honourable Michael Weeks said in a recent op- ed, I would like to encourage us to move forward together. We can still be unified in the fight and have our differences about the vaccine. No matter what your decision is as it relates to the vaccine, I r espect your personal choice. To those who are fully vaccinated, please be reminded that you can still get the virus, although your chances are reduced. You can still infect others with the virus, although the chances of that are reduced. To those who are on the fence about getting the vaccine, if you have not already done so, consult your physician. If you do not have a doctor, take advantage of one of the doctors who are at the “Close to Home” [ Mobile Vaccination Programme] locations. Ask them questions. To those who are never going to get the vaccine no matter what, please do all th at you can to remain safe and protect your family and friends. To everyone: No matter what your status is as it relates to the vaccine, please, please follow the health care protocols so that we can open up the economy, that we can return to some semblance of normalcy. If we could identify those ahead of time, who would not obey the rules, left to their own devices to quarantine, et cetera, then I am sure we would do so. But we cannot. So as we attempt to open our economy and return to some semblance of normalcy, and as we will soon celebrate Bermuda Day and start to enjoy some of the activities that the warmer weather brings, or attempt to enjoy those activities, remember that no one is safe until we all are safe. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYes, thank you, MP Campbell. S ounds like, Deputy Speaker. Deputy Speaker, would you like to make a contribution at this time? Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: Yes, Mr. Speaker, I —
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYou have your 20 minutes. Go right ahead. REMEMBERING AND CARING FOR OUR SENIORS Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. S peaking in terms of the remarks by Honourable Member Famous, Honourable Member Jamahl Simmons, Honourable Member Weeks, and the Honourabl e Member Ianthia [Simmons -] Wade, …
You have your 20 minutes. Go right ahead. REMEMBERING AND CARING FOR OUR SENIORS Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. S peaking in terms of the remarks by Honourable Member Famous, Honourable Member Jamahl Simmons, Honourable Member Weeks, and the Honourabl e Member Ianthia [Simmons -] Wade, let me first address the remarks by Honourable Member Weeks concerning running in the 24th of May Marathon. Well, he has had his name down for the last 20 years, and is running next year. So I just want to warn people, don’t look to seeing him run next year or any years in the future. He will not run because he cannot run. So I want to put that to bed. Mr . Speaker, I think what I would ask ever ybody to do is to be kind, to continue to be kind and considerate to our seniors. Our seniors have played a major part in where we sit, stand and live today. They have carried all the heavy weight in the struggle to be where we are today. The battle is not lost. We will have some in the community, some in this world that will want you to erase the history. But let me say, history cannot be erased. And I would implore all —all— to read the books on our history. We have a very —I would not say rich history in terms of struggle. It is . . . it is . . . we have history that is . . . a lot of us would like to forget but we cannot forget. Some of the scars are still there. BERMUDA DAY Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: Mr. Speaker, I think it was the Honourable Member Michael Weeks who, I would say, championed the Bill to change the 24th of May holiday to fall in conjunction with the American holiday. I mean, he was right (in my opinion) because, Mr. Speaker, he did that so the American holiday and our holiday can be together. We normally benefit from much travel from the States during their holida y per iods. And one of his main objectives was for our guests, our tourists, to enjoy the festivities of our Bermuda Days. So I would certainly support him. I supported him then. I support him now in championing that Bill to change the holiday to what it is now, Mr. Speaker. ST. REGIS HOTEL OPENING Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: Mr. Speaker, tomorrow is the opening of the St. Regis Hotel. I travel that way practically every day. And I want to congratulate them on the product they have around there. Now, Mr . Speaker, some may want to blame Minister Hayward 1470 21 May 2021 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly for the number of staff that we have, in terms of work permits. That is something that we inherited. I know Minister Hayward has worked hard to try to adjust those numbers. But when you inherit something . . . you know, that is what it is in politics. You have to work with it. So, please, do not blame Minister Ha yward, do not blame this Government, this was what was given . . . and I am not even going to blame the other party. They did what they thought was necessary to get this hotel to be built in Bermuda. Let me say that this hotel brings commerce to St. George’s, something that is desperately needed. Something that they have not had since . . . I think it was 1988, or 1987 that the last hotel operated th ere in St. George’s. So that is over 30 years. It is a welcome addition to St. George’s to have the St. Regis hotel. So I want to commend everybody —all the workers, the foreign workers and the Bermudian workers that worked to make that a six -star hotel. And let me say, we have always had six -star service. Many, many years ago, we had civil service in the hotel, and particularly the small properties that civil service . . . we had service second to none, particularly the cottage colonies like the Pink Beach, the Coral Beach, and places . . . and Cambridge Beaches, and Castle Harbour Hotels. We had “six -star plus ” service. This is what St. Regis is embarking upon. This is what . . . Tucker’s Point is a six -star hotel. And Bermuda is a very expensive location, and people . . . we do have clientele in the market that will pay the big bucks for six -star properties, but you have to give them the service. So this is the endeavour of Tucker’s Point, the endeavour of St. Regis, it is the endeavour of the Hamilton Pri ncess, and I think it is the endea vour of all of the hotels in Bermuda. It is to give that six - star service that Bermuda is so famous for, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, again, I wish all the success to the hotel in St. George’s, the St. Regis, all the success in their golf course and the running of their hotel and to the people of St. George’s, Mr. Speaker. And so, Mr. Speaker, with that I wish all, all in Bermuda, particularly our seniors —particularly our seniors —let’s never, ever forget them. Let’s conti nue to thank them for the position we are in today. I am forever eternally grateful to them and indebted to them because I, like others —we , I should be saying—stand on the shoulders of our seniors. Never, ever forget that, Mr. Speaker, and Bermuda. They a re the champions. We are not the champions. They are the champions for us. We should always treasure and honour them. It is what I will continue to do. And I implore all my fellow Berm udians to do likewise. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Deputy. Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: All have a great hol iday.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerLikewise. Thank you, Deputy Speaker. Does any other Member wish to make a contribution at this time?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYou have your 20 minutes. MAKING GOLF INCLUSIVE AND DIVERSE IN BERMUDA
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. SwanThank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the Honourable Deputy Speaker for his remarks, and I will f ollow on from where he left off by giving thanks to our seniors as we celebrate this Bermuda Day, and recognising those shoulders that they stand on. And, yes, there is …
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the Honourable Deputy Speaker for his remarks, and I will f ollow on from where he left off by giving thanks to our seniors as we celebrate this Bermuda Day, and recognising those shoulders that they stand on. And, yes, there is a new golf course coming to St. George’s. I believe I have written about the i mportance of golf. I think sometimes it is good to take people down memory lane. Because in 1921, which was 100 years ago, a young man named Louis Rafael “Kid” Corbin learned to play at the St. George’s Hotel which was located in St. George’s for tourists and the garrison course long before the Mid Ocean and the Castle Harbour were even built. Louis Corbin left Bermuda in 1923, and in 1933 he was up at the De vonshire golf links, and you do not hear about him, but he is the standard bearer for desegregation of golf i n North America, which includes Canada and the United States, and in Bermuda. He is a celebrated person who learned how to play golf on that very restored course that the Bermuda Government rebuilt in 1985 that I had the great pleasure of opening. And, Mr . Speaker, it would be remiss of me, whilst I am very . . . I grew up in the hotel industry, as did the immediate past speaker, and am very appr eciative of what the hotel industry [did] and what it will do for St. George’s, let me not overlook how many people are feeling in Bermuda. In my trade of golf where we had trailblazers in Bermuda in the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, and even 50 years ago as we speak, we had people like Ralphie Fray pass away tragically and die and Frankie Rabain qualified for the British Open in 1971. And Walter King won the Bermuda Open in 1970 having learnt his trade. But, you know, my experiences in golf, Mr. Speaker, have been very varied and celebratory in some respects. But I have experienced the wrath of those who prefer to treat people indignantly. I have seen that happen more recently in 2020, which rivals the time when I was escorted out of Faro Airport at
Bermuda House of Assembly gunpoint, Mr. Speaker, on my way to the Tours School to have to go back to London. I have exper ienced showing up at t he Country Club of Charleston in 1978 with the most celebrated amateur field gat hered in the United States the week before the Masters, one year after Lee Elder was the first Black to play out, the first Black , unbeknownst to the tournament organisers, to play in that tournament. I know what it feels like to be treated unfairly. I know what it feels like, Mr. Speaker, to represent an all-white university in an all -white field and come first in Monroe, Louisiana, and walk through there and re present us. I k now what it feels like when people are going out of their way to treat you unfairly. I saw it happen in Bermuda in 2020, Mr. Speaker, and I am very close . . . it is wrong! Mr. Speaker, as we look at my profession of golf, I saw an ad that called for a gol f expert. And then someone called me just today and refers to them as . . . it is basically a groundsman’s job. And when you have job categories that are out there that can be ambiguous, Mr. Speaker, it can defeat the very purpose. We as politicians are getting the calls, and all of us are getting the calls, about people wanting to work in our country and it is difficult, Mr. Speaker. It is very difficult to navigate through, as the Deputy Speaker rightly pointed out, an agreement that was put in place long before the Progressive Labour Party was Government that gave the right of the current operator to bring in a certain number of non- Bermudians to work in the field. And I applaud the Minister of Immigration for his efforts, the Honourable Jason Hayward, to work through this with his expertise in that very field. But my profession, my trade, is what allowed the White Hill boy from Troy. You know, John Lewis is the country boy from Troy. I am the White Hill boy that went to Troy. And I kind of know some thi ngs about how people craft things to make things suit what they want to do. And I am seeing some of that taking place in this country in these spaces and in other spaces, Mr. Speaker, that I am prepared now in my life to get more specific with because, you know, I would know this week on the very golf course one of my dear friends was singing St. George’s boys forever, and an hour later he was at the checkout counter of life. So I am not going to go down without fighting for what is right and pushing people to do likewise, and stand for likewise. So all is not well in Gideon, Mr. Speaker. All is not well in some regards as it relates to Bermudians. Many Bermudians are feeling very . . . life is difficult. and I have to let them know that we care in the Pr ogressive Labour Party as your Government. Call us. We are working hard behind the scenes on your b ehalf, the Cabinet Ministers and backbenchers alike, we are working. But I just got to say, Mr. Speaker, when it comes to your profession and when it comes to that of which your trade and when you see, you know, per-sons going to celebrate things and your folk and your people that you represent are not in that number yet, somebody has got to speak up and let them know that all is not well . . . and all is not wel l with our soul in that regard. I just want to say, Mr. Speaker, as we look to make golf inclusive and diverse in Bermuda, as the United States and all places are trying to make the game of golf more inclusive and more diverse and more affordable, I just want to say that in this, the 50th anniversary of Port Royal Golf Course, when Walter King came up from Tucker’s Town to lead Port Royal, he did just that! And that practice made it possible for the Dwayne Pearmans and the Cornell Beans and Glen Simmons and the Darron Woods and the Kim Swans and the Blake Marshalls and the Rickie Demores, and the Hav Trotts and the Craig Chri stensens to come together 50 years ago! No one has got to come out there and write a paragraph on how to do it. You have got to practi ce it. We lived it! And we can do those types of things again with the will! With the will to do it! Mr. Speaker, in October of 1971 a young, very talented 23- year-old met his death on the road. His name was Wilfred “Ralph” Fray. And we will be cel ebratin g him this year in his 50th anniversary. And that young man was an inspiration to me. I remember leaving Berkeley and going to his funeral up there with Damon and Cousin Whoopie and all that lot when he tragically died. We loved to idolise him. He could hi t the ball far. He could make a lot of birdies. But he loved to ride his bike fast, like a lot of other young people, and we idolised him. And he met his death, and that was 50 years ago, Mr. Speaker. [It was] 51 years ago, on October 29th, 1970, when Wal ter Eugene King became the first Bermudian to become a golf professional in a management pos ition, I might add. You look at ads and you see that they will advertise golf and try to suggest that we are not management people. [He was in] a management positio n and made it possible for me to follow his footsteps. And he also sat in this very Honourable Chamber in the House of Assembly in the 1976 election. So, yes, role models matter! And, yes, it matters to have people who look like you in places of position b ecause young people like me look up to them and young people today will do likewise. And if we are excluded it means that it is a ripple- down effect of exclusion. Yes, Mr. Speaker, there is never a wrong time to do the right thing. And there are some things that have been going on and aided, and that . . . that I am trying, Mr. Speaker, to make right. That is all I am prepared to say at this particular time, but you know, I am serving notice. Some of us are getting tired, Mr. Speaker. Some of us have also been out there in the trenches fighting for what is right. [We] have travelled this world all by ourselves to carry others on our backs as we moved up the ladder. And I will do that until the 1472 21 May 2021 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly day I sing St. George’s boys forever, and the Lord says Okay, I n eed your choir up in somewhere else. As Cock y Steede said, he was looking forward to playing St. George’s golf course. He and A pples were playing golf at Port Royal and said, Well, if you go, we would rather go on the football field or the golf course. An d he went on the golf course. So he will not get a chance to fulfil that. But I am sure at the Pearly Gates there will be plenty of lovely, all -inclusive golf holes up there that he will be able to traverse, Mr. Speaker. So in the memory of people like Louis Corbin, in the memory of people like Johnny Smith for St. George’s, in the memory of Bosun Swainson, and Herman Santucci Bascome, I just want you to know, Mr. Speaker, that if there is fair justice that needs to take place in our Island home, you can count on me to do my part. I know I can count on my colleagues lik ewise. But I just have a heavy heart in this regard t oday, Mr. Speaker, and I had to say that any of you who are out there that have a heavy heart, who are not employed, who are finding it dif ficult, know that you have people out here in the legislature who repr esent you, notwithstanding of where you may have stood when you went to [vote]. You can call us and we will hear your cries and try our best to advance your cause as we are trying our best to do. And I just want to give a word of encouragement to the Premier and his team for the work that they do. It is a most difficult time to be a leader in this country. I have been around; I ran in the election of 1983, Mr. Speaker (that wasn’t yesterday), as a 25year-old. And I cannot think of any extended period of time, stretching 15 months that any group of leaders would have to traverse through such difficult periods without there being a war. And we were not around at that time when the world was at war. But the world is at war with a virus. And I just want to say, Mr. Speak er, that I am proud to be one of those who have erred on side of science and appreciate that being in lead ership is not easy. It is not easy. And there will be de tractors, but we are prepared to listen to all sides and represent all people while we provide leadership in the best interest led by science, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Honourable Member. Does any other Honourable Member wish to make a contribution at this time? Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: Yes, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMP Dunkley? Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: Yes, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYou have your 20 minutes. BERMUDA’S ECONOMY Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have enjoyed listening to the comments in the motion to adjourn tonight. I want to make my comments in the general vein of the subjects that have been on the table in …
You have your 20 minutes. BERMUDA’S ECONOMY
Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have enjoyed listening to the comments in the motion to adjourn tonight. I want to make my comments in the general vein of the subjects that have been on the table in the motion to a djourn. First up, the Honourable Member from constituen cy 11 talked about the economy. And I have to take strong difference to his view. He said . . . he tried to state that the economy was in good condition and nothing could be further from the truth. I think, in my view, those comments are weak and they are offbase. The economy is in a very difficult position. And through my time here I will put some more meat on the bone to give some context, because I do not speak today to be critical of the Government. I speak today because if we are to move forward we need to appreciate and understand the situation we are in, if we are going to find some solutions to move forward. But our economy is certainly in a very difficult position. And for anyone to argue otherwise shows that they (1) perhaps do not have their foot on the ground to what is actually happening in Bermuda, and (2) they have very little knowledge of economics. Mr. Speaker, it is very clear, as I set the table to give an understanding of where we are, that COVID -19 has devastated Bermuda. There is no doubt about that. But it is also evident that before COVID -19 the economy was fairly weak. But here we are now in May of 2021 [and] hospitality is almost non-existent because of COVID -19. The taxi industry is on life support. Obviously with the closures we h ave had and the shelters -in-place, the taxi industry has not been able to be out and about, taking care of not only our visitors but Bermudians. Mr. Speaker, here we are today in May of 2021 and many people are of work. As I mentioned during the Budget De bate, Mr. Speaker, I think we need to understand and appreciate that the largest employer in Bermuda is the public administration. And this is not in the context of being critical of the public administration. But when you have large employers like those i n hospitality and those in international business, where previously they were number one and number two in the employment categories and they have now slipped out of that top spot, and public administration is there [in the top spot], it shows you the crit ical position that we are in, because jobs have been lost. Jobs have been lost in all areas, as I went through in the Budget Debate (and I won’t repeat m yself), in hospitality jobs have been lost; critical jobs have been lost, Mr. Speaker. And so our econ omy is very weak. It was weak before COVID -19 and it is weaker now, and it is on life support. And to Gover nment’s credit, they have given a lot of support to the
Bermuda House of Assembly people of Bermuda through COVID -19. But we cannot continue with that. So it is not my intent this afternoon to lambaste the Government any way. I have never been one of those types of people to practice slash- andburn politics. I will always be critical and critique the Government where it is appropriate, but I will also provide support and [alternate] views where it is necessary. So the MP from constituency 11 should, Mr. Speaker, in my words, not try to put lipstick on a pig. The reality is that our economy is in very bad shape.
COVID -19 VACCINE
Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: And the first step, Mr. Speaker, for our economy to be put back on a path to getting in a better position where our people are employed, is that we need to be able to open up. We need to rebuild. And I was very interested in, and I supported a lot of the comments that MP Campbel l from constituency 9 (I believe) said about the vaccine, Mr. Speaker. The first step for us to get back on the path to recovery is for us to build up that community immunity. And now while I am disappointed that the Government has missed their target dead line of 70 per cent by May 28th, I believe the date was, we are about 50 per cent right now, I urge people to get vaccinated. Vaccination is our way forward. It is the hope that it provides. I support the Government in this r egard. I would urge people to take a look at the sc ience, like colleagues have talked about today, and then make the decision for themselves. If we do not build up that community immunity, it will be more and more difficult for us to open up, and we could come to the point where we cou ld fall back again, Mr. Speaker. If you look across the world at how COVID -19 has ebbed and flowed in countries all over the world, Mr. Speaker, we have seen that some of those that previously were successful in what they have done to combat COVID -19, have had in recent days disturbing trends of upward numbers of COVID -19 cases, such as Taiwan, which was one of the countries at the [forefront] of it. Being a very close neighbour of China, they closed off their borders early and now they are facing a very cr itical period with numbers on the rise. Singapore is in the same position, Mr. Speaker. So we know that in spite of the best endeavours by leaders in these countries, in spite of the best en-deavours of communities trying to work together, that COVID -19 can get out of that bag again pretty quickly and hurt communities. And we cannot afford that in Bermuda. And that is why the vaccine is so important, because it offers us a level of protection. Mr. Speaker, very little is possible without that level of prot ection. And very little will be possible in opening up our economy without that level of protection, and we are not there yet. We are close. Gover nment is starting to put things in place to allow us to get there, such as the SafeKey app. [They] are starting to talk about the next phase and stuff, but we need more people to get vaccinated, Mr. Speaker. I have been vaccinated, as I said. My family has been vaccinated. I listened to the science. I have talked to my doctors. And what I have done, Mr. Speaker (and I will talk about this for just a very brief moment because I do not want to give it a lot of time and a lot of credibi lity), . . . while I support those who are against vaccin ation, I respect their opinion, I listen to reasoned d ebate. But Mr. Speaker, what I will never do is buy -in to some of the misleading stuff that is going out on social media. And one of the most recent ones is about magnets on people’s arms. I have never heard of something so absurd in my life. I urge Bermudians to get away from social media unless it is a source for good, reliable infor-mation. These misleading posts and comments do nothing but set us back and make the hard reality that we face today last longer than it needs to last. We need to open up. We need to open up! We need to open up, Mr. Speaker, as colleagues have talked about for our seniors. Our seniors have been really struggling. It is conversation that a number of colleagues have had today about our seniors. And, yes, they have played an important role in our societ y and still play an important role. But just think, Mr. Speaker, about our seniors. They have been shut in for the bet-ter part of a year because of their concern over COVID -19 and their critical ability to be impacted in a negative way if they manage to catch COVID -19, through no fault of their own, Mr. Speaker. We need to open up for our seniors because they have been locked up in their houses for too long, living a sheltered life, not being able to get out and about. Not being able to enjoy the golden ye ars. Not being able to travel. We need to open up for our seniors. And so those people who are impeding the opening, need to think about it, Mr. Speaker. We need to open up for the hospitality industry. Our community, as colleagues have talked about, is bu ilt on the back of our hospitality industry. Before we had international business, it was hospitality. In the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s it was hospitality that drove jobs. It drove Bermudian lives. It made many Bermudians successful. They worked tw o jobs through eight, nine months a year and took three, four months off, Mr. Speaker, and travelled the world. We need to open up for the hospitality industry to get those jobs back again, Mr. Speaker. People do not want to be home. It is not like in the States. They cannot get people to go back to work because they are making so much money staying home. Bermudians want to work. Bermudians are proud of who we are, proud of what we are as Berm udians. They want to get back to work. We need to open up for the hospitality industry, for the empty ho-tels that we have. 1474 21 May 2021 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly We need to open up for St. Regis, Mr. Speaker. And I am pleased to see the opening of St. Regis tomorrow —four years after the ground was broken in May of 2017, Mr. Speaker. And I am pleased to see that this Government and the previous Government have supported St. Regis to allow this first -class hotel to be able to receive their first guests tomorrow. And the golf course, the Five Forts golf course is going to open up, Mr. Speaker. This is excitin g, not only for St. George’s to provide opportunity and commerce, but it is exciting for Bermuda because along with the first -class properties we have in the Loren and the Princess Hotel and others (at the risk of missing some names out, Mr. Speaker), it attracts people to Bermuda. We need to open up, Mr. Speaker, because other countries are opening up. Other countries are opening up and pe ople are travelling there. And if we have roadblocks in our way for visitors to come here, they will not come, Mr. Speaker. We need to open up. People need to take the vaccine. Mr. Speaker, we need to open up for the unemployed. There have been many [unemployed] for so long, Mr. Speaker, that now people are really frustrated. We need to open up for retail, Mr. Speaker. Retail has been making it by on a thread for so long, Mr. Speaker, that we need to open up so that we can have retail vibrant again to support our economy. And while retail numbers over the past couple of months have been pushed up, to me, those are some ec onomic numbers that to some extent, Mr. Speaker, provide a false narrative. Why do I say that, Mr. Speaker? Because when you have a captive audience of Bermudians who are here (as some would say, stuck on the rock), they have to purchase everything at the local grocery stores. They have to buy the gas. They have to buy the building supplies. And so some of those areas are up drastically; but many of those areas, Mr. Speaker, are down. And there are thousands of people employed in retail. And many of those people, Mr. Speaker, are out of jobs or working [fewer] hours than they would like to work to be sustainable. So we need to open up. And I supported the Government in many things that they have done through COVID -19. I have not supported it all, Mr. Speaker . I have had some disagreements with them, but I support the Gover nment in this vaccine drive. And I urge Bermudians to get on with it. If you cannot trust a politician, go talk to your doctor. Listen to the experts, what they have said. One after another doctors have come out, from the hospital doctors to Dr. Arscott, who is an expert in this field [and is] talking about it, Mr. Speaker. And the doctors all across the Island have talked about it. We need to listen to the experts and get vaccinated because just as quickly as we have moved forward over the past couple of days, and it has been a long haul to get through this second spike that we have had, and the third spike, Mr. Speaker, which started in mid- March and has waned off now. We could slip again because we do not have enough pr otection. And the only way we are going to open up is if we have protection, Mr. Speaker. Now, Mr. Speaker, one area that I have not agreed with Government is this quarantine issue. And I fully appreciate the need to quarant ine people for various reasons, Mr. Speaker. But in light of the fact that we live in a very small remote Island and Berm udians have to travel, whether it be for education, whether it be for their job (there are many reasons), whether it be for health care, Mr. Speaker, when Bermudians come back, it is an onerous expense for many Bermudians to have to quarantine at their own expense. And while I fully understand and appreciate the Government’s reasons why they have done this, because there have been those amongst us who have not followed the proper restrictions and regulations and caused a serious problem, there has to be a way, Mr. Speaker, in the world that we live in, in 2021, where we can track people at all times. And we know this Government, and certai nly the Premier is very keen on technology. There has to be a way that we can allow people to quarantine at home and be su bject to the letter of the law, Mr. Speaker, because some people will not be able to pay that expense. And they will have to travel, w hether it is for educational purposes or whether it is for medical purposes. So, while I fully support the need to quara ntine, it is something we have to do to protect our-selves, people need to be responsible. And those amongst us who are not responsible s hould face the full impact of the regulations and the laws that we have put in place. Now, Mr. Speaker, one of the real concerns that people have had through COVID -19 is that through all these restrictions and regulations, that small majority of people . . . small minority of people (sorry, Mr. Speaker) amongst us who have not followed the restrictions or regulations have not been dealt with. And it is not good enough to blame the police or to blame Government House. I know accountability is tough in a sm all co mmunity because it could be your family, it could be your friend, it could be your next -door neighbour. But we are still in the throes of COVID -19 because too many of us have not held other people accountable when we have known that they have violate d the proper protocols. We need to do better than that or else we will continue to slip back and we will continue to have the challenges that we have. We need to open up, Mr. Speaker, and we are going to do it through the vaccine. And so I urge everyone to get on board, listen to the science, and then make their ap-propriate decision.
Bermuda House of Assembly BERMUDA DAY
Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: Now, Mr. Speaker, in the couple of minutes that I have left (because I see you looking at your clock), I too want to wish everybody a happy Bermuda Day. I was one of those who did not support the change of date, but that debate is done, Mr. Speaker. And I am pleased that the traditional, May 24 th race (and I still call it that) is going to run through the great constituency of Smith’s Nort h number 10. And I think, perhaps, the most telling part of the race will be Flatts Hill, as we have heard some of the great runners who have talked about the race this year talk about the key parts of the race being Flatts Hill. So I look forward for that day to enjoy the race, to watch the competition, and to be out and about a bit. It will be strange, Mr. Speaker. It will certainly be strange to be out and about a bit, but to be out and about being safe, following proper protocols, Mr. Speaker. And I want to wish all Bermudians a very happy holiday. I will still call it May 24 th. Remember, let’s not get carried away. Let’s not get carried away in too much of a good time and let our guard down because as the former Premier Craig Cannonier said once in a debate a couple of months ago, COVID -19 does not discriminate. But Bermudians, enjoy the holiday. Stay safe. Stay healthy and look out for your brothers and sisters. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Have a pleasant weekend.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Does any other Member wish to make a contribution at this time? Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker, if no one else is ready to speak I will close. But I will defer —
The SpeakerThe SpeakerPremier, I won’t stop you. Go right ahead. You have your 20 minutes. Hon. E. David Burt: Can you see me, Mr. Speaker?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYes, I do. COVID -19 VACCINE Hon. E. David Burt: I just want to make sure. Mr. Speaker, I just want to thank honourable colleagues for contributing to the motion to adjourn. I recognise the last Member who spoke, and I apprec iate his words of support for the Government …
Yes, I do.
COVID -19 VACCINE
Hon. E. David Burt: I just want to make sure. Mr. Speaker, I just want to thank honourable colleagues for contributing to the motion to adjourn. I recognise the last Member who spoke, and I apprec iate his words of support for the Government in regard to vaccination. And I would hope that he also channels that internally amongst his own members of the party of which he belongs to, especially one of the members who he elevated to the Senate, another place, a little while ago, who has given the exact o p-posite line in the public sphere, from what he has gi ven. I say this, Mr. Speaker, because we all know that there are various disagreements that we all have. Some of us support, others do not. But I think what is important is from a perspective of Government and Opposition, if we are going to be united in this, then we should make sure that we hold all of our members to account across the board. And I know that in our party we have made sure that we have taken account of the opinions of all of our members in the construction of our policy. So I would urge the Honourable Member who just spoke and also the Honourable O pposition Leader, of whom I spoke to myself on this very issue, that it is mer ely hollow in my view to say that you support. I think that you should be very forc eful especially [in regard to] those persons who purport to represent your party that they are also on board in not trying to be purposely divisive for the purpose of politics, because you cannot speak with a forked tongue, Mr. Speaker. And so on the issue of where we stand, we continue to make excellent progress, Mr. Speaker. More than 50 per cent of the population of Bermuda have received two doses of the vaccine. This no w puts us in a very rare space inside of the world. And we are the 7 th most vaccinated country on the planet. And that is something that we can be proud of. Mr. Speaker, 68 per cent of the eligible population in this country have at least had their first dose of the vaccine. We are seeing that people are going door -todoor around the country making sure. What is important to note, Mr. Speaker, is that in Bermuda we are fortunate. We are fortunate that we have enough vaccines inside of this country to vacci nate all of the persons who want a vaccination. This cannot be said for many other countries, Mr. Speaker. And it is important to recognise that time, yes, is running out. The Minister of Health has been very clear. After June 8th we are going to have to l imit first doses. So it is a rush for us against the clock. So I am appreciative of the support of Ho nourable Members, but I also want the people of this country who are listening to know that we are in a unique circumstance. There are many people who do not have what it is that we have. There are many pe ople who wish they could have the choice that we have in this country. So I urge persons who may be dela ying—not persons who have made their minds, but persons who may be delaying—to recognise that the delay can only go on for two and a half weeks. At that point in time we will exhaust our supply and we will be in the space where other countries are —waiting sometimes months waiting for their next supply. In Bermuda we took out an insurance policy. So, we w ere made aware that we were getting su pplies from United Kingdom, but we want to make sure that we took out an insurance policy, so we also got supplies from the COVAX Facility [ COVID -19 Vaccine 1476 21 May 2021 Official Hansard Report B ermuda House of Assembly Global Access Facility] . The COVAX Facility certainly did del iver their initial set of vaccines to Bermuda. And because we have an overabundance of those vaccines, we are going to be donating our excess vaccine that we have to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. And I received the call from the Prime Minister of Tr inidad and Tobago who thanked us for our generous donation. But I think what is important, Mr. Speaker, is to recognise why they need these donations. Because they are a country that has been ravaged, just like we have seen in our recent history, by the importation of a new variant, in their case the Brazilian P.1 variant, which has caused their health care system to be near capacity, which has caused countless deaths, and which has caused their economy to have to shut down. We know what that feels like and we do not want to go back there again. So I say this before I move on to happier parts of my motion to adjourn. There is one place where the Government is singularly committed. And there is one place where this governing party is singularly commi tted, and that is that we know that persons who voted for us in October want us to execute on the agenda that we laid out in front of the people. And the realities are, Mr. Speaker, that it is impossible for a gover nment to execute an agenda if all of our time is spent battling a once- in-a-century pandemic. Those are the facts. So if we want to move on, if we want to deal with the matters that are i mportant to the everyday citizens, if we want to deal with the matters of enfranchising Bermuda, if we want to deal with the matters of addressing social equity, if we want to deal with the matters of increasing access to capital, if we want to deal with the matters of educ ational reform, dealing with the cost of living, dealing with the health care reform, those things cannot be done at pace if we are occupying our time in battling a pandemic. We have seen the danger with the introduction of a new variant into our country. And I think that whatever side of the debate you are on, whether you are pro vaccine, antivaccine, whether you believe that this is really a pandemic or as some people call it, a plandemic, what we all know is that people are dying, health care systems are being overrun and none of us wants to find ourselves at the end of this year or next year doing this all over again. We are committed to moving beyond the pandemic. And as a country we have to look at ourselves, look at the lessons we have seen of what ot her countries have done, how they have been succes sful, and apply those here. As an island we have a unique ability to protect our borders and make sure that we remain insulated. And we can do it in a fas hion using technology and using the resources that we have to be a success. So as we move forward, Mr. Speaker, I think that it is critically importa nt for all persons to recognise and understand that the decisions that this Gover nment has made and has to make are difficult, but we are not making these decisions because we want to penalise, because we want to punish, because we want to disenfranchise a nyone. We are making these decisions because we know that this country requires transformation. And we cannot transform this country if all of our energies are spent battling a pandemic which requires economic challenges in order to make sure that we preserve life. In this latest outbreak, Mr. Speaker, we have lost 20 of our fellow Bermudians. Twenty, Mr. Speaker! Almost double the amount that we lost in the entirety of the pandemic beforehand, Mr. Speaker. We do not want to have to go through that again. And that is the reason why we have taken the steps which are necessary. But when we look at that, Mr. Speaker, we look at What does life look like when a country is successful in moving beyond the pandemic? BERMUDA DAY Hon. E. David Burt: And lots of Members have spoken about Bermuda Day. Next week, Friday, a large group exemption has been issued and [printed] in the official Gazette which will show a glimpse of the future, where persons will be gathered ins ide of a stadium—t he largest gathering of people s ince the pandemic began in Bermuda (save and except from the Black Lives Matter marches), Mr. Speaker. And we will be there to celebrate Bermuda Day. It is a glimpse of the future and what is necessary and required to move beyond the pandemic, Mr. Speaker. And so as we look toward having our traditions return this year, whether it is the Bermuda Day Half Marathon Derby, the bicycle race, or the Bermuda Day Parade, which will be different, but we will still have an event this year, it is important to recognise, Mr. Speaker, that through our collective work, due to the fact that our c itizens have stepped up to the plate to make us 7th in the world, due to the fact that our infections are falling and dropping and have continued to fall and our active cases are now below 100 (I think 86 at las t count), and hopefully continue to drop more today and over the weekend, we hav e turned the c orner. We cannot forget that we can regress very quickly. But what we also have to remember is that we can move forward with confidence. Bermuda Day is just the start. I am committed to working with the cricket clubs of this country. And the Minister of Youth, Culture and Sport has confirmed that cricket will r estart. Cricket restart is a prerequisite to having our annual Cup Match Classic, celebration of Emancipation Day, and celebration of Mary Prince Day, Mr. Speaker. We are confident that we will be able to do that. We are confident that we will be able to restart our tourism season and we are confident, although
Bermuda House of Assembly there was a minor setback with Royal Caribbean, and the headlines say that homeporting is done, that is not true because the Viking ship will arrive. And they will still be homeporting from here. We are making advances and we are doing what is necessary to show this country that we can be innovative and survive beyond the pandemic, Mr. Speaker. And so Honourable Members, the next time we will see each other will be on June 4 th. Hopefully, we might be able to use technology to meet all in per-son, again, and move past virtu al gatherings. But if we are not, Mr. Speaker, I sincerely hope that Honourable Members in between that time will enjoy this Bermuda Day, will ensure that they take in the sights and the sounds, and continue to remind their constituents that we are not bey ond this pandemic yet. There is work to do. But it is a demonstration that if we all unite and do what is necessary, Bermuda can still be a shining example on how you face down variants, on how you act collectively and decisively in order to defeat those variants, and how you make sure you change your behaviour following to make sure that you do not repeat the same mistake again, Mr. Speaker. I wish all Members a happy Bermuda Day. I wish all the participants of the Bermuda Day festivities the best. I thank them for stepping forward. I thank the organisers for working with the Government to make sure that we can make these events safe and to r educe the risk. I thank all the people who work behind the scenes to get the technology ready so that we can do thes e events and have hope for the future. This Government wants to move beyond the pandemic so that we can do what is necessary to deliver on what the voters sent us to do on October 1 st. I look forward to our next debate where we can talk about our economic recovery plan and share with this country what we are going to do to ensure that this economy is rebuilt with Bermudians at heart and we take advantage of this unique opportunity to redress significant historical challenges of which we had. That is what w e were elected to do, Mr. Speaker, and that is what this Government will deliver on. So, Mr. Speaker, I wish everyone a very happy Bermuda Day and have a wonderful, wonderful weekend.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Mr. Premier. Thank you, Members, for your contributions today, and thank you for allowing us to bring this debate to a conclusion today at a very reasonable hour. I trust that you all will have a very safe weekend and a safe holiday next week. Best wishes to …
Thank you, Mr. Premier. Thank you, Members, for your contributions today, and thank you for allowing us to bring this debate to a conclusion today at a very reasonable hour. I trust that you all will have a very safe weekend and a safe holiday next week. Best wishes to you and your family during that holiday period. With that, the House now stands adjourned. [At 5:01 pm, the House stood adjourned until 10:00 am, Friday, 4 June 2021.]