This was primarily an administrative session focused on presenting government reports rather than debating new laws. Senator Richardson presented two important reports about Bermuda's prison system - one on parole decisions and another on prison conditions and inmate treatment. The session included routine Christmas greetings to other branches of government. The most impactful moment came when Senator Lindsay Simmons delivered her maiden speech about foster care in Bermuda, highlighting the community support needed for vulnerable children.
Committee appointments for Private Bills and Register of Members' InterestParole Board Report covering 2017-2020 activities and decisionsTreatment of Offenders Board Report on prison conditions and inmate disciplineChristmas greetings messages to the Governor and House of AssemblyFoster care advocacy and community support for children in need
Bills & Motions
Two Christmas greeting messages approved - one to the Governor and one to the House of Assembly
Motion to adjourn until January 13, 2021, carrying over all Orders of the Day business to the next session
No bills were introduced, read, or debated during this sitting
Notable Moments
Senator Richardson acknowledged that both prison reports were submitted late and promised to provide explanations to concerned senators by email
Senator Lindsay Simmons gave an emotional maiden speech about her work as President of the Foster Parents Association, describing community efforts to support foster children at Christmas
The President commended Senator Simmons for raising awareness about the needs of Bermuda's foster children
Madam President.
The PresidentGood morning again. I just wanted to clarify with you whether or not all of the points 1 through 9 on the Orders of the Day, from 1 through 9 will be carried over as well as items number 10 and 11?
Sen. the Hon. Dr. Ernest PeetsYes, Madam Pres ident. I am seeking the gracious consideration to accept the recommendation to adjourn all of the bus iness for Orders of the Day until January the 13 th, 2021. The President: Thank you for that clarification, Mini ster Peets. In that case, we will move on to …
Yes, Madam Pres ident. I am seeking the gracious consideration to accept the recommendation to adjourn all of the bus iness for Orders of the Day until January the 13 th, 2021.
The President: Thank you for that clarification, Mini ster Peets. In that case, we will move on to item number 14.
MOTIONS The President: And, Senator Michelle Simmons, I think you have a motion. You have the floor.
MESSAGE TO THE GOVERNOR
CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR’S GREETINGS
Sen. Michelle Simmons: Thank you, Madam Pres ident. Madam President, I move that the following message be sent to Her Excellency the Governor: “May it please Your Excellency: “The Senate has the honour to present its compliments to Your Excellency and family and r espectfully extends its greetings for a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.”
The President: Thank you, Senator Michelle Si mmons. And I am sure all Senators support that motion. Sen. Michelle Simmons: Thank you. The President: You have a second one?
MESSAGE TO THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR’S GREETINGS
Sen. Michelle Simmons: Yes, I do. Madam President, I move that the follo wing message be sent to His Honour the Speaker and the Honourable House of Assembly: “To His Honour the Speaker and Members of the Honourable House of Assembly: 92 21 December 2020 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda Senate “The Senate has much pleasure in extending to your Honourable House sincere greetings for a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.”
The President: Thank you, Senator Simmons. Are there any objections to that motion and the earlier one being sent, from any of the Senators? Hearing none, those two motions will be r esent. Thank you, Senator Michelle Simmons.
Sen. Michelle Simmons: Thank you, Madam Pres ident.
CONGRATULATORY AND/OR OBITUARY SPEECHES
The President: Would any Senator care to speak on these items? Sen. Michelle Simmons: Yes. I would, Madam President.
The President: Senator Michelle Simmons, you have the floor.
Sen. Michelle Simmons: I would like to extend congratulations to educational psychologist Dr. KendraLee Pearman, who is the new Executive Director of the Reading Clinic. Dr. Pearman has quite a bit of experienc e working with children with exceptions. And I am sure that students and parents who seek the support of the Reading Clinic will appreciate her assi stance. I also would like to extend thanks to Dr. Glenn Faries (who is retiring as Executive Director of the Reading Clinic ) for all that he has done to advance the work of that valuable institution in the community. Madam President, I also would like to extend very hearty congratulations to the awardees who r eceived recognition from the Bermuda Arts Council last evening at a very special ceremony in which our very own Minister Peets was involved. There were three very talented Bermudian artists who were recognised for their pioneering work. The first is singer Peter Nash, who received a Lifetime Achievement Award. The second is visual artist Sharon Muhammad, fo rmerly Sharon Wilson, who received a Founders Award. And well -known musician Wendell “Shine” Hayward received a Founders Award. They are three well known, well respected artists here in Bermuda. And I send hearty congratulations to all of them. I am sure the Senate would like to join in those congratul atory remark s. Thank you, Madam President.
The President: Thank you very much, Senator Michelle Simmons. And I agree with you that all Sen ators would want to be associated. But would any other Senator care to speak further on Congratulatory and/or Obituary Speeches? Hearing none, I would like to specifically associate myself with the comments of Senator Michelle Simmons on the congratulations to Dr. Glenn Faries, whom I had the pleasure of liaising with while I was on the LCCA [Lady Cubitt Compassionate Association] . He did so much to help young students [whom] that association was helping. So, kudos to him.
ADJOURNMENT
The President: Dr. Peets, Minister Peets, you have the floor.
Sen. the Hon. Dr. Ernest PeetsThank you so much, Madam President. I recommend that the Senate session be adjourned until January the 13th, 2021. The President: Thank you, Minister Peets. Would any Senator care to speak on the m otion to adjourn? Sen. Lindsay Simmons: I would, Madam President. The President: Senator Simmons, Linds ay …
Thank you so much, Madam President. I recommend that the Senate session be adjourned until January the 13th, 2021.
The President: Thank you, Minister Peets. Would any Senator care to speak on the m otion to adjourn?
Sen. Lindsay Simmons: I would, Madam President.
The President: Senator Simmons, Linds ay Simmons.
Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Yes, yes. The President: Senator Lindsay Simmons, you have the floor.
MAIDEN SPEECH Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Thank you, Madam Pres ident. Madam President, I would like to call this my official Maiden Speech in the Senate. Madam President, currently I am President of the Foster Parents Association. And I would like to talk to you about foster care and what it means to me and what we do for the children in Bermuda. Going back to when I was a little girl, I did not know an ything about foster care. I just knew my mother and my father raised up four girls and we did not necessarily want for anything. We had a great life. And then I got into Berkeley, I realised that not ever ybody had the same opportunities that I was given. When I graduated from Berkeley, I was given the Gold Cup, the Community Service Cup for community service. My parents always instilled in us that need to give back. And that has been something that my fam ily has always done. My house’s name i s “Do -drop Inn”; anybody drops into our house. We were able to bring anybody home. Anybody needed a meal, we fed them. So as my parents instilled this in us . . . and at 24 I decided to follow my mother’s footsteps and become a foster parent. And I got a four -year-old b eautiful girl. She graduated from Berkeley last year. And it warmed my
Bermuda Senate heart to see her go through these stages and graduate. And she was given the Glenda Edwards [Scholarship] Fund that we started seven years ago. I just want to say that the children in Bermuda who are in foster care are our children. They should not be children who are left out . They are children who need extra love. I could not imagine growing up and not being raised by my family. So imagine the only home you know or the only home you had ever been in is the home of a complete stranger. It gives me great honour and pride to know that so many people in community rally together around these children, whether it be to give money for scholarships . . . And in December every year, November – December, we do an angel tree at Rosa’s Cantina. My boss is like, Lindsay, you always want to do som ething. So the angel tree is the most special incentive I do yearly. And this is our fifth year. So I do angels for every single child who is in foster care and children who are in the homes, Brangman Home and the Residential Treatment [Services] for the boys. Madam President, all of our angels were taken, and people brought back gifts. I got a Facebook message a few minutes after I posted that we were doing the angel tree again this year––because we started a little late––from Celia Correia. She sent me a message: Do I have an eight - year-old boy who needs a gift? She said, I have a son who is eight. And she wanted him to know that there are children out there who do not experience Chris tmas how he experiences it. She came. She got the angel. She was the first one to bring back the gift, with her son. She did not just bring back the gift; she brought her son. And I had a conversation with him, and I let him know how fortunate he is every year and how he is going to make this eight -year-boy’s Chris tmas great. On the angels we put what children want for Christmas. Now, they are just —you know, some chi ldren want iPads, laptops, MacBooks. And some chi ldren want underclothes. And when I see the ones with underclothes, it breaks my heart because they are asked, What would you like for Christmas? And for them to write that they want underclothes breaks my heart because they could ask anything. But, you know, she came. And she brought her son, brought the gifts. And I smiled. I have a long- time friend whom I met five years ago, Denise Nanette, from RenRe [Renai ssance Reinsurance]. She is a silent angel. She an d her team at RenRe, they go out and they make sure these children have iPads, laptops. She will say, Lin dsay, what else do they need? RenRe is a huge supporter of this, and they have been since we started— throughout the year Denise asks, Does anybody need food during COVID -19? She reached out to me, and we made sure single parents and the elderly had food during COVID -19. Denise does not like recognition, but she is one of those people who makes sure that hundreds are fed and clothed, silently with no recogn ition. We have Diane Steede, from Walkers Berm uda. Her team, this is their second year helping us. And they make sure, same thing, the children get the clothes they need, iPads, MacBooks and things that I might want too, but . . . No, but seriously, the y make sure that they get gifts that children actually want. They make sure that they have a bright Christmas. And it warms my heart. And I am emotional about it because I see the children come and collect these gifts . . . and the pedal bikes. We also did gifts for Big Brothers and Big Sisters. And I take it to Patrina [O’Connor -Paynter] every year. We had Mansfield from Port Royal Fire Se rvice. He said, Hey, Lindsay. He came up to the job. And I said, Look. We have an angel tree! And he said, My guys are going to donate one. He took four angels himself . They donated money so that a child could get a laptop and other gifts. You have Inspector Tracy Burgess, who has always supported the Foster Parents Association. She and her team took 15 angels, the Gang Unit at the Berm uda Police Service. You have people who come t ogether for these children. You have everyday people who make sure that these children have gifts for Christmas. And I know that there are a lot of things that are needed in Bermuda. B ut imagine waking up Christmas morning and not having a gift. They all have gifts, and we make sure of it. Even I get people to donate gifts for families who are in need —grocery vouchers. BELCO every year comes through. They give us money to make sure that we could get gifts for the children. They give us $1,000, for BELCO vouchers to give to families who are in need. And then on Saturday we had a TV for the Boys Home. And then a gentleman, Raymond Roc hester, he donated $1,000 a few years back to get gift s. He said, Lindsay, why you didn’t tell me about the a ngel tree? I said, Raymond, you’re up here almost every day. You didn’t see the angel tree? He said, You know, I go straight to the bar. So I said, Well, you know what? I need a TV for the Girls Home. So we joked around, and I said, Look! Ms . Trew is here from Family Services. She just asked me for a TV. So I said, Take a picture, Raymond, with her. You’re going to give me money, right? He said, You know I am going to give you money, Lindsay. He went in his pocket and took out some money. And with him and Donnie [Correia] from Sound Decision . . . I sent Donnie a message that said, Donnie, I need a TV. He gave me a huge deal on it. And the money that Raymond donated would buy Brangman Home a TV, as they do not have one. I am fortunate that the Premier appointed me as the Junior Minister of Social Development and Seniors, because these children mean a lot to me. I 94 21 December 2020 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda Senate see them. We have relationships with the foster fam ilies. And yearly we do a party for the c hildren, Madam President. This year, unfortunately we could not do it. And that angel I spoke about earlier, Denise, she was going to throw a whole party for the foster children. But COVID -19 happened, so that got scratched. But as always, she made sure that all foster children got gifts. So I just want to thank the public for suppor ting and rallying around these children to make Christmas that much better. Because this year has been one of the toughest years of my life, so I can only imagine people who ar e struggling. And I just want to say a special shout -out to the foster parents. Because the foster parents whom we have in Bermuda are not rich. They are rich in love. But they are everyday hard- working individuals who go over and beyond, because the fost er [stipend] that we receive are b arely enough to feed them. You step in as a foster parent because you want to open your heart and your home to these children. So it is a commitment, and it is an everyday commitment. These children become your children, w hether they leave your home or they stay. I was fortunate enough six years ago to gat her a little bundle of joy right out of the hospital. And I was able to adopt her. She is my daughter. And wit hout being a foster parent, I would have never gotten this m iracle. I mean, they say nature versus nurture. I am mixed, but I look white. (I will put that out there.) And my daughter is a beautiful brown- skinned baby. If I did not know any better, I would have thought I gave birth to her. She acts just like me, Madam President. It is scary. But I just want to thank the community again for coming together and making sure that these chi ldren have a bright Christmas. And that I always in our parties, when we have our parties yearly, I let them know that the community bought these gifts. The community loves and cares about them , because at the end of the day these children are our future. And if we give them the tools and show them the love now, they will be positive, productive members of our soci ety because they already come with baggage. And when we start peeling away the layers, they are just like us. So, Madam President, I just want to put it out there that these are our children. And they should not be forgotten. If anybody wants to reach out and find out mor e about foster care, I would encourage this. There are tons of children who need love. And not just that you need to take them into your homes. You can even go to visit Patrina at Big Brothers and Big Sisters and sign up even if it is every weekend for a c ouple of hours. Not just children in foster care need help. There are children with single parents who might need a break or [there] is not a mother or a father to help these children. I just think that it is a lot of people who do not know that we have children who could use your support. So, Madam President, thank you for this time, and I hope that the community realises that these are the children who should not be forgotten, because they are a part of the thread of Bermuda. Thank you, Madam President.
The President: Thank you, Senator Lindsay Si mmons. I am sure the entire Senate body was very moved by your comments. And we certainly note your commitment, your sincerity. You are where you are needed. I personally want to congratulate you and to comme nd you for the work that you do. And I think sharing this information with us, the Senate body, as well as the general public who may not be aware of all that you do and the needs of children in Bermuda, I think you have certainly shared that. And as a res ult we were all more informed. So I thank you personally. Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Thank you, Madam Pres ident. Sen. Robin Tucker: Madam President.
The President: Senator Robin Tucker, you have the floor.
Sen. Robin Tucker: I just wanted to ask if I can as sociate myself with your sentiments as well in congrat ulating Senator Simmons, because her commitment truly does come through. And so, Senator Simmons, I just want to say thank you for what you do for Bermuda’s children. It is absolutely well needed. So, thank you. Thank you for your commitment.
Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Thank you.
The President: Thank you, Senator Tucker. Would any other Senator care to speak on the motion to adjourn? Hearing none, then, Senators, the Senate will stand adjourned until Jan uary the 13 th. Thank you all for your presence and commitment today.
Some Hon. Senators: Thank you, Madam President. Season’s greetings. [Crosstalk and laughter ]
The President: Before I go, I will say . . . Minister Peets, you have the floor. You wanted to say . . . I had forgotten to give my comments as well. But, Minister Peets, you have the floor if you want to say something about greetings.
Bermuda Senate CHRISTMAS GREETINGS
Sen. the Hon. Dr. Ernest PeetsSure. Thank you so much, Madam President. I certainly want to wish all of my Senate colleagues a safe and blessed Christmas. And we certainly thank you for your deliberation and your consi deration and the work that you do. Thank you so much. CHRISTMAS GREETINGS The President: Thank you, …
Sure. Thank you so much, Madam President. I certainly want to wish all of my Senate colleagues a safe and blessed Christmas. And we certainly thank you for your deliberation and your consi deration and the work that you do. Thank you so much.
CHRISTMAS GREETINGS The President: Thank you, Minister Peets. And I would like to absolutely follow you and commend all Senators for the work that they have done in this last month or so that we have been meet-ing. And I want to wish each and every one of you a most blessed and enjoyable and safe Christmas, and also to advise and encourage all Bermudians to follow the COVID -19 restrictions to ensure that our Island remains safe. It is absolutely critical. The numbers are rising, and I think we need to encourage everyone to follow the restrictions, wear their masks, maintain s ocial distance and be responsible when it comes to mixing households. So with that, have a blessed Christmas, ev eryone. And we will see you in the New Year. Thank you. Senate is adjourned.
Some Hon. Senators: Thank you, Madam President. Merry Christ mas to all. Merry Christmas! Have a Happy Christmas, everyone, and be safe. [At 10:58 am, the Senate stood adjourned until 10:00 am, Wednesday, 13 January 2021. ]