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House of Assembly Session 2024/2025 401 speeches

June 27, 2025

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

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Session Summary

Simplified for You

The Premier announced that two major credit rating agencies upgraded or maintained Bermuda's strong ratings, citing the island's economic growth and first budget surplus in over 20 years. The Minister of National Security highlighted a powerful youth anti-violence event where students from five schools created campaigns addressing gang violence, mental health, and knife crime. The Health Minister announced plans to restrict flavored vaping products and enforce rules requiring nicotine products be sold only in pharmacies. Several other ministers provided updates on job training programs, sports investments, and tourism development.

Chamber House of Assembly
Date Jun 27, 2025
Session 2024/2025
Transcript View PDF
Speakers 19
Speeches 401

Key Topics

Credit rating upgrades from international agencies affirming Bermuda's strong economyYouth-led anti-violence campaign "Truth Be Told" featuring presentations from five schoolsNew restrictions on nicotine products like vapes and pouches to protect young peopleCost of Living Summit results and government actions to address affordabilityBuilding permit reforms and tourism development incentives

Bills & Motions

Building Amendment Act 2025 - tabled (not yet debated), would streamline building permit processes and allow qualified professionals to self-certify certain work
No bills were debated or voted on during this session - this was primarily a ministerial statements session

Notable Moments

Students won awards for their authentic and moving presentations about violence affecting their communities
The government reported Bermuda achieved 4.9% economic growth and the lowest unemployment in 50 years
A visitor from a cruise ship medical team was welcomed to observe Parliament proceedings

Debate Transcript

401 speeches from 19 speakers
The Speaker The Speaker Good morning, Members. The Clerk will now lead us in prayer. PRAYERS [Prayers read by Mr. Clark Somner, Clerk]
The Speaker The Speaker Good morning, Members. [Gavel]
The Speaker The Speaker The House is now in session. CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES [Minutes of 13 June 2025]
The Speaker The Speaker Members, the Minutes from the 13th of June have been circulated. Are there any amendments required? There are none. The Minutes will be printed as confirmed. [Minutes of 13 June 2025 confirmed] MESSAGES FROM THE GOVERNOR
The Speaker The Speaker There are none. ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE SPEAKER OR MEMBER PRESIDING APOLOGIES
The Speaker The Speaker First, we have received notice from the following Members who will be absent today: MP Leroy Bean, MP Scott Pearman, MP Vance Campbell, MP Douglas DeCouto have all indicated that they will be absent today. OMBUDSMAN ANNUAL REPORT 1 JANUARY TO 31 DECEMBER 2024
The Speaker The Speaker I would also like to read out that I have received the Ombudsman Annual Report, which covers a period of the 1 January to the 31 December 2024 . This report is submitted in accordance with s ection 24(1) and 24(3) of the Ombudsman Act 2004. There are no other …
The Speaker The Speaker There are none. PAPERS AND OTHER COMMUNICATIONS TO THE HOUSE
The Speaker The Speaker I believe that the Minister for the Cabinet [Office] has a paper. Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Speaker.
The Speaker The Speaker Good morning. PRIVACY COMMISSIONER PRE- IMPLEMENTATION ANNUAL REPORT JANUARY 2020 –DECEMBER 2024 Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: I have the honour to attach and submit for the information of the Honourable House of Assembly the Privacy Commissioner PreImplementation Annual Report January 2020 to December 2024 as required by s ection …
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you. There are no other papers or communications. PETITIONS
The Speaker The Speaker There are none. STATEMENTS BY MINISTERS AND JUNIOR MINISTERS
The Speaker The Speaker We have eight Statements this morning. The first is in the name of the Premier. Premier, would you like to present your Statement? Hon. E. David Burt: Sure, Mr. Speaker.
The Speaker The Speaker Go right ahead. 1158 27 June 2025 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly S & P AND MORNINGSTAR RATINGS BERMUDA’S STRONG RATINGS CONTINUE Hon. E. David Burt: Good morning to you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share with this Honourable House encouraging news that highlights the …
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you, Premier. Members, the next Statement this morning is in the name of the Minister of National Security. Minister. Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Good morning, Mr. Speaker, colleagues and the listening public.
The Speaker The Speaker Good morning. TRUTH BE TOLD: YOUTH RISE AGAINST THE VIOLENCE— A MOVEMENT BEGINS Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Speaker, I rise today with pride, gratitude and hopefulness to share with this Honourable House and the wider Bermuda com-munity the profound and inspiring event held earlier this month on June 10 …
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you, Minister. Members, the next Statement is from the Minister for the Cabinet [Office] . ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER HOUSE VISITOR
The Speaker The Speaker But Minister, before I acknowledge you, I just want to acknowledge in the G allery we have visiting with us today Dr. Raddic . Am I correct? Dr. Raddic? And Dr. Raddic is here off a cruise ship, but not as a tourist. She is one of those who offer …
The Speaker The Speaker Minister. Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. BUILDING AMENDMENT ACT 2025 , TABLING OF Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Speaker, later today I will be tabling the Building Amendment Act 2025. This Bill addresses the broader and ongoing discussion about streamlining the Department of Planning’s procedures, …
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you, Minister. Members, the next Statement this morning is in the name of the Minister of Youth, Social Development and Seniors. Oops, sorry. I jumped over the Minister of Health. Minister of Health, why did I do that? [Crosstalk] Hon. Kim N. Wilson: I do not know , but …
Mr. Speaker. Good morning. The Speaker There you go. PUBLIC HEALTH RISKS OF NICOTINE - CONTAINING PRODUCTS AND LEGISLATIVE REFORMS Hon. Kim N. Wilson: Mr. Speaker and Honourable Members, t oday I rise to address a public health issue that affects our youth, our families and the integrity of our regulatory system—the unchecked proliferation and marketing …
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you, Minister. Now the Minister of Youth, Social Development and Seniors. I think I have you in the right order this time, how is that? Hon. Tinee Furbert: Good morning. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The Speaker The Speaker Good morning. JOB READINESS PROGRAMME Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise in this Honourable House this morning to applaud the work of the Office of Youth Affairs, our Youth Services Team, on the successful launch and initial outcomes of their Job Readiness Programme. Mr. Speaker, this …
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you, Minister. Members, the next Statement this morning is in the name of the Minister of Home Affairs. Minister. Hon. Alexa Lightbourne: Good morning, Mr. Speaker.
The Speaker The Speaker Good morning. BERMUDA’S COST OF LIVING: COST OF LIVING SUMMIT 2025 Hon. Alexa Lightbourne: This morning I rise to provide an update to this Honourable House and the people of Bermuda regarding the 2025 Cost of Living Summit , which was held on June 25 at the Hamilton Princess. The …
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you, Minister. [Desk thumping]
The Speaker The Speaker Members, the next Statement this morning is in the name of the Minister of Tourism and Transport, Culture and Sport. Minister. Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Speaker, good morning.
The Speaker The Speaker Good morning. INVESTMENT IN SPORTS AND ATHLETES Hon. Owen Darrell: I rise today to share with this Honourable House recent developments in the area of sport , highlighting our continued commitment to recognising student athletes, supporting elite athletes and investing in the development of the National Sports Governing Bodies . …
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you, Minister. I believe you have a second Statement. Would you like to do that one as well? Hon. Owen Darrell: I do, Mr. Speaker, thank you.
The Speaker The Speaker Go ahead. LOREN RESORT —EXPANDING TOURISM INVENTORY Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members will be aware of the acquisition of the former Elbow Beach property by Sardis Developments Limited, the owners of The Loren Hotel at Pink Beach. Mr. Speaker, this acquisition has been welcomed and rep-resents a firm …
The Speaker The Speaker There are none. QUESTION PERIOD
The Speaker The Speaker The Question Period for this morning, there are no written questions. The questions will come from Statements given this morning. Members, a few of the Statements this morning have produced questions. The first Statement this morning that has a question would that from the Minister of National Security. Minister MP …
The Speaker The Speaker MP, you have the floor. QUESTION 1 : TRUTH BE TOLD: YOUTH RISE AGAINST THE VIOLENCE —A MOVEMENT BEGINS
Mr. Robert King Good morning, Mr. Speaker, Honourable Member s and the listening public . Regarding the statements made by the [Minister of] N ational Security , I wholeheartedly . . . and I think the whole House can be associated with the great work that the kids are doing to promote anti …
The Speaker The Speaker Minister. Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I welcome the question from the MP from consistency 10. Mr. Speaker, in answer to his question, the initiative comes under the Government's National Violence [Reduction] S trategy . And a part of our strategy is to involve the youth …
Mr. Speaker. The Speaker Thank you. Supplementary or new question?
Mr. Robert King Supplementary .
The Speaker The Speaker Yes. SUPPLEMENTARY
Mr. Robert King Understanding that young persons are being recruited at a younger and younger age, what is the plan to address recruit ment in primary schools and middle schools ? Thank you.
The Speaker The Speaker Minister. Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Thanks for that , Mr. Speaker. I would like some clarity . . . recruitment for . . . what are we talking about?
Mr. Robert King Gangs and crimes involving drugs and violence, knife crime in particular . Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Speaker, that is not a part of my S tatement, but I have no problem saying that the overarching strategy of the national antiviolence campaign by this Government is to address prevention, intervention …
The Speaker The Speaker Mm-hmm. Thank you. Second supplementary or new question?
Mr. Robert King New question , Mr. Speaker.
The Speaker The Speaker Okay. QUESTION 2 : TRUTH BE TOLD: YOUTH RISE AGAINST THE VIOLENCE —A MOVEMENT BEGINS
Mr. Robert King The question I ask is , What data and what research is guiding and informing the anti - violence strategy ? Thank you. [Crosstalk] Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Speaker , again , that's not from my S tatement . But data gets collected, it's ongoing, y ou know , …
Mr. Robert King I take that into consideration, Mr. Speaker, understanding that when we are — [Inaudible interjections]
Mr. Robert King Thank you for that . When we are—
The Speaker The Speaker So, is this a supplementary or third question? SUPPLEMENTARY
Mr. Robert King This would be a supplementary .
The Speaker The Speaker Okay.
Mr. Robert King Understanding data is fluid and is readily available, is the Honourable Minister aware that the Bermuda Police Service ’s website has been down since 31 M ay due to the cyberattack ? [Inaudible interjections]
The Speaker The Speaker I am trying to tie that into [the Minister’s] S tatement . But that's always the challenge of it.
Mr. Robert King No, no. The supplementary was based on the fact that data is readily available and the data and the crime statistics would have come from the Bermuda Police Service . It is difficult to get those statistics and data if the website has been down since 31 M ay. That's …
The Speaker The Speaker No further questions ?
Mr. Robert King No, that’s it.
The Speaker The Speaker Okay. No further questions . Thank you. Members , those are the only questions for that Statement . The next S tatement that has questions is a Statement from the Minister of Health. Minister , MP Tucker would like to put questions to you.
Ms. Robin Tucker Thank you, Mr. Speaker , good morning.
The Speaker The Speaker Good morning. QUESTION 1: PUBLIC HEALTH RISK OF NICOTINE -CONTAINING PRODUCTS AND LEGISLATIVE REFORMS
Ms. Robin Tucker My first question is , I'd like to know if the Minister can clarify how sales for appropriate use, sales of , obviousl y, the products that were named, vapes and gum and all of that , how the sales for appropriate use will be controlled to meet the in-tended …
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you. Minister. Hon. Kim N. Wilson: Yes, Mr. Speaker, as I've indicated, the sale of these nicotine products is prohibited unless under the Pharmacy and Poisons Act and, as such, the pharmacies have the pharmacy inspectors who come under the Bermuda Health Council and they go and monitor the …
The Speaker The Speaker Mm-hmm. Supplementary or new question?
Ms. Robin Tucker Yes, a supplementary , please .
The Speaker The Speaker Go ahead. SUPPLEMENTARY
Ms. Robin Tucker Can the Minister tell us how often the pharmacy inspector actually visits , what the cycle is that the pharmacy inspector visits the pharmacies to ensure compliance? Thank you.
The Speaker The Speaker Minister. Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. Kim N. Wilson: Mr. Speaker , I do not have that information, but what I can assure m embers of the public of is that during the course of her inspection she will be ensuring that retail establishments that are prohibited from offering for …
The Speaker The Speaker Supplementary or second question? [Inaudible interjection]
The Speaker The Speaker Supplementary. Okay. MP Cannonier, Opposition Whip. SUPPLEMENTARY Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: Yes. Thank you. Thank you, very much. And good morning, colleagues. In accordance with the question that was asked, there seems to be some confusion in that for some of these products [they] can actually be purchased from wholesalers …
The Speaker The Speaker Point of order. POINT OF ORDER Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: I did not say that Bermuda Drug Company was selling these products. I was using that as an example. So, to say that they are doing it would be unfair to Bermuda Drug Company. And I think it would be …
The Speaker The Speaker Okay. Hon. Kim N. Wilson: Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Ministerial Statement speaks to, what we are trying to prevent is unlawful sale of nicotine products that are not being sold pursuant to the Pharmacy and Poisons Act and instead are being sold by retail establishments. That …
The Speaker The Speaker Okay. Supplementary or . . . Is this your second question or supplementary?
Ms. Robin Tucker It is a second question, Mr. Speaker.
The Speaker The Speaker Go ahead. QUESTION 2: PUBLIC HEALTH RISK OF NICOTINE -CONTAINING PRODUCTS AND LEGISLATIVE REFORMS
Ms. Robin Tucker So, my second question is, the Minister did mention that this is just an enforcement of the current law. Right? But I am wondering, Mr. Speaker, whether there has been any conversation with the retailers who have been selling these products for ages. Right? So, has there been any conversation …
The Speaker The Speaker Minister. Hon. Kim N. Wilson: Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, admittedly, a few years ago we did go through the Chamber of Commerce and had these discussions, particularly when we saw the proliferation of vapes. We will continue the engagement. As I have indicated in my Ministerial Statement …
The Speaker The Speaker Supplementary? Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: Supplemental to that, yes.
The Speaker The Speaker Okay. Yes. Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: Mr. Speaker, considering that we have received this information that suggests it is being sold in some of these other retailers that are not authorised to sell it, the Honourable Member said that they can see where there is an increased use of nicotine …
The Speaker The Speaker Hmmm. Supplementary or new question? You have a supplementary or your third question? Ms. Robin Tucker: I have supplementary question,
Mr. Speaker. The Speaker Go ahead. SUPPLEMENTARY
Ms. Robin Tucker But first, I would like to say that of course we support protecting our youth, but also we need to make sure that what we're doing makes sense. Right? F or all parties . So, I would just like to ask for those retailers that are currently , who have …
The Speaker The Speaker Okay. Third question or are you complete ? QUESTION 3: PUBLIC HEALTH RISK OF NICOTINE -CONTAINING PRODUCTS AND LEGISLATIVE REFORMS
Ms. Robin Tucker Yes, the third question is very similar to what MP Cannonier had asked . So, my third question is I'd like to know if . . . because we've been talking about retailers , but I would like to know if these products will be banned across the board, s …
The Speaker The Speaker Any further questions ? None?
Ms. Robin Tucker No. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The Speaker The Speaker Minister, do you mind if I ask something? J ust for my own clarity ? That means — Hon. Kim N. Wilson: How can I say no to the Speaker? [Inaudible interjection and laughter ]
The Speaker The Speaker And this is just for me, if I walk ed into the store and s aw it. Should be item be behind the counter where we have to ask the pharmacist for it ? Or, it's okay sitting on the shelf for anybody to pick it up? Hon. Kim N. …
The Speaker The Speaker Nicotine . Hon. Kim N. Wilson: Nicotine, yes. They are meant to be behind the counter .
The Speaker The Speaker Okay. Hon. Kim N. Wilson: Behind the counter . And likewise for tobacco, you'll recall we made legislative amendments in 2015. ( I think it was . I can't remember.) But when we dealt with restrictions of smoking. So, under the Tobacco [Control] A ct there are restrictions insofar as …
The Speaker The Speaker So, if it is displayed out front, that's actually an offence to the law .
An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Ah. Hon. Kim N. Wilson: You mean out front by the till?
The Speaker The Speaker Yes, it is anywhere out front where anybody can just pick it up— Hon. Kim N. Wilson: Correct. Correct. L ike in some establishments it is like I said, next to the chocolate bars.
The Speaker The Speaker The only reason I am asking is because like you, I have seen it in other establishment s. Hon. Kim N. Wilson: Absolutely . Absolutely . Thank you.
The Speaker The Speaker It is an offen ce when we see that . Hon. Kim N. Wilson: That is correct . But first and foremost , the establishments that no doubt you're speaking about and I'm speaking about , are not even supposed to have it .
The Speaker The Speaker That's true too. Yes. Okay. Thank you for that. [Inaudible interjection]
The Speaker The Speaker You have a question? [Laughter]
The Speaker The Speaker Okay. I thought you guys were finished. Okay. MP Cannonier has a question. [Laughter] POINT OF CLARIFICATION Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And this is . . . just to preface it . This is for clarity because there are a lot of people who are confused …
The Speaker The Speaker All right. Minister, I opened a can of worms that time with my question. [Laughter] Hon. Kim N. Wilson: That’s okay. Mr. Speaker, I can't speak to who . . . all the details concerning this . But yes , there was a notice that has been . . . …
The Speaker The Speaker End of story. Hon. Kim N. Wilson: Correct . Correct .
The Speaker The Speaker End of story. [Crosstalk] Hon. Kim N. Wilson: Because what the Honourable Member failed to continue reading is . . . and it goes on to say : The sale of nicotine products containing nicotine . . . outside of a pharmacy . Those four words are in the letter …
The Speaker The Speaker If you are not a pharmacy , it should not be in your store. Hon. Kim N. Wilson: Correct . Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The Speaker The Speaker And that's for the listening audience to hear and understand, hopefully. Thank you, Minister. Thank you, Members. Hon. Kim N. Wilson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The Speaker The Speaker MP King, do you have a question for the Minister as well or your answers . . . you got your answers from the dialogue already ? [Inaudible interjections]
Mr. Robert King Good morning again.
The Speaker The Speaker Member MP King also has a question for you. QUESTION 1: PUBLIC HEALTH RISK OF NICOTINE -CONTAINING PRODUCTS AND LEGISLATIVE REFORMS
Mr. Robert King Good morning to the House again. Minister, do you have any stats on the number of prosecutions for establishments that have been selling nicotine products to underage persons? Hon. Kim N. Wilson: I do not, Mr. Speaker. Bermuda House of Assembly The Speaker: Supplementary or are you done ? One …
Mr. Robert King Supplementary .
The Speaker The Speaker Okay. SUPPLEMENTARY
Mr. Robert King The information regarding the sale and distribution of vapes and nicotine products to young persons , where did that information come from that would require a change in the law or an amendment to the law ? Sorry. Hon. Kim N. Wilson: Mr. Speaker, as I've indicated we are not …
The Speaker The Speaker Second supplementary or second question? QUESTION 2: PUBLIC HEALTH RISK OF NICOTINE -CONTAINING PRODUCTS AND LEGISLATIVE REFORMS
Mr. Robert King Second question. I take offenc e to asking for stats that will guide policy being seen as an offensive question. I've got a problem with that in principle, understanding that the purpose of the legislation and enforcement is to protect the community . So, question.
The Speaker The Speaker Yes, put your question.
Mr. Robert King What is the Ministry of Health doing to address vape use in high schools in terms of a campaign ? I know we had the anti -violence campaign that was done in the various schools . I'm just wondering what initiative the Ministry of Health is doing re-garding anti -vaping …
The Speaker The Speaker Remember the question should be related to the S tatement , and I don’t think —
Mr. Robert King No, no, no. It’s related to the Statement in terms of the overarching policy is to protect those young persons from the use, borrowing what the other kids had done in the high schools to address that issue, I'm wondering as part of the N ational Strategy whether or not …
The Speaker The Speaker Okay. Hon. Kim N. Wilson: Mr. Speaker , I can speak on behalf of the Ministry of Health. We have started a public awareness campaign as it relates to this . And that will continue as part of our remit with respect to public health . Insofar as what is …
The Speaker The Speaker Okay. T he Minister is saying that the door is open for a conversation with the Minister . Okay? Thank you. No further questions for that S tatement . Members , the next Statement that has questions is the Statement from the Minister of Home Affairs. MP Fahy would like …
The Speaker The Speaker Good morning. QUESTION 1: BERMUDA’S COST OF LIVING: 2025 COST OF LIVING SUMMIT Hon. Michael Fahy: Mr. Speaker, as you said, it's in relation to—
An Hon. Member An Hon. Member I don’t think your microphone is on. Hon. Michael Fahy: Oh, sorry. I t is on . Let me just get a little closer to it . I’m a little tall. Minister , in terms of your presentation, what would you say is the number one take- away solution from …
The Speaker The Speaker Yes, supplementary. SUPPLEMENTARIES Hon. Michael Fahy: Would the Minister at least agree that there was a common theme across every single panel that one of the ways to reduce the cost of living is to increase the economies of scale across all sectors for the purposes of purchasing power ? …
The Speaker The Speaker Minister. Hon. Alexa Lightbourne: I thank the Honourable Member for his contribution. A nd I wouldn't say that I would agree that each of the panels concluded that that was the solution. B ut as part of the discussion , as part of the intent of the Cost of Living …
The Speaker The Speaker Supplementary or new question ? Hon. Michael Fahy: Supplementary , Mr. Speaker.
The Speaker The Speaker Go ahead. Second supplementary. Hon. Michael Fahy: In the first instance, just to make it clear . It certainly was not the conclusion; it was just a common theme certainly as I was in attendance that economies of scale were important . With that in mind , does the Minister …
The Speaker The Speaker Minister. Hon. Alexa Lightbourne: Yes, thank you. A nd I invite the Honourable Member similarly to . . . I guess, revisit the discussions because that was not the conclusion nor the statement that I left , nor the feedback that was collated , or the notes of the scores …
The Speaker The Speaker Second question? QUESTION 2: BERMUDA’S COST OF LIVING: 2025 COST OF LIVING SUMMIT Hon. Michael Fahy: Second question, thank you. Madam Minister , based on that remark and some of the others , what do you believe was the main actionable strategy then on saving energy costs ? We are …
The Speaker The Speaker Minister. Hon. Alexa Lightbourne: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The panel discussion, as the Honourable Member who was there from the beginning until the end [knows], unpacked a number of options for the energy sector recogni sing that the regulator is the individual who . . . or the entity that …
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you. Supplementary or third question? Hon. Michael Fahy: Supplementary , Mr. Speaker.
The Speaker The Speaker Mm-hmm. SUPPLEMENTARY Hon. Michael Fahy: So, the Minister would not agree that increasing the number of people in Bermuda would save on energy costs or not ? [Inaudible interjections]
The Speaker The Speaker Minister. Hon. Alexa Lightbourne: Mr. Speaker, I’m not sure that population was a part of my Ministerial S tatement . I think we talked about the Cost of Living Summit and the various solutions and cross -sector collaboration was the spirit and also the emphasis of the Statement . Thank …
The Speaker The Speaker Supplementary or third question? Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. Michael Fahy: Third question, Mr. Speaker.
The Speaker The Speaker Okay. QUESTION 3: BERMUDA’S COST OF LIVING: 2025 COST OF LIVING SUMMIT Hon. Michael Fahy: Mr. Speaker, what was the cost to the Bermuda taxpayer of the summit this week ? Hon. Alexa Lightbourne: I'll refer the Honourable Member to the Statement which included the report that is forthcoming including …
The Speaker The Speaker That piece will come at a later Statement . Okay. [Inaudible interjections]
The Speaker The Speaker [The Minister] has indicated it will come at a later date. SUPPLEMENTARY Hon. Michael Fahy: Surely everyone . . . anyway . . . I'm not going to go there . Mr. Speaker, so does the Minister have an idea of how much money was spent for the purposes of …
The Speaker The Speaker Okay. Members, that brings us to a close of the questions for S tatements this morning . ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER HOUSE VISITOR
The Speaker The Speaker Before we move on, I would just like to acknowledge in the Gallery that we have Senator . . . Wilkerson—I want ed to call you by your first name that time. My apologies . Senator [the Honourable Kim] Wilkerson [is] visiting with us this morning. Thank you for gracing …
The Speaker The Speaker Would any Member wish to make a contribution at this time? MP Swan, I think you were on your feet first . You have your three minutes .
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I ask this House . . . and [would] like my St. George's colleagues [MP] Ming and [MP] Foggo to be associated with the condolences for Mr. Ivan “Bootsie” Smith , a constituent of mine but who grew …
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan That team did well . Mr. Allen continues to even compete. He competed. But on the podium was a [Zoe] Talbot in the Under-10 division , third place. Chan Simons , second place in the Under-10 and Talia F ox first in the O ver-40 category serving Bermuda. R epresenting …
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you. A nd we did acknowledge that the Sergeant -at-Arms was off the Island last week for the tournament , but thanks for giving the results and update. MP Ming, you were on your feet next . [Inaudible interjections]
The Speaker The Speaker You jumped up quick. 1176 27 June 2025 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly An Hon. Member: That is the way it is going to be in Cup Match— 2 to 1. [Inaudible interjections]
The Speaker The Speaker You know why they are going to jump up quick? Because they are going to be bowled out so quickly. They will be in and out real quick. [Laughter]
The Speaker The Speaker Yes, yes. We acknowledge that. [Desk thumping]
An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Oh, boy. They are getting . . ..
The Speaker The Speaker MP Ming. [Crosstalk]
The Speaker The Speaker Would you like to— [Crosstalk]
Mrs. Renee Ming Good morning, Mr. Speaker. [Crosstalk]
Mrs. Renee Ming I hope I get back my whole 20 seconds for that nonsense Somerset talk that's going on around this H ouse today . [Laughter]
Mrs. Renee Ming But, Mr. Speaker, I would like to first of all say , and I'm sure the House would want to be associated with this . Happy special person birthday to our own Deputy Speaker MP Lovitta Foggo.
Some Hon. Members Some Hon. Members Ooh! [Desk thumping]
Mrs. Renee Ming I say special person. I don't want to get in trouble with any PIPA rules or anything, but you figure out who gets special person cards these days . [Laughter]
Mrs. Renee Ming And then you can figure out the age. Yes. [Inaudible interjections]
Ms. Lovitta F. Foggo I don’t know what she’s talking about.
Mrs. Renee Ming Yes, free bus and ferry . [Laughter]
Mrs. Renee Ming Yes, we wish her all the best and many more. Mr. Speaker, this past Wednesday we celebrated the Dame Jennifer [M.] Smith Future Leader Award C eremony in constituency 1. I'm associating MP Foggo with that and MP Swan. [Inaudible interjections]
Mrs. Renee Ming The entire House. And what we did was this is . . . this was our 20 th year. So, I have stood in this H ouse on my feet as long as I've been here to talk about this event . And it is . . . what we …
The Speaker The Speaker Mm-hmm.
Mrs. Renee Ming Amazing. I just want to call out their names because it's important that we honour and recognise. So, from St. George's Preparatory School we had Sahaile Anderson [sic] and—
An Hon. Member An Hon. Member What?
Mrs. Renee Ming —Bella Rodriguez , from East End Primary School —actually, let me say that correctly. Sahaile Anderson Outerbridge. From East End Primary School we had Jaze Anderson and Dominic Sewell . From St. David’s Primary School we had Russian Thompson and Taya Fox . And, Mr. Speaker, I don't . . …
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you, Minister. The special . . . what do they call it? The special group ? [Inaudible interjections]
The Speaker The Speaker The s pecial person. The special person has the floor now.
Ms. Lovitta F. Foggo Mr. Speaker, I'm always special. [Inaudible interjections]
The Speaker The Speaker Oh, that’s right. That’s right. Now she likes that. See that? [Laughter and crosstalk ]
Ms. Lovitta F. Foggo So, Mr. Speaker, I rise to give congratulations to both East End Primary and St. David's Primary graduations . The Member from constituency 1 spoke about a leadership celebration just yesterday. B ut I can say when I will witness to our young people who are graduating out of primary …
Ms. Lovitta F. Foggo Someone said the whole House? [Inaudible interjections]
Ms. Lovitta F. Foggo No? [Laughter and crosstalk ]
Ms. Lovitta F. Foggo I did not . . . I did not attend St. George’s [Preparatory] graduation.
An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Oh, okay.
Ms. Lovitta F. Foggo I can only speak to the events that I attended. 1178 27 June 2025 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly [Inaudible interjections]
Ms. Lovitta F. Foggo Yes, thank you. And, Mr. Speaker, I do want to be associated with the remarks for Mr. Bootsie Smith who was a well-known St. Georgian and indeed an ambassador par excellence . Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you, Madam. Minister , it looks like you are the only one rising right now . You have the floor, Minister. Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Yes, yes, yes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like for the entire House to be to be associated with congratulations to …
An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Yes. Thank you. [Desk thumping] Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Speaker, I'd like . . . normally I don't pick out anyone in particular but it was especially rewarding to see the Y ear 8 students transition from Francis Patton Primary school and Purvis Primary School this year , …
The Speaker The Speaker Yes. Yes.
Some Hon. Members Some Hon. Members Wow. Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Speaker, for some of our younger Members in the House, Dr. Bert, Dr. McPhee, arrived in Bermuda at a time when B lack doctors were not openly welcomed. Y et, he rolled up his sleeves and served those who had nowhere else to …
An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Yes. Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Dr. McPhee is a m ember of my fraternity , Alpha Phi Alpha F raternity , Incorporated, and has been a m ember since 1946. T hat is 79 years of brotherhood. H is stories are legendary . One of his favourites , which …
The Speaker The Speaker Mm-hmm. Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Imagine this . A man who not only practiced medicine at a time of racial resistance but s at in the same room as one of history's most remarkable voices spoke against that very type of discrimination . I've known him as a fraternity …
The Speaker The Speaker Yes. Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: —and with deep gratitude wish Dr. McPhee a happy 99 th birthday . Thank you,
Mr. Speaker. The Speaker Thank you. [Desk thumping]
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you, Minister . The Opposition Whip rose pretty quickly . . . the G overnment Whip, rather , rose pretty quickly that time. Government Whip, you have the floor .
Mr. Neville S. Tyrrell Thank you, very much, Mr. Speaker. G ood morning, colleagues . Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to highlight and also congratulate a much- needed service in this community in the likes of what's called the DailyMale, M-A-L-E. They provide a health clinic , a mobile health clinic offering free …
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you. MP Simmons . The East End is jumping up quite a bit down there. But he is a West End fellow — Hon. Jarion Richardson: There you go. [Laughter] [Inaudible interjection]
Mr. Jamahl S. Simmons Good morning, everyone.
The Speaker The Speaker He wears red and blue.
Mr. Jamahl S. Simmons You see I’ve got my purple on, so it is red and blue together. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute on the passing of Mr. George Courtney who was a very strong advocate and supporter of the Progressive Labour Party , the Deputy Leader of the party . …
Mr. Jamahl S. Simmons Condolences to his mother , Sylvia — [Inaudible interjections]
Mr. Jamahl S. Simmons —and Honourable Kim Swan tells me he went to Dalton [E.] Tucker [Primary School] too.
The Speaker The Speaker Yes, yes he did.
Mr. Jamahl S. Simmons —but condolences to his mother , Sylvia , who actually just recently celebrated her 95 th birthday , and to his siblings and all who loved him and will miss him . Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you. Would any other Member . . . MP Lister. You have your three minutes.
Mr. Dennis Lister III Good morning, Mr. Speaker. I would like to first start off , Mr. Speaker, by echoing the sentiments spoken by the Minister of D igitisation (if I am correct ) in congratulating all of the recent graduates from the public school system whether they be primary school , middle school …
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you. Minister Darrell, you rose really quickly that time. You can have the floor. Hon. Owen Darrell: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A nd I don't know if this was done in this place before but if it was, I'm going to do it again . I'd like to send …
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you, Minister. MP King. You have your three minutes.
Mr. Robert King Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to extend condolences to the family of Ms. Kimberl ey Wilson of 91 N orth S hore who passed on June 18. [My] thoughts and prayers are with the family at this difficult time. On a lighter note , I want to extend congratulations …
The Speaker The Speaker Would you like to take your three minutes , Minister Furbert? Hon. Tinee Furbert: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take the opportunity as well to congratulate . . . I know it has already been mentioned but I do want to stand to my feet …
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you, Minister . Does any other Member —MP Reverend Dill.
Rev. Dr. Emilygail A. Dill Good morning—
The Speaker The Speaker Good morning.
Rev. Dr. Emilygail A. Dill —and thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to take the opportunity this morning to rise and give congratulations to Mrs. Bar-bara Dillas. R ecently there was a documentary that was aired in the Somerset community . The documentary was produced by Marcquedelle Phillips Rodriguez and assisted by Mrs. Barbara …
The Speaker The Speaker There you go. There you go. [Desk thumping]
The Speaker The Speaker MP Tucker, you have your three minutes .
Ms. Robin Tucker Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I first want to give condolences to the family of Mr. William “Billy” Gillies. I hesitate because he is , or he was a constituent , and whenever I would speak to him he ha d to correct me several times on the correct pronunciation of …
Ms. Robin Tucker I'll stay focused, Mr. Speaker. I also would like to express condolences to members of my family on the passing of A unt Eula, Aunt Eula Thomas . She will be interred later on next month. B ut again, just expressing condolences to René e and Selena and the rest …
Ms. Robin Tucker I would like to associate the whole House if everybody is in agreement . And as well as congratulations to Bermuda’s newest ophthalmolo-gists Ad don and A ddi Teye-Botchway who graduated fairly recently from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. They both will be doing their residencies there as …
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you. Does any other Member —MP Famous.
Mr. Christopher Famous Good morning, Mr. Speaker. G ood morning, colleagues and most of all good morning to the people of Bermuda. Mr. Speaker, I'm going to start off with some condolences to some folks from Devonshire. I am going to start off with Ms. Lois Ann Perinchief of Happy Valley Road, constituency …
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you, MP. Minister . Hon. Jache Adams: Good morning, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker , I just wanted to first associate myself with the congratulations to all of our recent graduates from university right on down. Mr. Speaker, I emphasi se right on down because next week will be a …
An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Aha! Hon. Jache Adams: —who graduat es from preschool and will soon be going to “ big” school . And so, I certainly wanted to associate myself with that . [Inaudible interjections and laughter ] Hon. Jache Adams: Yes, who might that be, you might ask ? And also, I …
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you. Any other Member wish to make a contribution? None. Premier. Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you, Mr. Speaker , as I will be the last one speaking today , Mr. Speaker, I would just like to rise to ask that a letter to be sent to the family …
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you. Minister. MP Simmons.
Mr. Scott Simmons Yes, Mr. Speaker, my apologies . I recognise that the Premier has closed this particular part of the segment ; however , I just wanted to rise and join Members of this H ouse in sending certainly our condolences to [the family of] Mr. Lloyd Matthew who passed, the late …
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you. Members , there are no further speakers . Before we move on, I would just like to add my remarks to the condolences that were expressed to the Smith family on the passing of Mr. Smith, from St. George’s Bermuda House of Assembly there. Even though he was …
The Speaker The Speaker There are none. PERSONAL EXPLANATIONS
The Speaker The Speaker There are none. NOTICE OF MOTIONS FOR THE ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE ON MATTERS OF URGENT PUBLIC IMPORTANCE
The Speaker The Speaker There are none. INTRODUCTION OF BILLS GOVERNMENT BILLS
The Speaker The Speaker There are three Bills to be introduced this morning. The first is in the name of the Premier. Premier, would you like to introduce your Bill? BILL FIRST READING LAND VALUATION AND TAX (SPECIAL PROVISIONS AND POSTPONEMENT OF PREPARATION OF DRAFT VALUATION LIST) ACT 2025 Hon. E. David Burt: Thank …
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you. The next two are in the name of the Minister for the Cabinet [Office]. Minister. BILL FIRST READINGS PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION AMENDMENT ACT 2025 BUILDING AMENDMENT ACT 2025 Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm introducing the following Bills for their first reading so …
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you. OPPOSITION BILLS
The Speaker The Speaker There are none. PRIVATE MEMBERS’ BILLS
The Speaker The Speaker There are none. NOTICE OF MOTIONS
The Speaker The Speaker There are none. ORDERS OF THE DAY
The Speaker The Speaker The item to be dealt with today is the consideration of Tourism I nvestment (Clearwater Community Event Venue) O rder 2025 in the name of the Minister of T ourism and Transport, Culture and Sport. Ministe r. Hon. Owen Darrell: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I moved that consideration …
The Speaker The Speaker Are there any objections ? There are none. Continue, Minister . DRAFT ORDER 1184 27 June 2025 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly TOURISM I NVESTMENT (CLEARWATER COMMUNITY EVENT VENUE) O RDER 2025 Hon. Owen Darrell: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the purpose in bringing this Tourism Investment …
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you, Minister. Does any other Member wish to make a contribution at this time? MP Robinson.
Mr. Dwayne Robinson Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and good afternoon to all of the folks listening in. I just want to be really clear that the One Bermuda Alliance supports any sort of relief for the local economy and improving amenities for our tourism product, which is what this B ill is intended …
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you. Any other Member with to make a contribution? MP Swan.
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan Yes, Mr. Speaker. Thank you ever so much. I am very much in support of this initiative, and I thank the Minister for his part in ensuring that it has come forward to this point . Just last weekend Mr. Speaker, I was in an indoor sporting facility purpose - …
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you, MP Swan. MP Foggo, would you like to make a contribution?
Ms. Lovitta F. Foggo Yes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will be ever -so brief. I feel duty -bound to speak on this because this tourism product is being situated right down there in constituency 3. More to that , this tourism product that will be placed down there in constituency 3, this event …
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you, Member . Government Whip.
Mr. Neville S. Tyrrell Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to associate my support to this O rder that the Minister of T ourism has actually brought forward. Let me declare my interest in the first instance and say that I am the Chairman of the BLMC, where Clearwater comes under . And when …
Mr. Neville S. Tyrrell And so, having brought this forward, I see this as nothing but a positive for all Bermuda especially the East End. So, thank y ou, Minister, f or bringing this forward. Th ank you. [Crosstalk ]
The Speaker The Speaker MP S immons .
Mr. Scott Simmons M r. Speaker —
The Speaker The Speaker MP S cott S immons, y ou have the floor.
Mr. Scott Simmons Mr. Speaker, this particular B ill put forward by the Minister is good stuff . It speak s very much to our community, and we just want to rise and congratulate him and his department and also congratulate those who vetted the process , looked over this particular proposal and …
Mr. Scott Simmons And so, kudos certainly to the Minister and to the other members who are involved in this and our G overnment . Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The Speaker The Speaker T hank y ou. Does any other . . . Minister Lightbourne. Hon. A lexa L ightbourne: Thank you, Mr . Speaker. I too rise in support of this T ourism Order, recogni sing that our tourism industry is evolving and having heard and listen ed to some of the …
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you, Minister . Does anyone else want to make a contribution? Minister Darrell. Yes, close out. Hon . Owen Darrell: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I want to just say thank you for the support that we have received for this T ourism Investment Order from both sides of …
The Speaker The Speaker Are there any objections ? No objections . The matter has been [approved]. [Motion carried: The Tourism Investment (Clearwater Community Event Venue) Order 2025 was approved.]
The Speaker The Speaker Mr. Premier. ADJOURNMENT Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you, very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker I move that the Honourable House do now adjourn until Friday , 11 July [2025.]
The Speaker The Speaker Are there any objections to that ? There are none. We have a Member who has risen to his feet to speak so . . . You have your 20 minutes, MP Famous.
Mr. Christopher Famous Mr. Speaker, I will not need that 20 minutes .
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you. GRANTING OF BERMUDIAN STATUS
Mr. Christopher Famous Mr. Speaker , a couple of months ago we looked at the definition of the term revisionist . Someone who attempts to recreate what happened years ago and spin it into their definition of what's happening now. Mr. Speaker, we talked about in the last sitting about people who deny …
The Speaker The Speaker Mm-hmm.
Mr. Christopher Famous Mr. S peaker , we heard . . . , well, some read or heard an individual saying , The solution to the cost of living is to bring in more people. The solution to the cost of living is to give away Bermudian status. Mr. Speaker, there's not one …
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you, MP. I'm going to take MP Smith over here on the side. MP Smith . COST OF LIVING SUMMIT RECOMMENDATIONS
Ms. Linda Smith Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I did attend the Cost of Living Summit and I have to say , my take away was [that] one of the major components to a solution would be to increase the number of people on the I sland so that we are splitting the costs …
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you, MP Smith. MP Simmons .
Mr. Jamahl S. Simmons Good afternoon, Mr. Speaker.
The Speaker The Speaker You have your 20 minutes on the clock. GRANTING OF BERMUDIAN STATUS
Mr. Jamahl S. Simmons I will not speak ill of the Member because he is not here. But I would like to thank the Member who just took her seat for saying that she does not support the granting of status .
Mr. Jamahl S. Simmons And I think it's a very clear thing because that's not the policy of her party . So, I hope that she will as a new voice influence and shape the direction to pull back from this position which they have held since 2012. Mr. Speaker, those of us — …
Ms. Linda Smith I did not say — [Inaudible interjections]
Ms. Linda Smith —I disagree with granting of status. What I absolutely disagree with is opening the floodgates and granting status to people to build up the population. We have to put a plan around this . Okay? And it doesn't . . . it is not . . . it’s not — …
Ms. Linda Smith —It is not one alignment . [Inaudible interjections]
Ms. Linda Smith Where's the plan ? W here's the plan? [Inaudible interjections]
The Speaker The Speaker All right.
Mr. Jamahl S. Simmons So, let's be clear . Let's be clear . [Inaudible interjections]
Mr. Jamahl S. Simmons She doesn't want to open the immigration floodgates but wants to give away status .
An Hon. Member An Hon. Member That’s right.
Mr. Jamahl S. Simmons So, let's be clear . Your position is not the same as ours . We don't have to explain our position because our position is not the same as yours. Y ou have to justify your position of granting status to whoever and wherever . And let me understand. Let …
An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Qualify.
Mr. Jamahl S. Simmons One of the things —
Ms. Linda Smith Point of clarification.
Mr. Jamahl S. Simmons No, I’m not taking it.
The Speaker The Speaker He is not taking it.
Mr. Jamahl S. Simmons One of the things that disturbed me about the One Bermuda Alliance since their defeat in 2017 , you made policy decisions without consultation that were not in your platform which led to the people blocking Parliament . Right? The largest protests since the 19 70s. And never once have …
Mr. Jamahl S. Simmons So the licks weren’t enough in 2016? T he licks at the polls in 2017 wasn't enough ? The licks in 2020 wasn't enough ? [Inaudible interjections]
Mr. Jamahl S. Simmons You think you know better than the people we work for . They don't want it . They've told you they don’t want it. You know why they don’t want it? I had an interesting book I found in a thrift shop recently on Bermuda’s history . The People of …
An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Read your history.
Mr. Jamahl S. Simmons It's a fact .
An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Read your history.
Mr. Jamahl S. Simmons Okay. This is the history we have experienced. So, when we speak, we are not speaking [about] some bogey -man we have never of. We have seen this movie before. And we have seen the same players involved with this movie before. You cannot put out a remake saying the …
An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Same scriptwriters.
Mr. Jamahl S. Simmons Same scriptwriters. Now, when I came to this House, I did not come here to speak for real estate agents who cannot sell houses because they are overpriced. I did not come here for retailers who were complaining about the market not being big enough for them to exploit. I …
Mr. Jamahl S. Simmons To sit in a department where every single Bermudian in the department is more qualified than the person they brought in on a work permit. We have had to sit and see the job descriptions manipulated. We have had to see people inside businesses being told, Oh, do not apply …
The Speaker The Speaker MP King, would you like to make a contribution at this time? GRANTING OF BERMUDIAN STATUS
Mr. Robert King I feel compelled to Mr. Speaker. [Laughter and crosstalk ] Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Are you cleaning up?
Mr. Robert King Well, remember who is the current Administration who has created that mess.
Mr. Robert King When we are looking at the mass exodus of persons leaving Bermuda, you won the election way back in 2017 until this day, — [Inaudible interjections]
Mr. Robert King —more people in the ground, increased—
The Speaker The Speaker Members, let him have his say . Members!
Mr. Robert King —knife and gun crime— that lays at your feet. People leaving this country because of the cost of living, you created that. And also, when you are talking about persons who are working for the Bermuda Government and foreigners . . . when we are looking at professional services and …
The Speaker The Speaker Point of order. POINT OF ORDER [Misleading] Hon. E. David Burt: The Honourable Member, as every single time he gets on his feet in this House, is misleading the House. I will point the Honourable Member to the Budget Book which lists precisely what the Honourable Member just asked.
The Speaker The Speaker Continue Member. Just be mindful of the comments.
Mr. Robert King Well, he makes , the Honourable Premier, makes the point. Professional services verses training for persons in various departments. Professional consultants, monies for that , millions and millions of dollars. Training budget, hundreds of thou-sands of dollars. So, there is a difference, and we also see— Hon. E. David Burt: …
The Speaker The Speaker Point of order. POINT OF ORDER [Misleading] Hon. E. David Burt: The Honourable Member is misleading the House. He knows full well that the training budget for the Government of Bermuda, as stated in the Budget Statement, is not hundreds of thousands of dollars. He must retract that statement and …
The Speaker The Speaker Member , just be mindful —
Mr. Robert King He does know, and he can read.
The Speaker The Speaker Member, just be mindful of the fact —
Mr. Robert King —No, no. —
The Speaker The Speaker —that we just came out of a Budget Statement —
Mr. Robert King Absolutely, absolutely.
The Speaker The Speaker The Budget Statement would have all the numbers that are factual. Continue.
Mr. Robert King Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The fact is that statements are being made about floodgates and immigration— Hon. E. David Burt: Yes.
Mr. Robert King —which are attributed only to the One Bermuda Alliance, because it is convenient. However, when you have the Chamber of Commerce which has used data and analysis from all sources to include Government ’s figures , the message is clear that the population needs to increase. It needs to be …
Mr. Robert King The point is we need to do things differently. When we ask for data and what is driving the policy decisions that are being made in this c ountry , we are basically told, We will get to that . Or, I do not have the numbers on that . …
Mr. Robert King Well, g ood—
The Speaker The Speaker Let the Member speak.
Mr. Robert King —good because I am representing the people — [Inaudible interjections ]
The Speaker The Speaker —Let the Member speak. —
Mr. Robert King —of constituency 10 and they feel like this . They have talked about this, the ones that still remain. If we are serious about making change , what we will accept is that the Opposition’s role is to uphold the Government and hold it accountable to do what is in …
An Hon. Member An Hon. Member That is not correct.
Mr. Robert King However, it is necessary. You talk about collaboration , but the moment we have a differing opinion it is a problem for you.
Ms. Lovitta F. Foggo It is not a problem for us. [Inaudible interjections and l aughter]
The Speaker The Speaker Members.
Mr. Robert King Well, what could be said is that you used every means at your disposal to make sure that you stayed in power. So . . . [Laughter and inaudible interjections ]
Mr. Robert King We need to do things a different way in the interest of the people of this country. It needs to be based on facts and evidence and what subject matter experts say we ought to do for the people that we represent. Let us be honest about it. If we …
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you, MP. Does any other Member —MP Simmons . . . MP Swan. GRANTING OF BERMUDIAN STATUS
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan Yes Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker in retort to the s peaker who just took his seat from constituency 10. Earlier this year 1192 27 June 2025 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly we had a General Election of which we are all aware. And there is one thing that …
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan And until M embers on that side appreciate that we are elected based on trust. Not trust in people believing in what they are trying to resell and repackage and get consultants to put in a fancy way. It is based on people. Ordinary people on Slip Road, ordinary people …
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan No, no. Field View Lane. All right? Field View Lane. [Laughter]
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan I didn’t know there was a Field View Lane. I said to a M ember from Pembroke, I said, Where is Field View Lane? He said, You are walking in my constituency. I said , Where is the view of the field? He said , That is because you are …
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan But I can tell you where White Hill Field is . And I can tell him where the field is that cricket is going to be won [on] this year by St . George’s Cricket Club is on. Wellington Oval. [Laughter]
The Speaker The Speaker No, no, no. You just lost it.
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan But I am here to say is that until . . . But I want to give kudos to the Shadow Minister responsible that speaks [for] Tourism. I saw a recent article that had some solutions listed. And I want to give credit to that. Because that is what I …
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan What you would like people to think. Yes, I remember somebody saying to me, You know , we need change. You know what change to them meant? Change meant people change in the way they view ed them. And they kept being the same. Bob Marley said, You can run …
An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Yourself.
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan You cannot run from yourself. And yourself is a problem for this country. Because you are elected to be responsible. Bermuda House of Assembly You know someone told me when I was in Opposition, he said, Swan , you know , you can say anything because you have the luxury …
Ms. Lovitta F. Foggo [INAUDIBLE]
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan And that is important. And that came on the heels of . . . Hey, look, I ran in 1983 and I ran in 1998 on the dual -seat constituencies. I think there are only one or two M embers still around who may have done that. Maybe, one, two, …
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan Who ran on the dual -seat constituencies in the 1980s and 1990s and up until 1998. And that did not work in favour of the wider population. Because you had persons who came here . . . and back then in the 1970s , if you came from certain countries, …
An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Hmmm.
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan I was trained in a profession whose hallmark is fairness. And this system remains unfair. We did not create it. And it benefits those who turn a blind eye. On my final few minutes, I want to go here again.
An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Take your time. Take your time. [Inaudible interjections]
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan I cannot help it. [Inaudible interjections ]
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan You know, in 1993, Mr. Speaker, you were in the House at that particular time. I think the Honourable Member Furbert was in the House at that particular time as well. We had an 1194 27 June 2025 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly exodus of the United States’ …
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan And let me say that. Those persons — [Inaudible interjection]
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan Those persons took those hotels and made them condominiums. [Crosstalk and desk thumping]
An Hon. Member An Hon. Member There you go.
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan Now he’s . . . Yes, yes, yes, yes! You . . . You . . . You just talk long enough, and you have been . . . Those hotels went into the private sector. What I am saying is this. I did not expect . . . And …
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan Here and now, we have an opportunity to increase the population. How? Visit . . . a population in Bermuda can stay in hotels that are undersold between November 1 and May. Someone join the chorus and convince people that we need to move our focus towards getting more business …
The Speaker The Speaker Go ahead.
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan I am going to close my few minutes with this, that in the spirit of solutions that a young Member came with and in the spirit of a speech of which Honourable Member Simmons spoke of and articulated that another Member had spoken to, I would urge the Opposition to …
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan That is what was done. The PLP were blamed for the global . . . The PLP was the reason why XL went down, shares went down to two, why AIG changed their name to Chartis, while Madoff and Stanford tore the hearts out of persons who put their hard- …
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan I will deal with that comment on another day when it is appropriate, but I know from whence I came. And I know a little bit from whence he came, too. So be careful what you ask for. You just might get it. Thank you.
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you, MP. Does any —MP Ben . . . Opposition Deputy Leader, you have your 20 minutes. GRANTING OF BERMUDIAN STATUS
Mr. Ben Smith Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think today MP Famous opened a door to some dialogue that I think is actually important for this House and for the country to have.
The Speaker The Speaker Mm-hmm.
Mr. Ben Smith We have a population crisis —ageing population. Everybody here is agreed because we have said it multiple ways. The statistics have shown us—ageing population, low birth rate, emigration—all of these factors. Bermuda is not the only country in the world that is dealing with these factors, and multi-ple countries in …
Mr. Ben Smith We also know that we have people who are gold medal winners for this country, status Bermudians. We have heroes who came here from other countries. So, we cannot paint the brush that status only leads to a certain group of people. But this is the part that you actually …
Mr. Ben Smith But where we are is this. The children of those PRCs born in Bermuda, growing up in Ber-muda, participating in our sports, they are thinking to themselves, Am I really part of this country? And they are part of that group that is emigrating and not coming back, educated in …
Mr. Ben Smith The issue — [Inaudible interjections]
Mr. Ben Smith The issue is — [Inaudible interjections]
Mr. Ben Smith —when the Government puts forward— Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Point of order, Mr. Speaker.
The Speaker The Speaker Point of order. POINT OF ORDER [Misleading] Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: The Honourable Member is misleading this House and the people of the country. We have never said that foreign people in this country are bad. Never. That needs to be withdrawn.
The Speaker The Speaker Okay. Just be more mindful of how you present that piece.
Mr. Ben Smith Yes, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have people that are coming into this country presently. We have a major project that is happening where there are multiple foreign workers who are coming in to be part of that project. That is the reality. And the argument that comes out (right?), …
The Speaker The Speaker Let him speak to the Chair now.
Mr. Ben Smith But the issue is, —
The Speaker The Speaker —Let him speak to the Chair. —
Mr. Ben Smith —Mr. Speaker, when you are talking about just letting in anybody who has been here for three or four years, the way past speakers have talked about this issue, that is not what anybody has been referring to. [Inaudible interjections]
Mr. Ben Smith It is targeted. So, the solution piece — you have to at least be honest that having that open opportunity needs to be part of the discussion. [Inaudible interjection]
Mr. Ben Smith Well, we have had multiple speakers make it seem like this is specifically a race issue, that it only — [Inaudible interjections]
Mr. Neville S. Tyrrell Point of —
Mr. Ben Smith Multiples. [Inaudible interjections] POINT OF ORDER [Misleading]
Mr. Neville S. Tyrrell Mr. Speaker, the Honourable Member is misleading the House. Whether deliberately or intentionally, I do not know. But at no time have we talked about race at this time. Not at . . . Bermuda House of Assembly The Speaker: The point centres on the number of people coming in. …
Mr. Ben Smith So, Mr. Speaker, when we start throwing terms around —gentrification and . . . Listen, the issue is this. Race is always connected with this. Historically, this has always been an issue. So, if you do not get up and actually clarify what it is you are referring to when …
The Speaker The Speaker Mm-hmm. Minister.
Mr. Ben Smith I will make it clear. I will make it clear because I am pretty sure I said it a couple of times. If you have allowed people to stay in the country and given them work permits so that they are here for 20 years, and now you have allowed …
An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Okay, what happens?
Mr. Ben Smith And that is the reason I am bringing it up. [Inaudible interjections]
Mr. Ben Smith When I am talking about status, that is what I am referring to—
An Hon. Member An Hon. Member —20 years. It’s 2025 and it is just now . . . You all denied that.
Mr. Ben Smith I am not denying anything.
The Speaker The Speaker Let the . . . Let the Member speak.
Mr. Ben Smith This is me on my feet telling you what the position is. [Inaudible interjection]
The Speaker The Speaker Let the Member speak.
Mr. Ben Smith This is the position I gave when I was in that committee. [Inaudible interjections]
Mr. Ben Smith So, unless you did not read the minutes, you would now.
An Hon. Member An Hon. Member I’m happy you have one now.
Mr. Ben Smith So, the situation for us is clear. We have to look at every lever for how we can make sure, one, part of increasing the population means you have to stop the hole in the bucket where we are losing population—the emigration of Bermudians and the children of the people …
Mr. Ben Smith That is part of it. That is the conversation that you actually have to have because remember— [Inaudible interjections ]
An Hon. Member An Hon. Member I hope you know that. We will survive.
Mr. Ben Smith And the Minister is saying that we will survive. [Inaudible interjection] 1198 27 June 2025 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Ben Smith: But look at this, because the population decreases . . . We are talking about cost of living. Look at health care numbers. Mr. Speaker, …
The Speaker The Speaker Mm-hmm.
Mr. Ben Smith —as the population gets older and shrinks, and the working population says, I am not going to continue to pay into that, a nd leaves, the price of that health care will continue to go up. So, if we are not going to be serious and look at every lever …
Mr. Ben Smith You have an opportunity to get to your feet, and you also have an opportunity to go on Google and look at all the countries that are dealing with the exact same situation as Bermuda. We cannot continue to put our heads in the sand and blame things on just …
Mr. Ben Smith So, for us, this is not just an immigration issue. But it is important that we start to actually have a proper dialogue about what this means. We cannot continue to let our population think that this is just a boogieman that we cannot move forward. If we continue to …
Mr. Ben Smith —Bermuda is now going to tax us. So maybe we should go somewhere else. We need to at least start to have that conversation because if we do not, we are going to find ourselves in a completely different situation 10 years from now with a population that cannot sustain …
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you, MP. [Desk thumping]
The Speaker The Speaker Premier, would you like your 20 minutes on the clock? GRANTING OF BERMUDIAN STATUS Hon. E. David Burt: Absolutely, Mr. Speaker. Absolutely, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will promise you that I will not take 20 minutes, but let me say this. I am happy that the Deputy Leader of …
Mr. Dwayne Robinson Point of order, Mr. Speaker. Point of order.
The Speaker The Speaker Go ahead.
Mr. Dwayne Robinson The One Bermuda Alliance has always — [Inaudible interjections]
An Hon. Member An Hon. Member What’s your point of order? POINT OF ORDER [Misleading]
Mr. Dwayne Robinson The point of order is that the Honourable Premier is misleading the House. So that the Ministers can hear very clearly —he is misleading the House. I have not written op- eds of any sort. I have always said that the One Bermuda Alliance has stood on comprehensive immigration reform. …
The Speaker The Speaker Mm-hmm. Hon. E. David Burt: Oh, Mr. Speaker, I thank the Honourable Member , because he just made the exact point of which I have said.
An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Correct! Hon. E. David Burt: When we have said their word for comprehensive reform is a smokescreen for their plan to extend status to PRC holders, they come back and say, No that is not what we mean. We mean comprehensive immigration reform. Not the only thing. Well, guess what. …
Mr. Robert King Point of order. He is misleading the House. The Honourable Member is misleading the House. The point I was making was that it was not the PLP Government, and it was not us, and things were prospering under a former administration. That was the point I was making. Hon. E. …
An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Oh-oh.
The Speaker The Speaker Okay. Hon. E. David Burt: And I quote—
The Speaker The Speaker Go ahead. Hon. E. David Burt: 1“The OBA has proposed Pathways to Status . It is important that, when we discuss this program, we are talking about individuals who are already here on the Island and, in most cases, work-ing. What is not clear to Bermudians is how granting existing …
An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Their children. Hon. E. David Burt: How? Oh, that is fine. You can go ahead put out your position papers. Your MP has already said that you are going to review your policy on this. Go ahead. I am happy that you have decided to come clean, say what you …
An Hon. Member An Hon. Member More emigration. [Inaudible interjections] Hon. E. David Burt: See, Mr. Speaker? This is a serious topic, but it seems as though they are over here laughing because policy has to make sense. 1 Official Hansard Report , 26 February 2016, page 710 [Inaudible interjections] Hon. E. David Burt: Policy has …
The Speaker The Speaker Yes. Members. Members! Let’s allow us to get to the end. Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker, there is a whole lot of noise going on on this side, all over there. But there are two things. Number one, the One Bermuda Alli-ance’s immigration policy was rejected by the voters …
An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Correct. Hon. E. David Burt: If the One Bermuda Alliance wants the Government to support their policies, then they need to become the Government. [Inaudible interjections and laughter ] Hon. E. David Burt: Now, Mr. Speaker, when they say, It has taken you eight years . Get on with it, …
The Speaker The Speaker All right. Let’s . . . remember where we are. 2 Official Hansard Report , 1 March 2013, page 156 Hon. E. David Burt: It does not matter how many independent agencies — [Inaudible interjections] Hon. E. David Burt: —how many record employment records we have, how many things keep …
The Speaker The Speaker Thank you, Mr. Premier. Members, with those comments, the House now stands adjourned until July 11. Members, enjoy your time away. Relax and be safe. And think of your family and friends during this period. See you on July 11. [Gavel]
The Speaker The Speaker The House now stands adjourned. [At 1:42 pm the House stood adjourned until 10:00 am, Friday, 11 July 2025.] 1202 27 June 2025 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly [This page intentionally left blank.]
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