November 25, 2020

Madam President, I
move that the Senate do now take under consider ation the Throne Speech, with which His Excellency the
Governor was pleased to open the present session of
Parliament.

The President: Is there any objection to that motion?

2 See Question Period 2 December 2020 No objection.
Carry on Senator, Mi nister Peets.


DEBATE ON THE
2020 THRONE SPEECH AND REPLY

Dear Madam Pres ident, as a new Senator and Minister, I am indeed
honoured to represent the Government and the pe ople of Bermuda in these Chambers. As such, I am looking forward to working with my fellow Senators,
Government Opposition and I ndependent alike, to
enact laws for the good governance of this country.
Madam President, I believe that work really
begins toda y. This Government is committed to continuing the work that we started after the g eneral election in 2017. We believe that that work was well u nderway prior to the emergence of COVID -19, ev idenced by 719 new jobs and the introduction of
emerging industries like FinTech.
I believe we are very fortunate to have handled the pandemic in the way in which we did. Today I
would like to congratulate and applaud the Gover nment and the people of Bermuda for their careful attention and adherence to the advice of our health off icials. I believe that our collective action has saved
lives and leaves us better able to recover going forward. We are in a very unique position as an island
which has successfully managed the COVID -19. And I
would like to take this opportunity this morning to e ncourage all of us to continue to remain vigilant because this is the only way we are going to get through this with minimal loss of life.
Madam President, this Throne Speech forecasted a very busy legislative session that I believe will steer Bermuda in the right direction. Our current
Throne Speech comes at a time when an island needs hope and assurance. Madam President, this is exactly what this Throne Speech offers —a realistic
vision that fosters hope and assurance for the people
of Be rmuda. This Government is not interested in topups or political pandering, but , rather , in guiding the
country in the right direction for a brighter and better future for us all.
In reply to the Throne Speech, I expect to see
very carefully debated Bills during this legislative se ssion, Bills that focus on economic development and diversification; Bills that boost entrepreneurship; Bills
that create a better immigration policy to support ec onomic growth; Bills that reform education; Bills that
address our cost of living and tax reform; Bills that
better support women, children and families; Bills that foster better health for our seniors and persons with
disabilities. Madam President, this is the work that we
have to accomplish. This is the work that Bermuda needs us to do, not just for today, but for all the days
and weeks and months and years that lie before us.
We must work together to build this future.



Bermuda Senate I recently had sight of the Throne Speech delivered by Sir Desmond Langley, Governor and Command- in-Chief, dated 24 February 1989. Madam President, that Throne Speech was approximately three pages. Our current Throne Speech, delivered by His Excellency the Governor John Rankin on November 6, 2020, was approximately 10 pages. I would like
to suggest to th is Honourable [ Senate] that lots of
things have changed since 1989. We have grown as a people, and our current Throne Speech has grown
accordingly.
I mention the length of the Throne Speech not
because it is long on words, but because of its
breadth, its scope and its focus on building Bermuda. I
mention its length because it accurately owns the
amount of work that is required to build Bermuda as
we need to. This Throne Speech is bold and cour ageous, and if listened to rightly, I think this Throne
Speech l eaves little to the imagination.
I am still personally in the throes of parenting.
I have four children between the ages of 11 and 21.
Education remains a top priority and concern for me. The Government has to deliver on its promise and
commitment to educ ation reform. Our children are
growing up in a very fast -paced, competitive and very
specialised world. We need an education system that offers multiple pathways for success. Our children
need educational routes that are not only academic, but also vocational, business -oriented or even in the
creative arts. These are the specialities that suit the
needs and talents and desires of our students.
Madam President, this Throne Speech a ddresses our past regarding the Commission of Inquiry
into historic land loss es so that we will have a correct
telling and an agreed account of our history. Because
this is the truth we have to tell so that we as a people
can truly be free, liberated so that we can right past
wrongs, free so that we can finally heal and move for-ward.
This Throne Speech rests at the heart of who
we are as a people by reminding us that culture is the
backbone of our society. It is the glue that binds us
together and informs us of our identity as individuals,
as well as a community. I am personally lo oking forward to working with our dedicated and knowledgeable staff within the Ministry regarding a national cultural heritage policy for Bermuda. I can share today
that substantial consultation and work have already
occurred; as such, I am looking forward to presenting
updates regarding this policy in the very near future.
Madam President, this Throne Speech has its
eye on Bermuda’s future because our future belongs
to the generation that is coming behind us. This Go vernment recognises, also respects and values our
young people’s contribution to society. This Throne Speech, in my opinion, spells out our commitment to
the development of a national youth policy which will foster a direct engagement with our youth in the crea-tion of government policy. We beli eve that we have an
extraordinary opportunity to capitalise on our youth’s ability to mobilise and their appetite for social and political involvement. This level of interest and activity of
our youth is an arena that excites me and personally gives me hope for our future.
I have spent a significant portion of my pr ofessional career working with children and adoles-cents. This includes countless hours in clinical settings, but also innumerable hours on the sidelines
coaching soccer or in the dojo teaching m artial arts.
As such, youth development is a major area of i mportance to me. I am looking forward to assisting the
Government in reviewing and assessing programmes
that serve this population. This Government wants what parents and counsellors and therapist s and s ocial workers want for our children— and that is pr ogrammes that work, programmes that have proper resources so that we can be effective for the popul ation that needs it most.
Madam President, this Throne Speech does
not forget that immediate action is required to supplement the wages of those whose employment has been impacted by COVID -19. Neither has it lost sight
of the urgent need to establish and implement minimum wages to better support Bermuda workers. There is a lot in this Throne Speech to be excited about. In my conversations over these last few weeks
and months with friends and family and colleagues,
there have been a lot of optimism and hope regarding
the Government’s vision and plan regarding a Berm uda National Digital Bank, optimism and hope regar ding ownership. Opening up the door of opportunity for
a new generation of investors should excite all Bermudians, young and old. We all win if Bermuda can
ride the next wave of emerging financial services,
placing Bermuda in the lucrative global market of digital payments.
Madam President, this Government has a lways kept its promises to its seniors. This Throne
Speech would be remiss if it did not remind us to
whom we owe a debt of gratitude, which is our seniors. This Throne Speech included a plan to protect the interests and well -being of our seniors by pledging
to establish the Office of the Public Guardian to pr ovide independent service and support for seniors, children and other vulnerable persons in the circumstances where they need help in the management of
their health, finances or even legal affairs.
Madam President, this Throne Speech highlights the experience and the expertise of a diverse
group of dedicated professionals across multiple di sciplines and multiple backgrounds. This Throne
Speech has behind it and undergirding it a host of pr ofessionals, a team of skilled and passionate and
committed Parliamentarians. This Throne Speech rep-resents the wishes and desires and the needs of the
people whom we are appointed to serve. Our job is to
8 25 November 2020 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate harness and to unify the best ideas and plans in a way
that is smart and sensible, to do what is best for our
country.
Madam President, if we remain true to our
oath of office, if we remain true to the principles of honesty, open- mindedness, willingness and faith, we
will be able to do our job and to serve the greater
good.
Thank you, Madam President. This concludes
my remarks.
The President: Thank you, Senator, Dr. Ernest
Peets, Minister and Government Leader in the Sen-ate. Thank you, sir.
Would an y other Senator care to speak?
Senator Ben Smith, you have the floor, Opp osition Leader.
Sen. Ben Smith: Good morning, Madam President.
The President: Good morning again.

Sen. Ben Smith: Before I start my remarks on the
Reply to the Throne Speech, I would like to take this
opportunity to congratulate the Honourable Joan Di llas-Wright on her reappointment as the President of
the Senate. And I would also like to congratulate Senator Michelle Simmons on her appointment, and to all
of the Senators on their appointments to this important
position at a very important time in our country. I
would like to thank the Honourable Cole Simons for
selecting me for this role, believing that I had what it
would take to sit in this place and do this important role. I wou ld like to thank my wife and my family for
giving me the time to support my country.
This Throne Speech, Madam President,
comes at a critical time in Bermuda—not just Berm uda, in the world. I think all of us were in a position early this year not expectin g to see the changes that we
have seen worldwide, and specifically in our country. The fact that we are sitting in this place wearing
masks today, the fact that everybody has had to get
used to getting their temperature checked and having their hands sanit ised and keeping apart from our
loved ones and learning how to socialise differently, how to pray differently, how to congregate different-ly—all of these things were changes that we had to do
as a population.
Madam President, I would like to thank the
people of Bermuda because as a community we are
the reasons that the country has been safe. The cit izens of Bermuda have worked together. They have
followed the rules and regulations. That have done
everything that they can do to try to keep each other
safe. But we are still in the middle of this pandemic,
and there is more to do. And as we see the numbers
starting to creep up again, it is important that we are
vigilant, that we continue to maintain all of the things
that we have been doing to keep each other safe. I would like to thank the Government. The
Government has done a good job in coming up with the plans and putting in the regulations to keep the
country safe. But at the same time, the Opposition
deserves a thank you for working alongside the Gov-ernment. We sit here today after an election that
showed a major change in the country. The Gover nment has a major majority. But the Opposition still has a role to play. Even though the numbers of the Opposition are not as high as it would normally be to ho ld a
Government to account, it is important that this still
happens. A strong society can only flourish if it is ba lanced, if both sides are always there to hold each
other to account.
With that, I believe it is important that we
thank all of the frontline workers who have been out
front and helping us to maintain our safety in Bermuda
and allowing us to get back to what people are calling
the “new normal ,” the nurses and doctors and staff of
our hospital who worked really hard to get some of our people who came down with COVID -19 to be able to
recover. Unfortunately, we had the loss of life, with
nine of our citizens passing because of COVID -19.
This is the starting point of where we are right
now, understanding that this protection that we have been going through is about saving the lives of our
citizens. Our police officers have been on the front line
continuing to do their day -to-day job while also trying
to maintain the regulations that have been put forward
to keep our population safe. The Throne Speech
speaks to some changes in policing, but I think it is
important that we understand the [excellent] job which has been done and continues to be done by the police
force.
Bermuda has had a change recently, Madam
President, where . . . let me not say “rec ently” because it is an ongoing thing with the gang violence and the violence in Bermuda. And we saw some
spikes in domestic violence. And we have issues in our country that have been underlying for a long time.
When you are in a situation like we are now where a
pandemic has shut down the country, and you see
people having to adjust to a new financial reality, a
new working reality, the pressure and anxiety that are
on our people at the moment have bubbled up several times. And we see the results of that w ith some of the
violence that has happened.
It is important that we give all the support that
we can to the people who are there to protect us, our
fire service, the men and women who have been g oing into households when they were not sure whether
the peo ple there were going to be COVID -positive.
These are the people who are putting themselves in
harm’s way so that the rest of our population can feel
safe. It is important that policies that we put forward
make sure that we take care of those people who tak e
care of us.
Madam President, Bermuda is a place where
it is such a small community that everybody takes



Bermuda Senate care of their neighbours, or at least that is what we
would like for it to be. That is the way it used to be.
Some of that has changed in recent year s. Coming
out of an election, it is always important for us to go back and heal because there is rhetoric that comes out, and sometimes the worst of society can come out
when you are in the midst of a conflict when it comes
to an election. This Throne Speech does try to do
some healing of that. But the issue is that it cannot
just be words. We are going to have to do what is best
for the country by working together because that is how we will be able to move forward.
The pandemic was really the first stage of
this. The financial crisis that is upon us is the one [for which] we really are going to have to put all of our
combined effort into solving. Madam President, $3.5
billion in debt for a country of this size is a problem. The difficulty is that there ar e no clear answers. We
can do many things to try to help the country to come
out of this. But unless we get investment from outside
of the country, it is going to be very difficult for us to
do this on our own.
Immigration is mentioned in the Throne
Spee ch, Madam President. In the past, immigration
has been used as a tool to divide the country. We all know that the history of Bermuda says that immigr ation was used at times to hold certain segments of the population back. But now we are in a situation wher e
we are going to need immigration to help us to rebuild,
to help us to move forward. And it is not about ope ning the floodgates to people from outside of the country; but it is understanding that some of the people
who are here are the ones who have been helping us
quietly in the background.
Madam President, the third sector has been
propping up our country. Not everybody realises that
we have lines of people night after night lining up for
food. The third sector have been the ones taking care of that. The question is, Where does that come from?
Where do the funds come from which allow for that
food to be provided? Because the Government cannot
fulfil all of those needs. So some of that has come
from private donors, from businesses. And it is i mportant that we understand that all of those parts of Bermuda are connected.
Madam President, sometimes it is easy for us
to say the greedy business owner or the people who—sometimes we do not really understand what their position is. But we are going to have to do a better job as leaders to explain the connection between international business and the service jobs that are available in Bermuda, and the jobs that we want for
our young people and the jobs that we hope to have in
Bermuda in the future. A lot of those j obs are connected to people who did not come from here. They
did not start here. But, Madam President, our country
is filled with people who did not start here. Their fam ilies came from somewhere else. They came to Ber-muda for an opportunity. They worked hard, worked
with their family, educated [themselves], worked within
their neighbourhoods, moved on to become part of
our government and started to help us to build the
country that now we have.
So, Madam President, we cannot be fearful of
people who come from outside of Bermuda, because
they can also be part of our solution. And we cannot
do that by saying to them, You owe us, and we need
to take more from you, when a lot of times they have
been here for a really long time and [have been] hel ping. They pay to our society. They are part of our
community.
So, Madam President, as we look at some of
the things that are going to have to be addressed in
Bermuda as we move forward, education is one of the
key issues that has come up for several generations. I
think it is important that the Government has decided
to move forward with the Education Authority. And the
main reason is that at some point we had to take the
politics out of education. Because it cannot be som ething that is just discussed that we are going to make
such -and-such change because it seems like it is
what is going to make people believe that I have
made a difference so that I can get a vote. Our young
people are way too important. And the decisions to
put them first will be one of the ways that we get out of
the predicament that we are in. If we invest in our
children and educate them in a way that allows them
to be challenged and allows them to reach their full
potential so that they can compete, not just in Berm uda, but compete on the world sta ge.
We have to understand that the economy is
now global. So a lot of times the people whom you
believe you are competing against in the industry are
not in Bermuda. So it used to be that we thought that
when an international business came to Bermuda, we
could push them to make certain decisions here. Now
they just hire that person in another jurisdiction. So we
are going to have to work with them, coming up with ways for them to be part of our country and to give
opportunities to our people. But we are going to have
to do it in a way that we are not pushing [international business] to other jurisdictions, because that is the
danger.
Madam President, Bermuda used to be in a
position where we were the highlight and everyone
was looking to us as the example. They were trying to
strive to be what Bermuda is. And we have started to
fall behind. We have the people here to change that,
to get ourselves back on track, to challenge our people so that they can reach the top. We can no longer accept that our neighbours to the south have open
arms and are giving opportunity that are creating their
opportunities in their economy that we do not have in
ours. It does not mean that we have to do things that mean that our people lose out. There has to be a ba lancing act. At all times we need to put our Bermudi10 25 November 2020 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate ans in the position to take the opportunity, and we
have to have our people understand what that opportunity means. We cannot sit on our laurels. Bermuda,
like the rest of the world, is going through a shift. The
dial is being reset to what is going to happen next.
Madam President, the retail sector in Berm uda has been struggling for an extended period of time.
Now that we are in the situation with the changes that
have happened because of COVID -19, many of them
have be en on the brink. Some of them have already
folded. It is going to be important that the Government comes up with solutions of how we are going to su pport the retail industry, because the jobs that are cr eated in the retail industry are Bermudian jobs. So i f
they fail, we will have more people who are looking for work. And, Madam President, we already know that
this is a problem. The pandemic has already pushed
many people to work at reduced hours, reduced sal aries, [and] in many cases become redundant.
But, Madam President, we are now in a situ ation where the Government is trying to fill holes be-cause they are having to take care of their population
because the population needs it. See, if we were in an
economic situation where we had money, where we
had surplus, then we would have the money to be
able to [give] this support. But, Madam President, the
danger that we are in now is that we do not have that money. So everything that is being put forward is going to mean that we are going to have to borrow more
money. So at some point, you cannot borrow an ymore.
Madam President, it is the same way that it is
in a household. When you realise that someone in the household has a reduced income or one person has
lost their job, you are going to have to figure out ho w
to survive off of less. And then, once you have tightened the belt, you start to look for the opportunity to
make more money so that you can get back to being
able to provide. Both of those things have to happen.
Where we are right now, we are going to have
to find ways to get revenue to come into the country
so that we can take care of our people at the same
time that we are going to have to make sure that the decisions that we make, we do not overspend, we do
not make mistakes. Because there is no room for error.
Madam President, the Throne Speech has
laid out an overall plan of what we hope can happen. And the truth is, the Opposition will do everything they
can to support, where they can, to allow for these initiatives to happen when it is the right thing for the
country. But at the same time, we will have to hold the Government to account when these decisions are not
in the best interest of the country. But it is important at
this time for the country to pay attention, because
when a Government has a majority of this size, it is
going to have to be every person here in our country
who makes sure that every decision that is made will
help all of us. And this is not an accusation to the Government; it is just the system that we have to have
in order for us to get to where I believe all of us want
to be.
Madam President, the Throne Speech touc hes on the adjustments to the health system in Berm uda. Every decision that is made, every policy that
comes forward, the two things that have to be in the
forefront —how do we reduce the cost of health care to
our population? Is this going to reduce the cost of
health care to our population? That is number one.
But more importantly, across the Island we have to understand that it is going to take us as a population
being healthier, taking responsibility for our own
health. That cost is out of whack because as a population we are sick. We do not do well with taking care
of ourselves. A lot of times, it is the prevention that will reduce the costs —exercising, eating pro perly, drinking
enough water, cutting back on soda.
Madam President, as Senator Peets said b efore me, I work in the industry with children. That is my
background. And I agree with him 100 per cent that
this has to be the focus. I was a little disappointed in
the Throne Speech that there was not anything speak-ing to youth and to the sports of our youth and how we
do what I think is important for our country. It got left
out. And I applaud the Senator for bringing it forward
in his speech today, because like him it is a priority
[for me]. When you are a situation like we are now,
when we have the anxiety in our country, it is actually
sport that can bring people together. It can make people feel better. If you drive from one end of the Island
to the other on a Saturday or a Sunday and see our young people participating in sports and see the
adults who are helping them, who are guiding them,
this shows the best of Bermuda. This shows what we
can be when we work together. This shows that as a
country we believe in our young people and what they
can be.
But we have to challenge them. And we have
to give the support to the sports in Bermuda so that they can do this vital role. But with more support there
should be more expectation, because now we have a
country where our young people do not always get the
kind of support at home that we would want for them.
So, Madam President, our teachers spend a
lot of time on discipline instead of on educating. And
then after school the coaches are left to continue that
same role, trying to encourage our young people, to
bring them together and have them understand right
from wrong, the things that they should do and they
should not do. So many times we see the product of those missteps when someone is lined up to go to
Westga te. Our focus needs to be on what we are doing at the beginning. Madam President, there is a
connection between education and sports, and dea ling with youth. We need to start young. We need to support our young people. We need to test early to look for dev elopmental challenges, learning disabil ities, and then give them the support as early as posBermuda Senate sible. And then give the tools to our coaches and the
people who are working with our young people so that
they can continue that process after school.
But, Madam President, we are also going to
have to hold the parents accountable. The time [has come] in our country that we have to realise that it is
the responsibility of all, but the parents are first. These
are not dolls that you buy at the store and you can just
set them on the shelf. What you model in front of them
is what they will become. So I say that, Madam Pres ident, to say that I am encouraged from the start here
because I believe that if we model what we want to
see from our country from this day going forward, then
we will set the example for the generation that comes
behind us. If we show that our youth are important,
that our seniors are important, that the health of our
country is important, then we can turn this around.
Madam President, it is going t o be a struggle.
This is not an easy job for the Government. The Mini ster of Finance has a very difficult hill to climb. Madam
President, as we speak, every time we talk about
something there is probably some budget item that will line up to how we fix tha t. But at a time when we
do not have the money, it is going to be difficult. So
we are going to have to come up with creative ways of
solving some of our problems without the same financial support that we would normally be looking for. It is
the same way that it would be done in a household. There are moms all over this country who have been
creative in how they have been able to support their
families.
We are going to have to be creative as leaders, and we are hoping that the Government is going
to be cr eative in how they are going to come up with
ways for us to move this country forward, united, wit hout the rhetoric —open, honest. And [considering]
what the theme of the Throne Speech was, it is going to take our Bermudians to do this. But when I say that,
I need everybody to understand it is not just the Bermudians. It is every resident in Bermuda. We need
everybody to be rowing together in this leaky boat that
we are in. Because if we are [taking] more water in
faster than we can bail, the problem will be all of ours
together.
Thank you, Madam President.

The President: Thank you, Senator Ben Smith, O pposition Leader in the Senate.
Would any other Senator care to speak?
Senator Michelle Simmons, Vice President,
you have the floor.
Sen. Michelle Simmons: Thank you, Madam Pres ident.
First of all, I would like to congratulate all the
Members of this new Senate team, and most i mportantly, I would like to thank each Senator for being
willing to step forward to serve the country. Madam President, it is a pity in politics there
have to be winners and losers, because I think every person who steps forward and indicates their willingness to serve the country has the same intention. We
all want to see Bermuda thrive. And as a result, if Bermuda thrives, then everyone here should thrive,
every resident of Bermuda. Madam President, if there
was ever a time for all of us who reside in Bermuda to
come together, it is now. Now is the time for us collectively to decide that we will work together.
We are a smal l community in the middle of the
Atlantic. And we depend on each other in so many ways. This is even more evident right now as we co ntinue to fight what I call the unseen enemy. I have
seen a lot of cartoons, YouTube videos, all kinds of
representations regarding the response of humans to
the pandemic and to the regulations which gover nments and communities at large have had to impl ement in order to keep their populations safe. One that
I saw recently, a video that I saw recently, shows a
picture of the COV ID-19 particles all suspended in the
air, and they are visible to those looking at the video.
But the video asks a question: If you could see it,
would you stay at home?
Madam President, the Bermuda Government
has done an excellent job, in my opinion, of protecting
all of us from this unseen and unwelcome threat amongst us. And their efforts were supported whol eheartedly by the overwhelming majority of us who have the privilege of living in this wonderful country.
We were united in our response, and the community
accepted that if we were to survive, we would have to
adhere to public health guidelines and requirements. The response of the community was very positive. We
were united. We have largely overcome the threat
that, yes, it is still here. But because of our response,
because of our unified response, we can see light at the end of the tunnel.
Madam President, yes, there has been a new
wave of COVID -19 infections in many of the countries
with which we are closely associated—the United
States, the United Kingdom, parts of Europe, many
countries. And it is causing us concern. I am sure the Government is keeping a watchful eye on global d evelopments and will, with our cooperation, keep our community safe. But we have to remember that the entire community m ust rise to the challenge and do
what is needed to survive. We must! And I am glad to
hear that there have already been statements made
by Senator Smith which suggest we are looking to
work together. We are looking for collaboration.
Madam President, in m y opinion, the greatest
challenge ahead of us, the great challenges ahead of
us are related to the fallout from the decisions that
have been made to protect the community as we na vigated the COVID pandemic. We all know that the m ajor concern for all of us has been restoration of our economy. The economy has taken a serious hit. Now
12 25 November 2020 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate that we feel more confident that [the Department of]
Public Health has done such an excellent job to help
us contain the spread of COVID, we have to turn to
those unintended cons equences, especially with r egard to rebuilding our economy. For this we definitely
need collaboration at all levels and across all aisles.
The Government has chosen to entitle its
Speech from the Throne Rebuilding Bermuda. And
the subtitle is with Bermudi ans at Heart. I concur with
the Government in recognising that Bermuda has been wounded and is in need of repair and rebuilding. So where do we find the resources to repair our economy and to rebuild? We are reminded that resources
for rebuilding come in m any different forms. Fresh
thinking is required. A fresh vision is needed, taking
our current circumstances into consideration.
We are not starting from the point we were at
in March of 2020. In fact, I recall quite clearly that the
Senate did not even have a chance to thoroughly examine the budget at that time, because events overtook us quite rapidly when COVID came, and we had to step back. But the starting point for us is very di fferent now. Government has had to redirect many of the resources it had i ntended to use in other areas
towards supporting and sustaining individuals in the
community who were faced with unemployment, with
underemployment, and now there is need for us to reconsider many things related to rebuilding our
economy.
To move beyond w here we are now, Madam
President, and to confidently move into a more secure future, we need to put some fresh ingredients in the
mix. That is in the form of new persons, so immigr ation is something that we need to look at. We also
need to look at physical resources. But the most i mportant word that I will keep using this morning is —
collaboration is needed. Madam President, some of
this is already happening, I am happy to say. And we have seen increased collaboration across the political
aisles, especially as we faced the COVID crisis. This
is a new session of the Legislature. And my prayer is
that collaboration should be more evident during this
session than may have been the case in the past.
Madam President, I hope that you will allow
me to read a quote from page 2 of the Speech from the Throne.

The President: You certainly may.

Sen. Michelle Simmons: Thank you.
This is from page 2, and it is the penultimate
paragraph, if anyone wants to follow. It reads, “in the
midst of a public health crisis, affor dable universal
healthcare for all is an unquestionable priority. In collaboration with Bermuda First, the Government will
introduce a Bermuda Health Plan that will, through technology, maximise efficiencies via an integrated
healthcare model. Public and private sectors will join to reduce Bermuda’s healthcare spend and drive better healthcare outcomes.” That is the end of the quote.
Madam President, yes indeed! Government
must do all in its power to ensure that this collabor ation takes place in an environment where all opinions
are valued. And I think it is important to stress that,
because there seems to have been some dissension
with regard to the way forward toward that Bermuda
Health Plan which will maximise efficiencies in our
health system. Yes, I th ink the whole community is
concerned about the escalating costs of health care in
Bermuda. And we are also very concerned about the
fact that so many people, including a percentage of
people who are employed, do not have health care.
So, Madam President, t here is work to be done there.
And I am hoping that Government will continue down the road of collaboration. It has already begun.
Another important collaboration, Madam President, that has already begun is collaboration with r egard to the public school s ystem. And I am sure you
all know this will be very dear to my heart, having served in the public school system for quite some time. And I am going to draw everyone’s attention to
page 3 of the Throne Speech, or the Speech from the
Throne, paragraph 1. May I quote, Madam President?
The President: Yes, you can indeed.
Sen. Michelle Simmons: “Guided by a goal of establishing multiple pathways to success for Bermudian students, the Government will complete the transformation of the public school system, coll aboratively
designing an improved system for Bermuda. The r edesigned system will benefit from reformed gover nance and greater accountability with the creation of an
Authority to lead all aspects of performance management in public education,” end of quote.
Madam President, we have very able and
very strong leadership at all levels within the public
school system. And it is essential that the collabor ation which has already begun to create a reformed
school system should continue. And that collabor ation, in my opinion, should be as broad as possible.
Yes, we need to involve educators. We must involve
students. We must make sure parents, we must make sure that the broader community is involved so that
once the model for our reformed public education sy stem is put in place, the entire community can feel that
this is a model that has been developed by Bermudi-ans and Bermuda residents for the children of Berm uda.
I also want to ask, Madam President, that the
system which is being designed should recognise that
schools need to have greater autonomy. But with that
greater autonomy must come greater accountability.
Of course, having said that, it is even more critical that
in this revised and renewed and rebuilt education sy stem, there should be an increased focus on classroom
outcomes. That is where the business of education



Bermuda Senate really, really happens. It happens in the classrooms.
And in order to ensure that there is an adherence to
quality standards, there must be a focus on the skill
sets of teachers, the effectiveness of school admini strators and certainly on the outcomes of classroom
instruction. Madam President, we must have well -
prepared student -centred collaborative educators in
our public schools. And in order to ensure that, we must put in place systems which will support those
educators and help them to develop their skill sets as needed.
Moving on, Madam President, I would like to
also highlight from the Throne Speech another matter
which has been mentioned, and it has been mentioned with this idea of collaboration in mind. And I am
referring to the idea of a Police Authority, which I believe may have been mentioned in previous Throne Speeches, but so far there really has not been that
much progress toward putting in place an effective
Police Authority. This is mentioned on page 8 of the
Throne Speech, and, Madam President, if you will
allow me again, I would just like to read this quote.

The President: You certainly may.

Sen. Michelle Simmons: “During this session, a Bill
to create a Police Authority will be introduced to facil itate an open and collaborative forum to support the
Bermuda Police Service and the communities they
serve. A national crime prevention plan will focus on
prevention, rehabilitation and reintegration.” That is
the end of the quote. These are laudable goals, Madam President, and I hope that they will be advanced
swiftly. It is obvious to many of us that the police still
need to strengthen their partnership with the average
Bermudian and build more trusting relationships. In
order to do t hat, however, we must see improved co llaboration and dialogue between the Bermuda Police
Service and the community at large.
Madam President, in keeping with that theme
of collaboration, Government has recognised and is
seeking to shore up the very tenuous circumstances
regarding the employment of persons in Bermuda—
employment, employment. In order for families to survive, we must ensure as a community that able-bodied adults are gainfully employed. That is how
people are able to support their families. I would ima gine that every extended family in Bermuda has had at
least one family member, and in some cases more
than one family member, who has been unemployed
or underemployed to some degree during this pan-demic.
We have been struggling for the past eight
months. And when you say “eight months” it may not seem like that long. But if I named the months —April,
May, June, July, August, September, October, and we are now in November —think of families where people
have been unemployed for that period of time. T hink of families where there has been underemployment.
People are struggling. We see that as we see the food
lines where people have no choice but to seek assi stance in just feeding themselves and their families. If we walk up the street to the cathedral d uring our lunch
break today, we will see a long line of people who are
waiting to receive support through that feeding pr ogramme. You can travel throughout this Island right
now, Madam President, and in every parish I am quite
sure that some church, some organisation is helping
to feed numerous citizens who just cannot do it for themselves right now.
According to research, Madam President, carried out by Global Research, and this was just shared yesterday for the first time, 42 per cent of the 405
people t hey interviewed had lost income during the
pandemic. That is 42 per cent! A full 27 per cent had
been laid off, and 8 per cent had lost their jobs completely. We also know that businesses have suffered,
and it is through businesses that people are employed . There is evidence right in front of us which
shows how desperate some businesses have become
and how in some cases businesses have found that
they just cannot survive. The result has been a number of businesses which have closed their doors permanently. Walk through the streets of Hamilton, come
to St. George’s, and you will see the evidence right
there.
In the Speech from the Throne, Madam President, Government has said, and I am quoting from
page 8, the very last paragraph, “The precarious pos ition of businesses and the potential for additional
economic contraction have demonstrated a clear need
to provide unemployment insurance and strengthen
the ability of employers to meet their statutory oblig ations in the event of redundancy of employees. As
part of the tripartite dialogue series initiated by the
Ministry of Labour, these issues will be the subject of
that collaborative process to promote a secure env ironment in which employers and employees can
equally meet their obligations,” end of quote. Madam
President, I believe that if employers, employees and
the Ministry of Labour will work together (i.e., collaborate), the result will be positive for the entire community. So I endorse that tripartite dialogue.
Madam President, while there are several
examples that I [highlighted] in the Throne Speech of
intended collaboration, there was one collaboration
that I was hoping to see which was not there. And that
is regarding electronic collaboration between gover nment departments. This is something that has been mentioned previously by the Government, and I feel that data sharing between government departments
so that services can be streamlined may be som ething that will help us as we navigate this rather diff icult time in Bermuda. It is obvious that capital outlay
will be needed for this, but when Government is able,
it will be very, very helpful to both government workers
14 25 November 2020 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate and the public at large, in my opinion, to have an int egrated IT system which joins up all government d epartments. This will simplify transactions. And it will be
a welcome relief from having to provide the same i nformation countless times to different government departments, and in some cases to the same gover nment departments.
Madam President, I am going to end my r emarks by suggesting that there are many, many, more
areas (and they have been mentioned in the Throne Speech) where Government can be more collabor ative rather than just adhere to the usual political strategies. It is time for a new construct. It is time for us to
continue the constructive collaboration that has already begun. Movement in that direction will benefit the entire country and every resident of Bermuda. And
my final statement is a quote from Paul Solarz. He
said, “Collaboration allows us to know more than we
are capabl e of knowing” (and I will add one word —
doing) “by ourselves.”
Thank you, Madam President .

The President: Thank you, Senator Michelle Si mmons, Vice President.
Would any other Senator care to speak?
Yes, Senator John Wight, Independent Sen ator, you have the floor.

Sen. John Wight: Good morning.

The President: Good morning to you.

Sen. John Wight: As a new Senator, it is my great
pleasure to be working alongside my colleagues —
new and old alike.
First off, I would like to applaud the Gover nment on the brevity of the Throne Speech. I think,
having compared this Throne Speech with many ot hers, I am always a believer that less is more. And I
think, also, in the absence of the Minister of Finance
delivering his Budget, which will happen in February,
Government does not know exactly how much money
it has to work with to achieve its objectives in the com-ing years. So, I think the brief but directional nature of
the Throne Speech was very effective, rather than
making it more prescriptive as we have perhaps seen in prior Throne Speeches. So, that is my opening r emark.
Like some of my colleagues, I would like to
congratulate the Government on its handling of the
COVID -19 crisis. I think we only have to watch the
news every day from around the world to see that this
Government has managed it, I think, amazingly effectively. And I think the collaboration, the communic ation that took place dating back to the initial press conferences . . . and it is unusual for so many people to
want to watch local news at 5:30 in the evening, but
that certainly was what drew a lot of us to our TVs at night. And so I congratulate the Government on its
handling of the pandemic.
I guess with every crisis come new opportun ities. And I think this is a global reset for every country
in the world and I think this is an opportunity for Bermuda to benefit our citizens and residents, and I think
we have a relatively small window of opportunity to do
it. So, for example, we are seeing the flood of reinsurance and insurance money that comes to Bermuda as
a result of COVID -19 being, perhaps, the biggest i nsurance event in our lifetime that we will ever see. So, this is an opportunity for us to create new jobs through
the formation of these new companies. I think the dig ital nomad programme has benefitted Bermuda greatly
by having, I understand, 450 or so new applications.
So, these are people who will come to Bermuda who
will use Bermuda- owned taxis, eat in Bermuda- owned
restaurants and further stimulate the economy. So, I
think despite all the h orrible things that have resulted
from COVID -19, I just want to sort of start with some
of the highlights that Bermuda can seize upon during
this relatively brief window of opportunity for us.
As I read the Throne Speech, there were just
a few items that either were sort of near and dear to
my heart and/or aligned with what I do for my day job
in insurance. Other Senators have already mentioned
education, so I am really pleased to see the wording
of the creation of an Authority. I think, every year when we see the results from the public education
system come out it has always been a great concern
to me to see that we have not met the expectations, I
do not think, of our children in the school system. And that is a failing of ours which has occurred for man y
reasons.
But I think the reality is that there has to be
something different moving forward, and I am pleased
to see the creation of the Authority. I hope it will be an
independent authority that [calls for] some account ability of those in their new governing roles. So, as they
say, the Devil is in the details, but in the same way
that I think the Tourism Authority benefitted Bermuda
by the creation of new ideas from people in the private
sector working with Government, I think the creation
of an Educ ation Authority can have similar benefits.
And so, I look forward to the improvement of the r esults of our children from the education system so that they can realise their career aspirations [and] so that
local businesses can employ Bermudians who meet
the needs of their businesses and for the customers.
So, education, as I say, is near and dear to
my heart and so I was very pleased to see the wor ding in the Throne Speech in that regard.
The next one, stimulating the economy: I think
that is going to be the one that I will be very curious to see what the Minister of Finance comes out with in his
budget. Because, as we all know, we are where we
are today, the $3.5 billion debt, and it is reported that the difference between revenues and expenses in the
next budget will be around $300 million. And I think,



Bermuda Senate from memory, a couple of years ago the interest cost
on our debt per day was $400,000. That is a huge
mountain to climb. Just think in the future if we are
able to use that money for elder care and other m ore
worthy reasons, rather than having to pay it to a bank
on a debt. So, I think I will be very curious to see what
comes out of the Minister of Finance’s budget and I
know he and his team are working very hard, at the
moment, to prepare for that February presentation.
I think I was pleased to see the reference to
capital projects in the Throne Speech. I guess my one comment would be it is always better to use private
investors’ money for development, especially in light
of the current challenges that the Government finds
itself in, in terms of the debt. So, I know there are sort
of contentious issues —the 60/40 ownership issue was
contentious. It became the 40/60. I am a firm believer
that we should even have a dialogue to remove all
restrictions altogether to increase the foreign capital
that this Island desperately needs to revitalise.
And I just look at Hamilton as an example of
an area where especially since even before COVID -
19, but especially since March, we are seeing bus inesses readjust to how many employees they really
need in an office as opposed to who can work from
home. If the commercial real estate market was in
poor shape prior to March, it certainly will be even
more challenged going forward. So I think we have to have some open and frank di scussions in the community about how we increase foreign capital coming
into the Island to develop and modify buildings, maybe
into multi- use facilities in Hamilton, and even looking
at St. George’s and Dockyard at both ends of the I sland.
I think stimulating the economy will be a huge
challenge for the Minister of Finance. I think what
businesses need, what they look for, is some sort of
stableness, understanding what the future picture looks [like] in order to create new positions in their
organisations. I know this is a chaotic world we live in,
but to the extent that the February budget can deliver
some clearer picture of what the future looks [like] for
Bermuda, this will benefit businesses and owners
wanting to create new jobs.
And as I just look out the window here in tal king about how we need to develop Hamilton, we might be the only country in the world where our most prime
real estate—that being on Front Street —is used to
park our cars and our bikes. I have seen plans to sort
of revitalise the cor e of Hamilton, so I think, through
the openness of allowing more foreign capital to come
to Bermuda to stimulate the economy and generate
more jobs for Bermudians, this will be a discussion
and this will be good for the Island.
There was reference made pr eviously to i mmigration reform, which is always a contentious issue,
and for very good reason. I think immigration reform has been a failure in many respects for many years, which I think is all the more reason why we have to
work together to create a reform that works for all the
stakeholders in Bermuda. So, I would refrain from tr ying to shy away from immigration reform and actually just have a discussion on what is going to work to generate jobs for Bermudians.
Just by way of example, the country of Can ada with roughly 30 million people (and they have an ageing population like Bermuda does) recognises that
unless they bring in 1 per cent of their population by
way of new immigrants . . . so 30 million people. U nless they bring in 300,000 people every year to the country their economy is going to weaken. So, I think,
you know, we have to proactively work on a solution
for Bermuda which recognises that with our ageing population the demographics are not working in our
favour. And so, I know it is contentious; but we cannot
shy away from reform to improve our economy in that regard.
And, you know, the statistics reference gross
domestic product every month, GDP. And so, GDP is a function of the productivity of a country and the
number of people in its workforce. So, by definition, if
we have fewer people in the workforce and we are not
increasing our productivity, our economy is actually
weakening.
I guess the last item that was sort of near and
dear to my heart in the Throne Speech was the at -risk
populatio n. Many of us here in the room have been
very fortunate [to have] loving parents growing up and an education system that worked for us, jobs that
were available when we came out of university. And I
think the strength of Bermuda, I would say, up until 2007 /08 when we had that global disruption, was that
we had a very large middle class. And I think when that global recession hit in 2007/08 a lot of us thought,
like most recessions, globally it would take 18 months
to 2 years and life would be back to normal . And, obviously, we have realised since then that life is an ything but normal. So, it has been a really tough 12 or so years for Bermuda.
We are seeing more and more people, I think,
fall through the cracks through no fault of their own, as referred to b y some of my colleagues previously this
morning. You know, businesses are shedding jobs from lack of activity through COVID -19. I think we as a
community have to be especially collaborative and, I
would say, public and private sector partnerships
need to d o everything possible to service those people who need to put food on the table for their families. And I think, you know, those numbers are growing,
almost by the day.
I am part of a group whose main objective is
to help those at -risk people. And so, I w ould recommend to the Government that between the public and the private sectors we work collaboratively to ensure that we do everything possible to help those at -risk
people in our population.
16 25 November 2020 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate There was reference to the Bermuda Trust in
the document, whi ch I think is a terrific idea if we can
find ways to generate some positive cash flow to be
able to distribute to those people in our community
who desperately need it. And that would be a good thing for Bermuda.
So, I think, Madam President , as a newbie,
those are my initial remarks [on] the Throne Speech.
Thank you.

The President: Thank you very much, Senator John
Wight, Independent Senator.
Would any other Senator?
Senator Curtis Richardson, you have the floor.

Sen. Curtis Richardson: Thank you, Madam Pres ident and Members of the Senate.
Only through strong leadership that puts Bermudians first with an agenda to build a better and fai rer Bermuda will we rebuild Bermuda with Bermudians
at heart. This is a commitment which the Throne Speech deliver s to the citizens of Bermuda. There is
absolutely no room to top- up a failed attempt at go vernance with an empty promise to do better. Such an
admission of such defeat is shameful, to say the least.
I raise my voice in this Honourable Chamber
as a Governm ent Senator to speak to the Throne
Speech which was provided by our Honourable Premier to be delivered to the people of this great Island
home by His [Excellency] the Governor.
Madam President , on the 6
th day of November
2020, we who sit in this [Senate] along with other
Members who sit in another place, gathered in the Town of St. George’s Parish to recognise the conven-ing of our Parliament. This Senate met for the first
time to conduct the first order of business on our
agenda. It serves me great honour to join you, in the
manner of our Legislature, to conduct the people’s
parliamentary business.
The Throne Speech made mention of the i ntriguing history that is engrained in our social fabric,
even until this day. Over 400 years later we celebrate
. . . or do we? There is little room for doubt that the
history that is Bermuda is unique.
Madam President , the road travelled to get
this mass of 22 square miles has not been an easy
one. It has not been a forever joyous one. However, it
has been one with reward. One that makes it easy to
say that through the trials and tribulations it is a place
to feel at home, a place to never want to leave, a
place to always return to, a special place to love, a
place to love to say this is home . We, as Bermudians,
are a resi lient people, and we shall prosper. Let no
man or act of violence, disease, natural disaster, or
privilege set us back.
Madam President , our cultural history dates
back to the identities of our descendants. And during this session a policy to recognise an d to teach ge nerations to come will highlight the multitude of shared culture that is our identity. We are so much more alike
than we are different. As I recall walking through the
neighbourhoods of these islands, meeting our neig hbours, my words would speak to ensuring that our seniors will continue to be our priority —their pension
increases, their access to medication and overall
health care.
BermudaFirst will assist the Government to
finalise the introduction of a Bermuda Health Plan that will be efficiently accessed through an integrated
health care model. This initiative will be partnered b etween public and private health care sectors, ensuring better outcomes for the seniors of these years and for
the future years to come.
Madam President , it is crucial that the mandate to have pharmaceutical companies provide pri cing information on prescription medications for aid in
the formulation of a national drug formulary. The outcome here is to reduce cost to us. This move ought to
be welcomed by everyone.
Madam President , I would like to take this
opportunity to ask the Members of these Chambers to
recognise the exceptional efforts and global success
that our Ministry of Health and our leaders within our
great country have had, and to continue to provide the
guidance and enforcement, to keep us all safe in the
wake of the COVID -19 global pandemic. Our testing
regime has evolved, and it is remarkably being reg ulated by Bermudians. I see all, but especially the younger personnel throughout the testing faci lities,
thoroughly enjoying their opportunity to embrace their
fields of medical interest. It truly is a wonderful sight to
see all of these Bermudians taking care of their own as well as equally caring for the lives and safety of our
visitors.
This pandemic is still upon us and I urge ev eryone to not get complacent. Let not the manner un-der which we have been shown to prevent the spread
as best as we can fool you to think that it is okay to let your guard down. Many families have and continue to
suffer losses of employment and are faced with ec onomic hardships. Unfortunately, some homeowners
have not been able to grasp the extent of what the pandemic has placed upon their tenants. The courts
appear to be under the assumption to not grant u nderstandable dis cretion at this time. Tenants are being
faced with eviction notices from landlords and possession orders from the courts. With no affordability to
retain a lawyer these unfortunate circumstances can lead to harder times. However, in these unprecedented tim es, we do have a Government with solutions.
I would like to concur that through the leadership and guidance provided by Government leaders
and medical professionals we, as a country, have
come together to do all that we can to control the
spread. So, tha nk you to all members of our community for taking the advice offered by the present Go vernment.



Bermuda Senate Madam President , the education of our pr esent and future young citizens is of utmost concern.
This Government’s Throne Speech clearly recognises
the need for c hange, change that is well underway
and on track as the Ministry of Education implements
the newly restructured two- tiered system that will pr ovide so much more than a basic education. This r evamped system of education will identify the interests and stren gths of our students from their early years.
There has been a call of concern for the return of trade schools.
Madam President , I can assure Bermuda that
the signature schools of this parliamentary Gover nment can be regarded as trade schools in hyper -drive.
No longer will the education system be solely focused
on just the trades that we have come to know. Sign ature schools will offer more. Graduates will be recognised in their respective fields of study as experienced
within their said studies allowing them to carry on directly into the career life and/or tertiary college and
university studies.
Madam President , the security of our nation is
vast—from the boundaries of our borders to the inner
streets of the everyday commute and livelihoods
alike—[and this security] will continue to be monitored
through the Ministry whose remit that falls under. It is
of great pleasure to read from the Throne Speech that
the Police Authority will be introduced to support the Bermuda Police Service and the communities they
serve. There is a need for a bit of impactful community
policing, all the way from the buses that are used to
visit our schools to the annual Gymkhana that the p olice hold, keeping everyone involved active.
Madam President , this legislative session will
introduce how the Government will deliver on its
commitment to improve public transportation. It has
been recognised and accepted that there are demands and expectations for more efficient higher transportation options. The Ministry of Education is
already i n the process of answering to the needs of
those who depend on public accessible modes of
transportation. As the Ministry collects the necessary
data, in collaboration with stakeholders from all of the
different sectors of the public service vehicle indust ry,
the goal is to provide a transportation system which
locals and visitors can benefit from.
Madam President , a digital payment app’s
base feature will provide the users with the ability to know where the means of transportation that is r equired is and when it will arrive and, certainly, how
much it will cost. This will be an encouraged and most certainly welcomed attribute. The taxi industry, for i nstance, has been utilising varied methods of mobile
app-based tools and digital payment solutions whilst
offering location tracking and the estimated fare pa yment for a few years now. The integration of these
into the partnering modes of public transportation is clearly a step in the right direction. The Ministry is collecting the necessary data
to ensure that the bus schedules are providing the true services that are required on all bus routes. Bus
scheduling is known to be a contentious subject. The
Ministry is adamant that the ongoing frustration of providing and receiving a bus schedule that one can
count on can be resolved through the ongoing collection of data. This data can provide a true and accurate
analysis, ultimately shaping the structure of the bus
schedules, providing necessary resources for indivi dual bus routes.
Madam President , speed is being looked into
as a major contributor to the crisis that contributes to
our road traffic accidents and fatalities. The Ministry
recognises that road and water safety are paramount to the message of awareness that must be provided.
Therefore, by combining the efforts of the road and
water safety councils the message could be stronger. Motor vehicle garage regulations, as mentioned briefly
in the Throne Speech, must be reviewed to ensure
that the neighbouring residents are not put at a state of unrest due to unr egulated conduct of business. The
Throne Speech mentions, secondly, on vehicle ow nership potential. This will provide an economic alternative to those seeking to purchase and those that will
be legislated to sell.
Madam President , I can concur that withi n the
Throne Speech there is mention of education and how
that is being implemented and headed in the correct
direction. Health is of paramount concern. And I believe that this particular Government is doing what is
required and it must be done.
I will cl ose in stating that I look forward to partaking in this legislative session and I certainly look forward to when we return to unite in close contact
among each other in fellowship. May God bless us all.
That is my submission for the day.

The President: Thank you, Senator Curtis Richar dson.
Would any other Senator care to speak on the
Throne Speech? Now is your opportunity.
Oh, Senator Lindsay Simmons, you have the
floor.

Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Thank you.
Madam President , 2020 has been a difficult
year for us all. None of us would have predicted that
we would begin through a pandemic. This Gover nment is doing everything they can to protect us and,
as you can see, the world is watching us.
To think this year we celebrated 400 years of
Assembly. It began in 1620 when Governor Nathaniel
Butler called on only white men to serve in the A ssembly. Fast forward to the year 2020. I am proud to
see that we have evolved to see men, women, Black and white, from all walks of life who are in Gover nment. The Legislatur e has had many debates, but one
18 25 November 2020 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda Senate that is most significant . . . the most significant debate
to me was to end slavery. But we still have a ways to
go.
Government has put in different programmes,
initiatives, and the rights of Bermudians first. As we know, everyone has a right to vote, no matter their sex
or race, as long as they are Bermudian, registered to
vote and 18 years or older. I am proud to be a part of
a Government that is rebuilding Bermuda with Berm udians at heart.
Madam President, my passion has always
been children. And to see the Ministry of Education
taking steps to close middle schools and create signature schools, with all children in mind, the Ministry of
Education are taking steps to make sure teachers, principals, and support staff are properly trained this time before implementing the signature schools. This Government knows the importance of training correc tly, because not all children learn the same.
Madam President, our Government is taking
steps to ensure that the youth are valuable members
of our community. This Government is developing a national youth policy. These children are our future and their input should be and will be valued. Letting
our youth know they matter gives them the assurance
that their voice belongs in our societ y.
Madam President, as a foster parent (and
becoming one of the youngest foster parents in Ber-muda) I must say seeing the Ministry of Social Deve lopment and Seniors having a plan for children that are
ageing out of the system is extremely vital. Creating
independent living coordinators will help to fill a gap that is desperately needed. I have seen first -hand
children that turn 18, who have been in our system most, if not all of their lives, have their support ended with no transition. Where do they go? Who steps up
for them? Now we have an answer: This Government.
With the independent living coordinators they
will be given opportunities for affordable housing and
career advice. Children will be given the tools to allow them to become fully independent and valuable me mbers of society. They will also be able to get health care, both for physical and mental health. These chi ldren will be able to have post -secondary education.
They will be given opportunities that other children are given, just because their circumstance is different.
Madam President, our children, seniors, and
other vulnerable persons, will have access to the [O ffice of the] Public Guardian. This service will help to protect our most vulnerable and they will have the rep-resentation that is needed. The seniors will be able to age with their pride and hold their heads high. This Government will put forth a National Seniors Strategy
to emphasise dementia care and the prevention plan
for senior abuse. With all these plans for our most vulnerable, the future for them looks bright and prom-ising. We will rebuild Bermuda with all Bermudians at heart.
Thank you, Madam President . The President: Thank you, Senator Lindsay Si mmons.
Would any other Senator care to speak on the
Throne Speech?
Oh, I beg your pardon. Senator Robin Tucker,
you have the floor.
Sen. Robin Tucker: Thank you, Madam President .
Good afternoon, Madam President, Senate
colleagues, and the listening audience.
Before I begin my remarks on the Throne
Speech, please allow me a moment to say a few
thank -yous. Thank you to the One Bermuda Alliance
Opposition Leader Cole Simons for appointing me to
the Senate. And thank you to my family, especially my
husband, for his support and encouragement in my
pursuit of public service. Finally, I also want to say
thank you to all of those who have kept us safe during
this COVID -19 pandemic. We are grateful.
Madam President, I put my hand up for public
service with the pledge to be the type of leader who is
always remembering that the decisions made by pub-lic officers must always be for the greater good. I i ntend to be a sensible advocate in this Senate, not only to respectfully challenge th at which is not valuable for
Bermuda, but also to champion that which is benef icial for the Bermudian people.
Madam President, those of us that are Baby
Boomers or Generation Xers, and prior generations
that were fortunate enough to have grown up in Bermuda during the peaks of the Island’s robust economy, enjoyed low unemployment and were parents of (or were, in the majority) of children that were thriving in the education system of the day. Unfortunately, this is not the case during the times that we curr ently live
in. As a country, we are in the depths of the valley. We are a divided people; we are deeply in debt; there is high unemployment. And many of our children are woefully unprepared for higher education or for the workforce after high school. I am happy to know that
the Government is taking steps to try to rectify that
situation.
Madam President, healthy, productive, and
thriving people help secure a strong country and economy. It is not the number of people in leadership that will have the greatest impact; it is how the country’s issues are managed that makes for successful governance and builds enduring legacies. Our chal-lenges are great, but not unsurmountable. As my Senate colleague, Senator Michelle Simmons, said, collaboration is of utmost importance. We must indi-vidually and collectively do our part to give Bermuda’s
people the best chance to succeed and to prosper.
Madam President, having read the 2020
Throne Speech, I was pleased to see that it contained
many positive aspects that I support. But there are
other aspects that cause me concern. I share Senator Simmons’ concern for our children. For too long our



Bermuda Senate children’s welfare has not been an area of focus. And
I am pleased to know that this Government has decided now to make it an ar ea of focus.
Madam President , I am pleased about the
establishment of an independent Office of the Public Guardian, which will have persons acting in the interests of vulnerable persons on matters of health, f inance and legal affairs. In other jurisdictions these
guardians are appointed by the courts to help and act
on behalf of the vulnerable. It is anticipated that this
will be the case here, and that these persons will have the specialist training necessary —and licensure—to
ensure that they are fully equipped to meet the needs
of the populations that they are called to serve.
Madam President , it is also pleasing to know
that greater focus will be on our children who, as,
again, Senator Simmons has mentioned, are children who are ageing out of government care.
Madam President , I do not think that many of
us, if anyone, here today, could imagine growing up in
the government system, then being told at 18 years
old that they must now fend for themselves. While I believe the establishment of independent liv ing coordinators is a positive and absolutely necessary step,
also needed is a form of a transitional housing facility
where persons who have aged out of the system can
learn to live independently, while being guided and
supported into being self -sustainin g. Some 18- yearolds who have not had the experience of being in
government care, but lived in stable family environments, are challenged with having to operate independently on a day -to-day basis. They are challenged
in knowing how to meet personal, financial, and social obligations, but [they] learn to do so with proper family
guidance. Madam President , we must give all our
children the support needed for them to become successful and productive contributors to society.
Madam President , protection of our children is
paramount. Just recently we have learned of a case
involving a string of sexual offences against a child
that was dismissed on appeal because of court -
related inefficiencies. As a community, we should be disturbed by this. Equally, we have had one of our
Bermudian children die in a care facility overseas and yet, a year later, there remain more questions than answers about what happened to her. Not to mention
the many stories we have read in the news that highlighted the experiences of the chil dren who have had
negative experiences when they were sent to overseas treatment centres. And yet, after so much time
has passed, we still have more questions than we have answers. Again, we should be disturbed.
We have persons at the highest levels of
leadership accused of mistreating children who still
remain on the job. These are people entrusted with
the welfare of our children, yet there remain no real
answers, just more questions. So, Madam President , when I learned about
the Throne Speech, that the out -dated Child Care
Placement Board will be replaced by a Children’s
Commission, I became cautiously optimistic that this
new board would accomplish what the Child Care Placement Board was unable to do for some of our
children, and that is, truly advocate for them and ensure that their needs are being met through appropr iate services, policies, and programmes.
As there appears to be cause for concern
about the leadership at the Department of Child and
Family Services [DCFS] and its practices, I believe
that the Children’s Commission must operate ind ependently to afford the Commission to do its work
without influence of the DCFS and to work more closely with the third sector, which can provide aid as
a neutral body. An independent commission must be able to advocate effectively on behalf of the children,
particularly if there are instances where DCFS is the
problem.
Madam President , before I move on from this
topic, I raise a question. And that is, if there is a commitment to protecting the rights of our vulnerable chi ldren by the creation of a new Children’s Commission
and its renewed mandate, it begs the question as to
why oversight of DCFS —our children’s protection
agency —shifted from the Ministry of Legal Affairs,
where one might expect that there woul d be more
stringent oversight to ensure their rights and interests
would be protected.
Madam President , shifting focus to the longterm residency policy, the ability to take up residency in Bermuda for those who can afford to do so without needing to wor k to support themselves, should not
hang on obligatory payments in exchange for residen-cy. Permanent residents demonstrate that they will not
be an economic burden as they are contributors to our
economy. They buy and rent homes, eat in our restaurants, shop in our stores, utilise our services, volu nteer at our charities, and help keep Bermudians employed. Requiring permanent residency seekers to
provide added economic investment on top of what
they already do, or to invest in the Bermuda Trust Fund, appear s that Bermuda has rolled out an unwe lcome mat and may discourage them to come at a time when we should be growing our population. I look forward to learning more in time to come about the
financial contributions to be required, that give persons the oppor tunity to take up permanent residency
in Bermuda.
Madam President , I am happy to learn that
this Government will continue to build on the work that
it has done to reform and improve care for our seniors. Indeed, our seniors are to be revered and treasured and, along with our children, they should be gi ven priority care in this country. No senior in this country should have to decide whether to eat, get a pr escription filled, or keep the lights on. As people are
20 25 November 2020 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate living longer, and many are being afflicted with diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s, there remains a
heavy burden on family and others to care for their
loved ones. Unpaid family caregivers are central to
providing long- term support for sick family, often while
caregivers are dealing with their own financial, health,
and emotional challenges —all of this, balanced with
work and other commitments.
Unfortunately, unpaid caregivers’ needs often
get overlooked. Therefore, balanced with the need to provide more support and services for our seniors, it is
also incumbent on Government and all of us to ensure
that there is a similar level of support and services for
our unpaid caregivers who carry the enormous weight
of caring for others while often needing care for them-selves.
Madam President , few will disagree that Bermuda needs an affordable health care system that is
available to everyone. The Bermuda Health Plan r emains an ongoing topic for discussion and closer scr utiny. However, we can more immediately focus on
disease prevention to reduce hospital costs, which
has significant benefits and can go a long way to i mproving the lives of Bermudians.
While success of the Sugar Tax initiative and
whether it has yielded intended incomes of helping
reduce Bermuda’s reliance on sweets and sugary drinks and products is questionable, what is certain is
that poor eating habits is one of the risk factors of cer-tain chronic diseases that we can do something about
now. People in Bermuda not only pay too much for
health insurance, but also for food. And it has been
reported in the media by at least one charity that food
costs are overtaking electricity bills. Healthier food
items must become more affordable to encourage
more people to make better food choices that will lead
them to better health outcomes.
Madam Pres ident , I was also pleased to read
in the Throne Speech that there will be discussion
around a National Cultural Heritage Policy. This conversation is not new, as the One Bermuda Alliance
has made some positive strides in this area as far
back as 2014.
Madam President , to progress as a people
and as a country, too much attention cannot be given to the importance of defining what it means to be uniquely Bermudian. Too many of us look to other
places to help us define who we are. Bermuda had no
indigenous peop le. We all arrived here from els ewhere, and brought with us expressions of cultural identity through our traditions, art, food, music, dress.
These are just examples. While the collective founda-tion of who we are stems from our genesis, to pr ogress as a pe ople—as a body of Bermudian people—
it is important that we identify and meld the collective contributions that separate us, but valued together would truly make us one people.
Madam President , the plans for pension r eform allowing pension funds to help families purchase homes is an area that causes me concern. I am in
support of helping people to get a piece of the rock,
but not at the expense of not being able to care for
themselves in the future. The $12,000 pension wit hdrawal scheme was a quite good one and a necessary one. The one- year pension suspension option
has immediate short -term benefits, but has long- term
ramifications, as, at retirement, people who have a lready withdrawn such funds may find that they will have insufficient funds to live off of during retirement.
And a withdrawal of money for mortgages will compound this.
Madam President , as at mid- October this
year, $102 million of pension funds had been ap-proved for withdrawal. This scheme may well put
home ownership within the reach of younger persons
in high -paying jobs, such as those in international
business. As such persons will be higher earners they will have more time left to make up withdrawn funds.
For persons who have amassed pension funds over
the years of working it is risky, as those persons will
be even closer to retirement age with years left to pay back a mortgage and with fewer dollars in their retir ement pot to be self -sustaining during retirement. This
scheme will not benefit most of us since even those with a home and untouch ed pension funds are currently struggling to make ends meet at retirement.
Madam President , I have already taken a bit
of time, so I will not spend a whole lot of time now on
the topic of unemployment insurance. I do, however,
wish to note that unemployment insurance is benef icial for ensuring that employees have some funds
available to them in the event that they find themselves unemployed. However, a downfall is that this
type of insurance will result in an additional tax burden
on employers and possibly employees, [but] emplo yers in particular who are already finding themselves struggling. A consequence of mandating this type of
tax on employers may be that to afford the additional tax, employers may opt to reduce headcount or decide not to add positions in order to remain econom ically viable.
In closing, Madam President , I recognise that
this Throne Speech was about what could be deli vered during this legislative period. I wish to highlight,
though, something noteworthy that I believe was mis sing from the Throne Speech which should have also
been given highest priority —that is domestic violence
against women.
I recognise that both men and women are vi ctims of domestic violence. And, certainly, I do not wish
to minimise the plight of abused men. But as a former
hotline counsellor with the Women’s Resource Centre
who has seen and spoken to countless women who
are in domestic violence relationships and have been
victims of sexual assaults and domestic violence sit uations, I understand that women in this comm unity are
greatly impacted by the physical, emotional, and other types of violence that they experience.



Bermuda Senate We all know about the violence that has r esulted in the murder of Miss Cann in September, and
Miss Dillon -Burgess remains missing. But sadly, not hing has been said about priorities for the further pr otection of our women. It is said that attention is given to that which is deemed valuable. Our seniors are valuable, our economy is valuable, our education system
is valuable, our children are valuable, equally, our
women are valuable. This type of violence and these
things affecting all of these groups have to all be given
equal priority.
Thank you, Madam President .

The President: Thank you, Senator Robin Tucker.
Would any other Senator care to speak?
Well, someone needs to; we do not want to
cut it short.
Senator Arianna Hodgson, you have the floor.
Sen. Arianna Hodgson: Hello, can you hear me?

The President: Yes. Perhaps if you push it up closer
to the microphone itself, yes.

Sen. Arianna Hodgson: Good day, Madam President
and Members of the Senate.
If I were to ask each of you about your plans
for 2020 I am sure that, in many ways, things have not
gone as planned. Who would have thought that in losing my seat I would have won the opportunity to hav e
been appointed to the Senate and selected to serve
as a Junior Minister? I am honoured, humbled, and
deeply grateful to our Premier, to our party, and to my
colleagues for their support.
Madam President , today I am just as excited
for a fresh start as I am for the future. While there are
those who would suggest that the affairs of the Senate should be handled by seasoned, more mature per-sons, I propose that now is the time for new energy,
ideas and action. Nearly two months ago the PLP was
given a clear mandate. This was a mandate to lead, to
continue to safely navigate this pandemic, to limit the
economic destruction of this health care crisis, and to
re-envision a Bermuda for Bermudians.
Madam President , protecting Bermudians
from COVID -19 is our first priority. Since March our
Government has stepped in to provide strong leadership and a clear plan, as well as stewardship and
management to help us contain the spread and
transmission of the virus in our country. We have
punched above our weight and have set a global
standard in testing and preventing the spread of the
disease. While we are not out of the woods yet, and
we still need to wear our face coverings and follow
strict hygienic regimes, we have much to be proud of.
I would like to take this oppor tunity to thank
our dedicated health care professionals and everyone associated with managing this disease across our I s-land. These essential workers, public officers, and
other members of our community have worked tir elessly to hold our country together w hile the world
stood still. So, while I say thank you, I also make a
personal commitment to doing my part to adhere to the regulations designed to protect our communities
and to encourage my peers to do the same.
Madam President , in this year’s Throne
Speech our Premier laid out a very ambitious plan
outlining the Government’s agenda and focus for this
session. It is a plan that sets out our shared vision for Bermuda, which prioritises an investment in our people, which highlights our focus on prevention and
forces us to revisit our heritage and our cultural ident ity.
Madam President , Bermuda is at a cros sroads. And stimulating the economy is a major co mponent of our Government’s plan. For years we have
been faced with challenges when it comes to taking
care of our Bermudians, and COVID -19 will inevitably
have an adverse impact on the Government’s 2020/21
budget. While there is no denying that this year’s
budget will be challenging, I trust that our Finance
Minister, along with his team, will continue to work in
the best interests of our people to make appropriate
changes in line with changing circumstances.
Madam President , a big part of stimulating our
economy has to do with getting immigration right. And
I am extremely excited to be working with Minister
Hayward as we tackle progressive immigration reform
that acknowledges the contributions of our non -
Bermudian workers, but also protects the rights of
Bermudians. During the last legislative session, the Government passed
3mixed -status legislation. This
year we will build on this progress by tackling other
areas of immigration that have left many people in
precarious status positions for far too long.
Madam President , as Bermuda experiences
unparalleled levels of unemployment, this Gover nment is committed to addressing the unemployment
crisis and we are working to provide development o pportunities and training initiatives to strengthen, r etrain, and reskill our workforce. So, yes, we need to figure out how to get our people back to work, but while we work t o restore employment to previous levels, we must remember that each of us have a r esponsibility to show up on time, to do what needs to
be done, and to always give our best.
Madam President , the transformation of our
public school system has been a long t ime coming.
And while we understand the importance of this r eform, we cannot and will not rush this process. We
have made a promise to be transparent and to include
our people in the redesign of our system, and we will
do everything in our power to keep th is promise.

3 Bermuda Immigration and Protection Amendment
Act 2020
22 25 November 2020 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate Madam President , it is easy to think that you
can improve our education system with the right curriculum or the right management schemes, but this is
not the case. It is important that we provide our young
people with a comprehensive, well -rounded education
that prepares our students to compete on both the
local and global stage, while also considering our va lues, culture, and unique heritage. It is equally i mportant that we create an authority that will focus on student performance and outcomes.
Madam President , advances in technology
and the growth of social media have made it very easy to distribute explicit images and content over the
web. Over the years we have noticed an increasing
number of incidences whereby members of our co mmunities, both young and old, have chosen to post
sexually explicit images of former partners online without consent. Madam President , we cannot let this
continue.
Madam President , revenge porn and similar
acts can have immense psychological impacts which will in evitably play out in our communities. And I am
excited about our Government’s efforts to enact legi slation to address revenge porn and online assaults
and to protect the victims of these modern assaults.
Madam President , the care and welfare of our
seniors and persons with disabilities is everyone’s
concern. And this Government is committed to accommodating the voices and rights of the most marginalised persons. In Bermuda we have one of the
highest ageing populations in the world. At a time
when our seniors are choosing between food and
medications, I applaud our efforts to develop a N ational Seniors Strategy and welcome the introduction of a national drug formulary to assist with reducing
and managing costs. While I am excited about our
plans to ens hrine the rights of differently abled persons and the additional support provided for our seniors, I want to remind each of us that it takes a village.
Our families and communities also have a role to play
in ensuring that these persons can enjoy fundament al
rights and freedoms.
Madam President , our Government has not
and will not forget our children. As leaders, we must
do everything in our power to ensure that Bermuda’s
future will be built by those to whom it most belongs. I celebrate our Government’s commitment to developing a National Youth Policy to engage our youth in the
creation of government policy and stand with this
Government as we seek to establish the Office of the
Public Guardian and replace the Child Care Plac ement Board with the Children’ s Commission, who will
be responsible for advocating for our children in care
and promoting best practice policies and programmes.
Madam President, the holidays are coming,
and with COVID -19 in our midst, there is no doubt that
we have got some rough time s ahead of us. The year
2021 will bring its own unique challenges, and it is
likely that we will spend the next few years rebuilding and balancing a thriving economy ensuring that Bermudians who have lost their jobs and are not working
are cared for during these difficult times. As we continue to manage the effects of this pandemic, there is still much uncertainty around the crisis and what hap-pens next. The best thing we can do for our country
and our economy is to continue to diligently work to
navigate t his health crisis and to push on with the r esilience that we have always exhibited.
In these unprecedented times, we need
strong leadership and new levels of thinking. In order
to meet these unprecedented challenges, we need to
concentrate on practical ac tion which forces this transformational change and growth.
Madam President, I am truly looking forward
to this year’s session and to ushering in a new normal
where Bermudians are afforded equal opportunities to build and to break cycles of multigenerational trauma
and violence. While we may vote differently, we are all
in this together and we must work together. Now is not
the time for partisan politics. It is the time for bold action. And I am hopeful that we can continue to bridge the deep racial and soc io-economic divides that have
plagued our Island home for far too long. Thank you.
The President: Thank you, Senator Arianna Hodgson.
Now, Senators, it is half past 12. We usually
take a lunch break, but as we have gone so well, I
wondered . . . I am putt ing it out to you: Do you want
to break for lunch, or do you want to continue and fi nish earlier?

An Hon. Senator: I would say to continue would get
my vote.

The President: Continue? We will continue.
Do you need five minutes just to stretch? No.
An Hon . Senator : Owen can stretch himself.

The President: All right, we will continue.
I was going to ask who is going to speak
next? Would any Senator care to speak?
Senator Jones, you have the floor. Marcus
Jones.
Sen. Marcus Jones: Thank you, Madam President. I
was going to take your suggestion to stretch, but since
I am the—

The President: You are outvoted!

[Laughter]

Sen. Marcus Jones: —second to last person that has
got to give my speech, rather than there be air on the radio waves, I guess it is up to me to carry the debate.




Bermuda Senate The President : You have the floor, Senator Marcus
Jones.

Sen. Marcus Jones: Thank you and good afternoon,
Madam President, and good afternoon to the listening
audience.
Let me first begin by thanking the new leader
of the One Bermuda Alliance, Honourable Cole S imons, JP, MP , for inviting me back to the Senate. It is
my desire to have him be satisfied with his sel ection
as I endeavour to represent the Opposition to the best of my ability. I would be remiss if I did not take this
opportunity to extend my sincerest appreciation to
former Senator Jamie Jardine who served nine years
in the Senate. He has served the cou ntry well in this
capacity. His thorough analysis of the legislation and well-thought -out deliberations are well documented
and displayed a wide range of knowledge. He will be a
great miss.
Having not had the pleasure of replying to a
Throne Speech in 2019, which was not presented,
maybe I can indulge the President for double the time
normally afforded to make up for last year. We can
call it the Somerset Cup Match two- for-one-deal that
this country has grown used to in our summer classic.
But in light of t he size of this Throne Speech, I do not
believe that this will be necessary.
As we all know, the governing party’s presentation of their annual Throne Speech is traditionally a
rollout of its legislative agenda for the coming year, a
formal wish -list of wh at it wants to accomplish outlined
in broad strokes without having to be bogged down by
those pesky details that politicians hate to have to ex-plain. It is an opportunity for them to pontificate to
some degree on their high successes of their most
recent y ear in Government, but also to inspire the
electorate on what they intend to do to make the lives
of its citizens better, and position the country to experience prosperity and a steady hand in its governance.
Unfortunately, this Throne Speech is light in
both of those endeavours and, in my humble opinion,
looks suspiciously like the brainchild of a technical
officer within the civil service rather than the metic ulous awe- inspiring flair of the Premier and his leadership team. But this is pure speculation on my part.
Madam President, as stated in my last Reply
to the Throne Speech in November 2018, there are
three fundamental principles that I consider when offering feedback on legislation, budget proposals and, in this case, the Throne Speech. It is a means by
which I put my markers down to guide me in all my
debates in this Chamber: 1) Future generations ; 2)
Bermuda’s oneness; and 3) Solution- driven deliber ations.
Future generations : Our greatest resource on
this Island of 21 square miles is its people. Ho w we as
legislators go about our work determines not only the
lives of its present residents, but most importantly, those future generations of people who will come behind us.
Bermuda’s oneness: Bermuda is a melting pot
of various ethnicities. Most of us c an trace our origins
back three and four generations when our forefathers
were not even living on this Island. Despite the fact
that our origins are different, gender, racial, economic
and educational experiences are different, and finally, our party affil iations are different, we are still one
Bermuda. We have that common tie that binds us.
And although there will be times when we fuss and fight in these hallowed halls, we must not forget that
we are one people with one purpose, which is to cr eate a qualit y of life for all of its citizens, the haves and
the have- nots, the born Bermudians and the adopted
Bermudians.
Solution- driven deliberations: It will be extremely tempting for me to speak ad nauseum on the
ills of Bermuda, its terrible mistakes and poor planning
by successive Governments. To produce clickbait for
the print and digital media [would] be par for the
course for most traditional politicians. But we on this
side are not like your traditional politicians. We believe
in giving a fair and balanced critique of this present
administration, a nod of approval when they get it
right, disapproving feedback when it falls short of its
stated goals, but, more importantly, our best efforts in
offering alternative ideas to improve the legislation. Please do not expect us to pull out green pom -poms
to cheer on this Government. That is the unenviable
job of the Government Senators in these Chambers,
and it would be most inappropriate of me to take that
job from them (Junior Ministers, no less) in a work
environment where jobs are being lost hand over fist as a result of companies going out of business and
some severely downsizing their operations.
In the spirit of these three stated markers, allow me to mention the areas within this Throne
Speech that I was pleased to see and would encourage the Government to follow through on implementing their agenda as it relates to these aspirations.
Madam President, positives from this Throne
Speech:
1) Having the convening of Parliament in the
old Town of St. George’s. The s etting in the Town of
St. George’s for the reconvening of Parliament 2020,
celebrating the original Assembly held 400 years ago
was appropriate and full of historical significance. One
could not miss the sacredness of this event as it
hailed back to our ri ch beginnings as a colony in the
place where it all started.
2) The National Cultural Heritage Policy. I
took special note of the Government’s intent to intr oduce its National Cultural Heritage Policy for Berm uda. As a colony, much of the historical educat ion we
experienced when in school was that of the United
Kingdom and our neighbours to the west of us, the United States. This was always a pet peeve of mine,
24 25 November 2020 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate that we, as a country with a rich heritage, spent little
time promoting the beginnings and progressive journey of this piece of limestone in the middle of the A tlantic that has done much in the world of global ec onomics, academia, sports and culture. We must put
this at the forefront of our public discourse and make it
a requirement not only in our government run schools,
but also in the private schools.
3) Approving additional capital projects. One
of the tools in a government’s toolbox to stimulate a
countr y’s faltering economy, or in our case, to
jumpstart it after a major national crisis, is by injecting
funding into the community through capital projects.
Of course, we place a discerning eye on our debt st atus and look for ways to increase revenue while decreasing expenditure in government. But full -scale
austerity would not be the right antidote [to what] ails us, but rather, a well -thought -out plan to improve the
country’s infrastructure through these projects, making
sure that the capital investment is shared equitably
amongst companies that are committed to hiring l ocals, whether they are friends of the present admi nistration or not.
4) Continuing the reform policies for immigr ation. Quote from the Throne Speech: “Government will
continue to protect the rights of Bermudians, while
reforming policies to increase the residential popul ation to support economic growth.” Well stated. And we, the Opposition will be watching intently to ensure
that this administration continues the bipartisan work
and reform that reflects the wishes of the people, and
will exercise equal contribution and buy -in from both
parties, rather than the biased view of a select few
who have a political agenda.
5) Revising of the Constitution. Back in the
1960s when the first draft of our Constitution was rat ified by the Legislature of the day, it was a great star ting point. But it is debatable whether the crafters of
this document were a fair representation of the res idents of Bermuda at that time, and, more importantly,
whether it is rel evant for a 21
st century Bermuda. So
reform is necessary and long overdue.
6) The financial assistance scheme improv ements: The after -effect of a national disaster as we
have experienced through this pandemic is proof pos itive that our society needs a safety net for those who
are the most vulnerable economically. Soliciting fun ding from the private sector for this endeavour at this juncture may be a little problematic, as some bus inesses cannot even keep their doors open. I have
taken special note of this G overnment’s intention to
reform the system to ensure that its recipients are on
a pathway to employment.
Madam President, as Her Majesty’s Loyal
Opposition, we are duty -bound on this side of the political aisle to offer constructive feedback and offer
alternative ideas and concepts to improve the gover nance of this Island. From time to time, the Westmi nster form of parliamentary discourse for the party in Government can be uncomfortable and untenable. But
it is the natural tension of this political system t hat
holds the Government to account and provides the
necessary conflict to produce the best results. Like nasty -tasting medicine, it may be tough to swallow but
it is necessary.
In my introductory remarks, I made the observation that this Throne Speech, in comparison to successive administrations of the past, can be considered
lightweight as it relates to content, a perfunctory approach to matters that are at the core of Bermuda’s
existence as a jurisdiction of global importance, and in
some cases, it lacke d a mention of even the smallest
degree in the areas where this community having just
endured a health crisis of biblical proportions we
would be extremely interested in knowing the Government’s intent and plans for the way forward.
I believe this Throne Speech is remarkable in
what it has not said or addressed, more than what it
does say. Take, for example, the issue of reducing the
cost of living. This Government dedicated two par agraphs to the cost of living and economic inequality on
the second page of its 2018 Throne Speech. Being
highlighted e arly in that speech demonstrates its importance to a Labour Government. Fast forward to
2020: After a worldwide pandemic that impacted bus inesses and the livelihoods of hundreds of residents on this Island, what does this current version of the Throne Speech do to address that major issue that
the Premier deemed, in his words, the overarching
theme of this s ession (in 2018)? Barely a passing gesture, Madam President. In fact, an obligatory mention
of the phrase “c ost of living” was made in conjunction
with the challenge it presents. Thus, the need for i mmigration reform hidden in one sentence.
Did I miss something over the last two years
that will convince me that this Government has made
significant inroads to curb the skyrocketing cost of
living for all and to dismantle the systemic economic
inequality that prevails in this country?
Nothing. Zilch. Nada.
Let’s talk about the Government’s intent to
promote diversification of this economy. In its 2018 rendering of the Throne Speech, FinTech and bloc kchain- based national identity system was heralded as
the emerging third pillar of Bermuda’s economy, ge nerating wealth and job creation. This terminology is
not even mentioned in this speech—not its success or
the progressive and ever -evolving track it may be on.
Nothing. Zilch. Nada.
How about the hospitality and tourism industry—Bermuda’s recognise d second pillar of the economy behind international business —an industry in
which the Government has had to bail out a foreign company that owns the Fairmont Southampton by
paying the 750 employees their redundancy pay. [This
is] the same company who could not meet that oblig ation in time, but yet has the financial resources to i nvest tens of millions of dollars into renovating that



Bermuda Senate physical plant. The same company, which, based on
his press conference, the Finance Minister states his Government will do all in its power to recoup these
funds even if legal channels are required. [This]
leaves the country uncertain on whether it will be able to regain the advancement of these monies made
available to remedy this dilemma. Surely , this Speech
would invest much attention to an industry that has
the second highest number of employees in the wor kforce.
Nothing. Zilch. Nada.
Shockingly, save for an announcement of the
successful reintroduction of scheduled flights and the
resumption of our tourism industry, which is found on
page 9 of the Throne Speech, there is a significant
lack of consideration to the present state or future i ntent of this Government in their efforts to drive this
industry to a place of sustainability to keep our people
employed. Nothing reassuring is said about saf eguarding the continued autonomy of the Bermuda Tourism Authority in light of the announcement of
Members of Parliament being placed in the positions of Board Chair and Member.
After a pandemic that was instrumental in the
closure of so me hotels and the downsizing of others,
the silence is deafening in this speech as it relates to
this industry and leaves the public, especially those directly affected befuddled.
Let’s now switch our attention to those issues
raised in the Throne Speech t hat can be considered
problematic, at best, and reckless at worst. The Gov-ernment proposes to produce (as per page 8 of the
Throne Speech) a revised capital development plan
setting out targeted project expenditure to keep Bermudians working. A noble aspir ation, one would say,
and one that is desperately needed as our economy
has tanked following this COVID crisis that still pr evails today.
One would extract from this statement, in
combination with additional messaging from press
statements, that the funds may be used from the heralded infrastructure fund, which is a public/private in itiative set up a few years ago which has a revised r eported balance north of $19 million. By its title, one would expect its usage to be invested in construction projects, not in venture capital start -ups, such as an
electric vehicle rental business, which is what this
fund has invested in so far.
Why do I raise this issue? I raise it because
the public would need to be assured that the stated
purposes outlined in this Throne Speech are in alig nment with the original intent of this fund, and that the
contractors chosen will be fairly selected without bias
for those who have close ties with this Government.
How can we ensure that our elected politicians do not
have a direct link to these funds at the expense of
needy small firms who have fallen on hard times? Madam President, the Throne Speech states
on page 6 that the Tax Reform Commission will be
invited to update its recommendations made in 2018
in light of the new economic realities created by the
pandemic. The Government quotes from the Fiscal Responsibility Panel to bolster its claim that, and I
quote, “[I]t is essential to achieve greater equity by
reducing taxes for those at the bottom of the pyramid
while extending taxes to those with significant capital
income or assets.”
The present administration built on initiatives
made by the former OBA Government to implement
more equitable payroll tax tiers for low -wage earners.
But this same panel stated in its 2019 edition, and I
quote, “On tax reform, we regard 2019 as a year of missed opportunity, not just because of the further
delay in meeting the target for budget balance, but
because of the absence of significant tax reform along the lines of that proposed by the Tax Reform Commission or this Panel, as well as the de facto easing of
the government’s fiscal targets facilitated by the sus-pension of contributions to the Sinking Fund.”
Not having the political will to implement recommendations made by economic advisors such as
this has put the Government in a position of missed
opportunity. What is made crystal clear from this panel
is that these tax reforms are necessary for Bermuda
to achieve its debt sustainability goals. If one has not
embarked on recommendations that are out standing,
to ask for an update on them is understandable, but
rings hollow, because one has not followed through
on the initial suggestions.
One could accuse the PLP Government of
borrowing from the OBA’s former Throne Speeches and draft legislation on the idea of immigration reform.
I quote once again from the Throne Speech: “[T]he
Government will continue to protect the rights of Bermudians, while reforming policies to increase the res idential population to support economic growth.”
Since when has a PLP administration adv ocated increasing the residential population? Stunning,
to say the least. This statement would cause one’s spirits to rise in optimism, especially those who find themselves without citizenship, although recent developments in this area would suggest this is only
wishful thinking. The bipartisan approach used to bring about solutions to the mixed- family status issue,
although considered a good start, has not gone far
enough to allow immigration reform to be a tool to
support economic growth.
Similar to the point raised regarding tax r eform once again, this administration sits in the place of
missed opportunity , while our competitors to the south
of us have exercised their political muscle, reconciled
with the injustices of the past and have positioned
themselves to be an inviting jurisdiction which attracts
job creators willing to invest in their countries and
stimulate their economies. Citing the Fiscal Respons i26 25 November 2020 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate bility Panel again, their 2019 edition, and may I quote,
Madam President?

The P resident: Yes, you may, Senator Jones.

Sen. Marcus Jones: “While some of Bermuda’s key
industries can rely on a flow of high- skilled professionals that are resident for a few years at a time,
many of its skilled workers are torn between a desire
to continue working in Bermuda and restrictions on
the prospect that they and their dependents can ult imately live and work in Bermuda as citizens. This in
turn lessens their commitment to the island, reduces
their incentive to invest, makes them more likely to
return to their countries of origin, and makes Bermuda
less attractive both for businesses and people. Treating people who have spent many years of their lives
contributing to the island’s economy simply as ec onomic units, rather than offering them a stake in the
future of Bermuda, is ultimately counterproductive, both socially and economically.”
Madam President, in closing—and I see ev eryone smiling —I would like to underscore what has
been mentioned by my colleagues as it relates to using pension funds as an investment vehicle to fund a
down payment on a home for first -time homebuyers.
Has this Government gauged the appetite for
this withdrawal by the targeted demographic that they
are offering this benefit to? If so, what do the surveys
and questionnaires te ll us? Have the actuaries and
fund managers given their expert opinion on this acti vity and its short - and long- term impact? Especially
since the population census of 2016 claims that the ageing of Bermuda’s population and the forecast of its
further shrinkage (the most serious long- term issue
Bermuda faces) could have profound implication for
Bermuda’s economic growth, and for the financial vi ability of its pillars for social welfare embodied in its
various pension, health and welfare schemes. We see
this move by Government as being short -sighted, bo rdering on reckless.
Once again, I quote from the departed Cari bbean and religious leader, Dr. Myles Monroe. “When purpose is not known, abuse is inevitable.” In this
case, purpose is known, which is the reserving of i ncome by the working- age residents for future use in
their retirement years. But this is being ignored. We can appreciate the move by this Parliament to enact
legislation that provided relief for those in financial
need during this pandemic. But to then take it a step
further and make it a tool for investment outside its
remit is immoral.
As stated at the beginning of my contribution
to this debate today, this Throne Speech, in my humble opinion, can be described as a lightweight boxer
trying to enter a boxing match designed for the heav-yweight division. There are weighty issues that this
country has to face requiring a heavyweight boxer’s
approach. Bermuda has weathered many a storm in its history and this could be one of its worst in history .
This Government will need to draw on the resources of all of its citizens in the form of innovative ideas and
even utilise the expertise of those groups with whom
they have traditionally refused to consult, to be able to navigate us t hrough the effects of this COVID pandemic and beyond. I thank you for your indulgence,

Thank you, Senator Marcus Jones.
And is there any other Senator who wants to
speak?
No. Then I would just like to highlight a couple
of items.
As someone who has worked in the health
care system for many years, obviously, I am very, very
interested in the “affordable universal healthcare for all” that this Government has indicated by the introduction of the Bermuda Health Plan. I know that there
has been so much over the years that has been done
to try to get Bermudians who have a high rate of obesity, a high rate of . . . when you go to the stores and
you see what people have in their carts, it makes you
wonder Are they listening? Are they really wanting to
address the whole issue?
I know growing up some of us . . . I am giving
away my age now, but certainly years ago having to
walk to school and not sitting around and just watc hing television, but you really had to . . . and you enjoyed walking. You enjoyed walking to school, you
enjoyed doing all the things, being engaged in all sorts
of activities. So, that is one of the reasons why we are dealing with the high obesity, not just in older people
but in young people.
So I think if there is anything that we would
want to reinforce it is for families as well as in the
school system . . . I know there are attempts to address the diet in the school systems. But we need to
do it at home as well. And when I go shopping, and I see what people are putting in their carts, it really, r eally . . . it almost makes me want to go up to them and
say, Don’t you think you should do something different? And I have to remind myself that I am only r esponsibl e for my own household. But it is an issue, so
I am glad that, number one, we are addressing a uni-versal health plan.
The other issue that I see, and it has been
mentioned by some of you here today, [is] that people, particularly older people, may have t o choose whether
or not they pay for their medications: Can I afford to
have this? Or can I afford to buy my medication? And
that is a terrible thing for people to have to do. And so I think the fact that this Government is not only going
to come up with a n affordable universal health care
plan, but they also want to establish a national drug
formulary . . . because you cannot do one without the
other.
I am also very pleased to see that there is
going to be the establishment of an Education Author iBermuda Senate ty. I t hink that the transformation of the school system
. . . and again, giving away our ages. When we were
younger . . . I mean, the school system, the output
particularly in the public schools was really, really high
in terms of the grades; the results that you saw in the school system then. So something is adrift.
I remember somebody who was visiting Bermuda saying to me, It seems to me that the private schools are doing better than public schools. And that
is a question we should ask ourselves, particularly when you look at math . . . when you look at the r esults in the school system. So I am glad that there is going to be an Education Authority and also that we
are going to really look at what we are doing for our
young people.
I was on a panel years ago, and I went into
the prison system. I was doing a counselling degree, and I went into the prison system just to talk to some of the prisoners there. And the majority of them there,
who were there for various . . . whether it was drugs or
whatever, they did not do well in school, particularly in
their teens. They left school early. So for quite a few of them not having completed their education and be-ing able to have a school -leaving certificate was a r eal, real issue. Because what happened is that they got caught up in using marijuana or some other activity,
and then their lives just took a wrong turn. And most
of them would say to me, Oh, if only I had somebody
talking to me in my teenage years, to speak to me
about the value of school.
And the other thing is they did not have role
models. And so I was really pleased when for a time we had people who took young people, young teen-agers, particularly boys, under their wings to educate. So I was pleased to hear that we are going to be a ddressing this, because w e need to turn the lives of our
young people around. Not only do we have an older population here, but we need to try to protect and save our young people.
So I am pleased about the school. I am
pleased about the health care for all. I did not hear too
much about the subsea cables. I think it was mentioned, but Bermuda can certainly reap the benefits of
the need for global connectivity. I think it was men-tioned briefly by someone, and I do not recall, but def-initely I think that we need to benefit from that connec-tivity of the data protection.
The Office of the Public Guardian has been
mentioned, and the construction of a marina at St. George’s. I was really, really delighted to see that this was included. And wage reform. And finally, not that I think that there is an issue for us here in this . . . and I
probably will get a slap on the wrist, but the code of
conduct. I think that this is something . . . it just needs
to remind us of the code of conduct of our parliamentarians, whether in here or outside of the facility. It is very important because we are considered as leaders, and people are looking to us. And they are expecting, wherever we are . . . whether at work or play, people
are looking to us as models. I know that the Speaker has talked about this and I think that there is a com-mittee which will be addressing it, but the code of conduct I think is something that will be [done], hope-fully, in this next year.
I will leave now for Dr. Peets to wrap up this
section, but I just want to say that I appreciate all the contributions that you all have made so far.
Dr. Peets, it is over to you, Senate Leader
MOTION
MESSAGE TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR
ON THE PRESENTATION OF THE
2020 THRONE SPEECH

Thank you, Madam
Presid ent.
I move that the following message be sent to
His Excellency the Governor:
“May it please your Excellency, the Senate
has the honour to thank your Excellency for the most gracious speech with which your Excellency was
pleased to open the present session of Parliament.”
The President: Is there any objection to that motion?
No objection.
A suitable message will be sent. Thank you.
[Motion carried: Message of thanks to be sent to His
Excellency the Governor.]
The President: We are now moving on to the second
item on our Orders of the Day, which is consideration
of the draft Order entitled Public Health (COVID -19)
Emergency (No. 3) Extension Order 2020 .
Senator Curtis Richardson, I believe this is
your Bill.
SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDER 71(2)
Sen. Curtis Richardson: Yes, Madam President, I
move that Standing Order 71(2) be suspended so that
Senate may now proceed with consideration of the Public Health (COVID -19) Emergency (No. 3) Extension Order 2020.
The President: Is there any objection to that motion?
No objection.
Carry on, Senator Curtis Richardson.
[
Motion carried: Standing Order 71(2) suspended.]
Sen. Curtis Richardson: Madam President, I move
that the Senate do now take under consideration the draft Order entit led Public Health (COVID -19) Eme rgency (No. 3) Extension Order 2020.
28 25 November 2020 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda Senate The President: Is there any objection to that motion?
Carry on then, Senator Richardson.
ORDER
PUBLIC HEALTH (COVID- 19)
EMERGENCY (NO. 3) EXTENSION ORDER 2020
Sen. Curtis Richardson: Madam President, I am
pleased to invite this Senate Chamber to consider the
[draft] Order entitled Public Health (COVID -19) Emergency (No. 3) Extension Order 2020 .
Madam President, as this Senate knows, the
coronavirus disease, COVID -19, is caused by a new
virus that has spread quickly throughout the world
since it came to light in China in late 2019. COVID -19
is highly infectious and transmits easily between people who are in close contact or through coughs and
sneezes. While most infected people suffer mild flulike symptoms, some become seriously ill and even die. There is no cure for COVID -19, although over the
course of the year more effective treatments have be-come available and vaccine development is being expedited around the world. Without a cure or a vaccine,
other ways of slowing and controlling [how] the di sease is spread are needed.
As Bermudians, you will know [that] wearing
face masks, practici ng good hand hygiene, maintai ning physical distance between us and [following] all health protocols contribute to infection control. In add ition, one of the World Health Organization’s [WHO]
recommendations for controlling the disease is quarantine. This means separating healthy people from other healthy people in case they have the virus and
could spread it.
Strong evidence has found quarantine to be
an important tool in reducing the number of people
getting infected with COVID -19. This turns me to the
importance of following public health directions and
legal requirements such as the obligation to quara ntine. This is particularly important if you have recently
returned from traveling to any part of the world. While
Bermuda’s real -time reproduction rate for the coron avirus disease remains below one, this cannot be said for many of the countries surrounding us.
Madam President, I would like to take this
opportunity to remind the Bermuda community that the Quarantine (COVID -19) (No. 3) Order 2020 provides, in summary, that any traveller who arrives in
Bermuda must take a COVID -19 test upon arrival at
the airport and shall —this is obligatory —place himself
in quarantine at his house or accommodation until such time as he shall receive results of the COVID -19
[test].
If that traveller has a negative pre- departure
test, then the second negative test (the airport test) will release that person from quarantine. If that trave ller has not had a negative pre- departure test, the pe-r
iod of quarantine lasts until the traveller has had a
test on day eight with a negative result. The penalties for a breach of this requirement are outlined in the Quarantine Act 2017, which provides, on summary conviction, for six months imprisonment or a fine of $25,000.
Madam President, the Minister of Health consulted the Chief Medical Officer and determined that a communicable disease of the first or second category, named COVID -19, continues to pose a severe threat
to public health in Bermuda. This extension Order will extend the Publ ic Health (COVID -19) Emergency (No.
3)
Order 2020 made under the Public Health Act 1949
to permit the Governor to continue the Public Health (COVID -19 Emergency Powers) Regulations 2020
which imposed extraordinary measures necessary in the interest of publ ic health to prevent, control, and
suppress COVID -19 in Bermuda—extraordinary
measures, such as, for example, the quarantine r equirements.
Madam President, Honourable Senators will
be aware that the most recent Public Health (COVID -
19)
Emergency (No. 3) Order 2020 was made under
the negative resolution procedure, effective from the
27th of October 2020 for 30 days, and expiring on the
26th of November 2020. However, the COVID -19 pa ndemic continues to rage on globally, and a public health emergency continu es to exist on our shores .
Therefore, in accordance with section 107A(3)
of the Public Health Act 1949, I bring this Extension
Order to the Senate Chamber to prolong the state of
public health emergency for a further 60 days, ending on the 25
th of January 2021.
Thank you, Madam President.
The President: Thank you, Senator Curtis Richar dson.
Would any Senator care to speak on this O rder?
No. Then Senator Curtis Richardson.
Sen. Curtis Richardson: Madam President, I move
that the said draft Order be approved and that the fol-lowing message be sent to his Excellency the Gover-nor:
“May it please your Excellency, the Senate,
having had under consideration the draft Order ent itled the Public Health (COVID -19) Emergency (No. 3)
Extension Order 2020 proposed to be laid by the Mi nister responsible for Health under the provisions of section 107A of the Public Health Act 1949, has the honour to inform your Excellency that the Senate has approved the said draft Order.”
The President: Is there any objection to that motion?
No objections. A suitable message will be
sent.

Bermuda Senate [Motion passed: The Public Health (COVID -19) Eme rgency (No. 3) Extension Order 2020 was approved.]
The President: Thank you, Senator Curtis Richardson.
Sen. Curtis Richardson: Thank you, Madam President.
The President: That brings us to item number 14.
MOTIONS
The President: There are none.
Item number 15.
CONGRATULATORY AND/OR
OBITUARY SPEECHES
The President: Would any Senator care to speak?
Senator Darrell first and then Senator Ric hardson.
Senator Darrell, you have the floor.
Sen. Owen Darrell: Thank you, Madam President.
I would like to take this opportunity today to
send condolences to the family of a former student of
mine.
I actually engaged with Mr. Clevonte LodgeBean when he was a student at the Berkeley Institute
before he transferred (after I left) to CedarBridge Academy where he graduated from this June. Unfor-tunately, yesterday, myself and some of my other Senate colleagues and Ministers of the Government along with hundreds of others attended a home- going
service, celebration of life, for Clevonte, who as has been reported, was a young superstar on the track, representing Bermuda in many overseas compet itions, representing both public high schools, and had numerous friends and was loved by all.
Clevonte used to refer to himself, and others
used to refer to him, as the “great Lodge.” I actually first met Clevonte when he was in middle school. I was friends with his mom and his family. He was just a ball of energy and full of life. It was unfortunate that he tragically lost his life. So I want to send the condolences to his mom, Delphina; his daddy, Alan [Daniels], father Lamont [ (Monty) Bean ] and also Mr.
Norbert Simons. Some would have seen an article
where Mr. Simons was his track coach and took on a father -figure role.
It was a touching celebration at National St adium. Many of you would have seen, maybe on social media (if you were not there), that Clevonte was given a last lap. One of his races was the 400 metre. His friends, his teammates, his classmates took him one last time around the track of National Stadium. So, once again, I would like to send my condolences to
the family of Clevonte.
And, on a happier note, I would like to send
Happy Birthday wishes. I know they do not usually do
this in these places, but two specific individuals who
happen to live in Smith’s South. I met them a couple of months ago when canvassing. One is a lady by the
name of Ms. Pam Quarterly . She celebrated a very
special birthday a few weeks ago and I did call her to tell her Happy Birthday. You would know that Ms. Quarterly does a lot of giving back into society. So I
want to just celebrate her today and her birthday. And another individual who lives in constituency 8, Smith’s
South, the Honourable John Barritt, former Member in
another place. He is the father of a friend of mine and
he also celebrated a significant milestone birthday in recent weeks. I also called to wish him a Happy Birt hday.
So I just want to take the opportunity to cel ebrate those particular individuals in constituency 8. I will occasionally do more as I sit here. Thank you, Madam President.
The President: Thank you, Senator Owen Darrell.
Senator Curtis Richardson, you indicated you
wanted to speak. You have the flo or.
Sen. Curtis Richardson: Madam President, I would
like to offer condolences to a very helpful member of mine during my latest campaigning. Her name is
Nathalie, on the passing of her mother
on the 9th of October, Ruth Ann Marie Barnett (nee
Thomas). She was a beloved wife of Fitz “Ken” Barnett of London England. She was formerly of 2 Rai lway Terrace, Pembroke Parish, Bermuda. She was
mother of Sharon, David [ Lisa], Yvette, Nathalie and
Mark [Danielle ]. She was the daughter of the late A lfred and Marie Thomas and sister of Cynthia Stovel l
and [Alfred ] Thomas [Jr]. She leaves to mourn behind
many family and friends. And I just wanted to pass on, again, my condolences to, especially Nathalie, who
was very instrumental and a good friend of mine.
That’s all I have.
The President: Thank you.
Senator Michelle Simmons, you have the
floor.
Sen. Michelle Simmons: Thank you, Madam Pres ident.
I would ask that the entire Senate join me in
congratulating Mrs. Louise Franks who made the headlines yesterday celebrating her 107
th birthday.
[
Desk thumping]
The President: I am sure we all would—
30 25 November 2020 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda Senate Sen. Michelle Simmons: What a milestone! If only
we all could reach those golden years. She celebrated
in style with a drive- by event. And a certain person
who sits in another place, i.e., the Premier, joined her for a short while as he also was celebrating. So I would like to extend Happy Birthday wishes to both of them.
[
Desk thumping]
Sen. Michelle Simmons: Secondly, I am asking for
the Senate to send congratulations to the head of school at BHS, Ms. Linda Parker; to the chair of the
trustees, Mariette Savoie; and to the fundraising campaign chair, who was Pam Ferreira , on the opening of
their state- of-the-art Innovation Centre. I am sure we
have all seen snippets on television, on the news, and
in the newspaper about this wonderful centre which is
dedicated to the advancement of science, technology,
engineering and math education, in particular, as well
as the arts. The Innovation Centre is making it poss ible for the girls, the young women at BHS, to really take their science studies even further, as far as they would like. And I think that it is very kind of the school
to also plan to offer access to the facility to other
schools. So congratulations to BHS on the opening of that centre.
Also, and this is just coincidentally, another
BHS congratulation. Two of their students, two 14-year-old girls, won the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation’s Youth Pitch competition recently, as well as the People’s Choice Award for a project which means that they can help charities to connect with interested volunteers. It is quite a clever pr ogramme that they have worked out, and I am sure that the $5,000 they earned will help them to move forward
with their project. So, congratulations to Moya van
Niekerk (and I hope I am pronouncing her surname
correctly) and Loré de Kock for winning that compet ition.
And finally, I would like to congratulate Senior
Magistrate Mr. Juan Wolffe for pushing forward with a vision he has had for some time, I believe, to under-take the launch of more treatment courts. We all know that there is a very high recidivism rate in our prisons, and it is imperative that instead of locking them up we should treat the causes of the problems we are seeing. I know that Senior Magistrate Wolffe is quite d etermined to do this, and I just want to thank him for
pressing forward with his vision, and hopefully helping to reduce the recidivism rate in our prisons. Thank you, Madam President.
The President: Thank y ou, Senator Michelle Si mmons.
Would any other Senator . . . Senator Marcus
Jones, you have the floor.
Sen. Marcus Jones: Thank you, Madam President. I would like for this Senate Chamber to send
condolences to the family of the late Charles Samuel Robinson who passed on September 26th of
this year. His distinction is not only based on him be-ing my uncle, but he was truly a strong family man and a community man.
Although he was born in the heart of Somerset, the Portland Square Ely’s Harbour area, but he
was able to meet the love of his life, his wife Marlene, and they moved to the Somerset Bridge area. From there he was able to impact his community and ther eabouts through his church membership of the White Hill Gospel [Chapel]. In the 1950s he became a f ounding member of the Gospel Light Quartet . They sang
on radio programmes such as the Calvary Bible Hour
and at rallies done by Franklin Zuill. They also sang
throughout the various assemblies, for conferences and other special events.
He was also well known as a master carpenter from Somerset to St. George’s. His skills and ex-pertise were strongly sought after. He also was one of the founding members of CaMp HoPe. Those of you who know of that very strong youth programme, he was involved in this ministry for 50 years. He served in
many capacities: arts and crafts, sports, music —
where he played his accordion. He was very well
known for playing his accordion. He used his car-pentry skills in the building of benches, tables, kayaks,
cricket bats, maintenance and repairs to the New
Hope boat. He also assisted with infrastructure, camp
coordination, as well as Bible teaching. He played a
key role in CaMp HoPe’s substantial impact on the lives of young people both locally and internationally.
So, I just wanted to bring to the attention of
the Senate this afternoon the passing of my uncle, a great giant of a man, Mr. Charles Samuel Robinson.
Thank you, Madam President.
The President: Thank you, Senator Marcus Jones.
Would any other Senator care to speak?
No. Then, Minister Peets, Government Leader
in the Senate, the adjournment (item number 16).
ADJOURNMENT

I make a motion to
adjourn.
The President: You certainly can. Yes.
[
Crosstalk]
The President: Yes. Would any Senator care to
speak on the motion to adjourn?
Senator Darrell.
Sen. Owen Darrell: Thank you, Madam President.



Bermuda Senate Madam President, may I please have the i ndulgence to read my maiden speech as I get my feet
wet in the Senate?

The President : You certainly may.

MAIDEN SPEECH

THANKSGIVING, AN EXPRESSION
OF GRATITUDE

Sen. Owen Darrell: Thank you.
Madam President, thank you for the opportunity to give what some like to call my “maiden speech” here in the Senate. If you would be so kind
today to allow me to use my maximum 15 minutes to
speak on the topic of thanksgiving, an expression of
gratitude.
You see, Madam President, when I mention
“thanksgiving,” many can be forgiven for allowing their
thoughts to wander to large feasts with family an d
friends featuring a juicy turkey, stuffing and yams, or
possibly my sister -in-law’s amazing collard greens
with some real ham followed by a slab of pumpkin pie.
Madam President, if I were a Canadian cit izen, Thanksgiving Day would have been on the second Monday in October. And if I were an American
citizen, Thanksgiving would be on the fourth Thursday
in November, which happens to be tomorrow. But
since I am a proud Bermudian, Madam President, I
would ask that you allow me to celebrate “Thanksgi ving Day ” today, Wednesday, November 25, 2020.
Madam President, let’s rewind the clock back
to a few months ago when the Premier of Bermuda
decided that he would call a general election. I felt that
this was finally a good time to run as a candidate for
election, having been an approved PLP candidate as
far back as the 2012 election, just like at least one
other Senator in this Chamber (who shall remain
nameless).
The constituency that I chose was an area
which I grew up very close to, Smith’s South, consti tuency 8. And while my choice to run in that area may
have shocked many, I saw it as a unique opportunity, an opportunity to demonstrate to everyone that I have
never been afraid of hard work, never been afraid to
seek new opportunities, never been afraid to meet
new people, and never been afraid to offer myself as
a servant. From August 26
th until October 1st I was
able to knock on hundreds of doors, to make hundreds of phone calls, to send countless emails, and
have meaningful conversations with citizens who car e
deeply about our home.
To those 1,331 eligible voters in Smith’s
South, I give thanks to you today. Thank you for allo wing me to have meaningful dialogue. Thank you for
keeping it real. And thank you for sharing your concerns candidly. Madam President, of course, I could never
have accomplished this feat alone. I was very fort unate to have an extremely dedicated group of indivi duals who supported me (with pom -poms, I might add)
from the moment that my candidacy was announced. My team of supporters totall ed some 70 people, some
of whom I had never met before my campaign started.
I wish today, Madam President, to publicly
express my gratitude to the amazing team that was assembled to assist my efforts in Smith’s South.
Whether it be my mom and campaign manager, Marlette Darrell, and her group of fantastic friends (many
of whom I refer to as “aunt”) making calls while enjo ying tea and sandwiches; whether it be to constituency 8 resident, Ms. Olita Smith, who called me on day -one
and said, I’ve never canvassed before, but I want to come and try it out; whether it be Ms. Z akina Allen,
Ms. Darmell Jones , Mr. Andre Place— lifelong Pr ogressive Labour Party branch members of Smith’s
South who called and said, We want to be part of
something special, and proceeded to canvass with me
every single night.
Whether it be my cousin, DeRoy Butterfield
who said, Tell me the days and times, Cuz, and I will
be there. Whether it be friends who supported from
behind the scenes or the workers who showed up and showed out on elect ion day, I salute you today! I pu blicly say, Thank you for your support.
There is something about a look on people’s
faces when you look them in the eye and say, “ thank
you,” Madam President. They feel a sense of apprec iation. Madam President, this was no more evident
than on the night of October 1
st. Yes, election night.
You see, while some candidates may have been
locked inside a polling station nervously biting their
nails, listening to the returning officer call out the
name chosen on the ballet, I was at home hosting a
thank -you reception for each and every one of my
team members —within social distancing guidelines (I
might add).
Madam President, recognising the hard work
of individuals and why they do what they do is one of
the most important things t hat an individual can do. As
an educator by trade, I was told that if your objectives
are not clear for your students —the “why” —then sur ely you are wasting your time.
Madam President, you see [while] I personally
did not get elected in constituency 8 on O ctober 1st––
and let’s be frank, I was not expected to win the co nstituency ––I was indeed victorious. The team I have
confidence in was selected by the majority of voters to represent their interests, and for that I am grateful. I have made so many more connections in Smith’s
South and met people on both sides of the political
equation who have expressed their confidence in me
and in the direction that the PLP Government is taking
us.
32 25 November 2020 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate Madam President, this brings me to the next
group of individuals to whom I wish to express grat itude today: They are my Senate colleagues. Yes, the
Minister of Youth, Culture and Sports, the Honourable
Ernest Peets; the Junior Minister of Labour, Senator Arianna Hodgson; the Junior Minister of Transport,
Health and National Security, Senator Curtis Richar dson; and the Junior Minister of Social Development,
Seniors, and Home Affairs, Senator Lindsay Si mmons. Since the day they were sworn in on October 8
th, 2020, as respected servants of the people of Bermuda, I have seen first -hand the dedication that my
Senate colleagues give on a daily basis.
Madam President, let’s reference Senator
Hodgson, for instance. Known in the community as
“the good mom” for the work that she does to encourage and inspire women, especially the mothers who are raising children without the support of a second
parent. Senator Hodgson took time to attend a job fair
a few weeks back at Fairmont Southampton and
stood beside the nearly 700 workers who have found
themselves unemployed due to the closing of Berm uda’s flagship hotel. She went to support them in seeking new opportunities. She also attends hours of briefing meetings in two ministries in order to research
facts so that she can be a voice for the youth and
women of Bermuda.
Senator Hodgson, on behalf of Bermuda, I
publicly give thanks for the work you are doing.
Madam President, in the September 10
th edition of the daily, may I quote?

The President: You certainly may.
Sen. Owen Darrell: The headline wrote: “Not all s uperheroes have supernatural powers.”
This headline was referring to now Senator
Lindsay Simmons, an individual who has acted as a
foster parent for over 20 children in Bermuda, an individual who is the president of the Foster Parents A ssociation and conti nues to provide free lunch to
schoolchildren every single day. You may ask, Does she have time to do anything else? Madam President,
the answer is yes. Senator Simmons has answered
another call to serve in the role of a Junior Minister, a role that sees her spend hours and hours in meetings
discussing and developing action plans to assist the
most vulnerable individuals in our community.
Madam President, I say thank you today to
Senator Simmons.
Madam President, a short while ago we sat
and heard the lengthy outline that Senator Richardson
gave on the topic of new COVID -19 regulations. The
hours that he and the public health officials spend in
an effort to keep this country safe cannot be quantified
enough. Where would Bermuda be without the leadership of our health officers? On top of that, he is in meetings with the Minister of Transport, the Minister of National Security providing strong and steady leadership for Bermuda.
Senator Richardson, I say thank you today for
your service and, dare I say, countl ess hours of hard
work.
Madam President, I also want to give thanks
today to Senator Smith, the Opposition Senate Lead-er, and to my former principal, Senator Michelle Si mmons, for their words of encouragement in encoura ging us to come together and collab orate.
It is unfortunate that I [have to] wish that all of
us will reflect on their words and do the same. See,
Madam President, it makes me sad, and quite frankly
angry, that on this my “Thanksgiving Day” not ever yone in our community recognises, appreci ates or finds
it necessary to give thanks. Instead, Madam Pres ident, there are some in our community who feel the
need to run interference, or to throw cold water on the
hard work that some of us are doing as servants of
the people.
In an opinion piece carried by a news media
earlier this week, there was an author, who goes by
the pen name of “Senator MJ,” who was sent to deli ver a message contrary to one of thanks, one rather full
of startling contradictions, innuendos about worth or
value of some public servants. The writer of this piece
proceeded to disrespect some people living in Berm uda, referring to them with such titles as subjects, n atives, money -grabbers, jammed- up financial individ uals and flag- waving, horn- honking supporters.
Instead of giving thanks, Madam President,
the writer wanted to take shots. Shame on that messenger!
See, Madam President, I might be able to forgive the author who goes by “Senator MJ” of this opi nion piece for not remembering that in 2012 the partic ular party who liked t o wear red Bermuda shorts, red
neck ties and red dresses, won the general election
and promptly appointed two Ministers (one of which
has never stood as a candidate in his life), three Jun-ior Ministers in this very place, as well as another Junior Minister in a different place. Maybe the author who
goes by the pen name “Senator MJ” did not really take
note, because those appointments were not expected
to work hard for the people who needed their assi stance most.
Maybe author Senator MJ did not remember,
because the individuals who were entrusted to such positions in 2012 were otherwise topping- up their pr ivate business interests and the interests of those
around them. Or maybe author Senator MJ legitimat ely would not have known what was going on back in 2012 because the author was then wearing a Kelly
green tie with his green pom -poms trying to figure out
a way to position himself in a PLP safe seat and join
such an illustrious team of politicians.
Madam President, in closing I would like to
finish where I started, not by giving credence to the comments of an author who has failed to win an elecBermuda Senate tion in two different OBA safe seats, for two different
political parties, but rather by expressing gratitude to
every member of our society who is working hard to rebuild Bermuda with Bermudians at heart. Your efforts are noticed and appreciated.
And on my “Thanksgiving Day,” Madam President, I say thank you.
The President: Thank you, Senator Owen Darrell.
Would any other Senator care to speak on the
motion to adjourn?
No. Then I just have a comment. This is the
first meeting of our Senate Session, and I just want to
congratulate each and every one of you here, and to
also say that today you have really expressed yourselves extremely well. I am very, very impressed, and
I look forward to working with each and every one of
you. Thank you very much for today.
The Senate stands adjourned until next week,
Wednesday. And for those of you who celebrate
Thanksgiving on Thursday, do so and enjoy and be
safe.
Thank you.
Some Hon. Senators: Thank you, Madam President.
[At 1:42 pm, the Senate stood adjourned until
10:00 am, W ednesday, 2 December 2020.]
34 25 November 2020 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate



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