May 20, 2025

2025/26 SESSION
of the
BERMUDA SENATE
OFFICIAL HANSARD REPORT
20 MAY 2025
Sitting number 4 of the 2025/2026 Session
(pages 77–102)
Sen. The Hon. Jo a n E. D illas-Wright, MBE, JP
President
Disclaimer: The electronic version o f the Official Hansard Report is for
informational purposes only. The printed version remains the official
r
ecord.

Official Hansard Report 20 May 2025 77
B ermuda Senate BERMUDA SENATE
OFFICIAL HANSARD REPORT
20 MAY 2025
10:0 0 AM
Sitting Number 4 of the 2025/26 Session
[Sen. the Hon. Joan E. Dillas -Wright , President , presid-
ing]
The President: Good morning, Senators. And good
morning to the public.
The Senate is in session.
Shall we pray?
PRAYERS
[
Prayers read by Sen. the Hon. Joan E. Dillas -Wright ,
President ]
MOMENT OF SILENCE
FORMER SENATOR
LAWRENCE “LARRY ” GORDON SCOTT
The President: Senators, we will now have a moment
of silence for former Senator Lawrence “ Larry ” Gordon
Scott, who was a Hamilton City Councillor and a United
Bermuda Party Senator in these Chambers for five
years, from 1993 to 199 8.
And we certainly extend our deepest sympa-
thies to his family, his entire family.
So, we will [observe] a moment of silence.
[
The Senate rose for a moment of silence.]
The President: Thank you, Senators.
We will now continue with our agenda.
CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES
[Minutes of 2 April 2025]
The President: Vice President John Wight , you have
the floor.
Sen. John Wight: Madam President, I move that the
Minutes of the meeting of Wednesday, 2 April 2025, be
taken as read.
The President: Is there any objection to that motion?
No objection.
Sen. John Wight: Madam President, I move that the
Minutes of Wednesday, 2 April 2025, be confirmed.
The President : Is there any objection to that motion?
No objection. Thank you, Vice President John Wight.
[
Minutes of 2 April 2025 confirmed.]
MESSAGES
The President: Ms. Beale.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
APOLOGY
The Deputy Clerk: We have received apologies from
Minister Crystal Caesar, who will not be in attendance today as she is travelling.
The President: Thank you, Ms. Beale.
REPORTS OF COMMITTEES
The President: There are none .
ANNOUNCEMENTS
The President: Senators , we have a number of an-
nouncements this morning and the first one w ill be the
Public Service Superannuation Fund , and that will be
presented by the Attorney General , Minister Wilkerson .
You have the floor.
PUBLIC SERVICE SUPERANNUATION FUND
ACTUARIAL VALUATION AS AT 3 1 MARCH 2020
Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: Thank you, Madam
President.
I hereby present for the information of the Sen-
ate, the Public Service Superannuation Fund Actuarial Valuation as at 31 March 2020. Senators may access
copies on their tablets or on the Parliament website.
The President: Thank you, Minister. And I believe you
have a second statement to present.
MINISTERS AND MEMBERS OF THE
LEGISLATURE PENSION FUND ACTUARIAL
VALUATION AT 3 1 MARCH 2020
Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: Yes, Madam Presi-
dent.
78 20 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate I hereby present for the information of the Sen-
ate the Ministers and Members of the Legislature Pen-
sion Fund Actuarial Valuation as at 31 March 2020,
Senators may access copies on their tablets and/ or on
the Parliament website.

The President: Thank you, Madam Attorney General.
The next announcement is in the name of Sen-
ator Misha Fubler , Junior Minister for the Cabinet Office
and Digital Innovation.
Senator Fubler , you have the floor.

CITY OF HAMILTON PLAN 2025

Sen. Mischa Fubler: Thank you, Madam President .
I hereby present for the information of Senate
the City of Hamilton Plan 2025. Senators may access copies on their tablets and/ or the Parliament website.
Thank you.
The President: Thank you, Minister Fubler.
The next announcement is in the name of Sen-
ator Lauren Bell, the Junior Minister for Housing and
Municipalities .
Senator Bell, you have the floor.

BERMUDA HOUSING TRUST
AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FISCAL YEAR ENDING 31MARCH 2020
Sen. Lauren Bell: Thank you, Madam President .
I hereby present for the information of Senate
the Bermuda Housing Trust Audited Financial State-ments for fiscal year ending 31 March 2020.
Senators may access copies on their tablets
and/or the Parliament website.

The President: Thank you.
Senator Bell, I believe you have a second an-
nouncement you can—

REGISTRY GENERAL ANNUAL REPORT
FOR YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023
Sen. Lauren Bell: Yes, Madam President, I hereby
present for the information of Senate the Annual Report
of the Registry General for the year ended 31 Decem-ber 2023, in accordance with section 19 of the Regis-
tration (Births and Deaths) Act 1949. Senators may ac-
cess copies on their tablets and/or the Parliament web-
site.

The President: Thank you.

NOTICES OF MOTIONS

The President: We have two Notices of Motions . And
the first is in the name of Senator Mis cha Fubler , the Junior Minister for Tourism and Transport , Culture and
Sport .
Senator Fubler, you have the floor.

TOURISM INVESTMENT
(HILLCREST BOUTIQUE HOTEL ) ORDER 2025
Sen. Mischa Fubler: Thank you, Madam President.
Madam President, I hereby present for the con-
sideration of Senate the Tourism Investment (Hillcrest
Boutique Hotel ) Order 2025, proposed to be made by
the Minister responsible for Tourism under section 3 of
the Tourism Investment Act 2017, together with the written agreement of the Minister of Finance in exercise
of the power conferred by section 5 of the Tourism In-
vestment Act 2017. And I give notice that at a later point
in the meeting, I will move that the said Draft Order be
approved.

The President: Thank you, Minister, Senator Fubler .
And I believe you have a second one. You can
present it when you're ready.

TOURISM INVESTMENT
(GROTTO BAY RESORT AND SPA) ORDER 2025
Sen. Mischa Fubler: I do indeed. Thank you, Madam
President. I hereby present for the consideration of the
Senate the Tourism Investment (Grotto Bay Resort and
Spa) Order 2025 proposed to be made by the Minister
responsible for Tourism under section 3 of the Tourism
Investment Act 2017, together with the written agree-
ment of the Minister of Finance in exercise of the power
conferred by section 5 of the Tourism Investment Act
2017 . And I give notice that at a later point in the meet-
ing I will move that the said Draft Order be approved .
The President: Thank you, Senator Fubler.

PETITIONS
The President: There are none.

STATEMENTS

The President: Senators, w e have four statements this
morning and the first one is in the name of the Honour-
able K . L. Wilkerson, Attorney General and Minister of
Justice.
Minister, you can present when you are ready.

Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: Thank you, Madam
President.
2025 CORRECTIONS WEEK

Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: I rise today to recog-
nise National Corrections Officers Week 2025 and to
pay tribute to the hard- working men and women of the
Department of Corrections, whose dedication and
Official Hansard Report 20 May 2025 79

Bermuda Senate service are essential to the safe and fair administration
of justice in Bermuda.
Madam President, each year, during the first
full week of May, Bermuda joins jurisdictions across the
globe in honouring the essential work of corrections professionals. This international observance began on
Sunday, 4 May, and was officially marked in Bermuda
with a church service at Elliott Primary School. Officers, staff, and their families gathered to reflect on the sacri-
fices made by those who serve behind the walls of our
correctional facilities. The opening ceremony was fol-lowed by a family fun day, recognising the importance
of community and the often- unseen toll of the job on
both officers and their loved ones.
Madam President, on Monday morning, de-
partment staff gathered at East Broadway roundabout,
greeting morning commuters in a visible demonstration of pride and solidarity. That same day, a formal procla-
mation was read on the steps of City Hall, officially
launching a week of celebration.
On Wednesday of that week , I had the honour
of attending a tea for retired corrections staff at the Co-Ed Facility in St. George’s. It was a privilege for me per-
sonally to thank these individuals for their years of ser-
vice and to hear firsthand their reflections on the pro-
fession’s evolution. Their dedication laid the ground-
work for the reforms and improvements we continue to pursue today .
Madam President, corrections officers and
staff are fundamental to the safe and fair functioning of our criminal justice system. They carry out a demand-
ing and often invisible duty with diligence and profes-
sionalism. This week , therefore, was not merely cere-
monial , it was a deliberate reaffirmation of our commit-
ment to improving their work environment and ensuring
their needs are heard, understood, and acted upon.
Madam President, this year’s activities in-
cluded a broad mix of community engagement and in-ternal wellness events. On Tuesday of that week , offic-
ers visited schools and early childhood centres —in-
cluding Francis Patton, Lyceum Preschool, Elliott Pri-
mary, Happy Valley Day Care Centre, and Lagoon Park
Preschool —to read to young students and to foster
connection with our wider community.
In honour of Mother’s Day, female residents at
Matilda Smith [Williams] Home, Lefroy House, and Syl-
via Richardson Home were presented with carnations by our officers —a small but heartfelt gesture of respect
and community spirit. On Friday of that week , staff
across all correctional facilities participated in a well-
ness -focused day to promote physical and mental well -
being. The week’s celebrations will formally conclude
later this month with a staff appreciation dinner .
Madam President, Corrections Week and the
week following, the Ministry of Justice also met with the
Prison Officers Association to discuss matters related to officer wellness and mental health. This dialogue is
part of our broader strategy to ensure that the voices of
those on the frontline are not only heard b ut that their needs are addressed. Without corrections officers we
simply do not have corrections facilities, and their
voices must be taken into account as we shape the fu-
ture of our corrections syst em. Together, we are work-
ing to modernise operations, improve conditions for
both officers and inmates, and bolster support mecha-
nisms for all staff.
Madam President, i n a time of reflection and
reform within the department , these events serve as a
reminder of the vital role played by corrections profes-
sionals. I want to extend my deepest gratitude to every officer, staff member, and retiree of the Department of
Corrections for their continued service, professional-
ism, and c are. Let us all take the time to recognise and
appreciate their dedication —not just during Corrections
Week , but throughout the year.
Thank you, Madam President.

The President: Thank you, Madam Attorney General
and Minister of Justice.
The next Statement is in the name of the Junior
Minister of Health, Economy and Labour, Senator Lau-
ren Bell.
Senator Bell, you have the floor.

Sen. Lauren Bell: Good morning.
The President: Good morning.

BERMUDA HOUSING TRUST
AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
AND CURRENT CHALLENGES
Sen. Lauren Bell: Madam President, I rise today to
provide an update on the Bermuda Housing Trust .
I am pleased to report that the Trust has once
again achieved a clean and unqualified audit for the fi-
nancial year ending March 31, 2024. This marks an-
other consecutive year of strong financial stewardship. The audit was conducted, as in previous years, by the
Office of the Auditor General, and the Trustees are jus-
tifiably proud of this commendable outcome.
Madam President, the Bermuda Housing Trust
was established by statute in 1965—60 years ago—with the mandate to provide affordable rental accom-
modation for seniors capable of living independently.
Today, the Trust operates five properties across the Is-
land: Haydon Park, Dr. Cann Park, Elizabeth Hills, Pur-
vis Park, and Ferguson Park. Collectively, these com-
munities are home to approximately 200 senior resi-
dents.
While the audited financial statements reflect a
sound financial position, the trustees have requested
that I also communicate their caution: this picture must
be considered in context. Financial pressures loom
large, and challenges persist in fulfilling their mandate to provide affordable, quality rental accommodation for
Bermuda’s seniors.
80 20 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate Madam President, the first of these challenges
relates to demographics. The demand for senior hous-
ing is rising. Bermuda’s population is age ing, with pro-
jections indicating that by 2026 one in four residents will
be aged 65 or older. Seniors today are living longer and
healthier lives. They value and require affordable ac-
commodation that not only meets their financial needs
but also supports i ndependent living —a goal we all
share for our parents and, one day, ourselves.
Currently, the [ Trust maintains ] a waiting list of
between 50 and 100 qualified applicants . Applications ,
I note, are only accepted from individuals aged 65 and
above. A second challenge lies in balancing priority
placements for those in urgent need while maintaining
the current housing stock. This is no easy task. Even
more difficult is the Trust’s effort t o continue its long-
standing policy of not increasing rent for sitting ten-
ants—regardless of the length of tenancy. In today’s cli-
mate of rising prices, this is no small achievement.
Although this policy has largely been main-
tained, the trustees have, out of necessity, introduced
marginal rent increases applicable only to new tenants.
These increases are due to the mounting costs of main-
taining an age ing housing inventory. Contractors for
significant maintenance work are not easily secured,
and scheduling must be carefully managed around the
needs of elderly tenants.
Madam President, despite these constraints, I
am pleased to report progress. Roof repairs at Dr. Cann
Park—the Trust’s largest property —have been com-
pleted, and necessary re- caulking and sealing work is
now underway to address the long- standing leak is-
sues. This essential work has taken longer than ex-
pected, and I commend the patience and understand-
ing of the residents who have endured the delays. The
Trust has rightly prioriti sed sealing and securing the ex-
terior before addressing interior renovations —particu-
larly in currently vacant units.
In support of this work, the then Ministry of
Public Works provided private engineering resources to
assist with oversight of the caulking and painting pro-
ject. The Trustees have asked me to extend their ap-
preciation for the support they received from the Minis-
ter’s predecessor in Housing, Lt. Col. the Hon. David A.
Burch, OBE, JP.
Madam President, the Trust has strengthened
its operations with the appointment of an Executive Di-
rector, Ms. Chandra Arandjelovic, significantly improv-
ing business continuity, regulatory compliance, and op-erational oversight. The trustees have also formali sed
a long- standing part -time role into a full-time position.
Ms. Judy Knight, who provided valuable support to ten-
ants for over a decade, has stepped down. The position
has now been filled by Ms. Quayante Watson, who
joins as the new rental agent . The Trust’s only other
full-time employee is Ms. Sharon Smith, office adminis-
trator , who has devoted over 10 years of dedicated ser-
vice to the Trust. The trustees extend their sincere
thanks to Ms. Smith for her unwavering commitment, professionalism, and the invaluable support she contin-
ues to provide.
Madam President, it is important to note that
the Bermuda Housing Trust currently receives no direct
financial support from the Government. Nevertheless, last year, the Ministry of Public Works , together with the
Bermuda Housing Corporation, provided invaluable
support through architectural, engineering, project management, and maintenance services, for which the
trustees are deeply grateful. Looking ahead, I am com-
mitted to strengthening the partnership between the
Bermuda Housing Trust and the Bermuda Housing
Corporation to ensure we continue delivering the high-
est level of assistance possible.
Finally, I would like to express my sincere
thanks and appreciation to the dedicated trustees of the
Bermuda Housing Trust for their unwavering commit-ment to serving our seniors. I especially acknowledge:
• The Hon. John Barritt, Chairman;
• Mrs. Rochelle Simons, Deputy Chair ;
• Mr. Anthony Mouchette;
• Mr. Daniel Robinson;
• Mr. Juan Smith ;
• Mr. Marco Bortelli ; and
• Mr. Alexander Abbott .
And special thanks to retired trustee , Ms.
Thelma Hart, for her many years of service.
Madam President, the work of the Bermuda
Housing Trust is vital to the wellbeing and dignity of our
seniors. Their legacy is one of compassion, service,
and financial prudence. I am committed to supporting
the Trust as it continues to fulfil this essential mission.
Thank you, Madam President.

The President: Thank you, Senator Bell.
I do believe you have a second Statement.
Sen. Lauren Bell: I do, Madam President.

REGISTRY GENERAL 2023 ANNUAL REPORT
Sen. Lauren Bell: Madam President, today I rise to in-
troduce the Annual Report of the Registry General for
the year ended December 31, 2023 .
The Registrar General recogni ses the essen-
tial role that vital statistical information plays in planning
for the provision of services in areas such as tourism,
health, education and housing, to name but a few, and
has performed his duties to a high standard in the re-
cording, collating and presenting of the data to be in-
cluded in the annual report .
Madam President, in accordance with section
19 of the Registration (Births and Deaths) Act 1949, the Registrar General shall, within ninety days after the ex-
piration of each calendar year, compile for publication
in such form and manner as the Minister may approve
a summary of the births and deaths which occurred dur-
ing the year, together with a general report on the in-crease or decrease of the population of Bermuda.
Official Hansard Report 20 May 2025 81

Bermuda Senate Pursuant to section 35 of the Marriage Act 1944, the
Registrar General is also required to publish a sum-mary of marriages conducted each year.
Unfortunately, Madam President, the Annual
Report is being introduced late, due to a number of cir-
cumstances, including human resources and the need
to clarify data. In preparation of the annual report ,
Madam President, the Registrar has relied on infor-
mation received from the Records Office of the King
Edward VII Memorial Hospital relating to births; from
the local funeral directors, medical practitioners, and
the in relations to deaths; from local domestic partner-
ship officers in relations to domestic partnerships; and
from local marriage officers and Masters of Bermuda
registered ships in relation to local and maritime mar-
riages respectively.
Madam President, the report , which deals pri-
marily with the vital statistics pertaining to Bermuda’s
residential population indicates that there has been a
slight decrease in the number of births. In 2023 there
were 436 births , a decrease of 43, or 9 per cent over
the 479 births recorded in 2022. Also, the live birth rate
of the population has decreased by [0.6] points per
thousand from 7.5 in 2022 to 6.9 in 2023. There were
no home births or babies born at the residence of the
parents for the year ending 2023, which was a de-
crease of two from the number of babies born at home 2022.
Madam President, the distribution of live births
by nationality based on information provided by the par-ents at the time of registration of their child’s birth for
2023 reflects 75.7 per cent, or 330 of the total live
births , have at least one Bermudian parent. In 2023,
106, or 24.3 per cent of the births have parents who are
both non- Bermudian.
Madam President, honourable colleagues are
advised that in 2023, 622 deaths were recorded among
residents. A death rate of 9.8 per thousand of the pop-
ulation for 2023 reflects an increase of 37, or 6.3 per
cent from 585 recorded in 2022. The report also indi-
cates that there were 12 deaths in respect of non- resi-
dent persons, which brings the total number of deaths recorded for 2023 to 634. Also, there was one stillbirth recorded for the 2023 period.
Madam President, it should be noted that the
estimated population figures in the report only take into
account registered births and deaths and not migration
because that information is not available. This means
the estimates in the report are not indicative of actual
population levels. The next opportunity for an accurate
population count will be the 2026 census.
Madam President, for the year ending 31 De-
cember 2023 there were 310 marriages performed in Bermuda, which is 26 fewer (or a 7.7 per cent de-
crease) compared with the 336 marriages recorded in 2022. The decrease may be attributed to a number of unknown factors or reasons as to why, but there was
no deterring the interest of couples that did desire to
marry that year. During 2023, marriages between parties who
were both non- residents accounted for only 109, or
35.2 per cent of the total of 310. This figure, for the
fourth consecutive year, breaks the trend where mar-
riages between non- residents previously exceeded the
number of marriages between residents and marriages
between resident and non- resident parties. The report
also shows that there were 157 marriages between
parties who were both resident and 44 marriages be-
tween a resident and non- resident.
Madam President, of the 310 local marriages
recorded in 2023, none were same- sex marriages. In
2023 there were five domestic partnership unions rec-
orded for that period. All five domestic partnership un-ions were formali sed at the Registry General Office.
Madam President, 329 marriages were per-
formed onboard twenty -eight Bermuda registered ships
in 2023. This total represents an increase of 52, or
16 per cent from the 2022 total of 277. Th is increase is
due to the efforts of the cruise line industry to expand and improve services for weddings onboard their ships.
The cumulative number of marriages (local and mari-
time) processed through the Registry General for the
year ending 31 December 2023 was 639 as compared
to 613 for the year ending 2022.
Madam President, the annual report seeks to
provide an illustrative statistical digest of vital events
such as live births, deaths, stillbirths, marriages, do-mestic partnerships, adoptions and re- registration of
births for the year ended 31 December 2023.
In closing, Madam President, the annual report
of the Registry General for the year ended 31 Decem-
ber 2024 is being compiled and I expect to present the
report in the second quarter of this fiscal year.

The President: Thank you, Senator Bell, for your re-
port.

ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

SENATE VISITORS

The President: And before we move on to the final
presentation of Statements, I would just like to
acknowledge the presence of L ieutenant Colonel Ed-
ward J. Lamb, the Permanent Secretary for National
Security who is in the Chamber, as well as Shivon
Washington[ -Jones], the Permanent Secretary for
Tourism, Transport, Health and Sports.
Welcome to you both.

[Statements, continuing]

The President: The final Statement is in the name of
Senator Fubler, and it is Digital Technologies.
Senator Fubler, you can present your State-
ment.

82 20 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT
APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMME

Sen. Mischa Fubler: Madam President, this Govern-
ment recognises the critical role that a robust and skilled Information Technology workforce plays in the
future prosperity of Bermuda.
In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape,
the demand for experienced IT professionals is signifi-
cant and, like many jurisdictions, Bermuda has faced
challenges in recruiting and retaining this vital talent.
Competition to attract and retain knowledgeable and
qualified professionals is fierce. Bermuda competes not
only in local circles for this talent but also globally.
Madam President, to proactively address this
need and cultivate a pipeline of Bermudian expertise in
this crucial sector, I am pleased to announce an excit-ing new initiative: the Information Technology Develop-
ment Programme (ITDP). This comprehensive three-
year apprenticeship programme, led by the Department
of Information and Digital Technologies [ IDT], is strate-
gically designed to equip Bermudians with the diverse technical and essential soft skills needed to excel in to-
day's IT environment.
Madam President, the initiative began in Feb-
ruary of this year with two candidates selected with the
assistance and guidance of the Department of Work-
force Development. A third apprentice was identified in April and brought into the programme immediately. The
ITDP offers apprentices a unique and immersive learn-
ing experience.
Madam President, during the program me,
each apprentice will complete rotations of at least three
months across 10 key areas within IDT. This extensive
exposure will provide a well -rounded understanding of
the multifaceted nature of government IT operations.
These core areas include
• Service Desk: Gaining foundational skills in
user support and issue resolution.
• Devices: Developing expertise in hardware
management and maintenance.
• Networking: Understanding the architecture
and operation of critical network infrastructure.
• Infrastructure (VMware & iSeries) ; Acquiring
knowledge in server virtuali sation and core
business systems.
• Project Management: Learning the principles and practices of successful IT project delivery.
• Unified Communications: Understanding and
supporting modern communication technolo-
gies.
• Portals: Gaining insights into the development
and maintenance of online government plat-
forms .
• Administration: Developing essential organi sa-
tional and support skills.
• Business Services: Understanding the align-
ment of IT with broader government objectives. • Digital Services: Exploring the development and delivery of citizen- centric digital solutions.
Madam President, to ensure practical applica-
tion and reinforce learning, apprentices undertake a capstone project at the end of each rotation. This pro-
vides a valuable opportunity for them to demonstrate
their acquired knowledge and contribute meaningfully
to IDT's ongoing work.
Madam President, the ITDP represents a sig-
nificant investment in the future of Bermuda and its
people. By providing comprehensive training and
hands -on experience, we are addressing the immedi-
ate need for skilled IT professionals within government
and creating pathways for rewarding and sustainable
careers for Bermudians.
Madam President, this program me under-
scores this Government's commitment to digital trans-formation and empowering Bermudians to participate
fully in the opportunities of the digital age. We are con-
fident that the IT Development Programme will cultivate
a new generation of talented IT pr ofessionals who will
contribute significantly to our public services' efficiency,
security, and innovation.
Madam President, please allow me a few
minutes to read from submitted testimonies by partici-
pants .

The President: Certainly, you may.

Sen. Mischa Fubler: From Kyla, My experience work-
ing in the department of IDT, and specifically the portal
team has been extremely eye- opening. Going into this
program me as an apprentice, I had a few goals but one
stood out more than the others. I was hoping to be ex-posed to the versatility of working in IT and all the op-
portunities that it held beyond what I can imagine. I can
wholeheartedly say that that goal has been f ulfilled . I
will be leaving this apprenticeship with more knowledge
of my opportunities as well as a far clearer direction of
where I want to take my career!
And from Armari, It has been great to be in-
volved in this programme and work in an exciting field
with amazing colleagues. The entire IDT staff has been
supportive and helpful throughout my entire time here;
from the people I’ve worked closely with to others who
I only passed by. I have thoroughly enjoyed the work I
have been doing and find this job a perfect fit for me.
On top of gaining valuable work experience, I’ve been learning nonstop about technical and nontechnical work such as public service and us er support. I very
much look forward to the coming weeks.
Madam President, we look forward to continu-
ing to recognise the accomplishments of our first cohort of apprentices as they advance through the programme
and to welcoming the next cohort in due course.
I would like to thank the Acting Chief Infor-
mation Officer, Ms. Gina Benjamin, and her team for their outstanding efforts in bringing this programme to
fruition.
Official Hansard Report 20 May 2025 83

Bermuda Senate Thank you, Madam President .

The President: And thank you, Senator Fubler, Junior
Minister for the Cabinet Office and Digital Innovation.

INTRODUCTION OF BILLS
The President: There are none.

FIRST READING OF PUBLIC BILLS

EXPLOSIVE SUBSTANCES
AMENDMENT ACT 2025

DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR ACT 2025

The President: The following public Bills have been re-
ceived from the Honourable House of Assembly and
are now read for the first time.
Their titles are, respectively: the Explosive
Substances Amendment Act 2025, and the Department of Labour Act 2025.

FIRST READING OF PRIVATE BILLS

The President: There are none.

QUESTION PERIOD
The President: Senators, we will now entertain ques-
tions on the Statements that have been presented this morning. And the first Statement was in the name of the
Honourable Kim Wilkerson, JP, Attorney General and
Minister of Justice. And that is 2025 Corrections Week.
Would any Senator care to ask questions on
this Statement?
Hearing none, then we will move on to the sec-
ond Statement, which was in the name of Senator Lau-
ren Bell, the Statement on the Bermuda Housing Trust,
Audited Financial Statements and Current Challenges,
presented by the Junior Minister for Health, Economy
and Labour.
Would any Senator care to ask questions on
this Statement?
Senator Victoria Cunningham, you have the
floor.

QUESTION 1: BERMUDA HOUSING TRUST
AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND
CURRENT CHALLENGES
Sen. Victoria Cunningham: Thank you, Madam Pres-
ident, and thank you for that Statement. I think we can
all agree that senior housing is very important and ob-viously will become more important, as you said, 25 per
cent of our population will be 65 or older from next year. But I have a few questions. The first one is ,
given the ageing housing stock, What is the long- term
capital expenditure plan for any property upgrades?
Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: Could you give me all
of your questions at one time, please?

SUPPLEMENTARIES

Sen. Victoria Cunningham: And then the supplemen-
tary to that is , How is the Trust balancing the goal of
affordability with the rising operational and mainte-
nance costs that they're seeing?
And the second supplemental to that is, Is
there a strategy to secure any additional funding either
through grants, partnerships or private investment ?
And I have a second question.
The President: Certainly, you could present it.

QUESTION 2: BERMUDA HOUSING TRUST
AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND
CURRENT CHALLENGES

Sen. Victoria Cunningham: Thank you, Madam Pres-
ident.
This is from the audit. Firstly, were any recom-
mendations or minor concerns raised by the auditors for future improvements ?

SUPPLEMENTARIES

Sen. Victoria Cunningham: And then a supplemental
to that is , How has the Trust ensured transparency and
accountability in its financial reporting?
And then my second supplemental is , What in-
ternal controls or practises are in place to maintain
those clean audits in future years?
QUESTION 3: BERMUDA HOUSING TRUST
AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND
CURRENT CHALLENGES

Sen. Victoria Cunningham: And then a third question,
if I may, Madam President.

The President: A third and final question.

Sen. Victoria Cunningham: And correct me if I'm
wrong, but are there any plans to formalise the relation-ship between the Trust and the Bermuda Housing Cor-poration in the future for long- term strategic alignment?
The President: And no supplement ary to that that ?
Thank you very much.
Would any other Senator care to ask ques-
tions?
Yes, Senator Marcus Jones.

84 20 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate QUESTION 1: BERMUDA HOUSING TRUST
AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND
CURRENT CHALLENGES

Sen. Marcus Jones: Good morning, Madam Presi-
dent, and good morning to the listening audience.
I am sure that everyone in this room and the
wider population listening to this presentation, which I
would like to thank the Senator , the Junior Minister of
Housing and Municipalities for bringing this to this Chamber . I believe all of us would be concerned about
the plight of our ageing population and the fact that
there needs to be affordable housing for this demo-
graphic . I want to make a statement and then ask my
question.
Looking at the numbers , if 25 per cent of our
population is going to be over the age of 65 by next
year, and if we use conservative numbers when we
consider what our population is today, some would say
it is somewhere in the area of 58,000. That means that
at 25 per cent we are looking at 15,000 seniors who are
going to be with us currently.
And if I am to understand these numbers, 200
of our senior residents are being housed in these units,
of which 100 to 200 are on the wait -list. That means
there are about 300 people in this number who repre-
sent about 2 per cent of that senior population which
fits this category.
I would submit to you, Madam President, that
there is truly going to be a need for more of these units
in the coming years . And I guess as an add- on to my
Senat e colleague, Senator Cunningham's question
about planning for the future, is there a plan in the next 10 to 20 years for an increase in the number of these
units ? And if there is , may we in this Chamber know
what those numbers are? That's my first question.

QUESTION 2: BERMUDA HOUSING TRUST
AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND
CURRENT CHALLENGES

Sen. Marcus Jones: My second question would be,
Are these Trust homes that are developed and are be-
ing maintained by the Bermuda Housing Trust subject
to the policies similar in the rent control policies where
we talk about the numbers of people that are in a unit
and other types of policies ? Do they have certain limi-
tations in in regard to these units and are these units
custom made for the for seniors?
I am not very familiar with these five units , so
I would be curious , and I'm sure the public would be
curious to know how these units are fitted for the sen-iors. I mean, when you talk about for example, bars in
the showers , elevators for second stor ey buildings,
things of that nature. I would be curious to know how these units are fitted to be able to serve the needs of this, our senior , population.
Thank you, Madam President.
The President: Thank you, Senator, Marcus Jones,
OBA Leader in the Senate.
Would any other Senators care to ask ques-
tions on this Statement?
Hearing none, then we'll wait for responses
from the Senator.
[Pause]

ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

SENATE VISITOR
The President: And while we're waiting for the Sena-
tor’s response, I would just like to acknowledge in the
Senate Chamber, the Director of Labour, Ms . Gabriel le
Cann.
Welcome to you , Ms. Cann.
[Question Period, continued]

Sen. Lauren Bell: Thank you, Madam President, and
thank you, colleagues, for your questions and your ex-
pressions of interest regarding the work that's being
done by the Housing Trust.
I want to first inform the Senators that , unfortu-
nately , I do not have the technical support available to-
day to be able to answer many of the questions that
were technically based. I will endeavour to provide writ-
ten responses to those questions as soon as possible.
So, I thank you for your patience regarding that .
I just want to reiterate, to not only my Senate
colleagues but to the listening audience, that this Gov-
ernment recognises the critical needs for affordable
housing in Bermuda, especially for seniors and our
ageing population. We take this issue very seriously, so
much so that we have created the Ministry of Housing.
I look forward to being able to provide addi-
tional information regarding our plans going forward re-
lated to affordable housing as well as affordable hous-
ing to meet our seniors ’ needs and our ageing popula-
tion.
And to that, Madam President, I will ensure that
answers to the questions that have been posed today
will be provided.

The President: Thank you, Senator Bell.
Minister Wilkerson, do you have a comment ?

Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: Yes, thank you,
Madam President.
While my colleague is waiting and has offered
to provide the answers to the questions, certainly
around the audit concerns, accountability, transpar-ency , I can offer, I think , some guidance on some of the
practical questions which have been asked by Senator
Marcus Jones . And this is just from my experience.
The Senator has mentioned that he hasn't ex-
perienced the units . I have experience with some of the
Official Hansard Report 20 May 2025 85

Bermuda Senate units, certainly in visiting seniors on a regular basis,
certainly at the Rockaway facility. So, we understand
that most of the facilities are designed in a way that they
are for an individual or a couple. So, they aren't de-
signed to hold families or children.
And I think that that's probably something that
might be worthy of reconsideration as we go forward thinking about you know our ageing population and I
think how Bermudians live in communit ies. But cur-
rently that is the way that they're set up. Seniors live on their own or with their spouses in the units.
The units are designed with seniors in mind
with grab bars in the bathrooms. Rockaway, for exam-
ple, is multilevel. There is an elevator that is regularly
serviced in that unit.
In terms of, I think accountability there is . . . I
have had an opportunity to have recent conversations with Ms. Sharon Swan, who is a manager at the Hous-
ing Trust and how they deal with individual renters. The
rents are not subject to a rent control, but they are very subsidised to meet the needs of seniors. Understand-ing that seniors who are in these facilities are often sen-
iors who may be on financial assistance.
The maintenance of the units is on a regular
schedule, and the insides of the units are subject to in-
spection . So, seniors will be notified on a rotating basis
that a . . . I am not sure what the person's designation
is, but they have designated an individual who on a ro-tating basis will visit and inspect that the premises are
being kept . And they're also identifying if a senior is in
need of any extra assistance or extra care.
As my colleague Senator Bell said at the start,
the mandate is that these units are for seniors capable
of independent living, and so the ability to demonstrate that a senior continues to be capable of independent
living is a condition of the continued lease agreement.
That is what I have found in my firsthand experience
dealing with Ms. Smith at the Housing Trust. These are
compassionate people who are, you know, going over
and above. They understand that their mandate is to
care for and ensure that there is housing for seniors,
and they are as assisted as possible in situ.
I think the bigger question of you know how are
we going to be matching the needs to the future is a
question that that will come with the technical answers.
And I think that we'll hear a little bit more about the line
items when we go to the budget debate in the in the
first week of June as to the capital expenditure around
repairs, maintenance and further planning.
Thank you, Madam President.
The President: Thank you, certainly, Madam Attorney
General and Minister Wilkerson for your response.
With that said, then we will expect the re-
sponses to the other questions subsequently, as has
been indicated by Senator Bell .
Moving on, then, to the third Statement. And
that was also in the name of Senator Lauren Bell , Junior Minister for Economy and Labour. And that's the
Annual Report of the Registry General 2023.
Would any Senator care to speak ?
Vice President Senator John Wight , you have
the floor.

QUESTION 1: REGISTRY GENERAL ANNUAL
REPORT OF THE 2023

Sen. John Wight: Thank you, Madam President .
Before the Junior Minister had provided her
Statement, my question was going to be now that we're
in May of 2025, why is it taking so long to obtain im-
portant data from 2023?
And as we know , Bermuda has not had a cen-
sus for a long time. So, a lot of people, including myself,
find data coming from Registry General's Office to be important in terms of our population. There is so much
discussion in our community around the ageing popu-lation . So, this is, in my view, critical information regard-
ing births and deaths, in particular , that add important
information to our discussion.
So, I guess I'm somewhat disappointed that it's
taken this long to obtain this information. Certainly it
does indicate that there are more deaths than births,
which is not surprising, and another reason why the in-
formation is necessary .
But I guess my question is, What happened in
2023 to experience the challenges in obtaining infor-
mation that , to me , seems to be fairly basic and it would
have been obtained for 2022 and prior years without
these challenges ? So, what was specific to the 2023
year that caused the information to be coming out this late, especially since there is a requirement to have it
prepared 90 days after the end of the year ? So, we're
now 17 months beyond the end of 2023.
Madam President, that is my question. What
were the challenges posed in 2023 that were specific to that year that we had not experienced in prior years?
Thank you, Madam President.
The President: Thank you, Vice President John Wight.
Would any other Senator . . . yes.
Senator Marcus Jones , OBA Leader in the
Senate. You have the floor.

QUESTION 1: REGISTRY GENERAL ANNUAL
REPORT OF THE 2023

Sen. Marcus Jones: Just to add on to my colleague
who just spoke, we do realise that the standard of re-
porting is 90 days after the calendar year. Without hav-
ing the Budget Book in front of me, has this Ministry
looked to increase the number of staff in this particular Ministry to alleviate the strain and stress it takes to pro-
duce these reports in a timely fashion?
And I guess a question that's associated to this
is, Was this year's reporting, or the lateness of the
86 20 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate reporting, just an anomaly ? Or is this a trend that we've
seen over the years ?
We can belabour the point that it is late—and it
is—in production and reporting . I guess a more, shall
we say solution- driven question would be, Are we going
to beef up the staff level s so that we can ensure that
this does not occur again?

The President: Thank you, Senator .
Senator Cunningham, I believe you have ques-
tions.

QUESTION 1: REGISTRY GENERAL ANNUAL
REPORT OF THE 2023

Sen. Victoria Cunningham: Thank you, Madam Pres-
ident, and thank you for the Statement. I actually found
it quite enlightening reading the entire report and have
to say the Registr y General have done a great job in
laying it all out. And I would invite people to take a look
at it.
But one of the things that shocked me slightly
was that 25 per cent of our births were non- Bermudian
parents. And so obviously that would be our guest
workers. But the 622 resident deaths I would assume
are going to be primarily Bermudian because our guest
workers would generally tend to leave at the age of 65
or upon retirement.
So, my question would be, What would the
Government's response be to that continuing decline in
birth rates, especially given that a quarter of them are
actually non- Bermudian and unlikely to be eligible for
status. So that decline in birth rate and the rise in the
death rate and then a supplemental to that if I may.

The President: Yes.

SUPPLEMENTARY

Sen. Victoria Cunningham: Has any demographic im-
pact analysis been done to assess the implications for
health care, education and workforce planning with the
declines that we're seeing ?
Thank you.
The President: Thank you, Senator Cunningham.
Would any other Senator care to ask questions
on this statement?
Sen. Victoria Cunningham: Sorry, I do have one more
question.

The President: Senator Cunningham, a second ques-
tion.

QUESTION 2: REGISTRY GENERAL ANNUAL
REPORT OF THE 2023
Sen. Victoria Cunningham: Second question, and
this is just for interest purposes for the maritime mar-
riages, Is there any economic benefit to Bermuda for
the increase that we're seeing in maritime marriages?
Thank you.

The President: Thank you.

Sen. Lauren Bell: Thank you, colleagues for your
questions.
So, we do recognise that the report was late
and the explanation for the delay is multifaceted. So ,
the report I read earlier pointed to one of those which was the lack of human resources. And also, there was
a need to clarify the accuracy of the data.
There has been some work done internally to
ensure that the issues that were experienced for the production of this report will be addressed. We have a
commitment from the Registrar that we will be getting
the next report in the second quarter of 2025. So, we
are looking at tentatively around July .
There is a multi- pronged approach to getting
the report done. So, it is first the collection of data, and
in accordance with the report , I think the Statement I
read earlier , the data comes from multiple sources. So,
there was a delay in the submission of some of this in-
formation. And then, of course, there is the internal col-
lation of the data and the printing of the document. And
in between that, of course, we had . . . the election was
called.
So, I have been given assurances that the is-
sues that were faced for the production of this report
. . . there is some work being done internally to ensure
that those issues have been addressed.
To the question regarding the number of em-
ployees, I actually don't have that information. And
when we when we bring the budget, we can have that
discussion regarding the number of employees.
So, I mean, as we are aware, the information
about demographic statistics is key. And this infor-
mation is used to develop policies and responses to various changing needs, and that's reflective of our changing demographic. So, there are continued analy-
sis of the data, and it is done across the board as it
impacts , of course, our labour , as well as an impact on
housing. So, that work continues to be done.
We recognise that the census will be held in
July 2026 , and this census will provide us with lot more
granular data that will be used going forward for some
of those analyses.
The question regarding the economic benefit of
maritime marriages, I will get confirmation, but my as-
sumption is that there will be the benefit of the marriage
certificates, the cost of the marriage certificates.
Thank you, Madam President.
The President: Thank you, Senator Lauren Bell.
With that said, now we will move on to the final
Statement that was given by Senator Mischa Fubler.
Official Hansard Report 20 May 2025 87

Bermuda Senate And that wa s the one on the apprenticeship programme
and information technology .
Would any Senator care to ask questions on
this Statement ?
Senator Cunningham, you have the floor .

QUESTION 1: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
DEVELOPMENT APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMME

Sen. Victoria Cunningham: Thank you, Madam Pres-
ident, and thank you for the Statement.
My husband actually came out here on a work
permit in the mid- 2000s as a software engineer . So, I
know the Island, back then especially , had a limited
supply of Bermudian quali fied IT professionals . So, I
applaud the Government for this IDP initiative.
But I guess from my perspective, I would like to
know . . . my first question would be we have got three
apprentices now in the programme. How many do you think each cohort is likely to have and what qualifica-
tions are they going to need to be able to get into the
programme? So, like a high school diploma ? Do they
need an undergrad degree? Where are they supposed
to have started?

The President: Was that your only question?

Sen. Victoria Cunningham: I can follow up with the
supplemental .
The President: Yes.

SUPPLEMENTARIES

Sen. Victoria Cunningham: So, these apprentices are
in this programme, how much . . . I would assume that
at the end of it, upon graduation or however they leave the cohort, there would be an expectation of future em-
ployment with the government. And so, my question is,
Is there a timeframe , [an] amount of time that these in-
dividuals are expected to work for government rather
than going to the private sector ?
And then my second supplemental to that is ,
Upon their graduation from the programme, can the ap-
prentice choose which department they would like to go into and obviously further specialise in if they've only
done three months? Or is it up to the needs of the de-
partments at that time?
Thank you, Madam President.

The President: Thank you, Senator Cunningham.
Would any other Senator care . . .
Yes, Senat or Marcus Jones.

QUESTION 1: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
DEVELOPMENT APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMME

Sen. Marcus Jones: Thank you, Madam President, it
occurred to me after the completion of this programme . . . can the Junior Minister assure us that not only will
the skills learned through this programme qualify them
to be dispersed amongst the public sector, but will it
also give them a leg up within the private sector, even
as far as going to international jurisdictions around the
world ? I guess what I'm getting at is will the accredita-
tion that they'll gain from this programme have interna-tional credit and viability ?
Thanks, Madam President.
The President: Thank you.
And I believe Senator Tawana Tannock has
questions.
You have the floor.

QUESTION 1: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
DEVELOPMENT APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMME

Sen. Tawana Tannock: Thank you, Madam President.
My question is relating to the nature of the
training. When I looked at the Statement, what I didn't
see specifically mentioned was any mention of cyber-
security and ensuring that these individuals are trained
in cybersecurity and addressing cyberattacks . As we all
know, unfortunately from experience, the Bermuda
Government was left exposed because of that issue
and so I would want to know what type of training with
regard to cybersecurity and defence against cyberat-
tacks will be included as it's not listed in any of the core
areas.
The President: Thank you, Senator Tannock .
Senator Fubler , if you're ready to respond, you
have the floor.

Sen. Mischa Fubler: Okay, thank you. Yes , I think
there are no more questions .
First to Senator Cunningham, how many are
projected in the next cohort? I think the primary limiting
factor there is the budget allocation for the programme.
We started this year , in the current fiscal year, this is
the $130,000- odd that's been allocated to the pro-
gramme. And if you have begun to review the Budget
Book, you'll see the changes in allocations there. I will
wait until we come onto that in the coming weeks .
But qualifications required , it is fairly open.
High school diploma, I think, is the only thing required.
We're taking the high school graduates and providing
them some valuable experience.
I am checking with the technical officer if
there's an expectation of employment with the govern-
ment after completion of the programme. The briefing I
received did not include any kind of requirement to that,
but we will hopefully be able to confirm.
As it turns out, we cannot guarantee employ-
ment after completion of the programme. But the IT
skills are largely transferable. You know, I am involved
in the hiring process at my day job, and we also strug-
gle to fill roles both locally and in our international
88 20 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate offices . And so , I am sure they will have little challenge,
especially as IT is one of those industries where cre-
dentials are helpful, especially in the areas of network-
ing and the help desk. But the experience is definitely
a lot more valuable. That's generally what I'm looking
for when assessing candidates.
And security is a part of the programme, Sen-
ator Tannock, thank you. And also, I do believe some
responsib ility for cybersecurity falls under the Ministry
of National Security. They have a team that is primarily focused on the cybersecurity.
And let's see what else I had here. Senator
Jones, right. So, I think we just spoke to leg up in the
private sector. The IT is not specific to government .
However, as a much larger enterprise, I think they
would actually have some benefit where many of the
other private sector places hiring IT professionals tend
to be much smaller , with out excluding maybe the larger
reinsurers like Chubb or possibly Renaissance Re.
And the accreditation, I do not . . . Let me see
what we got here, I think it's just the apprenticeship. But
let me see what my technical officer s ays. Yes, so the
programme is new . We started in February , so they are
developing the programme and further updates will come as we progress. But at this time my understand-
ing is that it's just a workplace experience which is sim-
ilarly valuable.
And I think that was all of the questions. Happy
to field any other supplementaries that came from my
responses.

The President: Senators are there any supplemen-
taries from the responses?
If there are not any, then we will thank you,
Senator Fubler , for your presentation and thank you,
Senators for the questions and that completes the
questions on the Statements that have been given this morning, and we will now move on to the next item. The
Orders of the Day .

ORDERS OF THE DAY

The President: The next item is the Orders of the Day .
And the first item is the second reading of the Explosive Substances Amendment Act 2025. And that's in the
name of Senator Linds ay K. Simmons, Junior Minister
for National Security.

STANDING ORDER 25
Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Thank you, Madam Presi-
dent.
I move that the provisions of S tanding Order 25
be granted so that the Senate may now proceed with the second reading of the Bill s entitled Explosive Sub-
stances Amendment Act 2025 and Department of La-
bour Act 2025.
The President: Is there any objection to that motion? No objection.
[Motion carried: Leave granted for Explosive Sub-
stances Amendment Act 2025 and the Department of
Labour Act 2025 to be read a second time on the same day as their first reading. ]
The President: Carry on, Senator.

Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Madam President, I move
that the Bill entitled Explosive Substances Amendment
Act 2025 be now read a second time.

The President: Is there any objection to that motion?
No objection.

BILL

SECOND READING

EXPLOSIVE SUBSTANCE S
AMENDMENT ACT 2025
Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Thank you.
It is my pleasure today to present for consider-
ation of the Senate, the Explosive Substances Amend-
ment Act 2025, a Bill that seeks to modernise our leg-
islative framework to reflect the practical realities of and
professional standards of today's pyrotechnics industry
in Bermuda.
Madam President, under the current provisions
of the Explosive Substance s Act 1974 firework display
permits may only be granted to public officers acting in
the official capacity , municipal corporations or hotel
managers. While this structure was originally intended
to ensure proper oversight and safety, it has become outdated and unnecessarily restrictive in practice.
Madam President, in effect, trained and certi-
fied pyrotechnicians must rely on eligible third parties,
such as a government official or hotel manager to apply
for and collect a permit on their behalf. This introduces unnecessary bureaucracy and inefficiency into what shoul d be a straightforward process. The current pro-
cess also places an administrative burden on public of-
ficers who are required to perform duties unrelated to
their primary responsibilities such as collecting and re-
laying permits.
Madam President , the amendment proposed in
this Bill will allow for fireworks permits to be issued di-rectly to trained and certified pyrotechnicians who are
employed by licensed pyrotechnic companies. This ad-
justment preserves the existing oversight mechanisms.
Permits w ill still be issued only after the Commissioner
of Police consults with the Chief Fire Officer . Coordina-
tion with the relevant agencies, such as A ir Traffic Con-
trol, Marine and Ports, and the E nvironment and Natu-
ral Resources [Department] will continue as required.
This is not a change in safety policy. It is a change in
Official Hansard Report 20 May 2025 89

Bermuda Senate administrative efficiency that removes intermediaries
from the process while maintaining all existing controls.
Madam President , this amendment enables a
more streamlined and modern permitting process. It re-
duces the Government’s administrative burden and
supports the responsible professional operation of the
pyrotechnic industry. At the same time, it allows individ-
uals and event organisers greater flexibility in contract-ing pyrotechnic services for public and private celebra-
tions such as weddings, community events and na-tional holidays.
Madam President , Honourable Senators are
advised that as part of the consequential amendments
the fee for the issuance of a fireworks permit has been
revised from $300 to $500. This adjustment reflects the
need to more accurately cover the administrative costs
associated with the review, appr oval, and oversight
processes which are critical to maintaining public safety
and regulatory compliance.
Madam President , these amendments are
modest , sensible updates that reflect the evolving
needs of both the public sector and private event or-
ganisers, while supporting the safety and professional-
ism that the use of fireworks demands.
Thank you, Madam President.

The President: Thank you, Senator Simmons.
Does any Senator care to speak?
Senator Marcus Jones, Opposition Leader in
the Senate.
Sen. Marcus Jones: Thank you, Madam President.
First of all, I would like to thank the Junior Minister for
bringing this legislation to this Chamber. I think it's a commonsense type of Bill that I believe we all can
agree is necessary. The cost having never been in-
creased in what? Thirty -five, forty years? I think $300
to $500 is reasonable.
In seeking clarification, a re we looking at the
$500 administrative cost per event? Am I understand-
ing that correctly? Can the Junior Minist er clarify that
for me ?
And also , I am curious what are the certifica-
tions for a pyrotechnician? What does that particular
person need to have under their belt to satisfy , I guess
various ministries, the fire department, other ministries ,
to ensure and have confidence that this professional,
this pyrotechnician can actually administer and put on
a fireworks show without the risk of public danger. I
would like to know that [answer].
But here we are. We as t he One Bermuda Alli-
ance do support this Bill. And with those two questions
I submit to you, Madam President.
The President: Thank you, Senator Jones .
Would any other Senator . . .
Yes, Vice President John Wight , you have the
floor.
Sen. John Wight: Thank you, Madam President.
For starters, I know nothing about fireworks, so
this may be a question of ignorance. It probably is. But as I read the Bill, I am just trying to get clarification. This
expands the individuals or parties t hat can now use the
fireworks , is my understanding. So, for example, if a
fireworks permit is granted to a hotel manager who is
not a pyrotechnic, does that not cause potential safety
issues for the use of the of the fireworks ? That is my
question.
So, I may be misunderstanding what I am read-
ing, but to me that is a logical question , if I am under-
standing you correctly.
Thank you, Madam President.

The President: Thank you, Senator John Wight .
Would any other Senator . . .
Yes, Senator Tannock, you have the floor.

Sen. Tawana Tannock: Thank you, Madam President.
My question was going to be a similar one. I did
note Minister Week’s S tatement in the House in which
he stated that there will be no relaxation of ensuring
safety around the issuance of these permits. However,
I too wondered how it operates . So, if you do have a
hotelier or another individual on that extended list, do
they have to show that they have a licenced pyrotech-
nic manager or licenced pyrotechnic expert to get the
licence ?
So, you have the hotelier, but is it part and par-
cel of the procedure that once they get that licence, or
in order to get that licence that they have a licenced
person to operate the fireworks with them? So, it is sim-
ilar to Senator Wight’s question. I just wanted to know
a little bit more about how we are still ensuring that
when you have somebody on the expanded list who is
not a licenced pyrotechnic operator , that we still have a
licenced pyrotechnic operator providing that service, especially when you s tart seeing things like weddings ,
and this, that and the other.
So, how are we ensuring? And maybe that is
just a step that I have missed that is in the initial Act,
incorporated by reference. But yes, do we still need a
licenced pyrotechnic operator, even if it is that they are
not the person that is getting the licence?
I hope that was clear. I feel like it was not, but
I hope it was.

[Laughter]

The President: Thank you, Senator Tannock.
Senator Cunningham, you have the floor.
Sen. Victoria Cunningham: Thank you, Madam Pres-
ident.
And I guess going along the same vein, so if
now it is different individuals holding these licences ,
has any consultation been done with the local insur-
ance companies? Because I would assume that these
90 20 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate individuals are going to then be required to get insur-
ance for each individual event.
Thank you very much.

The President: Thank you.
Minister of Justice, Minister Wilkerson.

Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: Thank you, Madam
President .
I thought at this point I might just clarify for my
colleagues what the drafting change is before the PS consults on the technical question.
So, that is to say, this change is only bringing
[section] 10(d). So, it's adding the train ed and certified
pyrotechnic as a permit holder . That previously was not
the case. Right ?
So, if you would recall previously hotels could
always have events and they would have had, clearly ,
a certified licenced pyrotechnic to put on the event . But
the event owner would hold the permit, right? So, this
is now adding the trained and certified pyrotechnic.
We're just adding [section] 10(d). That is the change,
so that the trained and certified pyrotechnic can actu-
ally hold the permit as opposed to having to go through
the event holder , a hotel.
So that is why, for example, you would have
seen in the past year events at public places like off Mangrove Bay, for example, where it is not owned by a
hotel , it is a public place where . . . but the certified py-
rotechnic, which at the moment there is only one, Kyle
Swan , and colleagues, would have remembered that. I
think we passed a TIO [Tourism Investment Order] in
the event space for Kyle Swan in the . . . I don't know ,
we did it earlier in the year. I think maybe we did it in in
November in that regar d.
But I just wanted to clarify that that is the inser-
tion. So , all of the other rules are the same.

The President: Thank you, A ttorney General, Minister
Wilkerson for some explanation.
Yes, Senator Marcus Jones, you wanted to
make a further comment ?
Sen. Marcus Jones: Yes, I do thank the Attorney Gen-
eral for that explanation because it really answered a
few of the questions that I would have actually added
to this.
But in listening to her, it raise d another ques-
tion for me , and that is, Are there areas on the Island
that are restricted from allowing these fireworks to be
put on display because of either density of residential
populations or whatever ? Can the A ttorney General
shine some light on that ?
The President: Thank you.

Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: Yes, yes, there are.
So that's why part and parcel you would have
heard my colleagues say in the brief that there is consultation with even the Civil Aviation Authority for example, because there are some areas w here putting
up a flair would be a concern for incoming air traffic, as
an example. So those are the ground criteria that are looked at by the Chief of Police in consultation with . . .
I think the PS is offering those answers to my col-
league.
The President: Senator Linds ay Simmons.
Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Thank you, Madam Presi-
dent.
To answer Senator Jones’ question, the $500
is for each event. And also , to answer Senator Jones’
question, certifications for approved technicians are
vetted by the Commissioner of Police.
To answer Senator Wight’s question, the hotel
managers got a permit on behalf of approved pyrotech-
nical companies .
And to answer Senator Tannock’s question,
yes, the hotel has to list a licenced pyrotechnician in
order to have a fireworks permit .
And to answer Senator Cunningham ’s ques-
tion, each pyrotechnic company will have to have insur-
ance to cover their business operations.
I believe that answered all the questions.

The President: Thank you, Senator Linds ay Simmons .
You can now move your Bill. I think you have answered
all of the questions.
Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Thank you, Madam Presi-
dent.
Madam President, I move that the Bill entitled
Explosive Substances Amendment Act 2025, be now
read a second time.
The President: Is there any objection to that motion?
No objection.

SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDER 26

Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Madam President, I move
that [Standing Order] 26 be suspended in respect of
this Bill.

The President: Is there any objection to that motion?
No objection.

[Motion carried: Standing Order 26 suspended.]
Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Madam President, I move
that the Bill entitled the Explosive Substances Amend-
ment Act 2025 be now read a third time.

BILL

THIRD READING

Official Hansard Report 20 May 2025 91

Bermuda Senate EXPLOSIVE SUBSTANCE S
AMENDMENT ACT 2025

The President: Is there any objection to the third read-
ing?
No objection.

Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Thank you, Madam Presi-
dent.
The President: You have to pass the Bill now.

Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Madam President, I move
that the Bill do now pass .

The President: It has been moved that the Bill do now
pass .
Any objection to that motion?
No objection.

[Motion carried: The Explosive Substances Amend-ment Act 2025 was read a third time and passed.]

The President: Thank you, Senator Linds ay Simmons,
Junior Minister for National Security . And thank you all
Senators for your participation in the questions.
We are moving now on to the second item on
our Orders of the Day and that is the second reading of
the Department of Labour Act 2025. And that is in the
name of Senator Lauren Bell, the Junior Minister for
Economy and Labour .
Senator Bell , you can present your Bill.
Sen. Lauren Bell: Thank you, Madam President, I now
move that the Bill entitled the Department of Labour Act
2025, be read for the second time.

The President: Is there any objection to that motion?
No objection.

BILL

SECOND READING

DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR ACT 2025

Sen. Lauren Bell: Thank you. Good morning, Madam
President, Senate colleagues and listening audience.
I am pleased to introduce in the Honour able
Senate today a Bill entitled the Department of Labour
Act 2025, which provides for the continuation of the De-
partment of Labour in legislation and appoints the Di-
rector of Labour as the public officer responsible for the
supervision of the Department of Labour subject to the
general direction and control of the Minister responsible for labour relations.
Madam President, the Department of Labour,
previously known as the Labour Relations Section, used to be a section within the Department of Workforce Development. In 2017, the section was sep-arated from the Department of Workforce Development
and placed within the Ministry of Home Affairs Head-
quarters as a standalone government section headed by the Manager of Labour Relations. All employment
and labour -related legislation was amended to provide
the manager with specific legislative responsibilities
that were previously held by the director of Workforce Development.
Madam President , in March 2023, the section
was transitioned into the Department of Labour, and the Director of Labour post was created to ensure the
efficient operation and management of the department.
The department is comprised of ten staff with recruit-ment underway f or five vacant posts. This meant,
Madam President, that the legislation, regulations, and orders ascribed to the department as well as any con-sequential legislation required amending to correctly
reference the department by name and appoint a Di-rector of Labour as a public officer with supervision over
the department, as the legislation currently refers to the
Manager of Labour Relations.
Madam President , it is essential to ensure that
the legislative responsibility for the department is cor-rectly assigned to the head of the department, and this Bill achieves this.
Thank you, Madam President .
The President: Would any Senator care to speak on
this Bill?
Yes, Senator Marcus Jones , OBA Leader in
the Senate, you have the floor.
Sen. Marcus Jones: Thank you, Madam President .
I would like to thank the Junior Minister for
bringing forth this Bill. We, the One Bermuda Alliance ,
do support it and we understand the statutory require-ment for this position to be elevated from manager to
director.
I have two questions , if the Junior Minister can
indulge me. Does this upgrade of a title from manager
to director represent a monetary value? In other words,
did the PS level for this particular role increase with the
change in its title ?
As I looked over the Budget Book last year,
2024/25, the revised estimat e was that there were 10
persons working in this particular unit , and next year ’s
estimate is 9. Sorry, the actual number was 6. Right.
The actual number 6. It was budgeted for 10. This com-
ing year it is going to be 9. We learned through the sal-
ary increase that there is going to be a $44,000 in-
crease in the salaries for that particular department.
So, I am looking at that . The union negotiated
increase of 5 per cent notwithstanding, I am just trying
to sort of wrap my head around how this particular role,
if the increase . . . if there was not an increase in the
salary rate of this person with the promoted title, I can-
not understand how the salary increase would be there.
92 20 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate I guess back to my original question. Is there a
monetary value attached to the change in the title for
this role? And secondly, can the Junior Minister give us
a little idea of the scope of this department ? I realise
that part of the remit of this particular department is to provide services to support labour relations. It does a
fair amount of presentations on an annual basis, I be-
lieve it does like 5 to 10 presentations a year. It edu-
cates the public on what it does . But I think , and the
Junior Minister can correct me if I 'm wrong, one of the
major tasks that it does i s it actually arbitrates any la-
bour relations that need to be arbitrated or need to be
made decisions on. And I think that's probably the lion's
share of what it does.
So, I guess I am asking the Junior Minister to
give us some scope on what this department does . Be-
cause, you know , I guess I am looking to see the justi-
fication outside of the statutory requirement to have this
title moved from manager to director .
And with those two questions, I would like to
see what the Junior Minister has to say. Thank you.

The President: Thank you, Senator Marcus Jones .
Would any other Senator care to speak on this
Bill?
Hearing none, seeing none, we will wait for the
response from the Junior Minister.
Sen. Lauren Bell: Thank you.
In response to Senator Marcus Jones' ques-
tion, just for clarification, there are actually two posts
that we are talking about here. So, there are two sepa-
rate positions. They will be the position of the manager
and the director.
So, the PS grade for the director is 43, while
the PS grade for the manager is PS 38 to 40. And for
further clarification, the current 2 025/26 budget is less
than the 2024/25 budget due to the proportion of the
salaries.
This current recruitment , the Ministry recog-
nised that all posts have been filled for the entirety of
2025/26.
And just to give you some better understanding
about the role and function of the department , their re-
sponsibilities are wide, and it includes the adjudication
of industrial disputes. It also provides support and guid-
ance for workers on their rights. And their responsibility,
of course, is the enforcement of labour laws and the
promotion of labour standards throughout the Island.
The further scope regarding the department
will be highlighted again when we get to the budget.
We'll provide you with more information then.

The President: Thank you, Senator Bell , for your re-
sponse. Seeing no other questions , you can move your
Bill.

SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDER 26
Sen. Lauren Bell: Thank you, Madam President.
I move that [Standing Order] 26 be suspended
in respect to this Bill.
The President: Is there any objection to that motion?
No objection.
[Motion carried: Standing Order 26 suspended.]

Sen. Lauren Bell: Madam President, I move that the
Bill entitled the Department of Labour Act 2025, be now
read for the third time.
The President: Is there any objection to that motion?
No objection.

BILL

THIRD READING

DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR ACT 2025

Sen. Lauren Bell: Madam President, I move that the
Bill now pass.

The President: It has been moved that the Bill entitled
Department of Labour Act 2025 d o now pass .
Is there any objection to that motion?
No objection. The Bill is passed.

[Motion carried: The Department of Labour Act 2025
was read a third time and passed.]
The President: Thank you, Senator Bell. And thank
you, Senators, for your questions on the Bill.
We now move on to the third item on our Or-
ders of the Day and that is consideration of the Tourism
Investment (Hillcrest Boutique Hotel ) Order 2025, and
that is in the name of Senator Mischa Fubler , the Junior
Minister for Tourism and Transport, Culture and Sport.
Senator Fubler , you can present your [Draft Or-
der].

DRAFT ORDER

TOURISM INVESTMENT
(HILLCREST BOUTIQUE HOTEL) ORDER 2025

Sen. Mischa Fubler: Thank you, Madam President.
The purpose in bringing this Tourism Invest-
ment (Hillcrest Boutique Hotel) Order 2025 before this
Chamber is to enable the grant of tax relief to the de-
veloper investing in the tourism product, Hillcrest Bou-tique Hotel, Hillcrest Boutique Hotel, Ltd., which is in
the national economic interest of Bermuda.
Introduction and purpose: Madam President , I
am pleased to invite this Chamber to take this Order
under consideration. Madam President, Hillcrest
Official Hansard Report 20 May 2025 93

Bermuda Senate Boutique Hotel Ltd. is a Bermuda company incorpo-
rated on 8 October 2024. The hotel is the former Aunt Nea’s Inn, which was built in the 1770s and was the first guesthouse in Bermuda to accept non- White
guests during the period of segregation. It was pur-chased in July 2023 and was renovated and rede-
signed to create 14 suites, nine king suites, one addi-
tional king suite, one bachelor suite, two queen suites, and one cottage suite. The new amenities include a
heated saltwater pool, a six -person hot tub, sauna, in-
door and outdoor lounge with firepit, gym and a mas-
sage room.
Madam President , in February of 2025, the
Hillcrest Boutique Hotel came into the hotel inventory, and was placed on the tourism accommodation inven-
tory as an inn with, as previously mentioned, a total of
14 units accommodating a maximum of 37 guests on any given night.
Madam President , the staffing model of this inn
includes housekeeping services provided by a local company, a hotel operations and distributions man-ager, an experiences manager, and a live- in mainte-
nance manager.
Madam President , this Chamber will note that
the Hillcrest Boutique Hotel has been awarded the full
terms of relief allowed by the legislation, which is as
follows:
• full relief from customs duty for 15 years from
the operative date of the O rder;
• full relief from hotel occupancy tax for 15 years
from the hotel’s opening date;
• full relief from the employer’s share of payroll
tax for 15 years from the hotel’s opening date; and
• full exemption from land tax for 10 years start-
ing from the sixth anniversary of the hotel’s
opening date.
Madam President, this Chamber will note that
exemptions from land tax is subject to the hotel con-firming in years 6 through 15 that 70 per cent of the ho-
tel’s staff must be Bermudian. Further, Madam Presi-
dent, exemption from the employer’s share of payroll
tax is subject to a management training programme for
Bermudians verified by the Department of Workforce
Development. And the verification is to ensure that this
is in operation at the hotel during the time period men-
tioned.
Madam President , the Hillcrest Boutique Hotel
pairs timeless elegance with modern sophistication. It
offers guests a private, tranquil, deeply comfortable
home away from home with every modern amenity at
affordable prices.
Madam President , I conclude as I began, this
Government’s support of this tourism product is in the
national economic interest of Bermuda. Something that
we at the Ministry of Tourism and Transport, Culture and Sport are always keen to advocate for on their be-
half. A little plug there. Yes, thank you, my colleague.
Senator Jones here is interpolating as I go along. And, Madam President, I am pleased to com-
mend this Order for the support of this Chamber.
Thank you, Madam President.

The President: And thank you, Senator Fubler, Junior
Minister of Tourism and Transport, Culture and Sport.
Would any Senator care to speak on this Or-
der?
Yes. I see Senator Maurice Foley . You have
the floor.
Sen. Maurice Foley: Thank you, Madam President .
I would like to thank the Junior Minister for
bringing forward the Tourism Investment ( Hillcrest Bou-
tique Hotel ) Order 2025.
The One Bermuda Alliance supports this initia-
tive. We see it as a positive step towards diversifying Bermuda's tourism product and encouraging new in-
vestment. Properties like Hillcrest Boutique Hotel cer-
tainly add character to our offering and attract a grow-
ing market of travellers seeking unique and intimate ex-
periences . So, we support this kind of forward- thinking
development in the tourism sector.
Thank you, Madam President.

The President: Thank you, Senator Foley.
Would any other Senator care to speak on this
Order?
Minister Wilkerson, Attorney General , you
have the floor.
Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: Thank you, Madam
President .
I am delighted that this TI O [Tourism Invest-
ment Order ] has the support across the aisle as we ex-
pected it would . But I wanted to pause to say that I am
particularly excited that this is a Bermudian developer .
Often , we are in these Chambers giving the benefit of
tourism investment O rders and these concessions to
developers who are not Bermudian. So, I really am
quite proud.
I have not been to visit Hillcrest yet, but those
who have say that it is quite stunning. And that Veron-
ica D aley [Gordon] really has done an amazing job. So,
congratulations to her.

The President: Thank you, Minister Wilk erson for your
input.
Senator, you have full support and therefore
you can move your Order.

Sen. Mischa Fubler: Thank you, Madam President .
I move that the Tourism and Investment (Hill-
crest Boutique Hotel ) Order 2025 be [approved] as
read.
The President: Is there any objection to that motion?
No objection.

94 20 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate Sen. Mischa Fubler: I move that the Tourism Invest-
ment (Hillcrest Boutique Hotel ) Order 2025 be [ap-
proved] .
Oh, I'll get it. Here we go. Sorry. Third time is
the charm.

[Inaudible interjection]

Sen. Mischa Fubler: I move that the Tourism Invest-
ment (Hillcrest Boutique Hotel ) Order 2025 [approval]
be sent as a message to the Governor.

The President: Yes.
Is there any objection to that motion?
No objection. A s uitable message will be sent.

[Motion carried: The Tourism Investment (Hillcrest Bou-tique Hotel) Order 2025 was approved.]

The President: Thank you, Senator Fubler , for your
presentation. And now you can move on to your next
item, which is consideration of the Tourism Investment
(Grotto Bay Resort and Spa) Order 2025.

DRAFT ORDER

TOURISM INVESTMENT
(GROTTO BAY RESORT AND SPA) ORDER 2025

Sen. Mischa Fubler: Thank you, Madam President .
The purpose in bringing this Tourism Invest-
ment (Grotto Bay Resort and Spa) Order 2025 before
this Chamber is to enable the grant of tax relief to the developers investing in the tourism product, the Grotto
Bay Resort and Spa, which is Grotto Bay Properties
Limited, which is in the national economic interest of Bermuda.
Introduction and purpose: Madam President, I
am pleased to invite this Chamber to take this Order under consideration.
Madam President , a key element of success in
business is investment in the product to ensure it is al-ways fresh and serves to meet the demands of custom-ers that the business aims to serve. Madam President ,
the hospitality business is no different. Destinations, hotels and attractions that seek to trade only on repu-
tation can often lose their edge proving to be more of
what they were than what they need to be. Success in
this aggressive and competitive touri sm marketplace
demands that every affiliated touris m business consist-
ently stays at the cutting edge. Madam President , the
Order before the Senate Member s represents that kind
of investment in a product proposed to be made by a
key tourism site in Bermuda.
As previously indicated when tabling this Or-
der, the Grotto Bay and Resort and Spa is an iconic property located in the East End of the Island. The cur-
rent owners have taken the foundation laid by their pre-
decessors and have determined to grow the status o f the hotel to meet the true luxury standard befitting its location.
Madam President , phase one of the two
phases of the development began in September 2023
and was completed in November of 2024. It included
expansion of the Hibiscus South Dining Room and
Palm Court, creation of the new Hibiscus East Dining
Room, the new Panorama Lounge, a rooftop lounge lo-
cated on top of the Hibiscus East Dining Room, and an
expansion of the resort’s beach via the creation of a new beach terrace, which has seating for an additional 100 guests. Phase two will consist of the construction
of 53 additional guestrooms, expansion of the hotel
kitchen, and the construction of a new sewage treat-
ment plant to meet the demands of the larger hotel.
Madam President , this Chamber will note that
the terms of the Order are consistent with the Tourism Investment Act 2017 and provide the relief sought for a
period of 15 years. That relief is set out in clause 3 of
the Order and again is consistent with the principal Act.
Madam President , I would like to invite the at-
tention of this Chamber to clause 4 of the Order that sets out the important means by which the hotel quali-
fies for, 1) the exemption from the employer’s share of
payroll tax; and 2) the exemption from land tax. Re-
spectively, a management training programme and
70 per cent Bermudian workforce is required.
Madam President , I thereby advise this Cham-
ber that currently at Grotto Bay, 73 per cent of the work-
force is indeed Bermudian. I like to see exceeding the
requirements. Kudos to them.
Madam President , I would echo comments
previously made in this Chamber with respect to the
Tourism Investment Act [2017]. The relief provided by
the Act is not just available to hotels. The Schedule to
the Act sets out how new and existing restaurants can
qualify for reli ef and likewise how an attraction can
qualify.
Madam President , the Government’s goal is to
create the conditions that inspire investor confidence at
every level of the tourism economy sparking a desire to
invest and reinvest as we continue to see the recovery
of tourism for Bermuda.
Madam President , I am pleased to commend
this Order for the support of this Chamber. And I would like to send a special thank you out to the Tourism Pol-
icy Unit who worked diligently to coordinate with both of
these entities while progressing their applications.
Thank you, Madam President.

The President: And thank you.
Would any Senator care to speak on this?
Senator Foley, I recognise you. You have the
floor.
Sen. Maurice Foley: Thank you, Madam President .
I wish to also thank the Junior Minister for pre-
senting the Tourism Investment ( Grotto Bay Resort and
Spa) Order 2025. The OBA supports this measure.
Official Hansard Report 20 May 2025 95

Bermuda Senate Grotto Bay is a key player in Bermuda's hospi-
tality landscape and continued investment in its facili-
ties ensures we remain competitive as a destination. This kind of reinvestment helps retain jobs, improve the
guest experience, and signals confidence in Bermuda ’s
tourism future .
We fully support efforts that strengthen our
core tourism infrastructure. So, thank you.
And thank you, Madam President.

The President: Thank you, Senator Foley.
Would any other Senator care to speak on this
Order?
Senator Cunningham, you have the floor.

Sen. Victoria Cunningham: Thank you, Madam Pres-
ident.
It is more of just a clarification for me. So, with
these tax relief efforts, there is a stipulation of maintain-ing a percentage of staff for eligibility. How is that cal-
culated? How often ?
So, in terms of , you know , someone like Grotto
Bay, it is seasonal . You know , potentially , they have
seasonal staff in the summer to complement the rest of
their workforce. So, I just wondered is it done on actual
number of staff members ? Is it done on salary range?
You know , how do we work out that that percentage of
70, because 73 to me is quite close.

Sen. Mischa Fubler: Thank you.
So, I believe it is done based on the headcount
at the time of reporting, which is done regularly , to the
Department of Labour , and the Employment Survey
that is conducted annually.
And just to clarify, it is 9 years of land tax relief
which is the contingent on 70 per cent of hotel staff be-
ing Bermudian, which is assessed at their sixth year of
operation after the commencement of the Order .
The a pplicant also provides projections around
staffing levels as well out for several years, and so the
those are taken under consideration at the point of ap-
plication and then again assessed at six years to con-
firm that they're meeting their obligation.
Happy to respond to any other questions that
Senators may have.

The President: Senators , are there any other ques-
tions on this Order?
Hearing none, then it's back to you, Senator
Fubler.

Sen. Mischa Fubler: Thank you, Madam President .
I move that the Tourism Investment (Grotto
Bay Resort and Spa) Order 2025 be [approved and a]
message [be sent] to the Governor.

The President: Is there any objection to that motion?
No objection. You can read your message now, Senator
Fubler .

Sen. Mischa Fubler: Thank you.
I move that the Tourism Investment ( Grotto
Bay Resort and Spa) Order 2025, be sent to the Gov-
ernor as printed.

The President: Senator Fubler, we need to help you
with the word ing.
Sen. Mischa Fubler: Yes, please do.
[Laughter]

Sen. Mischa Fubler: Thanks . One second.
Apologies, I just need to go through my emails .
There, we have here . . .
May it please, Your Excellency : The Senate
having under consideration the Draft Order entitled the
Tourism Investment (Grotto Bay Resort and Spa) Order
2025 , proposed to be made by the Minister responsible
for Tourism under section 3 of the Tourism Investment
Act 2017, together with the written agreement of the
Minister of Finance in exercise of the power conferred
by section 5 of the Tourism Investment Act 2017, has
the honour to inform Your Excellency that the Senate has approved the said Draft Order.

The President: Is there any objection to the message
being sent?
No. The suitable message will be sent.
Thank you, Senator.

[Motion carried: The Tourism Investment (Grotto Bay
Resort and Spa) Order 2025 was approved.]

The President: Yes, you can read.
Sen. Mischa Fubler: And just for completeness, I will
also do the Tourism Investment ( Hillcrest Boutique Ho-
tel) Order 2025.
May it please Your Excellency : The Senate
having under consideration the Draft Order entitled the
Tourism Investment ( Hillcrest Boutique Hotel ) Order
2025 proposed to be made by the Minister responsible
for Tourism under section 3 of the Tourism Investment
Act 2017, together with the written agreement of the
Minister of Finance in exercise of the power conferred
by section 5 of the Tourism Investment Act 2017, has
the honour to inform Your Excellency that the Senate
has approved the said Draft Order.

[Motion carried: The Tourism Investment (Hillcrest Bou-
tique Hotel) Order 2025 was approved.]

The President: Thank you, Senator Fubler . And thank
you all Senators . The messages will be sent on these
two Orders.
96 20 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda Senate And that brings us to the end of our Orders of
the Day. We move on to motions.
MOTIONS
The President: There are none .
CONGRATULATORY AND OR OBITUARY
SPEECHES
The President: Would any Senator care to speak?
Yes, Senator Linds ay Simmons. You have the
floor.
Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Thank you, Madam Presi-
dent. Madam President, first I would like to congratulate
Ms. Dionne Tuzo, for winning the Public Service Excel-
lence Award. She is the lead Primary 1 teacher at
Northlands Primary School.
I
also want to congratulate Dr. Leroy Bean, JP ,
MP, for getting his doctoral degree.
I also want to congratulate three outstanding
women in Bermuda on obtaining their doctoral degree
in education and leadership . All of them graduated with
high distinction. And they are Dr. Donna Pitc her, Dr.
Shannon-Rose Robinson and my favourite, my
sister, Dr. Jenna Bean.
I
also want to congratulate this year's Grand
Marshall Glenn Jones, Mc Kenzie- Kohl Tuckett, Seldon
Woolridge and Coral Wells.
And also, Madam President, I didn't make it
this year, but I saw some pictures. I want to congratu-
late Loyal Hill for their pre- Bermuda Day parade. They
looked amazing. The always go all out . So, congratula-
tions to Loyal Hill and all the organisers and people that
came out to support.
Madam President, I have a few people that I
would like to r each out to their families , on the passing
of Mr . Daamian Simmons to his wife, C atarina. You
have my deepest condolences . Your husband was one
of Bermuda's top chefs and I used to work closely with Daamian. I know his family greatly, so they have my
condolences.
I also want to g ive condolences to [the family
of] Ms. Miranda Lister . She was the wife of the Speaker
of the House, the Honourable Dennis Lister, JP , MP,
their sons Dennis Lister, Jr. JP, MP, his wife, Alicia ,
Randall and Russell Lister. They have my deepest con-dolences . I worked with Mrs. Lister at Delwood, we
taught at Delwood together , and she actually grew up
with my father. So, your family has my deepest condo-
lences.
I also want to give condolences to Senator Lau-
ren Bell on the passing of her mother, Mrs . Fay Hay-
ward. Condolences to the Hayward family on the pass-ing of your beautiful mother.
I also want to give condolences to the family of
Jasmin Smith, to Lloyd Smith and his wife , her mother, Silita Thomas, her sisters Donika and Shantel. Condo-
lences to her family on the passing of Jasmin. She was always a bright and happy young lady.
And I also want to give condolences to
Shaquan Williams’ family o n the passing of Shaquan.
And I also want to give condolences to the fam-
ily of Zaire Bean and hold their family up in prayer as
they navigate through t his hardship.
I also want to give condolences to [the family
of] Dean Abbott. His full name was Alexander Dean Ab-
bott. He is the father of our Deputy Chairperson Alex
Abbott. Condolences to your family on the passing of
your father.
I also want to give condolences to the family of
Ms. Honnée Smith. Honnée actually worked at my job
for a short time, and I am a good friend of her auntie
Ashley Smith and Jenny. So, condolences to their fam-
ily as a go through this process .
Also, to the passing of Lawrence “ Larry ” Scott,
JP. Condolences to Shoshana and her family on the
passing of her father.
And I also want to give condolences to the fam-
ily of Mr. Tyrone James to his children. You have my
deepest condolences.
And, Madam President, I want to give condo-
lences to my family, on the passing of my father. Mr.
Eugene Simmons. I just want to say that to me, the
world is a little dimmer, because my father was an ever -
present father. He was not only a great father and
grandfather, but he was an extraordinary husband. So,
condolences to my mom, Maureen Simmons , to my sis-
ter, Dr . Jenna Bean and her husband Kenji, to my sister
Courtney Simmons, my sister Kara Simmons Montano,
and her husband Jeffrey , to my daughter Laundyn Sim-
mons , to my nephew Knoa Montano- Simmons, and my
husband Tafari Wilson.
It's been the hardest thing I
’ve ever go ne
through. I just want to . . . I'm just thankful that I had a
father that was present for everything. Our family
worked together, and he wa s what a Black man should
be, a stand- up man, a man that loved everybody , and
through all of the messages they got. And then we bur-
ied him on Saturday. It was a common theme that my
father spoke to everyone with love and put everybody
before himself .
So, I just want to s ay, I love you forever, Daddy.
Thank you.
The President: Thank you, Senator Simmons. I'm sure
the whole Senate support s you in this and joins you in
your condolences for your father.
Would any other Senator care to speak?
Senator Cunningham.
Sen. Victoria Cunningham: Thank you, Madam Pres-
ident.
I'll bring it up a notch before I take it back down
one, but I would like to start by extending my heartfelt
congratulations to the Bermuda College class of 2025.
Official Hansard Report 20 May 2025 97

Bermuda Senate I think this milestone is not only a testament to the ac-
ademic achievement, but also a celebration of the stu-dents ’ resilience, perseverance and ambition.
Many of these graduating students have bal-
anced their studies alongside work, family responsibili-ties and other personal challenges . And I think we can
commend them on doing so with a lot of grace and de-termination. Bermuda College remains the pillar of op-
portunity and transformation for so many of us, and I
want to acknowledge the faculty, staff and families who
support our students every step of the way. Ultimately,
their journey to graduation is rarely walked alone, and
so this moment belongs to all who contributed to their
success.
Madam President, I was deeply disappointed
to miss the ceremony last Thursday as I was overseas
due to the sudden passing of my father -in-law, Samuel
Cunningham, last Wednesday in Ireland. So, I want to
extend my sincere condolences to my husband, now
proud IT professional Bermudian, Adrian Cunningham
and his family back in Ireland.
And, Madam President, I also wish (t he water
works are coming out today ) to express my sincere
condolences to the family of the late Fay Haywood. She
was the beloved mother of my Senate colleagues, Sen-
ator Lauren Bell, the aunt of my colleague, Bonnie Exell
[PHONETIC] , and the grandmother of Ashton Bell, one
of the many young people I've had the privilege of men-toring in t his journey into international business.
Ms. Heyward was also a proud former resident
of Sun Valley in Warwick in my own constituency, 28 in
Warwick West. I was honoured to attend her service,
which was a dignified and very moving celebration of a
life defined by strength, generosity and an unwavering
devotion to her family. Hearing the memory shared
about the home she built and the legacy she leaves be-
hind reminded us all of the profound impact of love and
stability in shaping the lives of those around us.
And as we've just heard, on behalf of the One
Bermuda Alliance, I'd like to offer our condolences to
the family of Eugene Simmons and in particular to our
colleague Senator Linds ay Simmons. We are ex-
tremely saddened to hear the news of your father's
passing. And from your remarks, he sounds like he was
a very wonderful man.
Madam President, I would also like to recog-
nise and commend the outstanding young people who
were honoured at the Outstanding Teen Awards earlier
this month. This annual event serves as a powerful re-minder of the exceptional potential that exists within Bermuda ’s youth . From academic excellence and lead-
ership to artistic achievement, community service and
perseverance in the face of adversity, these teens em-
body the best of Bermuda. I was particularly moved by
their stories, their passion, courage and commi tment to
making a difference.
Attending the ceremony, beautifully organised
by Team Services, was both humbling and uplifting. It
reaffirmed for me the importance of nurturing our youth, of providing them with the resources, mentorship and
opportunities to shine.
So, to each and every honouree, congratula-
tions. Bermuda is proud of you. May your journey con-tinue to be bold, purposeful, and filled with promise.
And as I finish, I just want to wish everyone in
the Senate Chamber and the listening audience a very happy upcoming Bermuda Day.
Thank you very much, Madam President .
The President: thank you, Senator Cunningham.
Vice President , John Wight you have the floor.
Sen. John Wight: Thank you.
Madam President, this is an especially difficult
morning for us in the Senate, with so many of our col-
leagues here experiencing deaths, and so I just want to associate my name and offer condolences to the Sim-
mons family a nd Hayward and Cunningham families ,
the Lister family, the Scott family and add two more in-
dividuals to families and condolences today .
One is the Emma Norman, a young woman in
her 30s who passed away tragically, recently . She was
a lovely young lady. My youngest daughter Sarah
trained for the New York City Marathon with her several
years ago. So, I got to know her through that associa-
tion. And so, to the parents, Mark and Lynn and to the
entire Norman family I offer my condolences.
And finally, to the family of Maurice Johnson,
who was an East End individual heavily involved in the
Bermuda Pilot Gig [Club] . For those who would be in
the East End looking out and seeing a pilot gig boat in
the harbour it is probably a pretty good chance that
Maurice was the Cox swain on that boat . He passed
away suddenly a few weeks ago. So, my condolences
to the Johnson family.
Thank you, Madam President.

The President: Thank you, Senator John Wight, Vice
President .
Would any other Senator care to speak?
Senator Mischa Fubler , you have the floor.

Sen. Mischa Fubler: Thank you, Madam President .
I would like to start off by associating myself
with the numerous condolences we've had already
mentioned today, including the Lister family , my Senate
colleagues Lauren Bell and Linds ay Simmons, as well
as to Alexander Abbott, who I had the pleasure of work-
ing with during my stint on the executive of the Progres-
sive Labour Party .
And then moving to congratulations, I'd like to
associate myself with the congratulations to the Grand
Marshals of this year's Bermuda Day Parade. I look for-ward to seeing many of the listening public out and
about on the day of the parade. I'll be there taking it in,
and hopefully you will too.
And I would also like to send congratulations to
the Dance Sations [School of] Dance. My daughter is
98 20 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate one of their students, and they had two sold out recital
events at the past weekend and I attended one day, and it was very enjoyable. And so, kudos to them for another year of successful and accessible s chool
dance instruction.
And then finally, I'd like to close out by offering
congratulations to Mrs. Hol dipp and my Uncle Glenn
Fubler who last night celebrated the 100
th birthday of
Malcolm X by hosting an event that was both well at-
tended and insightful. I enjoyed hearing recounts of
some of our local residents sharing their experiences of trouble with the law and working to educate themselves
and move towards redemption kind of shadow ing the
path of Malcolm X himself . And then the event then
broke out into smaller groups where people were able to share their ideas for how we can tangibly improve
people's living situations in Bermuda.
I always try to attend events of that nature be-
cause it's always great insight to kind of the ideas of things that are acceptable to the people of Bermuda, as
I continue to push for people giving thought to alterna-
tives to our current societal structures, specifically eco-nomics, you know, capitalism seems to be the name of
the day. But it doesn't have to be that. And there was a
good conversation around opportunities for alterna-
tives, and I encourage the listening public to do their
own research. Just becau se things operate the way
they do now does not mean that they have to mov ing
forward.
And even if you do not attend the parade this
Friday, I hope you have an enjoyable Bermuda Day and
do something to kind of recognise the Heritage Month
that the Department of Culture has been working its
way through. And so, I guess also congratulations to
the Department of Culture who does an excellent job.
And we're helping to coordinate the hundreds, thou-sands of volunteers who are spending their day and
countless days in preparation for the parade.
Thank you, Madam President.

The President: Thank you, Senator Fubler.
Would any other Senator . . . Senator Foley, I
see you. You have the floor.

Sen. Maurice Foley: Thank you, Madam President.
It is with immense pride I extend my heartfelt
congratulations to the St . David's Cricket Club on win-
ning the 2025 T20 Premier Division league season. So,
under the steady and strategic leadership of Captain
Derrick Bra ngman, the team demonstrated excellence,
discipline and unity throughout th is season. And they
also finished with a perfect record.
Their recent victory over St. George's this past
Saturday was not just a win on the field, but a testament
to the hard work, commitment and talent that exists
within our St. David’s community . This accomplishment
specifically reflects the rich sporting legacy of St . Da-
vid's and serves as an inspiration to our young people,
reminding them that with teamwork and determination, success is always within reach. So , I want to say con-
gratulations to Captain Bran gman and the entire squad.
I say congratulations and thank you for making us
proud, and the Warriors have once again proved their
strength, and I have no doubt that even greater victo-
ries lie ahead.
Thank you, Madam President.
The President: Thank you, Senator Foley.
Would any other Senator care to speak?
Yes, I recognise Senator Lauren Bell . You
have the floor.

Sen. Lauren Bell: Thank you, Madam President.
First, I'd like to associate myself with the ex-
tending of condolences to the Lister family , the Abbott
family, the Smith family, the Scott family, the Simmons
family and the Cunningham family.
I want to also take the opportunity to thank eve-
ryone for their expressions of condolences during this difficult time.
I promised I wouldn't cry. Your words of sym-
pathy have definitely brought comfort to my family, so
thank you for that.
On a lighter note, I would just also like to take
this opportunity to congratulate the recent graduates of
the Department of Workforce Development Graduate
Apprenticeship Programme, as well as the On- the-Job
Training Programme. The graduates included Carmel
Butterfield, Dominique DeSilva, Kai Smart, Kirk Hyde,
Paula Simons , Reuna Richardson, Ric hante Basden,
Sofie Simmons, Vanessa Gilbert , and Amanda Rat-
teray. The graduate apprenticeship programme is a 12-
week programme that provides recent college and uni-
versity graduates with essential entry leve l employment
opportunities . Participants were placed into key indus-
tries allowing them to gain valuable work experience,
enhance their résumés and connect with potential long-
term employers. Seven participants completed the pro-
gramme and four , to date, have gained full -time em-
ployment within their respective field. So, congratula-
tions .
The On- the-Job Training Programme was run
in collaboration with the Department of Financial Assis-tance and the Post Office. This innovative initiative sup-
ported able- bodied financial assistance clients offering
a structured pathway towards employment and eco-nomic independence. Three participants completed the
structured work -readiness programme and were
placed in roles within the department, the Bermuda Postal Service for 14 weeks.
Madam President, I am pleased to share that
all three participants were offered continued employ-
ment within the government of Bermuda. Two re-
mained within the Bermuda Post Office while one tran-
sitioned to another government department. These
successes highlight the transformative power of collab-
oration, compassion and structural support in helping
individuals gain stability and independence.
Official Hansard Report 20 May 2025 99

Bermuda Senate Madam President, I would also like to recog-
nise 10 nationally certified electricians who recently
completed the six -week Solar Photovoltaic Certificate
Programme delivered in partnership with Electronics
Technicians Association. This programme provided a
blend of theoretical knowledge and hands -on training
in solar and electrical systems . And I'm pleased to re-
port that all 10 graduates are now ETA certified and ac-tively employed, contributing to Bermuda’s renewable
energy sector.
Additionally, 10 individuals completed the
PACE programme, which is a 12- week training initiative
designed to equip administrative professionals with the
skills and credentials in high demand across Ber-
muda’s business community. To date, 45 participants
have completed the PACE programme and 40 are now
employed in the field.
I also want to extend congratulations, Madam
President, to Christine Bogle -Mienzer for being named
the 2025 nurse of the year. Christine B ogle-Mienze r
has been a nurse since 2003 and has practi ced in Ber-
muda for more than 16 years. She's an adjunct member
of the faculty at Bermuda College. We congratulate her
for this honour and for recognition of her dedicated ser-
vice.
Thank you, Madam President.
The President: Thank you, Senator Bell .
Would any other Senator care to speak at this
time?
Minister Wilkerson, Attorney General, you
have the floor.
Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: Thank you. Madam
President .
I would certainly like to join in the condolences
that have been in the room. It certainly has been a
heavy season on both sides of the aisle . And I want my
colleagues to know that, you know , I certainly continue
to hold them all in prayer through this time.
I'd also like to, in addition to all of the families
that have been acknowledged through the passing of their loved ones, I'd like to acknowledge the passing of my neighbour and very good friend, Mr . Eugene Brang-
man. He was very well -known . People would know he
ran in the past election as an I ndependent in the parlia-
mentary election in constituency 35, which is where we
live. He was a neighbour and a good friend, and I had
the opportunity to share at his funeral.
One of the things about Mr . Brangman he was,
you know, a man of the soil . He grew and shared his
vegetables with everyone. But he also was in his day
an athlete, and he continued to compete. And despite
memes about his participating and being first from the
last in the races, he continued to put his best foot for-
ward. So, condolences to his family , to his children, Mi-
chael, Angela and Judy . He was laid to rest last Friday.
But singling from sport Madam President, I
want to congratulate Pacers Track Club for hosting on Sunday, the Clevonte Lodge- Bean Memorial Sprint
Classic . Clevonte was a very promising Pacers athlete
who unfortunately passed away in a bike accident in 2020. And his mother had the foresight to want to en-
courage others to continue with their athletics, and this
event was born out of that tragedy. And so, Madam
President, it was, you know, encouraging to see ath-
letes of all ages. They ranged from 3 up to 20 par tici-
pate Sunday in the Sprint classics. And I'd like to par-
ticularly congratulate our own granddaughter, Diamond
Morris. She's eight years old. She took gold in the 200,
gold and the 400, and silver in the 100 metres in her
age category . But all of the participants did a fantastic
job. And I would particularly like to call out the race di-
rectors Syria Lattimore and Norbert Simons, who were
the as part of the Pacers team, who are the directors
for this event .
And we know, Madam President, that sport can
do so much for children in providing options. It is pre-vention in the best way . And when you see young peo-
ple sticking with sport and loving it, it should be con-
gratulated. So, hats off again to Syria and Norbit and
the Pacers for putting on that event.
Thank you, Madam President.

The President: Thank you, Minister Wilk erson.
I would like to . . . this has been a very heavy
morning, certainly, with the deaths experienced by col-leagues who have lost their parents. And I want to cer-
tainly join the entire Senate body as well as myself.
You've all expressed it, but we feel for our colleagues
this morning.
I want to associate myself with what has been
said about Speaker Lister’s wife. My husband and I had
opportunities to travel to CPA conferences. Aside from
the fact that I knew her. But. And she has taught several
of my nieces and nephews, but certainly we , each of us
this morning, I think , feels a real sense of loss w ith them
and what they've had to go through.
So, we're with you, Senators, who have lost
your parents. And I certainly express my sincere sym-
pathies to you and to the Lister family , the Speaker who
is in London at the moment and his sons.
I would also like to extend our condolences to
my family member, Craig Burgesson . His wife, Maria,
and his sister Raquel on the passing of their mother,
Carolyn Madree Burges son, and to her family, who are
the Adams family. So, it's condolences to the Adams,
the Dill's family and all the relatives of these two indi-
viduals.
And condolences are . . . well, I have ex-
pressed the condolences to colleagues and to all who
have been mentioned this morning.
But I'd also like to extend congratulations . And
I want to extend congratulations to the Bermudian Rev-
erend Thomas W . L. Nisbett, who was appointed Priest
in Charge at St . Peter ’s, Their Majesty's Chapel, in the
Chapel of the East , and St . David ’s, in the parish of St .
George’ s.
100 20 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate I attended a special ceremony conducted by
Bishop Nicholas Dill, a t 7:00 pm on Wednesday last
week on the 14 of May . Reverend Nisbet, who has
been living in Canada, is the son of Canon Thomas
Nisbet , [Sr.]. And I don't know if you all know his story,
but certainly , he had a struggle trying to be appointed
here in Bermuda . So, it is . . . it was absolutely wonder-
ful to attend this ceremony where his son, who currently
lives in Canada, came with his wife and family and he
has been appointed to that position in St . George ’s.
So, it was a wonderful evening and well -at-
tended and I just want to congratulate him and congrat-
ulate the Anglican Church for that appointment.
And that's it for . . . it's been a very heavy morn-
ing. So, we will move on then with the agenda and ad-
journment.
And I did give permission to Senator Tannock,
who approached me prior to the meeting, to say that she would like to speak on the motion to adjourn, so
Senators, if you will agree, I would now like to invite
Senator Tannock to speak on the motion.
Oh, I am supposed to . . . I am rushing you. I
do apologise, Senators. I am to hand it to Minister of
Justice, Senator Wilkerson.

ADJOURNMENT

Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson: No worries, Madam
President. Much appreciated. I will [move] a motion to
adjourn and propose that this House adjourn until
2 June 2025. And let me say at this juncture that , col-
leagues, I appreciate you showing up on short notice to move some of the business of the House this day. We originally planned that we would be out until 2 June. So,
I appreciate the cooperation of colleagues in showing up today and giving a full debate and support.
Thank you.
The President: Yes, and I certainly would like to reiter-
ate your sentiments because, yes, in spite of the fact
that you're all experiencing . . . we're all experiencing
some difficulties for us to turn up today , I would like to
also associate my thanks and sincere thanks to each of you.
So, with the motion to adjourn, then we'll enter-
tain Senator Tannock .
You have the floor.

MAIDEN SPEECH

Sen. Tawana Tannock: Thank you, Madam President .
As members of the listening public will know,
it's customary for new Senators to give what is called a
maiden speech. I didn't give one when we met earlier
because, quite frankly, I wasn't in a rush. I thought I
would sit back and see how things went and then
speak . And I thought I had all the time in the world.
Turns out I didn't , for the simple fact that the one person who I knew that I wanted to praise in my maiden s peech
is no longer with us, so I have a lot of regret.

[Pause]

Sen. Tawana Tannock: The first time that I ever sat in
one of these chairs . . . the first time that I sat at one of
these desks , was with M rs. Miranda Lister. It was
1987/88 in a Youth Parliament . She would take a bunch
of us. We were rowdy. We were from all different schools. And we' d be at the House at night, and she
taught us parliamentary procedure, civics. We would
debate topical matters. And I don't know if it was the
smell of the leather chairs. I don't know. It was the gran-deur of the House. But when I became a schoolteacher,
one of the first things I did with my own civics class at
Whitney was to make sure that they got to see the
House in session and they got to understand what was
happening.
We actually cut out the election platform pa-
pers of each political party and we created our own
frames for the pictures and put them up. And that was
the passion that was inspired really by that time with
Mrs. Lister. So much so that when I spoke to my mom,
who knew Mrs. Lister since they were 11 years old, they
were schoolgirls attending Sandys Secondary together
and remained friends their entire lifetime. She knew
that I wanted to praise Mrs. Lister, and I believe that
she told both Mr . and Mrs . Lister on the occasion of
Mrs. Lister's 70
th birthday.
So, you know it's with regret because you al-
ways think you have more time. Like I always . . . I was-
n't in a rush. Right ? I thought I had all the time in the
world. So, I am . . . I'm very sorry that you know, I know
that Mr. Lister has had my condolences, and you know
I've told him about Mr s. Lister's impact on me, but I just
wish she would have gotten to hear it. That's all.
And then my condolences go out to you, Sen-
ator Bell, Alyssa Pool and Linds ay are very dear to me.
Alyssa and my daughter are quite good friends and
your mom, Faye, was wonderful. Anytime I was at the
house, at their house. So, you have my condolences.
Senator Simmons as well . Like you said, when
you have a father and a father figure that you can look
up to and you realise how many other people don't. You
know the importance and the role of fathers in our com-
munity . And also too about your father -in-law, Senator
Cunningham, I did not know him. But you have my con-
dolences.
My condolences also go out to Sandra Scott.
Shoshana Williams, Fitzy Williams and their boys. I reached out to show who I knew very well to say that
her father was a consummate gentleman. No matter
what side of the room you were on, no matter what po-
litical party you supported, Mr. Scott always had a kind
word. He always had time for you, and he will be greatly
missed. And my condolences also go out to Mr . Michael
Scott, my neighbour and also a great gentleman as
well.
Official Hansard Report 20 May 2025 101
B ermuda Senate Not much of a happy maiden speech, I sup-
pose, but a fitting one because I started . . . I had a few
remarks written down and I was starting with tomorrow,
tomorrow and tomorrow . I was going to in there like this
thing from Macbeth. Right ? Because that's the . . .
that's how kind I feel right now. We never have enough
tomorrows. And they just come so quickly.
So, a little bit about me, circling back. I've men-
tioned my mom, who was friends with Mrs. Lister . And
when we talk about maiden speeches and what
brought us here, I've told you about my first experience.
But I have to be thankful for a mother who has always
supported me through all of my endeavours , and also
my father's family , the Pemberton's. I don't know how
common it is, but you know my mother and father, we
still celebrate many, many holidays together. My moth-er's family and my father's family, which I don't think is common when you have families that are no longer to-
gether. So, I thank them for always having that great
base a nd being supportive of us.
My focus really when I look at what I am here
to do and how I got here and let me back track a little
bit about that. So, it's no mystery. Many years ago, I was approached by one of the political parties who
asked me if I would consider being a Senator . And I
was, like, don't you have a party racket? Because if you
do, I'm pretty sure where you won't see me in your books. I don't belong to any political party. I try to vote
Independent when I can. I try to be I ndependent on is-
sues . But that did spark something in me and at that
time I actually wrote to the then Governor and said, Look , if you are ever looking ( I mean this is many years
ago now ) for an Independent Senator, please consider
me. This is my track record. This is what I've done. And
it didn't happen. But what I continued to do was work in
concert with Government House on sanctions issues
on constitutional law issues, anything that would come up that I could insert myself in. Even when I was not
invited, I would still say , You may be interested in t his,
or You might not be interested in that. Including legis-
lative reform .
The Attorney General knows that I've con-
stantly put forth proposals for legislative reform for do-
mestic violence and I'm passionate about changing protection for women. So, I've always remained en-
gaged and most people, I think if they hear my name
and they knew me at all think human rights from my
time as chairperson of the Human Rights Commission .
But what I would like to say is that , you know ,
that I am passionate about human rights, but I'm also
passionate about the rights of animals as well. I have three dogs and when I was in the DPP's office I was
known, sort of, I guess as a dog lawyer or because, you
know, you can come, you will come to m e. I'll take your
case. I'll help you. And so , I am passionate about the
rights of humans, but also the rights of animals as well.
So, needless to say, seeing news like we saw
in The Royal Gazette is disheartening. Animal s should
never be disposed of in that manner and at the end of the day it is not good enough, you know, dumping dead
animal bodies and saying we'll get to it. [It’s] not good
enough. But I think when we step back, we also have to look at the wider issue with illegal breeding. So, I
hope that that is something that I can help both sides of the House to tackle, illegal breeding and the way that
we monitor and control our animal population.
And then as I mentioned and I alluded to ear-
lier, constitutional issues are very important to me. We are long overdue for constitutional reform as most peo-ple in the [Chamber] will know our Constitution was a
stop- gap measure. It was never intended to last for as
long as it has. It was intended to sort of carry us over until we could get to it . And we've somehow never man-
aged to get to it. And my hope is that while I'm here, we can actually get to it. So, I'm really passionate about
constitutional change.
I will end on that note because I can say so
many other things, but really what I didn't want to do was I didn't want another day to go by , and somebody
else that you care about or you want to thank be gone.
I will end on a congratulatory note. And it is with
regard to my mom who celebrated . . . s he retired after
47 years working in the Bermuda G overnment. She re-
tired from the Department of Human Resources. She started as a schoolteacher and became an administra-tive trainee. And during that time , she raised her family.
She obtained a law degree and a second master’s de-
gree. So, I would like to say thanks to my mom, Debbie
Thomas -Gilkes , and I would like to wish her a happy
retirement. But from what I understand, she has not slowed down at all. So, I think it might be on deaf ears .
And I would also like to wish us all a happy and
safe Bermuda Day. And the one last thing, even though
I wasn't trying to end on a down note, I will say this : The
murders that occurred, occurred two minutes from my
house and I have such sadness and heaviness be-
cause when I think about when I . . . when I think about
how close we are, but how far apart we are from a res-olution . This is happening. And we are all involved . And
I just hope that as we progress that we can get some more information on gang reduct ion efforts and the tar-
gets and measures in place so that we can see if what
we are doing actually is bearing fruit.
So, y
ou know, I would like to send condolences
out to the families of those who passed and also ex-
press my regret that I was abroad so I could not attend
the vigil. But I know that my neighbours did attend the vigil. And I would also just like to say with Bermuda Day
holiday coming up t he climate that we are in now, I am
in such trepidation with each holiday period. I really am. And so, I just urge safety and caution and to families
look out for your loved ones and also to parents. Right ?
Please , please, you know, protect your kids and try
your best to keep them safe.
That's it.
The President: Thank you, Senator Tannock.
102 20 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda Senate Would any other Senator care to speak on the
motion to adjourn?
Hearing none, then I would just like to thank
each and every one of you for your attendance this
morning and for the support that we've been able to
give each other, because we're all going through quite
a number of issues with the loss of, you know, family
and friends . But the holiday is coming up, and however
you intend to spend it, remember that family is im-
portant . It has been said, and it has certainly been ex-
pressed by each one of you here in terms of support of each other.
So, spend it well. It is 24 of May. And there are
so many activities, but however you spend it, be safe. I
am not speaking just to your Senators here, but to all of
Bermuda. Remember that there's a holiday but also re-
member family and your neighbours. We can all help to lift each other up. I intend to go to the parade and try to
be cheerful in spite of things that are going on, but just
to encourage people to spend the holiday with family and friends and just lift each other up.
So, with that the Senate stands adjourned until
June 2.
Thank you.
[
At 12:32 pm the Senate stood adjourned until
10:00 am , Monday 2 June 20025]