The SpeakerThe SpeakerWe received the Minutes of the 3rd of November. Are there any corrections or amendments? No corrections or amendments. The Minutes have been confirmed. [Minutes of 3 November 2017 confirmed] MESSAGES FROM THE GOVERNOR
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThere are none. ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE SPEAKER OR MEMBER PRESIDING APOLOGIES
The SpeakerThe SpeakerI have received communication from four Members indicating their absence today. That is, the Member Leah Scott, Member Michael Weeks, Minister Zane De Silva , and Member Michael Dunkley are all absent today. RULES OF THE HOUSE
The SpeakerThe SpeakerHowever, let me add another announcement here that is not on the Order Paper. I just remind Members that there is a policy regarding the use of photographs and videos, et cetera, inside of these Chambers. And just to remind Members to r espect the rules of the House. Thank …
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThere are none. PAPERS AND OTHER COMMUNICATIONS TO THE HOUSE
The SpeakerThe SpeakerI believe there is one, in the name of Minister Roban. Minister, you have the floor. ELECTRICITY ACT 2016 (TRANSITIONAL PERIOD EXTENSION) (NO. 2) ORDER 2017 Hon. Wal ter H. Roban: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to attach and submit for the information of this …
I believe there is one, in the name of Minister Roban. Minister, you have the floor.
ELECTRICITY ACT 2016 (TRANSITIONAL PERIOD EXTENSION) (NO. 2) ORDER 2017
Hon. Wal ter H. Roban: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to attach and submit for the information of this Honourable House of Assembly the Electricity Act 2016 (Transitional Period Extension) (No. 2) Order 2017, proposed to be made by the Mini ster for Energy and exercised of the po wers conferred by section 66(6), of the Electricity Act 2016.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. PETITIONS
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThere are none. STATEMENTS BY MINISTERS AND JUNIOR MINISTERS
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThere is an indication of six Stat ements. The first Statement wil l be that of the Deputy Premier . . . Minister Roban. [Inaudible interjection]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYou have the floor, Deputy Premier. BERMUDA ENERGY SUMMIT 2017 Hon. Walter H. Roban: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform this Honourable House of the upcoming Bermuda Energy Summit 2017 , to be held on November 16th. This is an event that the Department of …
You have the floor, Deputy Premier.
BERMUDA ENERGY SUMMIT 2017
Hon. Walter H. Roban: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform this Honourable House of the upcoming Bermuda Energy Summit 2017 , to be held on November 16th. This is an event that the Department of Energy [the Department] undertakes as a means of outreach and education for a wide range of invited participants in the energy sector. The Energy Summit began in 2014, at the commencement of consultation on the National Electricity Policy, and was met with such a positive response that the Department hosted another, in the summer of 2016. Again, the response was overwhelmingly pos itive, and so the Department endeavours to make this an annual ev ent, and this year we hold it as part of 494 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly CARICOM’s [Caribbean Community’s] Energy Month. Invitees include local and overseas industry partic ipants, business leaders, government stakeholders, representatives of various environmental advocacy groups , and com munity leaders. Mr. Speaker, our keynote speaker at this event is the Programme Manager for Energy at the CARICOM Secretariat, Dr. Devon Gardner, who has a wealth of experience in resource assessment, phys ical modelling, engineering design, and policy deve lopment in the Caribbean. After the tone is set by Dr. Gardner’s inspiring words, we will be discussing the current state of energy in Bermuda, with a focus on the upcoming Integrated Resource Planning process, or IRP. Mr. Speaker, this Honourable Hous e should know that the IRP is one of the next most pressing tasks, according to the law, that the Regulatory Authority will undertake in the energy sector. Part 8 of the Electricity Act 2016 requires the initiation of the IRP [Integrated Resource Plan] process by the Regulatory Authority (RA) within two years of the commencement date, which means that, strictly speaking, the RA has until October 2018 to initiate the IRP. Cognisant of this deadline, the Department established the IRP process as the focal point of the s ummit in an effort to prepare the public for the commencement of this new and inclusive process. Underscoring the need to ensure that all participants are prepared for the upcoming IRP, the D epartment (meaning the Department of Energy) has arranged for a pre- summit workshop on November 15th, facilitated free of charge to this Government, by staff from the Clinton Institute’s Islands Energy Program. Attendees will include members of the Regulatory Authority, various key stakeholders , and the Department of Energy. Mr. Speaker, the s ummit itself, on November 16 th, will feature five panel discus sions with pr esenters examining the following: • the IRP process as it is c onducted in other j urisdictions; • efficiency and conservation in the hospitalit y industry; • regulatory environments that are supportive of renewable energy integration; and • how all of these elements might be included in a successful, inclusive, and transparent IRP for Bermuda. A sixth element on the day will be an Electric Vehicle Showcase . Mr. Speaker, the first panel discussion on the IRP process will include guests from the Clinton Inst itute, World Watch International, Greenrock , and the University of Illinois. This panel will explore best practices and consider what a successf ul IRP process looks like in other jurisdictions. The anticipated ou tcome of this panel is to help inform attendees as to the factors that could be considered in the evaluation of, and response to, the draft IRP once it has been triggered by the Regulatory Authority. Mr. Speaker, the next panel , on Efficiency and Conservation, will feature Ms. Loreto Duffy -Mayers, who heads up the Caribbean Hotel Efficiency Action as its Regional Director. Ms. Duffy -Mayers works with small - to medium -sized guest properties, and helps them achieve savings in their energy use through simple measures in order to improve their compet itiveness in the world market. Rounding out that panel will be representatives from local hotels and guest properties , who will give some light as to how energy efficiency and conservation have improved their bo ttom line. Mr. Speaker, t he afternoon will continue with the third panel, which we anticipate will be a lively d iscussion on regulatory matters and how robust, incl usive, and transparent regulation of the energy sector serves to improve investor confidence and results in encouraging the uptake of renewable ener gy. Repr esenting diverse organis ations such as the Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society, the University of Illinois, the National Regulatory Research Institute , and the Brattle Group, the pane llists will discuss good regul atory practice in other jurisdictions and lessons we can learn from them. Mr. Speaker, continuing with this full agenda, there will be a fourth panel on innovations that can work for Bermuda, which focuses on electric vehicles and storage technologies. Summit attendees will learn how these technologies are becoming viable and af-fordable, with options that were unavailable only a few short years ago. Among the guests will be a repr esentative from Customized Energy Solutions, a com-pany that provides energy storage solutions to clients around the world, as well as local industry partic ipants. In addition to this panel, running concurrently and open to the general public, the Department of E nergy has organised an Electric Vehicle Showcase, where Bermuda residents can see what is available now in electric vehicles. Mr. Speaker, the final discussion of the day will recap the s ummit’s panels, and presenters will consider how the ideas fit together as we move forward, as a country, with the first national IRP on our horizon. Mr. Speaker, the Third Energy Summit promises to be an enlightening event that will motivate a ttendees to become more involved with energy matters, as processes of future planning become more inclusive and transparent than ever before. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. We have a further Statement following. The next Statement is from the Minister of Health. Minister Wilson, you have the floor. Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. Kim N. Wilson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good morning.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerGood morning. CONVERSATIONS ABOUT END -OF-LIFE CARE Hon. Kim N. Wilson: Mr. Speaker, today I rise to address this Honourable House about an issue that will affect every single one of us, namely, mortality and the end- of-life care. Although this is a sensitive and difficult topic for many of …
Good morning.
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT END -OF-LIFE CARE
Hon. Kim N. Wilson: Mr. Speaker, today I rise to address this Honourable House about an issue that will affect every single one of us, namely, mortality and the end- of-life care. Although this is a sensitive and difficult topic for many of us, I have brought the matter here pr ecisely because this is a conversation we all need to have. Talking about what we want for our end-of-life care is more important to Bermuda today than ever, and I want to applaud those working in our community to help us have these conversations so that we can change things to make sure everyone has the opportunity for humane and compassionate care. Mr. Speaker, this topic took centre stage with Atul Gwande’s highly acclaimed book, Being Mortal: Medicine and W hat [Matters ] in the E nd. It is an amazing read that has triggered many of us to ask, How can we better live with age- related frailties, serious illnesses , and approaching death ? This is a question we have to resolve as individuals, families , and as a health system. I mention this book now, as I will quote from it throughout my statement. Indeed, Being Mortal is redefining this conversation globally. Mr. Speaker, why is end- of-life care such an important conversation? This conversation is vit al to ensure our last days are comfortable, meaningful , and affordable. This means ensuring that our individual care wishes are known and respected; decreasing the stress, anxiety , and infighting that can occur when loved ones have to make decisions on our behalf and they do not know what it is that we want; and prevent-ing the use of, often, quite invasive and costly medical interventions that do not improve the quality of our last days, although they may increase the quantity. It is this discrepancy between quality and quantity in our health care system, especially around end-of-life care, that we must question and address. Now, Mr. Speaker, we can and we must acknowledge the successes of our health care system and the medical knowledge that it is founded on. For example, in Bermuda, we have a life expectancy of 85 years, which has increased by 15 years since the 1970s. This is a great achievement, but there are consequences to it. Greater longevity means, for example, that we now require care for longer periods of time and that we are most likely to have decreased quality of life during our final years. As Atul Gwande states, medical professionals are taught “how to save lives, not to tend to their demise. ” Accordingly, the default response in healt h care is for aggressive intervention unless the patient, or their responsible person, states otherwise. The question we must ask ourselves is this: A re such i nterventions wanted by the individual in question? CPR is a great example of an intervention where we must better understand the benefits and costs. Unfortunately , most of our understanding is based on TV , which inaccurately portrays both the process and the outcomes. In reality, CPR can result in broken ribs at best , or a punctured lung at worst; and the average success rate in hospital is 15 per cent—that is right , Mr. Speaker. It is 15 per cent .
The SpeakerThe SpeakerFifteen. Hon. Kim N. Wilson: And t he success rate drops lower as you hit the age of 70. A nd for the chronically ill elderly , it is between 0 –5 per cent. Also of importance to know is that at least 45 per cent of survivors have a …
Fifteen.
Hon. Kim N. Wilson: And t he success rate drops lower as you hit the age of 70. A nd for the chronically ill elderly , it is between 0 –5 per cent. Also of importance to know is that at least 45 per cent of survivors have a significant decline in functional status. Therefore, if we want to ensure quality of life rather than just quantity for our end- of-life care, it means we must question our assumptions that all forms of medical interventions at certain stages are desirable and beneficial. To challenge these assumptions requires open and honest dialogue with ourselves and our doctors. We must understand what our options are, the impact of our choices, and ensure those responsible for our care know what we want. Now, Mr. Speaker, this is easier said than done. In the U nited States , there is The Conversation Project , which is a non- profit agency . [It] found that 90 per cent of peop le surveyed said this is one of the most important conversations to have, but only 27 per cent have actually had it. We have a lot of fear and discomfort when talking about death. However , not talking about it does not prevent it. A wonderful example on the over all beneficial outcomes of this conversation is seen by the following example from Being Mortal , which reads as follows: “Two -thirds of the terminal cancer patients in the Coping with Cancer study reported having had no discussion with their doctors about their goals for endof-life care, despite being, on average, just four months from death. But the third who did have discussions were far less likely to undergo cardiopulmonary resuscitation or be put on a ventilator or end up in an intensive care unit. Most of them enrolled in hospice. “They suffered less, were physically more c apable, and were better able, for a longer period, to interact with others. In addition, six months after these patients died, their family members were markedly less likely to experience persistent major depression. In other words, people who had substantive discussions with their doctor about their end- of-life preferences were far more likely to die at peace and in co ntrol of their situation and to spare their family anguis h.” We in the Ministry of Health, Mr. Speaker, want to support these conversations and also the opportunities available for people for their end- of-life 496 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly care. The recent inclusion of the palliative home care benefit under the standard health benefit is on e step in this direction, as well as the personal home care benefit offered through HIP and FutureCare. These benefits ultimately help people remain in their homes as long as possible for their end- of-life care and to be cared for in a less medicali sed an d more humane manner. However , accessing these benefits requires you to consider what you want for end-of-life care, and community organi sations are taking a lead in encouraging these conversations. Mr. Speaker , I was extremely pleased to see that Friends of Hospice hosted multiple events during October to raise awareness on the option of palliative care. In addition, they had two events this year focusing specifically on the importance of end- of-life co nversations and tips on how to have them. This work from the community is vital to begin to shift the understanding, expectations , and culture around death and end- of-life care, as are the educ ation program mes for health care professionals initially funded jointly by BHB [Bermuda Hospitals Board], Friends of Hospice, and PALS, which trained three BHB physicians to provide training to doctors and ot her health care professionals in having difficult conversations with patients. Mr. Speaker, we encourage everyone to take a look at Ageing and Disability Services ’ Resource page on www. gov.bm with links to the starter kits from the Conversation Project used by Friends of Hospice to help people have these conversations. We also encourage people to get involved in these discussions with their loved ones and their doc tors. It is never too early to start. For the most part, every one of us can easily articulate and express what we want in order to have a good life. Mr. Speaker, i t is as now vital that we learn to articulate and express what w e want in order to have a g ood “end.” Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. We now have a further Statement from the Honourable Minister, Minister Brown. Minister Brown, you have the floor. Hon. Walton Brown: Good morning, Mr. Speaker, and good morning, colleagues.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerGood morning to you. PROGRESS ON DEVELOPING THE FAIR DEBT COLLECTION PRACTICES ACT Hon. Walton Brown: Mr. Speaker, I rise today to r eport on the progress being made on the development of a Bill entitled the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Mr. Speaker, the goal of consumer protection legislation …
Good morning to you.
PROGRESS ON DEVELOPING THE FAIR DEBT COLLECTION PRACTICES ACT
Hon. Walton Brown: Mr. Speaker, I rise today to r eport on the progress being made on the development of a Bill entitled the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Mr. Speaker, the goal of consumer protection legislation is to place cons umers who engage in bus i-ness transactions such as buying goods and services, or securing credit, on an even par with companies who regularly engage in business. Historically, consumer transactions were presumed fair because it was assumed that buyers and s ellers bargained from equal positions of power. Complaints by consumers, however, demonstrate that they are inherently at a disadvantage, especially in the areas of consumer debt and the collection of that debt. Mr. Speaker, when debt is created, it has a financial impact on the spending of consumers and businesses , with both short -term and long- term impl ications. Where debt has to be carried by a business, it is likely to contribute to the inflation of the prices for goods and services. When debt is owed by consu mers, it slows consumer spending and hinders the abi lity of the consumer to function normally in society. Businesses which are owed money, otherwise known as creditors, have the legal right to take certain steps to collect that money. Many creditors handle the collection process in- house, although the collection may be assigned to a debt collector or collection agency. However, the legal right to collect money must be fair and equitable and not include practices which are abusive. Mr. Speaker, we are currently developing legislation to amend the Consumer Protection Act 1999. The proposed Bill will be known as the Fair Debt Co llection Practices Act. The aim is to eliminate abusive practices through the creation of regulations under which creditors and debt collectors may conduct bus iness. Debt recovery practices require oversight and regulations to ensure that fair and equitable treatment of consumers , during the collection process , takes place. Mr. Speaker, the Fair Debt Collection Practi ces will cover all household, family , and personal debts. These include credit card debt, auto loans , personal loans, medical bills , and mortgages. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, though, Mr. Speaker, will not regulate debt generated while running a bus iness. Mr. Speaker, the following are but a few examples of what will be included in the legislation: 1. Verification of Debt. This will r equir e proper documentation to verify the debt owed. It will allow for the debt or to review the paperwork from the creditor , verifying the debt owed. This will ensure a proper accounting of debt and interest repayments . 2. Predatory Lending. We will eliminate exce ssive interest rates and penalties that cause or are likely to cause substantial injury to the consumer . 3. Misrepresentation , or Deceit . Preventing a debt collector from making false statements to a debtor or in any way using deceit in his or her attempt to collect the debt. This includes
Bermuda House of Assembly misrepresenting himself as a law enforcement officer or a barrister . 4. Harassing Phone Calls . Preventing a debt collector from calling any debtor repeatedly or i ncessantly with the intent to harass, annoy , or abuse the [ person]. 5. Use of Deceptive Documents . Mr. Speaker, we will prohibit creditors or debt collectors from sending an y documents intentionally d esigned to look like official court documents or documents from any governmental agency . 6. Misrepresentation of the Debt Amount . This legislation, Mr. Speaker, will prohibit a debt collector from misrepr esenting the amount of the debt, or demanding an amount that is not permitted [either] by the original contract or by application of law . 7. And, finally, Mr. Speaker, w e will look at Communication with Third Parties . This legi slation will f orbid creditors and debt collectors from givi ng false information about the debtor to anyone, and from discussing the debtor or debt with any third party. Mr. Speaker and Honourable Members of the House, it is a statement of fact that business es and consumers need each other in order to enjoy a good quality of life. When that balance is being undermined by predatory lending, the Fair Debt Collection Practi ces legislation will ensure accountability by all parties who engage in the process of credi t. Thank you, Mr. Speaker .
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. We have a further Statement , from the Mini ster of National Security. Minister Caines, you have the floor. Hon. Wayne Caines: Thank you, and good morning,
Mr. Speaker.
CYBERSECURITY UPDATE
Hon. Wayne CainesMr. Speaker, the Ministry of National Security has the responsibility for ensuring that our digital infrastructure is properly protected and that the risks facing it are properly mitigated. Cybe rsecurity is a national priority for the jurisdiction as a whole, and as signalled in the Speech from the Throne this …
Mr. Speaker, the Ministry of National Security has the responsibility for ensuring that our digital infrastructure is properly protected and that the risks facing it are properly mitigated. Cybe rsecurity is a national priority for the jurisdiction as a whole, and as signalled in the Speech from the Throne this past September. It is important at this time that I communicate both the actions that the Gover nment is taking to protect information within its sy stems, as well as what is being do ne on a jurisdictional level as it relates to national infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, I last addressed the House on cybersecurity in September and spoke to the fact that Bermuda organisations and residents face cybersec urity risks on a daily basis. Cybersecurity is something we, the Government, take seriously. We know that other organisations and entities on the Island take i t seriously , as well. Mr. Speaker, let me speak plainly for a m oment. When we are talking about cybersecurity, I am talking about protecting against the theft of information held electronically by organisations and individuals. This information can be customer data, credit card information, volunteer files, company files, employee data, or any other information that is held in or flowing through electronic systems and computing devices. Cybersecurity also means protection against actions that a criminal m ay use to prevent an organis ation or individual from doing their business. This could be through denying access to the Internet, locking data and holding it for ransom, wiping hard drives, erasing backups, stealing information, interfering with m echan ical processes or other practices that rely on technology. Mr. Speaker, both the Government and pr ivate sector organisations have been committed for a number of years to increase cyber security awareness and cyber preparedness in Bermuda. Recent events reinforc e that the threats to the jurisdiction as a whole are exceedingly real. Cyber incidents not only have the potential to interrupt services and damage our systems; they can also damage our reputation and our economy. In September, I said that c ybersecurity concerns us all because cyberattacks can affect us all. Mr. Speaker, cybersecurity is a critically i mportant issue to the Bermuda Government. So, what have we been doing about it? Our C abinet -level C ybersecurity Committee provides direction for the Go vernm ent with the understanding that cybersecurity is not just an “ IT issue .” It is indeed a nation wide risk - management issue. This means the identification and prioritis ation of risks, leveraging best practices and international standards in the implementation of sol utions, creating and supporting the growth of a cyber - aware culture across g overnment , and providing oversight to ensure that desired targets are met. The tone is set from the top , and it is based on collaboration and collective responsibility. Mr. Speaker, the Government has implemented an Information Systems Risk Management Pr ogramme to ensure that our security practices meet internationally recogni sed standards. Also, as prev iously communicated, the Government has adopted a cybersecurity framework, and continually improves it through implementation of polic ies, standards , and processes that are based on best practice and inte rnational standards. At an operational level, protecting our assets and defending against attacks are critical components to system development and operation. And since c ybersecurity must be addressed collectively by the full range of affected stakeholders across our jurisdiction, the Cybersecurity Working Group is developing the Cybersecurity National Strategy through a coll abora498 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly tive and inclusive process in order to ensure that both our national infrastructure and our jurisdiction are pr epared, have established effective protections , and are able to rapidly detect, respond, and recover from cyber incidents. Mr. Speaker, thi s week has reinforced the need to continue to raise awareness across Gover nment and throughout the community that cybersecur ity is everyone’s responsibility. The threats are constantly evolving, and cybercriminals are increasingly sophisticated in the methods and tools [used] to exploit their targets. We must continue to provide and expand consistent messaging on cybersecurity to our students, our seniors, our staff, and to organisations on how to remain safe and secure in this digital age. We must continue to adopt and nurture an inclusive, collaborative [culture ] concerning cybersecurity in the jurisdiction between the Government, the business community , and the public to ensure that relevant and necess ary information that we have to support them is readil y available. Mr. Speaker, this includes developing better methods to share security -related information, inclu ding best practices and threat intelligence. We must prepare our workforce with skills that aid in pr otecting our organisations, whilst also dev eloping the proper cybersecurity skills that can help us to protect our i nformation and resources more effectively. We must continue to work with local organis ations such as the Institute of Risk Management, and international organisations such as the National Inst itute for Standards and Technology, the International Organisation for Standardisation , and the Commo nwealth Telecommunications Organisation, to leverage their experience and expertise in implementing best practices, thereby protecting our cri tical infrastructures and strengthening our detection, response, and r ecovery planning. We must also continue to develop and implement laws, regulations , and policies that ensure that any information that we maintain is proper ly secured and complies with i nternational laws, regulations , and treaties. Mr. Speaker, with the pace at which the modern world is moving we cannot survive if we do not continue to develop and evolve our risk management and security practices. We must be diligent and com-mitted to improvement and resilient in an environment where we are constantly under attack. While I can say that both the Government and Bermuda- based organisations are serious about cybersecurity, are thorough in their practices and are actively working to evolve the jurisdiction’s cybersecurity culture, we should not stop there. The cybercriminals do not. They are already looking to find ways around the good work be-ing done, here in Bermuda and in other jurisdictions around the world. So, we cannot rest , and we must remain vigilant in our work. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. We have a further Statement from the Minister of Economic Development. Minister Simmons, you have the floor. Hon. Jamahl S. Simmons: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and good m orning.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerGood morning. GAMING IN BERMUDA Hon. Jamahl S. Simmons: Mr. Speaker, Bermuda has a well -earned reputation for being a jurisdiction of impeccable standards of openness and transparency, and for being one that is free of governmental corru ption. It is that reputation, Mr. Speaker, along with our outstanding infrastructure, …
Good morning.
GAMING IN BERMUDA
Hon. Jamahl S. Simmons: Mr. Speaker, Bermuda has a well -earned reputation for being a jurisdiction of impeccable standards of openness and transparency, and for being one that is free of governmental corru ption. It is that reputation, Mr. Speaker, along with our outstanding infrastructure, our world- class regulatory structure, and our business -friendly environment that have positioned Bermuda as an excellent place to do business and invest. Mr. Speaker, over the past month, Bermuda in general, and the Government of Bermuda specifically, have been the target of a systematic misinformation campaign surrounding the gaming industry in Berm uda—a systematic misinformation campaign that sought to damage Bermu da’s reputation and create an atmosphere of uncertainty and suspicion around this Government and, by extension, our fledgling gam-ing industry. The main issues that have been thrust into the public domain have been whether the company MM&I has some form of contract or agreement with the Government of Bermuda and whether this Go vernment intends to implement or mandate a cashless gaming system for casinos in Bermuda. Mr. Speaker, in order to provide some bac kground and context, Honourable Members should be reminded that it was the previous One Bermuda All iance Government that pledged to hold a referendum on gaming while in Opposition— and then once in Government, refused to keep their pledge and give our people a voice on this critical issue. I wish to further advise this Honourable House, Mr. Speaker, that it was the One Bermuda Alliance Government that first introduced the concept of the cashless gaming system into the conversation surrounding gaming in our Island. It was that same One Bermuda Alliance Go vernment that entered into a Memorandum of Under-standing with MM&I for them to provide said system, once gaming legislation had been passed and casino licences issued . . . the same One Bermuda Alliance Government that found itself entangled in the Jetgate affair . . . the same One Bermuda Alliance Gover nment that accepted a $30,000 donation towards a pro-gaming marketing campaign from MM&I in advance of the referendum that they eventually scrapped. Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise this Honourable House that this Government, the Progressive Labour Party Government, has not conceived, has not conBermuda House of Assembly sidered, and has not given any assuranc es, public or private, that either that system or that operator will have a presence in our casino gaming industry. To be clear, the Government is NOT currently considering making cashless gaming on the Island mandatory for casino operators. The Government is NOT currently considering any proposals related to the gaming i ndustry from MM&I and/or Banyon Gaming. The Gov-ernment has NOT entered into ANY arrangements with Banyan Gaming or MM&I. That, Mr. Speaker, was the previous Government. Mr. Speaker, those are the facts. Mr. Speaker, it is apparent that there are individuals who have not accepted the results of the last general election, who do not respect the mandate for change that the people of Bermuda delivered, and who would rather orchestrate systemic misinformation campaigns, jeopardise the reputation of Bermuda and undermine this Government than engage in a collab orative and mutually respectful relationship for the be nefit of Bermuda. An example of this attitude may be seen in an email sent to me by t he current Chairman of the Gaming Commission, Mr. Alan Dunch, on October the 20 th, 2017, in which he wrote (and I quote), “If you want a public fight, I am more than up for it.” Those words now seem oddly prophetic, as, shortly afterward, a select series of email exchanges between my Ministry and the Gaming Commission were “ obtained ” by the Royal Gazette , and an attempt to damage this Government and Bermuda commenced in earnest. Mr. Speaker, that attitude may perhaps be further seen in the recent nonpartic ipation by the Gaming Commission in the National Anti -Money Laundering Committee’s National Risk Analysis, failure to provide the requested presentation for the related workshops, and failure to provide the analysis and conclusions of the working group tha t this Commission was chairing. Mr. Speaker, the current Chairman of the Gaming Commission may want, he may crave, he may desire, he may seek a public fight. Mr. Speaker, this Government —we were not elected to engage in petty public fights. This Government was not elected to get dragged into the drama and theatrics of those who, by their words and deeds, have demonstrated a complete and utter disregard for the well -being of our Island and our people. Mr. Speaker and Honourable Members, this Government was elected to create economic growth, help local and international business to thrive, and create a wider range of jobs and opportunities for Bermudians, with partners who share this vision and are willing to seek positive action over public fights, and job cr eation over petty squabbling. While others want public fights, we seek a Bermuda that, with greater economic growth and a diversified economy, will bring new jobs, new opportunities, and new industries to Bermuda. Mr. Speaker, although there are individuals within the Bermuda Gaming Commission seemingly prepared to drag Bermuda and its reputation through the mud to get their own way, this Government was elected to make change, we have a mandate to make change, and we will make the change that the people who elected us sent us here to deliver. The Casino Gaming Amendment Bill that I will table later today will execute that mandate. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
[Desk thumping]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. We have one further Statement, and that Statement is from the Minister of Finance, who was the first Statement down [on the Order Paper]. But due to his other commitments, we are allowing him to have this Statement read now. Mr. Premier, you have the floor. Hon. …
The SpeakerThe SpeakerGood morning, Mr. Premier. PARADISE PAPERS UPDATE Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker, that great friend and frequent visitor to Bermuda, Mark Twain, reacted to the rumour that he had passed away by telling a reporter (and I quote), “The repor ts of my death are greatly exaggerated.” After this …
Good morning, Mr. Premier.
PARADISE PAPERS UPDATE
Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker, that great friend and frequent visitor to Bermuda, Mark Twain, reacted to the rumour that he had passed away by telling a reporter (and I quote), “The repor ts of my death are greatly exaggerated.” After this week's international and local media coverage arising out of the release of hacked information now known as the Paradise P apers, many are privately wondering what the impact of this will be on Bermuda. Mr. Speaker, let me put Honourable Members and the international press, our friends, and our competitors on notice: The reports of Bermuda's demise are greatly exaggerated. To be sure, Mr. Speaker, this is not the coverage we would have wished for, but in these times when onshore interests are ascendant at the expense of offshore livelihoods, we must meet falsehoods and inaccuracies wit h facts. The unassai lable facts are Bermuda is not a tax haven, and this is not a jurisdiction in which to hide money. The facts are that our regulatory regime is internationally known to be robust, fair, and respected. The facts are that Bermuda's reputat ion is one that stands equal to any i nternational measurement and, in some cases, exceeds the regulatory rigours of our critics. Mr. Speaker, I do not propose to descend into the legitimate client advice and services provided by the law firm in question, or, I dare say, by others operating in similar spheres. The international obsession with what foreign nationals do with their fortunes is a matter for them and cannot be laid at the feet of juri sdictions whose business it is to provide legitimate and legal vehicles for financial planning. 500 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Speaker, the Paradise Papers reveal something of interest to every reader. My sole co ncern in this matter is Bermuda and her reputation. Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear: It is not my responsibi lity to defend any one entity named or involved in this scenario. If what they have done for their clients, in this jurisdiction and beyond, is illegal, there are proper authorities who will deal with that. I am charged with defending Bermuda, and this is what I will do withou t fear or favour. This Government has privately urged regulators of all stripes to step up their game and to use the fullest extent of their powers to make sure that regulated entities meet their obligations. I believe this is the best way to address adver se publicity. Actions will speak louder than words. Most importantly, Mr. Speaker, is the reality of the partnership required to make Bermuda work —not just in times of crisis, but all of the time. Too often, our local politics are used to stoke the flames of division between political parties and the financial services sector of this country. This is not a game, and so per-haps we can put an end to the petty nickel -and-dime approach to travel and face the stark reality that, more than ever, on this issue Bermuda needs a chorus of unity and not the dissonance of partisan dissent. I am confident that Bermuda's reputation will survive this latest series of events. Within the Go vernment, targeted action has been taken to manage the continuing impact of this disclosure. All relevant ministries are working together to coordinate responses as required, but, more importantly, to strengthen systems of oversight where necessary and communicate clearly that Bermuda is the same sound place to do business it has alway s been. Mr. Speaker, as I have done repeatedly throughout this week, through press statements and interviews both national and international, I would like to set the record straight. Bermuda's leadership as a cooperative jurisdiction for tax transparency , inclusive of our over 70- year-old central registry on beneficial ownership, is a key reason that the attacks being made on Bermuda in relation to t he Paradise Papers are untrue. Bermuda seeks to attract quality clients who wish to conduct business in a c ountry that is committed to a high level of compliance with interna-tional standards. Mr. Speaker, Bermuda is a leader in tax transparency and was the first UK Overseas Territory to join the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development [OECD] cou ntry-by-country (CbC) automatic exchange of information regime to automat ically exchange, with global tax authorities, financial - year information on companies. Bermuda is also among the early adopters to exchange 2016 calendar year financial account inform ation with various tax authorities around the globe, under the common r eporting standard (CRS) automatic exchange of infor-mation regime. This and other such information will be automatically provided on an annual basis to the rel e-vant tax partners, under t hese and other similar arrangements. We also have in place agreements that allow us to exchange information by request with over 100 tax treaty partners. And further, Mr. Speaker, I would note that we have and will continue to cooper-ate with international organisations to cement our leadership as a cooperative jurisdiction for tax transparency. Mr. Speaker, the OECD, which, you will recall, I visited several weeks ago, made constructive comments at the beginning of this week amongst the m edia hype caused by the agenda- driven ICIJ [ International Consortium of Investigative Journalists ]. The OECD Secretary General, Mr. Angel Gurr ía, was quoted in the Financial Times as saying that the pro blems shown in the leaks were a “legacy issue,” and now there was (and I quote), “quite literally no place to hide.” He went on to say that “while the OECD is largely satisfied by the progress made by the offshore centres, some governments would like to go much further.” Mr. Speaker, considerable time and attention have been spent in this House and in the Senate en-acting laws to ensure that Bermuda has a strong and robust regulatory and legislative framework that is compliant with the ever -changing international standards. Our regulatory, law enforcement, and prosecut orial a gencies have the required powers to monitor and enforce compliance, and our track record demonstrates that we are willing to use these powers when persons fail to comply with the law. As a Government, we will not tolerate persons using our shores to carry out or facilitate illegal activity, and we will continue to encourage strong and decisive action if there is ev idence of such activity. Mr. Speaker, Bermuda has had a beneficial ownership register for more than 70 years. And that, along with our commitment to tax transparency, has contributed to the reputation that Bermuda has, as a quality international centre, a reputation which is well deserved. This has been the key factor that has attracted a considerable number of insurance and rei nsurance companies to set up their headquarters here and conduct global business from our shores. This industry provides significant benefit to the citizens of the United States and the world. And, as I have stated on a number of occasions, Bermuda is a great place to raise capital, but it is not the place to hide capital. Mr. Speaker, there have been calls for Bermuda to make our beneficial ownership register pu blic. I would like to emphasise that the Bermuda Government has already made a commitment to the Government of t he United Kingdom that, once this has become an international requirement, adopted by all members of the G20, we will certainly comply. But until that time, Mr. Speaker, we will continue to encourage other countries to come up to the level of the “Bermuda standard .”
Bermuda House of Assembly In relation to this data breach, I can confirm that a coordinated police criminal investigation is u nderway in several jurisdictions including Bermuda, and there is the usual cooperation among law enforcement agencies in the jurisdictions under British control, which includes the UK National Crime Agency. I can also confirm that the Government has been and continues to be in contact with all relevant competent a uthorities in Bermuda, including the Bermuda Monetary Authority, to ensure that any new matters raised by the Paradise Papers can be properly reviewed, and that any action that may arise from that review [would] be taken in a timely, effective and proactive manner. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would like to rei nforce that Bermuda is commi tted to being a quality international financial centre with a strong and robust regulatory framework, and a leader in tax transparency. We will continue to exchange financial and other information with other countries automatically or by request, as appropriate, to minimise the risk that persons or entities will use our borders to undertake ne-farious activities. Where such acts are discovered, we will use our comprehensive suite of powers to ensure that these matters are addressed to the fullest extent of the law. Mr. Speaker, in the days and weeks ahead, when other news shifts this from front pages and online special reports, Bermuda will still be a jurisdi ction of choice, based on the effort we collectively bring to bear now. I wish to assure the people of Bermuda that, while it may seem that all of our efforts are devoted to these issues, this Government is bringing equal energy to delivering on the promises we made to the ordinary, hard- working Bermudians who elected us to represent them. This is our comm itment to the people. The depth and breadth of our energy and skill is such that we can meet this challenge, emerge stronger, and continue the work of building a better and fairer Bermuda. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
[Desk thumping]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Mr. Premier. That completes the Statements for today. REPORTS OF COMMITTEES
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThere are none. QUESTION PERIOD
The SpeakerThe SpeakerQuestion period. It is now 10:55, and we have an hour for this period, just to remind Members. Of the Statements that were read this mor ning, we have questions from Members on four of the respective Statements. And the first would be for the Minister of Health. Minister of …
Question period. It is now 10:55, and we have an hour for this period, just to remind Members. Of the Statements that were read this mor ning, we have questions from Members on four of the respective Statements. And the first would be for the Minister of Health. Minister of Health, there are questions to you from the Honourable Member from constituency 12. Honourable Member Cannonier has a question for you. Honourable Member, you have the floor.
QUESTION 1: CONVERSATIONS ABOUT END- OFLIFE CARE
Mr. L. Craig CannonierThank you, Mr. Speaker. Honourable Minister, I was just curious. It is a simple question: Is there a body looking into what Bermuda will look like with its growing population wit hin the next 5– 10 years, 20 years, what those actual needs might be and how it will impact …
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Honourable Minister, I was just curious. It is a simple question: Is there a body looking into what Bermuda will look like with its growing population wit hin the next 5– 10 years, 20 years, what those actual needs might be and how it will impact the Government itself? In the Statement you gave, there are a lot of bodies talking about some of the challenges that they might have. But who is pulling all of that information together to help guide Government, basically?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Member. Minister. Hon. Kim N. Wilson: Yes. Thank you, Honourable Member, for that question. Under the Ministry of Health, we are in the process of continuing on a plan that was started under the former Government as it relates to a long- term care plan. And it is …
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Hon. Kim N. Wilson: Yes. Thank you, Honourable Member, for that question. Under the Ministry of Health, we are in the process of continuing on a plan that was started under the former Government as it relates to a long- term care plan. And it is certainly looking at the statistics, the needs that we will have in this community as they relate to long- term care, the increasing ageing popul ation, the health care needs, and the like. So, it is a very detailed plan. The work is ongoing, and we are hopeful that we will be able to start rolling out some of the initiatives that will come from that plan within the next several months. Thank you.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerSupplementary? No supplementary. Thank you, Minister. The next Statement that has questions put for it is the Statement from Minister Brown. Minister Brown, you have questions fro m the Honourable Member from constituency 24. Honourable Member Lawrence Scott, you have the floor. QUESTION 1: PROGRESS ON DEVELOPING THE FAIR DEBT …
Mr. W. Lawrence ScottThank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister give examples of companies which have abused this process? Hon. Walton Brown: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, while I will not give the actual name of the company, I can give examples of the sort of practices that will be covered by …
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister give examples of companies which have abused this process?
Hon. Walton Brown: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, while I will not give the actual name of the company, I can give examples of the sort of practices that will be covered by this legislation. One would inc lude a practice by which the debtor, having gotten into debt, has to pay fees for the debt, which essentially might be around 15 per cent. But, 502 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly based on the practices of the company, in conjunction with the collection agency, those fees amount to about 70 per cent. So, we consider that to be predatory. We consider that to be oppressive. And that is what we will bring to an end.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Any supplementary? No supplementary. The next Statement that Members have questions for is the Statement from the Minister of National Security. Minister Caines, you have three Members who have indicated that they have questions for you. The first is from the Member from constituency 24. The Honourable …
Mr. W. Lawrence ScottThank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can Minister Caines explain to this House or let this House know if an assessment of the government IT [information technology] has taken place?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Member. Minister. Hon. Wayne Caines: Mr. Speaker, in response, the Government is doing an assessment of the gover nment’s entire IT infrastructure. That is an ongoing pr ocess. As one would appreciate, cybersecurity is not something that you ca n do in September and do it again the …
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Hon. Wayne Caines: Mr. Speaker, in response, the Government is doing an assessment of the gover nment’s entire IT infrastructure. That is an ongoing pr ocess. As one would appreciate, cybersecurity is not something that you ca n do in September and do it again the next September. This is an ongoing process that takes place over an ongoing period. Also, the government infrastructure is vast. Anything that connects to a computer or electronic [entity] forms the bedrock of the gov ernment IT sy stem. We have over 3,000 users with names and passwords. As one could appreciate, this will take a considerable time. It is an ongoing process. But let us be clear: The government system has been tested. It is robust; it is secure. Everything that we are doing now is to enhance that and to make it better.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Any supplementary?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerGo ahead, Honourable Member. SUPPLEMENTARY
Mr. W. Lawrence ScottAre there any ca uses for concern, Minister? Hon. Wayne Caines: Causes for concern? We have to be very careful with those words and that terminol-ogy because they, indeed, have significant meaning. We are seeing cybercriminals who are becoming more sophisticated and more determined in their actions. We have a …
Are there any ca uses for concern, Minister?
Hon. Wayne Caines: Causes for concern? We have to be very careful with those words and that terminol-ogy because they, indeed, have significant meaning. We are seeing cybercriminals who are becoming more sophisticated and more determined in their actions. We have a team at IDT, and in our cybersecur ity subcommittee that we have, to focus on being r obust, staying up to date with the latest equipment and technologies, and making sure not only to protect our national infrastructure with our global and our community partners, but making sure that we have a pr otected system right across the board in Bermuda.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Any supplementary?
Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerI will take a supplementary from the Honourable Member from constituency 22. Honourable Member Gibbons, you have the floor. SUPPLEMENTARY
Hon. Dr. E. Grant GibbonsThank you, Mr. Speaker. The Honourable Member refers to the government system as being “robust.” Can the Honour able Member state how many breaches have occurred within the last year?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Member. Minister. Hon. Wayne Caines: Absolutely not. It is a matter of national security. What we are not trying to do is gi ve fodder or give anyone the opportunity to unceremoniously look at our country and at our infrastructure. What I can tell us is that we …
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Hon. Wayne Caines: Absolutely not. It is a matter of national security. What we are not trying to do is gi ve fodder or give anyone the opportunity to unceremoniously look at our country and at our infrastructure. What I can tell us is that we have a system, and we have an IT department that are looking into this specifically. And at every stage they are recti fying the challenges as they start. If one looks at . . . when you talk about an infrastructure, Mr. Speaker, you have an antivirus. So if someone sends you spam, then it is a potential breach. There are different levels; there are different methods. And what we have to do is at every level. So, to the Member who asked the question, it is i mpossible to give an indication of every breach—someone sending you spam, someone sending you information from an unwanted email address. Those all form a part of what is cybersecurity and the challenge therein.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Supplementary or a new question?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerSupplementary. Bermuda House of Assembly Honourable Member from constituency 24, Honourable Member Scott, continue. SUPPLEMENTARY
Mr. W. Lawrence ScottMinister, you mentioned that this cybersecurity is not something that you could u pdate on September and then wait till the following year. Have we been doing anything like putting patc hes in place just to make sure that we stay up to date?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Member. Minister. Hon. Wayne Caines: Mr. Speaker, as any good IT entity, we would be constantly, every month, looking at putting the patches on the network, looking at the antivirus software, looking at the infrastructure as it relates to every system that we have. To be clear, our …
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Hon. Wayne Caines: Mr. Speaker, as any good IT entity, we would be constantly, every month, looking at putting the patches on the network, looking at the antivirus software, looking at the infrastructure as it relates to every system that we have. To be clear, our infrastructure is vast. And we are going to a staged and a stepped process to look at our infrastructure and to constantly update it and to make sure that our system remains secure.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Any further questions, supplementary? No further questions on this one. We have the same Statement, though. We have questions from other Members who have indicated . . . The next Member who has indicated that he had questions for you, Minister, is the Honourable Member from consti …
Thank you, Minister. Any further questions, supplementary? No further questions on this one. We have the same Statement, though. We have questions from other Members who have indicated . . . The next Member who has indicated that he had questions for you, Minister, is the Honourable Member from consti tuency 25. Honourable Member Baron, you have the floor.
QUESTION 1: CYBERSECURITY UPDATE
Mr. Jeff BaronThank you, Mr. Speaker. And I would like to start off by thanking the Minister for this timely update. The question is, Will the Minister expand or indicate whether the Government, through the various committees, will be establishing or intends to establish a minimum operating security standard not just for …
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Member. Minister. Hon. Wayne Caines: That is already in place.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Supplementary or further question?
Mr. Jeff BaronYes. The Speaker: Okay. Continue on. SUPPLEMENTARIES
Mr. Jeff BaronRegarding the minimum operating security standards, are they just for government or are they for the international business industry, as well?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMinister. Hon. Wayne Caines: It is a combination of both. To answer the question more specifically, the cybersec urity committee has recently met, Mr. Speaker. We r ealise that in the last 107 days we are looking at som ething that is more complex, that has been highlighted this week. …
Minister. Hon. Wayne Caines: It is a combination of both. To answer the question more specifically, the cybersec urity committee has recently met, Mr. Speaker. We r ealise that in the last 107 days we are looking at som ething that is more complex, that has been highlighted this week. What we have done is we are going back to the drawing board and putting everything on the table and making sure that we look at our national infr astructure, as well as our business infrastructure, to make sure that it is robust and to make sure that it covers our country, globally.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Supplementary?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerContinue, Honourable Member.
Mr. Jeff BaronWill the Honourable Minister let us know where we can find and look at the minimum operating security standards so that —again, these should be, of course, public —so that every business, every small and large business will know that they are in compliance with the new minimum operating secur …
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Member. Minister. Hon. Wayne Caines: We are working through this process. In due course, I will be able to update the House when this will absolutely be made available to the public. This is indeed something that we have to put in the public domain in the not …
Thank you, Member. Minister. Hon. Wayne Caines: We are working through this process. In due course, I will be able to update the House when this will absolutely be made available to the public. This is indeed something that we have to put in the public domain in the not too distant future. It is a work in progress and ongoing as we develop it.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Supplementary?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerSupplementary from the Honourable Member from constituency 22. You have the floor , Honourable Member Gi bbons. 504 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly SUPPLEMENTARY
Hon. Dr. E. Grant GibbonsSo, this minimum stan dard has not been made public, but, apparently, it ex-ists for businesses in Bermuda. Could the Honourable Member confirm or deny?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Member. Minister. Hon. Wayne Caines: It is a work in progress. The committee has it. It will be put in the public domain as soon as it is practicable.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Supplementary? New question? Further question from the Honourable Member f rom constituency 25. Continue on, Honourable Member Baron. QUESTION 2 : CYBERSECURITY UPDATE
Mr. Jeff BaronThank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister expand on what is . . . [whether] vendor risk management will be a part of the cybersecurity framework?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Member. Minister. Hon. Wayne Caines: Again, sir, we have the cybersecurity committee that has recently met. In the not too distant future they will be giving a formal report to the Cybersecurity Cabinet Committee, and will make its findings available as soon as it is practicable. The Speake …
Mr. Jeff BaronYes, supplementary on that. Vendor risk management is one of the most emerging criminal practices, unfortunately, right now. And essentially, what I am asking is how small bus inesses in Bermuda are going to be able to be protec ted, because oftentimes the large businesses, whether they are law firms, …
Yes, supplementary on that. Vendor risk management is one of the most emerging criminal practices, unfortunately, right now. And essentially, what I am asking is how small bus inesses in Bermuda are going to be able to be protec ted, because oftentimes the large businesses, whether they are law firms, international businesses, have the capacity, have the capital to invest in cybersecurity. Smaller businesses, particularly Bermudian busines ses, do not. So regarding, beyond awareness, Mr. Speaker, what is going to happen with vendor risk management? Because the vendors are the ones b eing attacked, rather than the larger businesses. So, to what extent will vendors be accounted for? Will they be supported?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Member. Minister. Mr. Rolfe Commissiong: Supplementary.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerLet the Minister respond, and then you can do your supplementary. Hon. Wayne Caines: Again, Mr. Speaker, this is a work in progress. We will look at this in fulsome. And when the report is available and the plan is available, we will share it with this most honourable and …
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. The Member from constituency 21, the Honourable Member Commissiong, you have the floor. SUPPLEMENTARY
Mr. Rolfe CommissiongThank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister convey whether the insurance industry is moving in the direction that is going to provide the policies to cover this risk both at a local and a global level?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Member. Minister. Hon. Wayne Caines: That is already done in this j urisdiction, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. No further supplementaries? Okay, Minister, there is one other Member who has indicated that he had a question for you on this Statement, the Honourable Member from consti tuency 22. Honourable Member Gibbons, you have the floor. QUESTION 1 : CYBERSECURITY UPDATE
Hon. Dr. E. Grant GibbonsThank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Honourable Mem ber refers to the cybersecurity national strategy, which he notes in his Statement has been a work in progress for a couple of years now. Could the Honourable Member give a more precise time frame as to when the Go vernment …
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Member. Minister. Hon. Wayne Caines: There is no date available, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Any supplementary? Bermuda House of Assembly SUPPLEMENTARIES
Hon. Dr. E. Grant GibbonsYes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Actually, yes, it is a supplementary. Can the Honourable Member speak to the progress that is being made with respect to cybers ecurity for critical national infrastructure? And by that, I mean Bermuda Hospitals Board, BELCO, telecoms, which the Honourable Member obviously is familiar with. …
Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Actually, yes, it is a supplementary. Can the Honourable Member speak to the progress that is being made with respect to cybers ecurity for critical national infrastructure? And by that, I mean Bermuda Hospitals Board, BELCO, telecoms, which the Honourable Member obviously is familiar with. Is there any further progress the Honourable Member can give with respect to addressing cybers ecurity for critical national infrastructure?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Member. Minister. Hon. Wayne Caines: This is a work in progress. This is a work in progress. Both Ministers are quite acutely aware of this process and what it takes —both former Ministers. It is incredible that now he stands to act as if he is totally oblivious …
The SpeakerThe SpeakerLet us keep above board. Let us keep above board. Hon. Wayne Caines: As a matter of fact, the reason why it is taking so long . . . we are trying to put more robust and fulsome plans in place. This entire notion that this is some abstract thing …
Let us keep above board. Let us keep above board. Hon. Wayne Caines: As a matter of fact, the reason why it is taking so long . . . we are trying to put more robust and fulsome plans in place. This entire notion that this is some abstract thing that happened 100 days ago is a nonsense! We are looking at the plan, the policies. And our main goal is not to play tit for tat in this arena. We will make sure that our country is protected. That is not going to happen overnight. So I am not going to be hamstrung by anyone’s time schedule. We will make sure that it is done correctly and protect our country!
[Desk thumping]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Supplementary or further question? Suppl ementary?
Hon. Dr. E. Grant GibbonsI simply asked for an update on the timeline of work that has been ongoing. But anyway, Mr. Speaker, he obviously was unable to answer that.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYou are putting a new question. Put your new question.
Hon. Dr. E. Grant GibbonsThe question is, Is the Government looking at potential amendments to the Computer Misuse Act, which, certainly, as I would say, is a dated piece of legislation right now and probably could be addressed in terms of helping with some of these issues?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMinister. Hon. Wayne Caines: Mr. Speaker, as we all can be aware a committee looks at and has a number of suggestions. They have a number of recommendations. They have a number of amendments to . . . [Inaudible interjection]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerContinue. Hon. Wayne Caines: —propose as legislation. We will look at the recommendations once we receive them. And then we will be able to make that consideration. But I do believe, obviously, there will have to be amendments to the aforementioned legislation.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Supplementary or question? Thank you. That concludes the questions on that Statement. The final Statement that has questions is that of Honourable Minister Simmons in regard to his Statement on gaming. And we have two Members with questions. The first Member is the Honourable Member from constituency 22. …
Thank you. Supplementary or question? Thank you. That concludes the questions on that Statement. The final Statement that has questions is that of Honourable Minister Simmons in regard to his Statement on gaming. And we have two Members with questions. The first Member is the Honourable Member from constituency 22. Honourable Member Gibbons, you have the floor.
QUESTION 1: GAMING IN BERMUDA
Hon. Dr. E. Grant GibbonsThank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Honourable Member, in his Statement on page 4, says, “The Government is NOT” —all in caps —“currently considering making cashless gaming on the Island mandatory for casino operators.” And he goes on to say that “the Gover nment is not cur rently considering …
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Honourable Member, in his Statement on page 4, says, “The Government is NOT” —all in caps —“currently considering making cashless gaming on the Island mandatory for casino operators.” And he goes on to say that “the Gover nment is not cur rently considering any proposals.” Has the Honourable Member qualified that, because the Government may in future consider making cashless gaming on the Island mandatory for casino operators? Or [is it] that they may consider any proposals related 506 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly to the gaming industry from MM&I and/or Banyan Gaming?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Member. Minister. Hon. Jamahl S. Simmons: Mr. Speaker, the Stat ement says what it says. This is not the Government that had a relationship with MM& I. And until they answer the questions surrounding that [which] I have raised in the Statement, I find it offensive that they …
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Honourable Member, supplementary or ne w question?
Hon. Dr. E. Grant GibbonsSo, would it be fair to say that the Honourable Member has refused to answer the question? [Inaudible interjections]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMinister. Hon. Jamahl S. Simmons: To be clear . . . and I will read again for the hard of hearing and the slow of comprehension. “The Government is NOT” —NOT — “. . . considering making cashless gaming in the Island mandatory for casino operators. The Government is NOT” …
Minister. Hon. Jamahl S. Simmons: To be clear . . . and I will read again for the hard of hearing and the slow of comprehension. “The Government is NOT” —NOT — “. . . considering making cashless gaming in the Island mandatory for casino operators. The Government is NOT” —NOT — “. . . considering any proposals related to gaming industry from MM&I and/or Banyan Gam-ing. The Government has NOT entered into ANY arrangements with Banyan Gaming or MM&I.” That, Mr. Speaker, was the previous One Bermuda Alliance Government.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Supplementary? Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: Supplementary.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerSupplementary from the Honourable Opposition Leader. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: Yes.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerHonourable Member, you have the floor. SUPPLEMENTARIES Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister was very clear in reiterating the comments that he made in his Stat ement to leave out the word “currently.” And I think it is important that the Minister clarify …
Honourable Member, you have the floor.
SUPPLEMENTARIES Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister was very clear in reiterating the comments that he made in his Stat ement to leave out the word “currently.” And I think it is important that the Minister clarify for this Honourable House, if the Minister is willing to clarify for this Ho nourable House, whether “ currently ” has now been stricken from the Statement that he had made, given his reiteration of what he init ially said.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Member. Minister. Hon. Jamahl S. Simmons: Mr. Speaker, I would suggest the Honourable Leader of the Opposition, current or former soon- to-be, read the gaming legisl ation related to the Casino Gaming Commission and their mandate. They decide such things.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Supplementary? Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: Supplementary.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerSupplementary. Continue, Opposition Leader. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: If the Minister is indicatin g that the matter ought to have been referred to or is under the purview of the Gaming Commission, can the Minister then explain why he is indicating that “the Government is NOT . . .”? …
Supplementary. Continue, Opposition Leader. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: If the Minister is indicatin g that the matter ought to have been referred to or is under the purview of the Gaming Commission, can the Minister then explain why he is indicating that “the Government is NOT . . .”? Is he suggesting that the Gaming Commission is also not making these considerations?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Minister, you have the floor. Hon. Jamahl S. Simmons: Mr. Speaker, over the past month, this Government has been subjected to a systematic misinformation campaign that indicated that we were entering in, as I stated, some sort of r elationship, perhaps mirroring one held by the former Government. …
Thank you. Minister, you have the floor.
Hon. Jamahl S. Simmons: Mr. Speaker, over the past month, this Government has been subjected to a systematic misinformation campaign that indicated that we were entering in, as I stated, some sort of r elationship, perhaps mirroring one held by the former Government. That is the reason for this Statement. That is the answer.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Supplementary or new question?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThe Honourable Member from consti tuency 22. QUESTION 2 : GAMING IN BERMUDA
Hon. Dr. E. Grant GibbonsThank you, Mr. Speaker. Bermuda House of Assembly Would the Honourable Minister not agree that the reason this has now come up is becaus e the O pposition were the last ones to have a relationship with MM&I and Banyan Gaming in a meeting just before the general election?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Member. Minister. Hon. Jamahl S. Simmons: I am not aware of such meeting, Mr. Speaker. But I am aware of information that was taken from a phone of a dead Member, the deceased Member, a former Member of this House. And there is some question [as to] how …
Thank you, Member. Minister. Hon. Jamahl S. Simmons: I am not aware of such meeting, Mr. Speaker. But I am aware of information that was taken from a phone of a dead Member, the deceased Member, a former Member of this House. And there is some question [as to] how the Opposition got in possession of that. And I would suggest that they clarify where they obtain ed that information, because I have no knowledge of a trip. I was not sched-uled to be involved in any meeting; I did not partic ipate in any meeting. So I suggest that they come forward with whatever they have obtained from that former Member’s phone. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Supplementary? Supplementary?
Hon. Dr. E. Grant GibbonsActually, I was not referring to anything on a phone. I was referring to a gaming meeting that the Opposition had just before the election. Mr. Speaker, I have another question, third question.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYes. QUESTION 3 : GAMING IN BERMUDA
Hon. Dr. E. Grant GibbonsThe Honourable Member refers to amendments to the Casino Gaming Act that he will execute. Would the Honourable Member not agree that the amendments he is suggesting com-pletely emascul ate any degree of independence the Gaming Commission may currently enjoy?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMinister. Hon. Jamahl S. Simmons: Mr. Speaker, the Honourable Member is anticipating a debate. The Speaker: Thank you. None? Okay. Minister, there is one other Member who ind icates that she has a question for you. The Honourable Opposition Leader, you have the floor. QUESTION 1 : GAMING IN BERMUDA …
Minister.
Hon. Jamahl S. Simmons: Mr. Speaker, the Honourable Member is anticipating a debate. The Speaker: Thank you. None? Okay. Minister, there is one other Member who ind icates that she has a question for you. The Honourable Opposition Leader, you have the floor.
QUESTION 1 : GAMING IN BERMUDA
Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on page 3 of the Minister’s Statement, he indicated that it was the One Bermuda Alliance Government that entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with MM&I. Is the Minister aware that that Memorandum of Understanding had been cancelled and vitiated subsequently?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Member. Minister. Hon. Jamahl S. Simmons: Yes.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Supplementary? No further questions? That brings us to the end of the Question Period. ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER HOUSE VISITOR
The SpeakerThe SpeakerBut before we move on, I would just like to acknowledge, in the Gallery, the presence of Senator Hayward. Senator Hayward, thanks for visiting us this morning. [Desk thumping] CONGRATULATORY AND/OR OBITUARY SPEECHES
The SpeakerThe SpeakerI recognise the Honourable Minister for National Security.
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberWhat?
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberMr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerHe beat you up early see! [Inaudible interjections and laughter ] Hon. Wayne Caines: Mr. Speaker, I would like to give congratulations to five graduates of the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service. Mr. Speaker, I had the privilege to attend that ceremony on Monday afternoon at the Fire Service. You …
He beat you up early see!
[Inaudible interjections and laughter ]
Hon. Wayne Caines: Mr. Speaker, I would like to give congratulations to five graduates of the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service. Mr. Speaker, I had the privilege to attend that ceremony on Monday afternoon at the Fire Service. You have Firefighter Mahye Steede, 508 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly Firefighter Jordan Govia, Firefighter Amani Wears, Firefighter Christopher Clarke, Jr., and Firefighter Matthew Mills . It is noteworthy because Firefighter Chris Clarke . . . all of the firefighters, Mr. Speaker, went to Texas for the last phase of their training. And t hey were at that facility with a number of people from across America. And Mr. Christopher Clarke scored number -one and placed the number -one student upon graduation from that school in America. So to have one Bermudian, Mr. Christopher Clarke, acquit hims elf in such a manner is definitely something that we all can be proud of. Mr. Matthew Mills was the best candidate of the local cadre of men—again, a phenom enal experience and something that we all can be proud of. Last night, I had the privilege to atten d at the Government House, along with our Premier, the Go vernor’s Honours and Awards ceremony, receiving the Queen’s Certificate. I would like for congratulations to be sent to Leleath Gloria Bailey, Dr. William Cooke, Ms. Cynthia Cox, Mary Lodge, Mr. Ian Thomas Mur-doch, and Mr. Rodney Smith, Jr. From the police r eceiving their 30- year class was Inspector Kuhn Evans, Sergeant Minton Gilbert, Sergeant Sharnita Tankard and Constable Ian Taitt. Receiving their 18- year medals, we have Constable Stuart Bibly, Constable Delphi Burrows, Constable Shanita Furbert, Constable Char-lene Raynor and Constable Joseph Raynor. Recei ving their 15- and-up medals for the Department of Corrections, Chief Officer Phillip Downie, Division Officer Adrian Machette. Division Officer Ms. Donna WhitfieldHanley and Officer Caldon Grimes. From the Bermuda Regiment, receiving its fifth class, which denotes 40 years of service to the Bermuda Regiment, is Warrant Officer Class 2 Walter Brangman. Receiving its first class and efficiency medal is Gary Dowling . Receiving an efficiency medal was Colo ur Sergeant Sergil White, Sergeant Tatum Fort, Candric Richardson, Sergeant Deborah S ymonds, Sergeant Michael Williams, Corporal Calvin Bean and Corporal Larceo Sumner . We had a person being commiss ioned. A staff officer receiving his Bermuda commission was Major Corey Smalley, and 2 Lieutenant Ryan Eve. And we also had Regimental Warrant Officer Class 2 Keyon Woods, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. I now recognise the Honourable Mini ster Brown. Minister Brown, you have the floor. You caught my eye that time, Minister. Hon. Walton Brown: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am always happy when I can catch your eye, Mr. Speak-er. [Laughter]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerContinue on. Hon. Walton Brown: Mr. Speaker, I think it is critically important that we acknowledge all who make a cultural contribution to Bermuda. And in that regard, I want to acknowledge the always stupendous work of Mr. Dale Butler, a former Member of this Honourable House and the former …
Continue on. Hon. Walton Brown: Mr. Speaker, I think it is critically important that we acknowledge all who make a cultural contribution to Bermuda. And in that regard, I want to acknowledge the always stupendous work of Mr. Dale Butler, a former Member of this Honourable House and the former Minister of Culture and Social Rehabilitation.
[Desk thumping] Hon. Walton Brown: I also would like to recognise the outstanding work of Ms. Emma Ingham. The two of them, Mr. Speaker, have collaborated on a book called Shakespeare [ was a Bard from Bac k of T own who visited Hubie’s and Jamaica n Grill], although it is not the Shakespeare that many of you will have studied in your earlier days. But it is the Shakespeare who frequented Hubie’s Bar and all the commentary and colour that was presented at Hubi e’s Bar over the decades . So this is a new book by the ever -energetic and indefatigable Dale Butler. I think he has published now 50 books. And the contribution of Ms. Emma Ingham as the illustrator has added to our stock of knowledge, our understanding. I t helps to strengthen our culture. And we should celebrate it, and we should acknowledge it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Does any other Member wish to speak? I recognise the Honourable Premier. Premier, you have the floor. Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and good morning to you again. Mr. Speaker, I just want to take to my feet to, first of all, …
Thank you, Minister. Does any other Member wish to speak? I recognise the Honourable Premier. Premier, you have the floor.
Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and good morning to you again. Mr. Speaker, I just want to take to my feet to, first of all, associate myself with the congratulations which were offered by the Minister of National Secur ity as we att ended Government House for the awards which were given, the Queen’s Certificates and also the service awards for our servicemen and [service]women. But, particularly, as I do believe I see the wonderful doctor in the red beret in the audience, I would like to extend specific and special congratul ations to Dr. Carika Weldon.
[Desk thumping]
Hon. E. David Burt: Dr. Carika Weldon has been in Bermuda for the last week and on her Science with Scientists school tour. And during her Science with Scientists school tour, between science fairs, between a work rally at the Northlands Primary School, and between many other events, with volunteers from the United Kingdom, they reached a total of 394 students in four days. And the most impressive thing, of course, that Dr. Weldon is particularly proud of is that 70 per cent of the students of which they reached were f emale. So, it is important that the work that Dr. Weldon does and continues to do, both overseas and locally,
Bermuda House of Assembly is supported. It is a privilege to congratul ate her for the work that she continues to do overseas, and it is very gratifying for someone such as herself to make sure that she uses the reach of which she has to pr omote STEM [ Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics] inside of schools and, sp ecifically, STEM learning regarding increasing the number of women who are inside of those fields. So, I associate the entire House, certainly —
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThe entire House, yes, yes. It is fitting! Very much so. Hon. E. David Burt: —with those congratu lations for a fine young Bermudian who is doing excellent work, globally recognised in her field, but also doing excellent work to give back to her community locally. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Mr. Premier. Does any other Member wis h to speak? I recognise the Honourable Member from constituency 2. Honourable Member Swan, you have the floor.
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. SwanYes, Mr. Speaker, and good morning. It is on a sad occasion that I must rise and offer condolences to two families this morning —the family of the late Kathleen Adina Brangman, nee Caines, a constituent of mine from Ferry Reach, a very dear lady who has done great work …
Yes, Mr. Speaker, and good morning. It is on a sad occasion that I must rise and offer condolences to two families this morning —the family of the late Kathleen Adina Brangman, nee Caines, a constituent of mine from Ferry Reach, a very dear lady who has done great work in this community in her profession as a nurse, and certainly as a strong union advocate and as a lady who was unafraid to speak her mind. And as one who certainly has been in her presence for many, many years, and knowing that first -hand her children . . . I and the whole family and friends extend deepest, deepest sympathies to this lady’s family. And I just want her family to know how much I cared for and appreciated Ms. Caines. Mr. Speaker, equally, as sad, I bring condolences to the family of Clyde “Doc” Livingston Saltus.
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. SwanMr. Speaker, as a White Hill boy, I could tell you, to think of Doc Saltus, my mind casts back to the late Kenny “Pig” Simmons and Hog Bay Level.
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. SwanSomerset Bridge, where you would go get your hair cut, and if you got there too late, your hair was not shaped the way it should be because Uncle Kenny had to go out back and talk to fellows like the Duck Saltus and many other characters. But the Saltus …
Somerset Bridge, where you would go get your hair cut, and if you got there too late, your hair was not shaped the way it should be because Uncle Kenny had to go out back and talk to fellows like the Duck Saltus and many other characters. But the Saltus family runs deep and strong in the west and throughout the Island. I know the fam ily very closely. One of his sisters married my mother’s first cousin , Ikey. And I know the family very well, as the Simmons family, Pop and all the boys and I, we all grew up. So that family connects very closely to my family as well, the Andersons out of Hog Bay and White Hill and the many ladies that formed that A nderson clan. And I just want the Saltus family . . . His brother is a Progressive Labour Party delegate. I just would like the Saltus family to know that our prayers are with them as they mourn a great man, a great man from White Hill. Thank you.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Honourable Member Swan. I recognise the Honourable Member from constituency 7. Honourable Member Richards, you have the floor. Mr. Sylvan D. Richards, Jr.: Thank you, Mr. Spea ker. Mr. Speaker, I rise to my feet on a sad occ asion to announce condolences to the family of Shirley …
Thank you, Honourable Member Swan. I recognise the Honourable Member from constituency 7. Honourable Member Richards, you have the floor.
Mr. Sylvan D. Richards, Jr.: Thank you, Mr. Spea ker. Mr. Speaker, I rise to my feet on a sad occ asion to announce condolences to the family of Shirley Myrtle Marie Perinchief. I would like to associate MP Cole Simons and MP Leah Scott, who is not here t oday. She asked that she be associated with th ese r emarks also. Shirley Perinchief was what I call a won-derful character. She was also the sister of an aunt of mine, Carol Richards, who is married to my uncle Br yant Richards.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerRight. Yes. Mr. Sylvan D. Richards, Jr.: Shirley was interest ing. She and her sisters were raised in New York City of a Bermudian father. And they relocated . . . Well, actua lly, her first trip to Bermuda was back in the late 1950s. And she fell in love …
Right. Yes. Mr. Sylvan D. Richards, Jr.: Shirley was interest ing. She and her sisters were raised in New York City of a Bermudian father. And they relocated . . . Well, actua lly, her first trip to Bermuda was back in the late 1950s. And she fell in love with her ancestral home. And she and her sisters used to travel to Bermuda quite regularly for Cup Match and Christmas and all the different family holidays. And they eventually relocated to Bermuda full time. And that is when I became familiar with Shirley Perinchief. Shirley was well travelled. She loved to travel all over the world, and she was very adventurous. And her favourite thing was, Live life today as though it were your last. And Shirley certainly did that. She was a very sociable person. She loved to interact with the movers and shakers of Bermudian society and New York society. And she always used to compliment me when I would come visit her. She was a lot of fun, had a big, big spirit. And when Shirley was in the room, everybody knew that she was there. She will be greatly missed. And once again, I just want to offer condolences to her sons, particularly, John Perinchief and Kevin Brown. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Member. 510 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly Does any other Member wish . . . I see the Honourable Member from constituency 26. The Honourable Member Tyrrell , you have the floor.
Mr. Neville S. TyrrellMr. Speaker, I rise to ask that this House send congratulations to the principals and organisers of the 16th Cub Scout Group of Paget and Warwick. Mr. Speaker, these persons took up a vac uum by forming this group for the last couple of years for boys between the ages …
Mr. Speaker, I rise to ask that this House send congratulations to the principals and organisers of the 16th Cub Scout Group of Paget and Warwick. Mr. Speaker, these persons took up a vac uum by forming this group for the last couple of years for boys between the ages of eight to ten. It is a very critical area in boys’ ages. So I am glad that they actually did that. And the names of those persons I have to acknowledge are Keith Bernhardt, Max Moniz, Miguel DuPont, Ryan Taylor, Chris Weisman and F rank Fisher. Mr. Speaker, they are doing a tremendous job. And I have to say it because I have the opportunity of taking my grandson there and collecting him, as well. And sometimes, I stay and watch the activities of the evening. And you can see the boys are so excited. So, I am just so glad that they are corralling t hese young boys, whom I expect to see as future citizens, good citizens of this country. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Member. Does any other Member wish to speak? I recognise the Honourable Member from constituency 1. The Honourable Member Ming, you have the floor.
Mrs. Renee MingGood morning, Mr. Speaker and listening audience.
Mrs. Renee MingI would like to, first of all, be ass ociated with the condolence comments for Ms. Kat hleen Brangman. I know the Brangman family, as well, and I am sorry to hear about their loss. And I just want to also acknowledge the Founders Day Week for the St. George’s …
I would like to, first of all, be ass ociated with the condolence comments for Ms. Kat hleen Brangman. I know the Brangman family, as well, and I am sorry to hear about their loss. And I just want to also acknowledge the Founders Day Week for the St. George’s Cricket Club, and associate MP Swan with that. Those of you who know me know that I will speak fondly about St. George’s, but this is one of those times where we talk about our legacy and how we started. And I am pretty sure, and most of you are pretty sure or aware of it, that St. George’s Cricket Club will be around for a long time. And I will say it, and I ha ve said it before, that I predict that we will be the 2018 Cup Match champions. So, Mr. Speaker —
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYou know, you should not make predi ctions you cannot deliver on! [Inaudible interjections and laughter] Mrs. Renee Ming: Mr. Speaker, I am ass ociating —
The SpeakerThe SpeakerDo not make predictions you cannot deliver on.
Mrs. Renee MingI am associating the Opposition Leader, especially, with these comments, as well. So, maybe it is a little bit of predicting going on in here today. But I also want t o give a congratulatory shout - out to my husband, Mr. Raoul G. Ming, because he was a police …
Mrs. Renee MingHe did not attend the ceremony, but he has been a police officer for 30 years. And a lso, Sergeant Dennis Astwood, because they all came in in the same crew. They were unable to attend the ceremony, but they have been police officers in Bermuda, representing . . . …
He did not attend the ceremony, but he has been a police officer for 30 years. And a lso, Sergeant Dennis Astwood, because they all came in in the same crew. They were unable to attend the ceremony, but they have been police officers in Bermuda, representing . . . they went over and beyond for 30 years. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Member. Does any other Member wish to speak? I recognise the Honourable Opposition Leader. Honour able Member, you have the floor. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would ask that this Honourable House send c ongratulations to both Standard and Poor’s and …
Thank you, Member. Does any other Member wish to speak? I recognise the Honourable Opposition Leader. Honour able Member, you have the floor. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would ask that this Honourable House send c ongratulations to both Standard and Poor’s and PwC, as they conducted this week their annual summit, which was absolutely successful. The title for this year, Mr. Speaker, was Dynamics of Discipline, Diversification & Disruption . And it spoke, Mr. Speaker, to the impact that Bermuda has in the settlement of claims and how significant we are as a player in the international arena for the insurance i ndustry. I think, Mr. Speaker, anybody listening would have an understanding, as the keynote speaker was Jeremy Cox, the CEO of the BMA [Bermuda Monetary Authority]. And in his remarks, he spoke of not just the regulatory regime that exists, but the impact that Bermuda has on the worldwide insurance industry and how we can have that story to tell as we defend the position that Bermuda has in that arena. So, I would ask that congratulations be sent to those two organisations, Standard and Poor’s and PwC, for a very well-crafted conference and an extremely informative and positive conference for Bermuda. Thank you, Mr . Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Member. Does any other Honourable Member wish to speak? No other Member. We will now move . . . Oh, I almost missed you. We recognise the Honourable Bermuda House of Assembly Member from constituency 19. The Honourable Member Atherden, you have the floor.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerAll right. She almost caused you to miss out, see that? [Inaudible interjections and laughter]
Mrs. Jeanne J. AtherdenMr. Speaker, I would like to have our condolences sent to the family of Mrs. Rosie Medeiros. Mrs. Medeiros, when I first met, was over 100 years old. She is the mother of Raymond Medeiros. And I remember when I saw her, you know, I thought to myself, This little …
Mr. Speaker, I would like to have our condolences sent to the family of Mrs. Rosie Medeiros. Mrs. Medeiros, when I first met, was over 100 years old. She is the mother of Raymond Medeiros. And I remember when I saw her, you know, I thought to myself, This little spry lady, 100 years old, who was just so full of life and so bubbly, and I su ddenly realised that, you know, when you get to 100, you are in your second life. But you do not always know —
[Inaudible interjection]
Mrs. Jeanne J. AtherdenWell, n owadays, with people living longer, 100 seems to be the second life. But, Mr. Speaker, I would just like to have our condolences sent to the family. Because I was sad to see that she passed, but I also recognised that she had lived a good life, and …
Well, n owadays, with people living longer, 100 seems to be the second life. But, Mr. Speaker, I would just like to have our condolences sent to the family. Because I was sad to see that she passed, but I also recognised that she had lived a good life, and she was quite loved by her family. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Now, does any other Member wish to speak? And I will pause . . . I do not see . . . Honourable Member, you are rising to speak? We recognise the Honourable Member from constit uency 11. Honourable Member F amous, you have the floor.
Mr. Christopher FamousGood morning, colleagues. I just want to add, in the condolences to Ms. Brangman of Ferry Reach, that before she was in Ferry Reach, she came from Smith’s Hill.
Mr. Christopher FamousWhile we were canvassing earlier this year, in constituency 2, we met Ms. Brangman. And she says, I know you. You’re a pond dog. And she went on to elaborate about life in Smith’s Hill. And she spoke proudly about being a u nion member. She spoke more proud ly …
While we were canvassing earlier this year, in constituency 2, we met Ms. Brangman. And she says, I know you. You’re a pond dog. And she went on to elaborate about life in Smith’s Hill. And she spoke proudly about being a u nion member. She spoke more proud ly about being a Bermudian and what it meant for us as Bermudians to stick together. So, when Honourable Member Swan called me to let me know she had passed, I was deeply saddened, but I was glad to know that she got to see the people’s party back in power . I want to congratulate . . . Often, we go after media houses at times. But I want to just say thank you to those who work behind the scenes at media houses, helping to actually print the paper, the phys ical labourers who print the paper, and those who w ork behind the scenes with the cameras and all other forms of technology. Because, often, we forget. As politicians, we sometimes love the press and som etimes we hate them. But no matter which side are we on, there are people who work in the media to pr oduce, whether it be television or the printed newspa-per. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Honourable Member. No other Member wishes to speak?
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberThere is no one left. [Laughter]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerWe now move on to the next item on the Order Paper. MATTERS OF PRIVILEGE
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThere are none. PERSONAL EXPLANATIONS
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThere are none. NOTICE OF MOTIONS FOR THE ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE ON MATTERS OF URGENT PUBLIC IMPORTANCE
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThere are none. INTRODUCTION OF BILLS GOVERNMENT BILLS
The SpeakerThe SpeakerI believe we have four Government Bills to be introduced today. The first Government Bill is in the name of the Honourable Minister Burch. Minister Burch, you have the floor. 512 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch: Thank you, Mr. …
The SpeakerThe SpeakerGood morning. FIRST READING BERMUDA NATIONAL PARKS AMENDMENT ACT 2017
Lt. Col. Hon. David A. BurchI am pleased to intr oduce the following Bill for its first reading so that it may be placed on the Order Paper for the next day of meeting: the Bermuda National Parks Amendment Act 2017.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMinister, I believe y ou have two more. So you can continue on while you are on your feet. FIRST READINGS BERMUDA NATIONAL PARKS AMENDMENT (NO. 2) ACT 2017 LAND TITLE REGISTRATION AMENDMENT ACT 2017
Lt. Col. Hon. David A. BurchYes, I do. I would also like to introduce the following Bills for their first reading so that it may be placed on the Order Paper for the next day of meeting: the Bermuda National Parks Amendment (No. 2) Act 2017, as well as, Mr. Speaker, the Land Title Registration …
Yes, I do. I would also like to introduce the following Bills for their first reading so that it may be placed on the Order Paper for the next day of meeting: the Bermuda National Parks Amendment (No. 2) Act 2017, as well as, Mr. Speaker, the Land Title Registration Amendment Act 2017.
The Speake r: Thank you, Minister. We have one further Bill to be introduced, and that is by the Honourable Minister Simmons. Minister Simmons, you have the floor.
Hon. Jamahl S. Simmons: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am introducing the following Bill for its first reading so that it may be placed on the Order Paper for the next day of meeting.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerContinue. FIRST READING CASINO GAMING AMENDMENT ACT 2017 Hon. Jamahl S. Simmons: Casino Gaming Amendment Act 2017. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. [Desk thumping]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. No further Bills. OPPOSITION BILLS
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThere are none. PRIVATE MEMBERS’ BILLS
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThere are none. NOTICES OF MOTIONS
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThere are none. ORDERS OF THE DAY
The SpeakerThe SpeakerOrders of the Day. We understand that the first Order is going to be dealt with today. And that is the Contributory Pensions (Amendment of Benefits and Contributions) Order 2017, under the name of the Minister of Finance. I believe the Junior Finance Mi nister will be leading. Honourable Member …
Orders of the Day. We understand that the first Order is going to be dealt with today. And that is the Contributory Pensions (Amendment of Benefits and Contributions) Order 2017, under the name of the Minister of Finance. I believe the Junior Finance Mi nister will be leading. Honourable Member Furbert, you have the floor.
Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYes. ORDER CONTRIBUTORY PENSIONS (AMENDMENT OF BENEFITS AND CONTRIBUTIONS) ORDER 2017 Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Mr. Speaker, I move that consideration be given to the draft Order entitled the Contributory Pensions (Amendment of Benefits and Contributions) Order 2017, proposed to be made by the Minister responsible for Finance, conferred by …
The SpeakerThe SpeakerGo ahead, Minister. Continue, Minister. Continue. Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present the Contributory Pensions (Amendment of Benefits and Contributions) Order 2017 for the consideration of the Honourable Members. It is a clear indication of Government’s commitment to enhance the quality of life of our …
Go ahead, Minister. Continue, Minister. Continue.
Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present the Contributory Pensions (Amendment of Benefits and Contributions) Order 2017 for the consideration of the Honourable Members. It is a clear indication of Government’s commitment to enhance the quality of life of our senior citizens during these economic times. Mr. Speaker, you recall that in the PLP 2017 election platform, it was declared that a PLP Gover nment would put our seniors first and institute annual cost-of-living increases. Promise made, promise kept
Bermuda House of Assembly for social insurance pensions that will be linked to the rate of inflation to help lessen the hardship that too many of our seniors now endure. Mr. Speaker, before I go into the specifics of this Order, it may be useful to elaborate on the pen-sion arrangement currently in place. Bermuda, like most other countries, currently provides retired ind ividuals with a combination of social insurance from the Contributory P ension Fund [CPF], and an occupational pension from their employer. In a perfect world, the social insurance would provide a first tier, or basic, pension, which would most likely be supplemented by a second tier, or occupational, pension. Through no faul t of their own, currently, a number of our retired persons are not receiving an occupational pension and are therefore relying on their social insurance as their sole source of income. Obviously, Mr. Speaker, this is not an ideal situation. And this Government will do its utmost to ensure that seniors who rely heavily on social insurance benefits are cared for suitably. Mr. Speaker, notwithstanding the above, the CPF benefit provides an important base retirement income. Currently, the maximum pension paid under the CPF is around 26 per cent of the median annual gross earnings for Bermudians, as indicated in the Bermuda Job Market Employment Briefs produced by the Department of Statistics. This compares closely to the UK, with a full, basic state pension as a percentage of average annual is about 24 per cent. Mr. Speaker, the purpose of this Order is to increase pensions and other benefits under the Con-tributory Pensions Act 1970 by 1.7 per cent, and contributions by 4.2 per cent, respectively, in August 2017 and August 2018, respectively. The Contributory Pension Fund, in principal, relies on current contributors who are w orking, paying for current pensions, and for the most part is a pay -as-you-go finance plan. Ho wever, the policy of increasing contribution rates by 2.5 per cent above the rate of pension increases has allowed a significant level of funds to be built up, and thus the plan is partially funded, which provides further securities of benefits. Under section 37 of the Contributory Pensions Act 1970, the Minister of Finance has the power to make an Order to revise the rates of contributions and of benefits of the Contributory Pension Fund. Mr. Speaker, there are seven types of benefit payable under the Contributory Pensions Act 1970. All of the pensions and allowances will be increased by 1.7 per cent. These pensions and allowances are co ntributory old- age pension, contributory old- age gratuity, contributory widows/widowers allowance, contributory widows/widowers gratuity, contributory disability benefit, non- contributory old- age pension and non - contributory disability benefit. Mr. Speaker, the basic pension is $1 ,032.13 per month, currently. The maximum contributory pension currently payable, which includes additional i n-crements, is approximately $1,511.00 per month. A ltogether, some 12,935 persons currently receive be nefits under the Act. The proposed 1.7 per cen t increase will raise the basic contributory pension to $1,049.68 per month and the maximum benefit to about $1,536.69 per month. Approximately 6 per cent of the 12,935 seniors covered by the Contributory Pension Fund receive maximum pension benefits that range from basic to the maximum. Mr. Speaker, the 1.7 per cent increase marks the 11 th pension increase that the Progressive Labour Party Government has put through in its time in Go vernment. The former Government made seniors wait five years for a pensio n increase. [Inaudible interjections] Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Which is the longest period of time between increases since the UBP was in office when pensions were increased every two years, since taking office back in 1998. And now this Government has put through 11 increases: August 2000, when we increased the pensions by 3 per cent; August 2002, when we increased pensions by 3 per cent; August 2003, when we increased pensions by 3 per cent; A ugust 2004, when we increased pensions by an extraordinary 9 per cent; August 2005, with an increase of 3.5 per cent; August 2006, with an increase of 4 per cent; August 2007, with an increase of 4.5 per cent; August 2008, with an increase of 5 per cent; August 2009, with an increase of 5 per cent; August 2011, with an increase of 3 per cent. And you know what happened in 2012. It has not been increased for that period of time, 2012. And now, 2017, there is an i ncrease of 1.7 per cent.
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberWhat about 2015? Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: In every case, the benefit increase has either exceeded the prevailing rate of inflation or has been in line with underlying trend rates, thereby placing seniors’ pensions under the CPI [consumer price index] in good stance. Honourable Members are advised that, based on …
What about 2015?
Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: In every case, the benefit increase has either exceeded the prevailing rate of inflation or has been in line with underlying trend rates, thereby placing seniors’ pensions under the CPI [consumer price index] in good stance. Honourable Members are advised that, based on the consumer price index, the cost of living has increased by 1.7 per cent since August 2016, when the last increase was granted. Therefore, the pr oposed benefit increase fully covers the prevailing rate of inflation, as we have promised. Mr. Speaker, the 2017 Order now before the House includes an increase in the rate of contributions to the Contributory Pension Fund of 4.2 per cent. The Ministry is sensitive to the fact that contribution rates have already been set by employers for the current fiscal year for the Contributory Pension Fund, which runs from 2017 to July 2018. Therefore, it is proposed that the 4.2 per cent increase in contributions not come into force until August 2018. 514 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly The 4.2 per cent increase in the contribution rate is based on actuarial adv ice and is intended to maintain the long- term viability for the Contributory Pension Fund. The current policy is to increase the contribution by 2.5 per cent more than any benefit i ncrease awarded. The 4.2 per cent increase represents a rise in contributio ns of $1.45 per week, paid by the employee, and increase of $1.45 payable by the employer. The employer will be responsible for submi tting the total weekly additional contribution of $2.90 and will have the authority to dock up to $1.45 from each employee. Mr. Speaker, as of September 2017, the fund had total assets of over $1.831 billion, representing approximately 11.7 times the annual value of benefits paid in the 2016/17 fiscal year. This is [relatively a high level of funding. Compared to 14 other regional societies’ security schemes in a 2013 study, Berm uda’s ratio is better than 9 of those countries’ average 7.5 years. By comparison, a ratio of the Canadian pension plan in 2013 was 4.98 years. As I said, ours is 11.7 times the annual value of benefit s. The effect, Mr. Speaker, is that if the CPF received no further contributions, it could still continue to pay out pe nsions at the prevailing rate for some 12 years. I will repeat that: Mr. Speaker, what it means is that if the CPF received no further contributions, it would still continue to pay out pensions at the prevailing rate for some 12 years. However, the reality is that contributions will continue through time and will likely be increased from time to time. In addition, the prudent investment of the fund’s assets is also an important factor in the fund’s financial position. In this regard, the Government i nvestment strategy for pension fund assets is achieving good results. As I mentioned above, as at September 30, 2017, the Contributory Pension Fund stood at $1.831 billion. For the trailing year, the fund closed with returns of 10.8 per cent. And of the longer term five- and ten- year periods, the fund closed with r eturns of 6.6 per cent and 5.1 per cent, respectively. Mr. Speaker, as evidenced b y the 2014 act uarial report tabled in this Honourable House in June 2016, the viability of the fund in the short - to medium - term is good, and the funding is positive for the next 25 years. However, recognising the long- term challenge of the fund, the Minis try will continue to closely monitor the performance of the fund. It should also be noted that the funding policy for the fund is not based on full actuarial funding, but based on sustainable funding. This is, contributions plus investment income should cover benefits and administrative expenses on an annual basis, while the fund builds up sufficient reserves to cover several years of benefits and expenses to withstand future adverse circumstances. Mr. Speaker, despite the encouraging short - to medium -term outlook for the fund, what is clearly evident from the latest actuarial review is that Berm uda, like most of the developed world, is faced with the challenges associated with the growth of our ageing population. During the next 50 years, the number of people over pension age, 65, is expected to increase from 10,484 to 17,665, an increase of 7,181, or 68 per cent. In other words, every one of us in this room is in that number.
[Inaudible interjection]
Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: There are some of us already past that number. So, this increase in our seniors will obviously place a greater strain on the country’s pension scheme, and it is essential that Government continue to closely monitor the performance of the fund and our overall pension arrangements, to e nsure that pe nsions are set at an appropriate level. Honourable Members should know that, in order to improve the projected financial position of the fund in the long term, the Ministry has been carefully considering alternative scenarios, including the 2014 actuary report. The next actuary report for the CPF is due this fiscal year. This report is for the period A ugust 1 st, 2017, and will be tabled in this Honourable House as soon as it is completed. Following this r eview, Mr. Speaker, the Ministry will propose changes to the fund to ensure its sustainability in an even lon ger term. Mr. Speaker, the Progressive Labour Party Government is nurturing the contributory pension fund and tending to the needs of our seniors. And we are striking the right balance between social and fiscal responsibility. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I wish to assure Members, and more importantly, current and future pensioners, that this Government is sensitive to the challenges facing the pension plan for this nature and will endeavour to take the appropriate steps to e nhance the benefits paid from the scheme, as well as ensure that the fund has the ongoing ability to pay for such benefits. Mr. Speaker, as I said, promise made, promise kept. Thank you.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Junior Mi nister. Does any other Member wish to speak? Hold on. I recognise the Honourable Member from constituency 19. Honourable Member Atherden, you have the floor.
Mrs. Jeanne J. AtherdenThank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, obviously, anyone who cares abou t our seniors and the people of Bermuda appr eciates the fact that this increase in pensions is som ething that seniors have been looking for. And, as the former Government, we had indicated that we believed that the …
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, obviously, anyone who cares abou t our seniors and the people of Bermuda appr eciates the fact that this increase in pensions is som ething that seniors have been looking for. And, as the former Government, we had indicated that we believed that the increases in pensions should be i ndexed t o the cost of living. So it is not like this was not considered. And I am saying that not to turn around and sort of say, Well, they said; we didn’t say it. I am
Bermuda House of Assembly just saying that I think if you recognise that seniors who are relying on their pensions, especially if they do not have the occupational pensions to supplement it, are relying solely on the contributory pension that is coming out of government. So, I am just saying that to put that into context, because everybody wants to make sure that our seniors who have worked so hard, and on whose backs the success of Bermuda has been carried—that we take care of them. And I am just saying that to start off, to say that any of my comments that I make here are in line with the whole thing of where the pr evious speaker ended up, in terms of making sure that we are looking at the whole question of benefits and that we are looking at the question of the contributions that we have to make. And so, whereas the Junior Minister started to talk about things that were happening, I just wanted to highlight a couple of references that are in there. This whole question of making sure that the difference between the increase in benefits and the increase in contributions has been, if you will, fuelled by the assumption that says, As long as you have a 2.5 per cent increase in terms of the contributions that people put in and the benefits that you put out, you are striking the right balance, making sure that the fund is always growing in a positive way. But we have to recogni se, as was acknowledged, that the fund is still only partially funded. And some of the assum ptions that were made way back are now going to be challenged, because back when we started in 1970, we had some very significant populations that were out there working and, thus, contributing. And at that point in time, we also did not have what I call this real baby boomer increase which we are now seeing. So, I think, as we go forward, we are having to start to recognise that the impact on the ageing population —that is not only ageing, but living longer —is something that we are having to start to take into con-sideration. And on the opposite side, the impact of the fact that the people who are contributing, if you will, the shoulders on which the people are getting the benefits, that is shrinking and shrinking. And, Mr. Speaker, something happened to me yesterday that made me suddenly realise . . . I was at a function, and the speaker was talking about 35 years ago and all the things that happened 35 years ago. And when he said, The population of Bermuda at that point in time was 70,000, I thought, What? And then I suddenly realised that, you know, this included all the workers and other people who were there. And I suddenly realised that, hey, we keep forgetting th at people who were here were part of our population. And they were the ones who were also making the contributions into our scheme. And even now, as it goes forward, when people leave the Island, they are able to turn around and claim for their benefits in terms of leaving the Island. So we are going to have to start looking at the population base in terms of the people who are con-tributing and determine whether this 2.5 differential can continue, based on the fact that the [number of] people who are gettin g the benefits is getting bigger, and the [number of] people who are making the contributions is growing smaller. And I am only saying that because, as we go forward, we are going to recognise that . . . The other thing which has been done in the past by t he previous Government, the other idea of saying, Well, if you have a delay . . . Because I must admit, I went back and looked where the benefits are going up in 2017 in August, but the contributions that are going to have to cover it are not going to start to kick in until next year. So it was okay to keep paying what I call the catch -up as long as you had the differential. But you are going to start looking at whether that is going to still be viable, which is why I think the previous Go vernment, the OBA, Minister of Finance . . . maybe that was the one thing that we did. We obviously held a tight line in terms of the contributions and trying to approve them. But the one thing that he [former F inance Minister Bob Richards] did was, in 2016, when we tabled the Bill, the benefits took effect the 16 th of August in 2016, and the contributions also took effect the 1st of August 2016. So, the contributions and benefits actually moved ahead and matched, as opposed to this delay. I am only saying that because, as one starts to go forward and you start to have what I call conversations with the persons who are paying and let them know what you are thinking about, then it is easier to turn around and say, You know the benefit is going to go up. You know the contributions are going to go up. And that will further make sure that this balancing of contributions and payments will start to make the funding of it improve even more. Now, I do recognise, Mr. Speaker, that as we go forward there are lots of options out there in terms of the investments of the fund and the rates of returns. And these are always a factor of two things: one, how proficient the persons that you have managing your funds are in terms of putting those funds out into di fferent streams, and the rates of return that we have. So it is very important that you have good managers. It is very important that you set the parameters of what they can invest in and what they cannot invest in. Because I know, in another life, that t he whole question of where you invest your money, in terms of what markets you are in, determines not only the rates of return, but it also determines the risks that you have and, sometimes, the challenges. Because risk and reward are balanced. And sometim es, you can go into markets where you get greater rate of return, but you have got greater risk. And as people will know, for pensions, the last thing you want to do is have people worried about is, Is my benefit going to be at risk because the market 516 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly that I am in might be riskier? Therefore, something might happen such that, where you were assuming that you are going to have a certain amount of money that the fund can pay out, because you have made some wrong investments you can have a situation where it i s detrimental to those people you are trying to serve, who are the pensioners. And I am only saying that because people need to understand that these challenges are things that the actuarial has to consider. These challenges are things that the Government, when . . . I should not say “ the Government ,” because the Government actually has a board that manages the . . . not manages the fund, a board that is responsible for decisions with respect to what you are going to invest in, the as-sumptions. And those ar e the persons who have the conversations with the fund managers and with the investment managers. So it is very important that we go forward and we have that comfort level that decisions that are b eing made, assumptions that are being made, and pa-rameters that are being made are going to balance off the long- term strategies in making sure that the risk/reward is going to be beneficial to the pensioners. Because we all want to make sure that they are able to continue having their pensions. I think, Mr. Speaker, it is interesting. And if persons look at it, they would be surprised if they looked down, as the Junior Minister mentioned, we have tons . . . not tons, but we have actually seven different types of pensions that people are able to have: the old- age, the gratuity, the widow’s allowance, the widow’s gratuity, the disability, the noncontributory, the non- contributory disability. And someti mes people do not realise that Governments over time have determined that there are different types of pensions tha t they wanted to have, because not everybody works. Other people are not making contri butions, which means that . . . There was a belief that, just because you did not work did not mean that you were able to get a pension, which is how you ended up having a non- contributory pension. And I think a lot of people do not also realise that there is such a thing as a contributory disability benefit. And people are not aware that, sometimes. Having worked for a time and suddenly becoming disabled, you do not actually have to wait until you are 65 to turn around and have a disability benefit. And I say all of this because, over time, we have to make sure that for the benefits that we put in place, those people who are eligible get a chance to apply for it and make s ure that they benefit from it. Because I know lots of people who are sitting there are not able to take care of themselves, and are not aware that there are pension benefits out there that they qualify for. So I am encouraging other people to become aware. I am encouraging the persons who administer these funds, these benefits, to go out and let people know that they are eligible for them. Because the bottom line is the mere fact that they were created was because you wanted people to not be harmed by not being able to actually live and not have sufficient funds to be able to live. Therefore, things like the di sability . . . And even noting the fact that if you did not work, over time Governments have recognised that a non-contributory disability benefit sh ould be available to people, because not everybody could work. But if you are a caring Government, you want to make sure that people have a benefit of some sort in their later years to be able to draw down on. So, making people aware of all of these differ ent type of contributing, non-contributory benefits, pension benefits, is i mportant. The bottom line is that we all want to make sure that seniors in their later years are able to avail themselves of what they can actually draw down when they are over 65. And I think the only other thing which I am mindful of, the fact . . . and I have seen it happen. And I say it right now because it comes to my mind. As the Junior Minister said, lots of different ent itlements, or payouts, are determined, if you are co ntributing, by the number of payments that you put in. So, sometimes people do not realise that if they are not working or if they came back to Bermuda late and, therefore, their contributions are starting later . . . because we keep forgetting that it is assuming that you start contributing, I think, at age 20 or whatever. So there are a certain number of payments. The pr esumption is that you have put in, which is why you get the maximum. So when the Junior Minister talked about the ranges of payments that people are getting, it is b ecause of the contributions that they have made over their lifetimes. And sometimes, people do not realise that if you came into Bermuda late, maybe you have not put in as many contribution payments as you might have or even could have. And therefore, by the time you get your pension, you actually have less. So I always say to people, by the time you are going to go towards 65, at least a year or six months before, you need to reach out to the Pension Commission and talk to them, the Social Insurance Department, about, What am I eligible for? Help me have a calculation of where I am. Because if you are missing payments, you have the opportunity to, potentially, turn around and put some payments in, which will help you get higher payments when you get 65. I say all of this because when it finally happens, it is too late. You are not able to turn around and get these additional benefits. So these are the types of things that, when we talk about why we are doing this, when we talk about t he benefit increases and all of the other stuff, it is all tied into this whole thing of saying you are trying to make sure that when a senior gets 65, or in the case of the disability, when they are eligible, that they get the maximum benefit.
Bermuda House of Assembly Because, tr uly, you want to give them the maximum benefit. Now, having said that, I think it is also i mportant to recognise that when the Junior Minister talked about the pension increases, et cetera, I was struck by, you know, the increase, 3 per cent by 2000 and 3 per cent by 2002, et cetera. And I thought, you know, pretty steady, et cetera. I must admit, and I cannot get the answer right now, but maybe the Junior Minister would respond for me. I was intrigued by the extraordinary 9 per cent increase. And I was jus t wondering whether there was anything significant that drove that. Because, I mean, I know we talked about we try and look at inflation, we try and talk about going forward, that there was going to be making sure that the cost -of-living increases for soci al insurance pensions . . . But I was not aware of anything that happened in 2004 that caused us to go from the steady, steady 3 per cent up to 9 per cent. So I just wondered if the Junior Minister would be able to tell us whether that was the current Gove rnment at the time feeling generous, or whether there was something that they wanted to do to make people feel happy with them because they were having this nice bump, or i ncrease. I am just curious. Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to say that we actually support this. The only thing that I think that we would want to say, as I have said earlier, is that we have to remember that the numbers of people out there who are making the contributions are going down . And therefore, we will be looking with anticipation to see what the actuary comes up with in terms of making its recommendation, in terms of not only the increase, but the options that are available to them. Because, as I said before, the rates of return are ba lanced off by risk and reward. And these are the types of things that we have to look at. And I know the pe ople of Bermuda are looking at and are interested in that. When I am on the doorstep . . . because there were some other interesting comments made about different options that one could use, you know, for your pension and where you could invest the funds. The people of Bermuda who are over 65 and who are getting close to that number, they actually want to hear about what is going on. So I say t o the current Government, yes, glad to see that you have come up with this. And I think, like everybody else, because I am in that category, we are looking forward to seeing what type of benefits you are going to have, going forward. And we look forward to seeing what the actuary says in terms of different options, not only to invest . . . But the one other thing which, obviously, has been talked about, and I will just say this before I sit down, is that there was always the sort of suggestion of, Well, peo ple are living longer and working longer. Do you turn around and sort of say something to the effect of, Well, the pension would not kick in until, let us say, age 67. You know, some people say that age 70 is the new 65. And so, I just sort of say that I am sure that those are all the types of things that the actuary looks at, and that the commission that is r esponsible for managing the funds and making reco mmendations to the Government and providing feed-back with the actuary in terms of asking questions, getting answers . . . I am sure that those are all considerations that will be taken into account. And with respect to the amendment, we obv iously support the concept, and we look forward to seeing the implementation. And with that, Mr. Speaker, I will take my seat.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Does any other Member wish to speak? I recognise the Deputy Speaker. Deputy Speaker, you have the floor. Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr. : Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Junior Mini ster, who, on behalf of the PLP Government, has brought this …
Thank you. Does any other Member wish to speak? I recognise the Deputy Speaker. Deputy Speaker, you have the floor.
Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr. : Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Junior Mini ster, who, on behalf of the PLP Government, has brought this to this House to give our seniors a muchneeded pension increase. Mr. Speaker, the seniors suffered a bit under the former Government. In fact, you have the Finance Minister . . . I hear one of the Members ov er there laughing. Well, I guess he thinks this is a joke, but it is not a joke to seniors, right?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerKeep it above board, gentlemen. Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: Seniors were told, back under the previous Government, that money does not grow on trees. That is not good to tell som ebody who needs money for various things, which I will go into just very shortly. Mr. Speaker, I …
Keep it above board, gentlemen.
Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: Seniors were told, back under the previous Government, that money does not grow on trees. That is not good to tell som ebody who needs money for various things, which I will go into just very shortly. Mr. Speaker, I just want to . . . And I know the Member who just sat down. I do not think she meant to mislead when she talked about missing payments. Missing payments . . . you just do not make it up just like that. There is a criterion in the Act, which states why if you are “X” amount of contr ibutions short, it is in the Act where you can make it up, and it is a time period for that. S o it is not willy - nilly, I am short of 100 payments; I can go make it up. It does not work like that. The Act is quite clear on that, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the [former] Minister also said— glad to hear her say, as Opposition now, it is a little easier for her to say it . . . But we have been advoca ting for years that we increase the age of retirement from 65. And we have been advocating up to 67. As you will find in most civilised countries, they are i ncreasing the age in order to sustain the fund. And I am still there that we should i ncrease that age, because, Mr. Speaker, right now in Bermuda over 35 per cent of our voters are over 65 years old. And you will see in the statistics that are available that by the year 2030 a 518 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly full 22 per cent of our population, which works out to be about 13,600 people, will be aged 65- plus in the year 2030. So, you see, that segment of the popul ation is the fastest growing segment; because our birth rate is certainly not keeping up the way it used to be many, many years ago, as many of our people are not having the babies that they used to have. The birth rate is low, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our seniors need increases for many reasons. In fact, the pensions in this country started very late, as you know, Mr. Speaker, for , particularly, blue collar workers who are predominantly black, because that was not offered to us. And with a base rate that we had of nothing coming from nothing, even taking that money from them toward a pension was strenuous to them, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have today many of our seniors, their money is earmarked. The pension that they get is earmarked for health insurance and medicine. And it does not cover that, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will always be incensed by the way seniors are treated for insurance. Because once a person goes 65 and they can get in a group insurance, they are going to probably pay about $300 to $400 a month, in conjunction with the employer’s contributions, for a decent health care insurance. Once they go 65, they are o n their own. They cannot get insurance coverage under $1,000 for a decent insurance policy. FutureCare only covers so many visits a year to a specialist. And if somebody at 65, their body is older, would need more visits to a doctor. I think under FutureCare to see a specialist, the maximum is about three visits, you know. You have got a recurring pro blem; seniors are going to have to go to that specialist more than three times. And after that third time, they have got to pay. And there are no special rates in doctors’ offices for seniors. Some have to pay $200- plus for a doctor’s visit and the medicine. I am told one senior who has just returned to Bermuda recently from an operation— and they have still got insurance; thank God for that. But for their medic ation, the co- pay is $2,000 a month. That is the type of money our people have to face, Mr. Speaker. And then, some of our seniors, because of the history of this country, are not fortunate, and they have got to pay rent. Well, that pension will not cover their rent, will not cover their food, will not cover their medical insurance. So they are at a disadvantage; they are suffering. And we should not have our seniors suffering in a country so prosperous as this one, you know, when they have got to face all those expenses, Mr. Speaker. And they were not getting, even up to today, the rate of pay that others have been getting. Mr. Speaker, in some companies they would take a for-eigner and pay them more. Not only pay them more in basic rate of pay, but give them rent allowance and not give the local [worker the same]. And that is not only for blue collar workers; it is for white collar wor kers. You will find that many of these companies will give the foreign worker $5,000, $6,000, $7,000, $10,000. And I have been on the Immigration Board, so I know, Mr. Speaker. It is nothing anyone is telling me. I have seen it, where they give them not only money for rent, but they give them money toward school fees and also memberships in a lot of these clubs in Bermuda, Mr. Speaker. So we cannot continue like that. People must be paid for what they do, not what they look like or what they are perceived to be. You know, we are just as good. Every worker needs to be paid properly, b ecause we will never catch up. The poor workers, particularly the black workers in this country, will never catch up. And so, that is the reason why we should be giving to seniors all we can to assist them. And they are thankful for this little increase. But that is not going to really help them out tomorrow, because next week the price of bread will be going up. The price of milk will be going up. So you give with one hand and take with the other. And that is not the intent of this Government, or any Government, for that matter. But this is the way things are, because we do not have any price control on certain things in this country, as we probably should have for the staple items. And this Gover nment, as you have seen in our manifest, will be addressing that. Because in many countries you can go and you have got a choice to go places that are low priced for those folks who do not . . . You have got a dollar shop in the States, and nothing is over a dollar. But we do not have that here. You might have a dollar shop in Bermuda, but certainly, it means dollars shop here.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThey left the “ s” off! Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr. : There is nothing under, there is everything over a dollar in Bermuda.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThey left the “ s” off. Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr. : Unfortunately, but that is what we have in this country, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYes. Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr. : Mr. Speaker, before I sit down, again I advocate that we must raise the r etirement age of our seniors for one reason, mainly: It is to sustain the fund. As it was read in a Ministerial Statement earlier, from 1970 up until …
Yes.
Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr. : Mr. Speaker, before I sit down, again I advocate that we must raise the r etirement age of our seniors for one reason, mainly: It is to sustain the fund. As it was read in a Ministerial Statement earlier, from 1970 up until the present day, the longevity, the living, has increased by 15 years. The average age is 85 when death is expected. Even though insurance companies still today . . . Because when they put that “ 65 years old” in place, that was back in the 1950s.
Bermuda House of Assembly The Speaker : Yes. Yes.
Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr. : The expectancy of life at that time was probably about 53 years old. And they put it at 65 so . . . You were not going to get it anyhow.
[Laughter]
Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: And so, they are afraid for one reason. I know the previous Government did not do it, because they were trying to get rid of people in government because everybody that went 65, they retired them and they even offered to people 63 –64 early retirement, knowing that these people could not afford it. But some will take a nice little package that looks good in front of them, until you get out there and face reality to know that this is not so. And you will find in Bermuda today many seniors walking the street. There is nothing for them to do. Nobody is g oing to hire them because they have been forced into retirement. And we are sending home encyclopaedias of knowledge! Sending them home because they are 65 and we want to get rid of them. But I tell you, there will come a time in this country not only when you will be begging people to stay employed, because we do not have enough bod-ies that are replacing them today, Mr. Speaker. So, please, please, we must respect seniors. Thank you,
Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThank you. Does any other Member wish to speak? I recognise the Honourable Member down here in the corner on my left —I caught you this time— the Honourable Member from constituency 22. The Honourable Member Gibbons, you have the floor.
Hon. Dr. E. Grant GibbonsThank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the recognition. I may have to stand on my chair next time, but you were pretty good this time. [Laughter]
Hon. Dr. E. Grant GibbonsMr. Speaker, I think it is worth pointing out a couple of things. And the Junior Minister, in his brief, noted that this was, as he said, a pay-as-you-go scheme. And the reason that is i mportant is that . . . and I think Honourable Members understand this. But …
Mr. Speaker, I think it is worth pointing out a couple of things. And the Junior Minister, in his brief, noted that this was, as he said, a pay-as-you-go scheme. And the reason that is i mportant is that . . . and I think Honourable Members understand this. But this is not a scheme which is, essentially, funded by government, per se. Gover nment in the contributory pension scheme is simply an administrator. All of us who are working understand that the way this scheme is funded is by those who are currently working. And they are paying a contribu-tion in every week, or every month, as the case may be, depending on how it is deducted. And that contr i-bution is then used to pay out the benefits at a later point. We, obviously, take a certain amount of interest in how much of a buffer is there. In other words, what would happen if the contributions were to stop tomorrow? Or what would happen if there was a si gnificant problem with the assets which are being i nvested and the return was fairly negative, as it was, I think, back in 2008, particularly? And th e reason for that is because this is not a scheme as it is with the Superannuation Fund for civil servants, where the Government has the responsibility to top it up if there is a problem. So there has been, particularly in the last, I will say, 10 or 15 y ears, a concern that there be more contributions going into the Contributory Pension Fund by those employers and employees who are working now than is being taken out in the form of benefits. And that is why we see, as the Honourable Junior Minister said, that the increase in benefits this time is 1.7 per cent, whereas the increase in contributions by those who are working now and by their em-ployers, who are themselves, if they are self - employed, is 4.2 per cent. So that is that 2.5 per cent buffer which, essentially, allows us to make sure that there is more money going in on an annual basis than is coming out. And obviously, actuaries have their own formula style. They look into the future to make sure that there is going to be sufficient [money] there, 15 or 20 years down the road. If everything else is equal, there is a reasonable rate of return on the assets that are invested, the $1.8 billion (I think) that are actually in the fund, and the fact, as I think my honourable co lleague Jeanne Atherden said and other Members have pointed out, that we have an increasing number of seniors in the population right now. And I declare my interest in that. I think it was the Minister who said we are going from some 10,000 seniors who will ben-efit from the scheme up to over 17,000. And I think it was 10 years, 15 years, or whatever. So, clearly, as we go forward with an ageing population, we have to take additional concerns to make sure that the scheme is properly funded. Now, I think I heard him right. But the Junior Minister, when he introduced the legislation, noted that the occupational pension scheme, which was originally brought in by legislation in 1998, was supposed to supplement the Contributory Pension Fund. In fact, it was the other way around. Because way back in the early 1990s, when David Saul, who was the Finance Minister, and Donald Scott started to look at this . . . Donald Scott was an assistant financial secretary at the time. Prior to that, he was in the stats area. [They] started to look at the benefits that would be paid out. It was pretty clear at that time, as other countries have found, that it was important to create another pension scheme, which was the occupational pension scheme, which was sort of an individual 520 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report B ermuda House of Assembly scheme, as it were, where you and I, Mr. Speaker, are putting money into a retirement account for ourselves. And it was clear at the time that this occupational scheme would take a while, on an individual basis, to build up sufficient funds to be able to, essen-tially, pay out benefits when we retired. And it was pretty clear at the time that those who were, I will say, older members of the community, who had not quite reached pensionable age, but were clearly there, would not have sufficient years to build up amounts in their own individual schemes. So it was important then, as it is important now, particularly for seniors who may not have been able to build up a sufficient nest egg in the occupational scheme, to be able to have a supplementary scheme to be able to, essen-tially, provide income in the meantime. So, I think those points are important. I think it is also important to recognise that this, obviously, is a little bit of a burden on those who are working now and contributing, and also on employers as well. But it is all for a good cause, to pr ovide benefits on the other end of the scheme, for those who have retired and are drawing benefits from the contributory pension scheme. I think the other thing that should be mentioned, and this by way of transparency, is that the current increase in benefits for this particular 2017 Order is 1.7 per cent, which works out to be about $16 on a monthly basis. And then the contribution is 2.5 per cent above that, which is 4.2 per cent. So there is an increase in the contributions that people working now will have to provide, as well. But I sort of interpolated across the floor, the Honourable Member, for whatever reason (because there was a lot of chest - beating going on in terms of his brief about the PLP Government), but the Honourable Member failed to mention that last year there was also an increase in the social insurance. And that increase and benefits were actually 5 per cent last year, which works out to a $45 increase last year, as opposed to the $16 this year. But because of the 2.5 p er cent buffer, those working also had to pay a slightly higher increase in contributions; that was 7.5 per cent. Now, I know Honourable Members will say, Well, it took a while to get to that increase in social insurance. And fair enough. But I think, lest the former Minister of Finance be seen as a bit of a Grinch here, I think he also recognised that there was, clearly, on the contributions side, both in terms of businesses, particularly small businesses —and I would include in that taxi drivers —that by i ncreasing the benefits, they also had to increase the contributions because of the pay-as-you-go scheme. So I think there is a balance here, as well, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I recognise that we are almost at 12:30.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerWould you like to yield ? Hon. Dr. E. Grant Gibbons : If you wish, I would be happy to yield.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerAnd come back at two o’clock?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerOkay. Thank you for yielding. Deputy Premier. Hon. Walter H. Roban: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do move that we adjourn for lunch.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThe House is now adjourned till 2:00 pm. [ Gavel] Proceedings suspended at 12:30 pm Proceedings resumed at 2:00 pm [ Hon. Dennis P. Lister, Jr., Speaker, in the Chair] ORDER CONTRIBUTORY PENSIONS (AMENDMENT OF BENEFITS AND CONTRIBUTIONS) ORDER 2017 [Debate thereon continuing]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMembers, we are resuming the debate on the Contributory Pensions (Amendment of Benefits and Contributions) Order 2017, and the Honourable Member from constituency 22 had the floor and yiel ded for the lunch break. So, Member, would you like to continue?
Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerContinue, Member. Honourable Member Gibbons has the floor.
Hon. Dr. E. Grant GibbonsGood afternoon. Mr. Speaker, before lunch we were debating the Contributory Pensions (Amendment of Benefits and Contributions) Order 2017, and I started to say, based on what the Junior Minister had said, that, as he noted, this was a pay-as-you-go fund, which means that those making contributions (which means all …
Good afternoon. Mr. Speaker, before lunch we were debating the Contributory Pensions (Amendment of Benefits and Contributions) Order 2017, and I started to say, based on what the Junior Minister had said, that, as he noted, this was a pay-as-you-go fund, which means that those making contributions (which means all of us who are working and are employers) are obl igated to make contributions on a weekly or monthly basis (depending on how it is arranged) into the fund and benefits are paid out from those contributions. So, Government itself does not have any obl igation, as it does with the Superannuation Fund for civil servants, to top up the fund or to reinforce the fund if it needs assistance. And, clearly, various go vBermuda House of Assembly ernments over the years have made, certainly, a very positive effort to make sure that there is sufficient money in the fund to give what I guess we refer to as a “buffer.” And I think the Honourable Minister Mr. Furbert, said that, roughly, i f contributions stopped tomorrow, everything else being equal, there are probably 11 to 12 years of benefits still left in the fund. Obviously, we hope it does not come to that, but it is important because it provides, as we say, a certain amount of buffer . So, the Government’s role in this is, really in many respects, simply to administer the fund or, in the case of their own employees (civil servants) to make a contribution on their behalf and deduct from civil ser vants’ pay the equivalent contribution as well. So, the funds are not coming, to pay benefits, out of Government itself. It is not the munificence of Government; it is simply Government’s role as the administrator to make sure that the fund is handled properly. Obviously, the Honourable Member who spoke to this indulged in a certain amount of chest - beating as to the contributions made by a former PLP Government over the years, and he commented that the current increase for benefits is 1.7 per cent and that needs to be matched by a contribution increase of 4.2 per cent. So, in essence, that 1.7 per cent i ncrease works out to, in round numbers, about $16 a month increase in benefits, at least in terms of the legislation. Depending on how many contributions you have put in over the years, it may obviously vary from that. What the Honourable Member did not say was that when an increase was put through last year, in 2016, the increase was actually a bit higher than that. The benefit increase was 5 per cent, and the contribution by businesses and empl oyees was 7.5 per cent. And that worked out, actually, to about a $45 increase last year. But, as I know Honourable Member s will be quick to say, it had not been i ncreased for a few years before that. So, in essence, the issue here is we need to make sure that what is going into the fund by way of contributions is greater than that which is coming out. And that is why we have had actuaries over the years who have essentially made suggestions. And a few years ago it was about 1.25 per cent. Then it went up to 1.75 per cent. Now I guess the actuaries are saying that over the last few years we need to make sure that the contributions are 2.5 per cent over what the i ncrease is in the benefits, and we see that in what we have seen earlier today. There were a co uple of interesting comments by the Honourable Member , Mr. Burgess, who essentially commented on the fact that one of the things that ought to be looked at (and I do not disagree with him) was perhaps increasing the age of retirement. I think he was specif ically referring to the civil service, but the age retirement there is 65, and it tends to be rather rigorously observed. And I think his suggestion was that perhaps we ought to look at the age of 67 because he felt that it might help to further support th e fund. I could not find the most recent version of the actuarial report, which was 2014 (I think these things get reviewed by the actuary every three years or so), but it might be interesting to hear from the Minister whether that was looked at. I had a sense that raising the retirement age was looked at. It would be interes ting to know whether that adds a significant number of years onto the viability of the fund, everything else being equal, or whether it does not make that much of a material difference. Anyway, I think we are all living longer —God willing —and I think looking at a slightly higher retir ement age might be useful to look at. Of course, what that means is that you do not get your benefits for a nother two years if you make it 67, so some people may take a dim view of that, but the point is that if the average age has gone up to about I think 85 now, then . . . and certainly since the fund was put in back in the 1970s, clearly the average age of people in Bermuda has increased quite a bit since then. The other issue that I would be curious to get the Junior Minister’s comment on (and my honourable colleague Jeanne Atherden raised this) is that we have talked about this need for an increase in contr ibutions over the increase in benefits and the 2.5 per cent. But generally that was based on the fact that both increases happened at the same time. But, as we know, with this particular Order the benefits are coming this year in August —they are retroactive to August —and the increase by those paying and wor king and their employers will not come for another year. So, clearly, there is going to be a little bit of a gap b etween when the increase kicks in and when the bene-fits start. Now, I guess most people will not worry too much about that. I mean, y ou know, if you do not have to pay the increase for a year that is pretty good; and if you get the benefits now that is not bad either. But, obviously, from a fund viability [aspect] what that means is that essentially you have got a little bit of a gap th ere. And I think I would be interested to know specifically whether the Government sought actuarial advice on that specific issue and what impact, if any, this would have on the fund’s viability. So that was the other question I had as well. So, Mr. Speak er, I guess in finishing up, obv iously, I think we all support the increase. It is essen-tially tied to the rate of inflation. And I think having this happen on a more consistent basis is not a bad thing. But I think, on the other hand, we have to recognise that this is not the munificence of Government which we are essentially getting here. This is simply that those working now and their employers are having to essentially pay it into the fund as it goes out the other end in benefits. 522 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly And I will not dwell on it because others have mentioned it but, clearly, with an ageing population and with fewer people working—and I think with Go vernment’s apparent approach to immigration there may be fewer people coming in here—that is going to have an impact on the cont ributions which are made. Because we all know that guest workers who are here generally do not get much benefit out of the fund, if anything at all. I think sometimes there is a little bit of portability if they are going back to the UK —I cannot remember exactly. But in essence that is free money for the rest of us when they pay in contributions. So, with fewer of them and fewer younger people, clearly, this is something that we have to keep an eye on going forward. So, Mr. Speaker , I guess with those comments, I appreciate the opportunity to make a contr ibution and I will take my seat. Thank you.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Member. Does any other Member wish . . .? I recognise the Honourable Member from constituency 26. Honourable Member Tyrrell, you have the floor.
Mr. Neville S. TyrrellThank you very much, Mr. Speaker , and good afternoon everyone. Mr. Speaker , my comments are going to be very, very brief because my seasoned colleague, Honourable Member Furbert —I am sorry —
Mr. Neville S. Tyrrell—Burgess, certainly covered most of the points that I wanted to say. Let me say that I support this Order in its full presentation. Certainly, this is something that seniors look forward to. So I would hope that whatever the amount is, it is certainly going to be [beneficial] to …
—Burgess, certainly covered most of the points that I wanted to say. Let me say that I support this Order in its full presentation. Certainly, this is something that seniors look forward to. So I would hope that whatever the amount is, it is certainly going to be [beneficial] to all. Because I can certainly say during my canvassing I have gotten many examples of seniors telling me that they definitely look forward to their pension on a monthly basis and, of course, any increase is going to benefit them. I am certainly conscious of the fact that we have looked at the increases —the percentage of i ncrease—that we are going to give in comparison to the contributions. Because that is a good thing to make sure that the fund is kept topped- up. And for everything that has been said I am glad to hear that the other side certainly supports this. But my main point that I want to bring up (and no one seems to have spoken about it, so I do hope I am not speaking out of turn) is about the fact that employers make the deductions, but they need to ensure that they make the payments to the department. B ecause I am certainly getting my constituents who have given me many examples of . . . they have reached the age of 65, they have gone to check on their s ocial insurance pension, and they come to find they are not going to get either much or anything at all because the contributions have not been made as they should have been made. So, that is a point that I certainly hope that there is some method of ensur ing that we can do this. Certainly, I am sure this Government is going to look into that. But I am making an appeal to employers that it is certainly not right that you deduct but do not pay. Because, as I said, there are seniors who have found out and ma ybe . . . this is an appeal to the persons approaching the age of 65 anyway. Make a visit to the Social Insurance Department to find out what you are going to be entitled to when you reach 65, well before you even reach 65. Do not wait until then and then find out that, Oh, no. No contributions have been sent in for me so I am not going to get anything. That is the worst -case scenario, I am telling you, and I am sure it is not the place that many se niors want to be. So I, certainly support this increase. I t is something that our Government promised and, as was stated by the Junior Minister, promise kept . And I ce rtainly think it is something that we will continue to do. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker .
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Honourable Member . Does any other Honourable Member wish to speak? I recognise the Honourable Member from constituency 9. Honourable Member Moniz has the floor. Hon. Trevor G. Moniz: Thank you, Mr. Speaker . Mr. Speaker , a number of very good comments have been made today and, …
Thank you, Honourable Member . Does any other Honourable Member wish to speak? I recognise the Honourable Member from constituency 9. Honourable Member Moniz has the floor. Hon. Trevor G. Moniz: Thank you, Mr. Speaker . Mr. Speaker , a number of very good comments have been made today and, of course, we on this side support the increases given today. The immediate speaker preceding me, the Honourable Member Mr. Tyrrell, made the comment about employers who are not making their share of the contributions. And that is a very serious problem, certainly, that we had while we were Government. At that time I know we approved for the Social Insurance Department to have something like five new emplo yees to assist in the collection area of social insurance. Now, in Government, of course, there is quite a gap between the time when new hires are approved and the unfortunate period of time it takes to actually get staff on the ground. So I do not know where we are with that. But hopefully this Government will reap the benefit of having additional staf f to make those collections. Unfortunately, when employers get in trouble, quite often they do that as a sort of bank and it is an illegal act, it is a criminal act. If they make the deductions and then they use it for their own purposes, that is straightforward theft. And somehow in this comm unity it has become viewed as being an acceptable piggybank for employers who are in a bit of difficulty. So, I give my full support to the comments made by that Honourable Member .
Bermuda House of Assembly Now, comments have been made that there were some, I think, 11 yea rs purchase on the amount that we have now in the fund. And I know the actuarial reviews always recommend that we have more money in the fund. As Members will know, we have got a number of factors working against us in that regard. And one of those factors , of course, is that the popul ation is continuing to age. So you have more and more people who are not paying into the social insurance scheme, but who are drawing out. And that will most likely continue to increase so that the position we have will get worse. Now, Members on that side have criticised the previous Government —the OBA Government — saying, Well, you only made one increase in five years. But [while] it is a fact that we only made one increase in five years, it gives the fund 11 years of purchase. If we had been making increases every year, then that purchase would have been lost if the increase in contributions did not keep up. And if you continue to increase contributions, of course, you put a heavier weight on people who are struggling, who are working; and you put more strain on employers who are having difficulty keeping the doors open. So there are a number of difficulties in that regard, it is a complicated equation. And the Honourable Member Derrick Burgess (I think from constituency 5) spoke to raising the age of retirement from 65 to 67. And that certainly has a lot of merit. With respect to the Junior Minister who spoke, he did not seem to make any commitments as to what Government was looking at. He more or less said, Well, we’re going t o continue having reviews and we are going to plan to make a plan.
[Inaudible interjection] Hon. Trevor G. Moniz: I am sorry, did you make a commitment?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerUh-uh, talk to the Chair, talk to the Chair. Hon. Trevor G. Moniz: No, no, but I think —
The SpeakerThe SpeakerTalk to the Chair, Member. Hon. Trevor G. Moniz: —that the Minister said that there would continue to be regular actuarial stat ements and the Government would keep them under review. I am not hearing anything; I presume that is correct.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYou are talking to the Chair. He can respond later . . . the Minister can respond later. Hon. Trevor G. Moniz: I will speak to you, Mr. Speaker , thank you. But the Honourable Member Derrick Burgess made a recommendation that the retirement age be increased from 65 to …
You are talking to the Chair. He can respond later . . . the Minister can respond later.
Hon. Trevor G. Moniz: I will speak to you, Mr. Speaker , thank you. But the Honourable Member Derrick Burgess made a recommendation that the retirement age be increased from 65 to 67, and that is certainly som ething which has a lot of merit and is worthy of a study and bringing to this House and saying, Well, this is the effect that this would have. It is obviously, again, a two-edged sword because, you know , people would be allowed to work longer. They would not be getting retired at 65; they would be able to work to 67. But, of course, a lot of people want to retire at 65 and collect their pension. So those people, of course, would be unhappy. So, as usual with Government, you make a decision and, you know, half the people are happy about it and the other half are unhappy, depending what end of it they are on. So, it is a complicated equation and I encourage Government, at an early stage, to come forward wi th some concrete proposals that they are examining. I think we will also have trouble . . . you know, we have seen recent statements by the Minister of Home Affairs. Now, his byword has been Bermuda for Bermudians, and he is making it harder for people to work without work permits, giving people less rights, removing human rights from application to the Imm igration Act. Hopefully this is not going to negatively affect the ability of Bermuda to get younger workers in here who are going to make the contributi ons that will support the pensions of our ageing population and people who want to draw them out. Again, it is an equation. If you want to draw out at that end, and if those ageing people are increasing, somebody has got to pay in at the bottom to support those payments. There has to be a plan for that. Mr. Speaker , the other, and the last, thing I would make again is a broader point that the Gover nment has made a commitment to balancing the bud get and, again, you know, these things are not the purview of . . . I know it is a separate fund. But at some stage if you cannot support the fund financially, either you have got to reduce payments to people or the Government has got to top it up. So eventually it is likely to have, in the medium - to long- run, an effect on Government finances if you do not sort it out. And, of course, as the Government is aware, the rating age ncies come on a regular basis and [if] you are saying out there in public, We’re going to balance the budget, they are going to look at the picture in its entirety and see if that is a realistic promise and they will make their judgment accordingly. T hank you, Mr. Speaker .
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Member. Does any other Member wish to speak? I recognise the Honourable Member from constituency 32. Honourable Member Simmons, you have the floor.
Mr. Scott Si mmonsThank you, Mr. Speaker . First and foremost, allow me to congratulate and thank the Junior Finance Minister along with the 524 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly Premier. And also I want to take this opportunity to thank the Ministry of Finance for the time …
Thank you, Mr. Speaker . First and foremost, allow me to congratulate and thank the Junior Finance Minister along with the 524 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly Premier. And also I want to take this opportunity to thank the Ministry of Finance for the time that they have put into this. Mr. Speaker , as you are well aware, when it comes to a new Government coming in and when you set an agenda, there are times when you demand things from your civil servants and the time frame that we are talking about. When we have civil servants who are w illing to work and willing to do the things that we ask them to do as it relates to something like this, in such short order, it is refreshing that we can in 100 days or in 120 days realise exactly what the voter has said to us on the doorstep. Mr. Speaker , sometimes during the cut and thrust of our debates here in this House we som etimes forget the little people. We forget the people when we discuss numbers and when we advance our own agendas in this Honourable House, when we do the accountancy and when w e take a long hard look at the numbers. Mr. Speaker , it is sometimes easy to forget that at the bottom of it is the true denominator, the people. And the people are, Mr. Speaker , our seniors. I believe that we have done or what we are prepared to do today in passing this legislation is to create an opportunity for our seniors to be able to r ealise an increased quality of life, to realise that we take them seriously, and that we absolutely take their contribution to Bermuda seriously. I know for a fact in constituency 32 (and I know that the deputy chairman of my branch would agree) that we, certainly, as we knocked on those doors up there in Rockaway and we spoke to our seniors, it was the single issue. It was the first issue that they mentioned, and it was in two parts: (1) my pension, and a pension increase; and (2) the timely manner in which they are being rem unerated, the timely manner that those cheques are coming in. And I was pleased to see that the Ministry has taken the responsibility of making sure that if there are any shortfalls in payment or, as I said, in timely payments, that they let them know. So, they were interested in those two matters and I believe, as it relates to that, that this was the single issue on the doorstep as it related to our seniors. Pensions are vitally, vitally, vitally important. It may not be important to me. I think I am 15 years shy of my opportunity, and I think that there are others, but I take — [Inaudible interjection]
Mr. Scott SimmonsThank you very much. I take— [Inaudible interjection]
Mr. Scott SimmonsI know I look it, Mr. Speaker , I can appreciate that. I no longer look in the mirror when I get up in the morning. But more importantly, Mr. Speaker , I believe that our seniors represent who we are, how seriously we take this. Because we can easily …
I know I look it, Mr. Speaker , I can appreciate that. I no longer look in the mirror when I get up in the morning. But more importantly, Mr. Speaker , I believe that our seniors represent who we are, how seriously we take this. Because we can easily brush this over as being something that we say that maybe we cannot afford or that we cannot . . . we do not see it as som ething that we should be doing at this precise moment because we have so m any things on our plate. We remain in deficit territory. However, Mr. Speaker , I can say this: I, as a Member of Parliament, I as a working person in this country, would give more if it meant that our seniors got more. I would absolutely give more of my sa lary so that the people who took care of us and created what we have in Bermuda today . . . the last thing we need to do is to bring down our seniors and to make them feel that they are not important in this House. So this piece of legislation, this amendment to the Contributory Pensions Act, Mr. Speaker , is vitally important because it says everything about how we respect and how we treat our seniors. So, Mr. Speaker , I believe that this is a good thing. I think that we have covered it. I appreciate the Honourable Deputy Speaker for the things that he covered. He covered a lot of things that I wanted to speak about. I appreciate him for it. But Mr. Speaker , be clear, this Government on two fronts: (1) we are going to recognise those seniors and recognise those individuals who contri buted to this country and we will preserve them in every way; and (2) when they make requests, as they did in July and prior, we are going to honour them as quickly as we can [and] get the job done in the best and most responsi ble way possible. Thank you, Mr. Speaker .
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Member. Does any other Member wish to speak? I recognise the Honourable Opposition Leader. Madam Opposition Leader, you have the floor. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker , ever so briefly in contributing to this debate, I just wanted to highlight a couple …
Thank you, Member. Does any other Member wish to speak? I recognise the Honourable Opposition Leader. Madam Opposition Leader, you have the floor.
Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker , ever so briefly in contributing to this debate, I just wanted to highlight a couple of things. Firstly, to listen to Members of the Government speak there must be a reminder to the public that this is not benevolence on the part of the Government. This is money that is coming out of a fund into which was being paid by the working people in terms of their monthly, weekly, contributory pension. And at the end of their working life, when they hit the age of 65, they are taking money, they are being given money out of that fund. No benevolence. It is a question of being able to take the actuarial extrapolations to make the determination as to the adequacy and the health and sustainability of the fund as an independent entity. So let us not be confused or confuse the public that we have a wonderful benevolent environment, because that is not the case. It is a separate fund . . . separate fund.
Bermuda House of Assembly Now, let me just also make another statement that the collections to which have already alluded is an issue because we cannot have the money in the fund and have money available for investment and multiplying if that money is not being received. So it was a problem under our administration and I believe my honourable colleague, Trevor Moniz, indicated tha t there were extra people who were brought on board in order to ensure that those collections are made, because we cannot have money to invest if the money does not come in the door. So, we must make sure that that particular initiative is followed through to its ultimate conclusion so that the people who are deducting monies from their employees in terms of contributions to their pensions are paying those monies over. And Mr. Speaker , the Honourable Member indicated and said it straight up, if you take th e money and do not pay it out for the purpose for which it was intended, it is tantamount to blatant theft, it is a crim inal activity. Mr. Speaker , there is another comment that I would like to make, and that is with respect to the recommendation of retir ement, or early retirement. I know that there are many people who struggle when they get to the age of 65 and recognise that there really just is not enough money at the end of the week or there is too much week at the end of the money, if I put it more li ke that. There is too much week at the end of the money. So, we find instances where people have to balance between prioritising those things which are more important, such as their medication, their food, and maybe let something else slide. So, the reason that we support this is because we recognise those difficulties that our seniors face and we obviously wish to ameliorate any challenges that the seniors have in light of the health and sustainability of the fund that exists. This is not a charge against the Consolidated Fund. It is one, though, that if our circumstances are such that the fund is not being sufficiently replenished, we may find that somewhere down the road there may be the necessity to top up that fund from the Consol idated Fund. And that w ould be another question of sustainability that we have to face. Hence, it is key, it is crucial, that we have as many younger people pa ying into the fund as we possibly can. So when we start looking at some of the r estrictions that have come into play we recognise the intent. But we want to ensure that there are not uni ntended consequences in which there is no money to pay the very people that the Honourable Member who just took his seat indicated that we should have concern for and on whose shoulders we stand. Mr. Speaker , there is one further topic that I would like to point out that I think is, perhaps, the most egregious that I have seen in this contributory pension regime. And that is the fact that when a person turns 65 . . . and I am going to say t his a gazillion times. When you turn 65, according to the present legislation you are entitled to the benefits that enure in that fund. There was a certain belief by someone who ought to have known better that if you were still working that you probably should not be eligible to get that money because you still had a pay cheque coming in and, therefore, the eligibility factor had escaped this ind ividual who ought to have known. When the matter was brought up to the people responsible in the department, it w as indicated that, Well, we used to send out notices to people when they turned 65 to let them know that they are entitled to a pension, but we are too busy now so we don’t send these notices out anymore. So, the only way that people can know, if they are not dialled in or tuned in to the fact that they are entitled at 65 to receive this benefit, is if they hear it by word of mouth. Now, what happens if somebody gets to 65 and goes on into another year and they are still wor king and not understanding that they are actually ent itled to this money and then decide . . . did you realise that you were entitled to this? So, what do you do? What is the remedy? So you trot off to the Department and you say, I ought to have filled in the document ation. Nobody told me that I was entitled. I should have filled out the documentation. I did not a year ago, so may I have my contributions from a year ago up until the time that I am now filling in the documentation? And the legislation, as it exists, does not permit that. The legislation, as it exists, only allows the depar tment to go back a certain number of months. I believe it is three months. So you can have a senior there who is struggling and still working, not recognising or believing or understanding that they are entitled to the benefits, who now has been precluded from receiving the benefits because in their struggles to continue working and believing that [because] they are working they are not entitled, they do not get it and they ca nnot get the back money. Now t hat is not misleading, and let me say —
[Inaudible interjection]
Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: Let me say —
The SpeakerThe SpeakerOkay. Let her speak to the Chair. We will correct it afterwards. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: —let me say, Mr. Speaker , when I say that this happened to an indivi dual who ought to have known, I can hold my hand up and say this happened to me. …
Okay. Let her speak to the Chair. We will correct it afterwards. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: —let me say, Mr. Speaker , when I say that this happened to an indivi dual who ought to have known, I can hold my hand up and say this happened to me.
Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: Point of order, Mr. Speaker .
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYes, Deputy, we will take the point of order. 526 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly POINT OF ORDER Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: Mr. Speaker , if the law changed to 67, everything around the law qualifying someone— Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: I am …
Yes, Deputy, we will take the point of order.
526 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly POINT OF ORDER
Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: Mr. Speaker , if the law changed to 67, everything around the law qualifying someone—
Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: I am not — Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: —will take effect.
Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: I am not talking—
Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: You do not just take the law up to 67 and leave everything in place. That is stupid. It does not make any sense.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Deputy. Continue. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: Mr. Speaker , the Honourable Member . . . I am not sure why . . . his point of order, because I made no mention of 67. I am speaking of 65 being the operative age of being ent itled …
Thank you, Deputy. Continue.
Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: Mr. Speaker , the Honourable Member . . . I am not sure why . . . his point of order, because I made no mention of 67. I am speaking of 65 being the operative age of being ent itled to receiving the benefits. I take your point that if the law changes then the money goes wi th the ind ividuals and the law will take account for that additional lag time. I am talking about, as it stands, an individual who turns 65 who is entitled and does not realise it until they are 66 or 67 because they are still working—
Hon. Derrick V. Bur gess, Sr.: Point of order.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerWill you yield Honourable Member ? Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: Yes, I will yield.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerDeputy? POINT OF ORDER Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: The law is quite clear, Mr. Speaker , on that. If someone i s late, if they are six months late the law takes that into account. Now, if you just forgot . . . Who forgets that they are going …
Deputy?
POINT OF ORDER
Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: The law is quite clear, Mr. Speaker , on that. If someone i s late, if they are six months late the law takes that into account. Now, if you just forgot . . . Who forgets that they are going to receive money, all right? Nobody forgets that. But if you were sick or for some legitimate reason, you can appeal. And if that appeal is legitimate, you are awarded the money. I know that very well.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: Mr. Speaker , he said exactly what I said. That you have the ability to appeal and there is a process that has to be foll owed. What I have said is that if somebody gets to the age of 65 and believes …
Thank you. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: Mr. Speaker , he said exactly what I said. That you have the ability to appeal and there is a process that has to be foll owed. What I have said is that if somebody gets to the age of 65 and believes that because they are still working that they may not be entitled to pension, there was no notification coming out from the department to advise that, as you approach 65 — [Inaudible interjection]
Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: I knew when I turned 65, but nobody said I could go get money because I was still working and getting a pay cheque.
[Inaudible interjection]
Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: And that is exactly the point, Mr. Speaker, as I am saying. I heard the Honourable Premier and I take his point 100 per cent! Because I prefaced my remarks by saying that this was an incident from somebody who ought to have known better —
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberAnd that is you. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: And that was me, I said that. I ought to have known better. [Inaudible interjection] Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: However, having said that, it is not necessarily my point —
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMembers. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: Mr. Speaker , to lament the fact that I lost out on what ultimately b ecame maybe 10 months of pension—
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberYou did not need it. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: Where the challenge is, for me, is to ensure that any other senior li stening to my voice does not get left out of the loop. That is my concern. You know, I take my losses and I take my …
You did not need it.
Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: Where the challenge is, for me, is to ensure that any other senior li stening to my voice does not get left out of the loop. That is my concern. You know, I take my losses and I take my licks, and I have no problem with that. But it is important to me, Mr. Speaker , that the next person who is still working, who may not be aware of the benefits that will enure to them at the age of 65 by virtue of the existing legislation, that they are not left out of the loop, left out in the cold, and left to deal with not being able to receive money to which they have been legitimately entitled.
[Inaudible interjection]
Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: Honourable Member s say I do not need it. You know, when one works a 12- hour, 15- hour day, Mr. Speaker , som etimes you can even forget that you get paid . . . you forget that you get paid. [Inaudible interjection] Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: So I am not going to take the bait from the Honourable Member talking
Bermuda House of Assembly about bonuses because that is a very sore topic to me. However, with that said, Mr. Speaker — [Inaudible interjection] Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: —with that said, Mr. Speaker —
The SpeakerThe SpeakerWe thank you for your contribution, Member. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: I will take my seat, underscoring one more time to everybody who turns 65 to not wait for the department to contac t you; you go and contact them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker .
The SpeakerThe SpeakerIt is a nice birthday present if they r emember. Does any other Member wish to contribute? I recognise the Honourable Member from constituency 1. Honourable Member Ming, you have the floor.
Mrs. Renee MingGood afternoon, Mr. Speaker , and listening audience. I am catching myself on the chuc kle thereof. Thank you for the lesson. It is many years away for me right now, but I am sure at 64 I will make contact so that it is in place for 65. [Inaudible …
The SpeakerThe SpeakerWell— [Inaudible interjections ]
Mrs. Renee MingI am from St. George’s. I am pretty sure— The Speaker: Well, we saw signs of that this morning, that St. George’s is going to win.
Mrs. Renee Ming—I have longevity and good memory. Yes. But I do want to just give a few brief comments, Mr. Speaker , with regard to the Bill that we have in front of us today.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerI like the “brief” part, but continue on.
Mrs. Renee MingI think that it is a good Bill and I am actually happy to see that it has been supported by both sides of this House, because I am pretty sure that as we stand here today as politicians there is not one of us that can say that we …
I think that it is a good Bill and I am actually happy to see that it has been supported by both sides of this House, because I am pretty sure that as we stand here today as politicians there is not one of us that can say that we have not canvassed in our relevant areas and had some senior reach out to us and let us know their plight —
Mrs. Renee Ming—in terms of food, in terms of electricity, in terms of medicine. And so when we stop and we look at the Bill that we have in front of us today, I am not saying that it is going to cure all, but it will offer some relief. And Mr. …
—in terms of food, in terms of electricity, in terms of medicine. And so when we stop and we look at the Bill that we have in front of us today, I am not saying that it is going to cure all, but it will offer some relief. And Mr. Speaker , when we think about Bermuda, Bermuda is one of the countries that have the highest gross national income. But yet how our seniors are treated is sometim es worse than the countries that are less affluent than us. And so when we look at this Bill that we have before us today I think that it is a step in the right direction. I believe, Mr. Speaker , that it shows that we value our seniors, we celebrate our seniors, and that they are a priority to us. But also, in terms of the Progressive Labour Party, and if you will just allow me to read something from our platform, Mr. Speaker , it says: “Putting Our Seniors and Vulnerable Persons First.” It says: “ Every gove rnment has the respons ibility to ensure that its senior population enjoys a quality of life that reflects the value we place on them as citizens. The PLP is proud that it introduced F utureCare for our seniors to assist them in their golden years. The PLP w ill continue to ensure that our seniors are able to live in dignity. ” Mr. Speaker , we still have some work to do, there is no disputing that, but I am just making sure that I reiterate here today that what we see with this Bill is a step in the right direction, it is a promise made, a promise kept, and as we move forward we hope to see and be able to do more for our senior population. Thank you very much.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you for keeping it brief, Member. Does any other Member wish to speak? No other Member? Mr. Premier, you have the floor. Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker , I would like to first thank the Honourable Member from constituency 6, the Junior Minister of Finance, for his brief …
Thank you for keeping it brief, Member. Does any other Member wish to speak? No other Member? Mr. Premier, you have the floor. Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker , I would like to first thank the Honourable Member from constituency 6, the Junior Minister of Finance, for his brief in explai ning what it is that the Government is doing today. I would also like to echo the sentiments clearly of the Honourable Member who just t ook her seat, the Honourable Member for constituency 1, Renee Ming, who ended with the fact that this is a promise made and a promise kept by the Progressive Labour Party Government. Because Mr. Speaker , in our 2016 Budget Reply we spoke about the fact t hat it took [the OBA] Government five years to give a pension increase. And we, at that time, pledged that when we became the Government we would increase pensions every year by the rate of inflation. That was 2016, that was what we said. And then we get t o hear, Mr. Speaker , a le cture from the Opposition Leader talking about the fact that this is not benevolence and we should not be mass to the fact that this is not benevolence. Well 528 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly here is what I can tell you, Mr. Speaker . When they were the Government, the seniors did not get benev olence from them. Those are the facts. So we can talk about how things may go into the fund, how things may go out of the fund, but the one thing that is a fact is that the longest period of time between increases in pensions f or seniors happened under the One Bermuda Alliance Government. Five years they took to increase pensions. And the funny thing is, in their platform last year they said, and I quote, “We will tie increases in seniors’ social insur-ance pension benefits to the cost of living to ensure they don’t lose ground.” (end quote) And then on the same page, Mr. Speaker , they bragged about the fact that the 5 per cent increase in 2016 was the first i ncrease in five years. There is no wonder, Mr. Speaker , why they are ove r there because they were so di sconnected to the challenges inside of our community. But then we get to hear the lectures from certain Members, specifically the Member for constituency 22 and the Member for constituency 9, the former Minister for Economic Development and the former Attorney General, talking about immigration and the economy and growth and how you have to have more people putting in to have more benefits —this coming from the Government who doubled the debt in four years and lost 2,000 jobs —and they want to come here and lecture us, Mr. Speaker ? The people’s memories are not that short, Mr. Speaker . And I am not going to allow the Opposition to try to rewrite hi story. Two thousand jobs lost. That means 2,000 less people paying into the Social Insurance Fund and the doubling of the debt. That is the record. So when the Progressive Labour Party put forward what we said we would do, as the Honourable Member for constituency 1 said, that we would increase the [benfit] of social insurance to the rat e of inflation, that is precisely what it is that we are doing here today, Mr. Speaker . And what that is a signal, as this Gover nment has said on numerous occasions, promises made, promises kept. We will keep the promises that we have in our platform. But do you know what is interesting, Mr. Speaker ? What is interesting is seemingly the collective amnesia from the Opposition talking about all these things that they said are the problems. A simple question, Mr. Speaker : What did you do about it? B ecause in 2 014 there was an actuary report which recommended the increase in the age of retirement. That was 2014. You had three years. What action did you take? None, Mr. Speaker , because we are hear liste ning to the high and mighty words from former Mini sters talki ng about what needs to be done when they had the opportunity to do that very same thing. But we are not going to be focused on talking; we are going to be focused on acting. And we are going to act to increase the size of the economy, we are going to work to increase economic growth, we are going to work to make sure that there are more people paying into the fund, we are going to ensure that more people know about what they can do —their benefits and their rights —underneath the fund, and we are going to mak e sure that our seniors in this country are valued. This is just the very first step, Mr. Speaker . There are many more things to come, but this Go vernment will keep its promises to the people of this country. And the seniors today who voted for the Pr ogressive Labour Party in 2017 will now get the pension increase that they deserve and the one that they so richly voted for. Thank you, Mr. Speaker .
[Desk thumping]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Mr. Premier. Any other Member? I recognise the Honourable Member from constituency 20. Honourable Member Jackson, you have the floor.
Ms. Susan E. JacksonThank you, Mr. Speaker , for indulging me for a few minutes. I just could not help but rise to my feet when I heard this amnesia that was going on, because the first thing I thought of is: Well, hey, I certainly remember what it was like under a …
Thank you, Mr. Speaker , for indulging me for a few minutes. I just could not help but rise to my feet when I heard this amnesia that was going on, because the first thing I thought of is: Well, hey, I certainly remember what it was like under a previous PLP Gover nment where there were thousands and thousands of jobs that were lost and no one seemed to give a care then. When we talked about any kind of increases for anybody and looking out for seniors . . . well, I do not believe there was much going on there unless it was a senior that was filling their pockets. So I am just questioning where this amnesia is coming from that is so short -lived when the OBA Government had to spend much of its time trying to raise the money so that we could provide . . . and it is probably most of the hard work of this previous OBA Government that was able to collect the money in or-der for the now PLP Government within days of their election to be able to afford such an increase. So I just want to be careful that people understand that this money has not necessarily come from fairy dust of the Government of the day, which is only a few months old, but that this is money that has been earned, saved, efficiently put aside and prepared for by a previous Government that took responsibility and did not have amnesia. Hon. E. David Burt: Point of order, please, Mr. Speaker .
The SpeakerThe SpeakerPoint of order, Mr. Premier? POINT OF ORDER [Misleading] Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. E. David Burt: Point of order, Mr. Speaker . Mr. Speaker , I am not going to allow that Honourable Member to misinform and mislead the House. This funding from the Contributory Pensions Fund, to educat …
Point of order, Mr. Premier?
POINT OF ORDER [Misleading]
Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. E. David Burt: Point of order, Mr. Speaker . Mr. Speaker , I am not going to allow that Honourable Member to misinform and mislead the House. This funding from the Contributory Pensions Fund, to educat e the Member who sits on the Public Accounts Committee and should know better, does not come from the Consolidated Fund. It comes from the Contributory Pension Fund. And in that particular case it is not a question, as the Honourable Member was saying, that the former Government saved money so that this could happen. That is just not the case. She should learn up and understand the laws of the country, Mr. Speaker .
Ms. Susan E. JacksonMr. Speaker , okay, I take i t . . . I got a little excited there so my terms were off, but it does not change the fact that it was our responsible and prudent management of that fund that was able to provide for these kinds of increases. …
Mr. Speaker , okay, I take i t . . . I got a little excited there so my terms were off, but it does not change the fact that it was our responsible and prudent management of that fund that was able to provide for these kinds of increases. And as our Opposition Leader just said m oment s ago, this is a separate fund. This is not any kind of attention or recognition that needs to be going for any particular Government around, Oh, we can just be generous and provide these funds. These funds were responsibly accrued [by] a previous Government and I would say that all of this has certainly been a joint effort more so than it has been any particular praise or attention being given to this Government, of which it is only months old. Thank you, Mr. Speaker .
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Member. Does any other Member? I recognise the Honourable Member from constituency 2. Honourable Member Swan, you have the floor.
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. SwanCertainly, I believe all o f us in our constituenc ies have come across seniors who are very much in need of assistance. And the fact of the matter is that for five years we have been hearing this whilst we have seen all types of consideration being given to …
Certainly, I believe all o f us in our constituenc ies have come across seniors who are very much in need of assistance. And the fact of the matter is that for five years we have been hearing this whilst we have seen all types of consideration being given to many others. We have heard about the 2,000 jobs that were lost, Mr. Speaker , but we also know of thousands of Bermudians who for the last five years were unable to find work and find favour in a Government that they eventually got a chance to go to the polls and vote out before t hey could add to the electoral roll to make that not possible. But let me just make one correction for the Honourable Member who just spoke, and just remind persons that between 2008 and 2012 Bermuda underwent a recession that was not of the making of the Government of that time. It was of the making of boardroom decisions that were connected with subprime lending and some things that . . . and some of my friends in the United States who would come here and play golf said, Well, my job is to go and find the people in Fanny Mae who were associated with those types of decisions . And in Bermuda, in our jurisdiction, in many ways it is still the wild, Wild West. And so that type of scrutiny was not as forthcoming. So you had persons who were in boardrooms mak ing decisions that adversely impacted working- class Bermudians, many who within 10 years became seniors, and many of whom had to live during that period and not get those type of increases or even cost of living [increases] who are very thankful for the opportunity to receive this consideration that was made in an election promise by the Progressive Labour Party. Let me just say how much I really appreciated hearing some of the comments that were being made, especially by my colleague at the far end of the aisle here, [the] Honourable Member Mr. Burgess, who I believe understands [the] working person’s plight as well as anybody in this country. And Mr. Speaker , let me just say this and u nderscore those remarks. I have had some involvement with seniors, an d particularly I want to say that there are organisations like Project Action and the like that do good work in our community. And I tip my hat to my darling wife and her colleagues that do good work and yeoman service there. But let me say this, let me remind persons that the brainchild to take the heartfelt feelings of seniors and put it into Project Action came from a person who was nearly 90 years old. And I believe that while we have Bermudians still not gainfully employed in this country, still not ab le to make a go of it, finding employment for them would actually boost the coffers of government greatly, as well as boost the spirits of Bermudians at the same time. And I believe that as the Honourable Member Mr. Burgess so ably spoke about looking at the act uarial reports that the Honourable Premier had mentioned had been released to suggest the need to move, that we need to appreciate that the mind- set of the ageing as they approach 65 does not happen when they are 65. The mind- set to look away from them happens as they start approaching 60 and lea ving their 50s. The mind- set to look past them and their intellectual ability is preyed upon by a mind- set that would say, You’re not good enough in the midst of a country that did not value them to their fullest or near their fullest when they were young. So there are many seniors, there are many people I know who are much older than I am still working because they have to, but still willing to w ork because they want to make the contribution in their 530 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly country that they so richly always knew they had . . . in a country that would sooner look past a Bermudian in favour of persons from overseas. That is not som ething that I could come here and make up. There is empirical evidence, statistical data, to support that. So the mind- set . . . so when you have seniors out there who would hang their hat and say, Listen, Swan, don’t forget us (and I am saying “Swan” only because I am the person on my feet, but I am sure they said it to Famous and I am sure they said it to Caines, I know they said it to a Furbert, and I am sure they probably whispered it to a Gibbons or two). But the fact is this, Mr. Speaker , that up and down this country people who have been un dervalued find themselves marginalised and just looking for some consideration. But I am here to say that a people’s gover nment is going to look past, well past, just being able to fulfil the promise of increases. It is going to show those seniors that we still care about you and we still respect what you have to offer, so that you can live and earn a proper living in your country if you so choose to work and make that contribution. As we go overseas for consultants and the like and expertise, let us not lo ok past the expertise that is still here in our seniors, many of them, and still capable of earning a good day’s pay —a good day’s pay, not an inferior pay because they might be of an advanced age. So, Mr. Speaker , promise made, promise kept. But I want to say this, that it is going to go further than that. Thank you.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Honourable Member . Does any other Honourable Member wish to speak? No other Honourable Member ? Junior Mini ster, would you like to reply? Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Thank you , Mr. Speaker . It has been a very interesting discussion. And my honourable friend from the other …
Thank you, Honourable Member . Does any other Honourable Member wish to speak? No other Honourable Member ? Junior Mini ster, would you like to reply? Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Thank you , Mr. Speaker . It has been a very interesting discussion. And my honourable friend from the other side said “amnesia.” For some reason I think the Honourable Member has forgotten herself. Let me just say this very clearly. In 2014 when the actuary report came out and made the recom-mendation to the former OBA Government, you may recall Mr. Speaker , that at a meeting held by Age Concern the question was put to the Minister, Do you see an increase in pensions anytime soon, given that the economy is still struggling and expenses are rising for our seniors? The Honourable Minister replied at that time, that money does not grow on trees. And yet they tell us that they care about our seniors. But when did they start to care? In 2016 when we were probably headed towards election and think-ing about it? But for the whole four or five years the amount of concern and interest shown to our seniors was not demonstrated. Even after the 5 per cent i n-crease in 2016, when you consider the cost of living for that period of time was 7.9 per cent, so you were still 2.9 per cent short of just reaching the basic needs of the costs of increases. But you cannot take and ignore the concerns by the Pr ogressive Labour Party from 2000 to 2011, every year 3 [per cent] to 5 per cent. And yet in 2000 (I forget which year it was) it was 9 per cent. And the Honourable Member asked why it was 9 per cent. Well, because we cared more about our seniors. We recognised that our seniors were struggling and that we wanted to give more. I wish we could give more than 1.7 [per cent] right now, but we cannot. But we have kept our promise—a promise was made, a prom ise was kept —they are going to get 1.7 [per cent] and it t akes effect from August of this year and the big pay out will be made in December, December 15 th, on my wife’s birthday. You all would not know that. So seniors should look for somewhere between $80 to $100 more in their pension around that time.
The Spe aker: She will not be getting her pension yet though.
Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: No. I married a young one. [Laughter]
Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: A younger one, I should say. She is a little younger. So it is clear the concern and effort of the Progressive Lab our Party effort in 120 days were that the promise was made, that we will make it take place. And it was true, yes. The recommendation was that if we could increase the retirement age to 67 over a five -year period, then there would be more money in the fund because we do not have to pay it out. And I do not know why the former Gover nment did not even consider that. But what the Pr ogressive Labour Party has said in its platform was that we will reduce the age discrimination in the workplace, which means that seniors can work longer. So what we plan to do will help build up that fund that you were talking about, Honourable Shadow Minister, and put more money in that fund. As a matter of fact, in 2014 the fund was at $2.4 billion—$2.4 billion —and the Minister of Finance and the Government could not see giving the seniors about a $10 increase a month, which was absolutely ridiculous! During this time, and then you tell me you care. Well, you have learned your lesson. You have got to take care of a major force w ithin our community, who say that you no longer care about us . Well, some Members have said that we are living longer —God willing. Well, God’s will is that He wants us to live longer. The problem is that we have got to make sure that our diabetes is taken care of; there are some personal things that we have got to
Bermuda House of Assembly take care of on our own person. He wants us to live longer, but there are some steps that we have got to take. I just want to mention that. So, Mr. Speaker , with those few remarks I am really appreciative of the debate on this from both sides. But it is clear that the Progressive Labour Party has made this promise and it is a promise that we have been able to keep. We do not have to go into Committee, Mr. Speaker , so I will just read the clauses from the —
The SpeakerThe SpeakerSay it again. Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: We do not have to go into Committee on this particular Bill, right?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerWe are going to just reread it, right? Yes. Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: I need to go through the clauses, though, Mr. Speaker . [Inaudible interjections ] Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Okay. Well, I have no pro blem with that. So I move that the said Draft Order be approved …
We are going to just reread it, right? Yes.
Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: I need to go through the clauses, though, Mr. Speaker .
[Inaudible interjections ]
Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Okay. Well, I have no pro blem with that. So I move that the said Draft Order be approved and that a similar message be sent to His E xcellency the Governor.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYes. Any objections to that? No objections. Approved. [Motion carried: The Contributory Pensions (Amendment of Benefits and Contributions) Order 2017 was considered by the House and approved.]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMembers, that brings us to the end of the business that was on the Order Paper for today. The other two matters that are on it will be carried over. So now, Mr. Premier. ADJOURNMENT Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you, Mr. Speaker . Mr. Speaker , I move that …
The SpeakerThe SpeakerDoes any Member wish to speak to that? You are quick to your feet today. [Laughter]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerI recognise . . . I started to get up, but somebody beat me that time. [Laughter]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMaybe I am slowing down a little, I do not know. I recognise the Honourable Member from constituency 24. Honourable Member Scott, you have the floor. BERMUDA’S NEW GOVERNMENT —THE FIRST 100 DAYS
Mr. W. Lawrence ScottThank you, Mr. Speaker . Mr. Speaker , I rise to my feet . . . and you have been in thi s House long enough to know that I always give an introduction to the material that I am going to talk about. And this time, and with this …
Thank you, Mr. Speaker . Mr. Speaker , I rise to my feet . . . and you have been in thi s House long enough to know that I always give an introduction to the material that I am going to talk about. And this time, and with this talk, I am actually going to . . . it takes me back to a time in university (which is not so long ago) . . . being as we were tal king about seniors not too long ago, but a time back in university when I had a need for speed, Mr. Speaker . And the fact that I have parliamentary privilege is the only reason why I am telling these stories. And back in university I bought a c ar. And it was a stick shift car. We were out in Florida, and I would take on anything that was . . . anything that moved, Mr. Speaker . If it had an engine, I was taking it on. But I quickly realised that a car with Bermuda specs in the United States does not fare too well stoplight to stoplight, or fare too well on the interstate. So because I played football I took bung, Mr. Speaker . And all I did was see taillights. So, basically, so that you would understand —
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYou might have to translate that for a few people in here.
Mr. W. Lawrence ScottOkay. Basically, when it came to my car compared to the other cars —
Mr. W. Lawrence ScottAnd so where am I going with this, Mr. Speaker ? (I can see it on your face.) But the thing is while in office another group took on a lot, Mr. Speaker . And I mean a group took on the civil servants, another administration took on the police …
And so where am I going with this, Mr. Speaker ? (I can see it on your face.) But the thing is while in office another group took on a lot, Mr. Speaker . And I mean a group took on the civil servants, another administration took on the police service, they took on the churches and called them Kool-Aid drinkers . They took on seniors and said that money doesn’t grow on trees . They even took on d emocracy itself and refused to give the people the ref532 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly erendum that they told them that they were going to give them. And if that was not bad enough, Mr. Speaker , they even took on drunk -driving by allowing alcohol to be sold in gas stations. So, on July 18th, Mr. Speaker , they took a flogging. Just like I did back in Florida, all right? Se eing nothing but taillights. [Inaudible interjection and laughter ]
Mr. W. Lawrence ScottIt all comes down to votes, Mr. Speaker . Basically, it comes down to votes. And the thing is that back in 2012 when the OBA won the election, you know, we in the PLP were able to say that it was not the OBA that won; it was the …
It all comes down to votes, Mr. Speaker . Basically, it comes down to votes. And the thing is that back in 2012 when the OBA won the election, you know, we in the PLP were able to say that it was not the OBA that won; it was the PLP that lost. In this case, in 2017, Mr. Speaker , no, they lost — period—outright. And there are people that believe that polit icians have the biggest egos, Mr. Speaker . So, ther efore, that means that when you take a loss or you take a flogging like that, Mr. Speaker , it must have hurt your ego just a bit. It has hurt people’s egos on that side so much that we do not even seen them in the House. I mean, they show up for Question Period and then they disappear, just so they can have their voice [reported] in the Hansard to say that they were here, all right?
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberYes. [Inaudible interjections]
Mr. W. Lawrence ScottYou know, and that was somebody who barely won their seat, Mr. Speaker , against the now Attorney General, Kathy Simmons. All right?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerWill you yield Member to take a point of order? POINT OF ORDER [Misleading]
Hon. Dr. E. Grant GibbonsYes, apart from the fact that this is getting tiresome, the Honourable Member is misleading the House. Half of his front bench is gone as well. People are in the coffee room. I think he is being certainly mischievous to say the least. [Inaudible interjection]
Hon. Dr. E. Grant GibbonsWell, just because you are here, Wayne, does not mean that everybody else has to be in here. [Inaudible interjection]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerWell, I ackn owledge . . . I acknowledge your point of order. But I will say that this Speaker has had to speak to certain Members about their lack of attendance at this House. And I do not want to go into that right now. Continue on, Member.
Mr. W. Lawrence ScottThank you, Mr. Speaker . But you know, Mr. Speaker , what is even worse? You cannot find an OBA MP west of Greene’s Guest House. [Laughter and inaudible interjection]
Mr. W. Lawrence ScottRight, Mr. Speaker ? And if you take the North Shore from St. George’s, you can go from St. George’s, take almost all of North Shore and never touch an OBA constit uency , Mr. Speaker . That is a flogging. I am sorry. And then, the thing is, I …
Right, Mr. Speaker ? And if you take the North Shore from St. George’s, you can go from St. George’s, take almost all of North Shore and never touch an OBA constit uency , Mr. Speaker . That is a flogging. I am sorry. And then, the thing is, I am glad the Honourable Member Grant Gibbons got up and spoke because that proves the arrogance. I was going to go off on arrogance next, Mr. Speaker . And it proves the arrogance because that — [Inaudible interjection]
Mr. W. Lawrence ScottI am telling you, the fact that we are telling them that they lost, they took a flogging and he is trying to say that . . . and they are not here. All right? They are not here. They got up and—
The SpeakerThe SpeakerSpeak to the Chair, speak to the Chair.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerSpeak to the Chair. Speak to the Chair. [Inaudible interjections] Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. W. Lawrence Scott: Mr. Speaker , the thing is that— [Inaudible interjection]
Mr. W. Lawrence ScottSo then, Mr. Speaker , once again, going on about arrogance. The Honourable Member still sits there and interpolates across the floor.
Mr. W. Lawrence ScottAll right? Therefore, the thing is that . . . we are talking about arrogance. T hey did not want to listen, Mr. Speaker , just like the Honourable Member is doing now—not listening. Right? So what happens is that when you do not listen you will feel. And so …
All right? Therefore, the thing is that . . . we are talking about arrogance. T hey did not want to listen, Mr. Speaker , just like the Honourable Member is doing now—not listening. Right? So what happens is that when you do not listen you will feel. And so when it goes down to . . . and you know what, I am going to —
[Inaudible interjection s]
Mr. W. Lawrence ScottYou know, a prime example of not listening, and not listening and you are going to feel, is the airport, Mr. Speaker . They did not want to listen. The Honourable Member who was the Finance Minister at the time and is no longer the Finance Mi n-ister . . …
You know, a prime example of not listening, and not listening and you are going to feel, is the airport, Mr. Speaker . They did not want to listen. The Honourable Member who was the Finance Minister at the time and is no longer the Finance Mi n-ister . . . I barely see him. And he is my constituent, all right?
[Inaudible interjections]
Mr. W. Lawrence ScottI barely see him and he is my constituent, all right? But the thing is when that Honourable Member at the time s aid, Oh, we didn’t understand the deal . We understood, Mr. Speaker . Then they said, We know best and that an ybody that disagreed was a …
I barely see him and he is my constituent, all right? But the thing is when that Honourable Member at the time s aid, Oh, we didn’t understand the deal . We understood, Mr. Speaker . Then they said, We know best and that an ybody that disagreed was a number -bomber. Mr. Speaker, no. I wear glasses so that my math is not fuzzy. Everything I see is clear, Mr. Speaker . And do you know what was clear, Mr. Speaker, on July 18 th? The Honourable Member Chris F amous is now sitting in the House of Assembly and the other Member is not. So who is the one who does not understand, Mr. Speaker , all right? Who is the one that really knows best, Mr. Speaker ?
[Inaudible interjection and laughter]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerAll right. Now, you are distracting the speaker, you are distracting the speaker, let him con-tinue on. Member, continue on, do not get dis tracted.
Mr. W. Lawrence ScottSo, Mr. Speaker , what I go back to is that one thing we heard a lot, and you will see where I am going with my starting story, one thing that we heard a lot under the OBA administration was when we looked under the hood— this—and after we …
So, Mr. Speaker , what I go back to is that one thing we heard a lot, and you will see where I am going with my starting story, one thing that we heard a lot under the OBA administration was when we looked under the hood— this—and after we looked under the hood—that. And you know what, Mr. Speaker ? I am going to go back to my story for a m inute. So, I had this car. I souped it up. I spent some money that my parents were sending to me for tex tbooks and I put it into the car because the car got me to the school so I could learn, so I figured that it was a priority. (So sorry, dad.) So I was coming back from Orlando and this Lamborghini pulled up next to me, all right? We were on the turnpike. He pulled up next to me, and I had to . . . I could not resist. So we took off, all right? First gear—neck and neck; second gear —neck and neck; and my co- pilot was like, You’re keeping up with a Lamborghini! Third gear —he started to pull a little bit away. I hit fourth, Mr. Speaker , and I heard a little something . . . I did not know what it was, it did not sound so bad, but the car went from vroom, to booboo, boo, boo- boo, boo- boo-boo . . . that is when I said, Okay, something is going on. All right? There was something going on underneath that hood, but it couldn’t be that bad, Mr. Speaker , all right?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerHorse mechanic. 534 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. W. Lawrence Scott: No, I figured it might have fouled out a spark plug; it might have thrown an oil line or something like that, Mr. Speaker .
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYou still have not told us what you were driving, you know.
Mr. W. Lawrence ScottOh, a Subaru Impreza WRX. The Spe aker: All right, now we understand. Now we understand.
Mr. W. Lawrence ScottYes, but I got it from CarMax second- hand, all right? So the thing is that when I pulled over into the service station and I lifted up the hood, Mr. Speaker , do you know what? I will even quote the former Pre mier Cannonier who said, After looking …
Yes, but I got it from CarMax second- hand, all right? So the thing is that when I pulled over into the service station and I lifted up the hood, Mr. Speaker , do you know what? I will even quote the former Pre mier Cannonier who said, After looking under the hood, I discovered that my worst fears paled in comparison to the reality.
[Laughter]
Mr. W. Lawrence ScottThat . . . that . . . I had blown the engine, Mr. Speaker . I had blown the engine. So, now imagine what the PLP administration finds after looking under the hood with the Honourable OBA at the wheel. Uh- huh! And they were not racing Lamborghinis, Mr. …
Mr. W. Lawrenc e ScottBut the thing is . . . and the Honourable Member Grant Gibbons says, That’s not what you left us. No, we did not leave them an economy that doubled its debt in four years. We did not leave them that, Mr. Speaker . We did not leave them —
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYield for a point of order. Yes, Member. POINT OF ORDER [Misleading]
Hon. Dr. E. Grant GibbonsThe Honourable Member is misleading the House. I recall the former Gover nment increased the debt 700 per cent in five years. That is what they left us.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerI thought you were going to talk about Lamborghinis, but go ahead. Go ahead.
Mr. W. Lawrence ScottMr. Speaker , I could guarantee that in 2012 they got an airport that was owned by Bermudians making $39 million a year contributing to the Sinking Fund. Where is it now? It is part of that blown engine, Mr. Speaker . I mean, w e do not know who …
Mr. Speaker , I could guarantee that in 2012 they got an airport that was owned by Bermudians making $39 million a year contributing to the Sinking Fund. Where is it now? It is part of that blown engine, Mr. Speaker . I mean, w e do not know who owns it now, Mr. Speaker . Is it the Canadians? Is it the Chinese? Mr. Speaker , I have a feeling . . . I would not be surprised if Vladimir Putin ends up owning it one time, Mr. Speaker , because that is what they left us with. So, the thing is that when the PLP came into power, Mr. Speaker , there were those that said they were going from a Government that they felt did not care about them, that when the schools were mouldy, when there was no Wi -Fi connection, the OBA’s a nswer to that was to put money into a boat race. That was their answer. That is how they showed they cared, Mr. Speaker , all right? So the thing is that when you run on a campaign you should live up to the promises that you made in that campaign. You cannot run on a campaign saying that you are going to create 2,000 jobs. And where they got the number 2,000 [was] they fi gured they would create a job a day, Mr. Speaker , for five years. They said, Oh, that sounds easy, all right? But, no, Mr. Speaker . The PLP ran on a campaign saying that we cared about our children’s education. And what have we done in the first 100 days? We have fixed those schools, Mr. Speaker . We got rid of the mould in the schools, Mr. Speaker . Children do not have to be bussed from Warwick to S t. David’s to get an education, Mr. Speaker . They do not have to do that under the PLP, Mr. Speaker . They had to do that under the OBA, all right?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerDo not get side tracked. Do not get side tracked. Stay focused.
Mr. W. Lawrence ScottOh, Mr. Speaker , I feel . . . if I was in church I would have said I caught the spirit from the Honourable Grant Gibbons saying, How many buses are on the road today? Oh, my goo dness.
Mr. Speaker .
The SpeakerDo not tak e the bait, you know, you do not have to take the bait. Stay focused. [Inaudible interjections]
Mr. W. Lawrence ScottThe Honourable Member whose administration . . . his Government, did not put money into the buses, right? Because they did put money into the buses —
Hon. Dr. E. Grant Gibbons—if I remember correc tly. So, the Honourable Member is clearly misleading the House. He has got to stick to facts here if he is going to be all over the place.
Mr. W. Lawrence ScottI know that the buses were supposed to be delivered a lot sooner, but they only came in November, because it was in a court case because somebody gave somebody money and it did not turn up into the right person’s hands. [Inaudible interjection]
Mr. W. L awrence ScottAnd then Mr. Speaker , that [situation] was not just for the buses; that also ha ppened for the municipalities. And that was millions . . . millions of dollars went missing, Mr. Speaker . So he wants to talk about what happened to the buses? W hat happened to …
And then Mr. Speaker , that [situation] was not just for the buses; that also ha ppened for the municipalities. And that was millions . . . millions of dollars went missing, Mr. Speaker . So he wants to talk about what happened to the buses? W hat happened to the hiring freeze so that we did not have any workers to work the buses, Mr. Speaker ? What happened to the hiring freeze? And do you know what happened? What they did is that they put a hiring freeze and let natural attrition go on so that that is where they got the (quote/unquote) “extra money” for the boat race, which is seemingly a failure, Mr. Speaker , because it did not benefit every Bermudian. It did not benefit every Bermudian. Out of 68,000 people . . . out of 68,000 tickets, 17,000 were Bermudian. That is not a good percentage, Mr. Speaker , all right? So, therefore, Mr. Speaker , I go back to what the PLP has done in the last 100 days, which is stuff that the OBA could not do in 2,000 days. All right, Mr. Speaker ? Because Mr. Speaker , I want to talk about the Two Bermudas, all right? The Honourable Member that stood up, the Honourable Member Grant Gi bbons, he represents a party where the OBA leader posted pictures of his lavish gym online and has an Instagram page for his dog, Mr. Speaker , all right?
Mr. W. Lawrence Scott—in that same breath, Mr. Speaker , while the PLP Premier and Cabinet Mini sters are going overseas to let them know that Berm uda is back open for business, and what they did, they are not taking these lavish rides, they are taking the subway, Mr. Speaker , because …
—in that same breath, Mr. Speaker , while the PLP Premier and Cabinet Mini sters are going overseas to let them know that Berm uda is back open for business, and what they did, they are not taking these lavish rides, they are taking the subway, Mr. Speaker , because they are part of the common folk, they are part of the actual people, the grassroots. All right? So when we want to talk about Two Bermudas, it is true. There are Two Bermudas. This Bermuda feels perfectly fine for one part of the society and others are struggling, Mr. Speaker . I know I am one of them. I have got to save up to be poor.
[Laughter]
Mr. W. Lawr ence ScottYou think about that. But the thing is, Mr. Speaker , that . . . and you know what? Do not listen to . . . and what I do not want you to do is just listen to me, because when I speak, when I stand to my feet …
You think about that. But the thing is, Mr. Speaker , that . . . and you know what? Do not listen to . . . and what I do not want you to do is just listen to me, because when I speak, when I stand to my feet I have my facts 536 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly straight, Mr. Speaker . Many a Member of the OBA has challenged me and become a statistic, Mr. Speaker .
[Laughter]
Mr. W. Lawrence ScottThey have become a stati stic. So I urge people, every Bermudian, to go to Bernews , type in “Michael Winfield podcast” in the search field. Start at around 27 minutes and by 31 minutes you will have heard all that you need to hear about the Two Bermudas. And …
They have become a stati stic. So I urge people, every Bermudian, to go to Bernews , type in “Michael Winfield podcast” in the search field. Start at around 27 minutes and by 31 minutes you will have heard all that you need to hear about the Two Bermudas. And that is not coming from somebody that I know is a PLP supporter, all right? And that is him talking about America’s Cup, Mr. Spea ker. So, Mr. Speaker . . .
Mr. W. Lawrence ScottWhat I am sitting here sho wing you is that when the PLP makes a promise, we put it out in our “Agenda for a Better and Fairer Bermuda.” And I just want to go through a few things, Mr. S peaker. It says on page 4 that: “ In …
What I am sitting here sho wing you is that when the PLP makes a promise, we put it out in our “Agenda for a Better and Fairer Bermuda.” And I just want to go through a few things, Mr. S peaker. It says on page 4 that: “ In the first 100 days of your next PLP Government, we will execute the following plans to bring immediate change to Bermuda’s soci ety: Re-establish the Bermuda First advisory group.” As far as I am concerned that was done.
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberDone.
Mr. W. Lawrence ScottThank you. And I will ask my Cabinet colleagues to just, when I go through this, if we have done it, just say “check,” all right? “Appoint a Gang Violence Reduction Coordinator .”
Some Hon. Members Some Hon. MembersCheck!
Mr. W. Lawrence Scott“Grant additional powers to the existing Price Control Commission.”
Some Hon. Members Some Hon. MembersCheck!
Mr. W. Lawrence Scott“Conduct an urgent review of health and safety in all public schools to ensure that all our students and teachers are learning and working in a safe environment. ”
Some Hon. Members Some Hon. MembersCheck!
Mr. W. Lawrence Scott“Provide financial support to students in need to ensure access to Bermuda College for all Bermudians. ”
Some Hon. Members Some Hon. MembersCheck!
Mr. W. Lawrence Scott“Increase job training to pr epare Bermudians to fill jobs held by guest workers. ”
Mr. W. Lawrence ScottIt is in progress, thank you. “Conclude negotiations with Public Sector Unions ”—in progress. “Establish a Bipartisan Committee on Imm igration Reform .”
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberCheck.
Mr. W. Lawrence ScottCheck. “Establish a Tax Reform Commission” —that is being done . . . no, that was done, sorry. [Inaudible interjection]
Mr. W. Lawrence ScottWe passed it. So, Mr. Speaker , I have just gone through about 15 things and 13 of them were done in the first 100 days!
The SpeakerThe SpeakerAnd you have got about 30 seconds left.
Mr. W. Lawrence ScottThank you very much. So, therefore, Mr. Speaker , what I can tell you is that it is not about what you find under the hood; it is about what you do with what you do find. And what we are doing is we are rebuilding the engine so that …
Thank you very much. So, therefore, Mr. Speaker , what I can tell you is that it is not about what you find under the hood; it is about what you do with what you do find. And what we are doing is we are rebuilding the engine so that Bermuda can move forward into the future uninhibited without having to worry about another breakdown.
Bermuda House of Assembly The Speaker: Thank you, Member. Does any other Member wish to speak? I recognise the Deputy Premier. Deputy Premier, you have the floor.
Hon. Walter H. Roban: Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker . Perhaps I can slightly leave off where my honourable colleague who sits in constit uency 24 ended.
[Inaudible interjection]
Hon. Walter H. Roban: And I did hear chirping over there, Mr. Speaker .
The SpeakerThe SpeakerSpeak to the Chair, speak to the Chair. Do not get side tracked. Do not get side tracked. Hon. Walter H. Roban: I will remain focused—
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYes. Hon. Walter H. Roban: —solely on you and the pe ople of Bermuda—
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThat is a good spot. BERMUDA’S NEW GOVERNMENT —THE FIRST 100 DAYS Hon. Walter H. Roban: —who we are here to speak to and to ensure we are serving, not responding to an extremely diluted and somewhat insignificant Oppos ition. But as my honourable colleague, who in a previous P …
That is a good spot.
BERMUDA’S NEW GOVERNMENT —THE FIRST 100 DAYS Hon. Walter H. Roban: —who we are here to speak to and to ensure we are serving, not responding to an extremely diluted and somewhat insignificant Oppos ition. But as my honourable colleague, who in a previous P LP personality spoke for Transport, and I think he used the analogy of a car very well, Mr. Speaker , in reference to . . . we were constantly inu ndated in the last Parliament with the phrase “looking under the hood.” So, presumably that is what happened by the previous administration. And I am not going to spend too much talking about previous a dministration in my 20 minutes, Mr. Speaker . I am a ctually going to quickly go to . . . but I am trying to give more texture to the analogy that my honourable colleague gave, in that they had a car that they believed they took on and they had to look under the hood to figure out what was going on with the car, because presumably it did not operate the way they wanted. Well, we also inherited a car on July 18 th becaus e it appears, Mr. Speaker , that they spent a long time looking under that hood. In fact, they spent about four and a half years telling people they were looking under the hood. But something different happened on July 18 th. We inherited a car, too, but this is what we did—we looked under the hood, we quickly called in some of our fellows to do the mechanics work, and within 100 days we were good! They never got off the ground in four and a half years. In 100 days we took off like we were in the Indianapolis 500! But it was actually the Bermuda 100; that is what it was, and we came first! We came first!
[Inaudible interjection] Hon. Walter H. Roban: I heard something about Lamborghinis earlier, but . . . I was trying to figure out what we were talking about there. I have not seen any Lamborghinis on Bermuda’s roads, but maybe that was another analogy that my honourable colleague was trying to use because I have not seen a Lamborghini . . . or maybe that was something that went missing . . . that was paid for, supposedly paid for, that the former Government could not get here.
[Inaudible interjection]
Hon. Walter H. Roban: But I will put that aside. But my point is that we ran and drove that car we inherited on the 18 th, we had our mechanics look at it, they fixed whatever the problem was, and we got off moving. We were not concerned with what we were left with as much as how soon we were going to get started. That is the difference. That is part of the difference between this side and the other side. We spent less time trying to rationalise why we were still looking under the hood. We looked, we fixed, we rolled. And that is what we have been doing and that is what this 100- day plan was about —getting rolling — and we got rolling. And perhaps a slight bit of clarification is needed, although I do not think it is that necessary, because from the standpoint of my experience, Mr. Speaker , generally . . . I am not saying that I have done any polls, you know, I do not conduct polls on myself or polls for myself f or any reason. But if I can generally speak about the ongoing reception or r esponse I have gotten from the general public out there over the past 100 days or so, they are very pleased with the work that has been done by the Government. Very pleased with th e work that has been done under our 100- day pledge. And I think something . . . and you know there has been a lot of effort to characterise by certain amateur analysts and not -so-amateur analysts or people who say they are analysts or people who would love to be an analyst who appear on media in Bermuda, you know, and it is always interesting to observe these things because we give title to many that they do not deserve and then we deny those who deserve title in Bermuda. It depends on who they are serving at the time, Mr. Speaker . But be that as it may, if you look on page 4 of the PLP platform “Agenda for a Fairer and Better Bermuda” you are blessed with this 100- day list of items —the first 100 days. “In the first 100 days of your next PLP Government, we will execute” —I think that has to be a key word here, “execute” —we did not say “complete,” “ex538 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly ecute,” Mr. Speaker , “the following plans to bring i mmediate change to Bermuda’s society .” “Execute,” it did not say “execute and complete.” It means these are the things —the 21 things — that we are going to focus our energy on executing. I think that is very key, this word “execute.” It means to have started, to have got going, to have begun to address and, you know, that is what “execute” means from my standpoint of a definition in this case. And the list is as follows, and I am going to read it again because I do not think there is any problem with me r epeating a little bit of what my honourable colleague said before me, because the public needs to be, I think, reminded of what the PLP Government pledged it would execute, Mr. Speaker . And one thing you learn when you are in politics is repeating is not a bad thing and you should repeat until, frankly, people get sick of hearing from you and then, perhaps, they finally have gotten it.
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberWe are already sick of it. [Inaudible interjections ] Hon. Walter H. Roban: That is one thing . . . well, yes. Well, I can tell you — [Inaudible int erjection] Hon. Walter H. Roban: There is one thing we know, Mr. Speaker . The public got sick of the …
We are already sick of it.
[Inaudible interjections ]
Hon. Walter H. Roban: That is one thing . . . well, yes. Well, I can tell you —
[Inaudible int erjection] Hon. Walter H. Roban: There is one thing we know, Mr. Speaker . The public got sick of the OBA very much and they showed it with [ample] clarity on the 18th of July. They were sick of the OBA because they got tired of the repeated failure, lack of expectation, denial of reality, lack of delivery, lack of vision—that is what they got tired of. They got sick of it, Mr. Speaker , so they decided that they had to go another way. So, I will go back to what I want to repeat, Mr. Speaker , because perhap s there are some people who do not want me to repeat the list. And the list goes as follows: • “Re-establish the Bermuda First advisory group consisting of local, international bus iness , and community leaders to develop a long-term economic and social vision for Be rmuda. • Appoint a Gang Violence Reduction Coordinator ”— Oh! I am sorry, Mr. Speaker , do I have your permission to read?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYes. Hon. Walter H. Roban: Thank you, Mr. Speaker .
The SpeakerThe SpeakerContinue, continue. Hon. Walter H. Roban: As you know I am really just listening to you right now. I am not listening to an ybody else. [Laughter] Hon. Walter H. Roban: Any other chuckling that is going on I will ignore.
Hon. Dr. E. Grant GibbonsYou have to read what you promised? [Laughter ] Hon. Walter H. Roban: I may . . . I at least have something to read that I promised. They made no promises that could be kept, Mr. Speaker , all right? [Inaudible interjection] Hon. Walter H. Roban: I have promises …
You have to read what you promised? [Laughter ] Hon. Walter H. Roban: I may . . . I at least have something to read that I promised. They made no promises that could be kept, Mr. Speaker , all right?
[Inaudible interjection] Hon. Walter H. Roban: I have promises that I can actually go over and read, they have nothing, abs olutely nothing to refer to because the public rejected whatever they might have been endeavouring to promise. I at least have promises upon which I have sought and made an effort to deliver on. The public will decide what they want to do with them. • “Appoint a Gang Violence Reduction Coordinator to have a singular focus on implementing programmes to reduce gang violence and anti-social behaviour. The PLP will give reducing gang violence the priority it deserves. ” (No doubt we have done that.) • “Grant additional powers to the existing Price Control Commission to examine ways to r educe the cost of living in Bermuda. • Conduct an urgent review of health and safety in all public schools to ensure that all our st udents and teachers are learning and working in a safe environment. ” There may be some questions to some whether that has been done, but by virtue of the— and I will use this word —"alacrity” (is that not one of those wonderful Oxford words?) —that we pushed forward to have the schools ready for occupation by our teachers and students is proof that we did that because there was a requirement to have those schools ready by September from July. And you could not have had those schools rea dy unless they were compliant by and large with Health and Safety provisions. The work continues, obviously, Mr. Speaker , the work obviously continues, but that certainly had to have been achieved for those schools to be occupied. And I am seeing the head- shaking from a former Works and Engineering Minister who certainly would agree with the point that I am making. • “Provide financial support to students in need to ensure access to Bermuda College for all Bermudians. ” I do not need to say any more about that b ecause it was done and hundreds of students have benefited.
Bermuda House of Assembly • “Increase job training to prepare Bermudians to fill jobs held by guest workers. ” Ongoing, but the policies to move in that direction and the efforts with Workforce Development and the Mini stry of Home Affairs have all begun in earnest, with certain changes in policy, with certain initiatives that are already in [the] works with both of those agencies. • “Commence the installation of Wi -Fi in all pu blic schools and ensure that all schools have functioning computer labs so our students have access to the latest technology. ” The Wi -Fi revolution in our schools has begun and will continue. And as we know, Mr. Speaker , some of these things are going to be ongoing activ ities of any Government because you have to keep up with modernisation; you have to keep the infrastructure of these things constantly attended to. So even our start is a start to a long process that will go well beyond the 100 days and even well beyond the first term of the PLP Gover nment that is currently in place. But there is going to be a need to keep these infr astructures in place and working and consistent with the needs of our students. So the start is great, but we must continue to advance this because the needs of the technol ogy of our students are going to change. • “Provide access to funding to community clubs via a loan guarantee programme enabling them to upgrade their facilities and become self -sufficient while [creat ing] jobs for Bermudians. ” Our clubs certainly need help, Mr. Speaker , and this is just one item that we know will help our clubs do better. Our clubs also need to regain the confidence of the communities upon which they have existed. So there is a lot of work. This is just one step in giving those clubs the essential resources and potentially rebuilding the public confidence so that they can [begin] truly servicing their communities and even in some cases allowing the Government to step back and allowing them to be self -sustaining. Rather than necessarily the Government being a crutch, our view and our long- term vision is that the clubs will become sustainable and be able to thrive on the environment that they are in and not just rely on public handouts to sustain them. And I think that is a sensible road for them to take and it is a sensible policy for us to put in place. • “Double the guarantee capacity of the Berm uda Economic Development Corporation (BEDC) to [have] more access to capital for entrepreneurs. ” I do not think that there is anybody who argues that this was not needed. The environment of Bermuda economically has not been as complementary to the needs of entrepreneurs , and particularly black entrepreneurs. So the Government needs to play a major role with evening- up the playing field. If it is argue d that we have a somewhat depressed ec o-nomic environment right now , those who are the least likely to get funding are those who have the least abi lity to qualify for it amongst our financial institutions. So, the Government is giving help that will go stri ctly to those who need it the most so that they can get out there, start their businesses, and employ people. This is about jobs, creating jobs, creating an environment where jobs will begin to be given to those who need them the most.
[Inaudible interjec tion]
Hon. Walter H. Roban: Who? Who? Who? Anyway, anyway, it is like somebody’s name was mentioned, but I do not know who they are talking about.
[Inaudible interjections ]
Hon. Walter H. Roban: [Next.] • “Appoint a Director of Cooperative Economics at th e BEDC to promote cooperatives within Bermuda to boost community -based economic empowerment. ” The fundamental goal here is to bring about an environment that produces empowerment. That is what it is about. How we can empower more Berm udians to be a part of the economic environment of Bermuda and to thrive, rather than necessarily pus hing a model that focused on the individual, just the individual entrepreneur and their needs, how we can get people to work together to reach those goals and objectives cooper atively? Now, some people will, you know, call that a bunch of ideological clap- trap perhaps, but I do not. These are models that have proven to have worked for many, many years and successfully in other juri sdictions, and we need to give it an opportuni ty to see if it can work here. And in some cases this is how many communities in Bermuda used to work prior to the fact that when people could go up and get loans from banks, they did work cooperatively to build houses, to develop businesses and to enhance their communities. So how can we bring this philosophy to the modern stage with all the modern knowledge and r esources that we have available? • “Conclude negotiations with Public Sector U nions to ensure continued provision of highquality public services. ” We desire to give our public sector workers a sense of . . . what can I say? A sense of security in a sense that their jobs are valued, Mr. Speaker , and that they are essential to whatever successes going forward that Bermuda is going to achieve in a wa y that, perhaps, they did not experience prior to July 18 th, working through the issue of their compensation. B ecause one thing we understand [is] the lion’s share of these workers are Bermudian, they need to be able to survive in this country, they need to feel that the country appreciates their service and the w ork they do and 540 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly not only, just on the basis of economic logic, they will spend that money here. That money goes to local shops, it goes to local services, whatever additional compensation they get goes back into the community and that is som ething that w e have to understand is the economics of the reality of public spending. There are some people and I, you know, perhaps it is an assumption that can be argued against, that the former administration did not quite see it that way and spent a lot of time fighting with public sector workers, making them feel like they were not of value and, frankly, seemed to spend a lot of time questioning whether they were essential to the overall economic environment of Bermuda. Well, that now needs to be changed so that they understand that we value their contribution and we will work with them to raise the quality of service as well. That is an imperative that the Minister for the Cabinet Office responsible for Government Reform is giving a lot of attention to, and we wi ll over time d evelop strategies to deal with that. And we hope we have the Opposition’s support for that when those things are brought to this House to discuss. • “Establish a Bipartisan Committee on Imm igration Reform ." A long -standing promise of the PLP, and it has been done. • “Establish a Tax Reform Commission to make Bermuda’s tax system fairer and increase Bermuda’s global competitiveness to stim ulate economic activity and to create jobs for Bermudians. ” Jobs for Bermudians is a running theme through t hese 100- day pledges, Mr. Speaker . But in light of the environment that we have just been con-fronted with over the last week, we understand how tax and the impression of taxes and the issue of taxes influences the environment that Bermuda faces, not only t hose of us who live here, but internationally. And how we deal with that can potentially impact the longterm prosperity of Bermuda. Now, it is obviously based on the efforts —
[Timer beeps]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. That is your time, Member. Hon. Walter H. Roban: Thank you, Mr. Speaker , for the opportunity you have given me to be on my feet. Thank you.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Honourable Member . Does any other Honourable Member wish to speak? I recognise the Deputy Speaker. Deputy Speaker, you have the floor. WHITE’S ISLAND LEASE TO ANTI -GANG GROUP CARTEL Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: Thank you, Mr. Speaker . Mr. Speaker , there are two particular areas …
Thank you, Honourable Member . Does any other Honourable Member wish to speak? I recognise the Deputy Speaker. Deputy Speaker, you have the floor. WHITE’S ISLAND LEASE TO ANTI -GANG GROUP CARTEL
Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: Thank you, Mr. Speaker . Mr. Speaker , there are two particular areas I want to go to. One, I want to clear up some stuff and then next I will deal with the 100- day success of this Government. Mr. Speaker , much has been said about White’s Island. That is the island [ where] CARTEL, [Challenging and Reclaiming the True Essence of Life] headed by Pastor Leroy Bean, had a pr ogramme. Let me tell you how White’s Island cam e about, Mr. Speaker . The Cabinet of the day at that time learned about Pastor Bean’s programme and they ordered that a facility be provided for CARTEL so he could run the programme. The Ministry of Sports and Development were tasked with finding a location for the programme. They, [the Ministry of] Sports and Develo pment, called Pastor Bean and they offered him Darrell’s Island, a property on Darrell’s Island. Pastor Bean said, Yes, we’ll take it. And it needed some work so he said he would get some volu nteers to fix it. B efore he was able to start there they called him again and they offered him another island in St. George’s and he said the same thing, that it needed some work, but he said they would take it and do what . . . I just said. Then they call ed him again and they offered him White’s Island. That is how he got White’s Island, through the Sports and Development Ministry. Mr. Speaker , as you know, as being a former Minister of Public Works yourself, all leases are signed by the Ministry of Publi c Works. And they gave him a lease and the lease was not in compliance with the way the leases are supposed to be put out. No big thing. No big issue. No illegal thing happened there. It was something that could have been managed and fixed. But what had happened [was] Mr. Bean had the programme there, he had 50 children out there, Mr. Speaker , and the children . . . there was no charge to those children. Via donations, they were able to feed these children free of charge, Mr. Speaker. But when the OBA Gov ernment took power, the only lease that they investigated was White’s Island because, I will venture to say, it was the first time in the history of Bermuda that you had seen 50 little black children out on White’s Island every day. And it is a lease, if the Government of that day was interested in saving those children as Pastor Bean was, they would have fixed that. That was an easy fix to keep those children out there. But the OBA Government was not concerned about those children, they were not concerned about how they [would] end up, because some of those children were children of gang members and some of those that had lost their
Bermuda House of Assembly lives, and the programme was designed to try to save these children. And as a result of Pastor Bean being kicked off that island, we lost some of those children to gangs today. That was a couple of years . . . five or six years ago I think it was, Mr. Speaker . So, Mr. Speaker , when the Government of the day—the OBA Government —can just kick 50 little children off an island, you can tell that they do not have any —any —type of feeling or passion for the children. But they were just out to ruin, discredit, and demean the character and the integrity of Pastor Bean —unfair.
The SpeakerThe Speaker[Microphone off ] POINT OF ORDER [Imputing improper behaviour]
Hon. Dr. E. Grant GibbonsYes, point of order. The Honourable Member is imputing improper behaviour. The OBA Government was prepared to do nothing of the sort. My understandi ng was the Member he is talking about actually was trying to lease . . . sublease the island to somebody else. And that is why— …
Yes, point of order. The Honourable Member is imputing improper behaviour. The OBA Government was prepared to do nothing of the sort. My understandi ng was the Member he is talking about actually was trying to lease . . . sublease the island to somebody else. And that is why— Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: That is [not] a point of order. That is not so. No, Member . . . that . . . first, I have never heard of that. How could the member sub-lease when it is in the contract that you cannot sublease? Any member, any former Minister, even Mini ster Cannonier would tell you that you cannot sublease once you have got a lease from government. You cannot sublease. Come on, Grant, you know better than that. Mr. Speaker , and he was given a . . . CARTEL was given a peppercorn rent. It is not the first organi-sation . . . still in existence . . . others who are getting a peppercorn rent. But this was designed to get those little children, particularly those little black chi ldren, off that island, Mr. Speaker . That is what it was designed to do.
Hon. Dr. E. Grant GibbonsMr. Speaker , the Ho nourable Member is misleading the House, again. Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: Is there a point of order? Because I have not heard any p oint of order —
Hon. Dr. E. Grant GibbonsThere certainly was no intention whatsoever to do that. Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: —being asked, Mr. Speaker .
The SpeakerThe Speaker[Microphone off ] Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: Mr. Speaker , also the other thing, BLDC. Mr. Speaker , at one time we had a Chair and a Deputy; the Chair by the last name of Saunders and the Deputy by the last name of Bean. They were put there …
[Microphone off ] Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: Mr. Speaker , also the other thing, BLDC. Mr. Speaker , at one time we had a Chair and a Deputy; the Chair by the last name of Saunders and the Deputy by the last name of Bean. They were put there to do a duty under the Minister at the time who happened to be Derrick Burgess. Mr. Speaker , let me say, they went there. They did a lot of work there, cleaned up the place. In fact, we had an accounts receivable in arrears, actually, of over $2 million. They went about collecting this money —and nothing was being done before they took it over —and within six months they collected $600,000. Mr. Speaker , they found out we had people, clients down there, paying, for example, for 1,500 square feet when they actually had 1,800 square feet. They had to fix that. We had buildings down there empty, there w as nothing being done, no income. They started to fix them so that we could rent them out, Mr. Speaker . We had bonuses being paid to workers at BLDC at a time when Government was cutting jobs and even in the private sector we were losing jobs and they stopped that. Mr. Speaker , because of the sickness of the head fellow in charge down there, Bean and Saunders were employed to take over until the managing direc-tor (let us use “managing director” for the time being) got better. The Board made a decision to remunerate them. The Chair and the Deputy Chair had no partic ipation in that. And at that time . . . w ell, a report was made back to the Minister of Finance (unbeknownst to me) and there was a special report done by KPMG. Let me say the KPMG report cost more than was paid to Saunders and Bean. But to bring it home a little clearer, the Board secured the services of a legal law firm just to check to see if what they had done was right. And the law firm concluded that what was done by the Board was correct. In fact, it was within the bylaws of the company and also in the 1981 Companies Act. So there was no wrongdoing on the part of the Board, no wrongdoing on the part of the Chair or the Deputy Chair. So, Mr. Speaker , we really . . . I have not even told them this, I appreciate what the Chair and the Deputy Chair and the Board . . . what they executed down at BLDC during their tenure. And do you know what is amazing about this, Mr. Speaker ? You had your Auditor who did a report on the BLDC and never ever included the report from the law firm. It did not even mention it. That report was designed to ruin and demean the character and the integrity of the Board and, in particular, of the Chair and the Deputy Chair, Mr. Speaker . Mr. Speaker , I really wanted to get that clear because there was no wrongdoing by the Board, no wrongdoing by the Chair, no wrongdoing b y the Dep uty Chair. And those who know should understand that.
542 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly BERMUDA’S NEW GOVERNMENT —THE FIRST 100 DAYS
Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: Mr. Speaker , let me go on to the 100 days of our success. Mr. Speaker , because of the PLP Government we have had 188 additional people—students — attending the Bermuda College because of our Government. Mr. Speaker , on the loans to clubs. Those that do not know, clubs are an integral part of our upbrin ging, be it through sports —through soccer and cric ket—our two leading sports in Bermuda. People really do not understand what clubs do. You know, they have to hire somebody to coach the young ones and the seniors. It is not an easy job if you have not had the discipline from anywhere else, and I think they do a good job. Bec ause that is where our top cricketers and footballers . . . you find them representing Bermuda and playing in our big classic Cup Match, our UA Class, where we get, we are probably the only country in the world that gets a two- day holiday for Cup Match to play cricket.
[Inaudible interjection]
Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: Yes, the Cup is being held for a period by Somerset. [Inaudible interjections ] Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: Yes, it is there for some reason. [Laughter]
Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: I will not say the reason why, but it will return shortly. In fact, I had a fellow come from Somerset two weeks ago to St. George’s and he was stopped at the checkpoint in Hamilton Parish and they asked him, Where are you going? And he said, I’m looki ng for Spanish Point. So they called me, I said let him through he is a Lister, right, he is one of your sons —oh, it happened to one of your sons. I said let him go down there he will, one of those little girls will get him, he will change his address and his team . . . let him go.
[Laughter]
Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: And I think that is what will happen to him, so there will be a Lister coming out of . . . you know, he will be clothed in his proper co lours on Cup Match day. Mr. Speaker , I am glad to know that our Go vernment is doing a tax reform because what really concerns me . . . and it does not just concern me. It concerned me when we were in Government the last time, the accounts receivable, money that was owed to Government. I am not only concentrating on talking about . . . just thinking that is the important part of it, is how we collect our taxes or who pays taxes, but I am just concentrating on the accounts receivable. B ecause Mr. Speaker , when you owe Government money it is a serious offence in some countries. In fact, in the United States they will put a lien on your house or take your house. And some people just do not pay. You heard this morning how some employers collect payroll tax and social insurance and do not pay it in. And the former Attorney General Tr evor Moniz said it right, it is theft. It is theft. And I think we must be very hard on these people that do not pay what they owe Government because if you do not have that cash flow, you have got to borrow it, and it costs to borrow money for cash flow, when you have got over $200 million that is owed to the Government. Mr. Speaker , I am glad we are getting a . . . we are going to talk . . . we are going to probably put in place a price control. Because, Mr. Speaker , many times I go to the supermarket and I question the qual ity of, particularly, vegetables and fruits. You pay a high price for these fruits and vegetables, but you are not getting the best quality. And in Bermuda, I think it is only Bermuda, where the cost of vegetables cost more than sugared snacks. We have to do something about that. And I am just going over these things very briefly. On entertainment, Mr. Speaker , I really do not know why we have to go overseas for entertainment. Because, Mr. Speaker , the talent that we have in this country, the singers . . . in the churches —in all the churches —we have got some world- class singers in our churches. If you go to some of the plays, partic ularly during the summer that we have in Bermuda, they are first -class. And dancers and everything— we have got it —and I take my hat off to all those folks that operate in that arena and training our people to do acting, dancing, singing, and whatever. We have got some natural talent there. So I do not see why we have to g o overseas, but as this Government is sa ying, if you are going overseas and you want to bring in somebody else, that is fine, but you will hire a Berm udian. Mr. Speaker , as you know, you are old enough to know, that at one time Bermuda supplied all our mechanics, masons, motor mechanics, carpe nters, what have you. In fact, the Honourable Member Grant Gibbons will know that because Bermuda Mo-tors is one of them. All of his mechanics, at one time, were all Bermudian, every last one of them.
[Inaudible inter jection] Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: Right. You know, they were Bermudian, so we have to concentrate, as this Government will do, on our technical training. B ecause far too many people in Bermuda think that to be successful you have got to be a lawyer, an accoun tBermuda House of Assembly ant, or a doctor. We need plumbers, carpenters, m asons, and everyone else to make any country run. And success comes from all of them. When the Opposition or Members of the O pposition can complain or make a fuss about our tra vel—and the Premier gave the figures $27,000— I thought that was very low. I just hope that people do not think that when Government travels we have got to stay in Motel 6. We are not doing that and we should not. And we should not have to eat at McDo nald’s. That is not what i t is about.
[Inaudible interjection]
Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: You know, or Burger King or wherever it is, right? You know, we need to eat properly and I hope they are not going to McDonald’s, it is not the place I go, wherever . . . I eat d ecent, ri ght?
[Inaudible interjection]
Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: Well, our children do not travel with us. There are the Ministers, and the Ministers should eat right and they should stay right, not at McDonald’s . . . not at Motel 6 where they leave the lig ht on for you, all right?
[Laughter]
Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: And you know we have to be present internationally, particularly today. In fact, as our Leader said the other day to us that maybe he should have gone to the Labour Party Conference in London. And I think we should go. Whoever is in Government should go, whoever is in Government in England, whoever is in Government in Bermuda, we need to go to those conferences b ecause you see how they take . . . how they talked about us with the Paradise Papers —ill-informed—they really do not know. And I must say the former Minister of Finance, Bob [Richards] . . . he fought them, he was very tough with them. As our Premier said this morning, When you do it, we’ll do it. And I think we all know what we are talking about. Mr. Speaker, I am still concerned about the airport, and thankful that this Government has taken steps to correct the proble m that occurred under the OBA because workers were allowed to come into this country and work without a police check. That was almost immediately rectified by the present Gover nment. The reason why I am concerned about that, Mr. Speaker, is because the local officials are saying that Bermudians with a police record cannot work at the airport. And I am talking about the construction site. Well, here it is, we are bringing in workers from overseas [and] there is no police check, but they can go to work dow n there. That should never, ever be. No government should have allowed that. That is di scrimination at the highest level. Our folks, Bermudi-ans, could not work there [if they] had a police record, but workers from overseas can go there and we do not know w hat type of record they have because they were not required [to provide one] . And I am glad to know that the Government has done what they said there were going to do, as the gang [violence reduction] coordinator. And I hope that people do not think that a gang [violence reduction] coordinator and the staff will stop the shootings. They do not do that. What the gang [violence reduction] coordinators are trying to do, and this is my opi nion, my thought on this , is that they are trying to ed ucate the younger folk, trying to save them from getting into this environment and at the same, trying to save those who are involved in it right now. So, Mr. Speaker, they have my full support and I applaud the Mini ster and all his staff in that regard. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerDoes any other Member wish to speak? I recognise the Honourable Member Commi ssiong. You have the floor. ECONOMIC INEQUALITY IN BERMUDA
Mr. Rolfe CommissiongThank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, certainly the country has been rocked by revelations concerning the so- called “Par adise Papers” of late. There are many in the community who will advance the view that it is nothing but a storm in a teacup. That is not the unanimous view, …
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, certainly the country has been rocked by revelations concerning the so- called “Par adise Papers” of late. There are many in the community who will advance the view that it is nothing but a storm in a teacup. That is not the unanimous view, but certainly there are those who will assert that. Mr. Speaker, certainly what has been r evealed thus far speaks to a degree of venality and greed that is unprecedented. Because what the rev elations have done is to remove a veil that for decades obscured the view of those who were using offshore locations, such as [Bermuda] , to avoid carrying their fair share of taxes in their home countries. Certainly, this trend for the last three and a half decades one could trace the origin of it, in terms of the historical beginnings of it, in the 1980s as a by -product of the so-called “Reagan- Thatcher Revolution” and the u nderlying assumptions that accompanied it and which shifted the world’s political economies, particularly in the Anglo- Saxon world, I guess of which we belong, in a totally new direction. The Paradise Papers, to some degree, exemplify what the result of those trends, beginning then, have led to. I agree with the Premier. Bermuda has not done anything illegal. This is the world that currently exists. These are the rules by which we play. But, certainly, those in the same countries that are making the most noise about this will have to examine whether this represents an inflection point that requires major reform. The previous Finance Minister, for example, in the interview that was featured on Panorama, on the 544 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly BBC, that focused on the so- called Paradise Papers (and I paraphrase) said, You know, it is not our job to collect your taxes. But, Mr. Speaker, I will say this. It is the r esponsibility of the Members of this House to ensure that the lawyers, the accountants, and the professionals based in Bermuda do pay their fair share of taxes and carry their fair burden of the taxes that are levied on all Bermudians. That is the question that must be asked. Certainly, income inequality has been exploding in Ber muda and has for decades. It too is a by - product of our growth as a major offshore international business sector. Certainly, the status quo is no longer serving us. Mr. Speaker, I just want to illustrate, if I can. I have some data here from the 1998 surve y, which really is Bermuda’s estimated distribution of income consumption and savings by household income group in 1998. It was a survey conducted by Harry Goodman, partner in KPMG, out of Washington, DC , and Eric Toder, Senior Fellow at the Urban Institut e. And in 1998 this was published under the aegis of thenFinance Minister Eugene Cox. Previously, they had conducted another survey, in 1997 according to the information I had, under the former Finance Minister, Mr. Grant Gibbons. The reason I am bringing this up, Mr. Speaker, is because when it comes to the way in which suc-cessive governments for decades have collected tax revenue, we know it has not changed that much. And the three basic food groups, if you will, are still rev enues derived from customs duty, payroll tax, and land tax. To mix metaphors, that is the trifecta. But I just want to, if I may, Mr. Speaker, convey how great income inequality has been a feature of Bermuda for far too long. For example, in the instance of Bermuda’s tax revenues i n 1998, we find that the lowest income group in Bermuda at that time were paying 22.0 per cent of their income in taxes, [co mprising] custom duty, payroll, and land tax. This is the consolidated figures. The second lowest group paid 20.9 per cent. The thir d, 18.5 per cent. The fourth, 17.0 per cent. The fifth, 15.5 per cent. And then the highest income group paid 11.9 per cent, roughly half, just over half , than what the lowest income groups paid. That is in 1998.
[Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr., Deputy Speaker, in the Chair]
Mr. Rolfe CommissiongLet us move on to payroll tax, if I may, Mr. Deputy Speaker. With respect to payroll tax, you had 5.1 per cent that was represented. . . in terms of the percentage of payroll tax, the lowest income group paid . And most of those people would have been …
Let us move on to payroll tax, if I may, Mr. Deputy Speaker. With respect to payroll tax, you had 5.1 per cent that was represented. . . in terms of the percentage of payroll tax, the lowest income group paid . And most of those people would have been not earning anything. They probably are not working and so . . . not all of them, but so it is 5.1 per cent. In terms of this second income group, in terms of income distribution, they are paying 8.4 per cent in payroll tax. The third, 8.4 [per cent]. The fourth, 7.7 [per cent]. The fifth, 7.0 per cent. And then it drops down to the highest group, again in 1998, paying 5.1 per cent. So at the highest level, you are paying 8.4 per cent (in terms of payroll tax) but the lowest 5.1 per cent. Now, we have tried to inject some progressivity since then in the pa yroll tax structure, but certainly the regressivity of our taxes is a problem. Moving on, customs duty. And I might just add, since 1998 we have seen less of a r eliance on customs duty as an overall percentage of government revenue, we know that , while moving higher with r espect to the level of payroll tax as an overall percentage of government revenue, so it kind of evens out. But in terms of customs duty, again, 1998, the lowest income distribution group paid 14.1 per cent with r espect to customs duty, coming through in terms of the distribution in wholesale chains at the retail level, more or less. The second income distribution group, 10.7 [per cent]. The third , 8.6 [per cent]. The fourth, 8.0 per cent. The fifth, 7.0 per cent. And the highest income distribution group, 5.6 [per cent]. So, at one level, at the lowest income group, they are paying 14.1 per cent of their income with respect to customs duty. While the highest earners are only paying 5.6 [per cent]. Again, that is 1998. But that is the last time that survey was done. Now, let us look at land tax. And here we are talking about not who is legally bound to pay the land tax, but who, in fact , bears the burden of land tax. Those usually who are renting residences, for example. And so, again, the same regressivities are apparent. At the lowest Bermuda income distribution group, 2.8 per cent of the household income is going to land tax. The second group, 1.8 [per cent]. The third, 1.5 [per cent]. The fourth, 1.3 [per cent]. The fifth, 1.4 [per cent]. And the highest is 1.2 [per cent]. Roughly half of what those at the lowest income groups are paying. I might just add this as a note. Land tax raises the cost of housing services thereby increasing the cost of actual or imputed rents for tenants and owner -occupied residences. The progressiv ity of Bermuda’s land tax rates are greatly reduced in terms of their incidents by the fact that lower income households spend far greater portions of their income on rents. And then, lastly, again from the GoodmanToder survey, and the number of households here that they are talking about for the sample is 746. But it shows that, again, 1998, in terms of savings rate, the lower income distribution group, at that time zero to $22,000 had a minus 54.0 per cent —minus 54.0 per cent—
[Inaudible interjection]
Mr. Rolfe Commissiong—savings rate. Bermuda House of Assembly I think the Member from [constituency] 24 made a quip about that. In essence, saying about having a negative savings rate. So, we know at that time [it was] minus 54.0 per cent. Moving up the income level, household i ncome, $22,000 to $38,000, …
—savings rate.
Bermuda House of Assembly I think the Member from [constituency] 24 made a quip about that. In essence, saying about having a negative savings rate. So, we know at that time [it was] minus 54.0 per cent. Moving up the income level, household i ncome, $22,000 to $38,000, minus 8.0 per cent. Third, $38,000 to $82,000, circa 1998, they are above water at 10.0 per cent savings rate. Following up again to $82,000 to $113,000, 23.0 per cent. Moving up to the next level, $113,000 to $151,000, [it was a] 26.0 per cent savings rate. Lastly, at $151,000 and plus, [it was] 47.0 per cent savings rate. So, we have a sa vings rate to the tune of 47.0 per cent at the high end of the income distribution level in Bermuda, but yet in the first two income levels both are under water —minus 54.0 per cent in the lowest income distribution group and minus 8.0 per cent in terms of the savings rate for the next group above that. Certainly, we need to find out where we are today with this. And we cannot do that soon enough. In the coming weeks I will be coming back with more data like this because the impact of income inequality is perni cious. Okay? And unless we—
Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: Point of order, Mr.—
The Deputy SpeakerDeputy SpeakerWhat is your point of order, Deputy? POINT OF ORDER Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: The Honourable Member — The Dep uty Speaker: I am sorry —not Deputy. Lea der of the Opposition. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: Yes. Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. The Honourable Member is sharing information …
What is your point of order, Deputy?
POINT OF ORDER Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: The Honourable Member — The Dep uty Speaker: I am sorry —not Deputy. Lea der of the Opposition. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: Yes. Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. The Honourable Member is sharing information that is part of his studies that he is doing as a result of a House committee that has already been established. And I am just wondering about the pr opriety of bringing that information at the moment piecemeal, when obviously it is going to form part of a total debate at some point in time. I am just curious.
The Deputy SpeakerDeputy SpeakerThat information that you are sharing can be or probably will be a part of your com-mittee, and if that is so, you cannot use it today. Thank you.
Mr. Rolfe CommissiongMr. Deputy Speaker, that is not true. Okay? This data was not submitted to our committee. Okay? This is public data. This data came . . . has been . . . two successive Governments, firstly the UBP under the former Minister, and then under the PLP Finance Minister —
Mr. Rolfe CommissiongOkay, so, we have to deal with the structural issue that has been engendered by economic inequality. There is no doubt about it. It is a pernicious phenomenon, as I said, that is having a very destructive impact on Bermuda in a variety of ways. And that i s why …
Okay, so, we have to deal with the structural issue that has been engendered by economic inequality. There is no doubt about it. It is a pernicious phenomenon, as I said, that is having a very destructive impact on Bermuda in a variety of ways. And that i s why the Government was wise to talk about forming a tax commission, and has done that now, because I believe that this is the “ground zero” on our ability to build a sustainable future for Bermuda moving forward. People may not realise it, but when you talk about income inequality, you are talking about som ething (like I said) that really needs to be addressed. The studies indicate . . . for example, even things like educational outcomes can be affected from students in low social economic status households. Studies indicate that in those societies with high income inequality you have gang violence, elicit economies (in some cases) around the drug trade, [and] gang formation. This is not rocket science. And you will also note that in all of these studies you can also track r acial disparity pretty graphically. Okay? For example, just to go back here right quickly, in the lowest income groups they are spending 22.0 per cent of their rev enue on taxes, circa 1998. I hazard a guess at what it would be now. The highest group is only spending half of that. We know by studies, again, evidence based, that this tracks pretty neatly with Bermuda’s racial di sparities. Okay? This study also estimated the proportion of Bermuda’s population living pay cheque to pay cheque in 1998 at 30.0 per cent. Probable portion li ving now pay cheque to pay cheque in 2017, following our crises —alluding to the global financial meltdown which in fact Bermuda called the “Great Recession” in 2008 or 2009— 50.0 per cent [who] are living pay cheque to pay cheque. So, that is where we are at right now and it is time that we realise that the status quo is not our friend, Mr. Deputy Speaker. It is not our 546 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly friend. And if we are only about managing that status quo, then we are doing a disservice—
Mr. Rolfe CommissiongThank you. And if we think that by simply managing that status quo, no matter how well, that we are doing our job, we are not. Because by doing that we are rei nforcing inequality to this country and it is something that we cannot allow to stand. And those …
Thank you. And if we think that by simply managing that status quo, no matter how well, that we are doing our job, we are not. Because by doing that we are rei nforcing inequality to this country and it is something that we cannot allow to stand. And those people who voted did not vote for us because they liked Rolfe Commissiong and what he was saying, or this person or that person. They voted for us because they too are tired of the status quo. Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker.
The Deputy SpeakerDeputy SpeakerThank you. Any further speakers? The Chair recognises the Honourable Member Cannonier from constitue ncy . . . what number are you from Mr. Cannonier?
The Deputy SpeakerDeputy Speaker[Constituency] 12. You have the floor, sir. PARADISE PAPERS
Mr. L. Craig CannonierThank you, Mr. [Deputy] Speaker. I just want to speak to, I believe, some of the gist of . . . the Honourable Member who just took his seat, what he was getting at. I must say, I do concur with the concerns that he certainly has as far as …
Thank you, Mr. [Deputy] Speaker. I just want to speak to, I believe, some of the gist of . . . the Honourable Member who just took his seat, what he was getting at. I must say, I do concur with the concerns that he certainly has as far as seeking out an opportunity to gain more revenues as a Government and how to do that. What I did not hear clearly from him was exactly how he sees that happening. So, I use that to segue into the Paradise Papers. One of the challenges that foreigners, as well as Bermudians, have with the industry of exem pted companies is that they do not really understand a lot of the intricacies of how it works. There are many who believe that these large companies have trillions of dollars that are domiciled somehow in Bermuda, which we know is not the case, at all. But yet there is this pervasive attitude toward what I must say, a smart country, a smart Island, to come up with a system like this of low tax. I know that in the former position as Premier we spent a lot of time debating, and I am not afraid to say it, with the former Prime Minister of London over this very issue, and defending us for what we do. Because, quite frankly, and I said it to him m yself, You are doing the exact same thing. But yet he could not find it in his heart to defend us as a jurisdi ction. One of the other misunderstandings of the exempted companies here in Bermuda, not only do people believe that we have these trillions of dollars in Bermuda, is that somehow this money does not really make it back to these US companies or European companies . What do I mean by that? I am using this just as an example. Disney World, a very large company, may have a sister company in Bermuda. So when it wants to build a building in the United States somewhere, what it invariably will do is say, I’m going to bor row the money from that sister company that is domiciled in Bermuda to pay for the building of a building right in the US itself. So that money is being turned back over to the [same] jurisdictions where we are finding some of the greatest discontent with a place like Bermuda. It is all a misunderstanding, and so I champion the Premier as I also in my capacity of former Premier was looking to explain exactly what it is that we do. One of the other misunderstandings of the insurance industry in Bermuda is t hat when . . . was it Katrina on the East Coast?
[Inaudible interjections]
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberAndrew.
Mr. L. Craig CannonierAndrew? Well, who do you think was one of the major places that contributed to getting the United States back to where it needed to be? It was what Bermuda does that allows that to happen. And so we have got to continue to beat the street so that not …
Andrew? Well, who do you think was one of the major places that contributed to getting the United States back to where it needed to be? It was what Bermuda does that allows that to happen. And so we have got to continue to beat the street so that not only do we as a people understand it, but that our people can go out and explain it to the rest of the world. The challenge I have is that Berm udians do not even understand the industry that is a main contributor to our GDP [ gross domestic product] . And so I encourage the Government of the day to continue to get more information out there that will explain the nature of what it is that we do. I mean, let’s just face it, to come up with a low tax jurisdiction and to come up with a system that far out surpassed other countries much larger than us, goes to the statement that we have got some intellectual capital here that is second to none. We need to continue on with this here and champion the cause. I know that as Opposition we will continue to support the Government in this plight, ensuring that we do not get on the Black List. I recall that when we became Government we did get on that B lack List, so we spent a lot of time, Bob and I, fighting on Sky News and BBC and you name it, of trying to get pe ople to understand the model that we have. Eventually we did get off of that Black List, but I know and understand that we are on the precipic e again of being on that list. And really [it is] of no doing of our own. But it is a plight that we must continue to fight, Mr. Deputy Speaker.
Bermuda House of Assembly The former speaker also talked about . . . I was not exactly sure where he was going, if he was attacking the exempted companies or not, I was trying to understand. He was giving out a lot of information, but I was not sure where he was going with it. For m yself, I thought, well, it was edgy a bit that maybe the exempted company might get a little concerned about what exactly is he saying. I mean, I know that many of their tax -free dollars have supported many a gover nment. So, I am not here to cast any shadows on what he might have been saying. I appreciate the fact that he is looking for a way on how to increase re venue within this country. But we need to be careful that at the same time as looking for those opportunities that we do not scare away what we already have. I think that those conversations should continue to happen. I recall with us as a Government many wonderful things came out of some of those discussions and what we could do, and I would like to also see the Government of the day continue with those. Also, one of the other things, Mr. [Deputy] Speaker, that I wanted to speak to this evening . . . and y ou spoke to it. I got a little bent out of shape, Mr. Deputy Speaker, when you said that we were kicking 50 black kids out on the street, because I know that that certainly was not my intention. and I had to listen very carefully because this morning at Pr ayer Breakfast we were given a challenge to listen.
[Laughter]
Mr. L. Craig CannonierSo I was attempting to listen to what I believed you were saying as opposed to some of what you exactly said. [Crosstalk and laughter] ROAD FATALITIES
Mr. L. Crai g CannonierI spoke briefly this week with Pastor Bean about some of the challenges that we are having in losing our young people. The conversation really turned to that this is not a political battle here. This is not a battle of the churches itself. This is not a battle of …
I spoke briefly this week with Pastor Bean about some of the challenges that we are having in losing our young people. The conversation really turned to that this is not a political battle here. This is not a battle of the churches itself. This is not a battle of seniors, or just young people. This is a battle for all of Bermuda. Until we have a voice where all of us speak to this here, one voice addressing it, then I believe that we will continue to spin our wheels. It is depressing to come here week after week and to hear of young people losing their lives. Just to hear of another one last night! I mean, with our birth rate as low as it is, . . . we increased over the last time they did the stats on our birth rate by only like nine! So while our birth rate is . . . I do not want to say it is on a negative growth rate, but we are dying as a people. We are literally dying as a people and we have got to find a way, collectively, in this House of Assembly to address this issue. The taxpayer who is paying into the system continues to dwindle and government after gover nment will find it a plight and difficult to keep up be-cause the tax base, those who are paying into the system, is getting less and less and less. You add to that losing our young men and women to some of these, I would say, unnecessary deaths, it is a real challenge that we have. So this Government is going to be tasked with trying to figure out how we increase the tax base. So, it is going to be really inter esting, Mr. Deputy Speaker, in your capacity as Government to figure out how we increase the numbers in Bermuda. Certainly, our birth rate is far too slow. I teased one time, and it might have been here, that we may need some people to come out of retirement and have some babies because it is a problem.
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberYou are not doing your fair share. [Laughter and crosstalk ]
Mr. L. Craig CannonierWe may need to go back to, Mr. Deputy Speaker, where our families were having the six and seven and eight kids in the families be-cause this is a real challenge that we have. And I know that immigration is a very delicate issue. We have seen as a Government …
We may need to go back to, Mr. Deputy Speaker, where our families were having the six and seven and eight kids in the families be-cause this is a real challenge that we have. And I know that immigration is a very delicate issue. We have seen as a Government how it is a very tender, tender subject. We are going to have to collectivel y figure out how we get more numbers here. With that in mind, I just want to say this here, that quite frankly, there is no indigenous people, Bermudian. This was just land that was here. So we all came here by some boat or plane or whatever you want to call it. So the blood that runs within us is very, very, very mixed up. I wish all of in here would do a DNA test because I would like to know some of the bac kground of some of us.
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberNo. No. [Laughter]
Mr. L. Craig CannonierI say that some of the . . . and I am going to speak — 548 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly [Inaudible interjections]
Mr. L. Craig CannonierI believe that Bermuda is a very intellectual place because of the mixing of blood that we do have. I truly believe that. So, we are going to have to find a way to get more people to this Island because we know that as a people it is not …
I believe that Bermuda is a very intellectual place because of the mixing of blood that we do have. I truly believe that. So, we are going to have to find a way to get more people to this Island because we know that as a people it is not enough.
Hon. Walter H. Roban: We need to have more babies.
Mr. L. Crai g CannonierWe need to have more babies, as the Deputy [Premier] says. So, I will be looking forward to some of the solutions that the Government may come up with as we move forward here. And I will continue to seek out as we were challenged this morning in our . …
We need to have more babies, as the Deputy [Premier] says. So, I will be looking forward to some of the solutions that the Government may come up with as we move forward here. And I will continue to seek out as we were challenged this morning in our . . . I was kind of saying, Well, man, . . . I wanted to say some things back about the crime issue and I realised, you know what? It is not going to add to the solution to it. So, I am going to forgive myself for getting upset with you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, and say, I understand exactly what you were attempting to say. I just didn’t r eceive it like I should have, maybe. But I do want Bermuda to understand that this issue of immigration is going to have to be addressed if we are going to improve th e plight of our people. Every person in here is paying too much tax because there are not enough of us. Now, there are other opportunities that I believe that the Honourable Member Commissiong . . . I am trying to remember. Is it [constituency] 17 is his s eat? [Inaudible interjections]
Mr. L. Craig CannonierI am trying to remember the number, but I understand exactly some of what he is attempting to get to here, and I hope we can find a solution to this. But immigration in Bermuda has to be addressed ASAP. Because whether or not it is a PLP Government, an …
I am trying to remember the number, but I understand exactly some of what he is attempting to get to here, and I hope we can find a solution to this. But immigration in Bermuda has to be addressed ASAP. Because whether or not it is a PLP Government, an OBA Government, or whatever other party comes up to be Government, it will not be able to find the revenues that it needs if we do not increase the base of those paying into the tax system here in Bermuda. And so I hope that some of what I have said has helped Bermudians to understand a little more about the Paradise Papers , and what exactly is the nature of what we do in Bermuda. It is very important. I know that we go about our daily lives, whatever i ndustry we may be in, but we need to understand the main contributor to our GDP’s plight and what it does, and why it wants to be in Bermuda. I mean, what great opportunity we have that Brexit took place. They want to come here. It is creating opportunities for us. And so the rhetoric or the message that is coming from us should be opening up our arms. We can see right now wher e we have got a President of the United States who is looking at building up walls. Well, we need to be breaking down just about every wall we can find. Let’s mix this blood up some more. Let’s get more people coming into the country and I believe that this will continue to be and has always been why we have been as great as we are. Thank you, Mr. [Deputy] Speaker.
The Deputy SpeakerDeputy SpeakerThank you, Member, from constituency 12. I recognise the Member, Mr. Lister, from constituency . . .
The Deputy SpeakerDeputy SpeakerTwenty -eight. You have the floor, Mr. Lister.
Mr. Dennis Lister IIIGood evening, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I first want to apologise. I do not have any stories about fast cars like my honourable colleague,
Mr. Dennis Lister IIIBut I do want to speak to just a few points on what we have accomplished on our 100 - day pledge that we made in the election. Mr. Deputy Speaker, I first want to start with the college grant. I have a personal story which last night in actual …
But I do want to speak to just a few points on what we have accomplished on our 100 - day pledge that we made in the election. Mr. Deputy Speaker, I first want to start with the college grant. I have a personal story which last night in actual fact came back to me. I feel very proud of this story. In my campaigning for the election I came across a constituent of mine. He had previous experience of working in the financial and insurance industry. After a few years he got out and now he is working in the labour industry. We spoke and he said how he wants to get back into the financial industry but he does not know how ex actly what he has to do to get back in. From my own experience a few years ago, I took the ACCA accountant course up at the Bermuda College. So I told him, You know, when it comes up again, just give it a try and see how it works for you. This was back in June and July. Last night I happened to attend the Rugby Classic with the Premier and I ran into him. And you know, we shook hands, and the first thing he said to me was, You know, I am in the ACCA class up at the college. And you know, I had to for a
Bermuda House of Assembly minute catch myself because it made me feel good that I actually had an impact on someone. But what he said next even went a step further. He said he was one of those that got his scholarship when our Government gave the $300,000 grant to the College. So, he was one of those that took that opportunity. He is now in the course. He signed up to take the exam final next month and looks forward to going on to the next course next year. So, Mr. Deputy Speaker, that right there shows that one of our pledges that w e made, which was to give a grant to the Bermuda College for st udents to go on scholarship to further their education and to give themselves more opportunities to make a better future for themselves, that right there, Mr. Dep-uty Speaker, is a prime example of why our Gover nment did that. Secondly, Mr. Deputy Speaker, I want to speak to another pledge of ours, which was to give the sports club loan guarantee. As for myself, Mr. Deputy Speaker, as an avid sports person, anything that helps to improve and bet ter our sports clubs is dear to my heart. And, again, I also have a personal story with this pledge of ours. A few weeks ago I was reached out to by a member of one of our sports clubs. Unfortunately, this sports club does not have a club house. They do not own their own field, so they do not have a way to ge nerate income. Any expenses that they have the me mbers, the players themselves, they take care of the expenses. So one of the members reached out to me to see how we as a Government with this programme can help them because they would like to upgrade . . . for them, it is just having lights so that they have a youth programme. At night -time they are limited to the amount of work they can put in because once the sun goes down, they do not have lights. T he senior players, they cannot train for extended hours because, again, they do not have lights. So, they reached out to me to see what we can do. This sports loan programme guarantee is exactly why we did this, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Because clubs that woul d like to better themselves, whether they do have an income stream or they do not have an income stream, they can now go to the Gover nment and look to us to help get this loan guarantee so that they can do whatever it is they need to do. Whether it is a cl ub just putting up lights, or whether it is a club that wants to upgrade their infrastructure, or to clubs that maybe want to introduce more pr ogrammes to their club. Mr. Deputy Speaker, it has been a vision of mine for some time now to see all of our com munity clubs . . . because each one of our clubs in our community, they are the heartbeat of their communities. When you grow up in your neighbourhood and you support that team, this is your team because you grew up in that neighbourhood. You identify with them. But, sad to say, a lot of our clubs are in a state that we ourselves are not proud of to say, Okay. That’s my club. There might be broken doors, broken windows, and bathrooms that are not in a decent order. So, Mr. Deputy Speaker, this programme goes to address and correct those issues so that if you are a club, and yes, we know that for 90 per cent of our clubs in Bermuda their number -one revenue stream is the bar. But it is an unfortunate thing that we have to rely on selling a poison to our own people to create money for our clubs. So, Mr. Deputy Speaker, this programme, this loan guarantee, if a club . . . let us say I am the president of a club. Instead of relying on our bar for income, let us say that I want to fix up a room so we can use it to rent out to, let us say, far mers’ markets and all these markets, they do not have to be on the street. We can bring them into our com-munity club. So, if I am a president of a club and I want to fix up a room, or I just want fix up a space, now I can get s ome rent . . . a loan, some money in this loan programme to fix up this room so that in this way I can then create rent and create some income from renting out to whatever the purpose is, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Also, our youth programmes. Bermudians, young people, namely in football and cricket where these sports clubs are, yes, we have the opportunities. But [due to] lack of funds we are, especially at a certain level . . . up until the age of 13 or 14, most young Bermudians are just as good as any of those around the world. But it is that next step, Mr. Deputy Speaker, where we tend to fall off because we do not have the funding to help support and develop our ta lent. So if this programme . . . if a club then again wants to go and get some funding so that t hey can improve their programme, whether it is operating their goals, operating the facilities around the field, bringing in some shelter, anything, Mr. Deputy Speaker, to help improve the infrastructure of their programmes. Thirdly, Mr. [Deputy] Speaker, I want to speak to the doubling of the guarantee of the Bermuda Ec onomic Development Corporation. This goes a long way, Mr. Deputy Speaker, in assisting Bermudians because there are many Bermudians who have dreams, whether it is of owning their own business, or whether it is just opening up a side business that they can help supplement their lack of income from another job. So this goes to helping them because . . . and I know just as a young person in Bermuda, there are many young people my age that have ideas, whether it is to open up a clothes store or any type of business they want to open up, they have the idea. They have their dreams. But the number -one setback is getting the funding, or it is coming up with a business plan to get the funding for this , Mr. Deputy Speaker. So with this doubling of the guarantee, again, this is much -needed help and support for all Bermudians. And when I say “young” Bermudians, I stress it 550 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly because that gives us an opportunity and a chance to use our talent and our skills to better ourselves. So, Mr. Deputy Speaker, I did not want to be too long tonight. So I just had my three points that I spoke on and I commend my Government, our Go vernment, on taking these pledges and going through with them to help make Bermuda, as we state over and over again, a fairer and better Bermuda for all Bermudians, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Thank you.
The Deputy SpeakerDeputy SpeakerThank you. That is the Honourable Member Dennis Lister, III. Any further speakers? The Chair recognises the Honourable Member Baron from constituency 25. VIOLENCE IN BERMUDA
Mr. Jeff BaronThank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I rise today to discuss a matter that we are all aware of and we have all discussed in the last decade which is violence in Bermuda. Certainly last week, Mr. Deputy Speaker, [after] an unexpected short session, whether we were at home enjoying time …
Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I rise today to discuss a matter that we are all aware of and we have all discussed in the last decade which is violence in Bermuda. Certainly last week, Mr. Deputy Speaker, [after] an unexpected short session, whether we were at home enjoying time with family or out with friends we were disrupted by yet another r eport of someone who was gunned down and lost their life. So, Mr. Deputy Speaker, seven or eight years ago the call to the community was to go beyond fear. The community was shattered, broken, afraid of all of the instances of gun violence, of gang activity, and the threats. Not only were some communities, historically harmed communities, unsafe stati stically, they also felt unsafe. And the call collectively from the thenOpposition [and] from the then- Government in the midst of an election season was for us as a community to go beyond fear. Mr. Deputy Speaker, I rise today and I ask, I do not invite, I encourage Bermuda right now, to go beyond apathy. There is a stark difference to what is happening now in the reaction of the public to these shootings and these deaths, than there was seven or eight years ago. And that does not mean, Mr. Deputy Speaker, that the lives lost now are any less, or any less i mportant, or less impactful, or any less dangerous, or any less disgusting for the communities, and harmful for the communities. In fact, I would argue that they are more harmful. Why? Because within minutes of this incident happening, Mr. Deputy Speaker, most of Bermuda saw what was going on. We saw the images of police officers applying first aid and of people crying and yelling out the victim’s name. You were transpor ted there. You felt that emotion. You prayed. You wanted that person to pull through. You looked at that police officer’s eyes and you said, Please, make it happen. Save this person. That was not around five years ago. We were not proliferating videos and videoing as soon as we came up to a fatal accident, as soon as we came to a robbery, a shooting. The first response we most have is to take out a cell phone and video it. That is the r eality of today. And yet, by transporting Mr. and Mrs. Bermuda wherever you are —from their homes, from a night club, from a restaurant —onto a very grotesque and emotionally charged scene, yet we are still som ehow apathetic. I remember when an Honourable Minister walked in eight years ago, when there was a shooting, I marched with him and his brother on St. Moni ca’s Road when there was a shooting on Good Friday. As a member of Crime Stoppers I stood shoulder -toshoulder with the Honourable Minister and his brother so that we could raise $100,000 to catch that person. Thos e were the reactions then. Now, . . . Here is the problem. I want to outline a few different things using some of the statistics, because I desperately want Bermudians to understand from all walks of life, from the demographics who have not stood over a casket, that it is their skin in the game. And there are things that they can do. I will reflect on a speech I made in July of 2016. Here is the challenge: There have been over 40 homicides, Mr. Deputy Speaker, in the last 10 years —40 homicides —all young black males. You are going to hear a pattern here today, folks. Over 135 persons have been injured by firearms —mostly all young black males. Some were young black females. There is now over 51 young black males convicted and sentenced to prison for these crimes. [There are] 23 young black males who are serving life sentences. I want to pause there and explain to you what the difference is of a life sentence. In 1987, Mr. Deputy Speaker, there were seven people out of the total of our entire population in the correction system serving a life sentenc e—seven people total. As of May 2017, the number may have gone up. It was 34 people serving life sentences here in Bermuda. As I just mentioned, 23 of those 34 are young black males, males under the age of 30 that are washed and gone; that are locked away for their crimes. They have gone through the criminal justice system. But the challenge here is not simply that they are going away for life. It is not simply that we have lost 40 people to homicides, or 130 people have been injured, it is the young black demographic that we are losing. The speaker earlier on, my colleague, Mr. Cannonier, mentioned it. Many people have mentioned it here today. It is not simply just about the crime. We have to talk in real terms about losing this demographic. Beyond those here in Bermuda, there has been an estimate from April of 2017, while I was a Minister, from the Department of Home Affairs and Government House, that they approximated 220 Bermudians had relocated to the United Kingdom in the last eight to 10 years. We cannot say, of course, why they have done that, but when we drill down, through the police intelligence, into the names, and when we
Bermuda House of Assembly drill into where they are from, there is a strong norm ative presumption that many of these people are em igrating to avoid the violence, the cycle of violence that they may be trapped up in, that their families may be trapped up in, or frankly, the trauma of having to drive down the same street where their brothers were killed. They have gone—approximately 220. So if you are doi ng back -of-the-napkin, or r eceipt, mathematics on all those numbers, we are tal king over 500 people —mostly young black males —that are not here. They are not here today; they would never be able to come into the Gallery to listen to their elected leaders speak. Why? Because they are dead, because they are incarcerated, because they have left the Island, because they are injured and they cannot go anywhere from St. George’s near to town. That is our reality and yet we are encouraging Bermudians to be careful and, please, do not be apathetic toward this anymore. There are some obvious roadblocks. Some of the roadblocks that I have hig hlighted are politics, success, our isolation, and, i ndeed, the future. Politics. How is that a roadblock to success? Well, we h ave various positions politically, of course, we have to deal with in politics. Massive inequality, job inequality, racial inequality, historical harms — particularly in some of these neighbourhoods that have been harmed—like the one we saw on the video last weekend. There are many who have watched that and said, Where is that from? Oh, there was a shooting there two years ago. Almost the same scene. And it is true. But what we are not saying is that this community is further harmed again. Job issues. All of these things. Politics is a significant hurdle. [It] can be, but it should not be. And I will get back to that. Success. How can success in public safety in crime reduction actually be a roadblock for the overall success in disrupting violence in Bermuda i n engaging and empowering our communities? Simple. When we have years, Mr. Deputy Speaker, where the crime drops on your graph, and it comes to budget time, you say to yourself, Well, perhaps we have gotten this one taken care of, let’s put the money elsew here, instead of making that investment in some public safety, i nstead of making some investment in our community response, because we are getting some success. We have the numbers. We have low numbers. Only a few people were shot instead of 12. And you ca n see the bar graph here, and some of that success, Mr. Deputy Speaker, came under the One Bermuda Alliance. And I can say to you, that we did not act fast enough to incorporate many of the policies that we have now because of the success, because a tradeoff is made. Look! We have the lowest crime rates, the lowest amount of homicides we have had in a long time. We need to focus on this ( whether it was an economic issue [or] whether it was an educational issue ). That is how success may be a roadblock. Bermuda’s isolation, alone. When I did travel and speak, and the Minister, of course, now being a part of the National Network for Safe Communities, will be doing the same thing. He will be going overseas. He will be meeting with peers and contemporar-ies d iscussing the contextual issues from where they are from, how that matters to them, what it looks like. Bermuda is extremely unique, even so for the Cari bbean. Why? Because we are so tremendously isolated. Now, from a national security perspective, that provides us comfort in a lot of different ways. Howe ver, when we are talking about group violence intervention on our home, on our very small home here, Mr. Deputy Speaker, where are we to take them? There is no witness relocation programme here. That is wh y many of them are going over to the UK. That is why many of them are begging into the Mirrors’ office, Please, send me to the States. I want to go to Al abama. I have a cousin who is there. Please. I just want to get out of here. And they have nowhere to go. And then we have the issue of the Stop List. Then they cannot travel. Then they may be on bail or something. They are literally imprisoned in Bermuda. They are walking around on Reid Street and Church Street, but they are imprisoned here because they cannot leave anywhere simply because of our isol ation. That is a massive roadblock for this success. We have to be clear -eyed about that. And, the future. How does the future present a roadblock to our success? I mentioned statistics earl ier about the number of people killed through these homicides. The number of people who are injured and, indeed, the gentleman who lost his life last week, his family was a victim of gun violence approximately six years ago when his father was shot, but he survived. My point is that often there is a cycle that goes with this, depending on activities, behaviours, but also where you are living as well. So, again, as of May, my numbers are obv iously not accurate because unfortunately we have had homicides since I have left the Minister’s office, and unfortunately the victims of those homicides were parents with young children. There were 62 in May — 62 children left behind by gun violence from the 10 years. Ninety per cent of them were under the age of 10. Ninety per cent of thes e children are under the age of 10 years old. There was one man who was shot and killed who left behind 13 children. Now, if we are as a community, if we are as a Government, if we are as an Island able to rehabilitate to fantastic statistics saving —whate ver that looks like to you —80 per cent of those 13 kids, is still going to produce two, three or four of them that wake up every day saying, I am going to get my daddy’s guy back. It is about vendetta. That is a tremendous weight to carry as a child. [Ther e were] 62 children in the last 10 years. And those numbers have gone up. I understand the latest victim had children, as well. My heart 552 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly grieves for those children. I am a father of an eight - year-old. And I try my best to separate what I do here, and when I go home it is different, but it is impossible to do because that is real. We live in a small comm unity. It is so upsetting to know that. So upsetting to go to these funerals and to see these young children as king people around them, Why is dad gone? Wher e is he? Why isn’t he here? What is going on? Those are some significant roadblocks to the success that we may have as a jurisdiction. And I say “we” purposefully. I know, I am pretty clear, I am no longer the Minister, but I say “we” because I have made in both personal and private terms, and publicly, a commitment to not only the Progressive Labour Party but the Minister himself. I will do whatever I can do, whatever I can offer, wherever I can offer, my assi stance in regard to this space. I have lived t his for the last five years. It impacts me emotionally and so I am not leaving this space. I am not looking at a gig in Tourism. This is it. So, I say “we” for a reason. Because I believe . . . and I am going to end on an interesting quote that I heard today and I think we should continue to repeat because it was one of the better quotes, certainly, r egarding partisan politics. But there are some solutions and one of the biggest solutions is the pivot toward social engagement. [These are] focused deterrents — focused deterrents. What do I mean by focused deterrents? Well, I am going to break some numbers down for you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, because some of these are quite bothersome. So, if we have 65,000 people in Bermuda, give or take (I do not know the exact numbers now), and according to the intelligence of the Police Service, there are at maximum —at maximum —at any time, 30 persons who are committed, who are ready, or who have already established themselves as active shooters for gangs or groups in Bermuda. T hirty! Thirty people! And that sounds like a lot, and it is. Thirty at max. But that number represents, Mr. Deputy Speaker, 0.0461 of our population —0.0461 of Bermuda. We are essentially, Mr. Deputy Speaker, being terrorised by 0.0461 of our population. T hose are the facts. That is why focused deterrents will work. The outline, whether we call it Ceasefire or whether we call it the National Network for Safer Communities they are all essentially the same thing. Not only does it focus on the social aspects, the root causes, which is why I chose it, it also is very clear about focused deterrents. It is not going to get a large net and stop and search 500 people every weekend in hopes of getting two people who are bad. That is not what is going to happen. It is a focused deterrent. They [are] intelligence led, they are surgical in their strikes, and they are dealing with that small population. They are burning calories, Mr. Deputy Speaker, on the 0.04. Not on the entire Island and not on every young black male who drives a bike with a tinted visor. That was 10 years ago, not today. Last week I heard a line in the Premier’s 100day Statement. I did not want to address it then. I just gently want to address it now. I understand, Mr. Dep uty Speaker, the political frame and the messaging b ehind the OBA was about big business. It was not about the people, and we did not do this, and we were unable to have tough conversations about this. Well, let me say something very clearly. When it comes to public safety, when it comes to gang violence, I take particular exception to that. I know that there are Members from my side and across [the aisle] who are quite aware that I have never, Mr. Deputy Speaker, shied away from a difficult conversation.
Mr. Jeff BaronIn July of 2016, the daily paper ended up putting the banner headline where I mentioned the cutting down this imagery of Two Bermudas. A year before this was used as a platform. I have mentioned the Two Bermudas becaus e it is real. I mentioned the Two Bermudas because …
In July of 2016, the daily paper ended up putting the banner headline where I mentioned the cutting down this imagery of Two Bermudas. A year before this was used as a platform. I have mentioned the Two Bermudas becaus e it is real. I mentioned the Two Bermudas because we are having to deal with this honestly and openly. And I am not going to shy away from that, particularly when it involves gun vi olence. That is why, Mr. Speaker —thank you for taking your Chair.
[Hon. D ennis P. Lister, Jr., Speaker, in the Chair]
Mr. Jeff BaronThat is why we have done Cash Back [for Communities], we have G.R.E.A.T. [ Gang R esistance Education And Training] , we have StreetSafe. The pivot toward social engagement is working. I am going to end on a quote because I know I have a minute left.
Mr. Jeff BaronToday regarding the papers, more than ever the Premier says on this issue, Bermuda needs a “chorus of unity and not the dissonance of partisan dissent .” I agree. I agree; we have each other’s backs because when the world comes after Bermuda we circle the wagons and we protect …
Today regarding the papers, more than ever the Premier says on this issue, Bermuda needs a “chorus of unity and not the dissonance of partisan dissent .” I agree. I agree; we have each other’s backs because when the world comes after Bermuda we circle the wagons and we protect each other. “More than ever on this issue Bermuda needs a chorus of unity and not the dissonance of partisan dissent .” I submit to you that this statement can be cut and paste and put on every single public safety speech that we do from here in and here out. Because this transcends politics, Mr. Speaker. We are talking about lives lost, we are talking about lives traum atised, we are talking about a demographic that is gone from Bermuda. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you for those comments. Bermuda House of Assembly Does any other Member wish to speak? I recognise the Honourable Member from constituency 11. Honourable Member Famous you have the floor.
Mr. Christopher FamousGood afternoon, Mr. Speaker, and the Gallery. I find it interesting that the last speaker spoke about [how] he does not shy away from convers ations.
Mr. Christopher FamousBecause I remember twice that the last speaker spoke about it’s time to have a difficult conversation. And during the four and a half years, there was no difficult conversation about race in Bermuda by the previous Government.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerPoint of order? POINT OF ORDER [Misleading]
Mr. Jeff BaronThank you. The Member is misleading the House. I have given two public interviews r egarding race, in 2017 and 2016. [Inaudible interjections]
Mr. Jeff BaronPoint of order, Mr. Speaker. POINT OF ORDER [Misleading]
Mr. Jeff BaronAgain, misleading the House. He is suggesting that there was no conversation. I said clearly in my speech I have not shied away from the topic. And I have not shied away from the topic, so if he would like to talk about my other colleagues, then he can mention …
Again, misleading the House. He is suggesting that there was no conversation. I said clearly in my speech I have not shied away from the topic. And I have not shied away from the topic, so if he would like to talk about my other colleagues, then he can mention them by name. But he will not stand up here, Mr. Speaker —
The SpeakerThe SpeakerOkay. Okay. Your point is made.
Mr. Jeff Baron—and suggest that I have shied away from that speech. [Inaudible interjections]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerNow, now, Members! Members! [Inaudible interjections]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMr. Famous, you have floor. Continue, please. “LEARNING FROM OUR ENEMIES”
Mr. Christopher FamousYou can tell a lo t when people get angry, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today many of us had the pleasure of attending the 49 th Annual Prayer Breakfast. I want to thank the organising committee for that. And there was a speaker there, Mr. Carlos Austin . His topic …
You can tell a lo t when people get angry, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today many of us had the pleasure of attending the 49 th Annual Prayer Breakfast. I want to thank the organising committee for that. And there was a speaker there, Mr. Carlos Austin . His topic was “Learn ing from Our Enemies.” (Give me a minute, Mr. Speaker. I got side tracked by someone being angry.)
The SpeakerThe SpeakerSpeak to me and you will not have to worry about getting side tracked. [Inaudible interjections]
Mr. Christopher FamousMr. Speaker, good day from the Robin Hood Corner . Today at the 49 th Annual Prayer Breakfast, Mr. Carlos Austin spoke about “Learning from Our Enemies.” Mr. Speaker, I have spent my entire life, much like everyone else on that side, being political ene-mies with the UBP. Then being …
Mr. Speaker, good day from the Robin Hood Corner . Today at the 49 th Annual Prayer Breakfast, Mr. Carlos Austin spoke about “Learning from Our Enemies.” Mr. Speaker, I have spent my entire life, much like everyone else on that side, being political ene-mies with the UBP. Then being political enemies with the OBA. We win the election hands down and where do I end up? Sitting next to my political enemies. But instead of getting angry like some of them, I will learn from them. What I have learned to be an effective pol itician, is that effective politicians need to communicate with all the people, not just the people that voted. Not just the people who voted for them. Communicate with everyone. Effective politicians stay focused on what the people are most concerned about. Not what just some of the people are concerned about. We all have been guilty of focusing on small things, but as politicians, as the speaker said today, we have to focus on what everybody cares about because we are here to repr esent everyone. Most of all, Mr. Speaker, we have to have empathy. And what has been demonstrated by a few of the speakers today is that there is a lack of empathy. Anyo ne can get up here and speak sound bites, anyone can have interviews in the newspaper, but to have that real conversation you have to be with the people, not just talk about the people. So, what I am trying to say, Mr. Speaker, is that all of us can look on the other side of the aisle here and say, Oh, it’s those 554 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly guys over there. It’s those guys’ fault. But what are we doing to learn from those guys’ mistakes? Well, I know what Robin Hood Corner is doing over here, Mr. Speaker. Today we saw in the newspaper that the ed itor spoke about the former Premier, the Honourable Member from constituency 10. He basically said that that Honourable Member was the only chance or hope for the One Bermuda Alliance. That is a sad state for our political enemies if the only hope for the OBA is for the former Premier of this country to get up on F acebook and fly off the handle with people who do not agree with him . . . that is a sad state, Mr. Speaker. We need to have more robust discussion inside here. Not just one person on his Twitter, on Facebook, speaking for a whole demographic. We also heard the other former Premier from constituency 12 kind of allude to another party. That is also a sad state. That the former Government seems to be . . . I do not know, discombobulating soon. [Inaudible interjections]
Mr. Christopher FamousSo what I am saying to our political enemies [is that] I am not here to lambast you. I am going to point out what you did; but I want you to learn from us as well. Learn that, yes, we are going to have differences of opinion, but for …
So what I am saying to our political enemies [is that] I am not here to lambast you. I am going to point out what you did; but I want you to learn from us as well. Learn that, yes, we are going to have differences of opinion, but for you to be effective for the 40 per cent of the people that voted for you, you need to get your act in order because it has been three years. You see this Robin Hood Corner ? It will be expanded. I guarantee you that. So, what I am saying, Mr. Speaker, is that taking a lesson from the Prayer Breakfast today all of us have a lesson to learn from those that we do not readi ly agree with. Do not get angry, mate. Learn from what I am telling you. Have that conversation. Do n ot sit here and call me a “rookie” because every day of my life I have been black. So, I know what is going on every day. Come over here and come talk to me. I will tell you what is going on in the communities. [Inaudible interjections]
Mr. Christopher Famous—is that a ll of us, again, . . . I am going to close with that. All of us have something to learn from ever ybody on either side of the floor. And each of us over the course of this next parliamentary session, take a moment. Go speak …
—is that a ll of us, again, . . . I am going to close with that. All of us have something to learn from ever ybody on either side of the floor. And each of us over the course of this next parliamentary session, take a moment. Go speak with —not speak to, not speak about —the other guys. Speak with them. They are not going to change you into an OBA supporter. And we are not going to change them into PLP supporters. But we can change each other into better Bermudians. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Member. Does any other Member wish to speak? I recognise the Member from constituency 2, the Honourable Member Swan. You have the floor. VIOLENCE IN BERMUDA
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. SwanAnd I want to speak to what just took place here in this House, and I do not negate the sincerity of the honourable former Minister of [National] Security about the issues that affect young black men. I really — [Inaudible interjections]
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. SwanFrom where I sit, I believe that this is his trade. I take my trade very seriously. I owe a lot of my life to my trade, and I am sure he owes a lot of his life to his trade. So, I listen when he speaks. I do not …
From where I sit, I believe that this is his trade. I take my trade very seriously. I owe a lot of my life to my trade, and I am sure he owes a lot of his life to his trade. So, I listen when he speaks. I do not always agree with what I feel is why he is saying what he is saying, but I respect that he brings a level of knowledge from his trade to the con-versation. I also listened to the young gentleman who spoke immediately thereafter who was once my pol itical adversary. In my life in politics, Mr. Speaker, I will tell you that I have learned . . . I was taught to learn from my adversaries.
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. SwanI was taught that by a great man named Herman Santucci Bascome. The greatest golfer to ever live in Bermuda. He taught me my trade by having to watch and emulate him. He was a great orator. But he knew the importance of his su bject having to pay attention. …
I was taught that by a great man named Herman Santucci Bascome. The greatest golfer to ever live in Bermuda. He taught me my trade by having to watch and emulate him. He was a great orator. But he knew the importance of his su bject having to pay attention. And what is not happe ning, and what I witnessed take place was . . . we live in a space in a country where people are not prepared to pay attention to the people of our country. Public safety is a very important topic. The last two speakers are very passionate for different
Bermuda House of Assembly reasons. I think the Honourable Member from consti tuency 11, MP Famous, lives in the community. You hear him bring congratulations and condolences to people in the community. But I have spent a lot of time with him, up and down this country. And I know that when he speaks . . . no, more importantly, I know when people speak he listens. And when he speaks he is carrying the message of thousands in our community. So, it would bother me when I would hear i nterpolations that would suggest that we would need to level ourselves to a place where there is no relevance to what Mr. Famous said. Because the message he brought this morning came from the actual Prayer Breakfast which some of us attended.
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. SwanAnd some of us partic ipated, some of us appreciate, and most of us need.
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. SwanAnd, Mr. Speaker, I want to say that the subject that the Honourable Shadow Minister raised is one of great importance. The fact that he would raise it, and the fact that he would feel comfortable enough to speak about black males and the plight of the bl ack community …
And, Mr. Speaker, I want to say that the subject that the Honourable Shadow Minister raised is one of great importance. The fact that he would raise it, and the fact that he would feel comfortable enough to speak about black males and the plight of the bl ack community does not mean that he is within comfort in the space that he stands. I think I understand that as well as anybody. Mr. Speaker, I am not the longest -serving member in this House, but I think my name appeared on the ballot box long before any body else in this House. I am here to say that yesterday we buried my cousin, Reginald Burrows, and I am here to say that we need statesmen in this country to be able to save our people.
[Desk thumping]
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. SwanYes. And you know, this morning that message was real, real enough for one of our newest Members to recognise its significance and bring it here. Real enough to ignite the passion of a young Member, who sits on the other side, who feels strongly about a subject that impacts …
Yes. And you know, this morning that message was real, real enough for one of our newest Members to recognise its significance and bring it here. Real enough to ignite the passion of a young Member, who sits on the other side, who feels strongly about a subject that impacts all of us to be able to draw out interpolations from the Honour able Member who raised the subject for him to raise the most important point that exists in this country. Those of us who are black, have been black for 60 years, 40 years, 35 years, and we will be black until the day we die. And if we in this country do not share in the economic pie, if we in this country are the ones that are unemployed, if we in this country are the ones who are being glossed over for promotion, if we are the ones that are going t o be able to look at the statistics that it is going to adversely impact us, then it is time for some people to realise that unless they want to be what Reggie Burrows represented, this country needs blacks more than ever.
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. SwanMore than ever, Mr. Speaker. I did not have intentions to speak, but I had a few notes jotted down. And it has been 100 and seven or eight days, and we fulfilled promises made to the people of Bermuda, who, Mr. Speaker, for four and a half long years …
More than ever, Mr. Speaker. I did not have intentions to speak, but I had a few notes jotted down. And it has been 100 and seven or eight days, and we fulfilled promises made to the people of Bermuda, who, Mr. Speaker, for four and a half long years endured what I would not wish any of our people to have to endure. They endured gover nance that Public Enemy wrote a song about. Michael Jackson wrote a song about it. They really did not care about us. And it was not something that I could have made up and said. I was a juror once, and a young lawyer was presenting at this case down on Front Street, she happens to sit right [there] intercepting you and me. She said, Your actions speak louder than your words. I remember t hat; I was a juror. Thos e days ladies . . . send a shout -out to any of those jurors. They fixed me. They made me the foreman right away to neutralise me. First time on a jury. They said, Your actions speak louder than your words. Remember that, Honourable Member? R emember that w hen you were young?
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. SwanAnd the thing was this, that when your fi rst course of action is to change the electoral role by virtue of a loophole that created a situation, it creates some suspicions because the people who ended up protesting were persons who were brought up in protest. You know? People …
And the thing was this, that when your fi rst course of action is to change the electoral role by virtue of a loophole that created a situation, it creates some suspicions because the people who ended up protesting were persons who were brought up in protest. You know? People who 556 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly are 75 today, the y are saying, My gosh. I didn’t think that I would have to be out here wearing out my shoes on this situation. But I love my grandchildren so much that I want to show them what needs to be done. M aterialism has snatched a hold on this country. Turned our people upside down. So when the Honourable Member who speaks in the Shadow position in regard to public safety, and he is comfortable in his own skin to be able to talk about “black,” he does not speak from a place where that type of language has any currency —any currency—whatsoever! Because the final speech of a young man from Southampton, Seymour Farm, said that at the Caucus, nothing was said [about] double murders.
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. SwanNothing! And in the Throne Speech Reply, Mr. Speaker, the very essence . . . Look! The body was not even cold down in St. George’s, down there off the Northshore yet, and persons spoke making reference to . . . and I was always brought up, you know, show …
Nothing! And in the Throne Speech Reply, Mr. Speaker, the very essence . . . Look! The body was not even cold down in St. George’s, down there off the Northshore yet, and persons spoke making reference to . . . and I was always brought up, you know, show some r espect for your mama . Definitely sh ow some respect for the dead.
[Inaudible interjection]
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. SwanDon’t speak ill; that’s right. And so from that point of view I was som ewhat concerned. In the 100 days of a labour gover nment, you want to know what I want to hear, Mr. Speaker? Because most people would say, Look, l abour government can’t govern money. You …
Don’t speak ill; that’s right. And so from that point of view I was som ewhat concerned. In the 100 days of a labour gover nment, you want to know what I want to hear, Mr. Speaker? Because most people would say, Look, l abour government can’t govern money. You know, they aren’t good with m oney. You know, labour gover nments just give, give, give, give. Notwithstanding that the previous labour government that I used to criticise had Bermuda in the most growing economy up until the recession came. The Premier of this country went a foreign . . . to places like Brussels, places like London, places like Paris (I believe) to represent Bermuda in the international fare. This young Premier, the youngest in Berm uda’s history, appeared on BBC. And I want to tell you I watched that YouTube and I watched that guy holding there with some swagger, and I wanted . . . he called him “David” and you know, the young Premier was calm. And he represented Bermuda, not from talking points, you know. Because had he not done an exceptional job, every newspaper would have covered that from the day he spoke it to today. Every newspaper would have been covering the way in which he handled himself which did not represent international business and finance in this country the way it should have been. But he did so with except ional representation, and understanding of the subject matter. I applaud him. I applauded him. I salute him and I am proud of him. Because we in this country have a long, long, long, long, long way to go when you talk about black men. Young black children of vulnerable families need young black men like the Honourable David Burt to look up to. And they also need young black men and women to hold board appointments in corporations. I remember my cousin, Reggie Burrows, ma king that speech in 1998. Yes, any t he Honourable Members remember cousin Reggie speaking about the need for business to embrace the PLP?
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. SwanI remember a former Premier of this country and also Leader of the Oppos ition, a Leader of mine. I love her dearly. Respect her to this day. [I remember her] saying, Business doesn’t support parties, they support governments. Well, this party is the Gover nment of the day. And …
I remember a former Premier of this country and also Leader of the Oppos ition, a Leader of mine. I love her dearly. Respect her to this day. [I remember her] saying, Business doesn’t support parties, they support governments. Well, this party is the Gover nment of the day. And this Gover nment promised Bermuda First. And I want to say this for the persons who would be naysayers to that, and say it is not a good idea. It is a good idea when you come from a labour background and the people who are your delegates may be persons who are in the working- class co mmunity who have very good ideas. I was trained by those persons —plumbers and carpenters, and chamber maids (not as great in abundance today) as we were bus boys and . . . but we have to represent all peopl e. Because I heard in the first 100 days, Well, you guys, you do it right and we will be there. No! Business needs to be in concert and work with this Government. International companies, local companies, it is not the us and them, because if the Oppos ition were honest with themselves, they are not in step with their business community. They are not. And I think they know they are not. But we are the Government, Mr. Speaker, and I look for our PLP Government to represent all people fairly . . . and when yo u say you are going to work for fairness, you cannot do it in isolation of appreciation that there has been a great deal of unfairness taking place in this country for decades. And so, levelling that playing field we must make no apologies about needing to do this, because it is the right thing to do. And I look forward to the day when the “Exodus” that Bob Marley sang about that Bermuda actually lived will be in reverse when our people start coming back to our shores to celebrate the economic empowerment renaissance that needs to take place, must take place, should take place in Bermuda for our people. Working men’s clubs were mentioned in our platform. Much can be done to even address the very problem that was spoken about by the previous two
Bermuda House of Assembly speakers as w e talked about gang violence and how it impacts our families throughout Bermuda. I remember a speech by my good friend, Cal Smith, when I sat opposite (ah, opposite!) when he reminded us in that other place of the importance of football for letting the wind out of the tension that could be in the community. Why would he understand that? Well, it just so happens that he used to be an official in the Bermuda Football Association, as is my colleague sitting right next to me here. When you are connected with the community, people will tell you things of how they are feeling. So we must not get up in this place and negate that connectivity.
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. SwanThat is the spirit of J uly 18 th, [2017], and 1998, where people exhale. Mr. Speaker, I just want to finish off by saying that the Bermuda that I hope we can leave is one where we look at our social problems in much the same way that we …
That is the spirit of J uly 18 th, [2017], and 1998, where people exhale. Mr. Speaker, I just want to finish off by saying that the Bermuda that I hope we can leave is one where we look at our social problems in much the same way that we would look at a problem that the Paradise Papers . . . we would look at our social pro blems with much the same urgency that we would look at the way in which the OECD [ Organisation of Ec onomic Cooperation and Development] brings financial matters to our attention. Because if the revelation of the Paradise [Papers] leak is alarm bells in the financial community, then what is taking place in our social communities is that times a hundred.
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. SwanNow, I think that is what the Honourable former Shadow Minister was alluding to when he was relating statistics. But those of us who grew up playing football, those of us who people know by our nickname, those of us that know that Musk is speaking to you today, are …
Now, I think that is what the Honourable former Shadow Minister was alluding to when he was relating statistics. But those of us who grew up playing football, those of us who people know by our nickname, those of us that know that Musk is speaking to you today, are telling you that we are concerned about our social fabric in Bermuda and no amount of arguing up here is going to address that, on appreciating and respec ting what we bring up here, as was the message at the Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast that brother Famous, the Honourable Member from constituency 11, was bringing. Because Members before us felt it not rob-bery to continue a long storied history of having a Prayer Breakfast and those that do not believe in God, fellowship is for all. And as I cl ose this morning, I will close today because the speaker caused me—
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan—to think about Eph esians which says “our God is for all.” Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: Thank you, Honourable Member. I recognise the Honourable Opposition Leader. Honourable Member, you have the floor. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is quite tragic when …
—to think about Eph esians which says “our God is for all.” Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: Thank you, Honourable Member. I recognise the Honourable Opposition Leader. Honourable Member, you have the floor. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is quite tragic when we sit in this Honourable House and listen to duplicitous ramblings from Mem bers Opposite with respect to som ething that is so key and concerning to us in our co mmunity. The issue that my honourable colleague, Jeff Baron, Member from constituency 25, alluded to is serious. And to have that undermined by somebody saying that becaus e he is white he perhaps cannot appreciate —
Mr. Rolfe CommissiongA point of order, Mr. Speaker. Point of order. [Inaudible interjections]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerNo, we will take one point of order. Honourable Member from constituency 21, you were on your feet first so I will recognise you. POINT OF ORDER [Misleading]
Mr. Rolfe CommissiongMr. Speaker, the Member is egregiously and insidiously misleading the House.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Member. Honourable Opposition Leader, continue. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members, two of them, indicated that it would be difficult for my co lleague to have an appreciation or to be able to speak about the plight of young black men, …
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. SwanPoint of order, Mr. Speaker. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: —of his present ation.
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. SwanPoint of order, Mr. Speaker. [Inaudible interjections] 558 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly The Speaker: The Honourable Member from consti tuency 2, we will take your point of order. POINT OF ORDER [Misleading]
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. SwanYes, the Honourable Member is misleading the House and herself because, Mr. Speaker, at no time in my speech did I e ver discount and appreciate what the Honourable Member had to say.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Member. Opposition Leader. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: Mr. Speaker, the Honourable Member, my honourable colleague—
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMm-hmm. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: —spoke to the plight of the difficulties being faced by young black men and young black families.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerCorrect. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: And from the presentation that was made by two Members opposite, who spoke subsequently to him, the insinuation is there that they are black and have been their entire lives. Yes, we know; they are. And we appreciate that.
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. SwanMr. Speaker — Hon. Wayne Caines: Point of order. Point of order. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: Mr. Spe aker, the Honourable Member has had 20 minutes. Hon. Wayne Caines: Point of order.
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. SwanPoint of order. POINT OF ORDER [Misleading] Hon. Wayne Caines: This Honourable Member is misleading the House. The crux of that particular comment was that the party did not do anything. He was very careful not to put that on the speaker. He said that the party, that they had …
Point of order.
POINT OF ORDER [Misleading] Hon. Wayne Caines: This Honourable Member is misleading the House. The crux of that particular comment was that the party did not do anything. He was very careful not to put that on the speaker. He said that the party, that they had the opportunity to do something to change this on a party basis. And they did not do anything as a party. He was clear on that point, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: Thank you. Minister. Honourable Opposition Leader.
Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will take their point and I will move on.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: But I think it is important to say that when my Honourable Member speaks, he speaks from a position not just of knowledge but a position of sensitivity and a positio n of concern. And for that I will support him to eternity …
Thank you.
Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: But I think it is important to say that when my Honourable Member speaks, he speaks from a position not just of knowledge but a position of sensitivity and a positio n of concern. And for that I will support him to eternity in that regard because the challenge that we have with our young black men in this community, Mr. Speaker, are problems that we have to be able to surmount. We do not hear any comments or any question of authenticity when their Member opposite speaks to young black men. So, I just want to make sure that there is no confusion that when our Members speak to the plight of young black men, that we are equally as concerned to ensure that there is no—
The SpeakerThe SpeakerQuick. POINT OF ORDER [Misleading]
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. SwanBecause the Honourable Member was saying that if the Honourable Member is speaking that he has the full support of the House. When it comes to race, I remember the Throne Speech, the maiden Throne Speech of the Honour able Member Mr. Cannonier, speaking about race and he was immediately …
Because the Honourable Member was saying that if the Honourable Member is speaking that he has the full support of the House. When it comes to race, I remember the Throne Speech, the maiden Throne Speech of the Honour able Member Mr. Cannonier, speaking about race and he was immediately distanced by his same party. That is a fact of the record in this House, Mr. Speaker. So that is not correct what the Honourable Member is saying.
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. SwanAnd we were not disi ngenuous to that gentleman, the Honourable Member,— Bermuda House of Assembly The Speaker: That point has been made.
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. SwanHe spoke alone. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Honourable Member had 20 minutes and he wants to take my time as well, but I am going to reclaim my time, Mr. Speaker. [Inaudible interjections] Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: Let me say, Mr. Speaker, —
The SpeakerThe SpeakerJust speak to me. Speak to me. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: —that I will su pport the approach, the concern, the sensitivity, and the compassion that has been exhibited by not just my Honourable Member, but by Members on my team. I heard one misstatement in which a Member …
Just speak to me. Speak to me.
Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: —that I will su pport the approach, the concern, the sensitivity, and the compassion that has been exhibited by not just my Honourable Member, but by Members on my team. I heard one misstatement in which a Member opposite indicated that one of our former Members had indicated on the night of the double murder that at our next Caucus meeting nothing was said. When that stat ement was mentioned in this Honourable House, the records and Hansard will show that this statement was refuted. Sometimes, Mr. Speaker, you have a Caucus meeting and people show up on time and things are discussed. Other people come in later and they may have missed the initial discussion. So, to say that if the Honourable Member had come in and said, I heard nothing, that would have been accurate. But to say that nothing was said, is not true —
Mr. Jeff BaronPoint of information. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: —and has been clarified.
Mr. Jeff BaronI have a point of information for my colleague.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerOn your Member? POINT OF CLARIFICATION
Mr. Jeff BaronFor my Member and everyone’s Member. Whilst that Caucus was going on, I want to make it very clear. I was actually in the house with Marilyn Outerbridge for the entire day. So, I do not want to hear anything about how I did not say an y-thing in Caucus. …
For my Member and everyone’s Member. Whilst that Caucus was going on, I want to make it very clear. I was actually in the house with Marilyn Outerbridge for the entire day. So, I do not want to hear anything about how I did not say an y-thing in Caucus. I was at the family’s house that entire day. Thank you.
[Inaudible interjections]
Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: So the concern is there. And I am just not going to have it that we are so callous and cold and unconcerned and disrespecting of the situation as to not address it. And I hope that Members opposite will accept that what I am saying is accurate. I was there as we had the discussion in Caucus because of the situation, because of the gravity of the situation, because of the painfulnes s of the situation. I was there in Caucus with the discussion. So if somebody came in later and did not hear it, then that is unfortunate. Because those words that that Honourable Member then sub-sequently said, unfortunately, are the ones that have taken r oot, but they were not based on the accuracy of the events of that day, where I was present and I can attest to.
PARADISE PAPERS
Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: But let me just say, Mr. Speaker, that I wanted to go back to the Premier’s Statement this morning. The Premier’s Statement with respect to the Paradise Papers and an update thereof. The Premier, when we got to Question [Period] actually said, Wow! No ques tions on my Statement. Well, Mr. Speaker, there is a reason for that. The Statement that the Premier gave this mor ning was as fundamental and crucial to us as mom and apple pie, because it is important that the reputation that Bermuda has striven so hard t o attain and to maintain is protected in every way, shape, or form. I will go further to say, Mr. Speaker, that the Premier and I had a conversation concerning this be-fore the [Paradise] Papers were actually released b ecause he was apprised, as was I, of the imminent r elease of the Paradise Papers. And during that conversation, I committed to the Premier that you will not have any politicking coming from this side of the aisle on a matter that is this important to the stability of our country. I promised him that. And as I promised him then, I would not try to pick apart any part of his Statement today that was likely to undermine an ything. His Statement was a Statement that I anticipated that he would have made. And it was one that we as a people needed to hear in order to have the comfort that our backs are covered, Mr. Speaker. I will tell you one of the things though that I a lso wanted to allude to. And that was a statement that was made by the Honourable Minister responsible for Economic Development. And in that statement . . . and I am going to tread lightly here, Mr. Speaker, because I recognise that there is some legislation so I will not refer to the legislation. But I will say that the opening statement in the Honourable Member’s deli v560 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly ery this morni ng indicated that Bermuda has a well - earned reputation for being a jurisdiction of impecc able standards of openness, transparency, and one that is free of governmental corruption. That is the truth that we have attempted as a jurisdiction to en-sure that this standard is maintained. What I did not hear is the Government deal with, or address, the very public comments that were made yesterday with respect to something that came out as a result of the actions of one of their Members that might serve to underm ine some of that very well - earned reputation. Juxtapose that statement, Mr. Speaker, with the Premier’s Statement this morning, and it is crucial that we take these things very, very seriously. I will not go into any more detail because at this point in ti me I believe it might be inappropriate. But with that said, Mr. Speaker, I think that we as a country will continue to understand what it is that we are required to do in the annals of our development and to ensure that companies, that countries know who w e are and what we stand for. We heard Members allude to the fact of the inequitable distribution and the contributions that are required in order to balance out those inequitable contributions to our economy. And, Mr. Speaker, one of the things that we ha ve to be aware of and cognisant of, is [that] when the forefathers of our country deci ded that the taxation structure that is employed in Ber-muda is one that would be different than other jurisdi ctions and vital to our economic growth and stability, that t hey put in place what was called an Exempted Companies Undertaking Act. That Exempted Companies Undertaking Act over various iterations has now been extended by the previous former Government, the last PLP Government, to extend to the year 2035 for the exempted companies undertaking. It effectively says that a company operating here in Bermuda will not be subject to corporation tax should our taxation structure change, for a period up to and including 2035. Now, there have been different iterations, there have been different time limits along the way, it was 1990- something, initially. Then it went to 2015, I believe. And then it went on into the future to 2035. So, the fact that our taxation structure is different is done predicated upon the rules that were put in place for us to survive as a country in a competitive international arena that we have to come out shining. So, we have to always be shown to be on the cutting edge. As I spoke with the Premier last week, I said, Premier, yes, people will ask poli tical questions in terms of your travel. But you will note that in the R esponse to the Throne Speech my admonition to the Premier was ‘Why are you here and not in Brussels and not in Paris, and not over there?’ So, you cannot have it both ways. I cannot sa y to the Premier in one breath, Go travel and make sure that you are where you need to be, yet, in another breath criticise what you are spending on travel in order to protect our reputation. Because that is critical. I know the things that we can say and the things . . . when we can politic and when we can Mickey Mouse here. There are times for that. And there are times when we leave at the end of the day when nobody really cares. Nobody even remembers. But when it comes to our international reputation and when we see the things that have come out in the public arena with respect to the Paradise Papers , and the possible undermining of our reputation as a pri stine jurisdiction . . . let me reflect back to 2016 when legislation was passed by this Honourable H ouse that actually underscored the ability of the BMA [Bermuda Monetary Authority] to include in their annual reporting any entity that might act ultra vires the regulations that existed. Now, prior to that companies could be admonished by the BMA, to hav e their knuckles rapped, could be fined, and you would never really know it. Because there was this culture of, We are the regul ator. We’ll make sure that you do what you do. You report to us and we will make sure that you stay in line. Well, Mr. Speaker, that is not good enough in the context of where our country is now, what we are now experiencing in terms of the scrutiny that we are undergoing, in terms of our operations. So, when that legislation was put through u nder our administration, under our for mer administr ation, it was done so that information could be included in the annual report of the BMA. And not just included in the report, in terms of a general, they have the abi lity to be specific in terms of the name of the company, the transgression t hat has occurred, so that the public and the world . . . it is there for all to see, so that there is no doubt that we are guarding jealously the reput ation that we have been able to enjoy and to create by successive governments. It goes way back to the 1960s and 1970s and 1980s and 1990s, and the entire 14 years of the prior administration with the signing of the TIEAs and the like, that those concerns have been addressed and that the criticism that might otherwise inure to our j urisdiction has been dealt with so that we can have our country as being one in which we maintain our reput ation and we are able to stabilise our economy for our people.
AMERICA’S CUP REPORT —LACK OF MINISTERIAL STATEMENT ON
Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: Mr. Speaker, I wanted to mention that in the context of our making sure that Bermuda remains a vital and stable econ omy and that our reputation is secured for all to see, I have to say that it was a little disappointing to not hear a Ministerial Statement today on the report that has come out in respect to the America’s Cup. Because that report effectively gave some, I guess, . . . just to
Bermuda House of Assembly resolve. I am not going to embellish it. I am just going to say it just showed how the country benefited from that event. And it was a little disappointing to not hear, and it may come next week, but I think that in the con-text of not having had the opportunity last week to blow trumpets to say how wonderful we are, and what we have done in our first 100 days, that it would be inconvenient to tarnish, to muddy the waters, with something that is of that significance. So, I have no doubt that it will come. I have faith that this will come eventually from the Government and that we will have a Statement, and that the country will have the opportunity to see that, notwithstanding the negative public ity and the unfortunate comments that were made in public as well as in private, that there was a benefit that enured to the country as a result of that event. I think that it is di fficult to state how everybody can participate and have a fair share of the economic pie when you try to grow the pie and there is negativ ity thrown at it to sort of say, Well, you know, that pie is actually sour or it is not fresh. So, you do not really want to partake of that pie, when that is the pie that we have. So I sincerely hope that notwithstanding what the Government attempts to do, that we focus on not just how can we give people things to sustain themselves, but how can we teach them to fish. You know, there is an old adage that says that if you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. We need to be able to figure how we can feed our popul ation for life. There are things such as entrepreneurial opportunities. The BEDC [ Bermuda Economic Deve lopment Corporation] conducts a course which is called “Who Owns the Ice House?”. And it is the rudiment and fundamentals of entrepreneurial opportunities so that people can find their niche and create something of value for themselves so that there is less reliance on anything else that has to be handed out to them. That is where we need to be going. As I have said to countless young people who I have counselled over time, Mr. Speaker, we do not have to look in terms of how can we . . . you know, what job can you get? When people sometimes, if you just take that extra step, create your own. Create your own opportunities. With help and guidance and instruction, cr eate a business for yourself where you are not reliant on somebody handing you a pay cheque. The Honourable Deputy Speaker mentioned earlier today when he spoke in terms of —
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYou’re winding up now. [Timer beeps] Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: Oh, dear!
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYes. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: Thank you. That was a quick 20 minutes.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you for your comments. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon -Pamplin: He took half my time.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. I recognise the Honourable Member from constituency 26, the Honourable Member Tyrrell. You have the floor. BERMUDA’S NEW GOVERNMENT — THE FIRST 100 DAYS
Mr. Neville S. TyrrellThank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity, and please indulge me just a bit with something b efore I start. But every time I have been to this House, from day one, I ac tually brought with me something that will remind me of how I …
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity, and please indulge me just a bit with something b efore I start. But every time I have been to this House, from day one, I ac tually brought with me something that will remind me of how I should conduct myself here. It is actually a proverb that . . . if you allow me to read it?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerContinue. You have got permission.
Mr. Neville S. TyrrellFor those who are not famil iar, it is Proverbs 13:3. It says, “Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything.”
Mr. Neville S. TyrrellSo, Mr. Speaker, having said that, please indulge me for these very few moment s while I would like to say a few things. Mr. Speaker, I am sure that the listening aud ience would have probably have gotten the gist by now, having heard several of our speakers on …
So, Mr. Speaker, having said that, please indulge me for these very few moment s while I would like to say a few things. Mr. Speaker, I am sure that the listening aud ience would have probably have gotten the gist by now, having heard several of our speakers on this side, what our theme is, and that is to speak to our 100-day succes s. We are not going to back down on that. We believe that our success has been predicated on what we have heard on the doorsteps. People have said things to us, and basically, if I can just say that our promises are basically a vision for the future. Build ing a better and fairer Bermuda for all. And I have to say “for all.” So, Mr. Speaker, let me concentrate on two of the promises that we made. I am tying them in toget her, so stick with me. One of them says, “The Gover nment will” . . . if you do not mind m e reading it from the Throne Speech?
Mr. Neville S. TyrrellPage 10. “The Government will amend the Defence Act 1965 in consultation with the Governor to officially end 562 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly conscription to the Royal Bermuda Regiment within this le gislative session. ” The other point that I am going to tie …
Page 10. “The Government will amend the Defence Act 1965 in consultation with the Governor to officially end 562 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly conscription to the Royal Bermuda Regiment within this le gislative session. ” The other point that I am going to tie in is on page 12, and it says, “ The Government will undertake a review of the Financial Assistance Programme. This review will require able- bodied unemployed persons who are receiving assistance to upgrade their educ ation and skills . . .” Mr. Speaker, if you ask why am I tying those two promises together . . . the Leader of the Oppos ition just sort of slightly touched on it just now. The reason—
The SpeakerThe SpeakerColonel. [Gavel] [Inaudible interjections] [Gavel]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMinister! Minister! [Inaudible interjections]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerGo ahead, Mr. Tyrrell, you have the floor. Continue on, Mr. Tyrrell. [Laughter]
Mr. Neville S. TyrrellMr. Speaker, I certainly am not one that supports conscription, but I see a good side to this. And the good side I am going to say is be-cause I am going to make an appeal to all those young men, maybe young women, out there, who probably see this …
Mr. Speaker, I certainly am not one that supports conscription, but I see a good side to this. And the good side I am going to say is be-cause I am going to make an appeal to all those young men, maybe young women, out there, who probably see this as a way of, Oh, I don’t have to get into the Regiment now. To maybe think that maybe they should volunteer because I certainly believe that we should use every opportunity —every opportunity — in this country to encourage our young people to go into whatever type of organisation it is, that gives them some discipline, it gives them a look toward the future. So that is how I would turn that around. Yes, we have t aken away conscription, but at the same time I would not like to think that our young men and young women are saying, Well, I don’t have to be thinking I am going to be drawn up, but I can volu nteer. Because I think it will help them. So I say that. And t o the next part, what I am going to say is that it says that we “ will require able -bodied [un]employed persons who are receiving assistance to upgrade their education . . .” That is another opportunity. We are not here to give a handout. That is not what we are doing. We want to give a hand up. We want to encourage people. We want to help them as much as we can to bring their life skills up or any skills that gets them a job. We want to do that. So this Go vernment is not going to stray away from any succes ses that we have had. Any things that we obviously fall down on we are going to try to get up and do it better. So, for the other side to think that we are just being benevolent (or whatever the word was that I heard earlier this morning), we are doing thi ngs that we are hearing on the doorsteps. These are the things that people have asked us to do and want us to do. I can assure you that this Government is going to do those things. Mr. Speaker, let me end on this note. My honourable colleague on the other side who speaks for Security mentioned it, and he is the only one over on that side I have heard since I have been in this House actually acknowledge that there are Two Bermudas. And it is the Two Bermudas that we are talking about! There are Two Bermudas in this country and people need to understand that if we do not do the things, the promises that we put in our Throne Speech, then it is only going to widen [the gap between] those Two Bermudas. Mr. Speaker, thank you very much for that.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you for your comments, Honourable Member. I now recognise the Honourable Member from constituency 36, the Honourable Member Scott. You have the floor. METRICS OF RESISTANCE Hon. Michael J. Scott: Mr. Speaker, thank you. Mr. Speaker, can I entitl e my remarks, The Metrics of Resistance, in the context …
Thank you for your comments, Honourable Member. I now recognise the Honourable Member from constituency 36, the Honourable Member Scott. You have the floor.
METRICS OF RESISTANCE
Hon. Michael J. Scott: Mr. Speaker, thank you. Mr. Speaker, can I entitl e my remarks, The Metrics of Resistance, in the context of the Gover nment’s first . . . they say a day in politics is a very long time, and can be. And today we have taken up the opportunity to speak to just how we have been doing. But as we set the contex t of just how we have been doing, Mr. Speaker, since July the 18 th, can I invite the House and those who are listening to just consider where we were on July the 17th and the ensuing days or in the days prior to July the 17th. What was the co ntext? Well, t he context was that we were in a state where metrics were taken, measures were taken as to the direction of this country. A former Member of this House in holding the important brief of Finance in this House was pushing the airport deal against much resis tance from this now Government and then Opposition. Reverend Tweed,
Bermuda House of Assembly an eminent pastor within the African Methodism had been blocked and imprisoned from his pulpit. The America’s Cup and the Commission of Inquiry which were meant to be the major triggers to launching the OBA Government’s then re- election campaign will have been in full throttle and they were galactic fai lures at triggering their election campaign. We had the instance of today’s report on the actual arithmetic of America’s Cup, too early for me to comment on it. I have been in court for much of this week and I have not had a chance to digest it. The Par -la-Ville papers, the $18 million with Argyle was another piece that was being discussed. And I remember in the Opposition sitting in the chair where Mr. Simons is now sitting, Cole Simons, was then Whip and former Education Minister, perhaps next to him, listening to my colleague, the Minister of Home Affairs, today make an important speech about how state action deprived Michael MacLean, a de veloper, of his property rights, and how this was consi dered to be a devastating day for accountability and State intervention. Even more importantly, there was Pathways to Status being pursued by the then Minister of Home Affairs, Mr. Fahy, from the other place, and the country’s metrics were being measured all the time. People felt we were going in the wrong direction on the ai rport. Pathways to Status had us marching in the streets. It resulted even on December the 2 nd with those awful days that, Mr. S peaker, you and I were required to be directly and actively involved in and going to the Commissioner of Police to ask what on earth was going on.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYes. Hon. Michael J. Scott: These are the contrasts. There was a paper, it was a metric taken, another poll, which confirmed that former Premier, Dr. Ewart Brown’s suit and the Lahey debacle were polit ically motivated. So that was the context. And this is the context of where we …
Yes.
Hon. Michael J. Scott: These are the contrasts. There was a paper, it was a metric taken, another poll, which confirmed that former Premier, Dr. Ewart Brown’s suit and the Lahey debacle were polit ically motivated. So that was the context. And this is the context of where we were on July the 17th. It was a dismal time. People have been saying they felt under siege. The then OBA Government were minded to get themselves re- elected and how they thought they could do it with these kinds of metrics taking place and being measured across the country on doorsteps, in dining rooms and in kitchens of t he people across Bermuda, supporters of either the OBA or the Pr ogressive Labour Party, dazzles me with incredulity of how they thought that the direction they were taking the country in would work. I said that I would [speak about] the metrics of resista nce. I want to thank the Honourable Member from St. George’s [West], Mr. Swan, for his present ation because it reminded me and helped me to direct my remarks about this resistance. This new Gover nment, as Mr. Swan, the Honourable Member, said, had to begin its opening days of these 100 days by dealing with some other important metrics —safety, which now the Honourable Minister Mr. Caines has responsibility for; Fiscal Affairs, which our Minister of Finance and Premier, the Honourable David Burt, has responsi bility for; Justice and Rights, and God knows those are topics which have been very much on the forefront. And here is the thing. These issues that I contrast, which were the dark days of stress of the OBA leading us into the last election, many of these issues, the airport, are unresolved. They are ongoing. One hundred days of accomplishments does not resolve some of these continuing issues, the resistance metric of the local business, whether they are meant to support the Government of the day, or wheth er they will not. Mr. Swan, I hope you are right. But I have watched long enough in this country . . . when the PLP is in power there is this resistance. Everybody goes into hands -in-pockets. The very release of these Paradise Papers after the successful, brilliantly successful, overseas first tour by the Minister of Finance, and Premier of this country, as a young, informed, bright Premier, comes leaping out into the papers. I would like to ask Jeremy Corbyn of the L abour Party, just exactly what he was about. I did not hear Theresa May, the Prime Minister of that country, take any particular position. But the administrating authority of this country is Great Britain, [is] also a part of the resistance to this little country’s affairs. I r emember Bob Richards saying so, lamenting the failure of the administrating part cooperating with us. There is the context of my presentation on the 100 days —safety, fiscal management, justice. These matters, I am glad to say, have been dovetailed in the aims and objecti ves of this nascent PLP Government that has gotten off to an excellent start as I recall other Ministers’ efforts, the Minister of Public Safety getting out in front of the other piece of resistance that is going on in our very law enforcement levels . It h as caused Minister Caines to have to quickly hobble t ogether, construct, a reaction, and a strategic reaction, to reducing deaths by guns in our country. But what in God’s name is going on in our country that we have not dealt with the importation, the res istance in the stopping of drugs manifestly driving gang rivalry enforced with weapons? And the Honourable former Minister of Public Safety, Mr. Baron, had a huge responsibility to be dealing with it. And I hear him stand up in this House and still talk a bout it. But it needs to be dealt with. And it was not dealt with under his watch beyond creating these interventions which . . . we still have deaths. We still have deaths. And I hope that the Honourable former Minister of Public Safety and Security, Mr. Baron, takes the opportunity when he is in his circles talking with businesspeople, business leaders, who import goods into this country which are often on vessels with employees on those vessels who are bringing in drugs and guns, that he engages them to say, What 564 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly are you doing about it? These are your containers and your employees. Because death is happening on the streets of this Island. And whilst, Mr. Speaker, the former Minister with all of his noble intent may make assessments of the small percentage who holds us hostage to terrorist behaviour . . . and those conversations may easily flow between him and his circles that he travels in. I ask him to raise these issues with business leaders, because I know, as night follows day, that guns and drugs . . . and the police policy has completely stopped on interdiction. I do not know why we are pr etending. It is just going on, and it is leading to this free-for-all that gangs carry on, they enforce their r ivalries in any way possible that they think best, inc luding killing people. This must stop. So, in the context of this marvellous fram ework and the way that the Premier asked his colleagues and Ministers to frame our opening days of reaction and response to these important metrics — public safety, death becaus e of poor management of guns and crime, justice with the Senator from the ot her place, the Attorney General and Legal Affairs Mini ster, and certainly the Minister of Home Affairs dealing with the issue that was raised and became so contentious with Pathway s to Status. I commend Minister Brown for his leadership [and] Minister Caines for his leadership. I wish Mini ster Caines continued success because this is one of the most important metrics —our public safety and the preservation of our life blood in our y oung men who are dying on our streets. Plainly and obviously I com-mend in making my remarks about the 100 days, the people who are behind the 100 days. The Premier, I commend, for that excellent, calm, refined, that studious tour that he made overseas. Ear ly days; the very first time he has done such a thing. And he did the country well. And the Honourable Member, my colleague, Mr. Swan, is absolutely right. Had he faltered . . . had he faltered, my God . . . had he faltered . . . but he did not falter. And I have not seen it in the paper, serialised in any way, and it needs to be done. But, you know, one day is a long time. One hundred days is nothing, comparatively, with the met-rics that we face. I mean, tolerance in our society, r espect for human rights, same- sex marriage recogn ition in our country, which has moved on down the track. It has experienced resistance, and I have to admit this. We have had to be engaged in this very House with Members bringing Private Members’ Bills to reverse it. I commend my colleagues in the Government for coming to grips with this. This matter . . . and I know the former Minister of Security, when he was in the other place, took the position that I took in relation to same- sex marriage and giving due recognition to and recognising the human rights of everybody in this society to love whom they choose to love. But beyond the exciting bookended 100 days operations from the establishment and the re- establishment of Bermuda First to the Code of Practice for Project Management and Procurement, how much we tarried over the Pr ocurement and Project Management Regulations, things that were kept from us and un- tabled in this House. Minister for the Cabinet Office and Gover nment Reform, thank you for making this a reality in this House. Thank you, Minister of Finance and Premier Burt, for getting on with the Bermuda First. These two bookends bookend a number of other important accompl ishments. And I do not wish to discount them. But in the context of everything else that we have to face, it is very clear that the 100- day list is the easy stuff. But I believe that it frames for this Government an excellent context in which we are to del iver on all of the other critical matters —education . . . and the Minister of Education is also to be listed among those whom I commend. But education is part of it, obviously. You know, we are about to continue to rapidly, with huge speed, deal with . . . and the Minister of S ecurity, Mr. Caines, dealt with it this morning in his Mi nisterial Statement on Cybersecurity. We are about to launch into this new Brownian Law, I believe I r emember it correctly, of the speed of change. I mean, artificial intellige nce is going to become more and more in our lives going forward. And I am optimistic that our children, our young people, the young lady from CedarBridge who I see sitting in the Gallery . . . your generation, madam, and those of your peers, is going to be carrying the optimism that I feel for this country. And artificial intelligence and the manage-ment of IT and the development of applications and technology applications and the monetising of applic ations in technology by your generation are going to see us through. So for those who wanted more babies born and the birth rate being a concern, I believe that the new industrial revolution, the new Millennial Information Revolution is just going to carry on and stand us in good stead. And, young madam, you hav e this role to carry. And you will do it well. As people my age go off the scene . . . it always seems to us that we are going to hell in a handbasket. But it is never that way. There is a major revolution going on, and it will be monetised. I know that th e Premier knows about these things because of his background in IT. The key is to monetise these opportunities to give our children the opportunity to be really embedded in these creations. And this is why the technology hub is important to me and it shoul d be important for all of us, and must receive our support. But interestingly, just as the Millennial Industrial Technology Revolution takes place, with all the good there is for that, which is why the cybersecurity discussion as contained in the Statement this morning is going to be, and is and remains, front and centre. It
Bermuda House of Assembly is going to be needed to police and protect, and we must, and I know that we will make that one of the other add- ins to our many initiatives of the 100 days. Those are the things that w e face. I am most concerned about the metric of resistance; but I am not too concerned: a) it happens often, and it happens over time; [b)] I am also optimistic that the innovation skill and competence of David Burt, the Premier of this country, will conti nue to lead his team through the w aters that may become choppy, and that in its own i nnate way, just the way the affairs of life go and the world goes, new opportunities will present themselves from our oceans, from our space, from the bottom, even, of the ocean floor. And we need to be alert to the trends and ally to the trends that are happening and we need to all be on board, as Members of the OBA Opposition have actually said this evening, with developing these opportunities together for a better and fairer Bermuda. Thank you.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Member. I was about to call on the Premier because I saw the Premier first; he was on his feet first. Premier, you know if I call on you, you will close the House now. Hon. E. David Burt: I will yield. I will be kind. I will …
The SpeakerThe SpeakerHonourable Member, would you like a brief few moments on your feet? A brief few moments. I will recognise you for a brief few moments, Honourable Member. I recognise the Honourable Member from constituency 7. Mr. Sylvan D. Richards, Jr.: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Premier …
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. ROAD FATALITIES Mr. Sylvan D. Richards, Jr.: And they will be brief, but I think what I have to say today is important. Last night we had another fatality on our roads in Bermuda. I want to take this opportunity to wish condolences to the Outerbridge family who …
Thank you.
ROAD FATALITIES Mr. Sylvan D. Richards, Jr.: And they will be brief, but I think what I have to say today is important. Last night we had another fatality on our roads in Bermuda. I want to take this opportunity to wish condolences to the Outerbridge family who lost a 34-year-old son, brother, and father. You know, Mr. Speaker, everybody in this House, and I would venture to say everybody in the Gallery, has lost someone, a loved one, a friend, a school mate, to a road traffic accident in Bermuda, whether it be on a motorcycle or in a car. And, Mr . Speaker, you and I have talked about motorcycles. I love motorcycles.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYes. Mr. Sylvan D. Richards, Jr.: All my life . . . I think I had my first Mobylette when I was 13 years old. And I still ride to this day. I was not riding on the street. But over the course of my lifetime I can cast my …
Yes. Mr. Sylvan D. Richards, Jr.: All my life . . . I think I had my first Mobylette when I was 13 years old. And I still ride to this day. I was not riding on the street. But over the course of my lifetime I can cast my mind back to friends who I have lost —16, 17 years old, in their 20s, 30s, 40s. And if these deaths were because of a disease, it would be a public health crisis.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYes. Mr. Sylvan D. Richards, Jr.: Sometimes we become numb when we go to sleep at night and we wake up in the morning and we look on social media, Facebook, Bernews , and there is a mention of another young life lost. And in this country, the majority of …
Yes. Mr. Sylvan D. Richards, Jr.: Sometimes we become numb when we go to sleep at night and we wake up in the morning and we look on social media, Facebook, Bernews , and there is a mention of another young life lost. And in this country, the majority of the lives that are lost are young black males. As a country we struggle with this. And I know my Government was looking into things such as road[side] sobriety checks, installing speed cameras, because it is a question of personal choice. The majority of the accidents that ha ppen, I would say some of them involved alcohol. I would say a fair percentage involved alcohol. And you know, you start having a couple of drinks, you start feeling good and you get on your bike and you feel invincible. And we are not invincible. We have lost too many lives, too much potential, children who are growing up without their fathers and mothers. It is a crisis, just like gun violence is a crisis in this country. We have to come to grips with this. And if anybody is listening to my voice, if it is a mother, a father, an aunty, a grandmother, or even a young person who may be listening to Parliament on a Friday night, really, really, really think about what you are doing, because life is precious and it is fragile. Mr. Speaker, last night was not a good night for me. I saw a mother mourning the loss of her son; a sister mourning the loss of her brother. And this, u nfortunately, is repeated over and over again. So, we have a long weekend coming up, R emembrance Day, where we remember our veterans who sacrificed their lives in various wars over the years. But I would also like for us to remember all of the Bermudians and non -Bermudians, residents of this country who . . . we all can remember somebody, more than one person, who has lost their life because of a traffic accident. There is a boxing match tomorrow night up at Fairmont. There are going to be a lot of people up there. There is going to be alcohol served. The Rugby Classic is going on this weekend. There is going to be a lot of drinking. And unfortunately, there is going to be a lot of driving. So, my message is this: Let’s all reflect on our own personal behaviour. Mr. Speaker, I have to reflect on my personal behaviour.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMm-hmm. We all must. 566 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Sylvan D. Richards, Jr.: And let ’s talk to our young people. Let’s talk to our relatives who we all know like to speed and drive a little reckless. Let’s talk to them and …
Mm-hmm. We all must.
566 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Sylvan D. Richards, Jr.: And let ’s talk to our young people. Let’s talk to our relatives who we all know like to speed and drive a little reckless. Let’s talk to them and try to encourage them to amend their own behaviour. Because every time a life is lost it affects a wide variety of people. With that being said, I wish everyone a safe weekend.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMember, thank you for keeping it brief. And your point was very pertinent. I hope Members and the listening public take that to heart about the drinking and driving. Mr. Premier, I recognise you now. Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to join …
Member, thank you for keeping it brief. And your point was very pertinent. I hope Members and the listening public take that to heart about the drinking and driving. Mr. Premier, I recognise you now.
Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to join the Honour able Member who just took his seat in wishing condolences to the Outerbridge family, whatever the ci rcumstances, losing a loved one is never anyt hing that is taken easily by families and we have to make sure that we recognise that there are people hurting inside of our communities. And it is our job as leaders to recognise that to comfort them and also to deal with solving the issues at the core of what causes so many young black men and women to end up having their lives ended before their time. And there is a large discussion that we can have about that, and there will be a time to have that discussion, Mr. Speaker, because it is something that is very important. But what I would say, Mr. Speaker, is that it is at the core of what we do here for this new Government. And the reason I say that, Mr. Speaker, is because quite often the only time that black men in this country feel that they are in control is often som etimes behind, or on, a bike, or at other points in time when they might be carrying an illegal weapon. And we have to understand and recognise that. And it is something that is very important. But, Mr. Speaker, moving on from that, we have heard a lot today in this motion to adjourn. We even heard from some Members who some of us thought may have been taking permanent vacations from the Island. So it was good to hear from the Member for constituency 12, the former Premier, and constituency 25, the former Minister of National Sec urity, for their —
[Inaudible interjections ]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerSpeak to me, Premier. Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker —
The SpeakerThe SpeakerDon’t get side tracked. Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker, I will speak to you—
The SpeakerThe SpeakerLet’s keep it on— Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker, I will speak to you and the murmurs can continue but I know the Sergeant -at-Arms takes attendance in this House. I know the Sergeant -at-Arms takes attendance. And if som eone wants to put in a PAT I request …
Let’s keep it on— Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker, I will speak to you and the murmurs can continue but I know the Sergeant -at-Arms takes attendance in this House. I know the Sergeant -at-Arms takes attendance. And if som eone wants to put in a PAT I request on attendance in this House they will see what I am saying. But that much being said, Mr. Speaker —
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberQuorum. Hon. E. David Burt: What is important to recognise is that in this House, and in this place, this is t he seat of power.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMm-hmm. BERMUDA’S NEW GOVERNMENT —FIRST 100 DAYS Hon. E. David Burt: And on July 18 th this Gover nment was given a mandate to act. And what I would say, Mr. Speaker, is that it makes it very clear from our actions that this Government will execute its agenda because …
Mm-hmm.
BERMUDA’S NEW GOVERNMENT —FIRST 100 DAYS
Hon. E. David Burt: And on July 18 th this Gover nment was given a mandate to act. And what I would say, Mr. Speaker, is that it makes it very clear from our actions that this Government will execute its agenda because today we saw another promise made and another promise kept. Over the past few weeks we have seen many promises that were made that will be kept. And for the Honourable Member who just took his seat, I would just let him know that while the former Government spoke about these issues, rest assured that the items which were in our Throne Speech we intend to enact this year. And in that particular instance, Honourable Member, roadside sobriety testing is something t hat we intend to enact this year. Now, that will not solve the problem. And some people believe that it may cause others. But one thing is clear, and I want ever yone to understand in this country who is listening, when this Government makes a commitment to act in either its Throne Speech or its platforms, we will d eliver on the promises which we make to the people of this country. But what was interesting, Mr. Speaker, was listening to some of the comments that were being made. It seems as though some Members opposite still do not get why they lost the election and are si tting on that side. While we heard debates today tal king about the America’s Cup or budget discipline, most of them seemed to be oblivious to the fact that there are Two Bermudas. And the r eason why they lost is that most people in this country felt that this Progressive Labour Party would give them a better opportunity to succeed in the future inside of their own country. So when we witness Members on that side trying to go into the gutter at some points in time, we
Bermuda House of Assembly are going to remain on the high road. And while the Opposition may decide amongst themselves about their way forward, we, Mr. Speaker, will continue to advance the interests of the people of this country. And as I have said at m any points in time, Mr. Speaker, they are the past, and we are the future. And I am not going to quote what the Royal Gazette said today about the upcoming leadership contest of the One Bermuda Alliance. But what I would say is that regardless of the out come of their context, this Progressive Labour Party Government will continue to execute its agenda. And it is my hope that more persons on that side of the floor will work with us to advance the interests of this country. There is nothing that can benefit us when we try to tear each other down, when we try to attack . . . Former Premier, are you okay? No problem.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerSpeak to me. Hon. E. David Burt: I’ve got you, Mr. Speaker, because I think that this is something that is important. Because when I say that we are going to execute our challenges . . . our agenda, we face challenges, Mr. Speaker. We face challenges by those who …
Speak to me.
Hon. E. David Burt: I’ve got you, Mr. Speaker, because I think that this is something that is important. Because when I say that we are going to execute our challenges . . . our agenda, we face challenges, Mr. Speaker. We face challenges by those who will attack us anonymous ly in the daily newspaper. We face challenges from those globally, such as hackers who want to damage our reputation. And we even face challenges from persons on that side, who may be former Premiers, who may have loose fingers when on social media bringing us headlines and feeding . . . gifting things to our enemies, Mr. Speaker. So when the same people who are trying to throw this country under the bus and damage our economy, can quote words from the former Premier on that side of the aisle, it shows the fact that not ev eryone is getting the challenge of where we are as a country, Mr. Speaker.
[Desk thumping] Hon. E. David Burt: And we have challenges. So, as the other former Premier on that side, the Honourable Member for constituency 12, said earlier, we need to grow this economy. We need to have more people living and working in this country. And we need to make sure that we provide more jobs and opportunities for the people here. We are not going to do that, Mr. Speaker, if we do not recognise that the small internal fights end up being big black marks globally. We have seen that happen far too often in the past few weeks, Mr. Speaker, whether it be me mbers of the Gaming Commission, whether it be me mbers of the Opposition, or whether it be silent me mbers who hide behind the cloak of anonymity, yet are placed on the front page of the Royal Gazette by what is supposed to be a responsible daily newspaper. The challenges are that, and now is the time for us to work together. We will advance the agenda, and I sincerely hope that we can at least find a few persons on the other side that will work with us to a dvance the interests of this country. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Mr. Premier. [Gavel] [At 6:32 pm, the House stood adjourned until 10:00 am, Friday, 17 November 2017.] 568 10 November 2017 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly [This page intentionally left blank.]