Opposition Senator Robin Tucker questioned government ministers about which MPs and Senators are receiving additional payments for advisory roles or board positions beyond their parliamentary salaries. The Senate passed two bills: one fixing legal problems with the Tax Reform Commission, and another allowing large businesses like hotels and data centers to generate and use their own solar electricity above the current 500 kilowatt limit. The Senate also approved a 262-year lease agreement with Google subsidiary Sea Grass Services to build a transatlantic cable landing station on 5.9 acres in St. George's for about $4.9 million.
Questions about MPs and Senators receiving extra pay for government work beyond their regular salariesTax Reform Commission bill to fix legal issues with the commission's establishmentElectricity Amendment Act to allow large developments to generate their own solar power above 500 kilowattsGoogle's lease agreement for land in St. George's to build a cable landing stationCondolences for recently deceased community members
Bills & Motions
Tax Reform Commission (Dissolution, Appointment and Validation) Act 2024 - passed all three readings
Electricity Amendment Act 2024 - passed all three readings
Lease Agreement between Sea Grass Services Limited, Bermuda Land Management Corporation and Bermuda Government - approved
Notable Moments
Government Minister Owen Darrell interrupted Senator Tucker's questions, saying she was giving "commentary" rather than asking proper questions during Question Period
The Tax Reform Commission bill was needed because the previous commission was never properly dissolved due to financial statements not being tabled in Parliament
Google's lease drew questions about the 262-year term and relatively low price, with assurances that it will bring jobs and attract other tech companies to Bermuda
Debate Transcript
2 speeches from 1 speaker
Madam President.
Sen. Robin TuckerMadam President, I did not say . . . The Minister is misleading — Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: I s this a point of order, or— POINT OF ORDER [Misleading] Sen. Robin Tucker: It is a point of order, Madam President. The Government Senate Leader is misleading this House. …
Madam President, I did not say . . . The Minister is misleading —
Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: I s this a point of order, or—
POINT OF ORDER [Misleading]
Sen. Robin Tucker: It is a point of order, Madam President. The Government Senate Leader is misleading this House. I did not say that they have not done anything about social programmes. He is not telling the truth. —
Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: Madam President.
Madam President.
Sen. Robin Tucker—That simply that is what it is. He needs to retract that. Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: This Government is boosting and giving more resources to combat domestic violence and provide additional support to victims of domestic violence, providing more resources to our educators [and] our social workers, to help …
—That simply that is what it is. He needs to retract that. Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: This Government is boosting and giving more resources to combat domestic violence and provide additional support to victims of domestic violence, providing more resources to our educators [and] our social workers, to help them build and serve youth and families of this country, Madam President. [We are] making additional investments in infrastructure, including funding private roads, community lighting, upgrades to youth centres, refurbishment, and community playgrounds, Madam President. This is what hard work for the people that have given us a mandate looks like, Madam President. [We are] funding the opening of a senior day care facility to reduce the burden of adults who care for their senior parents, something that people in this country have been asking for day in and day out. • expansion of after -school programmes; • additional investment to support unsheltered population; • additional funding for apprenticeship and training programmes; • additional rehabilitation programmes; • additional staffing for regional health clinics; • a capital grant (imagine this) for an institution that the One Bermuda Alliance never cared about. They took away money from the Bermuda College, but yet we have given a capital grant to the Bermuda College for the people of this country so that they can be better educated. [We] increased funding for consumer protection to support the cost of living and [gave] additional funding for other community service[s] so that our sen-iors can continue to live with dignity. We have got the lowest unemployment rate in 40 years, Madam Presi-dent. We have got more Bermudians working in IB — more than ever.
[Pause]
Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: Shocking. And I am not going to give much time to what other people have in their platforms, but it sounds like some of it is a copy - and-paste.
[Laughter] Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: I had a quick look, and one of the things says they will increase affordable housing. Is not that exactly what the Progressive La-bour Party is doing? Hard work, Madam President, given the mandate of people. Let’s talk about education and how this party and this Government puts the youth first: [a] National Youth [Policy ] that has been implemented, youth employment opportunities, increased scholarships in the Bermuda College. You have seen in this session many Hotel Investment Acts come. We just passed hotel concessions and restaurant concessions all to help the people of this country. That is hard work, Madam President. And as we know, I would like to take this last couple of minutes . . . Oh also, one thing that I do want
Bermuda Senate to say is that the domestic violence has been defined. I would like to draw the attention of the One Bermuda Alliance Senate L eader —she can thank me later —to the [Domestic Violence ] (Protection Orders) Act 1997. It is there, Madam President. But Madam President, as we look forward . . . We have an election that will happen on Friday, and we are all familiar with the eventual winner of that election on Friday because she used to sit in this very Chamber. And Madam President, in adding to the comments of my Senate colleague Senator Leslie Robin-son earlier, we look forward to supporting the Progressive Labour Party candidate, the former Senator Reverend Emilygail Dill, someone who has been connected to that community as long as she can remember, someone who is a member of the Progressive Labour Party who is focusing on keeping the mantra of hard work available. And yes, Madam President, I hate to break it to the Senator from the other side, but we will be giv en another mandate on Friday to continue to serve this country and the people of this country. So, Madam President, as I close, I am proud of the work that all of the Junior Ministers of the Progressive Labour Party who sit in this Chamber have done to progress the needs and programmes for the people of this country. I thank the learned Attorney General who has returned to this Chamber to continue to serve the people of this country. And I am sorry, Madam President, that the work that we are putting in . . . Somebody complained about having to come to this Chamber long into the night to pass legislation. No apologies, Madam President. We are legislators. We are here to serve the people of Bermuda, and I quite frankly do not care what time I leave this Chamber if it is to help the people of this country to progress. So, we will continue on the theme of where I started, Madam President. And that is hard work. And Madam President, I will repeat it one more time because, as I say, I have been a part of this community since the day that I can remember. And one of my first communities, again, was that of the corner of Court Street and Victoria Street, Madam President. And I will repeat it one more time on the topic of hard work and people being upset at what is given, from this mandate that the Progressive Labour Party has been given, Madam President, by the people of this country exactly four years ago yesterday. From whom has been given much, much will be demanded. And from those who have been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. And Madam President, I tell the public every single day I see them in the street, I am here, t he Progressive Labour Party is here for one reason and one reason only, and that is to work hard, Madam President, and serve the people of this country. Thank you, Madam President.
The President: Thank you, Minister Darrell. Senators, we have now completed the —
[Inaudible interjection] The President: Oh, I believe Senator Arianna Hodgson has indicated she has answers for one of the Senators.
[Additional response from Question Period] Sen. Arianna Hodgson: Yes, thank you, Madam President. The response I had provided to the second question earlier was incomplete, so I wanted to ensure that I provided the additional details. In addition to the Member of the House Assembly, MP Jache Adams , receiving a remuneration , I myself receive remuneration between 29 January 2024 and 31 March 2024. My contractual remuneration was $7,473 per month. The Member of the House of Assembly , Hon. Derrick Burgess , chairs the Contributory Pensions — Appeals Tribunal, and he is also remunerated at $100 per meeting. And finally, Member of the House of Assembly , MP Neville Tyrrell , chairs the Government Employees Health (Insurance Management) Committee, and he is remunerated at $100 per meeting. Thank you, Madam President.
The President: Thank you, Senator Arianna Hodgson, for providing that information.
EXPRESSION OF APPRECIATION
The President: And now, Senators, I would like to thank you for your support on the three Bills that were presented today, the Tax Reform Commission (Disso-lution, Appointment and Validation) Act 2024 as well as the Electricity Amendment Act 2024, but specifically, because I do not think that I gave sufficient thanks for this, [between] the Lease Agreement Sea Grass Services Limited and the Bermuda Government. And I particularly apologise because Minister Burch was here, and I really want ed to indicate to him that the Senate has approved it. And I erred in not expressing my full suppor t of the Senate, from all of you, for the support of that [Agreement] which is important for Bermuda. And now, Senators, as you know, we have . . . I want to thank you also for your time, your effort, and your commitment during this session. We will now be completing this session, and I just wanted to express my sincere thanks to each one of you for the w ork that you have done throughout this session. The Senate now stands adjourned until November 8. And I wish each and every one of you God’s blessings. Thank you. Senate stands adjourned.
708 2 October 2024 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda Senate [At 12:20 pm, the Senate stood adjourned until 10:00 am, Friday, 8 November 2024.]