This was primarily a day for government ministers to update Parliament on various initiatives and programs. The Premier announced new online services to make it easier for residents to pay parking tickets and look up Social Insurance Numbers. The Works Minister provided extensive updates on road repairs and confirmed the purchase of new asphalt equipment to improve road paving. The Education Minister announced that two schools will close next year as part of the ongoing education reform, with detailed support plans for affected students and families.
Introduction of new Public Service Career Guide to attract young Bermudians to government jobsLaunch of online payment system for parking tickets and Social Insurance Number lookupMajor road paving updates and purchase of new $6.2 million asphalt equipmentSchool closures announced - Gilbert Institute and Prospect Primary will close in June 2025Merger of two government bodies (WEDCO and BLDC) into single Bermuda Land Management Corporation
Bills & Motions
Bermuda Health Council Amendment Act 2024 - Senate amendment approved by committee and returned to Senate
West End Development Corporation Amendment Act 2024 - announced for tabling later in session to formalize the WEDCO/BLDC merger
Notable Moments
Premier emphasized need to fill 150+ hard-to-fill government positions like pilots, maritime controllers, and engineers
Works Minister confirmed no job losses will result from the merger of WEDCO and BLDC after 6 years of planning
Education Minister addressed public concerns about school closures, clarifying the schools close in June 2025, not 2024
Debate Transcript
382 speeches from 24 speakers
The SpeakerThe SpeakerGood morning, Members. The Clerk will lead us in prayer. PRAYERS [ Prayers read by Mr. Clark Somner , Clerk ]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Mr. Clerk. Good morning, Members. [ Gavel]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThe House is now in session. CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES [Minutes of 14 June 2024]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMembers, the Minutes for the 14th of June have been circulated. Are there any amendments required? No amendments. The Minutes will be confirmed as printed. [ Minutes of 14 June 2024 confirmed] MESSAGES FROM THE GOVERNOR
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThere are none. ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE SPEAKER OR MEMBER PRESIDING APOLOGY
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThe first announcement this morning is that the Honourable Attorney General has informed us that she will be absent today. BERMUDA OMBUDSMAN OWN MOTION REPORT INVESTIGATION INTO DISCLOSURE OF SPENT CONVICTIONS IN US VISA APPLICATIONS
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThe second announcement this morning is that I have received the special report of the Bermuda Ombudsman’s own motion for systematic investigation entitled, for the record, An Investigation into the Disclosure of Spent Convictions in the US Visa Applications. The report has been submitted in accordance with section of 24(2)(a) …
The second announcement this morning is that I have received the special report of the Bermuda Ombudsman’s own motion for systematic investigation entitled, for the record, An Investigation into the Disclosure of Spent Convictions in the US Visa Applications. The report has been submitted in accordance with section of 24(2)(a) and 24(3) of the Ombudsman Act 2004. BERMUDA OMBUDSMAN ANNUAL REPORT 2023
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThe next announcement: I have received the Annual Report of the Ombudsman for Ber-muda which covers the period 1 January to 31 December 2023. This report is submitted in accordance of sec-tion 24(1) and 24(3) of the Ombudsman Act 2004. Those are the announcements by the Speaker. MESSAGES FROM THE …
The next announcement: I have received the Annual Report of the Ombudsman for Ber-muda which covers the period 1 January to 31 December 2023. This report is submitted in accordance of sec-tion 24(1) and 24(3) of the Ombudsman Act 2004. Those are the announcements by the Speaker. MESSAGES FROM THE SENATE BERMUDA HEALTH COUNCIL AMENDMENT ACT 2024 CONCURRENCE FOR PROPOSED SENATE AMENDMENT TO CL AUSE 2
The SpeakerThe SpeakerWe have a message from the Senate. It is the returning of the public Bill entitled Bermuda Health Council Amendment Act 2024 requesting the concurrence of the House in an amendment to the Bill proposed to be made by the Senate. Minister. Hon. Kim N . Wilson: Good mor ning, …
We have a message from the Senate. It is the returning of the public Bill entitled Bermuda Health Council Amendment Act 2024 requesting the concurrence of the House in an amendment to the Bill proposed to be made by the Senate. Minister. Hon. Kim N . Wilson: Good mor ning, Mr . Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now resolve into Committee of the whole for consideration of the amendment to clause 2 of the Bill entitled Bermuda Health Council Amendment Act 2024, as proposed to be made by the Senate.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank y ou. MP Foggo, woul d you take t he Chair i n Committee? Thank y ou. [Pause] House i n Committee a t 10:07 am [Ms. Lov itta F. F oggo, C hairman] COMMITTEE O N BILL BERMUDA HEALTH COUNCIL AMENDMENT ACT 2024 SENATE AMENDMENT T O CL …
Thank y ou. MP Foggo, woul d you take t he Chair i n Committee? Thank y ou. [Pause] House i n Committee a t 10:07 am [Ms. Lov itta F. F oggo, C hairman] COMMITTEE O N BILL BERMUDA HEALTH COUNCIL AMENDMENT ACT 2024 SENATE AMENDMENT T O CL AUSE 2 1402 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly The Chairman: Honourable Members, we are now in Committee of the whole for further consideration of the Bill entitled the Bermuda Health Council Amendment Act 2024 . I call on the Minister.
Hon. Kim N. Wilson: [No microphone.]
The ChairmanChairmanThank you, Minister. Are there any other Members who wish to speak to this clause? I recognise the Member Jackson from constituency 20. Thank you.
Ms. Susan E. JacksonGood morning, Madam Chairman. My only question would be to ask the Minister why she had chosen to make this amendment?
The ChairmanChairmanThank you. Are there any other Members who wish to speak to the amendment? There being none, Minister. Hon. Kim N. Wilson: Madam Chairman, just in answer to the Honourable Member’s question, we felt that with respect to this, notwithstanding the importance of the data collection for Bermuda as it …
Thank you. Are there any other Members who wish to speak to the amendment? There being none, Minister. Hon. Kim N. Wilson: Madam Chairman, just in answer to the Honourable Member’s question, we felt that with respect to this, notwithstanding the importance of the data collection for Bermuda as it relates to our long-anticipated pursuit of universal health coverage, we did understand from members of the public as well as our stakeholder physician community . . . we have actively listened to their concerns and suggestions raised. And as such, we have proposed an amendment in the Sen-ate. And we are hoping that it will be ratified as such here in this Honourable Chamber.
The ChairmanChairmanThank you, Minister. Are there any other Members who wish to speak to the amendment?
The ChairmanChairmanI recognise the Member from constituency 12.
Mr. L. Craig CannonierYes. Considering the reply, would this suggest that not enough consultation had taken place?
The ChairmanChairmanAre there any other Members who wish to speak on the amendment? Yes. Minister. Hon. Kim N. Wilson: With respect to this amendment, Madam Chairman, as I have indicated previously, the rationale behind it and the said amendment were of-fered in the Senate. It was approved, and I am asking …
The ChairmanChairmanThank you, Minister. Are there any other Members who wish to speak to the amendment? There being none, Minister. Minister, just move that this amendment be approved. That is all. Hon. Kim N. Wilson: I move that said amendment be approved and that the Bill be returned to the Senate …
Thank you, Minister. Are there any other Members who wish to speak to the amendment? There being none, Minister. Minister, just move that this amendment be approved. That is all.
Hon. Kim N. Wilson: I move that said amendment be approved and that the Bill be returned to the Senate together with a suitable message informing the Senate that the House has concurred on the amendment proposed to be made by the Senate to this Bill.
The ChairmanChairmanThank you, Minister. Are there any objections? There being none, so approved. [Motion carried: The Senate amendment to clause 2 of the Bermuda Health Council Amendment Act 2024 was passed by a Committee of the whole House.] [Pause]
The ChairmanChairmanI call on the Speaker to resume his seat. House resumed at 10:10 am [Hon. Dennis P. Lister, Jr., Speaker, in the Chair] REPORT OF COMMITTEE BERMUDA HEALTH COUNCIL AMENDMENT ACT 2024 SENATE AMENDMENT TO CLAUSE 2
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMembers, are there any objections to the amendment to the Bermuda Health Council Amendment Act 2024 being reported back to the House? There are none. The matter has been reported. We now move on. PAPERS AND OTHER COMMUNICATIONS TO THE HOUSE
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThere are four such papers, all in the name of the Minister of Finance. Premier. Hon. E. David Burt: Good morning to you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerGood morning. Bermuda House of Assembly BERMUDA CASINO GAMING COMMISSION AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FISCAL YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2020 BERMUDA CASINO GAMING COMMISSION ANNUAL REPORT 1 APRIL 2020– 31 MARCH 2021 BERMUDA CASINO GAMING COMMISSION ANNUAL REPORT 1 APRIL 2021– 31 MARCH 2022 BERMUDA CASINO GAMING COMMISSION ANNUAL REPORT 1 …
Good morning.
Bermuda House of Assembly BERMUDA CASINO GAMING COMMISSION AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FISCAL YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2020
BERMUDA CASINO GAMING COMMISSION ANNUAL REPORT 1 APRIL 2020– 31 MARCH 2021
BERMUDA CASINO GAMING COMMISSION ANNUAL REPORT 1 APRIL 2021– 31 MARCH 2022
BERMUDA CASINO GAMING COMMISSION ANNUAL REPORT 1 APRIL 2022– 31 MARCH 2023
Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to attach and submit for the information of the Honourable House of Assembly the following items: the Audited Financial Statements for the Bermuda Casino Gaming Commission for the fiscal year ended 31 March 2020; the Bermuda Casino Gaming Commission Annual Re-port for 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021; Bermuda Casino Gaming Commission Annual Report for 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022; and Bermuda Casino Gaming Commission Annual Report for 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Premier. PETITIONS
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThere are none. STATEMENTS BY MINISTERS AND JUNIOR MINISTERS
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMembers, we have 10 such Statements this morning. The first is in the name of Mr. Premier. Premier. INTRODUCTION OF PUBLIC SERVICE CAREER GUIDE Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to introduce a new initiative to inspire young people to pursue careers …
Members, we have 10 such Statements this morning. The first is in the name of Mr. Premier. Premier.
INTRODUCTION OF PUBLIC SERVICE CAREER GUIDE
Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to introduce a new initiative to inspire young people to pursue careers in the public service. The aim is to reach qualified, capable young Bermudians to prepare them to join Ber-muda’s diverse public service. Mr. Speaker, the Public Service Career Guide
is an online resource that outlines the varied and re-warding opportunities in the public sector and explains the qualifications, skills and competencies needed for different roles within the government. Mr. Speaker, a recent review identified more than 150 posts in the public service that need to be filled. These posts have consistently low or no re-sponses from recruitment efforts or internal training programmes. This is often because of the high demand for talent, creating global and local gaps, or posts need-ing rare skills that are not found in Bermuda. Some of these posts are pilots, [maritime] operations controllers, public health specialists, compliance officers, engi-neers, accountants and even auto mechanics. Mr. Speaker , the career guide will help inform motivated individuals who share the Government's vision and mission about education and training require-ments for posts within the s ervice. The g uide shows how public service roles are diverse and impactful and how they help the country ’s social and economic development. It will help students and career changers un-derstand what it means to work in the public sector and be a tool for generating interest among potential talent. Mr. Speaker, the public service is vital for our society and our economy. It provides crucial services and programmes that improve the lives of the people of Bermuda and supports the Government ’s vision and policies for a better and fairer Bermuda. The public ser-vice needs a strong and diverse talent pool that represents our community and aspirations. It also requires a culture of excellence, innovation and learning that helps public officers grow and succeed in their careers. Mr. Speaker, the Public Service Career Guide is part of a more extensive strategy to revamp and mod-ernise the public service to make it sustainable and relevant for the future. The Re- imagining Careers in the Public Service Campaign aims to raise awareness and interest among young Bermudians, especially in high school and college, about the value and impact of work-ing in the public service. It provides information to help clear some of the myths and stereotypes that may stop some people from choosing a public sector career. Mr. Speaker, the guide will be sent to schools through principals and guidance counsellors, promoted on social media and supported by a campaign to pro-mote job- specific training programmes to find new talent willing to be trained in some areas. The s ervice will soon launch a drive to recruit trainees for roles as pilots and maritime controllers. Recruitment for other training programmes will follow as we invest in the future of our public service. And, Mr. Speaker, I hope that you would permit me to say that just returning from CedarBridge Academy with the Minister of Education, as those young persons are graduating, and there is a graduate who is going to the Marine & Ports as we are continuing to look to bring more young people into the public ser-vice in these hard- to-fill posts. Mr. Speaker, public service ambassadors who are current public officers will share their personal ex-periences to build awareness about public service ca-reers among [ young] people and the public. Using employees to tell their stories of working for the public ser-vice is a powerful way to show the diverse and mean-ingful careers that the public sector offers. It lets poten1404 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly tial candidates hear from people with similar backgrounds, interests and passions who have found fulfil-ment and purpose in their public service roles. It also helps to show the impact and value public officers have on the lives of Bermudians and the development of our Island. By sharing their journeys, challenges and achievements, public service ambassadors can inspire and motivate young Bermudians to join the public ser-vice and contribute to the common good. Mr. Speaker, the Public Service Career Guide has been posted on the Government portal at www.gov.bm . And for the information of this Honourable House, I will also table a copy, Mr. Speaker, and give one to you. I urge all Bermudians, especially our young people, to explore the g uide and discover the many opportunities and paths that a career in the public service can offer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Mr. Premier. Members, the second Statement this morning is also in the name of Mr. Premier. Would you like to continue with that one? Hon. E. David Burt: Absolutely, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerGo right ahead. MINISTRY OF FINANCE NEW ONLINE SERVICES Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker, I rise today in this Honourable House to announce further progress in our journey toward enhancing the efficiency and conven-ience of government services. Before I share the de-tails, Mr. Speaker , I want to make …
Go right ahead.
MINISTRY OF FINANCE NEW ONLINE SERVICES Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker, I rise today in this Honourable House to announce further progress in our journey toward enhancing the efficiency and conven-ience of government services. Before I share the de-tails, Mr. Speaker , I want to make it clear that the Government recognises that more is required to deliver ef-ficient service in key areas. Many residents also made this clear in their submissions to the Red Tape Reduc-tion Consultation, and the Government is listening and investing in improving service delivery. Today I am pleased to share that on Monday, the 1 st of July, the new online payment portal that will become the home of online payments for government services will launch at pay.gov.bm . The long- term vision for pay.gov.bm will be for residents to pay for any government service from any computer or mobile device [for which] they currently need to visit the cashier’s desk at the Government Administration Building. Mr. Speaker , the first service to launch on pay.gov.bm will be the ability to pay parking tickets online. This service was commonly mentioned in the Red Tape Reduction Consultation, and due to the stellar work of public officers, the Government will debut this new online convenience. Mr. Speaker, in the 2023 S peech from the Throne, the Government shared our agenda to improve the delivery of government services. As a G overnment, we recognise that our responsibilities go beyond legislation and policy; we also have an obligation to ensure that government services are delivered at a high standard. These services must be effective, efficient and re-liable, as the people of Bermuda deserve a level of ser-vice that matches our status as a premier international financial centre. Mr. Speaker, currently to make a parking ticket payment, a person would have to visit the Dame Lois Browne -Evans Building, go through security, wait in line and then provide the cashier with their ticket infor-mation and credit or debit card to pay. Now any resident can simply visit pay.gov.bm , enter their ticket details (which will be the ticket number and the date), provide credit or debit card information, click S ubmit and the parking ticket is paid. Residents can enter their email address to get a receipt, but if they do no t wish to share their email, they can save a screenshot for payment confirmation. Mr. Speaker, in line with cybersecurity guidance and protecting privacy, Honourable M embers and the public should know that no personal information, in-cluding credit card details, will be retained on government systems or servers. Therefore, individuals will be asked to re- enter their payment information with every transaction. Residents may have their payment information saved on their I nternet browser or phone, but it will not be retained in the government system. To repeat, Mr. Speaker, the new payment portal will not store the card details, names or other personal details entered when processing a payment. Mr. Speaker, our vision extends far beyond paying for parking tickets online. Far too often, we hear the frustration of residents having to travel to different government locations to ultimately pay the same gov-ernment. In the future, we will expand these online [payment ] capabilities to all government services, including customs payments at the airport. Our goal is to ensure that every payment to the government can be processed online, making it as safe, seamless and ef-ficient as possible. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to take this opportunity to announce an additional online service that has launched within the Ministry of Finance. During my time as Minister, quite a few Bermudians have ques-tioned why they need to call the Department of Social Insurance to get their Social Insurance Number , when this service should be available online. Mr. Speaker , the Government agrees , and the department under the new Director of Social Insurance was tasked with work-ing with the Digital Transformation Team to launch this online service. I am pleased to share with Honourable Members that this service is now live, and all residents can search for their Social Insurance Number online. Residents can visit www.gov.bm , click on the link “ Social Insurance Lookup Service,” and use this new online ser-vice. This new service will make it easier for employers and employees, save time and reduce frustration. The Department of Social Insurance is working to implement additional online services, and I look forward to
Bermuda House of Assembly updating this Honourable House on these new online services in the future. Mr. Speaker , as I close , I would like to take this opportunity to thank the public officers within the Minis-try of Finance, IDT [Information and Digital Technologies] , the Digital Transformation Team, the Accountant General’s Office, the Department of Social Insurance and the Judiciary under the leadership of the Honoura-ble Chief Justice, for their hard work and efforts to launch these new online services. Mr. Speaker, the Government is committed to progressing our digital transformation journey, leveraging technology to make government services more accessible and user -friendly. These initiative s underscore our dedication to serving the people of Bermuda better and our commitment to building a more efficient, re-sponsive and modern government for all. Thank you, Mr. Speaker .
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Premier. Members, the next Statement this morning is in the name of the Minister of Works. Minister.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerGood morning. ROAD WORKS UPDATE AND PURCHASING OF NEW ASPHALTING EQUIPMENT
Lt. Col. Hon. David A. BurchMr. Speaker, in keeping with prior commitments made by myself to keep the public informed, I rise in this Honourable House for the seventh time since February 2020 to not only address the state of our national highways and plans to address their condition, but also to provide details of …
Mr. Speaker, in keeping with prior commitments made by myself to keep the public informed, I rise in this Honourable House for the seventh time since February 2020 to not only address the state of our national highways and plans to address their condition, but also to provide details of the agree-ment made between the Government of Bermuda and Astec Industries for the purchasing of a new asphalt plant and supporting equipment . Mr. Speaker, in my most recent Statement regarding this topic in February of this year, I announced that the Cabinet would shortly consider the details of purchasing a new asphalt plant and replacement as-phalt equipment from Astec Industries —a leading provider of asphalt plants and paving equipment in the United States Mr. Speaker, in March of this year the Cabinet approved an agreement between the Ministry of Public Works and Astec that sees the supply and mainte-nance of the following: • One asphalt plant including a new screening plant . The asphalt plant creates asphalt for the laying process, while the screening plant sorts the construction aggregates that will be used in the asphalt [mix ]. • One asphalt milling machine, used to remove the old asphalt in preparation for the paving process . • One material transfer vehicle (commonly referred to as a Shuttle Buggy) , a machine used in the field to store asphalt that is transported by trucks to the site. T hen it agitates and maintains the asphalt at an optimum temperature before it is laid onto the road surface. • One asphalt paver , used to lay the hot asphalt in a symmetrical , uniform manner. Mr. Speaker, negotiations with the company proved extremely fruitful, with the company able to meet all of the specifications required for road paving works on the Island. In addition, A stec offered free training to public officers assigned to the Asphalting team. With employees who have over 40 years of experience in the industry, the training is a unique oppor-tunity for them to receive expert guidance on modern techniques and applications to enhance the asphalt - laying process. Mr. Speaker, the cost of this agreement is $6,197,470 for the new equipment , with the first items being delivered in September, these being the screen-ing plant, shuttle buggy and asphalt paver. The remain-ing equipment is expected to be delivered by the end of this calendar year , and the new plant ready to begin production in April 2025. Mr. Speaker , this is an investment in the future, and we are expecting that this new equipment will last at least 20 years. In preparation for these new assets, the Ministry began the procurement process last month to seek the services of a contractor who will provide skilled la-bour, construction equipment and cranes to assemble the plants and provide technical support. This RF P [request for proposal] is set to close today, June 28, and can be found on the g overnment procurement site at www.gov.bm/procurement -notices . The cost of these works will be in addition to the equipment purchase costs. While this is again a move for the future, let me now speak on the present. Mr. Speaker , as I have stated before, there are multiple circumstances hap-pening simultaneously that are contributing to the cur-rent state of our roads —mainly the following: 1. the $250 million BELCO capital plan to improve its underground high voltage electrical cable system; 2. recovering from the excessive amounts of rain over the 2023 calendar year , which produced an inordinate number of potholes; and 3. the unreliability of owned asphalting assets . Mr. Speaker, since my last S tatement in this House on February 23, 2024, the Ministry Highways team have been out in full force paving those roughest areas. Fortunately, the recent pleasant weather our Is-land has seen has given the team the consistent ability for the following: 1406 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly 1. paving both lanes on South Shore Road from the Reefs Hotel through to Fairmont Southampton including the area by Henry the VIII ; and 2. paving South Shore Road at Collector’s Hill Junction in Smith’s with the remaining paving works and bus layby sidewalk improvements in the area scheduled to be completed next week. Mr. Speaker , upon the conclusion of the works at Collector’s Hill, the asphalting teams will address rough areas on Middle Road in Warwick and Crawl Hill in Hamilton Parish. They will eventually return to Harrington Sound Road to pave from the Harrington Sound School until Flatts , then onto North Shore R oad, through Flatts V illage and Middle Road Flatts from North Shore Road to Store Hill. Mr. Speaker, we are anticipating that BELCO will recommence their capital plan works this summer with pull hole works every 800 feet along Middle Road from Camp Hill to Belmont. They will continue with trench work to place new conduits in Middle Road from Barnes Corner to Evans Bay. The start date is still to be confirmed by the company. A reminder to the listening public that a pull hole is a hole dug in the road to allow for the cables to be pulled through the laid con-duits and to be joined. As always, Mr. Speaker , I will keep this House and the public updated as more infor-mation becomes available. Mr. Speaker , Honourable Members may recall that in my Statement in this House last year on Friday, July 21, 2023, I announced that the Cabinet was set to approve the purchasing of 16 brand- new solar powered flashing beacon signal sets which were intended to be installed at crosswalks in various locations across the Island to ensure the safety of pedestrians. The Cabinet did in fact approve the purchase of the beacons for the sum of $137,378 from the international company Traffic and Parking Control Company , Inc., more commonly known as TAPCO. Mr. Speaker, the new solar powered flashing beacon signals were delivered approximately two months ago , and as such the Highways [team] has been installing the assets. Currently, there are new or replacement sets at the following locations : • at Heron Bay Market Place in Southampton; • near the former T. N. Tatem Middle School in Warwick ; • outside of the Maxi mart in White Hill; • on Frog Lane, Devonshire; • at Barrs Park on Pitts Bay Road; • outside of the Bacardi building on Pitts Bay Road; • at Bermuda College on South Road; • at Ice Queen near White Sands in Paget ; • on Parsons Road, Pembroke, near the playground; • on Middle Road, Devonshire, by ZBM; • outside of the entrance to Radnor Road in Hamilton Parish; • near Shelly Bay Market Place in Hamilton Parish; and • on North Shore Road near Shekinah Worship Centre in Hamilton Parish. While these only total 13 of the 16 [signals] purchased, it is intended that the remaining will be kept for emergency circumstances until such time additional units arrive —to which the administrative process to procure them has already commenced. Some of these sites where there were single beacons have been switched out with other sites that had single beacons. Mr. Speaker , [the following is a] recap of what is currently being done to address the state of our na-tional highways: 1. The Ministry has purchased a brand- new asphalt plant and supporting equipment to ensure works can be completed at the highest quality . 2. Paving works have been completed at a num-ber of locations with the next scheduled area being Middle Road in Warwick . 3. New solar -powered flashing beacon signals are being installed across the Island, and it is intended that more will be ordered in this fiscal year. Mr. Speaker , I hope this update provides an understanding of the situation and plan going forward. We are fully committed to addressing the state of our roads as quickly as possible. I would like to take this opportunity to again thank the motoring public for their patience and understanding. A nd like always , Mr. Speaker , I will keep this House and the public informed as we progress. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Members, the next Statement is also in the name of the Minister of Works. Minister, would you like to continue?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerGo right ahead. WEST END DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AMENDMENT ACT 2024, TABLING OF
Lt. Col. Hon. David A. BurchMr. Speaker, I rise to advise of the final chapter of the amalgamation of two government quangos —the West End Development Corporation and the Bermuda Land Development Company. Mr. Speaker , later this session I will table the West End Development Corporation Amendment Act 2024 i n this Honourable House. …
Mr. Speaker, I rise to advise of the final chapter of the amalgamation of two government quangos —the West End Development Corporation and the Bermuda Land Development Company. Mr. Speaker , later this session I will table the West End Development Corporation Amendment Act 2024 i n this Honourable House. This is the culmination of six years of hard work by this PLP Administration.
Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Speaker , some Honourable Members may recall that in July 2022 I stood in this place and announced some decisions relating to the operational changes at the quangos under the remit of the Ministry of Public Works. These decisions were as follows : • In September 2018 a freeze on all new hires was issued to all three quangos , these being the West End Development Corporation (WEDCO), the Bermuda Land Development Company (BLDC) and the Bermuda Housing Corporation (BHC) . • Effective November 1, 2018, the then BHC General Manager, Major Barrett Dill , assumed management responsibility for the BLDC as interim CEO in addition to his responsibilities at BHC . • Effective November 1, 2018, as well , the BHC CFO, Mr. Mark Melo, assumed financial responsibility for the BLDC in addition to his re-sponsibilities at BHC . • The BLDC Board remained intact and continued their work under the new management team. • Effective January 29, 2021, the WEDCO General Manager, Mr. Andrew Dias , assumed responsibility for BLDC as the Interim CEO in addition to his responsibilities at W EDCO . Mr. Speaker , it is worth repeating some of the history of this entire project. In July 2002, the then Cabinet decided that the Central Policy Unit should complete a review of 17 q uangos , which focused on the following objectives: 1. Determine whether Bermuda ’s quangos as currently constructed are meeting Govern-ment ’s aims , and, if not , recommend methods of achieving alignment . 2. Determine whether there is accountability to the Government , and, if not , recommend an adequate structure to accomplish this . 3. Develop mechanisms for ongoing review. Mr. Speaker , the scope of the review covered a wide range of topics including the establishment and governance of each body; its existing relevance, feasibility, effectiveness, levels of accountability to Govern-ment, expenditure, income, whether the work could be more effectively (or more efficiently) carried out within government proper or by some other means; determine governance and best practice in other jurisdictions ; and develop a mechanism for ongoing review. All laudable goals which resulted in a r eport entitled “Untangling Bermuda ’s Quangos —A review of Quangos in the Bermuda Government” presented in October 2003 and the subsequent S AGE Commission Report presented a decade later in 2013. Mr. Speaker , this PLP Government took the decision early in our Administration shortly after returning to G overnment in July 2017 to have another look at the reports and their recommendations with a view to actioning some of those items. Upon assuming this role, I asked the three managers to meet on a regular basis to discuss ways we could merge operations utilising the recommendations of the quango report as the basis for those discussions. These meetings resulted in the aforementioned operational changes . However, this was not the end, but only the beginning. Mr. Speaker as mentioned before, in January 2021 , the WEDCO General Manager assumed responsibility for BLDC as the Interim CEO , and throughout that year Mr. Andrew Dias , in his dual role , curated a draft strategic plan to merge the West End Develop-ment Corporation and the Bermuda Land Development Company into one new entity. This strategic plan was submitted to the Ministry in June 2022. Credit must be given to Mr. Dias and his team, because throughout that year he, along with everyone else in the world, was also managing the remnants of the COVID -19 pandemic. This strategic plan outlined the vision for this singular entity as the two quangos shared similar objectives, mandates, skills, accounting procedures and staffing levels. In that plan, it was recommended that the BHC would remain a sepa rate entity, as it has different mandates, goals and objectives. Mr. Speaker , this plan was submitted for consideration and was subsequently approved by the Cabinet in July 2022. This amalgamation is an opportunity to immediately effect some cost savings by reducing duplication of roles, combining responsibilities and bringing a s harper focus to deliver on the G overnment ’s mandate to control costs and operate more efficiently. The then Permanent Secretary , Mr. Randy Rochester , and I then visited the respective staffs and b oards of the affected bodies to inform them of t his decision. Many welcomed the move and are looking forward to the future. Mr. Speaker , this now brings me back to the July 2022 S tatement in which I explained that this process originally started 20 years ago and that I shall not rest until this is accomplished— a commitment I am keeping today. Mr. Speaker , upon that Cabinet approval , a team was immediately formed comprising technical officers of WEDCO, BLDC and the Ministry to manage the transition. Over the past two years the following operational activities have taken place to pre-pare for this amalgamation: • Creation and implementation of new , identical union collective bargaining agreements for both WEDCO and BLDC. Thanks are to be given to our union partners , the Bermuda Public Services Union and the Bermuda Industrial Union , for being instrumental to ensure that their members and our employees move forward with us . • Job description reviews and internal policy assessments have been completed. • Merged WEDCO and BLDC servers and software, essentially running all finance and IT systems for both entities from a single location. 1408 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly • The Chief Financial Officer at WEDCO is now acting in a dual role for both entities . • Compiled the asset and liability schedule for both entities . • Established a marketing and PR joint strategy for the new entity . • Relocated key staff to assist with the transition initiative . • Liquidators have been appointed in accordance with the provisions outlined in the Companies Act 1981, as the BLDC is incorporated as a limited liability company. Not only has all of this taken place, Mr. Speaker , but you may also recall in March 2023 this Honourable House approved the dissolution of the BLDC to ensure the seamless amalgamation of the en-tities. While it was the full intention for this initiative to be completed by January 2024— and I must clarify that operationally this target has been met —the merger team stands ready to complete the consolidation once the necessary legislative requirements are concluded. Hence the Bill being tabled later today . Mr. Speaker, as I have said, we are in the final chapter. The newly named entity , the Bermuda Land Management Corporation (BLMC) will manage all as-sets that both the former ly named WEDCO and the soon- to-be-dissolved BLDC owned. While the specific provisions of the West End Development Corporation Amendment Act 2024 will be debated at another time in accordance with the Standing Orders of this Honourable House, I wish to take the time to clearly state the following: There will be no job losses following this merger. I must again commend the management and staff of both organisations , many of whom did not believe we would proceed and that their jobs would be in jeopardy if we did. I am particularly pleased to again thank both the Bermuda Industrial Union and the Bermuda Public Services Union for collaborating with us to revise the collective bargaining agreements so that they are ready for the Bermuda Land Management Company. Mr. Speaker, it took successive Governments 21 years to get to this point today , and this PLP Administration will bring this across the finish line. Mr. Speaker, first thanks are given to the transition team comprising Ms. Nichol Gift, Ms. Carmen Tucker, Mr. Stephen Tucker, Mr. Kent Bascome, Ms. Joanna Cranfield, Ms. Latanya Carmichael— all ably led by Mr. Andrew Dias in his dual role as General Man-ager and CEO of both existing entities. Thanks are also given to the drafter of this legislation , Mrs. Cathryn Balfour -Swain , and our lawyer , Ms. Shantal Bailey, at the Attorney General ’s Chambers, who even with their limited staffing resources were able to ensure that this Bill is ready within this leg-islative session , as mentioned in this year ’s Throne Speech. Mr. Speaker, I also would like to extend thanks to those officers within the Ministry who assisted in this process as well —namely , those in the Estates Section of the Department of Public Lands and Buildings: Ms. Sudell Joseph, Mr. Sean Patterson, Ms. Regina Fergu-son and, last but not least , Mr. Steven Conway, the Director for the department who will retire at the end of this month. It is an amazing curtain call in bringing this 20-plus-year initiative to a close. I would also like to extend a special thanks to Mr. Stephen Symons, our Consultant Policy Analyst who performed exceptional work in ensuring the finer details of the merger, including the policy development and legislative implementation [which] were mana ged with the utmost care and attention. As the old saying goes, The Devil is in the details , and for this merger there were plenty . But Mr. Symons kept all parties in coordination and was instrumental in the delivery of this Bill today. And finally, Mr. Speaker, I would not only like to thank the current Boards of both WEDCO and BLDC , which are led by the Honourable Member from Constituency 26, Mr. Neville Ty rrell, but I would also like to thank all former [ board] members who were involved in this process since 2018 including the former Chair of the BLDC, the Honourable Member from c onstituency 3, Ms. Lovitta Foggo. Mr. Speaker, this has been a long and arduous journey that you, the Deputy Speaker and I have lived through. I am certain, though, that if other government entities wish to pursue a similar course of action, the process employed in this exercise would be an excellent template to follow. Now that we are reaching the end, Mr. Speaker, I look forward to the upcoming debate and the bright future the Bermuda Land Manage-ment Corporation will have. Thank you, Mr. Speaker .
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Members, the next Statement this morning is in the name of the Minister of Education. Minister. EDUCATION REFORM —3-TIER TO 2 -TIER TRANSITION PLAN UPDATE Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Speaker, today I rise to update this House and the listening public on decisions that have …
Thank you, Minister. Members, the next Statement this morning is in the name of the Minister of Education. Minister.
EDUCATION REFORM —3-TIER TO 2 -TIER TRANSITION PLAN UPDATE
Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Speaker, today I rise to update this House and the listening public on decisions that have taken place to advance Government ’s commitment to reforming Bermuda’s public education system. As Honourable Members and the listening public are aware, the Government is working on improving t he Bermuda Public Education System [ BPSS ]. This includes phasing out middle schools and creating Signa-ture Schools at the senior school level. We are also creating Parish Primary Schools with one primary school in each p arish and two in Pembroke and St. George ’s Parishes. Mr. Speaker , on Monday I held a press conference to announce that Gilbert Institute and Prospect Primary will close at the end of June 2025. This follows the updates that we shared in May about the rescoring
Bermuda House of Assembly process. Mr. Speaker , the decision to close these two schools at the end of June 2025 was based on several factors , as follows : 1. The rescoring process did not alter any [ previous] decisions for central zone schools. As such, the timelines for closures of these two schools shared with the school and the broader community in April 2023 remain. 2. The capacity to accommodate the students from Gilbert and Prospect in other central zone schools . 3. For Prospect Primary School, addressing the infrastructure issues to redevelop the site for the Signature School for Exceptionalities is more practical with the school being empty. Mr. Speaker , the principals and staff of both schools were notified before the public announcement, and subsequent meetings were held at each school site with staff and parents on Tuesday of this week. During these meetings, which were facilitated by the school principals and representatives from the Department of Education and the Education Reform Unit, more detailed information about staffing decisions, school transfers, assistance for parents and other logistics were discussed. The Department of Education will be working to ensure that the transition is as seamless as possible and will facilitate a comprehensive implemen-tation plan focusing on supporting students, their fami-lies and staff. Mr. Speaker , since my press conference and the meetings held at the schools with staff and parents, we have been paying close attention to public reactions in the media and on social media. We have also received feedback from concerned parents and the com-munity. Some people are worried that there is not a plan in place, and I have even received a message re-cently expressing fear that the schools would not open in September 2024 . I want to be clear: These schools will close in June 2025, not 2024. To addres s these concerns and provide more information, I would like to share more details with those who are interested. Mr. Speaker , students will be supported [in the following ways]: • Understanding the Reason for Closure— we will explain why the school s are closing; • Counselling Support —we will provide counselling for students both individually and in groups to help them through this change; • Supportive Activities —we will develop activities to help students cope with the school closing; • Student Profiles —we will create detailed profiles for each student to share with their new school ’s staff; • Transfer of R ecords —all academic records and files will be transferred to the new school ; • Visits to the New School —we will arrange visits and tours to the new school so students can start getting to know their future classmates and teachers ; • New School Orientation— an orientation will be held at the new school s to help students get settled ; and • Feedback on U pcoming Events —we welcome students ’ input and feedback on the calendar of major events leading up to the last day of school. I wish to reiterate that this support is for each and every student at Gilbert Institute and Prospect Pri-mary, including students in special programmes who, with their families, will receive additional support across the next academic year to navigate this transition. Mr. Speaker , parents will also be supported [in the following ways] : • Understanding the Reason for the C losure— we will explain why the school is closing; • Counselling Support —we will provide individual and group counselling for parents as needed; • Information Sessions —we will hold meetings and information sessions to keep everyone informed ; • Special Program me Meetings —there will be dedicated meetings for students on IEPs [indi-vidualised education plan] and other [special ] program mes; • Enrolment Options —we will discuss the various enrolment options for your child; • Visits to New Schools —site visits and tours to potential new schools will be organised for parents; • New School Orientation —orientations will be held to help parents get familiar with their children’ s new schools ; • Transportation Details —information about public transportation options to the new schools will be provided; • Uniforms and PE Kits—we will share details about uniforms and PE kits, including financial assistance available; • Join the T ransition Team— there will be opportunities for parents to serve on or attend transi-tion team meetings ; and • Event Calendar Feedback —we will welcome parent s’ input and feedback on the calendar of major events leading up to the final day. Mr. Speaker , staff will be supported [in the following ways] : • Understanding the Reason for Closure; • Staff Career Interests —we will inventory staff members ’ career and employment interests ; • Employment Opportunities —information on job opportunities and options along with the processes of each ; • Counselling Support —both individual and group counselling will be available; 1410 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly • Join the T ransition Team—staff can join the school ’s transition team; • HR Support —human resources support will be provided to help with employment transitions ; • Wellness Support —wellness resources and support will be available; • Complete Responsibilities —staff will be supported in the completion of closing out professional duties such as taking inventory at schools , et cetera; • Year-end Events—assistance with and participation in the school ’s closing events ; • Regular Updates —we will provide ongoing updates throughout the process ; • Contact Person—a designated contact person will be available from the DOE [Department of Education] to answer questions ; • DOE Visits—participat ion in regular check -ins with Department of Education representatives ; • Feedback on C losing Process—w e will welcome ongoing feedback on the closing process and activities ; and last but not least, • Event Calendar Feedback —we will invite teachers ’ input and feedback on the calendar of major events leading up to the final day. Mr. Speaker , the Commissioner of Education has been steadfast in her views that the activities and rhythm of the transition process must be co- developed with school sites and led by transition teams estab-lished for each school. These are views I wholeheartedly support. The closure of Heron Bay and Clearwater at the end of the last school year allowed the Department of Education to execute and test a school closure process. The insights gained from this experience have been incorporated into the approaches I have outlined. Mr. Speaker , it is essential to focus on the learning process , as this has been a consistent principle for our approach to education reform. Education r eform is a staged and phased process. It is no secret that this is the single most significant transformati ve endeavour that Bermuda has ever undertaken. As such, we must be prepared to reflect on and improve our processes each time. We recognise that there are additional schools to phase out, close or open, and we commit to improving our processes each time. Mr. Speaker , this leads me to the remainder of the plan to transition from a 3- tier to a 2- tier system. I can confirm that the remainder of the revised plan to transition from 3- tier to a 2- tier will continue to be developed over the summer and will be ready to announce to all stakeholders in Term 1 of the 2024/ 25 school year. Mr. Speaker , as you can appreciate, this is a labour -intensive process factoring in the following: • Minimis e Disruption for Students —ensuring the transition happens with the least possible disruption for our children ; • Preschool Locations —preschools will be located at each Parish Primary site; • Special Programme s Placement —special programme s for functional skills, autism spectrum disorder and Success Academy will need to be appropriately placed; • Staff Relocation— details on how and where staff will be moved; • Learning Environment Improvements —information on construction timelines and the capacity for new learning environments ; • School Transformation Team—e nsuring our team is capable and ready to support the expanding transformation processes ; and • Advance Notice of School Closures —providing timely updates and advance notice for future school closures. Mr. Speaker , we know that the closures of Gilbert Institute and Prospect Primary will impact their communities and the broader community. As I said on Monday , and I will repeat here, losing a fixture in our community is hard. The History and Legacy Committee will uphold the cherished memor ies of both schools, ensuring their histories and legacies are duly recognised and honoured. The committee will manage essential procedures to solicit, approve and supervise projects to document, preserve, honour and commemorate Bermuda ’s educational history and legacy, encompassing Gilbert Institute and Prospect Primary. Mr. Speaker , we understand that a full school system transformation like ours can be lengthy and somewhat disruptive. However, through the Ministry of Education, the Government of Bermuda is dedicated to improving public education for every learner. We will continue to provide regular updates to our BPSS staff, parents, community partners, unions, PTSAs and t he public through various communication channels and engagement events. Although change can be challeng-ing, it remains crucial for our progress as a c ountry. Mr. Speaker , in closing I wish to thank the principals at Gilbert Institute, Dr. Jana Pitcher , and Prospect Primary, Dr. Holly Richardson. They have demonstrated exemplary leadership throughout this week with their unwavering commitment to ensuring our children achieve the best possible learning and life outcomes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Members, the next Statement this morning is in the name of the Minister of Youth, Social Development and Seniors. Minister, would you like to present your Statement now? Hon. Tinee Furbert: Good morning, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerGood morning. Bermuda House of Assembly DEMENTIA CARE SERVICES PILOT PROGRAMME UPDATE Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Speaker, this morning I rise to provide my h onourable colleagues and the people of Bermuda with an update on the six -month Dementia Care Services pilot programme l aunched by the Ministry of …
Good morning.
Bermuda House of Assembly DEMENTIA CARE SERVICES PILOT PROGRAMME UPDATE
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Speaker, this morning I rise to provide my h onourable colleagues and the people of Bermuda with an update on the six -month Dementia Care Services pilot programme l aunched by the Ministry of Youth, Social Development and Seniors in Octo-ber of 2023. This pilot programme was implemented to ensure persons living with dementia who are uninsured or underinsured have access to dementia care commu-nity support services. Mr. Speaker , “dementia” is an umbrella term for degenerative, terminal brain disease that impact s a person’s ability to perform daily activities and make de-cisions. Dementia is becoming a global public health issue due to an ageing population and risk factors, and Bermuda is a part of this trend. In Bermuda we have an estimated 1,500 persons living with dementia. How-ever, when we think of persons impacted by the dis-ease, the number of persons affected by dementia is much higher than the number of persons diagnosed, as dementia care services are usually provided for by family members. As such, it is critical that Dementia Care Services not only support persons with dementia, but also support those persons who are their carers. Mr. Speaker , international best practice supports the development of dementia navigation pro-grammes that assess, educate and support persons with dementia and their carers to help to ensure the support of a quality of life over the disease progression. These programmes, such as the Care Ecosystem model out of the University of California- San Francisco, have proven beneficial in reducing hospital admissions and increasing the quality of life for persons with dementia and their caregivers.
[Inaudible interjections and pause]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerContinue on now, Minister. Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Speaker , due to the lack of dementia navigation and support services and charita-ble services that financially assist, family carers tend to experience a strain in maintaining persons in their homes. Also, poor support of family carers can result in hospitali sations, …
Continue on now, Minister. Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Speaker , due to the lack of dementia navigation and support services and charita-ble services that financially assist, family carers tend to experience a strain in maintaining persons in their homes. Also, poor support of family carers can result in hospitali sations, care crisis scenarios and earlier admission to facility -based long- term care. It is also critical to note that due to the deficits in available long- term care beds and daycare, persons with dementia requiring placement must remain in the community longer , placing additional strain on existing supports and increased risk. Ageing and Disability Services struggle to support these clients due to [the Ageing and Disability Service s’] limited access to specialist support services. Mr. Speaker , consequently, in November of 2023 I shared with this Honourable House that the Min-istry of Youth, Social Development and Seniors funded a six-month Dementia Care Services pilot programme. The purpose of this pilot was to provide support and intervention services to persons with dementia and their carers while assessing the need and impact of such a programme. The specialis ed support and intervention services provided under the pilot programme included environmental assessments, cognitive scree ning, cognitive compensatory strategies, personal care planning, case management, caregiver education and crisis intervention and prevention. Mr. Speaker , I also shared previously with this Honourable House that NorthStar Dementia Ltd., a lo-cal dementia- specific care provider, was contracted to undertake the six -month pilot programme, commencing in October of 2023, to offer these services. March 31, 2024 , marked the end of the pilot programme, and we are pleased to report that data were collected and collated for services provided during that period. Mr. Speaker , a total of 50 persons with dementia who were either underinsured or uninsured were provided dementia care services during the pilot along with their carers. The following are some of the key find-ings from the pilot programme: • 71 per cent of the clients held FutureCare insurance, 4 per cent were uninsured and the remainder had private health insurance cover-age; • 87 per cent were unable to contribute financially to the cost of services ; • 45 per cent of persons referred did not have a formal diagnosis of dementia; • 71 per cent of the primary caregivers were female and predominately children of the person with dementia; • 49 per cent of caregivers rated their current stress levels as “ severe” ; and • 5 per cent of clients had no next -of-kin or family support available. Mr. Speaker , for the participants in the pilot programme, 46 [per cent] required an initial consultation only , which includes identifying signs and symptoms of dementia, guidance on how to get a diagnosis, identifying needed and available resources and the next steps of recommendations. Another 46 [per cent] required the full comprehensive dementia assessment plus follow -up case management services, including crisis intervention and prevention. Despite the short period for the pilot assessment, all programme performance measures obtained positive results from clients. Some of the feedback included the following: • 90 per cent of the clients found the services provided as beneficial (10 per cent, somewhat beneficial) ; • 60 per cent stated they are much more knowledgeable about dementia in general; • 75 per cent of the caregivers stated they are somewhat less stressed than before receiving the services ; • 55 per cent stated their confidence had increased to implement care strategies ; 1412 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly • 55 per cent indicated they were more aware of local resources to help persons with dementia and their carers; and • 75 per cent of the carers felt somewhat prepared to meet the caregiving needs of their loved one, with 25 per cent stating they felt very prepared post engaging in the dementia pilot programme. Furthermore, Mr. Speaker , the following key actions occurred more amongst clients: • 70 per cent had a formal diagnosis by a medical professional ; • 40 per cent of the clients put a health care directive in place ; • 75 per cent put an enduring power of attorney in place; and • 60 per cent had their mental capacity assessed. These actions are critical , as obtaining a diagnosis of dementia is key so that you and your loved one know what lies ahead and are prepared. Advanced planning is necessary to ensure those diagnosed can make their own decisions for as long as possible and have their wishes and preferences known and upheld when no longer able. It is encouraging to see that when people have access to support services, progress oc-curs in the areas that are essential to help ensure a better quality of life. Therefore, Mr. Speaker , as a result of the positive outcomes obtained during this Dementia Care Services pilot programme, the Ministry of Youth, Social De-velopment and Seniors has extended the pilot for an additional six months, from June to November of 2024. The data show that the need is evident and growing. Also, moving forward, the Ministry is committed to identifying sustainable funding for the provision of these services. Mr. Speaker , this is not the only action the Government is taking to address dementia in our community. My h onourable colleagues may be aware that June 15, 2024, was recogni sed as World Elder Abuse Day, and the theme adopted by Ageing and Disability Services this year was Dementia: Staying Connected . This was an important theme, as those persons with cognitive impairment and care needs are more at risk of abuse and neglect. As a result, the annual Seniors Tea held by Ageing and Disability Services hosted over 100 seniors who received information on dementia, risk reduction and support services available through presentations by Action on Alzheimer ’s & Dementia , and NorthStar Dementia. In addition to the Seniors Tea, in recognition of World Elder Abuse Day , I made a virtual proclamation on June 14 while officers from Ageing and Disability Services shared on the radio stations about senior abuse and the importance of supporting persons with dementia. Additionally, Mr. Speaker , a dementia action plan is being developed under the National Seniors Strategy , which I will share more about in a future Ministerial Statement. The action plan is being prepared collaboratively with the Bermuda Health Council and in-cludes our community and government partners to en-sure we can collectively identify and implement com-prehensive and targeted solutions to help address the needs of persons with dementia and their carers in Bermuda. Mr. Speaker , in closing, a dementia diagnosis can be daunting for the person impacted and their fam-ily, so having affordable access to a resource for education, guidance and support is critical. The Ministry of Youth, Social Development and Seniors is committed to working with our public and private sector stakehold-ers to expand and improve dementia services and sup-port. We thank these partners and look forward to our ongoing collaboration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Members, the next Statement this morning is in the name of the Minister of Health. Minister. PESTICIDES REGULATIONS PUBLIC CONSULTATION Hon. Kim N. Wilson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker and Honourable Members, I stand before this Honourable House to announce the launch of a public consultation …
Thank you, Minister. Members, the next Statement this morning is in the name of the Minister of Health. Minister.
PESTICIDES REGULATIONS PUBLIC CONSULTATION Hon. Kim N. Wilson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker and Honourable Members, I stand before this Honourable House to announce the launch of a public consultation on Pesticides Regulations . This initiative, first announced in the Speech from the Throne in November 2022, marks a significant step to-ward ensuring the safe and responsible use of pesti-cides in Bermuda. While pesticides offer undeniable benefits in various sectors, their misuse poses potential risks to both our environment and the health of our peo-ple. Given Bermuda’ s unique vulnerabilities —our Island’s susceptibility to environmental damage and our high population density with reliance on rainwater harvesting— it is crucial that we implement pesticide controls that are tailored to the specific risks that they pose. Mr. Speaker , the proposed Pesticides Regulations to be enacted under the Pesticide Safety Act 2009 aim to enhance the safety of pesticide use in Bermuda from both human health and environmental perspectives. The scope of these regulations is broad, potentially encomp assing rules for importation, sale, use and disposal of pesticides. However, recogni sing the limitations of our current resources, we will prioriti se the development of one or two sets of regulations initially, fo-cusing on the most critical areas. Mr. Speaker, this public consultation will be instrumental in informing our decision on which areas to prioritis e and in shaping the final form of the regulations. We invite all members of the public to participate in this crucial process by accessing the consultation on forum.gov.bm . Mr. Speaker, consultation participants
Bermuda House of Assembly will be invited to complete the online prioriti sation questionnaire and to sign up for participation in online focus group discussions —one for each stakeholder group. Dates will be confirmed at sign- up and focus groups will generally be held between the 19th of August and the 6th of September. Mr. Speaker, a series of stakeholder consultation meetings will be held in late August and early Sep-tember to gather input and discuss key issues. In total , nine focus groups will be convened online. Consulta-tion meetings will be held with the general public, regu-lators and retailers during the penultimate week of August. Non- governmental organi sations, government pesticide users and structural pest control businesses will similarly meet in the last week of August. Consulta-tion meetings will be held with go lf courses, landscapers and farmers in the first week of September. Mr. Speaker, the overall consultation is expected to be performed in four phases: (1) the aforementioned online prioritis ation questionnaire and comments on the Bermuda Citizens Forum; (2) the compilation of results ; (3) online focus groups to review the results and hear further input directly from stakeholders; and lastly , (4) compilation and publication of the final consultation report with recommendations. Mr. Speaker, we encourage all stakeholders — from government agencies and businesses to environmental organi sations and individual citizens —to contribute their valuable insights and perspectives. Together, we can create Pesticides Regulations that effectively protect our environment and the health of our community while ensuring the continued availability of these important tools for those who rely on them. Thank you, Mr . Speaker.
The SpeakerThe Speaker[No Microphone] SUMMER SAFETY Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good morning. Mr. Speaker, today I wish to encourage this Honourable House and the members of the public to join forces with the Ministry of National Security and the Government as we aim to have a happy and …
[No Microphone]
SUMMER SAFETY
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good morning. Mr. Speaker, today I wish to encourage this Honourable House and the members of the public to join forces with the Ministry of National Security and the Government as we aim to have a happy and safe summe r. The sun is officially, as our forebears would say, across the line, and we are all excited to once again experience all that beautiful Bermuda has to offer during the summer. As the weather continues to warm up, I would like to provide a few key reminders, safety tips and words of caution to help us navigate the sea-son as we all spend more time outside. Mr. Speaker, beaching and boating are favourite summertime activit ies for many of us. In order to preserve safety, it is important that we exercise heightened caution when our outdoor activities take us near or on the water. Beachgoers are encouraged to heed the signage and advice given by the Department of Parks and our lifeguards. Parents are reminded to be particu-larly attentive to young children in and around the wa-ter, and older children should be taught good beach etiquette to ensure that beach days are safe and enjoya-ble for all beachgoers. Mr. Speaker, the Royal Bermuda Regiment Coast Guard will provide full maritime coverage over the summer months. The boating public can expect to see the Coast Guard on frequent inshore patrols. I implore residents to respect the authority of the Coast Guard, and I remind everyone that they have the power to issue tickets and arrest any individual suspected to be in contravention of the law. Mr. Speaker, it is important that boat operators check their vessels before every trip by ensuring that safety equipment is functioning. Whenever boaters plan to be out on the water, they should make sure that someone on land knows where they are headed and when they can be expected to return. Boat operators should not allow their vessels to be occupied by more people than the safe capacity of the boat [allows] , and life preservers should be available for everyone on board. Taking these simple steps will allow boaters to truly relax and be safe on their Sunday Fun Days . Mr. Speaker, speaking of boating, I want to remind boaters and watercraft operators to control their vessels responsibly and without the impairment of drugs or alcohol. We all know that operating a vessel requires skill and that one must pay attention to what is going on out on the water. I implore boat operators to be responsible and moderate their consumption of alcohol while in control of any marine vessel. Mr. Speaker, just as I am asking the public to exercise caution on the water, I also want to remind us to be cautious as we travel on the road. Summertime in Bermuda means an increase in social gatherings and an increased [number] of people traveling on our roads, including our beloved tourists and returning university students. We are all aware of the devastating effects of drunk driving. Alcohol impairs our ability to safely operate vehicles and increases the danger to other road users. Accidents involving serious property and personal injury can and do occur. Mr. Speaker , I encourage people to enjoy their social gatherings and activities , but please do not drink and drive. Mr. Speaker , the Bermuda Police Service will continue with their roadside sobriety testing pro-gramme. Motorists can expect to be stopped along their journey and questioned on their alcohol intake by the police. To avoid the legal consequences of drinking and driving, please use a designated driver, taxi or other prearranged transportation for your travels. Mr. Speaker, my final cautionary message today is one of personal responsibility. It is hot outside, and hotter temperatures can sometimes mean hot heads and short tempers, particularly when alcohol consumption is involved. It is the personal responsibility of each of us to ensure that we do not allow a small annoyance to inflate into an incident of life- changing 1414 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly domestic violence or antisocial behaviou r. As we move about and participate in the liveliness of the summer season, I encourage us to promote the friendliness and respectfulness for which Bermuda is known. Mr. Speaker, it is my hope that this summer will be memorable for us for all the right reasons. I look forward to our people thoroughly enjoying County Games, Cup Match, beach parties , barbeques, family gatherings in the parks and beaches, camping, outdoor con-certs and all of those activities we like to do during the summer. Let us make this summer one of watching our children master new skills, spending quality time with our loved ones and exploring all that our Island home has to offer. Let us do all of this with a mind- set of individual responsibility and safety. Mr Speaker, we must all work together to keep Bermuda safe over the sum-mer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Members, the next Statement this morning is in the name of the Minister of Transport. Minister. ABANDONED VEHICLES, TACKLING OF UPDATE Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Good morning, Mr. Speaker, and good morning to residents and citizens of this beautiful country. Mr. Speaker, I stood in this very …
Thank you, Minister. Members, the next Statement this morning is in the name of the Minister of Transport. Minister.
ABANDONED VEHICLES, TACKLING OF UPDATE Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Good morning, Mr. Speaker, and good morning to residents and citizens of this beautiful country. Mr. Speaker, I stood in this very same spot on the 8 th of March and spoke about abandoned vehicles. I am honoured to be able to stand again to update this Honourable House and speak about a topic that is close to my heart and to the hearts of many Bermudians: cleaning up abandoned vehicles . Mr. Speaker, for too long we have seen these rusty, broken- down cars, trucks and bikes littering our streets, our parks and our neighbourhoods. They are not only an eyesore, but also a health hazard, a fire risk and a source of pollution. They diminish the beauty and the dignity of our Island, and they undermine our sense of pride and community. Mr. Speaker, for years these vehicles have been lying around, unsightly and neglected, scattered across our landscape like forgotten relics. They tarnish the beauty of our I sland, becoming eyesores in the midst of our [picturesque] surroundings. These abandoned cars, trucks, motorcycles and auxiliary bicycles are not just rusting hunks of metal; they are symbols of our neglect and a reminder that we have strayed from the path of responsibility and care that once defined us. Mr. Speaker , when you and I were young the words Keep Bermuda Beautiful were not just a slogan— they were a way of life. We took pride in our surroundings and understood the importance of maintain-ing the pristine condition of our I sland. But somewhere along the way, those words have faded from our daily conversations and perhaps from our collective con-sciousness. Mr. Speaker, it is time to rekindle that spirit. It is time to take action and restore the beauty of Ber-muda. We have a responsibility to ourselves, to our children and to the generations yet to come to ensure that Bermuda remains the paradise we know and love. Clean ing up these abandoned vehicles is not just an act of environmental stewardship; it is an act of com-munity pride and civic duty. Mr. Speaker, I am here to tell you that we have [taken action] and are taking action. We are not going to tolerate this situation any longer. We are going to reclaim our public spaces and restore our environment. We are going to keep Bermuda beautiful, words we do not hear as often as when we were growing up. We are going to show the world that we care about our Island and our people, and that we are all willing to work together to make a difference. This is not a task that the Government can do alone. It requires the cooperation and participation of all Bermudians. And I am proud to say that we have seen an overwhelming response from the public. We have received many calls, emails and WhatsApp messages from concerned citizens reporting the locations of abandoned vehicles and urging us to take action. We have also heard significant [response] from my good friends, the Progressive Labour Party Members of Parliament, who have been vigilant and proactive in notifying the Ministry of where these vehicles are located. Mr. Speaker, on average, the department receive s up to four or five reports per day via both email and telephone. Our traffic officers continue to address the situation by ticketing these vehicles as soon as practicable after receiving the details. Since implementing a deliberate approach, over 37 motor cars and 21 motorcycles and auxiliary bicycles have received tick-ets and further [been] processed on public roads and lands. The department continues to rely on the assistance of private help to tow motor cars and collect the cycles. The cooperation of the public remains very helpful . In fact, members of the public recently identified a dumping ground in Pembroke Parish where seven motorcycles had been stripped beyond recognition and abandoned. Those bikes have been collected and processed. This initiative continues to reap benefits because of the collaborative effort by the Transport Control Department, the Parks Department, KBB [Keep Bermuda Beautiful] and private vendors , who assist with vehicle removal. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that, as of today ’s reporting date, our team will have addressed all reported abandoned vehicles by next Tues-day, July 2. It is important to emphasise that the departments involved cannot deal with vehicles abandoned on private property. However, advice is given to affected property owners regarding the proper disposal
Bermuda House of Assembly of vehicles as stipulated in section 68 of the Motor Car Act 1951. I want to thank each and every one of you for your civic engagement and your sense of responsibility. You have shown us that you love our Island and you want to see it thrive. And I also want to thank the team at TCD [Transport Control Department], who have been working tirelessly and diligently to remove these vehicles and dispose of them properly. They have gone beyond the call of duty, often working long hours and in difficult conditions to clean up Bermuda. They have shown us that they are not just public servants, but public heroes. They deserve our gratitude and our applause. My friends, this is not just a matter of aesthetics. It is a matter of values. It is a matter of respect. Respect for ourselves, respect for our neighbours, re-spect for our Island and respect for our future. When we clean up abandoned [vehicles] , we are not just removing junk , we are removing obstacles —obstacles to our vision, our potential, our prosperity. We are creating space—space for beauty, space for opportunity, space for growth. We are making a statement —a statement that we are not complacent, that we are not indifferent and that we are not hopeless . We are making a statement that we are active, that we are involved, that we are hopeful. Mr. Speaker, the Progressive L abour Party is making a difference —a difference that we can see, a difference that we can feel and a difference that we can celebrate. We are making a difference that will inspire others, that will motivate others, that will challenge oth-ers. We are making a difference that will make Ber-muda a better place for ourselves, for our children and for generations to come. So let us continue this work, let us continue this movement, let us continue this mission. Let us keep Bermuda beautiful. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Members, the next Statement, which is the final Statement this morning, is in the name of the Min-ister of Cabinet. Minister. Hon. Vance Campbell: Good morning, and thank you,
Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerGood morning. LEVERAGING SUSTAINABLE PUBLIC PROCUREMENT 2024 –2027 Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Speaker, I rise today to advise Honourable Members of this House on current Government activities that are geared to ensure that we conduct public procurement at a global standard. The theme, Mr. Speaker, of this year ’s Throne …
Good morning.
LEVERAGING SUSTAINABLE PUBLIC PROCUREMENT 2024 –2027 Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Speaker, I rise today to advise Honourable Members of this House on current Government activities that are geared to ensure that we conduct public procurement at a global standard. The theme, Mr. Speaker, of this year ’s Throne Speech is Serving the People. This is primarily about improving service delivery throughout government. There has been increased activity in government in competition with the rest of the world in acquiring goods and ser-vices necessary for recovery after the effects of the COVID -19 pandemic. The Office of Project Management and Procurement has been instrumental in and continues to play a key role in economic recovery initiatives, government reform initiatives and business con-tinuity across ministries. The Office of Project Management and Procurement has now taken the next step toward leverag-ing sustainable public procurement (SPP) by actively participating in a tailored public procurement programme led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). This will involve capacity -building amongst public officers along with a deeper under-standing of inter -ministry operation and collaboration. This is key to ensuring sustainable public procurement and more efficient project planning, delivery and public implementation. Mr. Speaker , this initiative will include the following: • customised training for authorised public officers, which will increase capacity and knowledge ; • stabilising existing procurement processes to ensure better planned and controlled spending; and • implementing and monitoring more sustainable public procurement criteria that will promote small and medium- sized enterprises on the I sland. Mr. Speaker , in September 2022, the Director and Senior Management of the Office of Project Management and Procurement (OPMP) were successful in adding Bermuda to the next group of member countries identified for specialised training toward development of sustainable procurement. This United Nations initia-tive and related courses are designed to support the development of sustainable public procurement legal frameworks and strategies. Some of the tools for implementation and use include, but are not limited to, guide-lines in key economic sectors, Economic Social Gov-ernance (ESG) considerations, and knowledge of sustainable public procurement for persons operating in both the public and the private sectors alike. Mr. Speaker, the secondary aim of this programme will enable the development of a modern, transparent, cost -effective public procurement legal framework. This will in turn positively impact the opera-tional environment for the delivery of the government ’s capital projects. As we make progress in sustainable procurement, we will have to remain agile and fluid while being responsive to changing dynamics within the private sector and within government. Participating in this project will also enhance Bermuda’ s maturity in standing on the United Nations Sustainable Develop1416 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly ment Goal (SDG) 12.7.1, along with targets and indicators on the number of countries implementing sustainable public procurement policies and plans. Mr. Speaker , in February 2024, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) signed a small - scale funding agreement with Crown Agents Limited (UK) to be its implementing partner for leveraging sustainable public procurement (SPP) for COVID -19 recovery in the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) of the Caribbean Project. The overall objective of the project is to maintain sustainable public procurement [SPP] criteria and practices as a tool for COVID -19 green recovery and sustainable development. Mr. Speaker , Crown Agents Limited is currently reaching out and engaging OPMP [Office of Project Management and Procurement] and other government agencies and stakeholders to start the implementation phase. Other Governments included in our grouping include [those of] Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago. Going forward, OPMP will work with the Crown Agents team and provide any neces-sary information and documentation that will facilitate the effective implementation of the Sustainable Procurement programme. Mr. Speaker, I would like to add to inform this Honourable House that, other than the time of the public officers who will be involved in this initiative, this will be at no cost to the government. Mr. Speaker , the Cabinet Office will be providing updates on this as we move ahead. I again wish to remind our Honourable Members that this effort involves cross- ministry collaboration to ensure effectiveness and optimal benefits. I therefore ask for your continuous sup port and assistance through this project. To this end, the dedicated and committed public officers within the Office of Project Management and Procurement will work continuously to make this worthwhile ef-fort a reality. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Thank you, Members and Ministers, for your Statements this morning. Members, that brings us to a close of the Statements for today. We will now move on. REPORTS OF COMMITTEES
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThere are none. QUESTION PERIOD
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThis morning we have written questions as well as questions on the Statements that were read this morning by Ministers. We will start with the written questions. The first question this morning is from the Opposition Leader to the Minister of Economy and Labour. Opposition Leader, would you like to …
This morning we have written questions as well as questions on the Statements that were read this morning by Ministers. We will start with the written questions. The first question this morning is from the Opposition Leader to the Minister of Economy and Labour. Opposition Leader, would you like to put your question now? Hon. Jarion Richardson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good morning to you, sir.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerGood morning. QUESTION 1: IMMIGRATION REFORM AND PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS UPDATE Hon. Jarion Richardson: And good morning to the honourable colleagues and to the listening public. The Minister responsible for Immigration indicated in a December 2021 Ministerial Statement that an Immigration Digitisation (or automation) project was underway. On 11 March 2024, …
Good morning.
QUESTION 1: IMMIGRATION REFORM AND PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS UPDATE
Hon. Jarion Richardson: And good morning to the honourable colleagues and to the listening public. The Minister responsible for Immigration indicated in a December 2021 Ministerial Statement that an Immigration Digitisation (or automation) project was underway. On 11 March 2024, the Honourable Minister stated that the project “is a priority.” Will the Ho nourable Minister please provide this Honourable House with an update on the current status of the project?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMinister. Hon. Jason Hayward: Good morning, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerGood morning. Hon. Jason Hayward: Mr. Speaker, I want to reiterate that the digitisation project remains a priority for this Government. The Department of Immigration has now strategically used RFI [request for information] which was put out by the Information and Digital Technologies Department to identify smart government partners to …
Good morning.
Hon. Jason Hayward: Mr. Speaker, I want to reiterate that the digitisation project remains a priority for this Government. The Department of Immigration has now strategically used RFI [request for information] which was put out by the Information and Digital Technologies Department to identify smart government partners to transform Bermuda. This request for information will now enable the Department of Immigration to jumpstart engagement with prospective vendors. Currently, the Government is now working wi th the newly formed Digitisation Team within the Bermuda Government to deal with our request for proposal and begin the vendor selection process.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Supplementary question? Hon. Jarion Richardson: Yes, please. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerSupplementary. SUPPLEMENTARIES Hon. Jarion Richardson: Would the Honourable Minister be able to give us prospective timelines relating to the current workstream of the RFP, please?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMinister. Hon. Jason Hayward: The matter to be discussed is whether or not the RFP is the appropriate process, since the RFI has only gone out, and whether or not there can be a selection of vendors from the pool of individuals who responded to the RFI. Bermuda House of …
Minister.
Hon. Jason Hayward: The matter to be discussed is whether or not the RFP is the appropriate process, since the RFI has only gone out, and whether or not there can be a selection of vendors from the pool of individuals who responded to the RFI.
Bermuda House of Assembly The other thing is that the Digitisation Team wants to ensure that whatever is placed in front of the prospective vendors, they have the capabilities to com-plete the full suite of activities. One of the lessons we learned in advance is that you have persons who will have the skill sets to enable digitised processes, but then also the delivering on the back end of that and the system support that is required on an ongoing basis, you need to ensure that you have the requisite skill set and technology to support any system that you put in place. So this is a holistic approach to the exercise.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerFurther supplementary or your second question? Hon. Jarion Richardson: Further supplementary.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYes. Hon. Jarion Richardson: I thank the Honourable Minister for the clarity. Would he be able to speak to, or is he in a position to speak to the Digitisation Team’s work and their timeline to make sure that we keep up with this project?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMinister. Hon. Jason Hayward: As we have received capital funding for this fiscal period, it is my expectation and the Ministry’s expectation that the project be initiated and the substantial portion of the project be completed in this fiscal period so that the funds allocated can be utilised and placed …
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Second question? QUESTION 2: IMMIGRATION REFORM AND PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS, FUNDS SPENT ON Hon. Jarion Richardson: Yes, please, Mr. Speaker. The second question: As of June 2023, the Government had spent $356,880 on the Digitisation Project. The 2024/25 capital acquisitions estimate for the Ministry of Economy and Labour show …
Thank you. Second question?
QUESTION 2: IMMIGRATION REFORM AND PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS, FUNDS SPENT ON
Hon. Jarion Richardson: Yes, please, Mr. Speaker. The second question: As of June 2023, the Government had spent $356,880 on the Digitisation Project. The 2024/25 capital acquisitions estimate for the Ministry of Economy and Labour show that a further $150,000 has been allocated for this project. Will the Honourable Minister please inform this Honourable House as to how much the Government has spent on this project to date?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMinister. Hon. Jason Hayward: There have been no funds used from the 2024/25 funding allocation.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerSupplementary? Hon. Jarion Richardson: No supplementary. Third question, please. The Speaker: Third question. Yes. QUESTION 3: IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT, STATUS OF COMPLAINT TRACKING AND RESOLUTION PROCESS Hon. Jarion Richardson: On 6 March 2023, the Honourable Minister said that he would enquire with the Chief Immigration Officer to determine how she moni-tors …
Supplementary? Hon. Jarion Richardson: No supplementary. Third question, please. The Speaker: Third question. Yes.
QUESTION 3: IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT, STATUS OF COMPLAINT TRACKING AND RESOLUTION PROCESS
Hon. Jarion Richardson: On 6 March 2023, the Honourable Minister said that he would enquire with the Chief Immigration Officer to determine how she moni-tors complaints relating to work permits and passport applications, as complaints would be something [the Minister] would want to keep track of. Will the Honourable Minister please update this Honourable House on the complaint tracking and resolution process?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMinister. Hon. Jason Hayward: Based off of the wording of the question, I would believe that the question is isolated to the tracking of work permits and passport complaints rather than other compliance complaints which have to deal with policy and legislation. So, I will attempt to speak to that …
Minister. Hon. Jason Hayward: Based off of the wording of the question, I would believe that the question is isolated to the tracking of work permits and passport complaints rather than other compliance complaints which have to deal with policy and legislation. So, I will attempt to speak to that because there are two separate mechanisms used for tracking complaints. But the complaints are managed by the Department of Immigration, and these are handled on a case -by-case basis. Oftentimes when complaints come as they pertain to passports or work permits, they are resolved in a timely manner. So, there is no case management or tracking device for complaints that may come in regarding work permits and passports. You will recognise that if somebody’s passport is delayed or there may be a typographical error on a work permit that has been issued, those sorts of things are handled by multiple vendors within the department rather than going to a centralised and case- tracking system. So, there is a fundamental difference between the two. But I would want to inform the public and Members of this House that for any complaints against breaches of immigration law and policy, we take that extremely seriously. We often receive anonymous complaints that have been submitted by members of the general public, and we ask persons to submit those complaints to the hotline at 296- 5202 or via the compliance manager at kwpburgess@gov.bm . Other means of reporting breaches are by person in attendance to the Department of Immigration or sending a letter to the Chief Immigration Officer. The Compliance Section also receives complaints from the Bermuda Police Service and other gov-ernment departments or internally within the Depart-ment of Immigration itself. Once a complaint is received, it is reviewed to ensure that it is sufficient information to proceed with an investigation. The Department of Immigration requires as much detail about the alleged breach as can be provided to allow inquiries to be made. If a complaint, whether anonymous or not, is only able to provide vague details, the officers will have 1418 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly little or no avenue to pursue it, and so it is unlikely an investigation will continue. Finally, all complaints for breaches against immigration law and policies are recorded electronically by the Compliance Sectoin.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Supplementary? SUPPLEMENTARY Hon. Jarion Richardson: Yes, please, Mr. Speaker. Would the Honourable Minister be able to speak to any improvement to the processes and proce-dures within the department based on complaints re-ceived from the public?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMinister. Hon. Jason Hayward: Most definitely. Mr. Speaker, I meet with the senior management of the Department of Immigration on a weekly basis. And that is the basis of the conversation that we do have. One of the areas is in terms of how we can improve our customer service, …
Minister. Hon. Jason Hayward: Most definitely. Mr. Speaker, I meet with the senior management of the Department of Immigration on a weekly basis. And that is the basis of the conversation that we do have. One of the areas is in terms of how we can improve our customer service, how we can improve our internal processes within the department. And so we go on with a continual, ongoing process of reforming the way in which we do work so that we can meet the expectations of the public.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerSupplementary? Hon. Jarion Richardson: That is the end. Thank you,
Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerOh. Thank you. Members, that brings us to the close of the [written questions] for this morning. We now move on to the questions that arose from the Statements. And the first Statement that has a question this morning, Premier, is your second Statement. And it is from the Opposition …
Oh. Thank you. Members, that brings us to the close of the [written questions] for this morning. We now move on to the questions that arose from the Statements. And the first Statement that has a question this morning, Premier, is your second Statement. And it is from the Opposition Leader. Opposition Leader, would you like to put your question?
QUESTION 1: MINISTRY OF FINANCE NEW ONLINE SERVICES
Hon. Jarion Richardson: Yes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Honourable Premier’s Statement related to the payment portal facilitating payment for parking tickets. However, I note that a number of other kinds of tickets are issued by the authorities, including moving violation tickets, such as under the Road Tr affic Act, Motor Car Act, et cetera. These are the majority of the tickets, and they have the most impact on current road traffic conduct. So can the Honourable Premier explain when we are going to see the moving violation tickets rolled out? The Speaker: Premier.
Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker, I am sure that is un-der a separate process, as those are the fines that would be issued by judges after persons have to actu-ally go in front of a court. But the view as stated in the Statement is that for all payments that are done in any spac e to the Government of Bermuda, those will eventually be added to the payment portal, pay.gov.bm .
The SpeakerThe SpeakerOkay. Supplementary? SUPPLEMENTARY Hon. Jarion Richardson: Yes. Thank you. The Honourable Premier spoke to some of the hurdles facing the problems of putting the moving violation tickets into the system. He had mentioned that the matter has to go before judges before the amount can be set. Can the Honourable …
Okay. Supplementary?
SUPPLEMENTARY Hon. Jarion Richardson: Yes. Thank you. The Honourable Premier spoke to some of the hurdles facing the problems of putting the moving violation tickets into the system. He had mentioned that the matter has to go before judges before the amount can be set. Can the Honourable Minister speak to if he has engaged with the judiciary as yet to start resolving those hurdles?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerPremier. Hon. E. David Burt: At this point in time there is no workstream in regard to moving violations. But the team has the vision overall. The team has been working with members of the judiciary and others on these particular matters. And there will be further announce-ments in due …
The SpeakerThe SpeakerSecond supplemental or a new question? Hon. Jarion Richardson: A new question, please.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerNew question. QUESTION 2: MINISTRY OF FINANCE NEW ONLINE SERVICES Hon. Jarion Richardson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Would the Honourable Minister be able to speak to some of the other services that are going to be rolled out onto the payment portal this year?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerPremier. Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker, we will be working with a number of government departments. We know that there are a number that are slated to be added. And when those things are added and confirmed, the Honourable House will continue to be informed. The vi-sion is for …
Premier. Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker, we will be working with a number of government departments. We know that there are a number that are slated to be added. And when those things are added and confirmed, the Honourable House will continue to be informed. The vi-sion is for all payments that are currently done at the cashier’s counter to be done. But what we are not going to do is to rush this, because we want to make sure just not to add additional processing to the back end. We
Bermuda House of Assembly want to make sure that items are clearly linked inside the system, making auditing and other things a lot quicker and more effective. So as more items are rolled out, we will announce them in due course.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Supplementary? Hon. Jarion Richardson: No, Mr. Speaker. Third question.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThird question. Go ahead. QUESTION 3: MINISTRY OF FINANCE NEW ONLINE SERVICES Hon. Jarion Richardson: Thank you. The Honourable Premier had spoken to the cybersecurity guidance and protecting privacy principles for not retaining credit card information. Would the Honourable Premier be able to speak to what the cyberse-curity guidance that …
The SpeakerThe SpeakerPremier. Hon. E. David Burt: The Forms Team made sure they worked on anything that is launched. I think it is im-portant to know that I think we have launched about 40 or 50 online services since the pandemic and the Forms Team was put together. That team has now …
Premier.
Hon. E. David Burt: The Forms Team made sure they worked on anything that is launched. I think it is im-portant to know that I think we have launched about 40 or 50 online services since the pandemic and the Forms Team was put together. That team has now moved over to the Digital Transformation Team. And they always look to review to make sure that any particular principles that minimise risk to ensure that persons’ information can be secure. So from this particular case and aspect, there is no storing of any credit card and/or personal information on servers. For the parking tickets the only information that is going to be stored on government services will be the parking ticket number, the parking ticket date and whether or not the payment transaction was successful.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerSupplementary? Hon. Jarion Richardson: Yes, please, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerGo ahead. SUPPLEMENTARIES Hon. Jarion Richardson: Does the guidance that the Honourable Premier is referring to stem from, or follow, or take any lessons, such as improvements or recommendations outlined in the report on the cyber -hack given to government?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerPremier. Hon. E. David Burt: I do not think that is the case. I think he is trying to conflate two particular issues. These are things that the team continues to work on, Mr. Speaker. And as they roll out new services, they are going to continue to make sure …
The SpeakerThe SpeakerSecond supplemental? Hon. Jarion Richardson: Yes, please, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerGo ahead. Hon. Jarion Richardson: Does this guidance mean that the Government will purge or delete the existing payment and credit card details it currently holds? Hon. E. David Burt: I am not entirely certain what payment or credit card details we currently hold. But if the Honourable Member has …
Go ahead.
Hon. Jarion Richardson: Does this guidance mean that the Government will purge or delete the existing payment and credit card details it currently holds?
Hon. E. David Burt: I am not entirely certain what payment or credit card details we currently hold. But if the Honourable Member has any details on that which he wishes to share, [I am] happy to take that back to the team.
Hon. Jarion Richardson: Those are all of my questions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Premier, on the same Statement you have questions that MP Pearman would like to put to you. MP Pearman. QUESTION 1: MINISTRY OF FINANCE NEW ONLINE SERVICES
Mr. Scott PearmanThank you, and good morning, Mr. Speaker. Good morning to the Honourable Premier. Given the welcome news that Bermudians should finally be able to pay parking tickets online, can the Honourable Premier and Finance Minister share with the public and this Honourable House roughly how much money is due in …
Thank you, and good morning, Mr. Speaker. Good morning to the Honourable Premier. Given the welcome news that Bermudians should finally be able to pay parking tickets online, can the Honourable Premier and Finance Minister share with the public and this Honourable House roughly how much money is due in unpaid parking tickets? Hon. E. David Burt: I do not have that information.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYes. That is not contained in the Statement either. Yes. Try to keep it pertaining to what was in the Statement. He did not have figures in the Statement. SUPPLEMENTARY
Mr. Scott PearmanWell, yes. That is why I was asking the question because there were no figures given in the Statement. Supplementary. Presumably, the Honourable Premier does have a rough idea about how much is due, $1 million, $2 million, et cetera? 1420 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of …
Well, yes. That is why I was asking the question because there were no figures given in the Statement. Supplementary. Presumably, the Honourable Premier does have a rough idea about how much is due, $1 million, $2 million, et cetera?
1420 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly The Speaker: Remember. The questions should be confined to what the Statement . . . the Statement was not particularly looking at the funds that needed to be collected or the funds that are outstanding. It was speaking about bringing this programme in place so that al l government payments could be put online. It did not digress . . . it was not speaking to outstanding fees, costs, et cetera, et cetera. So that really is outside of the scope of the [Statement].
Mr. Scott PearmanWith respect, Mr. Speaker, the Statement was about a portal that would allow payments of parking tickets. And I am trying to establish how much—
The SpeakerThe SpeakerIt was not speaking to the extent of what the cost is, the amount that is outstanding. It is speaking to a programme that is going to allow persons to go in and pay online. There could have been a Statement that spoke to . . . the reason for …
It was not speaking to the extent of what the cost is, the amount that is outstanding. It is speaking to a programme that is going to allow persons to go in and pay online. There could have been a Statement that spoke to . . . the reason for this is because the cost is outrageous or the back payments are outrageous, et cetera. It did not speak to that. It spoke to the fact that this programme is going to give the ability to do that.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerSo I would not expect that information to be contained in the response of the Premier to the question, because it was not based in the formation of the Statement. QUESTION 2: MINISTRY OF FINANCE NEW ONLINE SERVICES
Mr. Scott PearmanOkay. I will move on. My second question, Mr. Speaker, is, Does the Honourable Premier envisage any period of amnesty for the people who are going to pay on this new portal to pay their tickets? And if so, will they be able to pay during an amnesty period at …
The SpeakerThe SpeakerPremier. Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker, I do not believe there is any particular change in regard to the regulations that exist right now. The fee is at $75, and persons can go online and pay those fees.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerSupplementary? MP Jackson. QUESTION 1: MINISTRY OF FINANCE NEW ONLINE SERVICES
Ms. Susan E. JacksonWhen a person makes that payment for a particular parking ticket, will there be any notification of additional outstanding parking tickets that a person may have? I know that there are a lot of people out there who may have 10, 15, 60 outstanding parking tickets. Will this system pick …
The SpeakerThe SpeakerPremier. [Inaudible interjections and laughter] Hon. E. David Burt: The answer to the question, Mr. Speaker, is no. As explained, the system is a payment portal that allows. It is not doing logging- in. It is not going to have information. It is not tying . . . all the …
Premier.
[Inaudible interjections and laughter]
Hon. E. David Burt: The answer to the question, Mr. Speaker, is no. As explained, the system is a payment portal that allows. It is not doing logging- in. It is not going to have information. It is not tying . . . all the rest. It is entering the ticket number, et cetera. We are making this thing very . . . as they built it, they built it to be very (I would say) minimal so that the minimal amount of in-formation is collected and needed in able to process. So in this particular instance, as has been stated, it is parking ticket number and parking ticket date. The amount is paid, and then we process through.
Ms. Susan E. JacksonSo if a person does not pay their parking ticket, is that a manual enforcement to chase after the unpaid parking ticket? Or is there any . . .you know, what happens if you just do not pay your ticket anyway?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerIt would be like it is today. Premier. Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker, let me try to help Honourable Members opposite. As explained in my Statement, if you are issued a parking ticket, currently you go to the building across the street, go through security, go up the stairs, …
It would be like it is today. Premier.
Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker, let me try to help Honourable Members opposite. As explained in my Statement, if you are issued a parking ticket, currently you go to the building across the street, go through security, go up the stairs, stand in line, present your ticket information and pay the ticket.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYou sound pretty familiar with that, Mr. Premier. Hon. E. David Burt: Sorry?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYou sound pretty familiar. I did not even know that. [Laughter] Bermuda House of Assembly The Speaker: You must have done this a few times. Hon. E. David Burt: I can assure you, Mr. Speaker, I have never had a parking ticket. [Laughter] Hon. E. David Burt: In that case …
You sound pretty familiar. I did not even know that.
[Laughter]
Bermuda House of Assembly The Speaker: You must have done this a few times.
Hon. E. David Burt: I can assure you, Mr. Speaker, I have never had a parking ticket. [Laughter] Hon. E. David Burt: In that case and instance. That much being said, Mr. Speaker, that is the process. The process will change. The only process that is being changed is that individuals can still do that, or they can go to pay.gov.bm . There is no other change to anything surrounding what is taking place regarding parking tickets except for the fact that it is paying. This is not a Statement on parking tickets. This is a State-ment on payment portals which are being launched. And the first service which is being put as part of this in working with the judiciary was something that did come up often in our consultation, and it is being added as the first step.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerAny further supplementary? MP De Silva, supplementary? SUPPLEMENTARY Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Yes. Supplementary, yes. Premier, can you confirm if there are any boat parking tickets outstanding?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMr. Premier. Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker, I do not have any knowledge on that.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerSupplementary . . . You had your two. You had your two supplementaries. MP Pearman, did you have a further supplementary or question? [Inaudible interjection]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerNone. Okay. No further supplementaries or questions on that. Premier, that brings a close to questions on your Statement. We will now move on. The next Statement this morning that Members would like to ask question on is that of the Minister of Education. Minister of Education, the Deputy Opposition …
Mr. Ben SmithThank you, and good morning, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerGood morning. QUESTION 1: EDUCATION REFORM —3-TIER TO 2-TIER TRANSITION PLAN UPDATE
Mr. Ben SmithMr. Speaker, would the Honourable Minister be able to let us know whether he anticipates any changes to staffing employment due to the scheduled closure for next June for both of the schools that will be closing?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMinister. Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Speaker, as all staff that are substantive government employees or public serv-ants, they will be retained and transferred to other schools or within the public service. At this point I can state that every single person at Prospect Primary and Gilbert Institute are …
Mr. Ben SmithDoes the Minister anticipate any transfers happening in this upcoming school year starting in September due to the potential changes that will happen next summer?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMinister. Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Speaker, as stated in the Statement, that is the responsibility of the Department of Education, more specifically the Commissioner of Education. And so as the conversations take place, I cannot speculate what could come up as they discuss opportunities with individual employees within …
The SpeakerThe SpeakerSupplementary or second question? QUESTION 2: EDUCATION REFORM —3-TIER TO 2-TIER TRANSITION PLAN UPDATE
Mr. Ben SmithSecond question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, considering that the Minister said that they learned several lessons from the closure of the schools last year, would he be able to let us know whether any data were collected on transfers that would have happened once the announcement is made …
Second question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, considering that the Minister said that they learned several lessons from the closure of the schools last year, would he be able to let us know whether any data were collected on transfers that would have happened once the announcement is made for school closures to other schools and maybe outside of public education?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMinister. 1422 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Speaker, the announcement was made Monday. The meeting with parents was Tuesday. And I am going to assume that if there are any transfers that are a direct result of this, they …
Minister.
1422 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Speaker, the announcement was made Monday. The meeting with parents was Tuesday. And I am going to assume that if there are any transfers that are a direct result of this, they have to come to the Department of Education, apply for a transfer [and] th e transfer has to be accepted. So there will be data that will be kept to say who is moving from what school or not. It is something that we have learned from previous that we now do. Once you have an additional question, the department wants to have an additional question that talks about why the transfer is being done, which simply was not asked before.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerSupplementary or new question?
Mr. Ben SmithSo my original question was, Did the Minister learn that there was an uptick in transfers once the announcement was made the last time, so that it would give him an informed decision of the potential of transfers that would happen from the announcement that has just happened on Monday? …
So my original question was, Did the Minister learn that there was an uptick in transfers once the announcement was made the last time, so that it would give him an informed decision of the potential of transfers that would happen from the announcement that has just happened on Monday? So that would allow us to know whether we should anticipate massive transfers, small amount of transfers. What did they learn from that the first time that we can now inform ourselves for what has just happened?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerSo, I am trying to get a specific question that you can put to the Minister out of that one. I know you are referencing what happened before. And is there is something from before that we can use as a scale for now? Is that what you are asking?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThen you need to put it into question form then.
Mr. Ben SmithSo, the data that would have been collected from the first set of closures last year, what has that data taught them about what we should anticipate for transfers from the schools that will close next year? Considering that it is a year from now, they wou ld have learned …
So, the data that would have been collected from the first set of closures last year, what has that data taught them about what we should anticipate for transfers from the schools that will close next year? Considering that it is a year from now, they wou ld have learned that same lesson when that announcement was made for the prior closures.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMinister. Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am still a bit hazy, but I am going to try and go through what I think the Honourable Member is asking. From my understanding, the closures we did last year for Heron Bay and Clearwater resulted in all …
Minister.
Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am still a bit hazy, but I am going to try and go through what I think the Honourable Member is asking. From my understanding, the closures we did last year for Heron Bay and Clearwater resulted in all of those students being transferred to other public schools. If there is a net difference of zero, I am not sure what we are going to learn from that. It is anticipated that all of the students at Gilbert Institute and Prospect Primary will transfer to other public schools as well. If the Member is asking . . . if he is trying to ask, How many students transferred to private schools? (which I think he is trying to ask), no, we do not have those data. Because last year, from my understanding, everybody went to public schools.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThis is the second supplementary on that topic. Go ahead.
Mr. Ben SmithWhen the announcement was made for last year, parents would have made a decision in advance whether they should enrol students into the school that was going to close or whether they would transfer their students in anticipation of the closure. Was that t he information that was learned through …
When the announcement was made for last year, parents would have made a decision in advance whether they should enrol students into the school that was going to close or whether they would transfer their students in anticipation of the closure. Was that t he information that was learned through round one, which would now allow us to say there is a potential that we will have smaller class sizes going into this September for both of the schools that will close next summer?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerIt may be speculation at this point. And a question should not be of a speculative nature. Okay? I was trying to get you to fine- tune it a bit more, but it cannot be of a speculative nature. Okay? Any further questions? No further questions. Thank you, Members. Members, …
It may be speculation at this point. And a question should not be of a speculative nature. Okay? I was trying to get you to fine- tune it a bit more, but it cannot be of a speculative nature. Okay? Any further questions? No further questions. Thank you, Members. Members, the next Statement that Members wish to ask questions on is the Statement from the Minister of Transport. Minister, MP Pearman would like to put questions to you. MP.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerGood morning. QUESTION 1: ABANDONED VEHICLES —TACKLING OF UPDATE
Mr. Scott PearmanThank you. Honourable Minister, you have updated the House today in your Statement about the derelict bikes and cars, and you have referred back to your prior Statement from the 8 th of March. And in your Statement you described that you are taking action to get this done. And …
Thank you. Honourable Minister, you have updated the House today in your Statement about the derelict bikes and cars, and you have referred back to your prior Statement from the 8 th of March. And in your Statement you described that you are taking action to get this done. And it is welcomed news if indeed 21 bikes and 37 cars have been moved. So if that is true, then welcomed news.
Bermuda House of Assembly What you said, however, is that you have thanked people. You relied on the assistance of private help to remove them. And then you also thanked the TCD [Transport Control Department]. And I am just wondering who effected the removals of the vehicles. Was it both private assistance and TCD? Or was it all TCD? Thank you.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMinister. Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, we had to hire trucks to actually put the vehicles on. And that is what I am talking about when I say “private individuals.” So we have hired individuals who actually picked up the trucks or bikes. The traffic officer …
Minister. Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, we had to hire trucks to actually put the vehicles on. And that is what I am talking about when I say “private individuals.” So we have hired individuals who actually picked up the trucks or bikes. The traffic officer is the one who goes out. Then we have Mr. Trot (I am just using the name), who has a truck. We put the vehicles on his truck and he takes it wherever we need.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerSupplementary? SUPPLEMENTARIES
Mr. Scott PearmanSupplementary. That removal of vehicles previously used to be carried out by TCD using the TCD vehicle, correct? Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: We have always rented, used another truck, a person’s truck.
Mr. Scott PearmanSupplementary. So the removal has always been through private rental vehicles? Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: I cannot say that it has always been. [Inaudible interjections] Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Yes, you are right. I have not always been the Minister. So I am not sure how you guys handled it. …
Supplementary. So the removal has always been through private rental vehicles? Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: I cannot say that it has always been.
[Inaudible interjections]
Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Yes, you are right. I have not always been the Minister. So I am not sure how you guys handled it. Did you move any trucks? I am not sure either. You let us know whether you did.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYes. Second question. QUESTION 2: ABANDONED VEHICLES —TACKLING OF UPDATE
Mr. Scott PearmanYes, second question. Just in terms of the process, when the bike or car is collected, before it goes to the dump it has to have oil and petrol, if still left in the vehicle, removed. How does that process work? Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Mr. Speaker, we rely on …
Yes, second question. Just in terms of the process, when the bike or car is collected, before it goes to the dump it has to have oil and petrol, if still left in the vehicle, removed. How does that process work? Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Mr. Speaker, we rely on the person whom we hire to actually do all of that work for us.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerOkay. Supplementary? None. Members, that brings to us to a close of the Question Period for today. Thank you. We will now move on. CONGRATULATORY AND/OR OBITUARY SPEECHES
The SpeakerThe SpeakerWould any Member wish to make a contribution? Mr. Premier, you have your three minutes. Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am going to probably pre- empt the Minister of Education. I am sure he will be giving extensive congratulations, Mr. Speaker. But …
Would any Member wish to make a contribution? Mr. Premier, you have your three minutes. Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am going to probably pre- empt the Minister of Education. I am sure he will be giving extensive congratulations, Mr. Speaker. But I just wanted to note that the Minister and I, as I said earlier, did have the opportunity to stop by the CedarBridge Academy earlier today. That is why, Mr. Speaker, I am not in a red tie but more of a maroon- ish tie for their school colours.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerI just thought it was red and blue. Hon. E. David Burt: Well, that is fine. You can assume such because that is all I shall wear until we retain the Cup. [Laughter] Hon. E. David Burt: But nonetheless, Mr. Speaker, it was great to stop by to see the …
I just thought it was red and blue.
Hon. E. David Burt: Well, that is fine. You can assume such because that is all I shall wear until we retain the Cup. [Laughter] Hon. E. David Burt: But nonetheless, Mr. Speaker, it was great to stop by to see the 72 graduates. Sixty per cent of them were going on to further education. A number of them who are part of the dual enrolment programme, Penn Foster programme, the ones who are getting scholarships to go to future educ ation. And also Bermudian students who were selected for the Morgan State University Summer Academy of Actuarial Mathe-matic Sciences programme, something else that the Government has executed to make sure that young people have increasing opportunities to prepare them-selves for the future economy. So I just wanted, Mr. Speaker, to extend my congratulations to all of those students who will be graduating. Mr. Speaker, earlier this week I did also have the opportunity to cut the ribbon at a former place of 1424 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly employment of myself. And this was at the Barracuda Grill by the Island Restaurant Group, and I did want them to be recognised. Actually, I will send congratulations. It is somewhere where I did work. I was a bartender more than 20 years ago when I returned back from university in 2003. But it was a pleasure to be invited for that ribbon cutting. And I do wish them the best. Mr. Speaker, I will close with a condolence note, which I do not believe was done. I would certainly like to associate Members of the House with this. But I do wish to send condolences to the family of my late constituent, Ms. Patti -Jean Millett of Princess Estate, Mr. Speaker. She was laid to rest last week Friday. She was someone whom persons inside of the (I would say) Pembroke Park area know very well. There was a massive attendance and outpouring at her home- going ceremony. And I just want to make sur e to extend my deepest sympathies to her children, Kijana, Diione, Zalika and Jaja; and to her entire family; all of her grandchildren; her great -grands; the godchildren; all of those who were there. There were members of my family as well, Mr. Speaker. It was a home- going service that was worthy of the lady who gave her heart to her community. And I would ask the Honourable House to send a letter of condolences to the family. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. [Timer chimes]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Would any other Member? Ladies. We will go with MP Ming. [Laughter]
Mrs. Renee MingThank you, Mr. Speaker, and good morning, listening audience. I would like to first of all be associated with the comments for Patti. Kijana was in my year in Berkeley. And that is a house that I used to frequent in my younger days. On a happier note, I would …
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and good morning, listening audience. I would like to first of all be associated with the comments for Patti. Kijana was in my year in Berkeley. And that is a house that I used to frequent in my younger days. On a happier note, I would like to congratulate the six Dame Jennifer Smith award winners for this year. This is the 19 th year that we have celebrated young people who have shown early leadership skills, Mr. Speaker. And I would also like to associate MP Dickinson, MP Foggo and MP Simmons. But the win-ners, particularly the young people who were selected for this year from East End Primary were Isabella Innis, a young lady who seems to be extremely sassy and very confident; and Mr. Kaiden Burch, who was suc h a gentleman at the tender age of 10. And from St. George’s Preparatory School was Ms. Marleigh Williams; and of course Mr. Riley Millett. And from St. Da-vid’s, we honoured Ian Welch and Kennedy Caines . These are young people, Mr. Speaker, who are not just academic young people, but they are doing things within their communities. They are advocates. They are just that, leaders. I would also like to congratulate the Eastern area schools on their graduations, in particular East End Primary School, St. George’s Preparatory School and the St. George’s Preschool. It is always a good time of the year to see our young people celebrating their accomplishments, and that is the time that we are in. But of course it would be remiss of me not to just celebrate all of our graduates that we have at this time. There was also a ceremony, Mr. Speaker, at East End Primary for the Cherie Hayward Award, from St. Georges. We definitely know who Cherie Hayward was and what she brought to the community. She was truly a legend, and she was known for her keenness and inv olvement within the community. And just a quick congratulations to all of the young people at East End Primary who received Cherie Hayward Awards, Mr. Speaker. And I would also like to congratulate Ebenezer Methodist Church, which is headed up by Pastor Cyril Simmons. He had a Western Caribbean service on Sunday, and it was excellent. I saw some of my colleagues’ parents down there celebrating their heritage, but also culturally looking at where we are as a country and the diverse mix that we have, Mr. Speaker. So congratulations to Pastor Cyril and his congregation for putting on an awesome service that included young people, singing, the steel pan . . . this yo ung lady who played the steel pan. And the service was brought by Mr. Singh .
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, MP Ming. Members, I am going to call on the Minister of Education at this time because I think what he is about to do now is a recognition that we would all like to concur with. [Inaudible interjections] ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER HOUSE VISITOR
The SpeakerThe SpeakerI am going to do a special invitation to the person whom he is going to acknowledge. [Desk thumping]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerAs the Minister, we offer his congratulations. I am going to ask the Sergeant -at-Arms if the visitor would like [for him] to escort her into our Chamber this morning if she wishes to join us inside this area. [Pause] Bermuda House of Assembly The Speaker: Minister, as she is …
As the Minister, we offer his congratulations. I am going to ask the Sergeant -at-Arms if the visitor would like [for him] to escort her into our Chamber this morning if she wishes to join us inside this area.
[Pause]
Bermuda House of Assembly The Speaker: Minister, as she is coming, you can go ahead and speak. Yes, go right ahead.
Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Colleagues, I would like for you to recognise Ms. Gladys Barney, who is visiting Bermuda to celebrate her 100th birthday.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerSergeant -at-Arms, you can bring her up. Bring her up the middle, Sergeant -at-Arms. Bring her up the middle, Sergeant -at-Arms. Bring her up the middle, Sergeant -at-Arms. [Inaudible interjections and laughter] Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Colleagues, Ms. Barney was born in Bermuda 100 years ago and wanted to …
Sergeant -at-Arms, you can bring her up. Bring her up the middle, Sergeant -at-Arms. Bring her up the middle, Sergeant -at-Arms. Bring her up the middle, Sergeant -at-Arms.
[Inaudible interjections and laughter]
Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Colleagues, Ms. Barney was born in Bermuda 100 years ago and wanted to be a nurse. She studied and graduated in 1947 but left Bermuda when she learned that Black nurses were banned from working at King Edward [VII Memorial Hospital]. [Desk thumping and applause]
Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Colleagues, Ms. Barney graduated in 1947 and always wanted to be a nurse, but was heartbroken to learn when Black nurses were banned from working at King Edward and relocated to New York where she worked eight years at Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx and 26 years at the Flushing Hospital Medical Centre—for 26 years. She retired in 1982, but keeps active in her local church. And again, she is visiting Bermuda to celebrate her 100 th birthday.
[Desk thumping and applause]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerWe wish for you to note that all Members have stood this morning to give recognition to you. And we welcome you to our Chambers. We understand the history of why you left Bermuda. And we trust that when you are back in Bermuda now you can see progress that …
We wish for you to note that all Members have stood this morning to give recognition to you. And we welcome you to our Chambers. We understand the history of why you left Bermuda. And we trust that when you are back in Bermuda now you can see progress that has changed that and we are able to go forward beyond the reason that raced you out of Bermuda all those years ago. We wish that you continue well in your . . . it is almost hard to say that you are 100 years old. You look like you are so young and spruce- ful there, you know? You moved in here quite easily, almost easier than some of our other Members coming down this aisle. [Laughter]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerBut we welcome you into our Chambers this morning. And feel free to sit and enjoy a session as long as you wish. When you are ready to leave, we will make sure you are escorted out accordingly. Okay? Members, Thank you. [Congratulatory and/or Obituary Speeches, continuing] Hon. Diallo V. …
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYes, go ahead. Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Speaker, I do want to join the Premier and other Members in sending congratulations. And I did last night send out blanket congratulations to all schools. But specifically, in all of our schools it is called a leaving ceremony. Our high …
Yes, go ahead.
Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Speaker, I do want to join the Premier and other Members in sending congratulations. And I did last night send out blanket congratulations to all schools. But specifically, in all of our schools it is called a leaving ceremony. Our high schools are the only ones that graduate. And they are the ones who graduate, and they are leaving the education system. So at the Berkeley Institute, we had 126 persons cross the stage on Wednesday. And today we had 72 persons cross the stage at CedarBridge. All of them are of extremely high calibre, as the Premier noted. We had dual enrolment students. We had students who have been inducted into the Educational Honour Society at the Bermuda College. We have students who have crossed the stage who have received their college diploma prior to getting their high school diploma. So the future does look bright, Mr. Speaker, for those young men and women who crossed the stage today, and I wish them all congratulations and all the best in their future endeavours. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to take this time—and I will associate the entire House—[regarding] the retirement effective at 5:00 pm today of Permanent Secretary Jasmin Smith.
Some Hon. Members Some Hon. MembersOoh! Ah! [Desk thumping] Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Speaker, I have had the pleasure of having her as my Permanent Secretary for the last two and a half years. She is a wealth of knowledge. She knows just about everything that has to do with government and how …
Ooh! Ah!
[Desk thumping]
Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Speaker, I have had the pleasure of having her as my Permanent Secretary for the last two and a half years. She is a wealth of knowledge. She knows just about everything that has to do with government and how to get it done and how to get it across the line. I understand that she has spent just over 22 years in government. And the stories she tells m e, she has worked with M inisters from as far back as the initial Progressive Labour Party Government Ministers from the One Bermud a Alliance. The One Bermuda Alliance would know her more specifically as she is the one who led their America’s Cup efforts. Without her, we might not have seen the event come off as it did. But, Mr. Speaker, after 22 -plus years, she is retiring today. And I just want colleagues to join me in wishing her well in her future endeavours.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerI am sure the whole House would support you on that one. Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. 1426 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly The Speaker: Thank you. Would any other Member like to . . . MP Lister, you have your …
Mr. Dennis Lister IIIGood morning, Mr. Speaker. Good morning to the listening audience. I would like to on a sad note start by sending condolences to the family of Mr. Gary Smith of 25 Burnt House Hill in Warwick, Mr. Speaker. And also to the family of Ms. Joan Gilbert, husband [sic] of …
Mr. Dennis Lister IIIWell, the whole House, Mr. Speaker. While I did not know his wife specifically, I know Mr. Gilbert from being around and speaking with him. And you know it is always hard losing someone. So, I would like to send condolences to him and the rest of the Gilbert family. …
Well, the whole House, Mr. Speaker. While I did not know his wife specifically, I know Mr. Gilbert from being around and speaking with him. And you know it is always hard losing someone. So, I would like to send condolences to him and the rest of the Gilbert family. And, Mr. Speaker, on a lighter note, it is always a joy when I open the Royal Gazette . . . And you know I am a passionate sportsperson. I always read the sports page and see Bermudians competing internationally around the world, and that they are always representing Bermuda showing that we can compete on a big stage. So with that, I would just also like to send congratulations to Mr. Scott Barnes (I associate MP De Silva), who recently competed in the Skusa Pro Tour Spring Nationals, and that is karting ( not golf carting, but karting). He got a podium finish. And he actually did multiple podium finishes in that championship. And also to the National Swim Team, Mr. Speaker. Recently they just competed in the Central American and Caribbean Swimming Championships in Mexico. And they represented Bermuda well, bringing home 11 medals —2 golds, 2 silvers and 7 bronzes. So again, I would like to say congratulations to them and all sportspersons who represent Bermuda internationally. And lastly, Mr. Speaker, I would also like to be associated with the comments by the Education Minister regarding the retirement of PS [Permanent Secre-tary] Smith. In my time as Chairman of the Bermuda Road Safety Council, I had to work closely alongside of her while she was the PS in the Ministry of Transport. So I again would like to just say for the years that she has done and the knowledge that she has, she has always been a valuable asset. And lastly, Mr. Speaker, I would like to send congratulations to two Members of this House, MP Lovitta Foggo and to the Attorney General Kathy -Lynn Simmons, who recently celebrated their birthdays. I will not say the ages —
Mr. Dennis Lister III—but again I would like to send congratulations and happy birthday to two Members of this House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Minister Weeks, you are quick on your feet. I will have your three minutes. Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to send congratulations again to the Harrington Sound Primary School’s administration, teachers, staff and of course their students. [Inaudible interjections …
Thank you. Minister Weeks, you are quick on your feet. I will have your three minutes. Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to send congratulations again to the Harrington Sound Primary School’s administration, teachers, staff and of course their students.
[Inaudible interjections and laughter]
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Speaker, I will declare my interest. I know a few people down in Harrington Sound Primary School.
[Laughter]
Hon. Michael A. Weeks: Mr. Speaker, this public primary school, which continues to do amazing things, has done it yet again. The Harrington Sound Primary School was awarded this year the critically acclaimed, internationally coveted and recognised Green Flag. This demonstrated their commitment to the preservation and sustainability of our environment. In their assembly a few days ago, Mr. Speaker, they received from the BUEI [Bermuda Underwater Ex-ploration Institute] a rededication of their Green Flag for the second year . And their Eco- Club Warriors, a group of about 15 dedicated young environmentalists, students between the ages of five and ten years old, Mr. Speaker , worked tirelessly to ensure that the entire school was conserving water and energy this year. These initiatives included, but were not limited to, Mr. Speaker, creating and distributing signs for each room in the two school buildings which reminded the users to turn off the lights when leaving the rooms and offices , and having a brown- out where teachers and students worked by the light of the sun rather than artificial light. These small acts, among others, Mr. Speaker, made a huge impact on the school’s electricity bill. And the school was able to significantly lower its monthly energy bill over this year. This was recognised by BELCO, and on Monday, June 24, the Harrington
Bermuda House of Assembly Sound Primary School was awarded their notable Green Cup award by a BELCO representative. Please join me, Mr. Speaker, in congratulating this forward- thinking, innovative public primary school, the Harrington Sound Primary.
[Desk thumping]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Does any other Member wish to speak? MP Foggo.
Ms. Lovitta F. FoggoThank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would just like to be associated with the congratulatory remarks for the two public senior schools, Berkeley and CedarBridge Academy, the Eastern area primary schools, preschools and the con-gratulatory remark for the Dame Jennifer Smith Fut ure Leader Awards. Those young people in …
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would just like to be associated with the congratulatory remarks for the two public senior schools, Berkeley and CedarBridge Academy, the Eastern area primary schools, preschools and the con-gratulatory remark for the Dame Jennifer Smith Fut ure Leader Awards. Those young people in their respective schools have acquitted themselves extremely well, and they deserve the recognition. However, on a much sadder note, Mr. Speaker, I am standing in this House today to speak condolences to the Wilson family on the passing (I would like to associate Minister Tinee Furbert) of a Ber-mudian icon, I would say, Dr. Clyde Wilson. Many people do n ot know of his achievements, but they were many. And they spanned international borders. Indeed, Dr. Wilson is probably the most accomplished person in Bermuda when it comes to publications. He has done many, many articles that have been recognised worldwide. And he has contributed to at least six books when it comes to the scientific world and research. And these books are books that are used in the highest of aca-demia and in the medical arena. Dr. Wilson was a personal friend, a family friend, I would call him. But he was a man who gave much to persons, graduate students and undergraduate students, especially in the world of research. When he was in England, which was for many, many years, he held a programme to the tune of a half -a-billion pounds. In that programme, he helped students from all over the world with his institution to become recognised in their areas of expertise in their research and the like. He brought that to the shores of Ber muda, his home, and also assisted many students here especially when it came to research and started a student programme at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital. He will be greatly missed by family, and he is a loss to all of Bermuda, Mr. Speaker.
[Timer chimes]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Thank you, Member. Does any other Member — Government Whip, Mr. Tyrrell.
Mr. Neville S. TyrrellThank you, Mr. Speaker, and good morning, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, I rise sadly to ask that condolences be sent to the family and friends of Mr. George Richardson. He might not be well known amongst a lot of people, but Mr. Richardson was a constituent of mine in Jones Village …
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and good morning, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, I rise sadly to ask that condolences be sent to the family and friends of Mr. George Richardson. He might not be well known amongst a lot of people, but Mr. Richardson was a constituent of mine in Jones Village who was certainly a great supporter of us as well. And prior to coming to Jones Village, he came from Ba ck o’ Town, where he gained his —
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberBack o’ Town?
Mr. Neville S. TyrrellYes, Back o’ Town, where he gained his popularity forming the Richardson Gombeys. He was known as a suite drummer, for those of us who understand drumming. He was a very popular Gombey warrior, who also made Gombey suits as well. So he was very popular in that area. Mr. …
Yes, Back o’ Town, where he gained his popularity forming the Richardson Gombeys. He was known as a suite drummer, for those of us who understand drumming. He was a very popular Gombey warrior, who also made Gombey suits as well. So he was very popular in that area. Mr. Richardson was a gentleman in its truest form and a very humble giant of a man. Mr. Richardson was popular when CB radios were popular at the time, and his handle was “Deuce of Diamonds .” So if any of you would have seen the work, you would have known it was him.
[Inaudible interjection]
Mr. Neville S. TyrrellNo, he would not know that. In Gombey language, George knew how to rush ’em back. So again, I’m talking in Gombey lan-guage here. So I do hope my good friend, George, rests in peace. Mr. Speaker, if I could just switch gears on a more joyful note.
Mr. Neville S. TyrrellLet me give birthday congratulations to my Branch Chairman, Tarik Bean- Darrell. He hit the ripe age of 40 this week. And I could certainly say without his help I might not even be standing here today. So I certainly want to wish him well. And I also, Mr. Speaker, …
Let me give birthday congratulations to my Branch Chairman, Tarik Bean- Darrell. He hit the ripe age of 40 this week. And I could certainly say without his help I might not even be standing here today. So I certainly want to wish him well. And I also, Mr. Speaker, would like to associate with the congratulations on the retirement of Ms. Jasmin Smith. She is one of my constituents, so maybe now I can see her when I knock on her door. She will be home and not working for these Ministers. So again, I would like for congratulations to Ms. Smith to be given. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Does any other Member wish to make a contribution at this time? MP De Silva. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerGo right ahead. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Thank you. 1428 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Speaker, I would like for the House to offer condolences to the family of Carla Althea Patricia Talford [nee Darrell], also known as “Peachie.” She was the …
Go right ahead. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Thank you. 1428 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Speaker, I would like for the House to offer condolences to the family of Carla Althea Patricia Talford [nee Darrell], also known as “Peachie.” She was the daughter of well -known Glenda [Todd]. I associate MP Swan. She was the daughter of Glenda Darrell; of course we all knew her as Glenda Todd. [She] worked at Port Royal for many, many years as many of us will know, and certainly MP Kim Swan will know. I would just like to venture she got her nickname when she was born because the nurse said, What a peach. And from that moment on, her mother and father, Tom Wainwright , called her Peachie. So I would certainly like to offer those condolences to Glenda and the family on the passing of Peachie. Thank you.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Does any other Member —
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. SwanYes. I certainly appreciate the Honourable Member De Silva’s associating me with the condolences to the Todd/Darrell family, whom I am very close to through the great game of golf. And I actually knew Peachie as well, growing up. Mr. Speaker, I would like to be associated with the congratulations …
Yes. I certainly appreciate the Honourable Member De Silva’s associating me with the condolences to the Todd/Darrell family, whom I am very close to through the great game of golf. And I actually knew Peachie as well, growing up. Mr. Speaker, I would like to be associated with the congratulations that were expressed to the Ebenezer Methodist Church. I had the great pleasure, along with MP Ming and Minister Roban, to be there to partake in that service given by Brother Krishna there. And it was outstanding. Reverend Simmons has some great themed services at Ebenezer. And I am grateful to have been a part of them. And certainly I want to salute MP Ming for continuing to hold up Dame Jennifer with the esteem through those awards, and all of the honourees who were recognised. It is an outstanding, outstanding award, and the award ceremony indeed. I would like to recognise a couple of young people, Kenny Leseur, who lifted for the first time on the 40 th anniversary of the person who was one of his early mentors, myself, winning the Bermuda Amateur Men’s Stroke Play Championship on the same weekend. It is quite prophetic. Beating in a playoff the other young five-year-old who is now 16 years old, Oliver B etschart, who they learnt at the same time with me. And I am very proud of them. Kimberley Botelho was the lady champion, and I know her late father, Eddie Marshall, would be very proud. I would like to recognise Zen Joseph, the granddaughter of the late LaVerne Furbert and her Aunt Maxine Esdaille on the good things that she is doing. And may she go to great heights, Mr. Speaker. I want to say thank you to Michael Jones, the Town Crier, on his retirement; Patsy Tuzo retiring from Ocean View. You are officially old when you hire the person who then retires. And I hired her at Ocean View in the 1980s, and I was there for her retirement as the Chairman. And Jasmin Smith as well. And I want to say to the Bermuda National Trust on a great celebration of which I will outline some of those persons at a later time, Mr. Speaker.
[No audio]
Mr. Robert KingYes. Good morning, Mr. Speaker and Honourable Members. First on a sad note, I wish to express condolences to the family of Dr. Jemma Harris, who was a forensic and clinical psychologist who worked in this Island since 2012, formerly at the Department of Court Services and Solstice. She died …
Yes. Good morning, Mr. Speaker and Honourable Members. First on a sad note, I wish to express condolences to the family of Dr. Jemma Harris, who was a forensic and clinical psychologist who worked in this Island since 2012, formerly at the Department of Court Services and Solstice. She died at the age of 47 y ears old and left to grieve her two- year-old son. So it is a difficult time for all who have known her. And she has touched many lives, as she has been a member of the Solstice community, and she has helped (like I said) both clients of the department and in her clinical practice as well. And on a lighter note, congratulations again to the swimmers who performed exceptionally well representing Bermuda. And I want to recognise Honourable Member Smith for the excellent work that he has been doing with our young athletes, making us proud. Thank you, sir. Thank you, House.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Does any other Member wish to make a contribution? MP Famous.
Mr. Christopher FamousMr. Speaker, I would like to give congratulations to the Elliott School, my alma mater and my constituency. I want to give a special shout - out to one particular young lady, Christina Pimentel. She is named Pimentel because that is her father. But she is of the Ball clan …
Mr. Speaker, I would like to give congratulations to the Elliott School, my alma mater and my constituency. I want to give a special shout - out to one particular young lady, Christina Pimentel. She is named Pimentel because that is her father. But she is of the Ball clan of Devonshire, Robert’s Avenue to be specific. This young lady won awards for arts, language and coding, which speaks to the fact that in public school we are teaching our young people coding at an early age. Mr. Speaker, I want to move on to your and my alma mater, the Berkeley Institute’s graduating class this year, and one gentleman in particular. His name is synonymous with someone else in this esteemed House, Mr. Diallo De Silva —no relation, of course—of Mount Hill . This young man was awarded the Parish Pride Award as he is going on to Bermuda College to study HVAC, which basically is air conditioning, heating and ventilation air conditioning. And we in Devonshire have taken particularly the last seven ye ars and given
Bermuda House of Assembly this award out to young Berkeleyites who are going to Bermuda College to study the trades. As we know in Bermuda we need more Bermudian tradespersons, whether they be female or male. And this is our way to encourage our young people to study the trades. But I just want to shout out again to Ms. Cristina Pimentel of the Ball clan and Mr. Diallo (no relation) De Silva of Mount Hill . Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, MP. Does any other Member wish to make— MP Jackson, you have your three minutes.
Ms. Susan E. JacksonThank you, Mr. Speaker. I would just like to send condolences to the family of Frances Kast. She lived 102 years in Ber-muda. She was not in my constituency. She was in Southampton. But her son, Harry Kast, is a member of my constituency. And I send condolences to him …
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would just like to send condolences to the family of Frances Kast. She lived 102 years in Ber-muda. She was not in my constituency. She was in Southampton. But her son, Harry Kast, is a member of my constituency. And I send condolences to him and his fam ily at this very sad time. Although he did comment that at 102 years he was able to have his mother for an extended period of time and certainly enjoyed that. So, I would just like to acknowledge their loss.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Does any other Member wish to make a contribution? Any other Member? There is no other Member at this time. That will bring us to a close of the condolences and congratula-tions for this morning. We will now move on. 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 SpeakerThere is one Bill to be introduced this morning by the Minister of Works. Minister, would you like to introduce your Bill at this time? BILL FIRST READING WEST END DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AMENDMENT ACT 2024
Lt. Col. Hon. David A. BurchMr. 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 West End Development Corporation Amendment Act 2024.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThere no Opposition Bills. PRIVATE MEMBERS’ BILLS
The SpeakerThe SpeakerNo Private Members’ Bills. NOTICE OF MOTIONS
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThere are none. ORDERS OF THE DAY
The SpeakerThe SpeakerWe have two items to be dealt with today under the Orders of the Day. I am looking at the clock. We have got about four minutes or so before we would normally break for the lunch period. I am assuming it is going to take more than four minutes …
We have two items to be dealt with today under the Orders of the Day. I am looking at the clock. We have got about four minutes or so before we would normally break for the lunch period. I am assuming it is going to take more than four minutes to deal wit h those matters. So I am going to seek the indulgence of the House that we rise at this time and then we are back at two o’clock. If there are any objections to that, please state. If there are none— Premier. Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move that this Honourable House do now adjourn until 2:00 pm for lunch.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Members, the House now stands adjourned until 2:00 pm. Before I hit the gavel, I just want to acknowledge that, being we have a special visitor with us today, we have sought to have the official photogra-pher come and join us during this lunch break so that we …
Thank you. Members, the House now stands adjourned until 2:00 pm. Before I hit the gavel, I just want to acknowledge that, being we have a special visitor with us today, we have sought to have the official photogra-pher come and join us during this lunch break so that we can have an official photo taken with her while she is here gracing [us with her] presence today. And with that, the House now stands adjourned, and we will assemble for the photo that will be done. 1430 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly [Gavel]
Proceedings suspended at 12:26 pm
Proceedings resumed at 2:01 pm
[Hon. Dennis P. Lister, Jr., Speaker, in the Chair]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerGood afternoon, Members. I trust everyone had a nice break. Now we are ready to start the afternoon session. [Gavel]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThe House is back in session. ORDERS OF THE DAY
The SpeakerThe SpeakerAt the recess this morning, we were at the verge of starting the Orders of the Day. And the first Order is the second reading of the Registrar of Companies (Annual Corporate Regulatory Fees) Amendment Act 2024, in the name of the Premier and Minister of Finance. Premier. Good timing. …
At the recess this morning, we were at the verge of starting the Orders of the Day. And the first Order is the second reading of the Registrar of Companies (Annual Corporate Regulatory Fees) Amendment Act 2024, in the name of the Premier and Minister of Finance. Premier. Good timing.
Hon. E. David Burt: I am grateful to the Learned Member from constituency 22 for not trying to delay me in the elevator so I could make it back on time. Mr. Speaker, I move for the Bill entitled the Registrar of Companies (Annual Corporate Regulatory Fees) Amendment Act 2024 be now read for the sec-ond time.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerAre there any objections? There are none. Continue, Premier. BILL SECOND READING REGISTRAR OF COMPANIES (ANNUAL CORPORATE REGULATORY FEES) AMENDMENT ACT 2024 Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Bill before the House is the Registrar of Companies (Annual Corporate Regulatory Fees) Amendment Act 2024. This …
Are there any objections? There are none. Continue, Premier.
BILL
SECOND READING
REGISTRAR OF COMPANIES (ANNUAL CORPORATE REGULATORY FEES) AMENDMENT ACT 2024
Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Bill before the House is the Registrar of Companies (Annual Corporate Regulatory Fees) Amendment Act 2024. This Bill amends the Registrar of Companies (Annual Corporate Regulatory Fees) Act 2024 and the Registrar of Companies (An-nual Corporate Regulatory Fees) (No. 2) Act 2024 to allow for the payment of annual corporate regulatory fees [for] 2024 by exempted and overseas entities as was intended and communicated since the announcement of these fees in the 2023/24 Budget Statement. Key point, Mr. Speaker. When I said the 2023/24 Budget Statement, that is the Budget Statement that was made in February of 2023.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMm-hmm. Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker, Members will recall on the 8 th of March 2024 the Registrar of Companies (Annual Corporate Regulatory Fees) Act 2024 and the Registrar of Companies (Annual Corporate Regulatory Fees) (No. 2) Act 2024 were passed in this House of Assembly. In order to …
Mm-hmm.
Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker, Members will recall on the 8 th of March 2024 the Registrar of Companies (Annual Corporate Regulatory Fees) Act 2024 and the Registrar of Companies (Annual Corporate Regulatory Fees) (No. 2) Act 2024 were passed in this House of Assembly. In order to include corporate regulatory fee revenue in the 2023/24 budget as forecast, the 2024 Acts took effect from the first reading in the House of Assembly on February 9, 2024, with the written consent of the Governor pursuant to section 2(1) of the Provisional Collection of Revenue Act 1975. Mr. Speaker, the 2024 Acts align corporate regulatory fee payment deadlines for each type of entity with existing annual fee deadlines specifically set for exempted and overseas entities by January 31, and for local entities by March 31. Given that the ef fective date of the 2024 Acts fell after the payment deadline for exempted entities, this Bill clarifies and allows for exceptional payment deadline for exempted entities for the year 2024 as was intended and communicated since the announcement of these fe es in the Budget Statement in support of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure in February of 2023. Mr. Speaker, this Bill amends the commencement date of the 2024 Acts to the 1 st of January 2024. It amends the payment deadline for 2024 only to the 31st of March for all entities, or such other date as may be determined by the Registrar and published in the Of-ficial Gazette . The Bill further validates any payments received from overseas or exempted entities prior to the amendment of the payment deadline. The Account-ant General has confirmed that upon passage of this amendment, an accrual will be recorded to recognise the corporate regulatory fee revenue for fiscal year 2023/24. Mr. Speaker, it should be noted that the Bermuda Business Development Agency legal focus group has been consulted on this particular Bill and has no objection. As a reminder to this Honourable House, the new regulatory fees are to be levied on all entities on Bermuda’s Corporate Register in respect of which the Registrar of Companies has regulatory , supervisory and compliance oversight. The driving force behind the introduction of these new regulatory fees is the expan-sion of the role performed by the Registrar of Companies in recent years, which has resulted in the need to hire a significant number of additional skilled personnel and to enhance its infrastructure. (That would be IT infrastructure mainly, not so much physical infrastructure.) Mr. Speaker, the regulatory fee applicable to exempted and overseas entities is set at $500 payable
Bermuda House of Assembly annually, and for local entities set at $150 payable annually. The introduction of these regulatory fees was expected (when announced in February of 2023) to add approximately $6 million to the public purse each year. Mr. Speaker, in summary, this Bill clarifies and allows for the 2024 corporate regulatory fees due from exempted and overseas entities to be payable as intended in the 2023/24 Budget Statement. And with those brief introductory remarks, I now present the Bill entitled the Registrar of Companies (Annual Corporate Regulatory Fees) Amendment Act 2024 and welcome comments from Honourable Members.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Premier. Does any other Member wish to make a contribution at this time? MP Pearman.
Mr. Scott PearmanGiven how quickly the Honourable Premier and Finance Minister went through that, perhaps I should have pressed a few floor buttons on the elevator to slow things down. [Laughter]
Mr. Scott PearmanThere is not a great deal to be said about this amending Bill. And I have just a few brief points. By way of background, although we did hear about this in the Honourable Finance Minister’s brief, there are two earlier Bills, both of this year. The first is the …
There is not a great deal to be said about this amending Bill. And I have just a few brief points. By way of background, although we did hear about this in the Honourable Finance Minister’s brief, there are two earlier Bills, both of this year. The first is the Registrar of Companies (Annual Corporate Regulatory Fees) Act 2024. That is this year earlier. And the second is the Registrar of Companies (Annual Corpo-rate Regulatory Fees) Amendment (No. 2) Act 2024, also earlier this year. Why, one might ask (not rhetorically), are we back here to amend two Bills that we only just passed not once, but with a second Bill earlier this year in relation to something relatively straightforward such as company fees? The fundamental amendment is to change the effective date that was provided for in both of the earlier two Bills. The effective date provided in both the first and second primary Bills was the 9 th of February 2024, and this amending Bill is seeking to roll that backwards to the 1st of January. Now in his opening remarks, the Honourable Finance Minister said that it was an attempt to bring the date forward so it did not fall after the date on which the fees were due. That of course begs the question— it is really the only question I have for the Finance Minister—as to why we did not have a 1st of January date in either of the first two Bills? And why the date of 9th February 2024 was used in both of the first two Bills and now needs to be corrected? So that is the question for the Finance Minister . Why was a correction necessary from the 9th of February date? Why was not the 1st of January date simply used correctly in the first two iterations of these Bills? The other point that I would make is that I did note that the Honourable Finance Minister was very careful in his language. He chose to talk about these new fees, both for exempted and (I would emphasise) local companies as well ($150 for local companies as well, if you were not aware for the listening public). But he chose to emphasise that these were made in his 2023/24, February 2023 Budget Statement. No doubt he emphasised that point because he did not want these fees to be something that he discussed in this year’s Budget Statement because of course he has maintained to the public that he is not increasing taxes and no doubt would take the view that fees were not taxes in any event if he chose to argue the point. Nonetheless, these are new fees that have come into effect in the calendar year 2024 by reason of the two primary Bills. And one might (dare I say it?) suggest that these are increased fees and taxes. A further point just to be made briefly is this: I have mentioned that it is not only applicable on foreign companies, and the second Bill that is being amended today provides for a $500 fee for each entity, but also for local companies. So again, if you are not aware, there is now a further fee coming in or a further fee be-ing amended on the date in relation to $150 for local companies. And a final point, a second question I guess (if I will) for the Finance Minister: Did the Finance Minister consider simply raising the annual government fee instead of introducing a new and second and different fee? The reason I ask is of course one of perspective and perception. If we have to have multiple fees all the time, this jurisdiction does start to look ever expensive. And what we do wish to avoid, and we wish to avoid on both sides of the aisle and indeed for the international business community is death by 1,000 paper cuts. So this is really a very minor amendment in that it is moving the date. No doubt the Finance Minister will clarify for this Honourable House and the public why the date was not right the first time or indeed the sec-ond time. But clarify why that is being c hanged. And additionally, can the Finance Minister just address why this is being done in the alternative to an increase in the annual government fees that was simply one fee on the line item? Really, that is all we have to say. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, MP Pearman. Does any other Member wish to make a contribution? Premier. Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. 1432 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly This is the third time we are debating this particular matter of these minor fees, which have …
Thank you, MP Pearman. Does any other Member wish to make a contribution? Premier.
Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. 1432 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly This is the third time we are debating this particular matter of these minor fees, which have been stated for a while. In regard to the question as to whether or not the Government decided to increase the original fees or just to add this fee, this has been a mat-ter that has been a long subject of consultation prior even to my return to the Ministry of Finance. I will seek to look to what options were presented, but I am sure those options may have been part of the consultation. And it was decided by industry and others that were consulted with that this was probably the best ap-proach. I want to make sure the record is corrected because unless we start to budget on a calendar basis, my last thought is that we do budgeting on a budget - year basis. But I understand the Honourable Member wants to make the political point, so I am not going to try to argue that particular political point there. [The Honourable Member] knows quite well why I said February 2023, because the last time we de-bated this he made the same argument.
[Inaudible interjection]
Hon. E. David Burt: No, no! He made the same argument. Insofar as this, without question it is not ideal to be coming back. But we want to make sure we fix things and get it right when it is done in law. So I am not going to criticise the team at the Registrar of Companies because here is what is most important to know, that the Registrar of Companies is doing good and amazing work. They are doing work insofar as maintaining our corporate register. They are doing work in-sofar as meeting our international commitments. They are doing work insofar as making sure that Bermuda, when relating to matters of economic substance and all of the other assessments of which the Government has to now take into account, they are doing that. So Bermuda remains in good standing with the European Union’s Code of Conduct Group; having been removed from its list. We receive the high ratings and also the rating from the Peer Review Group on the Exchange of Information on Request by the OECD Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes —all things that are being done through the Registrar of Companies, the Treaty Unit and others. So, there is continual work of which the Registrar of Companies is doing. This is important work. Yes, this is not ideal. Yes, this should have been here originally. We are bringing it back to make sure it is validated and fixed so these things can be properly recorded. But it should be known, as was stated as far back as 2023, all companies were aware of these particular fees that had been the subject of broad consultation with industry to make sure that the increasing regulatory burdens that the Government of Bermuda had to meet were adequately funded by the industry who is the cause of those particul ar regulatory burdens. And we should be reminded that insofar as when it comes to the Registrar of Companies, just so persons who are listening can understand the scale of increase of which is required for the Registrar of Companies in order to meet our international commitments . . . because it is one thing to change the law when you are assessed. They are assessed as to whether or not they actually have the people who are skilled on the ground doing the assessments, checking to make sure that we are actually getting it done. And just by way of information, Mr. Speaker, the Registrar of Companies currently has 37 personnel. Out of the restructure, which is required in order to meet this, they will be doubling in size. And this will consist of 27 new posts —27! Yes, Mr. Speaker. When we talk about beneficial ownership, this is it. I am telling you. When we talk about beneficial ownership and the matters that are coming from FATF and others, because these people just come up with new rules all the time, whether it is beneficial own ership, whether or not it is on matters that are related to the continual monitoring of economic substance, because these posts heretofore, the work that is being done with these posts had been handled by consultants. We want to make sure we bring those particular matters in- house as they are going to continue. They are not going to come to an end. So 27 new posts, four from the Treaty Unit, which are being transferred from the Registrar of Companies, and there are nine already temporary additional who are going to be made perma-nent because they have been working in the Ministry of Finance since 2019 on economic substance matters. This is significant work, and that is the reason why the Government has advanced this. We need to figure out how we pay for this. Consultation extensively was held with industry multiple years ago, announced in the 2023 Budget Statement, probably actually announced in the 2022 Budget Statement (but it was not able to be done). Announced in the 2023 Budget Statement and brought into f orce. So, I think that answers the questions that were asked. But if I did not address anything particu-larly, I am certain that I will be quizzed on that in Com-mittee. With that, Mr. Speaker, I move that the Bill be committed.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Deputy. House in Committee at 2:15 pm [Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr., Chairman] COMMITTEE ON BILL Bermuda House of Assembly REGISTRAR OF COMPANIES (ANNUAL CORPORATE REGULATORY FEES) AMENDMENT ACT 2024
The ChairmanChairmanHonourable Members, we are now in Committee of the whole for further consideration of the Bill entitled the Registrar of Companies (Annual Corporate Regulatory Fees) Amendment Act 2024 . Premier and Finance Minister, David Burt, you have the floor. Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, Mr. …
Honourable Members, we are now in Committee of the whole for further consideration of the Bill entitled the Registrar of Companies (Annual Corporate Regulatory Fees) Amendment Act 2024 . Premier and Finance Minister, David Burt, you have the floor.
Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Deputy Speaker and Chairman. I would like to move all of the clauses.
The ChairmanChairmanContinue. Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, of course we have the overview which was given in the main House. Clause 1 provides a citation of the Bill. Clause 2 repeals and replaces section 4 of the Registrar of Companies (Annual Corporate Regulatory Fees) Act 2024 …
Continue. Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, of course we have the overview which was given in the main House. Clause 1 provides a citation of the Bill. Clause 2 repeals and replaces section 4 of the Registrar of Companies (Annual Corporate Regulatory Fees) Act 2024 to cause the Act to be deemed to have commenced on January 1, 2024. Clause 3 repeals and replaces section 8 of the Registrar of Companies (Annual Corporate Regulatory Fees) (No. 2) Act 2024 to cause the Act to be deemed to have commenced on the 1 st of January 2024. This clause further provides that the payments of annual corporate regulatory fees made by all entities referred to in the Act by the 31 st of March 2024 or no later than such other date as the Registrar of Companies may de-termine in notice published in the Gazette . This clause inserts in the Act a new section 9 to provide for the validation of payments for the annual corporate regulatory fee by an entity where the annual corporate regulatory fee applicable to that entity is provided to be due in Jan-uary.
The ChairmanChairmanThank you, Premier. Any further speakers to the Bill? The Chair recognises the Honourable Member Pearman.
Mr. Pearman.
Mr. Scott PearmanThank you, Mr. Chairman. My question is one singular question. It relates to both clauses 2 and 3 which amend the dates in the two prior primary Acts from the 9 th of February to the 1st of January both in the year 2024. I did ask a question in …
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My question is one singular question. It relates to both clauses 2 and 3 which amend the dates in the two prior primary Acts from the 9 th of February to the 1st of January both in the year 2024. I did ask a question in debate. If the Premier answered the question, I apologise; I did not hear his answer. But that may have been my oversight. And the question is simply, Why is the date being changed from the 9 th of February back to the 1st of January? And more specifically, why was the 9th of February date used on the first two occasions? Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Chairman: Thank you. Finance Minister, Premier. Hon. E. David Burt: So, I appreciate the question from the Learned Member. The item, the February 9 date was due to the Provisional Collection of Revenue Act, as I think I ex-plained inside of my brief. Without question, this should have been caught earlier, as the 1 st of January is to make sure that those persons who come before, such as local companies who have that filing before, are caught. I am not going to make an issue. I said it before, [the deadline] should have been earlier; [the error] was not caught. This is something we just want to make sure we tidy up so we get it correct. So it was an error.
The ChairmanChairman[Honourable Member] Pearman, any further? [No audible response] Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I move that clauses 1 through 3 be approved.
The ChairmanChairmanIt has been moved that clauses 1 through 3 be approved. Are there any objections to that? There appear to be none. Approved. [Motion carried: Clauses 1 through 3 passed.] Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that the preamble be approved.
The ChairmanChairmanIt has been moved that the preamble be approved. Are there any objections to that? There appear to be none. Approved. Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that the Bill be reported to the House as printed.
The ChairmanChairmanIt has been moved that the Bill be reported to the House as printed. Are there any objections to that? There appear to be none. The Bill will be reported to the House as printed. [Motion carried: The Registrar of Companies (Annual Corporate Regulatory Fees) Amendment Act 2024 was considered …
It has been moved that the Bill be reported to the House as printed. Are there any objections to that? There appear to be none. The Bill will be reported to the House as printed. [Motion carried: The Registrar of Companies (Annual Corporate Regulatory Fees) Amendment Act 2024 was considered by a Committee of the whole House and passed without amendment.]
1434 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly The Chairman: Mr. Speaker.
House resumed at 2:19 pm
[Hon. Dennis P. Lister, Jr., Speaker, in the Chair]
REPORT OF COMMITTEE
REGISTRAR OF COMPANIES (ANNUAL CORPORATE REGULATORY FEES) AMENDMENT ACT 2024
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMembers, are there any objections to the Bill being reported to the House as printed? There are none. Thank you, Members. We will now move on to the next item on the Order Paper, which is [the second reading of] the Motor Car (Electric or Hybrid Private Motor Cars) Amendment …
Members, are there any objections to the Bill being reported to the House as printed? There are none. Thank you, Members. We will now move on to the next item on the Order Paper, which is [the second reading of] the Motor Car (Electric or Hybrid Private Motor Cars) Amendment Act 2024, in the name of the Minister of Transport. Minister. Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move that the Bill entitled the Motor Car (Electric or Hybrid Private Motor Cars) Amendment Act 2024 be now read a second time.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerAny objections? None. Continue, Minister. BILL SECOND READING MOTOR CAR (ELECTRIC OR HYBRID PRIVATE MOTOR CARS) AMENDMENT ACT 2024 Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Mr. Speaker, the Bill for consideration before the Honourable House today is the Motor Car (Electric or Hybrid Private Motor Cars) Amendment Act 2024. This Bill proposes …
Any objections? None. Continue, Minister.
BILL
SECOND READING
MOTOR CAR (ELECTRIC OR HYBRID PRIVATE MOTOR CARS) AMENDMENT ACT 2024 Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Mr. Speaker, the Bill for consideration before the Honourable House today is the Motor Car (Electric or Hybrid Private Motor Cars) Amendment Act 2024. This Bill proposes an amendment to the Motor Car Act 1951 with the specific aim of increasing the permissible dimensions of electric and hybrid private motor cars. And I emphasise this is only on electric and hybrid private motor cars, not on the other cars. Mr. Speaker, the Ministry’s 2022 Throne Speech initiative outlines a policy to phase out the sale and importation of internal combustible engine (ICE, as we are familiar with) vehicles by 2035. Transportation is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emiss ions globally, and reducing or eliminating these emissions will not only lessen Bermuda’s impac t on global emissions, but also enhance local air quality. During the consultation process for the initiative, a prominent concern was the availability of electric and hybrid vehicle models. As the world rapidly transi-tions to zero- emissions vehicles, such as electrical vehicles, Bermuda has faced challenges in accessing these models due to countries with larger markets be-ing prioritised by vehicle manufacturers. Mr. Speaker, the car dealership industry has repeatedly expressed concerns about the shortage in availability of such vehicles due to market availability to Bermuda and has called for larger vehicle sizes for electric and hybrid models. BADA, Bermuda Auto Dealers Association, had requested 180 by 74, an increase of 5 inches in length and 3 inches in width. This would have allowed an additional 32 car models to be purchased. The legislation allows a car size to be 176 by 72 inches, or an increase of 1 inch in length and 1 inch in width. This would allow 11 new and additional models in the Island. Whilst we understand the desires, we seek to strike a balance, as it is important to note that as technology advances and the production of EV [electric vehicle] batteries have become more efficient, these batteries are expected to become both more effici ent and more compact. Consequently, the need for larger EVs and hybrid vehicles may diminish and may even potentially allow for a reduction in vehicle size requirements in the future. Mr. Speaker, electric vehicles’ [EVs’] dimensions are partly determined by the size of the battery units. Battery energy density over the past decade has mostly focused on increasing vehicles’ range. Therefore, the frequency of recharging has decreased ov er time. Many EVs now manufactured have a range between 250 and 300 miles when fully charged. The increased range is directly linked to larger batteries, which has led to large EVs to accommodate the batter-ies. The size increase could mean fewer EV model o ptions available for the local market due to the current statutory specifications. Hence, the majority of EV models available on Island are now slightly either too long or too wide for Bermuda. Without change, this inhibitor could prevent the intended transition to zero- emissions vehicles or delay, and also slow Bermuda’s progress in reducing exhaust emissions and the many other benefits of adoptions of EVs. Mr. Speaker, hybrid vehicles play a crucial role in the transition to zero- emissions vehicles by bridging the gap between traditional internal combustion en-gines and fully electric vehicles. By combining a conventional engine with an electrical motor, hybrids offer improved fuel efficiency and lower emissions compared to ICE vehicles. This dual power train allows consumers to experience the benefits of electric driving, such as reduced fuel consumptions and lower emissions without the range anxiety associated with EV models. Further, hybrids often serve as an entry point for consumers, who are gradually adapting to the new technologies. As battery technology and charging infrastructure continue to improve, hybrid vehicles are paving the way for the broader acceptance and adoption of
Bermuda House of Assembly fully electric or zero- emissions vehicles, thereby accelerating the shift toward a sustainable transportation system. Mr. Speaker, in summary, the Motor Car (Electric or Hybrid Private Motor Cars) Amendment Act 2024 represents a forward- looking adjustment to existing regulation, designed to support the Ministry’s 2022 Throne Speech initiative to phase out the sale and importation of internal combustion engine vehicles by 2035 to transition Bermuda to environmentally friendly vehicle technologies. It reflects a commitment to adopt-ing our legal framework to keep pace with the technological advancements and the evolving needs of modern transportation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I look forward to other Members’ speaking. Thank you.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Does any other Member wish to make a contribution at this time? MP Jackson, you have the floor.
Ms. Susan E. JacksonI just have a few questions that I would like to ask the Minister. Generally, we are cer-tainly all in favour of the electrification of vehicles in Bermuda and agree with the Minister in the reduction of emissions, et cetera. So the idea that we will have more electrification on …
I just have a few questions that I would like to ask the Minister. Generally, we are cer-tainly all in favour of the electrification of vehicles in Bermuda and agree with the Minister in the reduction of emissions, et cetera. So the idea that we will have more electrification on the Island is certainly a welcome and a positive move. However, I am a little concerned, Mr. Speaker, about the fact that although we are progressing with our automotive vehicles, that they are becoming more efficient and the like, our actual road system itself has not changed. We still have our very narrow c arriage roads in many places. And we have seen that the impact of having larger cars on the roads has made it riskier. And one has to use greater skill when driving on our Bermuda roads. So the concern is just that as we keep getting larger cars on a consistently narrow road system, I am just a little concerned about how the driving behaviour will carry on. I mean, Mr. Speaker, we have had a rash of accidents. And I am not sure whether that is simply because social media is now recording a lot more of our road traffic accidents or whether statistically we are seeing an increase. But it is worrying nonetheless. And probably the most dangerous place for our citizens to be right now is on our roads. So we just absolutely need to be aware of that and anything that we as a Government can do to keep our roads safe. Because not only do we . . . yes, there are some people who say, Let’s put the onus on the driver . But we also have as a Government responsibility for our roads network. And the idea that we will have larger cars which will mean the hedging . . . is going to be really important to keep our road overgrowth cut back. It is going to be really important for us to keep our roads paved and the like, because these are oftentimes things that actually can be contributing factors to accidents on our roads, especially if people are swerving to avoid. So I guess my one question, and it does not have to be answered now because we are speaking about the introduction of a larger electric car. But, you know, what is our real plan for road safety, moving forward? And if we are going to be introducing larger vehicles on the Island, in particular this larger electric or hybrid vehicle, we absolutely have to up our game as far as road safety is concerned. Mr. Speaker, the Minister in the beginning of his speech mentioned a statistic where there was an even larger car. And I believe it was the automotive dealers had actually requested an even larger car. And I was just wondering when that was. And I guess the reason why I am asking the Minister, when that larger car was first introduced as an idea is because I just want to know if, slowly but surely, the international man-ufacturers are just slowly and surely reducing the size of our vehicles so that these lar ger batteries can still fit in a good vehicle, a good- sized vehicle. But it does not have to be very large, a very large- framed car. So I just would like to know a little bit more about that. Just changing ever -so-slightly away from the actual safety and driving larger vehicles on the road, just getting into a couple of questions around the nuts and bolts of things. And that is we right now enjoy a duty-free importation of electric cars. And my question to the Minister will be are we going to be introducing any form of duty on these larger cars. And I guess part of my question here is making sure that if we are going to have larger electric cars they are ultimately going to be affordable for young families. And that it will not become a bit of just a trophy car. We have introduced electric cars in Bermuda, and many of them are quite small. And for a single or a more mature couple, that is fine. But when you have got two or three kids and a couple of dogs and the groceries and every-thing else, the suitcases, to try to fit all of that into a little itty-bitty efficient electric car —
The SpeakerThe SpeakerI hope you are not squeezing them in all at once. [Laughter]
Ms. Susan E. JacksonThat certainly is a necessity. And we certainly want to be able to provide our young 1436 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly families the opportunity to invest in electrical vehicles that are going to be comfortable and capable of carrying out their daily needs. Another …
That certainly is a necessity. And we certainly want to be able to provide our young 1436 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly families the opportunity to invest in electrical vehicles that are going to be comfortable and capable of carrying out their daily needs. Another question I also have is around the cost involved with things like replacement parts and dispos-ing of some of these, in particular, batteries. The Minister spoke quite a bit about how much larger these batteries will be in this car, and that is the real reason for a larger -framed car, to hold the larger battery. But I have two questions. My first is, it is one thing for (I am just going to use a young family as an example) [a young family] to purchase their first car. But if there is not a real knowledge about the expense involved in buying the parts for that car . . . And we all know how that works. You know, I will use the analogy that I certainly witnessed in the past where a gentleman may go and purchase a suit at a good price. But then when he goes to buy the tie, the tie is twice the price of the suit. So I am bringing that same analogy into this in that if we are able to purchase the larger electric car, are the replacement batteries, are the replacement parts going to be cost -effective? Or are we going to find that our young Bermudian families will buy this car and then find that it is price prohibitive to actually be able to afford the replacement parts? My other side of the batteries and the parts is disposal. If we are going to begin to import larger num-bers of cars, electric and hybrid cars, how are we going to manage the disposal of these very larger batteries? Who is going to carry the costs of the d isposal of these batteries and other parts that may be thought to be environmentally unfriendly? And how will we manage that in the long term? And I guess my final question to the Minister is really around how we are going to transition our automotive industry, mechanics and experts into this electrified industry. It seems from my learning that it is very different, a whole different ballgame de aling with a traditional gas engine versus the electrical cars. And what, if any, thought has been given to how we may either offer forms of education and training so that young people who are coming up for the first time can explore this as a profession, or those who are already in the profession maybe as a mechanical engineer dealing with combustion engines and maybe wants to transition over to the electrical vehicles. And what would be involved in the training, education and certification around that? Other than that, Mr. Speaker, I do not have any additional questions right now. Thank you.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Honourable Member. Does any other Honourable Member wish to make a contribution? MP Caines.
Mr. Wayne CainesLet me say from the outset, Mr. Speaker, there is an opportunity, and I think at the ap-propriate time and the appropriate place we can talk about batteries and storage of batteries and things of that nature. But this Bill is basic stuff. The Bill is about the length and …
Let me say from the outset, Mr. Speaker, there is an opportunity, and I think at the ap-propriate time and the appropriate place we can talk about batteries and storage of batteries and things of that nature. But this Bill is basic stuff. The Bill is about the length and width and the increasing of such for these vehicles. So we can have the existential conversation at the appropriate time [regarding] what will we do with batteries. Those are appropriate conversations to have. But with the greatest of respect, that is not apropos for what we are talking about today. This is an opportunity for us to discuss the length and width of these vehicles and the appropriate nature of this legislation. The legislation is that we have a mandate for 2035 for our country to basically be an electrical- vehicle country. Everything that the MP said actually does make sense. And in the long term those are conversations that we should have. Right now we have to look at, is this the right thing to do for Bermuda if we are indeed going to follow what the rest of the world is doing? And the COP [Conference of the Parties] 2024 mandate is for us to take our Island to having electric vehicles. The reason why we are having electrical vehicles is to reduce our carbon footprint, to reduce our greenhouse emissions and to indeed make sure that our country is doing its part for preserving our environment and making our environment better for future generations. This is a step in the right direction. One of the reasons for this legislation, as the Minister has said, is that there is a class of vehicles that will not be able to come to Bermuda because of the restrictions of our roads. There are two things we have to understand. In these vehicles we have something that is called, as you would know, Mr. Speaker (not to speak about your age, but you know about), horsepower. With electric vehicles, that changes to the power -to-weight ratio [PWR]. So you look at the PWR as opposed to the horsepower. And the PWR, the power -to-weight ratio, in these cars has to be balanced and, just because of the batteries, has to have bigger vehicles. In order for it to make sense for our car manufacturers, who are limited to the size of vehicles that can come to Bermuda, well, they have to have a bigger class of vehicles for them to come into Bermuda. And it makes sense. And it is in keeping with our mandate, for our global mandates, with making sure that we reduce our carbon footprint to have these vehicles in Bermuda. Where I do agree with MP Jackson, there are some other things we need to look at. Mainly we need to look at and talk about user behavi our, driver behaviour. We have seen a rash of accidents in Bermuda. And I disagree with the point that Bermuda is becoming unsafe for people to drive. In the main, Bermudians drive appropriately. There are people on the fringes who need to have driver re- education. There
Bermuda House of Assembly are people who do break the law with reference to driving whilst impaired. And we have processes and procedures and laws in place that will deal with them. We have the Bermuda Police Service and the Roads Policing Unit that conduct the appropriate checks at the ap-propriate places. And as with anything, it can be better and it can be made stronger. But the main effort is to make sure that we have legislation that is fit for purpose to be the backbone or the vanguard in allowing us to go forward. And this legislation does just that. I think this is an opportunity for us to salute the Minister of Transport. There is an opportunity for us to have later conversations with the gas station owners, the garage owners and with the car dealerships, on how do we deal with certain parts of their business. Differently and better. And I think those conversations could take place at appropriate times at a later stage. But, Mr. Speaker, I believe this is a fit and proper legislation to make sure that we are going in the right direction with reference to our global commitment, also to make sure that Bermudians are able to get the right class of vehicles and if they so choose to move toward an electric vehicle. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Honourable Member. Does any other Honourable Member wish to make a contribution at this time? Minister Furbert. Hon. Tinee Furbert: Yes. Good afternoon, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will not speak long on this Bill. I just wanted to rise as a consumer of an electric vehicle. And …
Thank you, Honourable Member. Does any other Honourable Member wish to make a contribution at this time? Minister Furbert.
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Yes. Good afternoon, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will not speak long on this Bill. I just wanted to rise as a consumer of an electric vehicle. And I remember the decision- making process when it came to selecting an electric vehicle. It was a very dif-ficult decision to make because your options at that time were very limited. I think on the road there were potentially three vehicles that you could select from as far as electric vehicles were concerned. So you did not necessarily have the option to choose a car that you absolutely loved or liked, but those were the options. Because the bigger picture for this as consumers is the ability to have an electric vehicle, which is good on the environment. But not only that, it saves your pockets as far as fuel is concerned. I mean, I have been able to save . . . for someone who drives quite a bit, a lot, being able to save approxi-mately $500 a month is a big savings. And not even noticing the power that is being added additionally to my electric bill every month; it is very, very minimal. And so, you know, even studying the length and the miles of Bermuda, it is not very long. It is a great option, particularly for us because we are not traveling from state to state, from country to country. We are traveling, the most, Dockyard to St. Geor ge’s. And so it is a great fit, particularly for Bermuda as we continue to progress in this electric vehicle area, to be able to have an increase and complement of vehicles that are available for our people in Bermuda. I am sure [that] will be an asset for us as a country. We have been very cautious in identifying or cautious with the amount of increase by width and by length, knowing that Bermuda does have small roads and how our public are navigating them. I am sure we see every day there is some sort of social media picture or image or video of an accident that occurred. And there were huge options as far as width and length. We did err on the side of caution in regard to that particular sizing. So just going the one- inch in width and length I think will still keep us in a pretty safe position, considering the size of our roads. But also keep in mind that the behaviour of our road drivers is what causes many accidents in our community. So I just also wanted to state that manufacturers of electric vehicles are not necessarily looking at Bermuda and saying, We’re going to make a car for Bermuda. They are making a car for the industry. They are making a car for all jurisdictions and all road types. And they are making cars so that consumers can have access. Big populations of consumers can have access. So Bermuda still will be limited, particularly with our road sizes. It is great to have the opportunity of a complement of more vehicles in t he area of electric vehicles, particularly for persons in our Island. I had heard MP Susan Jackson speak to the capacity of larger vehicles. And being a woman, a mom, also having to trek your children around to activities, participating in everyday life activities, grocery shopping, maybe taking your loved one around, your mother, your father around in a vehicle, options help people tremendously. Mobility options help people tremendously. So if we are able to get a bigger car size model, it will help families to be able to have access to just a little larger vehicle. So, I just want to say there is no harm in our going in this way. What we want to encourage our community and our public to do is to continue to pay attention on the road. Do not do those things that you are not supposed to do like driving while being on y our phone and driving under the influence of drugs and al-cohol. And do pay attention while you are on the roads. That is the message that we should be continuously sharing with our road users, Mr. Speaker, because today not only do you have to account for your own behaviour, you have to account for everyone else who is around you. You know, I always find it amazing. When I am driving, I keep my head straight on the road. And all sorts of people are tooting at you. And I am like, How are they driving like that? You know, where they can see everybody, and they are tooting all over the place But nevertheless, Mr. Speaker, this is a great amendment that we are making to this legislation. We are providing more variety whilst still being cautious with the increases that we are providing in the electrical vehicle family of cars, as well as the hybrid family of 1438 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly cars. I do not think we are going wrong with this. Consumers like to have options, and they should. And with that, Mr. Speaker, I do support this Bill. Thank you.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister Furbert. Does any other Member wish to speak? Minister Wilson. Hon. Kim N. Wilson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would just like to add my little two cents to this Bill [debate], as the Honourable Member who just took her seat as well as the lead Minister, …
Thank you, Minister Furbert. Does any other Member wish to speak? Minister Wilson.
Hon. Kim N. Wilson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would just like to add my little two cents to this Bill [debate], as the Honourable Member who just took her seat as well as the lead Minister, as it relates to the increase of options available to the consumer for electronic vehicles. Mr. Speaker, I would like to just raise two quick points and speak to it from a health perspective. We note that with the recent increases of EVs throughout the world, and Bermuda included, once 2035 rolls around persons will be unable to purchase the ICE vehicles. But if we anticipate that in addition to more us-age of electronic vehicles, which will help promise to reduce our carbon footprint, but also there are two health benefits that I want to speak about quite quickly that will also impact Bermuda quit e positively with the increased utilisation of electronic vehicles. First and foremost, clean air equals healthy hearts, healthy lungs. We know that the use of elec-tronic vehicles will help to improve our air quality versus the ICE vehicles, which we note, evidentially and scientifically, they do emit harmful pollutants. And evidence has proven that some of those pollutants, regrettably, have increased causes of cancer, cardiovascular disease as well as respiratory illness, all three of which, regrettably, are in high prevalence in Bermuda. We note that also electronic vehicles produce zero tailpipe emissions. So therefore, they are going to improve the air that we breathe. So again, the use of electronic vehicles will help to reduce the concentration of those types of adverse pollutants that I spoke about that have all kin ds of detrimental health impacts on our society. And then second and finally, another health advantage of the use of EVs, Mr. Speaker, is noise reduction, which will of course help with mental health. I do not know about you, but there have been occasions where I am either driving or walking, and you hear these hard cars and the loud bang that is coming out from the tailpipe, et cetera. Just the noise emission that comes from these types of ICE vehicles can cause added stress versus an electric vehicle. As you know, when one comes behind you, you do not necessarily know it is coming because of the silence. And I submit, Mr. Speaker, that the noise reduction with respect to utilising electronic vehicles will help to improve our mental state. So those two points in particular as they relate to the health benefits of electronic vehicles and the us-age— namely, clean air and healthy lungs, as well as improving our mental well -being through the reduction of noise that is also oftentimes associated with the ICE vehicles —are two of the health benefits to help to support and augment the submissions by the Member from constituency 6 as it relates to providing for the increases of utilisation size for electroni c vehicles for the consumer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Does any other Member wish to make a contribution? Deputy Speaker. Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: Yes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am a proponent of anything that would improve life, health and safety in the country. But I think before we do that, we …
Thank you, Minister. Does any other Member wish to make a contribution? Deputy Speaker.
Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: Yes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am a proponent of anything that would improve life, health and safety in the country. But I think before we do that, we need to consider what we have now and what we want to replace it with. What is going to be the impact of having 100 per cent electric vehicles in the country when we have gas stations, the staff, mechanics, garages? How is this going to affect them? I am c oncerned about them, you know, I guess because of my labour background. I want to see that our folks’ jobs are sustainable. My recommendation to the Government would be that we should put a limit, [but] not 100.0 per cent. I personally would say 33.3 per cent. Then we should even put a limit on hybrid cars. And then the rest, gas, right? So we can sustain some jobs that we hav e in Bermuda. And my opinion on why there are cars in Bermuda? I am not against it. I know what they are doing. I think we all think they are going worldwide. But in Bermuda our roads are only so wide. And we do not have the land in most places to make them wider. And it seems presently we have a lot of accidents on our roads. Are they because of wider cars? I do not know. But certainly it is a concern to me, having wider cars. And I like those electric cars. You know, I happen to be familiar with them. They are very good, very nice. So I am not against it. But I think we have got to be very cautious. I think we need a professional impact report on going 100.0 per cent or going 3 3.3 per cent in any case as far as vehicles are concerned. I think we need to do that first because, as good as it may sound, we have those workers out there concerned. What’s going to happen to my job if this were to happen? You know, I’m a gas station at tendant. I’m a mechanic. You know, I do this, I do that. We have to be concerned about them also. As much as you want to make the air quality better than it is, but making the air quality better than it is at the expense of people’s livelihood, how do you balance that? That is what we have got to be concerned about, Mr. Speaker. So with that, I applaud the Minister for going out there and trying to get these larger cars. But I think there are some other things —our infrastructure must
Bermuda House of Assembly be considered— before we make such a move as to go even to try to achieve to get to 100.0 per cent. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Deputy. Does any other Member wish to make a contribution at this time? Opposition Whip, MP Cannonier.
Mr. L. Craig CannonierYes. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would just like to add a few words. I always thought that Bermuda was a perfect place for us to have EVs, and I recognise that it is an issue. I remember this issue coming up years ago, and I will be …
Yes. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would just like to add a few words. I always thought that Bermuda was a perfect place for us to have EVs, and I recognise that it is an issue. I remember this issue coming up years ago, and I will be more specific, with the Kia vehicle that was a hybrid. And those are beautiful, beautiful cars. I mean, they really look nice. And everyone speaks so highly about the performance of the hybrid car. So when we heard the argument that, Well, you know, the new model is just slightly larger, so we are losing bus iness here. We cannot sell the new model. I know it is a ticklish position to be in for the Minister. He has got to enlarge it in order to keep business going. But yet at the same time, as the Honoura-ble Member Burgess just mentioned, we have got to look at this comprehensively as well, not just as we are increasing the size of a car so we can sell more varie-ties. I mean, I do not have an EV yet because I have not seen quite enough of a sexy -looking one that I want to buy.
[Inaudible interjections and laughter]
Mr. L. Craig CannonierYou know, these things look like you are driving around in a bubble, quite frankly.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerNot all of them, not all of them. [Laughter]
Mr. L. Craig CannonierWell, Mr. Speaker, I did see that fancy thing that came in years ago, that rocket. I do not know if we can bring those in. Now that was a beautiful car!
Mr. L. Craig CannonierYou bring that in here, and you might get a few people who would take it up. [Laughter]
Mr. L. Craig CannonierBut the Honourable Member when he speaks of the industry in and of itself, and what is going to happen to mechanics and what is going to happen to the gas attendants. You know, I declare my interest as everyone knows. Yes, it is a challenge because a pump attendant …
But the Honourable Member when he speaks of the industry in and of itself, and what is going to happen to mechanics and what is going to happen to the gas attendants. You know, I declare my interest as everyone knows. Yes, it is a challenge because a pump attendant . . . I was a bit ticklish about the salaries that we increased, the minimum wage. Be-cause I know what some of these guys make when it comes to tips. And that is not taxable money. So I was like, Well, what’s going on here? Now I’m going to pay them this money here, and . . . So good for them. They are making a good salary. They can make about . . . you know, they make a lot of money, the good ones. And that could be lost. But I am about embracing new technology. And I was say-ing to the fuel company, Listen. We’re going to have to embrace these things and put some charging things there so that they can charge up when they come here. Let’s not avoid including it. But the challenge that I am having is, we have got studies now that are just coming out that are sug-gesting that the EMF signal coming from these batteries is detrimental to our health! So, the new studies that health organisations are looking at are saying, Well, hold on a second. You’re sitting in a bubble of all of this electromagnetic force here. And it is affecting the human body. So, I think we need to be careful in putting deadlines that we say that all of the vehicles in Bermuda . . . which I must say, I thought Bermuda was a great test tube for it. Make them all EVs! But, you know, not everything is as it appears. And I know that we have carbon issues as well. But we are also going to have these other issues with the electromagnetic field that is coming from these big batteries. And what we are going to do when the lifetimes of these batteries are up? I mean, we have got issues with asbestos. Where are we going to put these batteries and send these batteries? Because they are getting bigger and bigger. And the buses’ ones, those things are huge. So, we do have some challenges here. What I would like to hear from the Minister at some point in time is a more comprehensive approach to this. I believe he said 2035 at some point in time in the past, that this is where we want it to be. I am not sure that is realistic, actually, in my own opinion, understanding where the fossil fuel vehicles are going. And if you look around the world, you will notice also that like in the United States, EV sales are down. And there are reasons for that. Now you add in the complications of health issues and the likes, you know, we might be in for a basket of challenges that we did not foresee. So I appreciate when the Honourable Member gets up and he talks about the fact that we need something more comprehensive, looking not just to today. But tomorrow where are we going to be? And how are we going to handle the roads, knowing that the roads are small and the challenges that we are having? Something needs to change. Our approach needs to change. And I am sure later on in another debate or a motion to adjourn people will talk about the roads and the like and the accidents. 1440 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly I appreciate the comments that have already been made by the Members. But this is going to be a challenge, and we need to look further down the road at where we are going. And quite frankly, if you take a look at the industry and where it is going, I am not sure it is electrical that is going to be leading the field. It might be these new hydrogen cars that are coming that are going take over, and it will not be electrical, which will be a good thing. But we will see where it goes. So I am hoping the Minister will do some more. I know he likes to research into this stuff. So, I am look-ing forward to hearing more Statements from him on where we are going. But the 2035, that is not going to work at all. I just do not see it happening. But let us be careful as we approach with this here with the larger vehicles and the challenges that we are having. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, MP. Does any other Member wish to make a contribution at this time? None other. Minister Furbert. Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Mr. Speaker, I appreciate all of the comments from both sides, all of the questions. And I will try to answer some of them. But let us …
Thank you, MP. Does any other Member wish to make a contribution at this time? None other. Minister Furbert.
Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Mr. Speaker, I appreciate all of the comments from both sides, all of the questions. And I will try to answer some of them. But let us just make it clear, Mr. Speaker. It is not like 2035 everything stops.
Mr. L. Craig CannonierYes. I know that. Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: You know that. Well, the impression that we were given is that 2035 everybody is going to have electric cars. We know that Bermudians keep cars forever. You could buy a combustible ICE car in 2030, 2032, 2033, 2034 and [it will] …
Yes. I know that.
Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: You know that. Well, the impression that we were given is that 2035 everybody is going to have electric cars. We know that Bermudians keep cars forever. You could buy a combustible ICE car in 2030, 2032, 2033, 2034 and [it will] last another 20 years. So you will be in business for a little while longer, Honourable Member, so you can sell your gas. It is just that we will not be allowing these cars to come in after 2035. Hence why these sizes. We are saying that if you want to get the size, then only from now on that is what we will allow based on what we have. Some of us will not even be here when the last car is electrical or whatever. And the whole world, Mr. Speaker, is moving in that direction. The whole world is looking. And if new alternatives come up, then of course we in Bermuda, our humble selves, will also look at these alternatives, Mr. S peaker. But right now every Government, Barbados, Bahamas . . . We won an award here recently down in Miami because Bermuda is . . . but every Caribbean island was there talking about moving toward this direction. So, there will be actually things. And, Mr. Speaker, my grandmother and great - grandfather had a horse- and-buggy. When the cars came in 1952, I think it was. Zane?
[Inaudible interjections] Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: And my great grandfather who sat in this Honourable House . . . sat in this Honourable House in another place, as a matter of fact, who retired at 84 years old in Parliament.
[Inaudible interjections]
Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Yes, he regretted ever allowing cars to come into Bermuda.
[Inaudible interjections]
Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Yes. I won’t tell you why he regretted ever allowing cars to come to Bermuda, but it was very interesting in how he said it. Can you imagine? So here we are now saying, I regret it. We want to regret allowing . . . moving forward in technology. So, you know my grandfather was a great . . . he had many . . . had horses. Tourists were driven around in horses, horse and carriage. All right? But he regretted ever allowing them. As a matter of fact, he also regretted ever allowing cricket being played on Sundays. Now —
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberThursday afternoon. Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Thursday afternoon. So times have changed. And times will continue to change. I mean, the things that my children and my grandchildren would do is different from what . . . I’m saying, What are you . . . are you crazy? What are …
Thursday afternoon.
Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Thursday afternoon. So times have changed. And times will continue to change. I mean, the things that my children and my grandchildren would do is different from what . . . I’m saying, What are you . . . are you crazy? What are you doing now? You know, I don’t know what they are going to do. But at the end of the day, time changes and we adapt. We make changes as we come along. Countries make changes. The Government makes changes. Our people adapt. And so we will be moving in that direction. Mr. Speaker, we talked about the [narrowness] of the road. Let me just give you some information, Mr. Speaker. There were concerns about the size of vehicles. And they are valid. But Mr. Speaker, I have data on the case that the medium- sized cars are more prone to accidents than larger cars. That is what our data shows. [Inaudible interjections]
Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Our data shows that. That medium- sized cars are prone to accidents —
[Inaudible interjections] Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: —than larger cars. [Laughter] [Inaudible interjections] Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: However, just don’t apply that drivers can disregard safety rules on the road, Mr.
Bermuda House of Assembly Speaker. Driving safely requires avoiding alcohol, staying alert, respecting . . . and the list goes on. We know that. And look, my colleagues know, I am always posting on some accident. And you are saying, Wow! How in the world are all these accidents taking place? You know. And I am saying to myself, maybe because we are all carrying [smart phones] nowadays . . . and somebody takes a picture of you. Mr. Speaker, you got to be careful who takes a picture of you. And so I understand, I understand that. But, Mr. Speaker, I am not sure whether [they] realise that the . . . we are talking about 100, and I think we said 72. But taxis are 210 inches. We are talking about 176, [1]77 inches wide. We are talking about 72 trucks. Well, the list goes on. My point is that we find a way to adapt to these situations. And yes, they did ask for larger cars. They have been asking for larger cars. We have been look-ing at it and determining how we could move this thing ahead. And we finally came to a conclusion after much, much discussion (I must admit) on how do we . . . long time. Long time. How do we make this thing move and we are glad at the end of the day. There is no duty on electric cars at all. And we will— [Inaudible interjection]
Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: —and this Government, this Government , will not be putting duty on electric cars.
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberEver?
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberOkay! [Inaudible interjections] Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: I said this Government —
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberEver? Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: This Government . . . I said will not . Do you understand we are talking “will not”? We will not. Now, I do not know what the OBA will do if they ever become Government because, you know . . . but they may. …
Ever?
Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: This Government . . . I said will not . Do you understand we are talking “will not”? We will not. Now, I do not know what the OBA will do if they ever become Government because, you know . . . but they may. [Inaudible interjections]
Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: They may be looking money. They may be looking for money and say that [they] will charge.
[Inaudible interjections]
Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Yes, I remember the charge . . . Look, Mr. Speaker, as you know I sat in another place. An Hon. Member: Did you? [Inaudible interjections] Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: And let me just say, duty for cars was —
[Inaudible interjections] Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: —cars were inexpensive with duty. And the Honourable Minister of Finance at the time said to a certain room, he said, Listen, we are going to make duty for cars 75 per cent of the first $10,000. And 150 per cent for every dollar after. And you know why? He wanted to stop people from buying cars. I will never forget that discussion. I am looking at him . . . but nobody stopped buying cars. What we should do is try to look at how we find a way to help out our seniors, reducing duty on c ars . . . and by the way . . . you know, and the list goes on.
[Inaudible interjections]
Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: But my point is, Mr. Speaker, this Government will not ever produce duty on cars. And I emphasise this Government . . . and you know Governments change . . . I can’t predict what other Governments will do.
[Inaudible interjection]
Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: I said the Government.
[Laughter]
Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Yes, they do. Yes, they do!
[Laughter and inaudible interjections ] Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Yes, Mr. Speaker, how are we going to dispose of batteries? Mr. Speaker, this is not the first time. It’s not like tomorrow we are going to have the first electric car here. Right? In 2018, I think we had about —
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberHow many? Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: —we had 218 cars. And right now we have 600- and-some electric cars. So people are buying them. Things are growing. And of course, one of the reasons why it is slow, Mr. Speaker, is because you go around to the dealers and you …
How many? Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: —we had 218 cars. And right now we have 600- and-some electric cars. So people are buying them. Things are growing. And of course, one of the reasons why it is slow, Mr. Speaker, is because you go around to the dealers and you cannot find one. There is a l ack of them. Nice looking one that the Honourable Member wants to buy, you know, that blue thing . . . that blue car Kia . . . what is it? I don’t like that car.
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberThat’s you . . . that’s you, though. 1442 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: I know. I know.
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberYou can’t fit into it anyway. [Laughter] Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: I told them at the end of the day, I told them, Mr. Speaker, that car there is not my type of car. [Laughter] Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Mr. Speaker, and so even—
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberIt’s got bucket seats. Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: —this blue car . . . I think it is a blue car that Ford sold and I think they bought them for a Minister . They are the most ugly looking thing for Ministers to be driving around in.
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberI agree. Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Right? So how are you going to respect Ministers driving? When you go down the Island, Mr. Speaker, you are well aware, you go down the Island you are greeted nice at the airport, treated well — [Inaudible interjections] Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: You …
I agree.
Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Right? So how are you going to respect Ministers driving? When you go down the Island, Mr. Speaker, you are well aware, you go down the Island you are greeted nice at the airport, treated well —
[Inaudible interjections] Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: You come here you want what’s right. I remember Jack Sharpe would ride on a bike.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMobylette. Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Mobylette. So, Minister’s should not have cars; you can ride on a Mobylette. What? [Inaudible interjections] Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: We’re crazy! [Inaudible interjections and laughter ] Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: We disrespect ourselves so much, Mr. Speaker, when it comes to that. You remember, …
Mobylette. Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Mobylette. So, Minister’s should not have cars; you can ride on a Mobylette. What?
[Inaudible interjections]
Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: We’re crazy!
[Inaudible interjections and laughter ]
Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: We disrespect ourselves so much, Mr. Speaker, when it comes to that. You remember, Mr. Speaker, those days. Want to ride around on a Mobylette!
[Inaudible interjections]
Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Yes. So talking about the size, Mr. Speaker, you know, it is interesting enough that Bermuda, St. Barths and Anguilla are the only islands that have a limit on car size. All the rest of them— [Inaudible interjection]
Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: All the rest of them. And I mentioned about the barter and what they wanted. Five inches and three inches. Govern-ment, like I said, we discussed and blah, blah. Discussed with them back and forward and we decided one and one. I think this is fair. I’m glad the many Members on this side and that side supported [it .] And one question was, Is the new size and additional capacity sufficient long term to ensure the full transition zero emissions vehicles? You may say, Well, is this enough? Is this one inch by one inch enough? And so our view is that the new size is adequate to support our long- term vision of transitioning to zero emission vehicles by 2035. Moreover we anticipate that technology advances and battery shrinks will lead to more compact and efficient electric and hy brid cars in the future. So there might be smaller cars to take place. And there are some. There are some smaller cars out there. I think in China, I understand they can move forward. And the last thing was the workers. As time goes on, yes, the training will take place. And that is just the nature of the game. They will be trained. Our 2019 Green Paper (I think) talks about transitions and training people for new classes and whatever. It just happens. I mean, we are training . . . the roofs that we put on our houses in the old days are not the same roofs that we put on our houses now. We used to have those . . . you know, they are different. So we had to train people . . . or whatever. So, training takes place. So Mr. Speaker, I really appreciate that it goes a long way for dealers. It goes a long way for individuals who are looking for a car which they can purchase. Because my Honourable Tinee Furbert actually said, These distributors are not saying I’m going to build a car for Bermuda. They are building a car. And you fellows, do you want to fit in or not? So we are moving toward it. We have a committee that meets twice a month (I think) on EVs [electric vehicles]. Diligent. I mean, from most of the parts within ministries within government and also outside people, talking about EVs and how we move toward 2035. How we get rid of batteries, et cetera, et cetera. So I am confident, Mr. Speaker, that at the end of the day we will have a plan. I can lay a plan before this Honourable House and Members can see it as we move forward and to pass other things . So again, Mr. Speaker, I thank you for this. At this time, Mr. Speaker, I move that the Bill be . . . committed.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerCommitted. Deputy. House in Committee at 3: 09 pm [Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr., Chairman] Bermuda House of Assembly COMMITTEE ON BILL MOTOR CAR (ELECTRIC OR HYBRID PRIVATE MOTOR CARS) AMENDMENT ACT 2024
The ChairmanChairmanHonourable Members, we are now in Committee of the whole for further consideration of the Bill entitled the Motor Car (Electric or Hybrid Private Motor Cars) Amendment Act 2024 . In charge of this Bill is Minister Wayne Furbert from Hamilton Parish. Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Thank you. Again, Mr. …
The ChairmanChairmanContinue. Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: This Bill seeks to amend the Motor Car Act 1951, (”the principal Act”) to provide for the dimensions and licence fee for the increased length and width of electric or hybrid private motor cars. Clause 1 provides the title of the Bill. Clause 2 amends …
Continue.
Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: This Bill seeks to amend the Motor Car Act 1951, (”the principal Act”) to provide for the dimensions and licence fee for the increased length and width of electric or hybrid private motor cars. Clause 1 provides the title of the Bill. Clause 2 amends section 2 of the principal Act by inserting the definition of “electric private motor car” and “hybrid private motor car.” Clause 3 amends Schedule 1 to the principal Act by inserting the dimensions for electric or hybrid pri-vate motor cars which includes increases to the current length and width permitted for private motor cars, from 175 [inches] to 176 inches and 71 [inches] to 72 inches (that is the width), respectively. Clause 4 amends paragraph B in Schedule 2 to the principal Act by inserting a new Class I for electric or hybrid private motor cars and providing the licence fee payable for the new Class I. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The ChairmanChairmanThank you, Minister. Any further speakers to this Bill, the Motor Car (Electric or Hybrid Private Motor Cars) Amendment Act 2024? No speakers. Minister. Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Mr. Chairman, I move clause 1 through 4.
The ChairmanChairmanIt has been moved that clauses 1 through 4 be approved. Are there any objections to that? There appear to be none. Approved. [Motion carried: Clauses 1 through 4 passed.] Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Mr. Chairman, I move that the preamble be approved.
The ChairmanChairmanIt has been moved that the preamble be approved. Are there any objections to that? There appear to be none. Approved. Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Mr. Chairman, I move that the Bill be reported to the House as printed.
The ChairmanChairmanIt has been moved that the Bill be reported to the House as printed. Any objections to that? There appear to be none. The Bill will be reported to the House as printed. [Motion carried. The Motor Car (Electric or Hybrid Pri-vate Motor Cars) Amendment Act 2024 was considered by …
The ChairmanChairmanMr. Speaker. House resumed at 3:12 pm [Hon. Dennis P. Lister, Jr., Speaker, in the Chair] REPORT OF COMMITTEE MOTOR CAR (ELECTRIC OR HYBRID PRIVATE MOTOR CARS) AMENDMENT ACT 2024
The SpeakerThe SpeakerGood afternoon, Members. Are there any objections to the Bill being reported to the House as printed? There are none. Thank you, Members. That brings us to a close of the order of business for today. Mr. Premier . . . Oh, wait. Wait. Yes, you have the third reading. …
Good afternoon, Members. Are there any objections to the Bill being reported to the House as printed? There are none. Thank you, Members. That brings us to a close of the order of business for today. Mr. Premier . . . Oh, wait. Wait. Yes, you have the third reading.
SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDER 21 Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you, very much, Mr. Speaker. I move that Standing Order 21 be suspended to enable me to move the Bill entitled the Registrar of Companies (Annual Corporate Regulatory Fees) Amendment Act 2024 be now read a third time by its title only.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerAre there any objections? There are none. Go ahead, Premier. [Motion carried: Standing Order 21 suspended.] 1444 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly BILL THIRD READING REGISTRAR OF COMPANIES (ANNUAL CORPORATE REGULATORY FEES) AMENDMENT ACT 2024 Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, …
Are there any objections? There are none. Go ahead, Premier. [Motion carried: Standing Order 21 suspended.]
1444 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly BILL
THIRD READING
REGISTRAR OF COMPANIES (ANNUAL CORPORATE REGULATORY FEES) AMENDMENT ACT 2024
Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move the Bill entitled the Registrar of Companies (Annual Corporate Regulatory Fees) Amendment Act 2024 be now read a third time by its title only and passed.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThe Bill has been read a third time by its title only and is now passed. [Motion carried: The Registrar of Companies (Annual Corporate Regulatory Fees) Amendment Act 2024 was read a third time and passed.]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Minister of Transport. SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDER 21 Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Mr. Speaker, I move that Standing Order 21 be suspended to enable me to move the Bill entitled the Motor Car (Electric or Hybrid Private Motor Cars) Amendment Act 2024 be now read a third time …
The SpeakerThe SpeakerAre there any objections? No. Continue. [Motion carried: Standing Order 21 suspended.] BILL THIRD READING MOTOR CAR (ELECTRIC OR HYBRID PRIVATE MOTOR CARS) AMENDMENT ACT 2024 Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: I move the Bill be now read a third time by its title only and passed.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThe Bill has been read a third time by its title only and is now passed. [Motion carried: The Motor Car (Electric or Hybrid Private Motor Cars) Amendment Act 2024 was read a third time and passed.]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Members. Thank you for your participation today and all the business that was on the Order Paper.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerDoes any Member wish to speak to this? Any Member? Minister Tinee Furbert, you have the floor. 2024 MARY PRINCE WOMEN ENTREPRENEURIAL AND LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE Hon. Tinee Furbert: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to take the opportunity to share that a couple of weeks ago the Ministry …
Does any Member wish to speak to this? Any Member? Minister Tinee Furbert, you have the floor.
2024 MARY PRINCE WOMEN ENTREPRENEURIAL AND LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to take the opportunity to share that a couple of weeks ago the Ministry of Youth, Social Development and Seniors in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport and the Ministry of Education sponsored a speaker in Ber muda for the 2024 Mary Prince Women Entrepreneurial and Leadership Conference. I do want to take this opportunity at this time to thank the ministries and all the teams that were involved in putting on this conference where one day we had the conference which we had the guest speaker, Ibukun Awosika, who is from Nigeria. She has extensive background in women leaderships and public speaking. As well as being the lead person for Nigeria’s national bank . And she imparted great wisdom and information and shared words throughout the conference to help to empower women in entrepreneurship but also people in general, Mr. Speaker. And so I did not want to not have the opportunity to acknowledge the ministries that were involved, as well as the women who were involved. As we would know, Bermuda is engaged a Building Back Equal Pro-ject which is a collaboration between Bermuda and the Bahamas with the United Nations Development [Pro-gramme] as well as UN Women. And we also had the opportunity through UN Women, who also helped to sponsor this event, Mr. Speaker And I just wanted to share some of the messaging as it relates to women entrepreneurs and what the information that we are getting back from the feasibility studies that were conducted here on Island. And we know that our women in [the] entrepreneur space are not able to take as much risk, financially, as men do in islands because of the many commitments that they have to their families. And we would also know that anyone who is in business, Bermuda has a debt product where if you wanted to finance the majority of your business, the only things that are really available to you are loans, loan opportunities. And there are not enough opportunities for grants or investments for any entrepreneur but particularly we do know some of the information that we are getting back from our feasibility study is that men do have more opportunity in the financial space to be supported with their entrepreneurship ventures.
Bermuda House of Assembly And so the hope is that we will continue with this conference to highlight the struggles and challenges that women do have in the space of entrepreneurship so that there are better opportunities for people to be successful with their small and medium- sized businesses. It was interesting with Madam Awosika ’s comments as she visited Bermuda. She said she felt that Bermuda was a large resort. She said it felt like it was a large resort and she also felt like we were all neighbours in one big neighbourhood. And I . . . you know, it was an interesting analogy that someone who would be visiting Bermuda for the first time would get that sort of picture from us as a country. And that, you know, we really felt like one big, large resort. And that is really promising in regar d to how we do take care of Island and our people, for someone to have that particular impression of our country.
WORLD ELDER ABUSE AWARENESS DAY Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Speaker, I also just want to touch on a subject that I had mentioned in my Ministerial Statement today. June 15 was World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. And I want to particularly highlight this Awareness Day because elder abuse, or senior abuse, still . . . it is happening here in Bermuda. I think you would have read an article not too long ago, particularly financial exploitation and how seniors are being targeted out of their funds. And so I want to take this opportunity to highlight World Elder Abuse because not only is financial exploitation an issue, there is also an issue with emotional and psychological abuse as well as physical abuse on our seniors. Also self -neglect, as well, I want to highlight. And so if you have a senior in your life, Mr. Speaker, and anyone who is listening, it is important that we foster healthy relationships with our seniors. It is important that we are looking out for one another. It is important that we are reporting instances of senior abuse to the right areas such as Ageing and Disability Services or the police. You know, if you know of a senior who is living with family and they are not being fed or you notice how people may talk to a particular senior, it is important th at we are keeping our seniors protected and we are keeping them safe. And so I just want to take the opportunity to highlight and also to give thanks to all those people, all those persons in our communities who are helping to assist and take care of our seniors. We were blessed to have the presence of someone in the House t oday, a senior. And it is such a beautiful thing, in my opinion, to see the progression of ageing and all the gifts and talents that we give to our community as children turning into adults and then turning into seniors. So I do want to take this time to t hank all those persons who do care about our seniors. All those persons who work very closely with seniors in making sure that they remain protected. And I also have to mention because people do not realise how quickly age catches up with us. Right? And so we would not necessarily put ourselves in a category of an aged person, but I want people to know that it catches up with us very quickly and that you must have plans in place. You must have trust, people who you trust in place. Good relationships in place so that you, you know, as . . . you are adults and you look out for people, you know that your family and your friends are able to look out for you as you age. And so I just, again, want to acknowledge World Elder Abuse Day and I want our community to be very aware of the circumstances that surround senior abuse in our country, worldwide as well, as we continue to move forward in making sure that our seniors or any vulnerable person continues to be respected, acknowledged and protected. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Does any other Member wish to make a contribution? Opposition Whip, MP Cannonier. ALARM RAISED OVER INSURANCE COMPANY MERGER IN BERMUDA
Mr. L. Craig CannonierYes, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And again, good afternoon colleagues. I read with interest in the paper this potential merger between two insurance companies that have been around for quite some time. And on the surface, I can recognise from a business point of view the sense in …
Yes, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And again, good afternoon colleagues. I read with interest in the paper this potential merger between two insurance companies that have been around for quite some time. And on the surface, I can recognise from a business point of view the sense in this merger. But it draws to attention some c oncerns within the industry that I have had for a long time. It is interesting to see that here we are now, quite frankly, moving back towards a monopolistic environment. These are two major insurance companies that, as I have said, have been around for a while. And they have somewhat shifted in their focus, particularly the Argus and they have been very active in purchasing doctor’s offices. If you look on the other side of the coin, you can see where CG [Coralisle Group] has been very active in opening up its ow n pharmaceutical businesses. And if you take a look at the industry in and of itself, doctors cannot own a pharmacy. And I declare my interest, [I was a] general manager of a major pharmacy in Bermuda. My wife is a pharmacist still. And it is rather interesting to see that on the other side of these two major insurance companies who are looking to merge, we have CG who is going out an opening up and offering opportunities to buy out even pharmacies on the Island. So, if you logically walk this through, every year insurance companies ensure that if they are falling behind they cover their potential losses and ensure that stakeholders and employees are paid, which is a good 1446 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report B ermuda House of Assembly thing, by increasing their premiums. We just saw an increase in premiums by some drastic amounts, quite frankly, that is frightening to everyone. Certainly every-one in the House of Assembly who has seen and heard about these increases. And what I cannot understand is if a doctor cannot own a pharmacy, then why are we allowing these large conglomerates to gobble up pharmacies and others gobble up doctors’ offices when in fact we are the ones who have been saying for many decades now that we want our young people to go away, get an education, come back and to thrive in an environment where we do not have franchises, per se. You cannot open up a Burger King here in Bermuda. And that was to avoid . . . and to encourage entrepreneurship in Bermuda. Now what we see is pharmacies are under threat, quite frankly. And when you take a look at what CG is doing in particular, and I want to . . . I am going to take my time through this here. You know, when you go to a pharmacy and get your generic prescription, it is 100 per cent. The insurance covers 100 per cent of that generic. Now, if you get name brand, it covers 80 per cent, per se. But if you now look at how things are changing, you will see under CG that if you go and get your generic drug from them it is covered 100 per cent. But if I had been going to Caesar’s Pharmacy for the last 20 years and I go there to get a drug, but I have my insurance through CG, there are only covering 80 per cent of the generic. That’s wrong! Completely wrong! And these huge companies, who we all know, make sure they cover themselves, are now gobbling up the middleman, the entrepreneur. The average salary[ - earner] in Bermuda that is taking care of its kids, sending them to school and when one of their cousins is in trouble they help out . . . that particular individual now is in trouble. And I am trying to understand exactly where we are going with this here. I am not sure whether or not the Government has had any conversations. Maybe they have. I don’t know. But I am expressing my con-cern that now . . . and I am sure they have their reasons, Mr. Speaker. They have got their reasons. They might be saying there are not enough people here. I don’t know. I have no clue. But what I do know is the great shareholder is making his due while the average Bermudian, who we want to ensure can open up their doctor’s office and they can open up their own pharma-cies, can thrive in Bermuda, but not under the threat that they can be bought out . . . Because things are getting tough, or tight. And so I have said in this House many times before, I do have a challenge when we start talking about, especially in the House here, we start talking about how we are going to go after the prescription fee. And I am sure that there is room to negotiate there when we do not understand entirely what the pharmacist, who quite frankly is the courier of this drug . . . But have you ever tried to spell any of the drugs that are dispensed? I mean, they have got to remember thousands of these things. And on a daily basis the pharmacist is the one, and I have declared my interest, the pharmacist is the one who has to ensure . . . I don’t know if you have seen doctor’s writing — An H on. Mem ber: Yes!
Mr. L. Craig Cannonier—b ut they abbreviate and it is all over the place and it is the pharmacist who has to pick out exactly what it is saying, because [the doctor] can’t even spell the word. An H on. Mem ber: Chinese, huh ?
Mr. L. Craig CannonierSo they are saving lives, but guess what? The Bermudian pharmacy, the independent pharmacy owner is being squeezed out because now these conglomerates are saying, Well, if you go over there and get your generic drug, that is 80 per cent. We ain’t covering it all. We are moving from …
So they are saving lives, but guess what? The Bermudian pharmacy, the independent pharmacy owner is being squeezed out because now these conglomerates are saying, Well, if you go over there and get your generic drug, that is 80 per cent. We ain’t covering it all. We are moving from an environment that said all generics were 100 per cent covered. An H on. Mem ber: That’s r ight.
Mr. L. C raig C annonierSomebody must see the error in this w ay. An H on. Mem ber: They do n’t care. T hat’s r ight.
Mr. L. Craig CannonierThis can’t be! And I understand the justification, the business justification of it. But somebody has got to step in and slow this thing down. On the other side of the coin, I recognise that Government has a challenge as well. If you are paying $400 for a premium package, …
This can’t be! And I understand the justification, the business justification of it. But somebody has got to step in and slow this thing down. On the other side of the coin, I recognise that Government has a challenge as well. If you are paying $400 for a premium package, we know that it is costing Government more than that because they are trying to keep the fees down. They are trying to keep them down. But it is going to become a challenge if this continues on the private sector side because who is going to manage the new (somewhat) universal care that we are moving towards? Who is going to step in and manage this when they are up against these monopolies out there in the private sector? There is a war c oming in this i ndustry a nd they are already p ositioning t hemselves . . . so if I g o to any one of t hese private sector ones no w who ar e gobbling up everyone, and I g o get my pr escripti on there becaus e I know I am goi ng to get it at 100 per cent for a generic one , and I’m only s ticking to the generic. R ight? Okay. Fine. Well, if there ar e any losses on th e pharmacy s ide, t he insurance company i s just go ing to keep putting up the premium for the individual, which covers it.
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberThat’s right. Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. L. Craig Cannonier: Just how Government is trying to cover it. And who loses out? The person who needs the prescription and the people who we are trying to empower to own their own businesses in Bermuda, which is what we were built …
That’s right.
Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. L. Craig Cannonier: Just how Government is trying to cover it. And who loses out? The person who needs the prescription and the people who we are trying to empower to own their own businesses in Bermuda, which is what we were built on! So, the middle class is leaving. Why? Sure, come and gobble me up. Come and buy me. Well, I am not going to make it . . . because this is happening. What is the solution? I don’t know. But I think we have got enough intellectual capital around the room in order to sit down and figure this one out, because the restaurant owner and all these other private businesses that are out there, they are going to suffer for it. And most of the companies out there now are saying, I can’t give you the premium package. Everybody is going to have to go on HIP. Now that further burdens the Government who is already out of pocket. And then the insurance company is saying, Oh, I know how to fix this one here. I am going to buy out that pharmacy and I am going to buy out that doctor’s office.
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberThat’s right.
Mr. L. Craig CannonierAnd when we said we would not do that , because if a doctor cannot own a pharmacy in his establishment . . . and people ass ume when they go to the doctor’s office that the pharmacy in there is owned by the doctor, you know. It’s not!
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberThat’s right. Bowl them, Craig. Bowl them.
Mr. L. Craig CannonierThey assume that! And the pharmacist . . . I am going back to the pharmacist. My wife is going to have a fit with me. But I am going back to the pharmacist because, guess what? If I take their salary and compare it to the US salaries, the …
They assume that! And the pharmacist . . . I am going back to the pharmacist. My wife is going to have a fit with me. But I am going back to the pharmacist because, guess what? If I take their salary and compare it to the US salaries, the US pharmacists are making more money. How is that possible? What? So, we have an opportunity here. And I just gave one example of a generic drug, per se, Hydrochlorothiazide , or whatever. You know, all of these long, convoluted names. The pharmacies are doing the best that they can to keep up. But yet, they now are finding . . . and so just let me say this here. Listen, my wife is at retirement age so, you know, she will be out of there any time soon, so there is no conflict of interest here for me, whatsoever. Because she is going to retire. Right? But I am looking at businesses that were family businesses that were told to go and get an education and come back and make a difference and they are fighting to struggle. So there are two sides of the coin that we need to approach this from. And I am impl oring that we do as much as possible here in this House to avoid what I would consider to be the carnage, the brutality of our entrepreneurs being taken out. And it is not just in the health field. Because health affects all indus-tries. Now, with a merger and a private company there are going to be some losses when it comes to jobs as well. So, make no mistake that as we move for-ward, I am sure we will all be watching. There probably will be, as they merge, some redundancies. Who knows. Maybe they might figure out how not to do that there. But a private business is not going to merge with-out some fallout there. Already we see where some board directors have been left out of this new merger. Right? So it is being affected and some of these are Bermudians. It is nice to see that the chairman of this new potential one is everyone that we know. A Bermudian. But we have a real challenge on our hands, Mr. Speaker, if we allow these kinds of things to continue to happen. Because we will go back to the monopolies of the past. This is not the direction that we want to go in. We can find a happy medium here. There is enough to go around. And when there is not enough to go around, I believe that we in this room can find a way to ensure that we do have enough to go around. Put the policies in place that are going to allow all of us to thrive. Time is money. And that is why these insurance companies are doing what they are doing. They are thinking, not 20 years down the road. They are thinking, Okay, well, we do not have as many people in Bermuda as we used to. But I can guarantee you when they do, and when we do get to those numbers, they will benefit from it. And we will have lost entrepreneurs whose parents struggled, saved money to put them through school to come back and make a difference. We should all be alarmed at this. All of us! It is a problem and we need to address it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. [Desk thumping]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMP Cannonier, thank you. MP De Silva, you have the floor. ALARM RAISED OVER INSURANCE COMPANY MERGER IN BERMUDA Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, before I start, I would just like to state for the record that sometimes in this House we agree.
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberHmm. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: And everything the Honourable Member who just took his seat said, I can totally, wholeheartedly agree with. Everything he said!
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberYes, it’s true. 1448 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: And it is just a matter . . . you guys come over here. We got a lot more space for you over here. [Laughter and inaudible interjections ] Hon. …
Yes, it’s true.
1448 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: And it is just a matter . . . you guys come over here. We got a lot more space for you over here. [Laughter and inaudible interjections ]
Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: But I will say this. I could not—
[Inaudible interjections]
Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: —I could not say it any better, Mr. Speaker. I think the Honourable Member Cannonier deserves full marks for his entire speech. It is something that we as legislators need to look at very seriously in this country.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerIt is one of those occasions when we need to hold hands together and find the solution. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Yes, we will. We can sing Kumbaya on this one. Especially when insurance rates . . . and I speak from experience, I declare my interest. And …
It is one of those occasions when we need to hold hands together and find the solution. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Yes, we will. We can sing Kumbaya on this one. Especially when insurance rates . . . and I speak from experience, I declare my interest. And I have several companies. And between them, the insurance rates this year have gone up between 12 per cent and 20 per cent. Hon. E. David Burt: Not from the Government, though.
Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Now . . . but wait a minute.
Hon. E. David Burt: Not from the Government. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: They do not go up, not from the Government. No. But they won’t go up . . . hang on. Listen to this one. If you send your employees to a cer-tain establishment —
Hon. E. David Burt: Mm-hmm.
Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: You send [them] to a certain establishment and your fees do not go up . . . that establishment is who? It is owned by them. Okay. Now I am going to leave it there because I have got some things I want to discuss tonight.
APPOINTMENT OF NON- BERMUDIAN JUDGES
Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Mr. Speaker, I was very disappointed. We heard recently that Bermuda College made an appointment, and we understand why a nonBermudian was chosen. The Minister gave us a good synopsis of that. But I have seen a lot of outrage about that. Yes. I have seen outrage about a non- Bermudian being appointed to the Bermuda College. And I accept the Minister’s decision. As a former Minister, I know certain things happen. We do not always control everything all throughout our Ministry. So I got that. But, of course, the Minister has assured everybody that under his watch it will never happen again. So we got that. Now, Mr. Speaker, in the last few weeks we have seen the appointment of two non- Bermudians, judges. Who were they appointed by?
[Inaudible interjections]
Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: I ask that question. Who were these judges appointed by —non-Bermudian judges —when we have capable and qualified judges in Bermuda who have actually been doing the job for the last year, year and a half?
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberYes! Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: So where is the outrage of that? We have outrage over one. But we have not had outrage over that. And who makes those appointments? The largest House on Langton Hill. When we have qualified Bermudians! This is unfair and, in my view, …
Yes! Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: So where is the outrage of that? We have outrage over one. But we have not had outrage over that. And who makes those appointments? The largest House on Langton Hill. When we have qualified Bermudians! This is unfair and, in my view, an injustice. Mr. Speaker, we saw a commissioner appointed a couple of years ago. A non- Bermudian commissioner. Now, of course, he left in the cloak of dark-ness in what they call a nanosecond. And this country has yet to hear why that police commissioner is no longer s erving. I mean, I will take a point of clarification from anyone in this House if they can tell me why the former police commissioner, appointed by the person who sits at Langton Hill . . . I would like to know why. Again, it should be an outrage. You have a few hundred police officers, the man in charge, who is under investigation, is made to leave, or after a conversation with a certain person leaves, the country. We still do not know under what package. Do not know under what circumstances. Investigation was tak ing place and we have heard nothing. Where is the outrage? This is unfair to the people of this country. And I use that word unfair.
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberBecause we live in a colony. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Yes, I guess when we live in a colony that is what we get. We get appointments made by people who maybe do not live here. [Inaudible interjections] Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: One of these days …
Because we live in a colony. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Yes, I guess when we live in a colony that is what we get. We get appointments made by people who maybe do not live here.
[Inaudible interjections]
Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: One of these days we are going to stand up.
CALL FOR COMMISSION OF INQUIRY INTO THE BANKS OF BERMUDA Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Now, Mr. Speaker, let me move on just a little bit further. We have many of our young men, predominantly Black young men who are being released from prison. And what are we always
Bermuda House of Assembly saying in this House? Everybody, let’s look at giving our young men opportunities. Let’s give them a chance at making a new life. Well, Mr. Speaker, guess what? Every young man who comes out of prison and tries to get a job, or succeeds in getting a job, guess what he cannot do? Open a bank account. Why? Why can’t they open a bank account? They paid their dues.
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberYes. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Why can they not? Why do the banks in this country . . . and there is one particular bank. I am not happy to say that they . . . their emblem is the same colour. They wear the same colour as …
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberCall them. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Bank of Butterfield. [Inaudible interjections] Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: They use green a lot. [Inaudible interjection] Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Oh, I just didn’t call their name, did I? [Inaudible interjections] Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: But …
Call them.
Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Bank of Butterfield.
[Inaudible interjections]
Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: They use green a lot.
[Inaudible interjection]
Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Oh, I just didn’t call their name, did I?
[Inaudible interjections]
Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: But what I am saying to you, Mr. Speaker, is this. How are our young men going to make it if they cannot have something in this day and age as a bank account? You talk about unfairness and injustice. Who is making those decisions? And I will ask again. Who is making those decisions? Is it anybody who looks like us? Well, most of us?
[Laughter]
Ms. Lovitta F. FoggoI told you. You are light brown. You are the lightest kind of brown. [Inaudible interjection] Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Mr. Speaker, our banks in this country are practicing unfair injustices every week, every month of the year. They are practicing it and we as legislators have to …
I told you. You are light brown. You are the lightest kind of brown. [Inaudible interjection]
Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Mr. Speaker, our banks in this country are practicing unfair injustices every week, every month of the year. They are practicing it and we as legislators have to do something about it. We had the Premier talk about gaming today. Why can’t we get gaming going in this country? And it is in almost every other country in the world. Why is that? It is the banks again. One particular bank will tell you that, Well, it is a corresponding bank that won’t do business. That is hogwash! I won’t say that other animal and what comes out the back. But that is what it is, hogwash, Mr. Speaker. What about digital assets and cryptocurrency? Why can’t we get that going, Mr. Speaker? That same word again—banks. What is their agenda? What is their agenda? Now, Mr. Speaker, we have heard historic stories in this country about mortgages. Mort-gages bei ng pulled. Mortgages being called. Choose your language. Was it true? All the stories we heard about mortgages being pulled, is it true? And mostly by whom? People who look like most of us in this room. I do not recall too many White people making statements about their mortgages being pulled. Espe-cially if they are affiliated with a certain political party.
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberTell me about it. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: So was it true, Mr. Speaker? Were these stories just made up by the Progressive Labour Party over the years? Made up by Black people over the years in this country? I say not. I say it is true. Why …
Tell me about it. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: So was it true, Mr. Speaker? Were these stories just made up by the Progressive Labour Party over the years? Made up by Black people over the years in this country? I say not. I say it is true. Why do I say it is true? Because it is still happening today. Here as we sit in 2024! Mortgages are being pulled. And that is no fabrication. You know why I know, Mr. Speaker? Because it has happened to me. Here as I stand, Mr. Speaker, it has happened to me. In this country! A mortgage held for 18 years, never missed a payment! But since I am Progressive . . . what other reason could it be? Because I don’t look like them? I am not the right White? Because I am not part of the correct political party? Why is that? It happened to me and my family. This is what they do to us! My family, Mr. Speaker, my family. Never, ever missed a payment. And it ain’t small, that amount. But here is the kicker. The money was sent. Guess what? They sent it back. They want proof of resources. I only dealt with that one bank for 35 years. It goes deeper which I won’t go into just yet this week, Mr. Speaker. Because this story has another chapter. It has another chapter. The thing is, Mr. Speaker, it is this unfairness and it starts with our young people coming out of prison. And if these folks have an agenda, if you ain’t the right colour, if you represent the wrong party, you had better watch it. Because we are going to get you. So you know what, Mr. Speaker? I am going to call on the Premier. I am going to call on the Premier. I would like to see a commission of inquiry into the banking system in this country.
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberThere he goes! Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: And it starts with our young Black men, to our older Black men, in this country. And you can put me in that category. Because you know what? That is how far it stretches. It is unfair. What happens to Mrs. …
There he goes! Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: And it starts with our young Black men, to our older Black men, in this country. And you can put me in that category. Because you know what? That is how far it stretches. It is unfair. What happens to Mrs. Smith or Mr. Smith who says, I am going to leave my house to Jache. He is a nice young man.
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberYes, he is. 1450 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Jache joins the PLP —
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberOh no! Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: —the next thing is . . . now, now let me state this. This is a fictional, hypothetical thing. But you take a young man like Jache Adams. He has a passion. He does his homework. He is intelligent. He is smart. …
Oh no! Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: —the next thing is . . . now, now let me state this. This is a fictional, hypothetical thing. But you take a young man like Jache Adams. He has a passion. He does his homework. He is intelligent. He is smart. And he is Black. Is young Jache, if he continues on the path he is, is he going to have a challenge in the future? I look around and look at young Dennis Lister III. Is he going to have a challenge later? Because of his skin colour or his party affiliation? So yes, Premier, I am calling a commission of inquiry into the banks in this country. Not only for that but for what seems to be happening. Whether it is gaming, cryptocurrency, digital assets —pick your poison. I don’t know if you all get those fees every month like I do. Five dollars for this. Two dollars for that. Three dollars for this. Add us all up, put us in a box and see what that adds up to every month. Now, Jache, MP Adams, just took it right out . . . Now let’s look at the profit margin.
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberYes. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: The Bank of Butterfield, $54 million for the first quarter of this year —$54 million! In one quarter! But this is what you do. Killing our young people.
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberYes. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Stopping them from progress. What happens if you get a young man, comes out of prison, he learns a trade, carpentry . . . we all know, I think we all know, the skill set up at the prison for some of our …
Yes. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Stopping them from progress. What happens if you get a young man, comes out of prison, he learns a trade, carpentry . . . we all know, I think we all know, the skill set up at the prison for some of our carpenters and what they produce with Bermuda cedar. I have several in my house. I can attest to it. What happens if they come out and they say, Look, I want to start my carpentry business. What is going to happen to that young man? You have young men coming out of prison, looking for a girlfriend, to have an account where he can send his money to. It is unfair. It is an injustice. And it must stop. And I have to call Bank of Butterfield out. Because you know what, Mr. Speaker? I have not been the only one. And I have said it publicly and I will say it again. I have no fear of saying it. They cut off my ac-counts. Why, Mr. Speaker? Why? I have been dealing with that bank for 35 years. Who is next in this House? Or I should say, who is next in the Progressive Labour Party? What Black person is next? Because I am yet to talk to a White person who has had their bank account closed. But I will tell you what. There are many Blacks that have. And it just so happens that they have affiliations with the Progressive Labour Party. And I am calling for a commission of inquiry into the banks in this country. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
[Desk thumping]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, MP De Silva. Deputy Speaker. You have your 20 minutes. Go right ahead. CALL FOR COMMISSION OF INQUIRY INTO THE BANKS OF BERMUDA Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think it was probably earlier this year I spoke about the …
Thank you, MP De Silva. Deputy Speaker. You have your 20 minutes. Go right ahead.
CALL FOR COMMISSION OF INQUIRY INTO THE BANKS OF BERMUDA
Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think it was probably earlier this year I spoke about the Bank of Butterfield throwing certain people out of the bank. And what I mean throwing people out of the bank , letting them know that their businesses with them will be no longer accepted in the bank. Mr. Speaker, when I hear about in 2024 mortgages being pulled, it takes me back to (and I was not born) the 1950s.
[Inaudible interjections]
Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: When Dr. Kenneth Robinson, who went about Bermuda trying to improve the curriculum for all Bermudians, regardless of the colour or where they went to school. And because of the aggressiveness, I guess I would say, of trying to get this done they called hi s mortgage, Mr. Speaker. And they called that mortgage without him ever missing a payment.
Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: There you go.
Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: And here today a friend of mine is faced with the same dilemma. That friend of mine has never missed a payment. But it even goes on further. They are requiring . . . in fact, they have frozen all this friend’s business transactions with the bank, Mr. Speaker . And what they have asked my friend is to account for transactions that go back (I think) about eight years. And they are quite a bit because this friend of mine is a businessman. In fact, to fulfil their request, my friend would have to go out and spend probably $100,000 trying to get professional people to do the research and answer all those inquiries by them. But, Mr. Speaker, I do not think this is coming from the bank, per se. I think it is coming from the SOG. That is the Strategic Oversight Group that is chaired by the Deputy Governor and the other members are the DPP [Department of Public Prosecutions], t he police commissioner, and a member from the [FCDO]. A lot of this stuff I am going to repeat. I will repeat it because our people are now getting annoyed at these, that same
Bermuda House of Assembly group, who are in this country breaching our Constitution Order. We should be up in arms and demand that the actions of the SOG cease immediately. They [should] disband because it is illegal, according to our Constitution. But they are only targeting a few people,
Mr. Speaker.
An Hon. Member Mr. Speaker.
An Hon. MemberMm-hmm. Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: And they have not spoken to certain MPs, maybe this present group in the Chambers, but I know the last group, the last . . . just prior to this last election . . . they have spoken to them. In fact, two Members …
Mm-hmm. Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: And they have not spoken to certain MPs, maybe this present group in the Chambers, but I know the last group, the last . . . just prior to this last election . . . they have spoken to them. In fact, two Members went to Casemates or Westgate, and I think it was arranged, not through the top official, top officer at the prisons, but somebody further down was promised something (I guess) and they went up there to talk to a prisoner to try to implicate three members of the Progress ive Labour Party. That is what they have done. Mr. Speaker, we have seen that certain people in this country have broken the law outright. No question about it and they have not been prosecuted. Well, these same people have met with the SOG and you wonder if this is, Okay, we are not going to charge them because [they] were trying to get stuff for us. And so you are not going to be . . . you don’t have to worry about anything. Mr. Speaker, and then you have the banks, and this has been spoken again, I will repeat my colleague De Silva said about former inmates cannot get a bank account. You know, we are trying to help our people rehabilitate and get back into the community and t hey cannot get one. I know one guy. He has a business. He is doing very well. And he has not only Government work; he has private work and cannot get a bank ac-count. I don’t know. We just cannot tolerate anymore. We have to do something about it, Mr. Speak er. Mr. Speaker, I am calling on the Government — when I say “the Government,” [I mean] the Cabinet —to write the necessary correspondence to whoever is in charge through Government House. That the SOG must stop breaching our Constitution.
Some Hon. Members Some Hon. MembersMm-hmm. Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: I am asking again, just like my colleague Zane De Silva said, asking for a commission of inquiry. Why are the banks targeting certain people and not doing business with them anymore? Also in the commission of inquiry, why are you not giving former …
Mm-hmm.
Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: I am asking again, just like my colleague Zane De Silva said, asking for a commission of inquiry. Why are the banks targeting certain people and not doing business with them anymore? Also in the commission of inquiry, why are you not giving former inmates bank accounts? And I think probably the inquiry has to go on. How many people have you locked up with false DNA (as they call it) information? And I am going to say information given to me by an imposter. So Mr. Speaker, I support Zane De Silva when he says that we need a commission of inquiry. I think we need one. I really do. Because we cannot allow these folks to do as they like to our people whether it is through the largest house on Langton Hill using the bank to do it, whoever it is. That is why we need a commission of inquiry to find out what is really going on.
APPOINTMENT OF NON- BERMUDIAN JUDGES Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: They have already taken Zane DeSilva and my niece to court. And they have rewarded their lead spokesman in the court. Gave him a job as a puisne judge. No experience and never acted in the position, and two Bermudians (and I said this last time so I am repeating myself) who are qualified who are acting in the position and cannot get the job. And now . . . what I see now, I saw yesterday they have hired another fellow to work in the commercial courts. Well, I guess I will be a l ittle mischievous and say, Is this the real new chief justice, but here under another name? These people are handpicked, Mr. Speaker.
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberYes, they are. Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: And they . . . although we are a colony, they cannot treat us like third- world citizens. So I am asking the Government to take action and let them know we are annoyed at the nonsense that they are doing in …
Yes, they are.
Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: And they . . . although we are a colony, they cannot treat us like third- world citizens. So I am asking the Government to take action and let them know we are annoyed at the nonsense that they are doing in this country to our people in the name of the largest house on L angton Hill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you. Mr. Famous, would you like your 20 minutes? NEED FOR NATIONAL NARRATIVE TO ENCOURAGE YOUTH TO LEARN TRADES
Mr. Christopher FamousYes. Good afternoon, Mr. Speaker. I beg your indulgence as I speak a slightly dif-ferent language today. [Inaudible interjections]
Mr. Christopher FamousSo Mr. Speaker, let me start off my saying Magandang hápon. And if you do not understand that, let me say Boa tarde. What is that, Mr. Speaker?
The SpeakerThe SpeakerIt was not the Latin that you were taught at Berkeley. I know that. 1452 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Christopher Famous: That is good afternoon firstly in Tagalog, which is the language of the Philippines islands. [Inaudible interjections]
Mr. Christopher FamousBoa tarde is good afternoon in the Azorean language. Why am I saying that, Mr. Speaker? Because this is the language of the tradespeople of Bermuda now.
Mr. Christopher FamousSometimes you have to say things that may be deemed unpopular amongst your own people in order to drive home a message.
Mr. Christopher FamousSo you see, Mr. Speaker, if you go on any construction site now, if you go to any restaurant, if you go to so many different places these are the languages that are being spoken. And, no, I am not saying it in any xenophobic point of view. These persons …
So you see, Mr. Speaker, if you go on any construction site now, if you go to any restaurant, if you go to so many different places these are the languages that are being spoken. And, no, I am not saying it in any xenophobic point of view. These persons give excellent service to their employers and, most importantly, to their customers. But you see, Mr. Speaker, as I was walking today along Court Street a gentleman, Mr. Smith, (he is actually named Mr. Smith) said, Famous, I don’t know what is going on because Bermudians built this Island and now other people are maintaining it. You see, Mr. Speaker, we may have all the graduation classes and school -leaving classes, we may argue about who is the president of the college, but the net result in all of this is that Bermudians are not in construction to the numbers that they should be. Ber-mudians are not in the automotive industry in the numbers that they should be. Bermudians are not in landscaping. They are not in hospitality. They are not in cell phone repair. They are not in . . . I could go on and on, Mr. Speaker. If you go to the digest of employees . . . I don’t know what it is called, but they have a digest of employees and it tells you how many . . . what percentage are Bermudian and what percentage are non- Bermudian. The reality is the number of non- Bermudians in these jobs is growing, percentage wise. Is it because the Gov-ernment is just signing away work permits? No. Is it because employers just want to hire people from abroad? No. Here is the unpopular part, Mr. Speaker. Those numbers are growing because not enough of our young people who are graduating this week are going to get into any of those skill sets. There is no long list of people trying to get into Bermuda College to lear n automotive repair. Ask me how we fought to get it back on into the College’s programme only for it to be undersubscribed. There is no long list of young people saying, Hey, I want to be a stone mason. There is no long list of our young people saying, Hey , I want to work in landscaping. I want to own my own landscaping business. But yet, there is a long list of people who look at any given Government, whether it is the PLP or the OBA, and say, How come all these people from all these places are here working? Well, the reality is that for a country to function it needs carpenters, it needs masons, it needs electricians, it needs AC workers. And days like today are hot, and everybody is having a personal summer. You need these people. So if we are not producing them, we have to import them. Well, let’s go back to the beginning, Mr. Speaker. There was a time when people in this country took pride in having a trade and knowing a trade whether it be your bush mechanic or a good mechanic . People took pride in it. Then along came a thing called international business where many people said, Hey, I don’t want to get my hands dirty no more. I don’t want to be out there sweating, lifting up trowels and plastering walls. I am just going to hire somebody to do that. My son would never be out there cutting grass for a liv-ing. We have all said it, collectively. All of us are guilty of it, Mr. Speaker. There is no one not guilty of it. So what do we have as a net result in year 2024? We have many of our young men, of all melanin types, never, ever knowing how to use a weed wacker. Never, ever knowing, when they are mixing cement, what the ratio is of sand and water. Never, ever even know ing how to properly cut when they have got to paint. So what happens? Momma has got to hire somebody to do it. Today I am guilty of it myself. I had to go out and buy a faucet because my momma’s faucet was leaking. I couldn’t fix it so the plumber had to come fix it. So I say, Mr. Speaker, that when we look at these individual stories and we look at cumulative totals . . . that’s a cumulative total, right?
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberRight. Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Christopher Famous: When we look at a cumulative total, next year more persons are going to be coming and speaking these same languages and doing those jobs which we refuse to do. Now, there are [some] who are going to say, Well, you know, …
Right.
Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Christopher Famous: When we look at a cumulative total, next year more persons are going to be coming and speaking these same languages and doing those jobs which we refuse to do. Now, there are [some] who are going to say, Well, you know, if only somebody had it in the schools. It is in the schools! We fought hard to get it back into the schools. But again, because the national narrative is not supporting our people learning trades, our young people are not doing it. Not enough, let me put it that way. So I say unapologetically to anyone who is listening, I have spent my entire life in the trades. And people are making millions of dollars doing it. Change the narrative, my people. Speak to our young persons whether they be male or female, encourage them to learn a skill set. It could be as simple as fixing laptops, which is not simple, but you could be in an air -conditioned environment fixing laptops. You will never be out of work. Never. No matter which side of the fence you are on, we as a country have to face the reality. If our people do not learn these trades, we are going to keep seeing work permits getting signed by some Immigration Minister or the other. We are gong to keep seeing p eople down at the airport welcoming their friends from abroad coming to work in Bermuda. And the unfortunate part, Mr. Speaker, is that we are going to keep seeing our young people getting on British Airways. That’s the re-ality. If anybody wants to challenge me or say whatever, fine. My number is right there in the book. But that is the reality. So what I would say to all of my colleagues in here . . . all of us have young people in our constituencies. As we go knocking on doors, encourage them, Hey, what are you doing for yourself? [And they say] Oh, I’m not sure what I want to do yet. Encourage them to take up a skill. They will never, ever regret it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, MP Famous. Does any other . . . MP Simmons -Wade, you have your 20 minutes. AGEING WELL
Mrs. Ianthia Simmons -WadeAnd the listening audience. First of all, I would like to say it was amazing to me the number of emails and calls that I received from seniors, actually, after my motion to adjourn speech last year. It was also surprising to me the number of seniors who actually listen …
And the listening audience. First of all, I would like to say it was amazing to me the number of emails and calls that I received from seniors, actually, after my motion to adjourn speech last year. It was also surprising to me the number of seniors who actually listen to the House of Assembly. First of all, Mr. Speaker, I will say to everyone who is listening, please do not forget our seniors. Ageing is an inevitable part of life. It is a part of our human experience. Today I am going to talk about the emotional aspects of ageing. For many of us, including myself, you grapple with different feelings as you age. You grapple with the loss of self. You grapple with acknowledging your health. And I am sure, as many seniors realise, you tend to have more medical appointments than social engagements as you age. When you lose . . . I should say when you retire, you also lose your sense of identity. You get up every morning, you go to work, you are the boss, or whatever the job that you have. That is your identity. But as you age you lose that identity. So, in regard ageing, the emotional aspects of ageing, first of all, Mr. Speaker, people have to stop and concentrate on something that is very important. That is your health. So, exercise and diet play a significant role in ageing. And it is not just about [longevity]. It is also about the quality of life. Because for many of us, when we get old, if we are not taking care of ourselves, unfortunately (or fortunately) what tends to happen is our children and our family have to take care of us. So it is impo rtant that you deal with those aspects yourself. In terms of social connections, people who are older very often do not get out. But it is important to keep our connections with our families [and] our friends. I am talking to many people who are now doing bridge . . . they are taking bridge, they are going to the seniors clubs, they are going to things like that. All of that impacts in terms of how you age. And it is so important. And I think people feel that if Mom is home it is okay because she is being fed, she has food, et cetera. But the social conn ections are very, very important. Also mental stimulation and brain activity. People say, Oh, let’s do crossword puzzles. Let’s do those word search things. You have to realise, they may seem trivial, but they are actually important in terms of the stimulation of your brain as you age. When you go to work you have challenges. You have things you have to do. Things you have to remember. But when you get older v ery often we are sitting home . . . Well, not me because I am standing here. But you are sitting home watching television or doing t hings like that. So, Mr. Speaker, I encourage people to embrace this journey. Embrace the ageing process. We are all going to die. That is a reality. But we can age gracefully. We can age healthy. So for the people who are listening, I say, look at it in a positive way. Look at the experience that you bring to the table, to your family, to your friends and to the community and offer that experience to help others. So, for the listening audience and all of those seniors, along with the seniors who happen to be in the House, I encourage you to embrace the ageing process, to age healthy, and realise there is a purpose for you being here. There is a purpose for you as a senior and we have to embrace our seniors and encourage them to be a part and to be healthy and age well. 1454 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, MP Simmons -Wade. MP Caines . . . Minister Hayward. Would you like your 20 minutes, sir? PROMOTING TRADE AND REGIONAL INTEGRATION Hon. Jason Hayward: Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the fellow MP for allowing me the opportunity to speak.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerWell, I just like seeing the eagerness of Members wanting to speak. That is a good thing. Hon. Jason Hayward: Most definitely. And I have two very important points that I want to speak on today, points that we do not often speak about. But the dialogue that we have …
Well, I just like seeing the eagerness of Members wanting to speak. That is a good thing.
Hon. Jason Hayward: Most definitely. And I have two very important points that I want to speak on today, points that we do not often speak about. But the dialogue that we have had thus far in this House has triggered me to raise these two very im-portant points. The first point: Recently I had the opportunity to represent Bermuda at the AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum. In that forum these words were used: “Stolen from Africa, brought to America.” [That] was a quote from the late great Bob Marley . It rings different when an African acknowledges that. Not someone who is part of the African Diaspora, but when African countries recognise that their people were stolen and brought across the Atlantic. One of the themes in the conference was about reconnecting after 500 years. And in that forum, it was talked about how we have collectively turned our backs on each other. We are members of the Diaspora, chose to trade with the north and the west, while Af rica as a region has not done enough to support the developing countries in the Diaspora after they progressed into some state of self -governance or independence. And so I was very encouraged by the talk of creating a new middle passage. One that is based off of trade and goods and services and one that is not based off of the premise of trade in human beings. For me as an individual, it was extremely positive to see heads of state from African countries and Caribbean countries embrace this concept. Embrace the new beginning. Embrace the possibilities. Acknowledge and accept that we have a shared history. Acknowledge and accept that we have shared cultural backgrounds. Acknowledge and accept that there is huge opportunity for economic diversification. There is huge opportunity for cultural exchanges. So, Bermuda is now embarked on a process of ensuring that we reconnect with countries on the conti-nent of Africa. I was able to have bilaterial conversations with delegations from Ghana and Nigeria and we hope to progress further conversations with delega-tions from Kenya soon around setting up double taxation agreements and MOUs [ memorandum of understanding] for economic cooperation. In those meetings I was able to share Bermuda’s value proposition because this cannot be a one-sided relationship. I was able to share where Bermuda actually excels, but also acknowledge where we can possibly benefit from the help of larger nations, especially in the area of trading goods, especially in the area of innovation technologies, especially in the area of qualified human capital. You see, we allowed the me-dia to paint the picture of what the east actually looks like and represents. And the picture creates a barrier in our minds as to what we expect from countries within the continent of Africa. But, Mr. Speaker, I am glad we are now crossing that bridge. There is a general willingness to em-brace what they now consider self -trade and relations. This initiative is so important to African nations that they have actually coined the Caribbean and other countries within the Diaspora as “The 6 th Region of the African Union.” This is the 3rd annual AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum that was held. It was triggered by an invitation from the Prime Minister of Barbados, the Honourable Mia Mottley. The second was held in the Republic of Guyana and the third was held recently in The Bahamas. Another important point that was raised is weaning off of the dependency of our colonial past. African countries are now reclaiming their resources and restricting the exploitation of their resources. They are building refineries so that they do not have t o ship products to other regions of the world to get those products refined and sold back to countries within the African continent at higher prices. But they acknowledge that they need to increase trade amongst themselves. And they have the capacity to ex cel in economic growth and development by working collectively together.
NEED FOR SEPARATION BETWEEN POLICIES THAT BENEFIT OUR PEOPLE AND POLICIES THAT DIRECTLY BENEFIT CORPORATIONS
Hon. Jason Hayward: This moves me into my second important point. And that is we now recognise that the capitalist, colonial neoliberal system is not working. We heard a passionate cry for intervention from the Honourable Member Cannonier regarding what is happening with the insurance companies. We heard a passionate [cry] from the Honourable Member Zane De Silva in terms of —
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberBanks. Hon. Jason Hayward: —what is happening with the banks. When we meet with our constituents they talk about the cost of living.
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberYes, they do. Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. Jason Hayward: We hear the cry of What’s happening with the cost of goods and services in Bermuda? And it is all predicated on an old historic system that has never worked for our people.
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberCrooks! Crooks! Hon. Jason Hayward: It was always designed to create inequalities. The system was always designed for the rich to get richer while the poor remains poor. And I know this all so well because I studied this. In my time at the trade union I often trumpeted about …
Crooks! Crooks!
Hon. Jason Hayward: It was always designed to create inequalities. The system was always designed for the rich to get richer while the poor remains poor. And I know this all so well because I studied this. In my time at the trade union I often trumpeted about these very same challenges that our society will face if we do not have appropriate market intervention. I was one of three in-dividuals who stood on Reid Street crying down the banks when they raised their rates.
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberMm-hmm. Hon. Jason Hayward: We were not flanked by a whole lot of people but we made our voices heard. That was myself, Chris Furbert and Reverend Tweed. We talked about the challenges that we were having with our banking system. We talked about the challenges that we were having …
Mm-hmm.
Hon. Jason Hayward: We were not flanked by a whole lot of people but we made our voices heard. That was myself, Chris Furbert and Reverend Tweed. We talked about the challenges that we were having with our banking system. We talked about the challenges that we were having wi th not having accessible and affordable health care. The barrier to accessible and afforda-ble health care is the huge insurance premiums that in-dividuals have to pay. Why do Bermudians pay some of the highest insurance rates in the world ? Why is there no intervention as it pertains what is actually being charged for services? You see, the impact of us remaining conservative and not being progressive means we actually are becoming guardians of the status quo. And it is time for us to be a bit more progressive. It is time for us to be a little centre left. It is time for us to e nsure that we operate underneath the virtues of a social democratic framework where there is appropriate market intervention. Because that is what the Honourable Member Craig Cannonier was calling for —us to do something about it. With the banks —us to do so mething about it.
Some Hon. Members Some Hon. MembersMm-hmm. Hon. Jason Hayward: They are calling for the Government, the State, to intervene—
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberIn their behalf. Hon. Jason Hayward: —in the free market.
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberMm-hmm. Hon. Jason Hayward: But that has been a concept that persons warned us against for some time. But now they are feeling the effects of inaction. And so, yes, it is the appropriate time for appropriate market interventions to ensure we protect the people who we serve. We must …
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberYes. Hon. Jason Hayward: We cannot continue down this track where Bermuda remains unaffordable for Bermudians. Bermuda is now . . . it has been for some time. But the situation that we are now having with housing, exacerbates the challenges that we have had with just having general cost …
Yes.
Hon. Jason Hayward: We cannot continue down this track where Bermuda remains unaffordable for Bermudians. Bermuda is now . . . it has been for some time. But the situation that we are now having with housing, exacerbates the challenges that we have had with just having general cost of living. For the average Bermudian for decades there has been some level of housing stability. Th at housing stability now is being lost. And housing now far exceeds any acceptable limit as it per-tains to the cost of housing as a percentage of one’s income. And so, Mr. Speaker, we cannot stand here as parliamentarians, raise our hands and act as if we are defenceless. We must ensure we have the appropriate policy solutions that we put in place. We must be deliberate about doing it and we must be bold and progressive when we are doing it. There must be a separation between the policies that benefit our people and the policies that directly benefit corporations. Yes, a balance must be struck. But right now the only individuals on the short end of the stick are the people of Bermuda. And it s tarts from the very same system that countries within the African continent are trying to rid themselves of. A colonial, capitalist, neoliberal system that was never designed for our empowerment. Was never designed for us to succeed. Was never designed for us to advance in it. We have tippy -toed our way around this for many decades. But the people on the doorstep are telling us enough is enough. And so I fully support the principles of social democracy, freedom, solidarity and justice. And the policies that should follow thereafter should be in alignment with those core principles. Freedom— people should be absolutely free to make the choices they want to make, a society without coercion from others (the Government), they should not feel boxed in. Solidarity is one that is extremely difficult because we live in a very individualistic society. And trying to share the principles of solidarity within our society is different because everybody is looking out for their own best interest. But it is time f or us to row together, collectively, and row in the same direction. And justice —ensure we reduce income inequalities. Ensure that we have a tax system that is fair. Ensure that we have a tax system that is more progressive. Ensure we expand social welfare. Ensure that we advance labour protections. Do you know why we have to do these things, Mr. Speaker ? Because we cannot rely on society to simply do the right thing on its own. That is what gov-ernance is about. Governance is about ensuring you 1456 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly have the necessary protections in place so that persons are not continuously fleeing Bermuda because they feel as though Bermuda is squeezing them out. And so when these policies come, I hope they are welcomed by all in this House, Mr. Speaker , because they are needed. The time is now. Our people are crying for change. We have the capacity to implement change and we will be steadfast and unwavering in our commitment to ensure we create a better environment for those in our society. Thank you, Mr. Speaker .
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Minister. Does any other Member . . . MP Caines, you have your 20 minutes.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerGo ahead. THE CONCEPT OF LEADERSHIP
Mr. Wayne CainesMr. Speaker, on this Tuesday of this week, I went canvassing in constituency 14. Mr. Speaker, my constituency spans different elements of our great country. You have those who are in the mid-dle, you have those at the beginning and those at the end— of life scale, of the economic …
Mr. Speaker, on this Tuesday of this week, I went canvassing in constituency 14. Mr. Speaker, my constituency spans different elements of our great country. You have those who are in the mid-dle, you have those at the beginning and those at the end— of life scale, of the economic scale. We have all types and walks of Bermuda in my constituency. Now if I am to be honest, and if I am to paint a picture of my day, I was not in the right mind frame for canvassing. Mr. Speaker, you have canvassed longer than anyone in this room. You know the emotional toll that that process takes. You are giving of yourself. You are listening. You are sharing. You are a punching bag. You are getting gingerbread. You are hearing about people’s pr oblems. You are being offered dinner. You are at the mercy of the people that placed you in these beloved seats. After a long day, which most of us have, I had to go at 6:00 pm until 8:30 pm to my constituency. Just based on the normal parts of the day, I had a heavy load before I went out canvassing. But as is the responsibility, as is the oath, as is my duty (as w ith all of us in this room) I put what was considered my feelings in my back pocket and I donned my green shirt and my green hat. I got in my minivan where I store all my information and I got my rucksack that has all of my canvassing materials in. Yes, we had a bye- election. And during the bye- election, I shared, Mr. Speaker, that was a time where our party was rejuvenated. That is where we were recommitted to our purpose. But on this particular day, after that adulating opportunity, my spirits on this particular day were heavy. I went to two homes. First I went to the home of a Bermudian lady, and I asked her age. And you should never do such a thing, Mr. Speaker . Never! And she told me that she would not share her age. But me putting a few things together looking at the house, looking at a few certificates, I could make a guesstimation that she was an octogenarian. She shared with me her story. She shared with me how she had recently lost her son; how she had worked at the Bermuda College for over 40 years and now her pension could barely cover her medical expenses. She opened up her refrigerator, which was bare. I sat in the house and listened to her challenges. I listened to how she had to make some difficult decisions between fo od and gas and medicine. My heart was heavy. But outside of my heart being heavy, I was reminded of my purpose. Outside of the weight of my life, I was reminded of why I had been placed in this seat. Very quickly, I had to exercise empathy —the ability to listen, to identify with, to humble myself and realise the blessings that I have on one hand and the responsibility that I have to my constituents on the other. We spoke about life. And I could smell the chicken that she was cooking on the stove. I could hear the grease as it popped on the stove. We talked and we conversed and I shared with her my story and she shared with me her story. Ah, but what struck me the most, Mr. Speaker, is that she went into that pot with two pieces of chicken and she offered me one of those pieces. The Bermudian spirit. It hit me deeply that a woman sharing with me her essence, outlining her problems, documenting by opening up her fridge that she had nothing in there was still willing to give me one piece of her two pieces of chicken. I sat with her. She shared and I shared and at the end I thought it important that I leave a tangible to-ken that she can get through the next part of her month. I listened to her. I gave her Minister Furbert’s number and I asked about specific things and immediately I realised that my presence was not just as a Minister, it was as a Christian. It was as a man of this community. It was as a son. All of those things wrapped up into one in that very household. We shared pleasantries. We took a picture together afterwards. We laughed and it was a meaningful exchange. The icing on top of the cake was not the fact that I was a Minister; it was that human connection which rebounded me and helped me to focus and to understand and reconnect me with my political purpose. I went up Roberts Avenue just a little further. And there is a house right on the corner. I spoke with a gentleman named Mr. Douglas . They call him Jimbo . I did not play marbles (as they say) with Mr. Douglas so I would never utter my lips to call him Jimbo. I went inside his house. He is a proud man, a former stevedore, a man’s man. And I walked into his house, he shook my hand and he said to me, I ain’t seen you. In our parlance, in Bermuda parlance, it means Where have you been? You are my MP. I have not seen you.
Bermuda House of Assembly I didn’t go on and share with him all the challenges that I had. How busy I am. That I have a big constituency, over 1,700 people in my constituency. He had me in his house at that time and I, Wayne Michael Caines, JP, MP, was accountable to him. He said to me, I want you, Mr. Caines, to come by more. I just don’t want you to be in here on election day and seen election time. I want to be able to share my views with you. I want to be able to tell you what your party (our party) is doing right, what you are doing wrong. I want these interactions to have meaning. He shared with me his concerns. What I took from Mr. Douglas was not the fact that he shared with me about his three daughters [and] about his grandchil-dren. We talked about his dog. Right? We talked about his wife. We talked about his new business. We shared with each other. The level of accountability that he held me to was . . . that is what he should do! I am his Member of Parliament. He does not want to give up his vote cheaply. That is his vote. It matters! I am his MP. He made that clear to me. Often on our parliamentary visits . . . and I see one of my leaders in the back (happy belated birthday). He has trained us that when we go into homes, we must have a method. He has trained us that when you go into the house, you have a period of time and you lock it off—10 minutes tops. I was at Mr. Douglas’s house for almost 40 minutes. The interaction was rich. It was powerful. I left with my canvassing partner, Mr. Greene , and when I was driving home, we were both talking about leadership. It was an opportunity for introspection. It was an opportunity . . . Mr. Speaker, I remember coming home to Bermuda in 1997. But going before that, I remember coming to the Sessions House when I was in university from 1988 to 1992. I remember sitting in Sessions House and listening to the legislators. I remember say-ing to myself, If given the opportun ity, this will be my line. This will be my length. These are the things that I would do. I remember as we had Town Hall meetings, guess what, Mr. Speaker ? I was the person in the back of the room challenging the MPs. I remember when the gang crisis started and we went to the CedarBridge Academy and they had all Bermudians in that hall. I was one of the people in the hall that was giving directions. This is what we need to do. This is how we should do this . For many years, I was one of the people who was saying, This is what you lot need to be doing. Well guess what, Mr. Speaker ? The tables in my life have turned.
Mr. Wayne CainesSo when I look and I listen and I go to a constituent’s house, it is not lost on me that I am a part of the opportunity to fix it. And the questions that we must now ask and answer, whether it is hypothetical, whether it is existential, whether …
So when I look and I listen and I go to a constituent’s house, it is not lost on me that I am a part of the opportunity to fix it. And the questions that we must now ask and answer, whether it is hypothetical, whether it is existential, whether it is real or whether it is not real, Am I fulfilling my personal mandate? Am I giving the people of this country the best based on them trusting me and electing me? Asking those questions, not of anybody else, but of myself. I had to dig on Tuesday night, get out the books for leadership. Go back and look at the Bible, understand why, and look at the concept of leadership. And these are my coherent ramblings. Every leader must have a vision, a plan for the future. How they will lead. How they will govern. How they will make decisions. And that vision and that plan must be shared widely and effectively. Every good leader mus t have a component of faith. Whatever your faith dynamic is. Whomever your God is. Mine happens to be Jesus the Christ. Outside of having a vision and faith, every leader must practice clear communication, discussions, open communication, be able to exalt when necessary, be held accountable when necessary. Discuss their failings and their success. But there should be open communications internally and externally. Every leader must have integrity. Moral fortitude. The ability to live one’s life above reproach. A leader —a good leader —must have empathy, the ability to identify, to feel the pain of others. A leader must have continuous improvement. Continuous improvement for himself and for the people that he is asked to lead. And what does continuous improvement mean? Taking courses. Finding a mentor. Finding a psychologist. Mending broken relationships. Listening to those people in your charge, asking them what and how you can do things differently. That is continuous improvement. A good leader must collaborate. Talk with others. Share with other people. Find other enterprise, other entities, other people outside of your circles. Get with them. Find different things, points of synergies where you can see how you can work with each other to achieve the vision better. A good leader must have emotional intelligence. By emotional intelligence, I believe they must be self-aware, understand your own emotional needs, your weaknesses. Manage them and help others to maintain, to manage and to handle their emotions. Emotional intelligence is understanding how to manage conflict of those who are in your charge. And a good leader knows when to leave. A good leader knows when they have done everything that they can or when they do not have the support of the people around them, when they do not have the opportunity to carry out their mandate. It no longer becomes about what is best for them, it becomes what is best for the organisation. It doesn’t be-come what is best for their needs, their small group, their cabal, it is what is best for everybody in the circle. 1458 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly Just in case you think you know what I am talking about, we have more churches per capita than anywhere else in this free world. We have social clubs, over fifteen. We have fraternities, sororities, friendly societies. Boards whether they be civic or whet her they be charitable. We have dance clubs. Gombey clubs. Rotary clubs. Kiwanis clubs. Well . . . we have the opportunity for everybody in this country to lead in our circles, in our spheres of influence. We must have a vision of leadership for those who depend on us. We have to have empathy with the people in our circles so we know how to help them. We must have a vision. The Bible says, Without a vision, a people perish. Our country wants leaders! Men that cannot be bought or sold, men that will stand for the right, though the heavens fall. Our country is looking around and looking to idols and to Baal for people that will lead them. Who will lead this country? And will we depend on the organisation to give us our authority, our mandate or will we stand up for the people in our communities t hat need us? Our collective communities. It is coming a time where we all must stand in our respective spaces. It is coming a time where we have to count the cost. Our people need us. They are depending on us in all those spheres. Whether it is a church, a social club, a fraternity, a friendly s ociety, boards (whether civic, whether business or whether charity), dance clubs, Gombey clubs, Rotary clubs, Kiwanis. This country needs for the real leaders to stand up and lead this country. Thank you, Mr. Speaker .
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, MP Caines. Does any other Member wish to . . . MP Swan. PROGRESSIVE LABOUR PARTY A PARTY FOR ALL
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. SwanYes, thank you, Mr. Speaker . Mr. Speaker, I stand today because this may be my last speech before summer. I am scheduled to have some surgery in July prior to the next meeting. So I offer my apologies today and depending on how I progress, I will then advance …
Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker . Mr. Speaker, I stand today because this may be my last speech before summer. I am scheduled to have some surgery in July prior to the next meeting. So I offer my apologies today and depending on how I progress, I will then advance how I . . . if I will be able to be in attendance before Cup Match. Mr. Speaker, I was called by a gentleman yesterday very early in the morning. I got out of . . . he woke me up. He was tearful and he said, I need to talk to you. And I immediately went to him. Without getting into any details about what his issue was, we spent well over an hour together and I promised him that I would wrap my mind and heart around the concerns that trouble him. Our conversation and our time together yesterday was very important because it spoke to the frustra-tions that exist in our community, particularly of a social level. I have often said that Bermuda is in need of a social review in much the way that Dr. Newmans, Dr. Swains a nd Dr. Clarks and others have examined Bermuda. This gentleman was particularly frustrated with being a Black man, of how much he felt powerless as a Black man. And I listened to him and it caused me to reflect on when you look at Bermuda and you look at the Black man in Bermuda, we (the Black man) by and large . . . a number of Members spoke, interestingly enough, touched on a great deal of this today. Member De Silva spoke to the experiences of banking and the like and how it disproportionately impacts the Black community in Bermuda, Black males in particular. Board rooms do not have a large number of Black males. I saw it being celebrated that a former Member of this House, a former Opposition Leader, became a board member. And I said, Well, geez, that shouldn’t be the exception. It shouldn’t be the exception. When you look in this House you see 36 Members. You see only two Members that are White. You see 34 Black Members of Parliament in Bermuda. When you went back to the 1950s, that was a very small number of Black representation in Parliament. When you look in the prisons you see a disproportionate percentage of Black males in the prison. You see an absence of Black males in the boardroom, notwithstanding the Black males of high quality who sit on both sides of the aisle. I am not being partisan in what I am saying. I am saying everybody comes here with a skill set and comes here with different spaces. But it doesn’t translate positively. You might have a sprinkling of persons that might, you know, be occupying boardrooms, but it doesn’t translate. There is no secret why, you know, in the days when I was growing up as a young man, persons were making decisions in Parliament and Parliament w as held in high esteem. You got 34 Black people in Parliament and people look down on Parliament. They shouldn’t. We are allowing it to . . . poorly paid, no increase in pay for parliamentarians for 15 years, but yet people come to parliamentarians and, yo u know, the Honourable Member Mr. Caines spoke of the empathy he feels. He is not dissimilar to any one of us who, whether we have the means or not, will reach in our pockets and help no matter what side of the aisle we are on. We do it, and it has been done. Help people — Christmas time, Easter time, all the time when persons call and when you are trying to do what you can. That is our spirit. And this gentleman that has got my attention caused me to focus on when you look for leader-ship. And Minister Hayward spoke about his experiences in Africa recently and the plight of what we have, the system that we have, the colonialistic sy stem. The systemic racism that exists in Bermuda, the rules as they relate to banking and the like, are by design. It is a very careful construct. And you would have people that would come to this country from labour backgrounds and see that if they put a toe in the
Bermuda House of Assembly water on the other side, they will be treated differently. Notwithstanding MP De Silva grew up in the same community I grew up in, and played on the same football teams I played in. He let in probably as many goals as I might have for the Eagles.
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberProbably a lot more.
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. SwanProbably a lot more. But when he made a decision to become PLP he made it a choice, and over time, you know, his family . . . your family goes with you. They get treated as if they were PLP. But you ask yourself when you talk about, you …
Probably a lot more. But when he made a decision to become PLP he made it a choice, and over time, you know, his family . . . your family goes with you. They get treated as if they were PLP. But you ask yourself when you talk about, you know, people always say, You get control of Parliament. You will have power in this country. The White community had the economic power in this com-munity. That is a fact. And they only need one White person in Parliament. They don’t need any White people in Parliament to still . . . and MP De S ilva to o. It is a fact! No matter the political power, the economic power trumps all. And I use trumps all for a very important reason, because when we look at what took place in 2007 and 2008 . . . a global recession. We saw companies, local companies, like British American go out of business. That adversely impacted Black peo-ple in this country who had polic ies, who worked for the company. The profits that were made all those years didn’t go to those same people who were paying their policies. People like my mom or persons like that who may have been putting their money out in the gas tubes. When the Bank of Butterfield—the same bank that is treating MP De Silva and others like the way they are treating . . . it was the Progressive Labour Party that came to their rescue, that allowed that company to come in and then take over that company. When they could have folded! It was a Progressive Labour Party Government that came to their rescue with a guarantee of a quarter of a billion dollars. A quarter of a billion dol-lars that the PLP made sure . . . for the national interest. A lot of persons up and down this country who had their trust funds and stuff, all our wagons hitched there, would have gone totally under. It was a Progressive Labour Party . . . and the decisions that caused them to get in debt . . . it didn’t come from Black people! It came from persons who occupied their boardrooms. Let me tell you. When my friends down south who were lawyers and the like talked to me and said that they represent Fannie Mae . . . they went looking for folks like that who made those types of decisions. They went looking for them in 2011 and 2012 and 2013. They got off scot -free in Bermuda. Madoffs, Stanfords, and all those types of folk that were out there doing a pact. Boardrooms, XL [Group Ltd.] went down to $2 a share. Chartis ([now] American International [Group]) changed its name! At the same time you had people running around this country blaming the PLP for a world global recession. And they would have blamed the PLP for the global pandemic that tore the heart out of this country. This Progressive Labour Party made some good decisions to allow business to stay afloat. Oh yes. And you talk about a heart? Let me tell you, when this country was at . . . didn’t know what side was up, the former Finance Minister who is a dot-your-i’s-and-cross- your-t’s-man made sure that persons got money that they needed to stay afloat, [persons] who would never in their life have thought that they would need a handout or, you know, help in that fashion. But I thank him for that because I know it went against the grain of the type of banker that he . . . or financial institutional work that he would have done. But he made it happen. And that was the right thing to do and the necessary thing to do. That is the type of compassion that this Government has shown and will continue to show. And let me tell you this, Mr. Speaker . When I talk about, you know, when I listened to that man cry — I had to . . . I listened to . . . I was there. He was crying out. I felt for him! And I looked and I said to myself, Man, you know . Because you know in this country you have got a lot of academics who chose to just work with their hands, and I was talking to one yesterday. A working class man by choice. A businessman, you know, works in mechanical and stuff like that. Runs his own business. But no one is wit hout issues that bring them to their knees. And when we look to rebuild this society, we need honest brokers to look at how we are going to change that racial construct that relegates Black men who choose not to look at what is real in this country . . . that is what needs to happen. I speak with no malice against anyone from any walk of life because I walked with them, lived with them, travelled with them. But you have to call it what it is. There is no surprise that amongst this House of 36, 34 could be Black. And the Black communit y have a lot of problems . . . that the only persons shooting up each other are Blacks. And yet when you have people come here an examine us from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, you know, they would not really get the true picture. This bad system that has construct works for some people and makes a lot of . . . some people a lot of money. Who wants to change that? Who really wants to change that? The PLP has been in existence since 1963. A cousin of mine from Somerset Bridge got elected as an Independent in 1963 and he became a PLP candidate in 1968 . . . Walter Roberts and the like. And through the years the Progressive Labour Party has been open to everyone from all walks of life. I remember hearing stories when I ran for the UBP. I was the 11 th leader of the UBP. Sir Henry [Tucker] was the first. His cousin Reggie was very involved in banking. And I remember hearing stories about Zane’s counterpart. The precursor to Zane De Silva when the PLP was in Opposition. I am trying to remember his name. Somebody will call his name and I will whistle. And he raised his hand and ran. He might 1460 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly have been an Outerbridge. And he got a spanking and a spanking. And I was told . . . Lloyd James told me the story. He said to show any White male . . . that is not where you will be. And the PLP has been a party for all. David Allen had courage. Zane De Silva took courage. Came to the PLP. How many more would be progressive, but not progressive enough to walk through those doors? I can tell you that we are an all -inclusive, all -embrac ing party. And I can tell you at Alaska Hall on a CC you will see it all and you will hear it all and I can tell you . . . Premier and Ministers, they get grilled to the hilt. Far more than the Opposition because the Opposition, apart from the new Member, thank you very much, do not even come here! And I would urge him (because he is a new Member) you are doing the right thing by being here. And give us what you feel and we will appreciate that because that is what you are elected for, like we are. But I can tell you what. As one who sat in—not in the OBA because I was never OBA. I was the last UBP [leader]. I can tell you this. Right? That I had respect for those who I stood with and I was never parachuted into a seat. And I guess the Honourable Member who . . . the last of the Mohicans that is sitting here will understand that when you only get in by a few votes, you have got to work for it. But some people get ordained in seats where they know the result even before. Why? Because 98 per cent of Whites vote one way always in Bermuda, since 19 . . . since time immemorial really. And that is what Julian Hall used to call the imprisoned White voter . And to Ms. Tracy [sic] Nash and her husband Mark, may you have a wonderful retirement hiking around the world . . . Tina, Tina. Tina Nash. She says she’s playing golf . You know I am a golfer, Zane.
[Laughter]
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. SwanShe is welcome. Tina Nash, PLP member. Dr. Barbara Ball, the late. Courageous folk. My good cousin, Graham Hall , with a lot of St. George’s relatives. My cousin Colin Gilbert, whose wife just passed away, whose family is well into, you know, supporters of the UBP from way back …
She is welcome. Tina Nash, PLP member. Dr. Barbara Ball, the late. Courageous folk. My good cousin, Graham Hall , with a lot of St. George’s relatives. My cousin Colin Gilbert, whose wife just passed away, whose family is well into, you know, supporters of the UBP from way back when. But I want to close by saying this, Mr. Speaker . I pray that the good Lord will allow me to have a good recovery. I don’t think I will be here on the 12 th and I look to have myself in full flight. And I certainly hope that the gift of being unable to attend Cup Match will be a St. George’s victory. [General uproar]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerWhen you know what is coming, you stay away so you can get your licks, I gather. Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan: Yes.
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. SwanAnd just finally, Mr. Speaker, I just want to close by saying that the recession wasn’t caused by the PLP of 2007 and 2008, but the narrative was that people were leaving Bermuda because of the PLP. Between 2003 and 2007, the country had the greatest economic growth ever. I …
And just finally, Mr. Speaker, I just want to close by saying that the recession wasn’t caused by the PLP of 2007 and 2008, but the narrative was that people were leaving Bermuda because of the PLP. Between 2003 and 2007, the country had the greatest economic growth ever. I was not PLP at that time. I was criticised saying Put away more beans and the Honourable Mr. Cox was doing just that, too. So some of the things I was saying were being done. And when this country did have to go into serious debt be-tween 2008 and 2012, it was to do the same thing that we had to do during the pandemic. Make sure our people survive. And make sure that those persons who were Bank of Butterfield shareholders didn’t go under. The PLP did that. Thank you.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, MP Swan. [Timer chimes ]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMP King, would you like your 20 minutes? NEED TO WORK TOGETHER TO COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEMS
Mr. Robert KingYes sir, Honourable Speaker, and Members of the House. The Honourable Member made many comments, talked . . .well, made many comments, some of which I can agree with and others not. In terms of suggesting that I was parachuted into a seat that was safe, it was anything but.
Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. SwanI think the Honourable Member is inadvertently misleading the House. I was not referring to him being para . . . in fact, he was the antithesis of parachuting when I said that he only won by a handful of votes. He got the opposite experience of his colleagues.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerOkay. Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Robert King: Thank you for that clarification. The other thing too is that when we are talking about a democracy, votes are not owned by any particular party. Parties vote according to what they believe the Government can do for them or a particular …
Okay.
Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Robert King: Thank you for that clarification. The other thing too is that when we are talking about a democracy, votes are not owned by any particular party. Parties vote according to what they believe the Government can do for them or a particular party. And to suggest that White people only vote one particular way would also infer that Blacks only vote one way. And we are smarter than that. We vote according to the party that best represents our needs and the party that we believe will get the job done. It is as simple as that. When you are looking at the makeup of the parties in terms of diversity, if you were to look . . . if we look honestly at the two parties as that, as being race, well we can see that some are more diverse than others. But the point is the party has to represent the people. And I take what Honourable Member Zane . . . Minister De Silva said about the banks. He was proposing a way forward to do something for incarcerated persons who have served their time and are in the community not being able to get bank accounts. That was an issue that I am acutely aware of from my experience having worked within the criminal justice system. So you are basically setting them up for failure to basically put their lives back together. And I fully support what you are saying, sir, with that. The difference is that you are suggesting solutions to problems. And that is what we need. Both sides of the House. We need to work together for solutions. It is one thing naming what the problem is. It is another thing entirely coming up a solution and w orking together towards resolution. Thank you, Mr. Speaker , and Honourable Member s.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Honourable Member. MP Scott Simmons. Would you like your 20 minutes? ALARM RAISED OVER INSURANCE COMPANY MERGER IN BERMUDA
Mr. Scott SimmonsGood afternoon, Mr. Speaker . I will just speak briefly on a number of issues. Mr. Speaker, at the last sitting of this Honourable House , two Honourable Members of our House spoke on two issues that I believe required (at the very minimum) some kind of repeat as it …
Good afternoon, Mr. Speaker . I will just speak briefly on a number of issues. Mr. Speaker, at the last sitting of this Honourable House , two Honourable Members of our House spoke on two issues that I believe required (at the very minimum) some kind of repeat as it related to what is facing our country and what we are going through as citizens in this country. Mr. Speaker, the first one was the Honourable Anthony Richardson. He spoke as it related to the amalgamation of a number of our . . . or two (or one) . . . two of our insurance companies as it relates to our health care industry. Mr. Speaker, we must recognise one important thing (before I make the balance of my comments) and that relates to the fact that we do live in a capitalist society in that individuals who own companies can merge and can do those things as they see fit. It is up to a Government. It is up to those who are placed in authority to look over and to have a long hard view of whether or not these things are fair and to speak on behalf of those who they feel will be affected by such mergers. Whether it will be go od or bad for them and, ultimately, for the betterment of our finances and for the country. Mr. Speaker, in my humble opinion we have to have some concern as it relates to our premiums in this country, as it relates to the burden (the financial burden) put on our citizens. And we have to say that in Bermuda the average Bermudians are those who fall within our middle classes and upper classes. [They]are certainly feeling the brunt of a financial construct that has increased the burden on them and as a result that burden is further exacerbated when those who are in our lower income brackets have to be given hel p and have to be assisted going forward. Mr. Speaker, I have to say after having a few of my constituents call with reference to the mergers . . . and they are not necessarily to be considered those who would be the ones who would normally speak on these issues. But as they say, who feels it knows it . And they have been commenting (certainly) on how they are concerned that premiums could increase. It is without fail . . . we mentioned it in the House of last. There were examples of an increase in premiums both corporately and individual clients are seeing increases, and we have to say that has to be of concern to this Government . I would encourage my colleagues, those colleagues who sit in caucus and those colleagues who sit in Cabinet, that they would deliberate on these issues so that we are able to look for a way that can assist our people who are absolutely concerned that these mergers and what t he like will create are more of a hardship for them.
SHOW SOLIDARITY TO END WAR IN ISRAEL AND GAZA
Mr. Scott SimmonsMr. Speaker, the other issue was when the Honourable Christopher Famous rose to his feet and he spoke rather passionately on the situation currently happening in the occupied territories and those that are happening in Gaza. And also the rela-tionship as they relate to Christians worldwide and as they relate …
Mr. Speaker, the other issue was when the Honourable Christopher Famous rose to his feet and he spoke rather passionately on the situation currently happening in the occupied territories and those that are happening in Gaza. And also the rela-tionship as they relate to Christians worldwide and as they relate to those who occupy . . . or those who live, are currently in the Palestinian territory, as limited as they are. Mr. Speaker, I recognise that we are a Christian society and I realise that there is a propensity for us to side with countries who align themselves Biblically and who have made that their mantra. And who live . . . because I believe that if we are among Christians, and if we do live as a Christian society, then we understand somewhat what takes place in these particular countries. That said, Mr. Speaker, it would be difficult for anyone in the western world, anyone internationally, to 1462 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly see what is happening in the occupied territories as was outlined by the Honourable Member as it relates to the way in which the Israeli Government have executed their response to this aggression towards them by Hamas and by those who do not respect or do not accept their existence. Mr. Speaker, the thing that does not create too much displeasure is the understanding of the conflict between them. It is the response that creates the problem. And as much as we believe in an eye for an eye, Mr. Speaker, if my neighbour stole fruit off my tree I don’t think I have the right to emblaze the entire neighbourhood. I do believe that in our world we realise that there are consequences to actions. However, that said, any democracy, or those within our western world tries to (at the very minimum) be fair in the way that we respond. Our judicial system continuously executes its duties with fairness on some level. What has taken place, Mr. Speaker, outside of the justification for retaliation is too much for even any person to fathom. Mr. Speaker, a loss of . . . and I want to make sure that I am clear in that I am not diminishing the death of anyone. I am not diminishing anyone’s life because one life lost is significant worldwide. Mr. Speaker, if 1,500 or 1,800, or whatever the amount was (and I say that with the greatest of respect), is 1,000 per se. If the response is 40,000 are annihilated as a result, then we as civilians, we as peo-ple, as honest people in this society, we must respond and we cannot allow that level to continue. So I support Mr. Famous and those throughout our community who have spoken out against this level of aggression. I realise that we are a dependent territory. The United Kingdom has a position on this matter. They have moved to supply the Israeli Government with arms. They have supported the European community and the United States in providing them with munitions to beat back or to create aggression in the occupied territories. Mr. Speaker, from small Bermuda I have to rise and express my displeasure and to encourage our Brit-ish Government and encourage the United States and encourage the European community, those in our Western Hemisphere to make sure that we insist on an immediate ceasefire. That we deliberately condemn both sides, number one, Hamas and for the aggression that took place on October . . . the date . . . and, Mr. Speaker, we must condemn the response by the Israeli Government. Individuals were annihilated, were taken out, were stripped of life in the initial attack at the music festival. But, Mr. Speaker, to support through our governments this aggression at this level is absolutely abhorrent. I realise that as a G overnment there may be restrictions on us responding, I think, as a Bermuda Government . We must recognise what the position of the British Government is on this matter. And I spoke just briefly on the fact that they are supporting . . . when I say supporting it, they are supporting peace talks. They are supporting the countries. Through the United Nations they are (at the very minimum) withholding or encouraging or joining votes in the United Nations against and speaking against this aggression. But, Mr. Speaker, you cannot support providing a warring country that is indiscriminately ethnically cleansing, exterminating our fellow citizens. We cannot support providing those very individuals daily with munitions and with those kinds of weapons and then, Mr. Speaker, saying that we will support also the humanitarian effort and the rebuild when that finally takes place after a sustainable ceasefire. I would encourage our Government to speak boldly on the matter. I realise , as I said before, that there are certain restrictions to that and constraints to that as being under the British Government. And their position is clear. But I would hope that there would be those others who would rise in support of what the Honourable Christopher Famous spoke on. Because I do believe it is in connection with what other Members said today in this House and that was in support of discriminat ion of the way . . . in the way that we ethnically cleanse things, the way that we go about doing the things that we do. And that in democracy and in developed countries we, at the minimum, offer basic human rights. The ability to live. The ability to thri ve. The ability to make your own individual decisions, to choose who you want as your government or representation, what you wish to do. But we have to preserve those things. We cannot deny others of the same opportunities that we have. We cannot deny them the same opportunities. Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to make sure that we covered those two very important issues that are affecting our country.
THE CONCEPT OF LEADERSHIP
Mr. Scott SimmonsAnd lastly, Mr. Speaker, in this Honourable House I believe that we have a firm and distinct responsibility for every single Bermudian throughout Bermud a. If we do not recognise that we are considered leaders, that we are considered as individ-uals who make decisions on behalf of others, it is …
And lastly, Mr. Speaker, in this Honourable House I believe that we have a firm and distinct responsibility for every single Bermudian throughout Bermud a. If we do not recognise that we are considered leaders, that we are considered as individ-uals who make decisions on behalf of others, it is significant and it cannot be ignored. We have that respon-sibility. And that responsibility we must take seriously. If the country is speaking to each and every one of us in this room and instructing us that the courses that we are taking, that the decisions that we are making are not for their betterment, then we have a responsibility to listen. I have always felt that the Progressive Labour Party absolutely responds (and sometimes in real time) about the issues as they relate to the average Bermudian . I believe I joined the Bermuda Progressive Labour Party because I believe that we have answered the call of our commun ity to do the things that best benefit them. Mr. Speaker, as it relates to work I have always said that I choose jobs that I believe I am relevant to. If
Bermuda House of Assembly I do not think I am relevant to it, I remove myself from them if I cannot do justice to them. Mr. Speaker, this job (as a representative of my constituency, as their con-stituent representative) I take seriously. And I do believe I can do that job and have done that job. If we fail to resonate in our community and to address their issues, then explain to me what sense does that make? We must continuously accept that responsibility and continue to speak to their issues but to do their due diligence. And to treat them right. And even if we do not necessarily, as a collective, as a govern-ment, feel that what our people are telling us is what we wish to do, we have to take it on that merit. I am hired as an MP and placed in this House to do the bidding of my voters. I may not necessarily, personally, completely agree with everything that my constituents want me to do. However, that is why they put me here. And so if the community are concerned, if the community are expressing that they do not lik e certain things that are going on, then we must accept them and move forward.
MAINTAINING DECORUM IN HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
Mr. Scott SimmonsMr. Speaker, I will finish on this note that last week, at the last time of our sitting (and I won’t revisit it because I did not plan to revisit it here last week either), but I will say this ever so briefly in that in this House we must …
Mr. Speaker, I will finish on this note that last week, at the last time of our sitting (and I won’t revisit it because I did not plan to revisit it here last week either), but I will say this ever so briefly in that in this House we must exercise measures of respect. And when that respect is not maintained, then we have to be big enough to say that we have not maintained levels of respect and move forward from there. It is my hope that we will continue in this House to exercise respect for each other. That we will understand the roles that each of us have in this House. Some have more responsibilities than others. But we must recognise that each and every person in this House must be respected and must be taken for the reasons why they are here and why we are put here. And I think that is what is vitally important. As long as we remember that, then I do believe that we can go forward. Mr. Speaker, I always appreciate when you provide guidance. I always appreciate when you move us through the daily routines of this House. It is not easy as MPs, as individuals would think. Certainly our salaries do not denote that. But I do believe that it appears we are quite light on our feet. But at the end of the day, Mr. Speaker, each and every one of us in this Honourable House takes that responsibility seriously and that we believe that it is forward together, yes, but there should be no expectation that every single Member of this House will see eye to eye. But we must continue to exercise elements of respect and elements of decorum in this House be-cause this House represents the entire Bermuda. And to my knowledge, I do believe we have been doing this for 400- plus years. We have a responsibility to maintain that. The characteristics, the colour tones have changed throughout these Chambers over the years. And we have moved forward. We must also move forward in our ideas and also in the way that we do things. And never, ever, ever find ourselves in a place where we are not prepared to change. And not prepared to accept when we are wrong and to make sure that each and every one of us in this House are relevant to the issues of the House. If not, step aside and let other indiv iduals be the ones who are relevant. Mr. Speaker, thank you for your time.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Honourable Member. Does any other Honourable Member wish to make a contribution? Premier. Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you, Mr. Speaker —
The SpeakerThe SpeakerWait, wait. No one else before Mr. Premier? Hon. E. David Burt: You don’t want to get back into that, do you? [Inaudible interjection]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerSomebody else wishes to speak. Premier, somebody else is on their feet. Hon. E. David Burt: Oh!
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberThat is a special person. [Inaudible interjections and laughter ]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerPremier, I remember what happened last time when we thought that we were done. [Laughter]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerWe thought we were done last time, Premier.
Mr. Dennis Lister IIII apologise for being slow on my feet, Mr. Speaker . [Inaudible interjections]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerNow, you got to learn to be quick around here if you want your 20 minutes! [Laughter] ROAD SAFETY 1464 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Dennis Lister III: I just had to walk from across town and you see me fanning [myself] because I …
Now, you got to learn to be quick around here if you want your 20 minutes!
[Laughter]
ROAD SAFETY
1464 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Dennis Lister III: I just had to walk from across town and you see me fanning [myself] because I am hot in this suit walking in all that heat, Mr. Speaker . Mr. Speaker, I rise this afternoon . . . Mr. Speaker, not just recently but for the past few months, maybe even going back to about a year ago, we have seen an increase of accidents and the severity of accidents on our road. This week alone, just yesterday . . . I get videos. I get pictures, direct in WhatsApp groups of all of the accidents, being the chair of the Bermuda Road Safety Council. And, Mr. Speaker, when I get them, a lot of times yes, my first reaction is to hope that there were no serious injuries or fatalities. But my next reaction is, How? How did it happen? We see pictures or videos of cars turned over. Cars in trees. Cars knocking down walls. Bikes —we see them all, Mr. Speaker . And as I said, the severity of these collisions has increased recently. Whether that be [due] to . . . we have now more speeding. Not that there was never speeding on our roads, but now it is more speeding. And we see a lot more distracted driving, driving under the influence whether it be drugs and alcohol, drugs, alcohol, or other substances. They all play a part, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Oxford [English] Dictionary definition of an accident is “an unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly or unintentionally typically re-sulting in damage or injury.” This is why at the Road Safety Council, we stress, implore, encourage, call, ask—whatever it is —for drivers that whenever you get on our roads, be it a car, a bike, bus driver, delivery driver —you know, you have the minibuses —whatever [the] mode of transportation is that we call and ask always that you always drive with care, attention, focus on the road, and always follow the rules of the road. Yes, some people might think they are inconvenienced that you have to drive at 35, a leeway to 50. People think it is inconvenient, but this is there to keep us safe. As I said, we have seen an increase in severity of injuries because we are seeing higher speeds. Mr. Speaker, I reflect to a report from the BPS [Bermuda Police Service] earlier this year that they were catching people doing 75 kilometres and more, Mr. Speaker . I mean we ask, Where or why in Bermuda are you traveling at that speed? Whether you think you are on Ferry Reach stretch or not, there is no need to be traveling at those speeds. Mr. Speaker, first we have to start by limiting our distractions as those are factors that can cause ac-cidents. And this is my plea, Put the phones down. Mr. Speaker, as I walked back to the House just now and I waited to cross the street, I saw a taxi driver drive across with his phone to his ear —full conversation. [Inaudible interjection]
Mr. Dennis Lister IIIMr. Speaker, that is unacceptable. You know, I hear MP Foggo say, Do I tell? I actually do go out of my way at times. But whether I am riding or driving, at times you see people might have forgotten their indicator is on. If I am on a bike, …
Mr. Speaker, that is unacceptable. You know, I hear MP Foggo say, Do I tell? I actually do go out of my way at times. But whether I am riding or driving, at times you see people might have forgotten their indicator is on. If I am on a bike, I pull up alongside of them and tell them, Your indicator is on, because that is a hazard. Not at all times can I tell a person (if they are on the phone) to put the phone down. But if I am able to, if I am walking and they pull up next to me and I see them on the phone, I try this, Mr. Speaker, because it takes one of us, each of us, or it take s one starting to do that, that can have an impact . So, Mr. Speaker, I say putting down the phones, focusing on the road, and following all road rules and laws. This is what we can do to go and to put an effort to help keep our roads safe. More importantly, it is about personal responsibility while driving. Each one of us has a responsibility, or we are responsible for what we do while we are on the road. Driving under the influence of alcohol or other substances is illegal and no longer acceptable in Ber-muda. It takes each one of us. As I said, I try to do my part. I call on others. When you see someone that is consuming alcohol and they attempt to go on a bike, get in their car, stop that person. Because while that person may leave that location then you might think, Okay. Well, they are not going to hurt me. They can go five minutes down the road, cause an accident, and it could be your family member who is on the other side of that accident because when you had the chance to stop someone, you did not. Mr. Speaker, and I say again, in the summer season, party time, we can do Carnival. We are, you know, . . . a month away from Cup Match. Again, if you are going to go out to consume alcohol, plan how you will get home safely. Put a plan in place. We have taxis, minibuses. You can use a designated driver. If you have someone, if you went out and you did not plan, but you have someone, you know, that at three o’clock in the morning you can call them and they would rather hear a call from you saying, I need a ride home, than getting a call from the emergency services saying, We need you to attend the hospital. So, Mr. Speaker, long gone are those days of just drinking and driving. Plan how you will get home safely.
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberTake a taxi home.
Mr. Dennis Lister IIIThere you go. Mr. Speaker, as I said, this increase in the amount and the severity of accidents is a national cri-sis. You know, we are seeing a total disregard for the rules of the road. There is an attitude of, I can do what I want to do as …
There you go. Mr. Speaker, as I said, this increase in the amount and the severity of accidents is a national cri-sis. You know, we are seeing a total disregard for the rules of the road. There is an attitude of, I can do what I want to do as long as I get away with it, and I am going to keep doing it. Yes, Mr. Speaker, we know that the BPS cannot be everywhere at all times. That is why it is up to each person, your personal responsibility, holding yourself accountable for what you do. Just because the police are not there does not mean that you can speed at
Bermuda House of Assembly 65, 70 kilometres per hour, does not mean you can overtake three cars with cars coming toward you. No, it means, again, holding yourself accountable. Mr. Speaker, Wednesday morning driving to work, just before you get to Paget stop lights, just at St. Paul’s, they had the radar out, Mr. Speaker , and you know, it is always (I say it is always) a good surprise when you see the radar set up. And I sat there as is morning traffic. So we will go bumper to bumper, and I watched them. And you watch people come just around the bend, and they are about t o hit the straight away. And the radar had them. And I watched the police pull them over. And Mr. Speaker, yes, you know, it is not nice, but if you break the law, that is the consequence. And so, again, that is the personal responsibility. Mr. Speaker, we heard a lot of talk the last few speakers before me talking about, you know, the Black man and Black men, yes, in general. Well, Mr. Speaker, that is the largest demographic of fatalities on our roads. And so, Mr. Speaker, as I said, this House is 95 per cent Black. We have a lot of Black leaders. MP Caines named off all the different organisations that have leaders. Well, I call on all of us Black men, leaders, to hold our young men accountable. If you have a relative, son, nephew, a friend of a son, whatever it is, we all know of what people do if you go out and drink and get on a bike. Or you may be leaving your own house party or whatever. If you see someone, be that leader. Stand up. Hold them to account. And it might be a rough convers ation. No one wants to hear that they are doing wrong. No one wants to be called out, but we have to do that. As leaders, stand up and call out the wrong on our roads, Mr. Speaker. And as I said, the BPS cannot be everywhere, but I always . . . And I wait in anticipation for the Minister of National Security so that we can have the final update on when the new CCTV camera is fully installed and oper-ating because that will go a long way to assisting in the BPS in catching and deterring offenders on our roads. As I said, if you know, everyone has a specific route, everyone . . . some people . . . If you come out of the east you might have more options, but most people know that four out of five days out of the week, I might not see a policeman. So, they speed. They do. They drive recklessly, drive without care, whatever it is. But Mr. Speaker, as I said, this CCTV camera, when it comes in, it will be an initial teething phase. People will think they can still do what they do. But it will take the first few persons caught, brought to justice, and penalised before we start seeing that change in be-haviour. This hopefully . . . But I say . . . Well, hopefully, but I am sure that it will, Mr. Speaker . Because it will become a deterrent. Bermuda goes by word of mouth. The first time you have 5 to 10 people in court, you got caught. You were identified. You know, the new system will be able to send an automatic ticket to you. Mr. Speaker, all it takes is the first 5 to 10 people. And we have to follow up not just with the catching of offenders, but again we have to make sure the penalties fit and are deterrents. So, once it happens, word of mouth spreads. People will know. We no longer can operate as normal. We have to change our behaviours and change our mind- set when it comes to driving.
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberPeople are dying.
Mr. Dennis Lister IIIMP said it, Mr. Speaker . There are people dying. As I said, this is a national crisis, and we must all come together to do our part to address it. Mr. Speaker, we should not have to resort to these measures. No one wants to live in a police …
MP said it, Mr. Speaker . There are people dying. As I said, this is a national crisis, and we must all come together to do our part to address it. Mr. Speaker, we should not have to resort to these measures. No one wants to live in a police state where they are watched at all times. But again, if we are not holding ourselves to account, we are not personally being responsible, then someone has to step in. Previous Members spoke and said that is where Government steps in when personal or private people fall down. Well, if we are not doing what we have to do to follow the rules of the roads, that is where the cameras have to come in to help curtail and chang e these behaviours. And Mr. Speaker, on the other side of it, when we see these accidents, these scenes, the damage that is left, there is an untold story that 99 per cent of people do not consider. It is the financial impact of it, Mr. Speaker. We heard conversations about insurance, and the high cost of living, and things like that. Well, Mr. Speaker, we are having accidents every day. Who has to pay for it [when] you get in an accident? And we see a lot of times hit and runs. People leave a scene. You just drive by and wonder, Who knocked that wall?
Mr. Dennis Lister IIIThat does not mean that no one pays for that, Mr. Speaker. Government property. We have seen the crossing beacons knocked down, government walls, fences. Someone has to pay for that. Claims have to be made on that. Private property. If I am a resident [and] someone drives, knocks down …
That does not mean that no one pays for that, Mr. Speaker. Government property. We have seen the crossing beacons knocked down, government walls, fences. Someone has to pay for that. Claims have to be made on that. Private property. If I am a resident [and] someone drives, knocks down my wall, knocks down my fenc e, I am not just going to leave it. I want my wall fixed and looking how it was before. So, we have to make a claim unless there are those that can pay out of pocket and do not claim. But all of this has an impact. This goes to help increasing our insuranc e costs and ultimately cost of living. So, [it is] not only just a health benefit [when] driving safely, following the rules that keeps you safe from harm and injury, but it has a financial impact. Over time, if our accidents and fatalities and those incident numbers start trending downwards, h opefully we could see a reduction in the cost of insurance across the board, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, in response to all of what I have just said, the Road Safety Council, we continue in our mandate to educate the public of proper road- safe behaviours. We have a number of campaigns that we 1466 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly have running, our Ride- to-Live campaign, our Towards - Zero campaign, our Save Lives, Slow Down campaign, and our soon to start summer campaign Hello Summer, Mr. Speaker , which is geared toward responsible driving, driving responsibly, drinking responsibly. Because we know people during the summer are going to drink. But if you are going to do it, be responsible, and that also entails driving responsibly in whatever you are doing, Mr. Speaker. In closing, Mr. Speaker, I ask and implore for motorists to change their road behaviours. You do not want to be a person that gets in an accident. And whether it is a fatality, a serious injury, or not, that impacts not only you but your family, your loved ones, Mr. Speaker. If you get in an accident and you are paralysed, lose a limb, any serious injury, your family now has to alter their life to cater to you. So, your actions impacted others, Mr. Speaker. And if it is a fatality, Mr. Speaker, while your story ends, your loved ones, your family, their story continues without you. If you have dependents . . . Mr. Speaker, I reflect to last year in the aftermath of a road fatality. I was holding one of my clinics and a lady stopped, and we were talking. We came to find out that she was a grandmother of the road fatality that had recently happened two or three days before. A nd she told me her son left a two- year-old daughter who now has no father. And she has to now step up and be that full -time caregiver for her granddaughter. And that hits right to the heart of it. Your actions. Your story ends, but those impacted . . . That young daughter will grow up not knowing her father. She will always have that hole from not knowing her father because of the actions that happened. And so, Mr. Speaker, again, before I rest and take my seat, as we head into the weekend, as we head further into the summer period, I want everyone to just again take time to stop, think, and consider how their behaviours on the road impact not just them but others. And again—personal responsibility —let’s be responsible, hold ourselves and others to account so that we can not only get safely from point A to point B but that we can continue living safely and ultimately making our roads safer for everyone. [W hen] each one of us does our part, it ultimately has an impact to making our roads safer for us all. So, with that, Mr. Speaker, to all the listening audience, if you are driving, drive safely. Drive with care and caution. Always follow all the road rules. And ultimately, again, [for] personal responsibility for what you do behind the wheel, on a bike—whatever transporta-tion you [use] —be responsible. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, MP. Does any other Member wish to speak? Any other Member? Premier. ALARM RAISED OVER INSURANCE COMPANY MERGER IN BERMUDA Hon. E. David Burt: All right. Mr. Speaker, thank you. Mr. Speaker, we have got through a little bit of business today dealing with some matters, and a …
Thank you, MP. Does any other Member wish to speak? Any other Member? Premier. ALARM RAISED OVER INSURANCE COMPANY MERGER IN BERMUDA
Hon. E. David Burt: All right. Mr. Speaker, thank you. Mr. Speaker, we have got through a little bit of business today dealing with some matters, and a number of Members have spoken on matters related to the motion to adjourn. And I will just do my best to just touch on a few to provide responses on behalf of the Government. The first thing is in regard to the issue with the merger that was announced today, or the proposed merger. that was announced today as it is still subject to regulatory approvals, which was raised by the Honourable Member from constituency 12 who sits in the Opposition and supported by MP De Silva. What I would say is that the Minister of Health did put out a statement today. The Government acknowledges without question the concern from the public on how this can negativel y impact household budgets. It has been stated and made very clear that there must be demon-stration of an actual reduction of cost, not a promise for reduction of costs that results in increases. And in any place, Mr. Speaker, when you see a reduction in competition, it is always the assumption that consumers will suffer and there will be an increase of costs. And certainly, the Minister said that he under-stands the anxieties that are raised by this proposed merger, especially in light of the increases in rates of which persons have been seeing. But I also want to make sure to address the particular issue that was also raised in what places would call anticompetitive behaviour. And this is something that undoubtedly is being looked at, examined, and along the lines of which was stated by the Minister of Economy and Labour. In this place, we have the space to legislate. In this space, we have the place to enforce. And my hope is that the Members who speak forcefully around this will support the Government when the time comes to bring the legislation to ensure that these pract ices can be controlled. Because the real truth is, Mr. Speaker, what all this is around, it is around the Government’s push to universal health care.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerYes. Hon. E. David Burt: That is what this is, Mr. Speaker. It is something that is . . . We said from day one, it is something that has been a Progressive Labour Party election platform far before I was a member of the party, Mr. Speaker , maybe …
Yes.
Hon. E. David Burt: That is what this is, Mr. Speaker. It is something that is . . . We said from day one, it is something that has been a Progressive Labour Party election platform far before I was a member of the party, Mr. Speaker , maybe even before you were an MP, and that is speaking a very, very long time because it is about 35 years. But this is something that has been a desire, a wish of the forefathers of the Bermuda Progressive Labour Party. And we can go back through the history, Mr. Speaker, of when we changed the Health Insurance Act. Remember that all the insurers who had to be licensed by the Minister of Health, and we knew who
Bermuda House of Assembly controlled all the insurance companies when those Bills were brought into place in the 1970s. And the fact is that what we did was we said, You do not get to just keep the bad risk. I mean, give the Government the bad risk, and you keep the good risk. We are going to spread this across the board. And we remember the hues and cries and challenges at that point in time. But what did it do, Mr. Speaker ? It made sure that it was a broadening of the health care risk, which allowed the Government to be able to pr ovide more support to the vulnerable and to make sure that we could expand programmes like HIP and FutureCare and provide more benefits underneath those, Mr. Speaker. That is what you do when it talks about, How do you legislate to ensure that you can press forwar d? But the private sector is responding, Mr. Speaker. And the private sector is responding in their way. It is not for the Government to say how the private sector should work and operate, but it is for the Government to ensure that it is fair —and not only fair; that it is not anticompetitive, that they are not using advantages of which they may have which may harm the small guy or in the end the consumer. So, I am grateful for the intervention of Members on that and to know that they should continue to ask the Government what is the plan on these particular matters going forward because we have been executing matters relating to health care reform, we have set out a very clear time line on the execution of health care reform, we have been very clear around this particular merger. In and of itself, the fact is that something that damages consumers is not something that we believe should be going forward.
CALL FOR COMMISSION OF INQUIRY INTO THE BANKS OF BERMUDA
Hon. E. David Burt: Now, Mr. Speaker, there were also discussions about banks, and banking issues are tricky. Especially for myself, being the Minister of Finance, know and recognise this. But there were a number of persons who spoke about bank accounts and people being denied access to bank accounts. I know the Honourable Member who just took his seat is someone who spoke to me about this on a number of partic-ular issues, I know the Honourable Member who just took his seat was pleased to hear the commitment from the Government inside of this year’s Throne Speech. I will repeat that again to make sure that Honourable Member s remember what was stated by the Government and what is the intention to legislate, Mr. Speaker. And I quote, “[I]n today’s digital age, the use of a bank account is a basic necessity for Bermudians. During this session, and similar to changes made in many other jurisdictions, the Government will further advance banking reform by legislating the requirement that licensed banks have a duty to provide access to basic banking services to all resident s. Additionally, the Legislature will take under consideration the regula-tions necessary to regulate excessive fees charged for banking services.” Now, Mr. Speaker, the key point in that is this has been recognised as a problem. It is something that I have spoken about here. It has been something that I have spoken about in public. It is something that affects many of our constituents. I know the Honourable Member who took his seat has more people who are asking him about this issue than he did when he was first asked about it because persons have been negatively impacted. And what is the case in what we see, Mr. Speaker, is that some banks are in some way, shape or form going above and beyond the guidance that has been laid out. And so, in that case, it has to be questioned whether or not these actions are fair. What I can state is this is something that the Ministry of F inance is looking into as it has been issues that have been raised to me by Members of my parliamentary backbench and members of the community. So, there is the legislative aspect of the requirement to go ahead and to require banks that are licensed to provide basic banking service of everyone under the safe harbour provisions which are in other spaces. And then the second thing is the question of the application of items under the guise of anti -money laundering and all those requirements where the bank is able to be secretive over why they are taking actions. And there is not necessarily a check and balance to figure out whether or not these things are actually justified or not. Now it gets into a very complex space, but what we have seen in the Ministry of Finance recently are banks going above and beyond the requirements that have been set by the Government in issues relating to customer due diligence and AML/KYC, et cetera. And so, Mr. Speaker, that is something that the Government is actively looking into because it is something that has come to us. So, I appreciate the comments that were raised by Honourable Member s.
SHOW SOLIDARITY TO END WAR IN ISRAEL AND GAZA
Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker, let me go on to the next topic. This is a topic that was raised by, I think, the MP from constituency 32 who followed on from the matters that were raised by MP Christopher Famous, constituency 11, in the last sitting of the House, and this is in regard t o the situation in the Middle East. I will preface this by saying, Mr. Speaker, that colonialism has its costs. It has its costs. It has its im-pacts. It is a painful situation. And I know, Mr. Speaker, that you are sitting between pictures of former mon-archs with a UK flag and a symbol. The fact and the reality, Mr. Speaker, is that we know full well that we have absolutely no voice in foreign affairs whatsoever being a colony. None. And unfortunately, as we hold 1468 28 June 2024 Official Hansard Report
Bermuda House of Assembly British citizenship, this is a war that is being supplied with arms that are issued by the government of which we are all citizens. And we have no voice, no opinion, no thoughts. The Bermuda Constitution order tells us: Mind your own business. Stay out of it. It is not for you. We will do what we want, and you can just sit quietly. That is the reality, Mr. Speaker. It is a painful reality. It is one that we have spoken of before. It is one that Ministers have spoken of before when they travel to foreign events and other items where they are sitting behind the UK delegation. There was an issue that took place this week, Mr. Speaker, that I am not going to go too far into, that I had to raise to the Governor of Government House where the UK Government went against a Bermuda position in an international forum without even consulting or telling us first.
[Inaudible interjection]
Hon. E. David Burt: No, MP. It is 100 per cent correct. And see, Mr. Speaker, this is the challenge. The challenge is that we want to be good colonial citi-zens only when it is convenient. We like to pick and choose when we are a colony. So, we want to be a colony for certain items, but we do not want to be a colony when our colonia l masters are waging wars in our names and supplying arms in our names. We want to be, you know . . . We do not want to be a colony when we go to sporting events and other things, but we, you know, do want to be one when we have no voi ce in the UN, and we are upset why our colonial powers —administering powers, it is called— make votes in our names that we do not believe they have, and we have absolutely no recourse. So that is the reality, Mr. Speaker. We have to decide whether or not we are comfortable. But I remember in another place, Mr. Speaker , in another time there was a member of this party, the late Mr. Trevor Woolridge, who spoke and spoke about the fact of not giving into the trappings of pretence that you have control or sovereignty when you do not have it.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMm-hmm. Hon. E. David Burt: And it is important, Mr. Speaker, that the party that I lead and represent is true to its founding ideals and will remain there, Mr. Speaker , as difficult as it is. That is the reality, Mr. Speaker. You have to be consistent. You cannot …
Mm-hmm. Hon. E. David Burt: And it is important, Mr. Speaker, that the party that I lead and represent is true to its founding ideals and will remain there, Mr. Speaker , as difficult as it is. That is the reality, Mr. Speaker. You have to be consistent. You cannot say that we have no voice in foreign affairs but then express your opinion. It gives people confusion. It causes people to think that we are something that we are not. And there is one thing that I said, that I am not going to allow that confusion to continue under my leadership, Mr. Speaker , because it is not helpful to the long- term goal and outcome. Persons of this country must understand that we are a colony. People come up to me all the time now. I get it every single day, Oh Burt, how come you did not keep your promise? You said you were going to regulate weed. I said, We passed the B ill twice. Take it up with Government House. That is the reality, Mr. Speaker. We must remind people that we are still a colony. And colonialism has its price. And the price in this instance is that we are voiceless when it comes to matters that are being done in the in ternational forum in our names, Mr. Speaker.
PROGRESSIVE LABOUR PARTY A PARTY FOR ALL Hon. E. David Burt: So, Mr. Speaker, as I close, I want to say this. Governing is not easy, but the mission of the Progressive Labour Party has not changed. And it will not change. We said that we will rebuild Bermuda with Bermudians at heart. And so whether it is the difficult work of educa tional reform, whether it is delivering universal health care where covered items are free at the point of care, which is the least of what you should have in a society as wealthy as ours, whether it is the record invest ment that we are making in affordable housing in this country, whether or not it is the work that we are doing to preserve and protect our environment, or advancing labour rights and labour issues like no Government has done before, Mr. Speaker. That is the mission. The mission will not change. We will listen. We will adjust. We will make sure that we deal with the people’s issues when it comes to the costs of living. But have no doubt, Mr. Speaker, the view and the mission has not changed. We must press forward, and Mr. Speaker, press forward the Government will. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. [Desk thumping]
The SpeakerThe SpeakerThank you, Mr. Premier. Members, I thank you for the business that was done today. Thank you for the fact that we have got it done in an orderly fashion, and we have got it done in an early fashion so that we can enjoy an early evening out of …
The SpeakerThe SpeakerMr. Premier, I appreciate your remarks just now. But you know, Mr. Premier, I have used this podium here on at least four occasions —four? probably—to make my feelings expressed . . . to express my feelings with regard to the genocide that is taking place in the Gaza Strip, …
Mr. Premier, I appreciate your remarks just now. But you know, Mr. Premier, I have used this podium here on at least four occasions —four? probably—to make my feelings expressed . . . to express my feelings with regard to the genocide that is taking place in the Gaza Strip, and I will, based on your comments, express my concerns again. I do value and appreciate that we are a colony. And the colony restricts us in so many different ways.
Bermuda House of Assembly But I think within our shores, I think we should still express where we stand and how we feel on international issues that we see around us, and this one particularly because it is a human issue. It is lives that are being lost. Lives that are being destroyed that will never be returned every single day. It is an issue that we see every single night in our televisions, in our living rooms, in our dining rooms, in our kitchen tables, of lives being blown up unnecessarily, houses and towns and streets being d estroyed not just chasing them out so they can move back tomorrow. They destroy a city so they can never come back. Genocide. That is what is taking place.
An Hon. Member An Hon. MemberAbsolutely.
The SpeakerThe SpeakerI have been around long enough, and I have seen . . . being told we cannot speak about other things. When apartheid was out there, we stood up against apartheid. When the British Government was supporting it, when the US was supporting it, we let our voices be heard. …
I have been around long enough, and I have seen . . . being told we cannot speak about other things. When apartheid was out there, we stood up against apartheid. When the British Government was supporting it, when the US was supporting it, we let our voices be heard. We let our voices be heard. I want the history books to understand that we did not sit back quiet on this as a people. We may not be able to do it as a Gov-ernment because our hands are tied because of our colonial relationship, but as a people, as a people, who understand humanity, who have humanity in our hearts, we need to makes sure our voice is heard on this. We need to support the efforts that are being done. I stand here today congratulating those who organised the protests last week in support of Palestine. I marched with them. Let the country know I marched with them because I support where they are at. I am a humanitarian because I have a heart like all of us have a heart. We cannot sit back and let this go on. It is a disgrace to the powers of this world who have the ability to stop it. And I will name them. The US, Britain, and their colleagues who are refusing to exercise the powers that they have to bring about a ceasefire. With that, have a good weekend. The House stands adjourned.
[Gavel]
[At 6:04 pm, the House stood adjourned until 10:00 am, Friday, 12 July 2024.]