Hansard — November 24, 2023 — Bermuda Parliament

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Good morning. We have prayer s by the [Acting] Clerk, Mr. Somner . PRAYERS [Prayers read by Mr. Clark Somner , Acting Clerk ]

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Good morning, Members. CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES [Minutes of 10 November 2023 ]

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Any objections to confirming the minutes of the 10th of November this year? No objection. The Minutes are confirmed. [Minutes of 10 November 2023 confirmed] MESSAGES FROM THE GOVERNOR

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker There are none. ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE SPEAKER OR MEMBER PRESIDING APOLOGIES

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker The following Members will be absent today: the Honourable Wayne Furbert, Scott Pearman and Curtis Dickinson. MESSAGES FROM THE SENATE

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker There are no messages from the Senate. PAPERS AND OTHER COMMUNICATIONS TO THE HOUSE

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker There are . . . REGISTRY GENERAL ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022 —BIRTHS, MARRIAGES, DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIPS AND DEATHS Hon. Walter H. Roban: Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I have the honour to attach and submit for the information of the Honourable House of Assembly the Annual …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Deputy Premier Roban. We have another paper from Minister Hayward. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (DESIGNATION OF ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT ZONE) (SOUTH EAST HAMILTON) ORDER 2023 Hon. Jason Hayward: Good morning, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Mr. Deputy Speaker, I have the honour to attach and submit for the consideration of the Honourable House …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Minister Hayward. Who is holding for the Minister ? Deputy Premier . BERMUDA HEALTH COUNCIL COMBINED ANNUAL REPORT 2021/22 Hon. Walter H. Roban: Mr. Deputy Speaker, on behalf of the Minister of Health, I have the honour to attach and submit for the information of the Honourable House …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Minister. The next one is from Minister the Honourable Colonel Burch. 104 24 November 2023 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch: Mr. Deputy Speaker, good morning.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Good morning. AGREEMENT OF SALE BETWEEN GARDINE IZETTA GIBBONS AND THE GOVERNMENT OF BERMUDA

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch I have the honour to attach and submit for the consideration of the Honourable House of Assembly the Agreement of the Sale between Gard ine Izetta Gibbons and the Government of Bermuda regarding all of that southernmost strip of land to be subdivided from property situated at 18 Secretary Lane, …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Colonel. The final paper is from the Honourable Minister Campbell. Hon. Vance Campbell: Good morning, Mr. Deputy Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Good morning. OFFICE OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND PROCUREMENT ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022 Hon. Vance Campbell: I have the honour to attach and submit for the information of the Honourable House of Assembly the Office of Project Management and Pro-curement Annual Report for the y ear …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Minister Campbell. PETITIONS

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker There are no ne. STATEMENTS BY MINISTERS AND JUNIOR MINISTERS

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Just let me say before you start, Premier, that the guideline for Ministerial Statements is five pages, right? And I just want Ministers to be mindful of that in the future. The first Statement is from the Premier, the Honourable David Burt. You have the floor, Premier. JOINT MINISTERIAL COUNCIL …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Premier. The next Ministerial Statement . . . in fact, the Deputy Premier has two. You have the floor, MP Roban. Hon. Walter H. Roban: Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker for obliging me a moment.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm. REGISTRY GENERAL ANNUAL REPORT 2022 Hon. Walter H. Roban: Mr. Deputy Speaker, today I rise to introduce the Annual Report of the Registry General f or the year ended December 31, 2022. The Registrar General recognises the essential role that vital statistical information plays in planning for the provision …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker You have another Statement? Hon. Walter H. Roban: Yes, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Thank you very much. I will now make that Statement. CARICOM MEMBERSHIP Hon. Walter H. Roban: Mr. Deputy Speaker, today I rise to speak on the Government’s commitment to pursue full CARICOM membership . Mr. Deputy Speaker, Bermuda …

Mr. Deputy Speaker. Let me make that clear deputy speaker This is false . Being a full member of CARICOM actually allows Bermuda to have a voice and vote on matters of policy addressed by CARICOM that impact the whole region, partic ularly the issue around correspondent banking and de- risking. As of now, the CARICOM members who have opted …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Deputy Premier Roban. The next Statement is from the Education Minister, the Honourable Diallo Rabain. Minister, you have the floor. EDUCATION REFORM UPDATE Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Good morning, colleagues and listening audience. Mr. Deputy Speaker, today I rise to provide this …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Minister Rabain. The next Minister is Minister Tinee Furbert. Do you have two Statements? Minister Furbert, you have the floor. A PILOT PROGRAMME FOR DEMENTIA CARE SERVICES Hon. Tinee Furbert: Yes. Good morning, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Mr. Deputy Speaker, this morning I rise to share with my honourable …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Minister. You have another one, right? Hon. Tinee Furbert: Yes. Thank you. NURTURING OUR NATION: ANNUAL PARENTING EXPO Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Deputy Speaker, on Friday, November 10, the Ministry of Youth, Social Development and Seniors held its second annual Nurturing our Nation Parenting Expo . This morning …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Minister Furbert. The next Ministerial Statement is from Minister Hayward, the Minister of Economy and Labour. Mr. Hayward, you have the floor. ESTABLISHING THE SOUTH EAST HAMILTON ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT ZONE Hon. Jason Hayward: Mr. Deputy Speaker and Honourable Members, today I laid before the House the Economic Development …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Minister Hayward. Then the final Ministerial Statement is from Minister Campbell. Minister Campbell, you have the floor. OFFICE OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND PROCUREMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2022 Hon. Vance Campbell: Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Mr. Deputy Speaker, today I rise to lay the 2022 Annual Report of the …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Minister Campbell. REPORTS OF COMMITTEES

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker There appear to be none. QUESTION PERIOD

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Question Period is 60 minutes, and there are some questions first for the Premier from MP Cannonier. MP Cannonier, you have the floor. QUESTION 1: JOINT MINISTERIAL COUNCIL 2023

Mr. L. Craig Cannonier Yes. And thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I guess what I was interested in the JMC Statement was a statement that you made on page 3: “It was notable that one of the members of this committee raised the issue of . . .” cannabis licensing and our relationship with …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Premier. Any further questions, Mr. Cannonier?

Mr. L. Craig Cannonier Supplemental.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes, supplementary. SUPPLEMENTARIES

Mr. L. Craig Cannonier Does the Premier plan on following up with the JMC members to maybe . . . because it was brought up by another member, I would assume that then it means that there is some support. Certainly, with the members of the JMC, their support going to the UK is …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Okay. The next —

Mr. L. Craig Cannonier Oh, supplemental.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Oh, I am sorry.

Mr. L. Craig Cannonier I have a supplemental.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Oh, okay. Go ahead, Mr. Cannonier, with your second supplementary.

Mr. L. Craig Cannonier Thank you very much. Did anything come up or were you made aware of potentially any areas or possibilities of how we could get that through? Did any solutions come up at all? Hon. E. David Burt: In these discussions, not particularly. It was not the focus of our discussion …

Mr. L. Craig Cannonier Right. Hon. E. David Burt: Just to note that continued work is going on, and the UK maintains the position of which they had held. So, it was not a focus of the work that we did when we were over there. This was a matter that was raised by …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Premier. Any further, Mr. Cannonier?

Mr. L. Craig Cannonier Second question.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Second question. Continue. QUESTION 2: JOINT MINISTERIAL COUNCIL 2023

Mr. L. Craig Cannonier Yes. Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. On page 2, first paragraph, the Premier mentioned an “ enhanced representation of Bermuda’s global interests ” (highlighting) “the need for a modern partnership . . .”. Could the Premier give us an idea of that global interest that he is mentioning? He somewhat …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes. Hon. E. David Burt: I am happy to expand, as I am sure the Honourable Member who served in this posi-tion knows and recognises full well that the international [sphere] (save [for] Bermuda) finds it very difficult to represent and stand up for its interests because oftentimes we are …

Mr. L. Craig Cannonier Yes. Hon. E. David Burt: I know that we have experienced it in our time in office. It is sometimes incredibly frustrating in dealing in matters of the international spheres. I mean, there is a matter that we are dealing with with the OECD right now where the United Kingdom …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Premier. Anything further, Mr. Cannonier? [No audible comment heard]

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker No. Okay. The next question is for Minister Roban from the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Richardson. QUESTION 1: CARICOM MEMBERSHIP Hon. Jarion Richardson: Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, and good morning, sir. And good morning to the listening public. Would the Honourable Minister be able to clarify some statements …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm. Hon. Jarion Richardson: He said that “official discussions have begun with the United Kingdom as to whether an entrustment is required or merely an amendment to the existing entrustment.” This is to proceed with CARICOM membership, or full CARICOM membership. And he also said (a nd this is on …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Continue. Hon. Walter H. Roban: Mr. Deputy Speaker, it is important that we consult first with the administering power (as the Premier described the UK) before ven-turing into any possible development of relationships with international bodies. That is the appropriate way for us to begin this. We must start with …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you. Mr. Richardson, another question? SUPPLEMENTARY Hon. Jarion Richardson: Thank you. Supplemental. Will the consultation process as outlined on page 5 include a referendum to proceed with CARICOM full membership? Hon. Walter H. Roban: Mr. Deputy Speaker, I am unable to make any submissions to the House on part …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you.

Mr. Richardson. Hon. Jarion Richardson Yes. Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Second question?

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm. QUESTION 2: CARICOM MEMBERSHIP Hon. Jarion Richardson: Yes. I think the Honourable Minister on page 3 outlining some benefit as it relates to associate member-ship with CARICOM. Would the Honourable Minister be able to outline the benefits of full membership?

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mr. Roban. Hon. Walter H. Roban: We will retain the same benefits that we get as associate membership with the pos-sibility of full membership. There will also be the opportunity to directly be involved with the policy discussions of CARICOM that are international in nature, which impact ourselves. So, a …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Mr. Roban.

Mr. Richardson. SUPPLEMENTARY Hon. Jarion Richardson Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Supplemental. Would the Honourable Minister confirm or explain whether the Government has quantified the value of the benefits that we have utilised so far through our associate membership?

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Minister Roban. Hon. Walter H. Roban: Mr. Deputy Speaker, it depends on what you mean by “value.” If we are just talking about dollars, that could be unlimited. But certainly, the value has been, if you talk about strengthening our relationship with other countries in the region, that is a …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Mr. Roban. Mr. Richardson, anything further? Hon. Jarion Richardson: Yes, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Third question, please.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm. QUESTION 3: CARICOM MEMBERSHIP Hon. Jarion Richardson: Thank you for the Minister outlining the benefits of associate and anticipated benefits of full [membership]. And this question relates to cost. How much does associate membership cost at this time? Hon. Walter H. Roban: As it relates to associate membership, I …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mr. Richardson. SUPPLEMENTARY Hon. Jarion Richardson: Yes. Thank you. Supplemental, please, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Would the Honourable Minister be able to speak to how much cost has been contributed to CARICOM? He mentioned disaster recovery that we have lent support to other CARICOM members. Thank you. Hon. Walter H. Roban: …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Anything further? Hon. Jarion Richardson: No. Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Thank you, Honourable Minister.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker [Microphone not on.] QUESTION 1: CARICOM MEMBERSHIP

Mr. Christopher Famous Good morning, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Good morning, colleagues. Mr. Deputy Speaker, I would like to know if the Minister can quantify the value of CARICOM coming to our aid in 2018 when the United Kingdom, our administrative power, put an order -in-council for public registers of beneficial [owners]. [Inaudible interjection]

Mr. Christopher Famous I beg your pardon? [Inaudible interjection] 120 24 November 2023 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Christopher Famous: He did mention that. The question is about the value of CARICOM standing up for us (right?), our association.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker You went specific to 2018.

Mr. Christopher Famous Okay. So, may I rephrase my question?

Mr. Christopher Famous Mr. Deputy Speaker. Mr. Deputy Speaker, may I rephrase my question?

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Certainly.

Mr. Christopher Famous Mr. Deputy Speaker, I would like to ask the Honourable Minister, Deputy Premier, the value of CARICOM coming to our aid whenever the United Kingdom, our administrative power, has sought to put us underneath the bus in re-gard to our international business s ector.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Mr. Famous. Hon. Walter H. Roban: I wish to thank the Honourable Member for the question. Such support has been invaluable to us as a country, to have a number of countries support Bermuda in particular when we have been confronted with challenges whether it be with the …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Anything further, Mr. Famous?

Mr. Christopher Famous Yes. I have a supplementary, Mr. Deputy Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Continue. SUPPLEMENTARY

Mr. Christopher Famous Mr. Deputy Speaker, in the same vein, would CFATF [Caribbean Financial Action Task Force] fall underneath CARICOM? Hon. Walter H. Roban: No. I do not believe that CFATF does fall under the CARICOM umbrella, Mr. Deputy Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Anything further, Mr. Famous? That is it? Okay. The next set of questions is for Minister Rabain from Honourable Member Ben Smith. QUESTION 1: EDUCATION REFORM UPDATE

Mr. Ben Smith Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I would like to thank the Honourable Minister for this thor-ough update on the reform of education, specifically on the area giving the updated numbers of students in schools and students in what has happened from what it was historically to where we are now. …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Minister. Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Thank you for that question. In actual fact, we do monitor the numbers. And we are in the process of . . . the date of the report, that report on the numbers in schools is released at the …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Anything further, Member Smith?

Mr. Ben Smith Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, and thank you for the Minister’s response. I will wait for the information from that report. But a further question.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Is this your second question?

Mr. Ben Smith Second question. Yes. Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Okay. QUESTION 2: EDUCATION REFORM UPDATE

Mr. Ben Smith The Minister pointed out that the Purvis Primary has the lead number at 214. Can the Minister please provide us what the intended capacity will Bermuda House of Assembly be for each of the parish primary schools at the conclusion of this reform process? Thank you.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Minister. Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Deputy Speaker, that information is in the public domain. It has always been part of our reform process. As we came out in 2020 with the parish primary school report and consultation process, we talked about what the maximum numbers predicted should b …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Minister. MP Smith. SUPPLEMENTARIES

Mr. Ben Smith Thank you. Supplementary. Is the Minister able to provide whether Purvis Primary, being the one that has the highest number, are they close to capacity? Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Deputy Speaker, Purvis Primary being one of the larger schools that we do have currently has two streams in …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker MP Smith.

Mr. Ben Smith Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I would hope that one of the goals at the end of this reform would be that more parents would want to—

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Do you have a question?

Mr. Ben Smith No . . . no, so my question is based off of, Is there going to be capacity? For the hope that more parents are going to want to move their students to public primary schools. So, I just want to make sure that we have a situation where that …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Minister. Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Thank you again for that question. Again, that is something that is in the public domain. When we did the exercise, the consultation around the parish primary schools, the predicted num-ber that we had at that time was around 70 per cent. Schools would …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Great. Thank you, Minister. MP Smith. [No audible response]

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker MP Jackson, you have a supplementary? SUPPLEMENTARY

Ms. Susan E. Jackson Yes. Thank you. I am just, as I am listening to the capacity of the parish primary schools and the growth, and fully aware of the buildings, the additional buildings, I am just curious if the Minister will be able to give us any indication of the costs for construction …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Minister. Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Deputy Speaker, this year we have approximately . . . we budgeted for this fiscal year just under $5 million for the works that were needed for Purvis and Francis Patton. As I said in the Statement, we are finalising the three- tier …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Minister. Anything further, MP Smith?

Mr. Ben Smith Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. My question now is —

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Well, you had three questions. Do you have a supplementary?

Mr. Ben Smith My second one was a supplementary to—

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Well, you did not say it. But go ahead.

Mr. Ben Smith I apologise, Mr. Deputy Speaker. 122 24 November 2023 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly The Deputy Speaker: No problem. QUESTION 3: EDUCATION REFORM UPDATE

Mr. Ben Smith This question is about teachers. So, as we shift toward a lower number of schools, the Minister has stated on page 2 that we have had to shift some of the teachers to the new schools. Is the Minister able at this time to give us that total number of …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Minister. Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Ah-ha-ha, Mr. Deputy Speaker. A tricky question. [Laughter] Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Deputy Speaker, as I repeatedly say, it will be our effort to retain as many of our teachers as necessary. I cannot stand before Bermuda and promise that every single …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Any further questions? The next question is to Minister Tinee Furbert from Ms. Jackson. Ms. Jackson. QUESTION 1: A PILOT PROGRAMME FOR DEMENTIA CARE SERVICES

Ms. Susan E. Jackson Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I just want to reference on page 3 of the Minister’s Statement there was mention that $1.3 million was paid in claimed services in 2021. And on the same page it is speaking to the roughly 3,000 Bermudians who are currently living with dementia. So, …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Minister Furbert. Hon. Tinee Furbert: Good morning, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I thank the Member for that question. I would like to defer that question to the Ministry of Health if [the Honourable Member] could provide that by way of a question to them. But I do also encourage you and …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Any further questions, Ms. Jackson?

Ms. Susan E. Jackson That was it.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Okay. The next questions are to Minister Hayward from Ms. Jackson. QUESTION 1: ESTABLISHING THE SOUTH EAST HAMILTON ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT ZONE

Ms. Susan E. Jackson Yes. This question is around the development of the South East Hamilton EEZ. I am just curious whether there is any planning, sort of town design or planning around the development of the South East Hamilton EEZ, in particular, because it is such a heavy volume and a very visible …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Minister Hayward. Hon. Jason Hayward: Mr. Deputy Speaker, the answer to the question is that urban planning has taken place. And that will be in the current City of Hamilton Plan. The South East Hamilton EEZ was not excluded from that plan, so it was included in that plan. And …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Anything further, Ms. Jackson?

Ms. Susan E. Jackson Nothing more. Thank you. Bermuda House of Assembly The Deputy Speaker: Okay. The next question is to Minister Campbell. And that is from the Opposition Leader, Mr. Richardson. Mr. Richardson, you have the floor. QUESTION 1: OFFICE OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND PROCUREMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2022 Hon. Jarion Richardson: Thank you, …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes, you may. Hon. Jarion Richardson: On page one at the very bottom he says, “the Report highlights some significant results achieved during this reporting period . . .”. And [number] iii of that is “Report indicating no change in the number of Waiver requests reviewed, but the dollar value …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Minister Campbell. Hon. Vance Campbell: Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. That is simply a factor of the cost of those projects or items that were being requested to be waived.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Anything further, MP Richardson? Hon. Jarion Richardson: None. Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Okay. That ends the Question Period. CONGRATULATORY AND/OR OBITUARY SPEECHES

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Premier Burt, you have the floor. Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Mr. Deputy Speaker, this morning I rise on a sad note, and I would ask the House . . . And I would like to associate certainly all Member of this Honourable House with this …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes. Hon. E. David Burt: She was certainly a pillar of the community who passed away after 98 years of life in Bermuda. We are all saddened. We have all expressed our condolences directly, of course, to the Minister of National Security and to the rest of his wider family. …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Premier. Any further speakers? The Chair recognises the Honourable Dennis Lister . . . IV or III?

Mr. Dennis Lister III The third. [Laughter]

Mr. Dennis Lister III Good morning, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I too would just like to send some condolences to some families. First to Ms. Winifred DeAllie in her 80 th year of 3 Ettrick Lee Drive in Warwick. When I opened the paper to see that she was in the paper, I was taken …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm.

Mr. Dennis Lister III And then I would also like to just [offer] some congratulations. This week Mr. Reggie Lambe celebrated 50 caps with the Bermuda National Football Team. I cannot say how many players have reached that milestone for Bermuda. But I would like to recognise hi m and associate the House. And …

Mr. Dennis Lister III Also, this week at the ParapanAm Games, which I believe would be disabled persons. We have had some good representation from Bermuda. Ms. Yushae DeSilva Andrade received a silver medal in her discipline. Also, we had Mr. Omar Hay-ward. He reached the semi -final stages in his discipline. And Ms. …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you. Next is Minister Diallo Rabain. Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Mr. Deputy Speaker, I will certainly associate you with these remarks, as well as all of my Hamilton Parish MPs. Congratulations going out to the Francis Patton Primary School, who was awarded the …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker What parish is that in? Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: That would be God’s country, Hamilton Parish. [Laughter] Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Richardson, Opposition Leader. Hon. Jarion Richardson: Yes. Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I wanted to pass on my congratulations to Cobbs Hill Methodist Church on their 196 th anniversary, which was well attended. And the service was wonderful. And I associate a number of persons …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you. Minister Roban, you have the floor. Hon. Walter H. Roban: Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I would just like to be associated with the condolences to the family of Michael Weeks upon [the passing of] Ms. Lois Weeks. It is difficult to (perhaps in words) appreciate the presence …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Right. Yes. Hon. Walter H. Roban: A constant fixture as far as I can recall, always in these environments, particularly when it came to concerns about working people and our seniors and certainly her parish of Pembroke. But it must also be stated that she was a child of the …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm. Okay. Hon. Walter H. Roban: And [she] was connected with the Dill family, who as you would know and others would know, are an institution of the North Village and Bermuda House of Assembly Pembroke and Devonshire areas. So, I just wanted to connect, to ensure that I associated …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you. And the Chair recognises the Honourable Member Swan.

Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I would like to be associated with the condolences to the family of Honourable Member Weeks. And also, to the RAA on the Remembrance [Day] service, which I do love to participate in, but duty called in another part of Bermuda. And I would like …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you. The Chair recognises the Honourable Member Crystal Caesar.

Ms. Crystal Caesar Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm.

Ms. Crystal Caesar Mr. Deputy Speaker, I come with heavy heart this morning to recognise the passing of a constituent, and I would like to say a good friend whom I have gotten to know in my time as a candidate. Her name (and also my namesake), Crystal Lightbourne. [Inaudible interjections ]

Ms. Crystal Caesar And I associate MP Swan, MP De Silva and MP Ming and also MP Famous. Crystal was always a bright spark when I met her in spite of her health challenges in the last several years. Always very positive. And I attribute that to the fact that she was able …

The Speaker The Speaker Thank you. The Chair recognises the Honourable Member Tinee Furbert. Hon. Tinee Furbert: Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Mr. Deputy Speaker, I would like to send condolences to the family of Ms. Rosina Thompson, one of my seniors in Ferguson Park. [She was] very sharp and snappy to me every …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you. The Chair recognises the Honourable Member Campbell. Hon. Vance Campbell: Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Mr. Deputy Speaker, I would like condolences to be sent to the family of Mildred Elizabeth Louise Jones, otherwise known as “Aunt Louise,” a member of the Lewis family that are strong in …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes, they are. Hon. Vance Campbell: [Ms. Jones] was a long- time member of . . . I would like to associate the Premier — well, associate the whole House.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes. Yes. Hon. Vance Campbell: At least on this side of the House. They would know her, having spent much time across the street from the Young Men’s Social Club. She is a long- term member of the club. And as a bartender, her tough exterior hid a much softer …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm. Hon. Vance Campbell: Again, on a sad note, Mr. Deputy Speaker, I would like condolences to be sent to the family of Keevin Jermaine Kirk Peets. And again, I would like to associate the entire House. This was a young man who was the first cousin of former Minister …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Minister Campbell. The next speaker is Honourable Member Tyrrell.

Mr. Neville S. Tyrrell Thank you and good morning, Mr. Deputy Speaker. A couple of the announcements already are associated with me, so I am forced to associate myself. In fact, it would be remiss of me if I did not. The first one is Ms. Lois Weeks, who actually is a sister to …

Mr. Neville S. Tyrrell Thank you, MP Famous. Anyway, Ms. Weeks was certainly one of my major supporters when she found out that I was running for the Progressive Labour Party. And being so close, I would always get advice from her. So certainly, I send my condolences to the whole family. The next …

Mr. Anthony Richardson Good morning, Mr. Deputy Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm.

Mr. Anthony Richardson To the listening audience and my colleagues. Mine is all good stuff today —pardon the grammar. I want to wish happy birthday . And it is always difficult, because you miss somebody, they say, Hey, you forgot me. So, I am going to do this and say Happy Birthday! to …

Mr. Anthony Richardson And I trust I will get a chance to do an interview with him, to be honest. Santia Jones, she is a significant person in our branch; and Dr. Leonard Talbot. And I will associate Minister Diallo Rabain with him without even asking. But those are the birthdays. But also, …

Mr. Anthony Richardson And what was very important was that between, say, the school and the clubs, they can actually better coordinate and cooperate. So that, for example, when Harrington Sound school needs extra, another field, they can use what is the Smith’s Parish field, f or example. They can coordinate with a …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker We are doing congrats and obits.

Mr. Anthony Richardson Yes, but it was amazing!

Mr. Anthony Richardson For our congrats and obits. This is congrats.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you.

Mr. Anthony Richardson Absolutely amazing, though, Mr. Deputy Speaker. [Laughter]

Mr. Anthony Richardson But you know from your time that way. So, you know what I am talking about —

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker I am from Frog Alley.

Mr. Anthony Richardson —how tremendous a community it is. So, give me some time. But thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. [Laughter]

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you. Any further speakers? The Chair recognises MP Zane “Schillaci” De Silva. [Laughter] Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Mr. Deputy Speaker, I would like the House to send congratulations to a young man. And I do not want Honourable Members to get confused. …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: He is my son -in-law. But he has been nominated for a Grammy, Mr. Deputy Speaker. [Desk thumping] 128 24 November 2023 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly The Deputy Speaker: Yes! Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Thank you. Thank you, …

Some Hon. Members Some Hon. Members Son-in-law. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: My son- in-law, Mr. Colin Harper. Thank you. [Laughter]

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you. Any further? The Chair recognises the Honourable Scott Simmons.

Mr. Scott Simmons Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, and good morning. Mr. Deputy Speaker, I rise in this Honourable House and join Members in offering both congratula-tions and obits. Mr. Deputy Speaker, I would like to first of all offer my absolute congratulations to Collie Buddz for (if I may use his name …

Mr. Scott Simmons Yes. And I would like to associate the Honourable Member from St. George’s, Mr. Kim Swan. And for Mr. George Scott Smith. But I will recognise, and Mr. Kirk . . . recognise also Ms. Winifred Ann DeAllie. But, Mr. Deputy Speaker, if I may speak on Kirk Simmons, who …

Mr. Scott Simmons I apologise on that, Mr. Deputy Speaker. He loved golf.

Mr. Scott Simmons And he also loved his community. He loved his family. He loved his church. And more importantly, Mr. Deputy Speaker, as it relates to these matters, at this time in his life he absolutely loved God. Mr. Deputy Speaker, on behalf of all of us in this Honourable House, I …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you. The Chair recognises the Honourable [Member] Famous.

Mr. Christopher Famous Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Mr. Deputy Speaker, I would like to join in the condolences for Mr. Peets because, as spoken by his MP, Mr. Peets was part of the Devonshire– Smith’s community. Mr. Deputy Speaker, also from the Devonshire –Smith’s community, specifically Devon Heights, we have lost Mrs. …

Mr. Christopher Famous Glebe Road is the government name for what we call Friswells Hill, Pond Hill, St. Monica’s. The Dublin family literally are on the top of Bermuda House of Assembly Glebe Hill, Glebe Road Hill. And he will be sadly missed by all of his relatives, who are a large [family]. …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Mr. Famous. The Chair recognises the Honourable Member Renee Ming.

Mrs. Renee Ming Good morning, Mr. Deputy Speaker, and listening audience.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Good morning.

Mrs. Renee Ming I start my comments today on a sad note. I would like to have thoughts and prayers sent to the family of Sasha Swann . She was one of my constituents, a very young lady. She had been sick, and she suffered silently. I will associate MP Campbell and MP …

Mrs. Renee Ming But we loved . . . but we loved reggae, so we had something in common. And he did a CD for me one time with some old- school reggae. And I still to this day play that CD. I would also like to be associated with the comments for …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Any further speakers? Susan Jackson, you have the floor.

Ms. Susan E. Jackson Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I want to send condolences to the family of Mr. Colin Young and his surviving wife, Pat, and surviving son, Reed. I am very sad to have to say good- bye to Mr. Young, but he was in his 101 st year, so he had …

Ms. Susan E. Jackson But certainly, the Young family has always been most gracious. And I would like to recognise and send sincere condolences to the family at this time.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Ms. Jackson.

Ms. Susan E. Jackson Thank you.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker And Ms. Wade, the Honourable Member Ianthia Simmons -Wade.

Mrs. Ianthia Simmons -Wade Good afternoon. First of all, I think it is really great that we include congratulations and obituaries in this House. But I think we should put more emphasis on giving congratulations in terms of people who pass the ripe age of 75. [Inaudible interjection and laughter ]

Mrs. Ianthia Simmons -Wade Thank you, MP. In my constituency, I am sure many of the constituencies, approximately 25 [per cent], in some cases 30 per cent of the people are over the age of 65. So, my congratulations go to Carol Deacon, who is 75; Barbara Fall, who is 85; Jane Birmingham, who …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you. Any further speakers? Colonel Burch.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch Mr. Deputy Speaker, good morning. I would like to be associated with the congratulations to Cobbs Hill Methodist Church on their 196 th anniversary.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm. Yes.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch It is a small but amazing church. And if you know the history —

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Very well.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch —it was built by slaves in the dark.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes indeed.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch And it was very uplifting to spend two hours with them last Sunday. The new pastor (well, new to me) Dean Smith is someone who is well known to me.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker From Harris’ Bay.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch Yes. And he gave a message that was worthy of 196 years.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch Mr. Deputy Speaker, I would like to be associated with the condolences [for] Ms. Lois Weeks, Minister Weeks’s mother. I did not know her, but I obviously know him. So, he obviously comes from good stock.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes indeed.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch Mr. Deputy Speaker, I would also like to be associated with the condolences to the family of Sasha Swann , whose partner works for us in the Department of Waste Management. I got to know the family about five years ago when I ran into their twin sons, Jordan and …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Colonel. Let me just join in to send condolences to the family . . . associate with the loss of Ms. Lois Weeks. She was a member of St. Paul AME Church for over 50 years. She served as a stewardess . She was also a missionary and …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes. We will adjourn for lunch, and we will return at 2:00 pm. [Gavel] Proceedings suspended at 12:32 pm Proceedings resumed at 2:00 [Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr., Deputy Speaker, in the Chair] Bermuda House of Assembly The Deputy Speaker: The next Order of Business. MATTERS OF PRIVILEGE

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker There are none. PERSONAL EXPLANATIONS

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker There are none. NOTICE OF MOTIONS FOR THE ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE ON MATTERS OF URGENT PUBLIC IMPORTANCE

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker There are none. INTRODUCTION OF BILLS GOVERNMENT BILLS

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Minister Campbell. FIRST READING BERMUDA IMMIGRATION AND PROTECTION (PROHIBITION ORDER) AMENDMENT ACT 2023 Hon. Vance Campbell: Yes, I am introducing this Bill on behalf of Minister Hayward. Mr. Deputy Speaker, I am introducing the following Bill for its first reading so that it may be placed on the Order Paper …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Any objections? No objections. OPPOSITION BILLS

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker There are none. PRIVATE MEMBERS’ BILLS

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker None. NOTICE OF MOTIONS

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker No. ORDERS OF THE DAY

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker The Anti -Doping in Sport Act 2023. The Junior Minister of Tourism, Kim Swan, you have the floor.

Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan Yes, thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Mr. Deputy Speaker, on behalf of the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, I now move that the Bill entitled the Anti -Doping in Sport Act 2023 be read for a second time.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Any objections? None. Continue, sir. BILL SECOND READING ANTI -DOPING IN SPORT ACT 2023

Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. The Bill repeals and replaces the Anti -Doping in Sport Act 2011. Mr. Deputy Speaker, the reason for the repeal and replacement is due to the considerable number of amendments required to update the 2011 Act and to bring it into compliance with the World …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Honourable Junior Minister. Are there any further speakers? The Chair recognises the Honourable Member Ben Smith. Ben, you have the floor.

Mr. Ben Smith Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. First, Mr. Deputy Speaker, I would like to thank the technical officers for providing an opportunity last Friday to go through the changes. Minister Tinee Furbert and Junior Minister Kim Swan were in attendance. Thank you to Ms. Marva[ -Jean] O’Brien and Ms. Brett, who …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you. The Chair recognises the Honourable Member Lovita Foggo.

Ms. Lovitta F. Foggo Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I listened very curiously to the Member who just took his seat and some of the comments that he sug-gested. But what he did say, first he thanked the technical officers for having invited him along with others to a meeting where he had opportunity …

Mr. Ben Smith Point of order.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker You have got a point of order. What is your point of order, Mr. Smith?

Mr. Ben Smith So, I guess it is a point of clarification because—

Ms. Lovitta F. Foggo I am not accepting his point of clarification, Mr. Deputy Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Take your seat. Take your seat. Mr. Smith, what is your problem?

Ms. Lovitta F. Foggo He said it was a point of clarification.

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member It is a point of clarification.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Okay. Is it a point of order or point of clarification?

Mr. Ben Smith It is a point of clarification.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Okay. Do you accept it?

Ms. Lovitta F. Foggo Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I do not accept his point of clarification.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker All right.

Ms. Lovitta F. Foggo Mr. Deputy Speaker, the other thing, he suggested time lengths. I think what the Honourable Member is forgetting is that in between our sitting now, there were other governments that sat too that had opportunity to make changes if he is thinking that, you know, from 2011 until 2023 all …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Member. Any further Members? The Chair recognises the Honourable Minister Tinee Furbert. Ms. Furbert, you have the floor. Hon. Tinee Furbert: Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Mr. Deputy Speaker, I just want to also share my support for the change in this legislation. I also want to thank …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes. Hon. Tinee Furbert: And we will have them, I am sure.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes, we will. Hon. Tinee Furbert: We will have them. So, while the Opposition wants to speak about speculation, while they want to speak about Bermuda taking a hit, we want you to know that this Government, Mr. Deputy Speaker —we want you to know that this is a Government …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Amen. Hon. Tinee Furbert: It is a Government of hope. So, we swiftly moved in to make sure that we would have this legislation in place for our athletes. So, this is what we have today. We do not want, like other countries, to go down thinking that we are …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm. Hon. Tinee Furbert: So, we are moving swiftly to the table to make sure that this legislation is covering our athletes. We know that within this legislation there were changes as it related to operational activities, separat-ing that out, separating out the independence to make sure that there is …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm. Hon. Tinee Furbert: I also wanted to report that WADA did give its stamp of approval in regard to the changes for this legislation. [Inaudible interjection] Hon. Tinee Furbert: [They] accepted all of the changes, because the key things here were in regard to the operational activities and the …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Minister Tinee Furbert. Are there any other speakers? 136 24 November 2023 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly The Chair recognises the Honourable Member, Mr. Richardson, the Leader of the Opposition. Mr. Richardson, you have the floor. Hon. Jarion Richardson: Yes. Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Richardson. The Chair recognises the Deputy Premier Walter Roban. You have the floor, sir. Hon. Walter H. Roban: Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. You know, I almost hesitate to stand only because the Members on this side have followed the Jun-ior Minister, MP …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Very true. Yes. Hon. Walter H. Roban: In the long term, that is the biggest challenge that you have. And when it comes to in-ternational conventions, it is a similar approach. The signing? Pretty, nice, fancy, big PR is great. It is the management of your maintaining your obligations around …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes. Hon. Walter H. Roban: This is the normal reality of wanting to go somewhere else and participate in wider Bermuda House of Assembly activities. Because there is now more compliance required, there are more rules. And there is essentially a cookie- cutter approach. People do not care whether you …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes. Hon. Walter H. Roban: That is why we are a reasonably successful jurisdiction. And I will contend the fact that we have two Olympians as part of our historical repertoire shows that in sport we have been doing the right things. And even how WADA treated us shows that …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Deputy Leader, Deputy Premier Roban. Any further speakers? The Chair recognises the Honourable Member Christopher Famous.

Mr. Famous. Mr. Christopher Famous Mr. Deputy Speaker.

Mr. Christopher Famous Good afternoon. There is not much I can say that has not been said already.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Okay.

Mr. Christopher Famous But I would like to use the word in this instance “humility.” Mr. Deputy Speaker, when this news broke — [Inaudible interjection]

Mr. Christopher Famous Excuse me? Hello. Hello.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Speak to the Chair, Cousin.

Mr. Christopher Famous When this news broke, I was not fully aware of what was what. So, I sent a text to the Minister. And within a short time, he responded. He said, Listen. I’m on it. My team is on it. I should say, let me reiterate. My team and I are …

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member That’s right. 138 24 November 2023 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Christopher Famous: He allowed his team, headed by a certain director and PS, to do what they do best. So, I use that as an example for other Ministers or those who would like to be …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you. Thank you. Any further speakers? There appear to be none. Junior Minister Kim Swan.

Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan Yes, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I want to thank Members for the robust discussion of a subject, discipline, near and dear to my heart. I declare my interest in that I am a practitioner of sport who would fall under these regulations in my discipline if I were practicing in it …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Ms. Foggo. [Pause] House in Committee at 2:4 7 pm [Ms. Lovitta F. Foggo, Chairman] COMMITTEE ON BILL ANTI -DOPING IN SPORT ACT 2023

The Chairman Chairman Thank you, Members. We are in Committee of the whole on the Bill Anti-Doping in Sport Act 2023 . Minister.

Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan Junior Minister.

The Chairman Chairman Sorry. Junior Minister.

Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan Thank you. I would like to move that this Bill be committed and that —

The Chairman Chairman We are in Committee, Junior Minister.

Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan Thank you. The Bill seeks to repeal and replace the AntiDoping in Sport Act [2011]. I would like to move clauses 1 through 7, with your permission. Bermuda House of Assembly The Chairman: It has been moved that we review clauses 1 through 7. Is that agreed? Agreed. Continue, Junior …

Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan Thank you. Clause 1 provides for the title of the Bill. Clause 2 provides for a list of persons and entities to whom this Bill applies. Clause 3 provides for the interpretation of terms used in the Bill. And this clause also states that the BSADA rules are published on …

The Chairman Chairman Thank you, Junior Minister. Are there any other Members who wish to speak to clauses 1 through 7? There are no other Members who wish to speak to clauses 1 through 7. Junior Minister, you may continue. Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan: Thank you. I move that clauses 1 through …

The Chairman Chairman Okay, we can do that. It has been moved that clauses 1 through 7 be approved. Are there any objections? There being none, continue. [Motion carried: Clauses 1 through 7 passed.]

Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan Thank you. I would like to move clauses 8 through 14,

Madam Chairman. The Chairman Chairman It has been moved that we review clauses 8 through 14. Are there any objections? There being none, continue.

Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan Thank you. Clause 8 provides for the acting appointments of members of the board for members who are absent. Clause 9 provides that the address of the BSADA shall be published in the official Gazette and for the Board to meet as often as the Chairman deems necessary or at …

The Chairman Chairman Clause 10, thank you.

Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan Thank you. Clause 10 provides for the appointment of a chief executive officer of BSADA and that the board shall advise the Minister of the appointment. This clause also specifies that the CEO must not be involved in the operation or management of any sports organisation or be a public …

The Chairman Chairman Thank you, Junior Minister. Are there any other Members who wish to speak to clauses 8 through 14? There being none, Junior Minister.

Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan Thank you, Madam Chairman. I would like to move that clauses 8 through 14 be approved.

The Chairman Chairman It has been moved that clauses 8 through 14 be approved. Are there any objections? There being none, continue. [Motion carried: Clauses 8 through 14 passed.]

Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan Thank you, Madam Chairman. Madam Chairman, with your leave I would like to now move clauses 15 through 21.

The Chairman Chairman It has been moved that we review clauses 15 through 21. Are there any objections? There being none, continue, Junior Minister.

Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan Thank you. Clause 15 provides that a member of the board or the staff of BSADA shall not be personally liable for any act or default of BSADA done or omitted to be done in good faith in the course of its operations. Clause 16 establishes the Bermuda Anti -Doping …

The Chairman Chairman Thank you, Junior Minister. Are there any other Members who wish to speak to clauses 15 through to 21? There are none. Junior Minister.

Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan Thank you, Madam Chairman. I move that clauses 15 through 21 be approved.

The Chairman Chairman It has been moved that clauses 15 through 21 be approved. Any objections? There being none, continue. Approved. [Motion carried: Clauses 15 through 21 passed.]

Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan Thank you, Madam Chairman. I would like your permission to move clauses 22 through 29.

The Chairman Chairman It has been moved that we review clauses 22 through to 29. Any objections? There being none, continue, Junior Minister.

Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan Thank you. Clause 22 provides for the functions of the [Bermuda Anti -Doping] Appeal Panel, which are found in the BSADA Rules and the WADA Code. Clause 23 provides for particular cases in which appeals can be made to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Clause 24 provides the Minister …

Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan Thank you. I move that clauses 22 through 29 be approved, Madam Chairman .

The Chairman Chairman It has been moved that clauses 22 through 29 be approved. Are there any objections? There being none . . . continue, Minister . [Motion carried: Clauses 22 through 29 passed.]

Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan I move that the preamble be approved.

The Chairman Chairman It has been moved that the preamble be approved. Any objections? Approved.

Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan Madam Chairman, I move that the Bill be reported to the House as printed.

The Chairman Chairman It has been moved that the Bill be reported to the House as printed. Any objections? There being none, approved. [Motion carried: The Anti -Doping in Sport Act 2023 was considered by a Committee of the whole House and passed without amendment.]

The Chairman Chairman Thank you, Junior Minister. [Pause]

The Chairman Chairman We call on the Deputy Speaker to resume in the House. House resumed at 03:0 1 pm [Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr., Deputy Speaker, in the Chair] REPORT OF COMMITTEE ANTI -DOPING IN SPORT ACT 2023

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you. Any objections to the Bill being reported to the House as approved? No objections. The next Order of Business is from Colonel Burch. Colonel Burch, you are up. Thank you.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch Mr. Deputy Speaker —

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes, sir. It is wonderful. MOTION AUTHORISE THE PURCHASE OF ALL THAT SOUTHERNMOST STRIP OF LAND TO BE SUBDIVIDED FROM LAND SITUATED AT 18 SECRETARY LANE, ST. GEORGE’S GE05 IN THE ISLAND OF BERMUDA AS OUTLINED IN THE AGREEMENT FOR SALE MADE BETWEEN GARDINE IZETTA GIBBONS AND THE GOVERNMENT OF …

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch I move that the House do now take under consideration the following Motion, notice of which was given on the 10th of November 2023: BE IT RESOLVED that this Honourable House, in accordance with section 2(1)(a) of the Acquisition of Land Act 1970, authorise the purchase of all that southernmost …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Continue.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker . I gave an undertaking in this House that a PLP Government would never take any Bermudian ’s land.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch So, I am delighted today to be here to honour that commitment.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch I also note, Mr. Deputy Speaker, that given the scope of this matter, my brief will be longer than normal land transaction briefs —

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch —so that the full story can be told. In accordance with section 2(1)(a) of the Acquisition of Land Act 1970, I introduce the agreement for sale between the Bermuda Government and Mrs. Gardine Izetta Gibbons to purchase all that southernmost strip of land to be subdivided from land situated at …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Colonel Burch. Any further speakers? The Chair recognises the Honourable Member Mr. Cannonier. You have the floor, sir.

Mr. L. Craig Cannonier Yes, thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker . I think that has probably been one of the most detailed summaries —

Mr. L. Craig Cannonier —I have heard in a while. I want to thank the Minister for certainly . . . I had a lot of questions. The brief has answered most of those ques-tions. But I was wondering if there were any attachments, particularly when governments are buying or selling properties we would …

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member It is on the back of the . . .

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes. It is . . . you can get this —

Mr. L. Craig Cannonier It was included? Oh, was it?

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm. [Crosstalk]

Mr. L. Craig Cannonier All right, then fine. Great.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Do you want to see it?

Mr. L. Craig Cannonier I did not . . . sorry?

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Do you want to see it?

Mr. L. Craig Cannonier Yes. We didn’t . . . when was it sent because— [Inaudible interjections]

Mr. L. Craig Cannonier Oh, this morning? Oh, that is when you . . . okay, okay, okay, okay. I was . . . I hurried him up, but I was over there trying to get my computer going, get assistance. Okay, excellent. Thank you very much. Again, a lot of detail [has been] …

Mr. L. Craig Cannonier I know that the Gibbons family . . . and unfortunately even during this time, Shirley passed away.

Mr. L. Craig Cannonier I know the family very well. He has passed away so I am sure that Gardine, Mrs. Gibbons, is very, very, very content that she can now rest . . . go to sleep at night knowing that this is not hanging over her. At some point in time, I …

Mr. L. Craig Cannonier But the summary of course at the end of the day and the conclusion that the Minister has come to, we fully support after having listened to this extensive summary, the briefing, that the Minister has given. This, as the Minister said, has come about as a legacy issue and …

Mr. L. Craig Cannonier —free potable water. I think he said that, but — [Inaudible interjections]

Mr. L. Craig Cannonier Yes, okay. Thank you very much, Mr. Deputy Speaker .

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Mr. Cannonier. Any further speakers? The Chair recognises the Honourable Member Renee Ming. Mrs. Ming, you have the floor.

Mrs. Renee Ming Good afternoon, Mr. Deputy Speaker, and listening audience. Today, I rise on my feet as I promised some months ago that I would. It has been a long two years. It has been a long two years. Mr. Deputy Speaker, when I last spoke in this House on this matter, …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm.

Mrs. Renee Ming Mr. Deputy Speaker, a resolution is a firm decision to do or not to do something. Today we are at the point where the Minister responsible for Works, my constituent, Mrs. Gibbons, together with her lawyer, have reached their resolution. And for that I am happy.

Mrs. Renee Ming Mr. Deputy Speaker, we actually did not need to venture down this road and this path, and I think that conversations that I have had, even with the Minister , we can probably agree that we could have and could have handled some of those things a lot better. But …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm.

Mrs. Renee Ming And we find ourselves where we are today.

Mrs. Renee Ming To some degree, Mr. Deputy Speaker, representing can be difficult but it must be done. We are entrusted with votes and so we have to represent and even if that means we become unpopular, we still have to do it. Mr. Deputy Speaker, I am a loyal servant of the …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Amen.

Mrs. Renee Ming Some would say that I bleed green, but the reality is, as you know, I bleed blue. [Laughter]

Mrs. Renee Ming Light blue and dark blue. 146 24 November 2023 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly [Laughter]

Mrs. Renee Ming I take very seriously the fact that my constituents entrust me with their vote. Everyone who knows me knows that I will go to bat for my people with-out any hesitation and I will assist them wherever and whenever I can. Mr. Deputy Speaker, we represent our people in this …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm.

Mrs. Renee Ming But they vote for us, and we become their voice.

Mrs. Renee Ming And for that I am grateful that I have that trust to stand here today, especially, and do it. Mrs. Gibbons actually sits in the Gallery today—

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Oh? That’s wonderful.

Mrs. Renee Ming —as we speak about her matter.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Oh, glory.

Mrs. Renee Ming She sits here today, though, without her husband. So, this resolution is bittersweet. And maybe, Mr. Deputy Speaker, for one side it is more bitter than sweet. Nonetheless, we are here. Two nights ago, I sat at Mrs. Gibbons’ house as a representative should and I asked her what would …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Honourable Member Ming. The Chair recognises the Honourable Member

Ms. Foggo. Ms. Lovitta F. Foggo Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker . I am quite happy to stand here and speak to a resolution that was met with agreement and I am going to declare my interest. I am a very close relative of Mrs. Gardine Izetta Foggo Gibbons. Yes. [Laughter]

Ms. Lovitta F. Foggo She loves me, and I love her, Mr. Deputy Speaker . [Inaudible interjections]

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Okay. [Laughter]

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker All right.

Ms. Lovitta F. Foggo I want to say that on the matter of this issue I think . . . and I think we heard the Colonel speak that it initially was an issue regarding leasing land because there was no desire to sell. And that is indeed a fact. We saw things transpire …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Member. The Chair recognises the Honourable Member Tyrrell.

Mr. Neville S. Tyrrell Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker . Mr. Deputy Speaker, I feel the emotion in the room on this matter, and feel compelled to make just a brief comment on it and certainly take the opportunity to personally thank Minister Burch for doing his homework. But as you heard in his …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Honourable Member Tyrrell. The Chair recognises the Honourable Member Kim Swan.

Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker . Mr. Deputy Speaker, I will declare my interest. I was the General Manager of the quango, the St. George’s Golf Course that opened on 8 August 1985 that caused that road to be negotiated through Mr. Gib-bons’ property. I had the cause during this …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes, future speakers bear in mind that Colonel Burch has given the history of this land purchase. There are rules against repetition. We don’t need that. We saw that by the Opposition. They got up and acknowledged what he said. We don’t have to repeat that. Continue, Mr. Richardson.

Mr. Anthony Richardson Mr. Deputy Speaker, thank you. I will not repeat what has been said before.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you.

Mr. Anthony Richardson What I will do instead though, with your permission, is actually to commend, to really commend Mrs. Gibbons for her fortitude. To those in the room, I happen to be one of those also that rears from St. George’s . And Mr. and Mrs. Gibbons [were among] the numerous icons …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm.

Mr. Anthony Richardson And not him alone, because he does not act alone, he acts as a member of Cabinet and as a larger member of the parliamentary caucus. So, I want to make sure that we do commend him in that regard. Also, Mr. Deputy Speaker, I think what is important that …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Mr. Richardson. Any further speakers? There appear to be none. Colonel, you have the floor.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker . Let me just first say thank you to everybody who spoke in support of this, particularly the Opposition who have seen the value in this.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch This took longer than I expected it would take.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch But it is like baking a cake, you can’t take it out of the oven until it is cooked.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker You shouldn’t open the oven, either.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch Exactly. [Laughter]

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch I think MP Richardson hit the nail on the head about not if but when. And that was always my belief.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch That was always my position that we would get there. So, there was give and take on both sides.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch It is an interesting phenomenon to have a lawyer representing you and giving you advice.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch But that is what it is, advice. And you have to decide whether that is in line with where it is that you want to go or not, and you accept or reject it. And I did both during this exercise. I never had any doubt that we would get …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch —as a result of the negotiations. It was frustrating at times because, you know, you are back and forth but that is the nature of the beast. You say yes to some things, and you say no to some other things and the other side does the same. I can …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch I cannot remember where I . . . I think I was in Cabinet. And so, you are not supposed to look at your phones — [Laughter]

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch —and you are not supposed to . . . well, you cannot use them at the Cabinet table. But the phone was sitting there, and it popped up and I thought, No, that can’t be right . But I immediately went outside and called the Acting PS and I said, …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Amen!

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch I always . . . in every negotiation and in every exercise and in every discussion, you need to know who you are dealing with. So, my weakness is on two fronts, and I tell my constituents this: if you are an adult in my constituency, you are on your …

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch And that comes from birth. I was born in a seniors’ home by a relative who ran it.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm. Bermuda House of Assembly Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch: So my entire life has revolved around that. And my mother spent a significant amount of her life dealing with seniors. So, people don’t actually know that, and they think that, you know, there is going to be some …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch —and hopefully is supported by the Opposition there as well and will be passed and we will be able to conclude this matter by paying the amount of money that we have indicated as available to do so. There was one question that was raised about the issue of Somner …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch It is the best result for Government . I can tell you the disbelief that I had when I learned that, one, there was somebody who owned a piece of property that separated two golf courses; and, two, that we had given a lease to Hotelco that excluded that and …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Any objections to the [Motion]? There are no objections. The [Motion] is approved.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker .

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you. [Motion carried: The House authorised the purchase of all that southernmost strip of land to be subdivided from land situated at 18 Secretary Lane, St. George’s GE05 in the Island of Bermuda as outlined in the Agreement for Sale made between Gardine Izetta Gibbons and the Government of …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mr. Premier? No, I think it is somebody else— [Inaudible interjections]

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Third reading.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Third reading . . . yes, I didn’t see you [MP Swan], you are hiding down below there. BILL THIRD READING ANTI -DOPING IN SPORT ACT 2023

Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan Yes. Yes, Mr. Deputy Speaker . I move that the Bill entitled the Anti -Doping [in Sport Act 2023] be read a third time.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Any objections? No. Continue . . . I am sorry. Approved. [Motion carried: The Anti -Doping in Sport Act 2023 was read a third time and passed.]

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker I think it is you, Mr. Premier. ADJOURNMENT Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker . Mr. Deputy Speaker, I move that this Honourable House do now adjourn —

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker I think you— 152 24 November 2023 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. E. David Burt: —until —

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker —you had one, did you have one speaker for motion to — Hon. E. David Burt: I know that Members from my side are speaking on the motion to adjourn. I just wanted to make sure I informed you of that.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes. Hon. E. David Burt: But, Mr. Deputy Speaker, I move that this House do now adjourn until Friday, December 8, and someone is on their feet behind me, I know. [Laughter]

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you. We will adjourn until the [8 th]. Colonel Burch.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch Mr. Deputy Speaker —

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker You are up quick. [Laughter] CARICOM MEMBERSHIP

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch Yes. There is a saying that the Opposition has its way . . . sorry, the Opposition has its say, but the Government has its way. You are familiar with that saying, Mr. Deputy Speaker ?

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes, very familiar, sir.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch I think that probably only you and I would be familiar with that saying. I don’t know whether it was coined by him, but he used it an awful lot during his time as the longest serving Premier in this country.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes, he did.

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member [Sir] John Swan?

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch That is right. Mr. Deputy Speaker, he used it. I wasn’t in Parliament, but I was in Youth Parliament and so I followed things at that time. I know he used it a lot when Dame Lois Browne- Evans —

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch —and L. Frederick Wade were Opposition Leaders. Whenever they had anything to say, he said, You can have your say, but the Government has its way . Mr. Deputy Speaker, that is the premise under which I serve as a Minister, and I encourage my parliamentary colleagues to do the …

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch I am probably . . . I have served in every PLP Cabinet since the year 2000. So, I have seen the operation of all five of our PLP Premiers. I was in Montego Bay on 2 July 2003 when Bermuda became a member of CARICOM—

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch —accompanying then Premier Jennifer Smith. Twenty years ago, Mr. Deputy Speaker . Many people would not know why it was Jamaica and why it was 2003 because we have certainly had that aim as an exercise when we first won the Government . The Prime Minister of Jamaica at the …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch He took an interest in the then Bermuda Premier, the first PLP Premier, and helped to guide and lead that process. He wanted Bermuda to join CARICOM in Jamaica, and that is why it was Montego Bay in July of 2003. This week, Mr. Deputy Speaker, we have heard some …

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch —while setting up businesses and a lot of those countries are making a whole lot of money.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch But we could not participate with our Caribbean colleagues.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch You haven’t put the clock on —

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes, but I know you are going to be good. Bermuda House of Assembly Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch: Huh?

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker I know you aren’t going to be more than 30 minutes. [Laughter]

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch Thank you. Mr. Deputy Speaker, so . . . we get treated like we have amnesia because during the five years between 2012 and 2017 . . . Do you remember who the Government was, Mr. Deputy Speaker ?

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch So do I. Do you remember that their premiers went to CARICOM?

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch Mr. Deputy Speaker, not that much, I know. But I know that then Premier Dunkley went to CARICOM.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch Mr. Deputy Speaker, we have heard this week, or two weeks ago, that we will only make it if we work together.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch And there’s an offer, Let’s work together. But the definition of that work together is unworkable, Mr. Deputy Speaker , because their work together means do as I say , because in every other utterance, everything we do is wrong. Everything we do is wrong! Now, we don’t even get …

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch Every one of them have been vilified, have been accused of being corrupt, have been accused of being dishonest, have been accused of being incompetent, have [been] accused of not being able to manage anything.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch And our history does not even support any of that.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch I will use a practical example: they have been trying to prosecute one of those premiers for more than a decade.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch We have had not one MP be convicted or go to jail for corruption or for any-thing else. This is a small community where everybody knows everybody else. And the suggestion that you cannot get anything right smacks of . . . smacks of racism, Mr. Deputy Speaker . Now, …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch But I know that the motivation is coming from somewhere else.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch On occasions like that, for me as a Minister, as a parliamentarian . . . somebody mentioned today about how they got here.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch We all got here the same way.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch Knocking on people’s doors and convincing them that, one, we were honest; and two, we would represent their interests to the best of our ability. All of us did that. Some of us are better at delivering on it than others, but we all got here the same way. Mr. …

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch —you are kind of set in your ways and you kind of got a groove. The way that I believe that the way that the last matter we discussed in this House, to get it resolved requires you be stubborn, [requires] you be clear about where you want to end …

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch And in that case it was definitely a three- nothing vote. Me, myself and I. [Laughter]

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch Mr. Deputy Speaker, I am in departure lounge syndrome.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch Yes, I am coming to the end of this journey and so . . . some people will celebrate at that news. [Laughter]

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch Others will be saying other things. But the time is up. That is . . . I will leave that just where it is. But, Mr. Deputy Speaker, we cannot continue as a country being dishonest with one another. We can-not. If you want to work with me, then it …

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Was it 200?

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch No. Mr. Deputy Speaker, I cannot believe that this is the first time I have actually been into the church. But when you walk into the building, you sense and you feel . . . and all of the people that are members of that church are older than me …

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch But you can sense that for them this is The Church.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch This is a part of their life. This is a part of their being, and they are just so proud to have people who are not members of their church come and celebrate with them. For people in the PLP, we do that before we join the PLP. That is …

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch It is going to be very difficult for the Opposition to get members of this party to think that you want to work with us when your cam-paign is based on demonising an individual so that people want to do physical harm to them. And the only reason why it …

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch Attack the Leader, attack the Leader, attack the Leader. And the suggestion that if he goes, everything is —

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Going to be good.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch Everything is called into question. If I say (as I have) [that] I am in the departure lounge, you know , if he goes, oh trust me . . . and I mean, I think that people when they get long in the tooth in this game, when the day …

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch And it is time for someone else to have a turn. During this campaign, I suspect Bermuda House of Assembly that we are going to get to where we normally get to, aided and abetted by the daily newspaper —

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Oh, yes.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch —who have not quite figured out that I do not believe they are relevant. [Laughter]

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch I do not. They asked for an interview about this matter that we just dealt with, and I said, Absolutely. I will have much to say about it on the 24 th of November in the House of Assembly where the Motion had already been tabled. And I noted that …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm.

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch And in typical fashion — I do not know whether it was deliberate or just their normal getting things wrong— but they indicated that the matter we just dealt with had been included in the Hotelco lease, when it had not been. And they indicated that it was 202 0, …

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch I have one minute? They have not done it every quarter, but they finally got one where the OBA and the PLP are neck and neck. What [does] that tell you? All the other surveys must have said something quite different, not in support of the people who they support. …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you. [No audio] CARICOM MEMBERSHIP

Mr. Jamahl S. Simmons Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Mr. Deputy Speaker, a word that has entered the lexicon recently is “ triggered. ” Now I am old, so I do not get triggered. But when I heard the remarks by the former leader of our country, if I were capable of being so, …

Mr. Jamahl S. Simmons And unlike my colleague who just took his seat, I am not going anywhere unless the people put me out. I have a little time to go, but I . . . I . . . well, one of my colleague’s said, Well maybe . . . Well, you want …

Mr. Jamahl S. Simmons But it has been a wonderful experience, and I am very humbled by the time I have spent in constituency 33. And what I think has been important is over the past years we have moved from Op-position to Government. I have been Shadow Minister, I have been a Minister, …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm.

Mr. Jamahl S. Simmons But I do know this. We have a community that is very, very interested in the uplift-ment of Bermudians. They are very interested in the protection of Bermudians. They are very interested in a country where their children can grow up and do not feel they have to leave their …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you. The Chair recognises the Honourable Member Christopher Famous. CARICOM MEMBERSHIP

Mr. Christopher Famous Good afternoon, Mr. Deputy Speaker , colleagues, and the listening public. Mr. Deputy Speaker , I am going to make a slight departure and then get back on track.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm.

Mr. Christopher Famous Mr. Deputy Speaker , as a people, we have undoubtedly experienced the absolute worst of humanity. We have been enslaved. We have suffered genocide, land theft, denial of rights, and so on and so forth. In this country, we have been told: You can’t go to school over there. You …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm.

Mr. Christopher Famous We all have a phone, a tablet, and when we see certain things right now, Mr. Dep-uty Speaker , as much as some people like to say, No, that is not what it is. It is what it is. It is apartheid when children are being slaughtered standing outside their …

Mr. Christopher Famous That is for people we pay. We are just bringing them in. By 1616, the first enslaved persons were brought to this country. One was Black and one was of Native American heritage. Mr. Deputy Speaker , you may know this gentleman, Cyril Packwood. He is an Outerbridge as well. …

Mr. Christopher Famous Undeniably. He is Bermuda’s Alex Haley. He wrote many articles. And one of the articles he wrote . . . And I am going to say this Mr. Deputy Speaker. I forgot the exact title, but it [spoke to] the origins of Black Bermudians. And I quote, Mr. Dep-uty Speaker …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes, they do.

Mr. Christopher Famous They have the same names as we do. It is not a coincidence. They are us. We are them. The same thing with St. Kitts [and Nevis]. They are us. We are them. Mr. Deputy Speaker, the third wave of migration from the West Indies came during the 1960s when …

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Yes. CARIFTA.

Mr. Christopher Famous But then they changed the name. They said: No. Let’s call it CARICOM, the Caribbean Community. So, for 50 years —longer than the European Union —CARICOM has been in existence. Initially it was just a few: Jamaica, Guyana, Barbados, Montserrat, the originals. Then as countries became independent, they joined. Then …

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Oh-oh!

Mr. Christopher Famous —leading the story about Bermuda wishing to become a full -time—yes, write it down, Jarion, I mean, sorry, Honourable Member — wishing to become a full -time member, I know the path they are on. They kept on digging questions at the Premier. What is it? When is this going …

Mr. Christopher Famous No, no, no, no, no. Before they did that, they brought in, Hey, Mike, can you do us a favour ? Hey, write this story and put in there that their joining CARICOM could lead to open borders. That will rile up the natives. Hmm. [Inaudible interjection]

Mr. Christopher Famous That is the word, dog whistles. Can I say dog whistle? I do not mean he is a dog, but it is a dog whistle.

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member A whistle for a dog, yes.

Mr. Christopher Famous That is what they did. And as usual you got the 100- plus comments, maybe 50 people repeating 20 things, repeating it two times. A guy who as the [former] Home Affairs Minister, attended a grand total of one CARICOM meeting [and] is now a CARICOM expert on what this …

Mr. Christopher Famous So, you see, Mr. Deputy Speaker , I work nights. I woke up at some hour in the morning . . . I mean, sorry, some hour during the day. [Laughter]

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes, you got it right. [Laughter]

Mr. Christopher Famous And I see this text from somebody saying, Hey! There is a press conference going on. By the time I read it, the press conference was over. And this person was saying this, that, and the other. And I was like, What? Are you serious? Let me check this out …

Mr. Christopher Famous They say, Hey! (And I am quoting the person.) Don’t do nothing with them down here. Deal with those people up there. You know Black people talk with their hands, so the gesticulations were pointing towards Europe. Mr. Deputy Speaker , in this very House, in 2018, we were told …

Mr. Christopher Famous Yes, we have to. They are us. We are them. And there is no way I am ever going to let somebody who is not for us tell me I cannot asso-ciate my family. Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker .

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Mr. Famous. [Desk thumping]

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Any further speakers? The Chair recognises the Honourable Kim Swan. You have the floor. CARICOM MEMBERSHIP

Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan Yes. Good afternoon, Mr. Deputy Speaker . I was reminded of a conversation I had recently in a grocery store after the Throne Speech [at] Paget Modern Mart. I remember when it was owned by my good friend, David Fer rerai. We used to play a little golf over at …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm.

Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan —irrespective of how it came about. And there is a natural synergy between Bermuda and the Caribbean as a consequence of how that came about. And there is a natural synergy between Bermuda and the Azores and how that came about. And now in more modern days there is a …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Member —

Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan —to come towards —

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker — Member —

Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan —the UBP.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Member, let’s try to be careful. Sir John is not here to defend himself. You can refer to his leader’s name. You can refer to a former Premier or something like that. I hate to be referring to names 160 24 November 2023 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly …

Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan Okay. And I hold him with the upmost respect and love as a family member. Those would know I was a pallbearer at his father’s funeral up there on Mount . . . not Mount Hill. He came from Mount Hill. But up there in Glebe Road area. I am …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Any further speakers? The Chair recognises the Honourable Member . . . what’s your name? [Laughter]

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Scott. Lawrence Scott. You have the floor.

Mr. W. Lawrence Scott Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker . I know that the streetlights are on, and it is close to your bedtime.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes, it is. CARICOM MEMBERSHIP

Mr. W. Lawrence Scott Mr. Deputy Speaker , timing is everything when it comes to context. And since we are entering the festive season, I will use a very popular Christmas movie to illustrate the point. If you watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas and start watching it 10 to 15 minutes from the …

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member And he’s green. [Laughter]

Mr. W. Lawrence Scott And so, if someone out there is not familiar with the history or how this story began, hearing a former Premier say that this is not the way that we should go could carry a lot of weight. Keep in mind that the Bermuda insurance industry sparked to life probably …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes. Yes.

Mr. W. Lawrence Scott Now, Mr. Deputy Speaker , you know what else floored me? And it floored me a couple years ago in 2019 when Colonial sponsored the West Indies’ cricket team. And for those who are of Dennis Lister Jr.’s age and do not know who Colonial is, they know then as …

Mr. W. Lawrence Scott You try to bring in Heineken. You try to bring in any household product right now. Because what? They have exclusivity with the suppli-ers in the United States, Canada and the UK, but they do not have it with the manufacturers in the Caribbean. So, could you imagine if we …

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member You didn’t have to go there. [Laughter] Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. W. Lawrence Scott: But Mr. Deputy Speaker , we could be positioned. We could be positioned to once again reclaim our place in the upper echelons of international business. And I am not just talking about reinsurance. We …

Mr. W. Lawrence Scott Mr. Deputy Speaker , there are those who have been educated at the University of the West Indies which is arguably one of the best uni-versities in the world but yet they are not recognised here in their own country because it is located in the West Indies.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm.

Mr. W. Lawrence Scott Because of a stigma. And that stigma has just been perpetuated not by fact but by rep-etition. Remember prior to 1998, you had thirty years of repetition that anything that empowered the middle class was bad but anything that trickled down from the merchant elite was good. So much so …

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Hmm, 250 million reasons. [Inaudible interjections]

Mr. W. Lawrence Scott Not questioning those who do not look like us was America’s Cup and the building of the island—

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Cross Island, yes.

Mr. W. Lawrence Scott Cross Island. Not questioning those who do not look like us ended up with the airport financial deal.

Mr. W. Lawrence Scott But yet they will question any economic decision made by us. Remember the hoopla and the questions and the names that Dr. Brown was called when he had the vision and foresight to build the docks up at Dockyard for larger cruise ships. [Inaudible interjection] Hon. W. Lawrence Scott: I …

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Go ahead. Hon. W. Lawrence Scott: When Dr. Brown talked about bringing faster ferries to Bermuda.

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Yes. Another Hon. Member: A figment of our imagination. [Inaudible interjections and laughter ] Hon. W. Lawrence Scott: But Mr. Deputy Speaker , if it was not for those docks up in Dockyard, where would our tourism product be right now? [Inaudible interjections]

Mr. W. Lawrence Scott And so, Mr. Deputy Speaker , when somebody from the other side of the aisle tells us that CARICOM is not good for i s blatantly ignoring that their former colleagues, their family, their friends are economically benefitting out of CARICOM right now this instant, providing the same services for …

Mr. W. Lawrence Scott How is it that they can provide services in the Caribbean that they say they cannot provide here? Same company. You compare the cost of living. And if we were able to become stronger members . . . you know what I think, Mr. Deputy Speaker , their real concern …

Mr. W. Lawrence Scott And, Mr. Deputy Speaker , maybe being a full member of CARICOM and seeing that being able to make internationally strategic decisions and trading decisions and partnership decisions with other countries without having a middleman make the decision for us standing up there in Whit ehall, maybe then we will …

Mr. W. Lawrence Scott Maybe then when we say something that is pro- Bermudian, the Opposition does not try to pull the race card. Maybe then, Mr. Deputy Speaker , we will see more Bermudians owning communication companies, banking institutions. These are the thin gs they do not want us to see. This is …

Mr. W. Lawrence Scott When we have access to capital, we have access to opportunity. Where we have access to opportunity, we have the ability to start employing our own. And when we employ our own, we set our own up to be successful. That is what the Caribbean has done. But they will …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you. Thank you. [Ms.] Foggo, come. The Chair recognises the Honourable Anthony Richardson.

Mr. Anthony Richardson Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Mr. Deputy Speaker , are you switching?

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Go ahead. I am going to give you 18 minutes. Mr. Anthony Richardson: Okay. Thank you, s ir. [Laughter]

Mr. Anthony Richardson Good afternoon, Mr. Deputy Speaker and soon- to-be Madam Acting Speaker. [Laughter and inaudible interjection] [Ms. Lovitta F. Foggo, Acting Speaker, in the Chair]

The Acting Speaker The Speaker Continue, Member. CARICOM MEMBERSHIP

Mr. Anthony Richardson Madam Acting Speaker, good afternoon. My contribution this afternoon will be under the theme “ignorance is bliss .” Madam Acting Speaker, according to what I will euphemistically call “Google Uni-versity, ” the expression “ignorance is bliss” means that remaining ignorant on topics and subject matter can benefit you. It means …

The Acting Speaker The Speaker Don’t do that. You wouldn’t be allowed to continue. [Laughter]

Mr. Anthony Richardson Madam, as I said, if I called you ignorant, I would be thrown out of the House, most likely.

The Acting Speaker The Speaker Most definitely.

Mr. Anthony Richardson Similarly, Madam Acting Speaker, if I called a fellow Member ignorant, I am sure there would be a point of order and a call for me to retract what I am saying.

The Acting Speaker The Speaker Perhaps.

Mr. Anthony Richardson But Madam Acting Speaker, I would say now that I am a proud member of Bermuda’s public education system. And I did go to our academy when it was public. And guess what. My English teacher was Mi ss Debra Hall , sister to Mr. Julian Hall. And I trust …

Mr. Anthony Richardson Yes. And you know and I know what I am referring to.

Mr. Anthony Richardson There was a reference also to the sporting ability to participate in CARIFTA [ Caribbean Free Trade Association] . I will say that this year I had the opportunity for the first time to go to CARIFTA when it was in The Bahamas. And nothing compares to being present when …

Mr. Anthony Richardson Not quoted by the Royal Gazette. And I will say this, Madam Acting Speaker, and there has been something that has been said again. And I will only repeat it because I think it is important because one of my colleagues often refers to this idea of a dog whistle. …

The Acting Speaker The Speaker Mm-hmm.

Mr. Anthony Richardson I will say that again. Part of the reason why this is given as a dog whistle is because in the past immigration was, in fact, used intentionally to alter Bermuda’s racial makeup. And we still have some of the negative fallout from that to this day. Again, Madam Acting …

The Acting Speaker The Speaker Thank you, Member. Is there any other Member who wishes to speak? I recognise the Member from constituency 4. Minister, you have the floor. CARICOM MEMBERSHIP Hon. Tinee Furbert: Thank you, Madam Acting Speaker. I want to take this time to actually celebrate us as a country for being an …

The Acting Speaker The Speaker Yes, there you go. [Inaudible interjections] Hon. Tinee Furbert: Lord—

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Lord, I -stand- in-your-place— [Laughter] Hon. Tinee Furbert: —and watch him represent the United Kingdom. But it was not representative of my home , Bermuda. 168 24 November 2023 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly And I say all of that to say that havi ng a vote or …

The Acting Speaker The Speaker Yes. Hon. Tinee Furbert: I, you know, looking at the . . . which I normally do not do. I normally do not go online and look at the comments. But I did look at it this time because everyone will know that last week we had the Parliamentary Prayer …

The Acting Speaker The Speaker Continue. Hon. Tinee Furbert: Thank you. Let me get . . . here we go. I lost it; hold on.

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member CARICOM.ORG. [Laughter] Hon. Tinee Furbert: CARICOM.ORG. [It is under] “Who we are.” “[CARICOM] i s a grouping of twenty countries: fifteen Member States and five Associate Members. It is home to approximately sixteen million citizens, 60% of whom are under the age of 30, and [are] from the main ethnic …

The Acting Speaker The Speaker Mm-hmm. Hon. Tinee Furbert: It has got to be more than shaking our butts in Trinidad and Tobago or Barbados at Crop Over. It has got to be more about identifying with that. And we have to be a lot clearer about our own identities and our connection with our …

The Acting Speaker The Speaker Our National Hero. Hon. Tinee Furbert: Our National Hero. We owe it to Dame Jennifer [Smith]. We owe it to [Dr.] E. F. Gordon. We owe it to Dame Lois Browne- Evans.

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Yes. Hon. Tinee Furbert: We owe it to Dr. Pauulu [Kamarakafego]. [Inaudible interjection] Hon. Tinee Furbert: Yes. We have to remain connected to our Caribbean roots. Even though we are an associate member, and we will consult with our people, but it is the right thing to do. It is …

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member We are! Hon. Tinee Furbert: Okay. [Laughter] Hon. Tinee Furbert: He took a tool, a knife, and stabbed her to death. He murdered her.

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Yes. Hon. Tinee Furbert: And I was like, Oh, my gosh!

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member That is something. Hon. Tinee Furbert: That is something. It is something. But this very act happened right in our own home. And I read with intent over the past couple of days, there was a letter to the editor. I don’t know if you had the opportunity to read …

The Acting Speaker The Speaker Thank you, Member. Are there any other Members who wish to speak? I recognise the Member from constituency 29. Member, you have the floor. THE COMBINED OPPOSITION Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Thank you, Madam Acting Deputy Speaker. I might just call you “Speaker” for short tonight because I …

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Madam Temporary. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Madam Temporary would do, yes. But Madam Acting Speaker, we often hear in this House the term “Combined Opposition.” And when we hear that term spoken by many Members on this side of the House, a lot of Members opposite get their …

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Yes. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Our forum is here. And we have heard from Members articulating very well as to how we all feel on this side of the House. But that is our forum. We won’t get the forum . . . we won’t get the headlines …

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Correct. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: We just won’t get it.

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Correct. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: We have had every one of our leaders, over time, and not only our leaders but many of us who sat in the House over the years, whether it be Ministers, whether it be Opposition Ministers and whether it be backbenchers, our leaders …

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Yes. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: That was a big issue. And now what are they try ing to do? They look for anything for our current Leader Burt. Anything! But that is what they do to us. And it is not going to stop any time soon, colleagues. …

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Hmm. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Now get me—i n the public interest! Right? So, if you constantly get your bloggers to blog, the Roy al Gazette t o print,—

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Do a poll on you. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: —d o a poll on you, or whatever! But if you continue to do it, and especially if you start spreading falsehoods against us constantly . . . constantly bombarding. And we know that the OBA have paid people, …

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member No point of order? Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Oh, no point of order here. I can assure you. It is right here. [Inaudible interjection] Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: He did say it. He was paid.

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Wow! Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Now, we never found out where the $350[,000] came from. There is another investigation that was stopped. Bermuda House of Assembly [Inaudible interjections] Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Oh, we are all familiar with Jetgate. But what I am saying is, you …

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member My goodness gracious! Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Because it is in the public interest! But wait a minute, we had a top detective in this country who was out breaking COVID -19 rules.

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Fancy that! [Inaudible interjections] Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Yes! Yes!

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Surely he was arrested! Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Well, he was not arrested.

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Ah! Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: But the officer who booked him and sent the case, sent the file into the DPP [De-partment of Public Prosecutions]. They said, Guess what? It is not in the public interest. Some Hon. Member s: Aah! No!

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Imagine that. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: We haven’t heard a beep. Not a dickey -bird. [Inaudible interjections]

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member My, my, my! Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Yes! Now we have had a former Commissioner of Police, Mr. Corbishley, in fact, if he was still in Bermuda, his contract would still be running. [He] left in the cloak of darkness. Now, there is a word . . . …

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Wow! Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Left the country in the cloak of darkness. Gone! Poof! Just like magic!

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Disappeared! Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: We do not know if he had any compensation. We do know that the Governor started an investigation. A report was given to her, an interim report. And the next day he was gone.

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Yes! [Inaudible interjections] Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Now, wait a minute. So, you have a commissioner who resigns in this country, a commissioner of police resigns, has several hundred officers under him, leaves the country and not a dickey - bird on that either. So is that not …

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Yes. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: A commissioner of police, someone who we must rely on to protect and serve us, the people of Bermuda, and it is not in the public interest to find out what happened? Was he . . . this is a position that pays …

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Yes. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: And we have heard zero!

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Not a dickey -bird. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: I wonder if the Progressive Labour Party hired a commissioner of police that looked like us, right, and he disappeared in the cloak of darkness — [Inaudible interjections] Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Okay. Wait a minute. —and disappeared …

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Nope! Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: We have a chairman of the . . . BB . . . the UB . . . What? No, the OBA, — [Laughter] 172 24 November 2023 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: —resign after …

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Yes. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: But wait a minute, there was a catch. The Honourable Member Dunkley was the Premier at the time. He said, You can investigate all you want, but do not investigate my Ministers. No you don’t! And that is in this article too, if …

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member It hasn’t seen the light of day. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: But I will tell you what. There is one on Dr. Brown. It seems like every day, every other day he is on the front page. [He] is still being investigated. But that is what we have …

The Acting Speaker The Speaker Yes, you may. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: “Sale of stake in Skyport a ‘vote of confidence’ in B ermuda —OBA ” Now hang on. So, this was in March and 49 per cent of our airport was sold to a company in Canada by the name of Connor, …

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Yes. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: So, they received $50- odd million, plus, plus, plus. They sell 49 per cent stake to this company and we have not heard a peep. We should all be . . . but I will tell you what. I bet you if Zane …

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Yes. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Dare I say that?

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member There would be an investigation. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: How many times do you think that would have been in the newspaper? But then we get the Honourable Member Jackson, and I quote, “attacked the Government’s critical reaction to the deal . . . when complete.” And she …

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member And the back page! [Laughter and inaudible interjections ] Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Yes! Or . . . or . . . hang on. If Collie Buddz would have brought a container of drugs [to] this Island, there would have been an investigation. [Inaudible …

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Aah! [Inaudible interjections and laughter ]

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Your picture would be there! Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: I will tell you what!

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Yes. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: I will tell you what! I bet you that wouldn’t have any trouble making the front page every . . . along with cedar beams and everything else they like to do to us. [Inaudible interjections] Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: But …

The Acting Speaker The Speaker Thank you, Member. Are there any other Members who wish to speak? I recognise the Member from constituency 13. Minister Rabain, . . . you have the floor. THE OBA NARRATIVE Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Thank you, Madam Acting Speaker. Madam Acting Speaker, it often surprises me that although …

The Acting Speaker The Speaker Yes, Minister. Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: I messaged back, I haven’t had a chance to read it or see it. I don’t know what he said. I can say without seeing it that I would guess Sir John put out the old UBP tactics, subconsciously making it seem like …

The Acting Speaker The Speaker Top four, Minister. 174 24 November 2023 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Top 4 per cent of universities in the world.

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Say it again.

The Acting Speaker The Speaker Top 4 per cent. I have to say that— Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: And the cost of attending the University of [the] West Indies pales in comparison to the cost to attend these other so- called prestigious institutions we feel we have to send our children to. So it …

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Yes. Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: I would like for them to say thank you for doubling the number of scholarships pro-vided for our people than what we had.

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Yes. Another Hon. Member: How about apprenticeships? Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: I would love for them to say thank you for the apprenticeships that we are putting forth. As a matter of fact, I just sent out a poster to all of my constituents. Workforce Development is looking for …

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Thank you. Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: You know what? I was reading one of the blogs. And when we last sat here and we had MP Adams speak to how in December we will be paying back $50 million on our debt, you know what the commentary was? Obviously …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Now, no meals have been ordered. Now, Premier, you are the next speaker. Mr. Premier, I am hungry. [Laughter]

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Don’t worry. You won’t be that long. [Laughter] Hon. E. David Burt: I may take my full 20. [Laughter] Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Deputy Speaker —

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Don’t forget the clock. Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Deputy Speaker, I know that you are someone who attends church on a regular basis.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes, I do. Hon. E. David Burt: As you will say, T omorrow is your Sabbath and Sunday may be your day. And I know that I will not be able to fill you spiritually like they do in church, but I will do my best to try, so maybe …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm. Hon. E. David Burt: But what I would say is, Mr. Deputy Speaker, is that the work continues.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm. Hon. E. David Burt: But as we heard from the incredibly eloquent and passionate contributions of our colleagues on this side today, that the work of governance is difficult. And at times you have to make difficult decisions where oftentimes there are two bad outcomes and you have to …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm. Hon. E. David Burt: And so we go through the process of making sure that we deal with all the myriad of issues of which we have, and truth be told, with an under-staffed public service that is particularly stretched because of years of austerity and trying to make …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Travels. Hon. E. David Burt: That is what the Royal Gazette specialises in.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes. Hon. E. David Burt: Bad news sells. They are always trying to get the story, trying to always find the angle, trying to always operate from an assumption and a position that the Progressive Labour Party members are somehow crooked, doing something wrong, et cetera. I have said on …

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member They have tried. Hon. E. David Burt: Oh, they have tried. But it doesn’t work.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes. Hon. E. David Burt: You get what I am trying to say? You don’t see it happening to Members opposite. Noth-ing. But over here it is always, You are guilty and you must prove your innocence.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker I am familiar with that. Hon. E. David Burt: Following up with rumours. You know full well.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes. Hon. E. David Burt: Because trust me, all it took was someone to put a check in it, and everyone believed it. Oh, yes!

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Oh, yes. Yes. Hon. E. David Burt: And then of course it is false. That’s the angle. So, I think that it is important to remind the voters of this country that the reason why we have such a strong international business presence is that Bermuda is regarded as one …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes. Hon. E. David Burt: It is not my call.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm. Hon. E. David Burt: And so it is important that members of the public remember that. Facts are what mat-ters. Not the BS. (Sorry, that might be unparliamentary.) Not the foolishness —

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm. Hon. E. David Burt: —that anyone can invent on a WhatsApp chat or a WhatsApp forum or post on social Bermuda House of Assembly media or an AI -generated image, or whatever. It is facts. We must deal with the facts. So I am going to go to some …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes. Hon. E. David Burt: The other issue I am going to touch on is along the theme that many Members have touched on today, CARICOM. So, let me start on the matter and issue of FinTech. FINTECH JOURNEY Hon. E. David Burt: We have been on Bermuda’s FinTech journey …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes. Hon. E. David Burt: In this country, the newspaper feels they need to make it, or make it up. [Laughter] Hon. E. David Burt: I’m just saying! They literally — The Deputy Speaker: Yes. Hon. E. David Burt: —get their source from social media. I cannot tell you the …

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Oh-oh. Hon. E. David Burt: Try this again. But it is not! Now, Mr. Deputy Speaker, let’s talk about the history. Because, yes, just like he was featured on the front page of Forbes magazine. Just like he was featured on the front page of Fortune and the Financial Times …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Right. Hon. E. David Burt: Yes, in 2018, we signed an MOU with the company to look to progress because we wanted to create jobs in this country, make sure that we progress, make sure that we diversified our financial services sector. We know we are trying to build up …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes. Right. Hon. E. David Burt: Important distinction to make. Now here is the thing, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I said it in this House before as well, but I am repeating it for persons who are listening. Yes, in the early days, I, as Leader of the Government . . …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm. Hon. E. David Burt: And that is what governments do. You learn from your errors and mistakes and make sure you correct them for the reputational value of the country. So, the Binance MOU was cancelled in 2021 because they were not pursuing licensing with the Bermuda Monetary Authority. …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes, yes. They did. Hon. E. David Burt: I remember when I was in service I worked at Centauri. Centauri is not around anymore. Does that mean that our strategy was wrong? Did the Royal G azette print a big headline and say Insurance blow! Insurance is over because an …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes. Hon. E. David Burt: The next topic I will move onto . . . it does look like I am going to use my 20 minutes. Sorry. You are going to be hungry, Mr. Deputy Speaker. [Laughter]

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes, I see that. CARICOM MEMBERSHIP Hon. E. David Burt: I want to talk about a former Member of this Chamber. Someone who held a position that I held. The only person who has held this position longer than me, as a matter of fact. And he had a press …

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member He has my WhatsApp. Hon. E. David Burt: He has mine too. But here is the thing: Sir John was wrong. And not wrong on his view, because it’s fine to hold a view about whether or not Bermuda should become a full member of CARICOM or not. It is …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm. Hon. E. David Burt: Factually incorrect on so many different issues. And that is the reason why the Deputy Premier responded, went on the news and all the rest. That is the reason why I put out a statement. Because it doesn’t make sense. And then the temerity, the …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Premier, just refer to him as the former Premier. Hon. E. David Burt: Former Premier. Yes, sorry.

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes. Hon. E. David Burt: That the former Premier was factually incorrect. But here is the thing, Mr. Deputy Speaker, and I think a few of my colleagues have said this before. Sometimes you feel like you can’t win.

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Nope! Hon. E. David Burt: Like sometimes you can’t win. So, if the Government announced in a Throne Speech we are going to come up here, table a Bill to join CARICOM, use our 36 majority . . . because clearly I can promise you that support on this side. …

An Hon. Member An Hon. Member Yes. Hon. E. David Burt: It could have been within our rights to table the motion. It would have passed and then we could have joined. But no, we said that we would engage in a full consultative process, a process that has not yet started because a Throne Speech …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes. Hon. E. David Burt: You are not going to wake up tomorrow and we are going to be a full member of CARICOM. We are going to go through a consultative process like we have gone through multiple consultative processes before, posted online, people can read their comments, add …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Yes. Hon. E. David Burt: Many of us say we consult too much and we should just get on with it. [Inaudible interjections and laughter ] Hon. E. David Burt: But we have a history of consultation. This will be no different. Engage. Learn. Understand. The country will have the …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Mm-hmm. Hon. E. David Burt: We said in our platform that we would explore deeper relations on an economic basis with the Caribbean and Africa. And that is preciously what we are doing in this consultation. And I hope that persons will participate in it and not try to jump- …

The Deputy Speaker Deputy Speaker Thank you, Premier. The House stands adjourned to December 8, at ten o’clock. [Gavel] [At 7:06 pm, the House stood adjourned until 10:00 am, Friday, 8 December 2023 .] 180 24 November 2023 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly [This page intentionally left blank.]

November 24, 2023

Session Summary

Key Topics

Bills & Motions

Notable Moments

Debate Transcript