Speeches by Ben Smith, MP

27 Jun 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

191 words

I will make it clear. I will make it clear because I am pretty sure I said it a couple of times. If you have allowed people to stay in the country and given them work permits so that they are here for 20 years, and now you have allowed them PRCs . . . Because just understand, they are …

27 Jun 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

12 words

And that is the reason I am bringing it up. [Inaudible interjections]

27 Jun 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

13 words

When I am talking about status, that is what I am referring to—

27 Jun 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

5 words

I am not denying anything.

27 Jun 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

14 words

This is me on my feet telling you what the position is. [Inaudible interjection]

27 Jun 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

14 words

This is the position I gave when I was in that committee. [Inaudible interjections]

27 Jun 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

11 words

So, unless you did not read the minutes, you would now.

27 Jun 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

89 words

So, the situation for us is clear. We have to look at every lever for how we can make sure, one, part of increasing the population means you have to stop the hole in the bucket where we are losing population—the emigration of Bermudians and the children of the people who you do not want to give status to saying, …

27 Jun 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

20 words

That is part of it. That is the conversation that you actually have to have because remember— [Inaudible interjections ]

27 Jun 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

52 words

And the Minister is saying that we will survive. [Inaudible interjection] 1198 27 June 2025 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Ben Smith: But look at this, because the population decreases . . . We are talking about cost of living. Look at health care numbers. Mr. Speaker, that alone—

27 Jun 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

154 words

—as the population gets older and shrinks, and the working population says, I am not going to continue to pay into that, a nd leaves, the price of that health care will continue to go up. So, if we are not going to be serious and look at every lever that has to be pulled in order for us to …

27 Jun 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

121 words

You have an opportunity to get to your feet, and you also have an opportunity to go on Google and look at all the countries that are dealing with the exact same situation as Bermuda. We cannot continue to put our heads in the sand and blame things on just what has happened way in the past. This Government has …

27 Jun 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

110 words

So, for us, this is not just an immigration issue. But it is important that we start to actually have a proper dialogue about what this means. We cannot continue to let our population think that this is just a boogieman that we cannot move forward. If we continue to make the group of people who are supporting this country …

27 Jun 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

65 words

—Bermuda is now going to tax us. So maybe we should go somewhere else. We need to at least start to have that conversation because if we do not, we are going to find ourselves in a completely different situation 10 years from now with a population that cannot sustain itself even further than the situation that we are in …

13 Jun 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

8 words

Yes. Thank you and good morning, Mr. Speaker.

13 Jun 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

35 words

Mr. Speaker, can the Premier confirm whether the Government intends to apply any exceptions to the English speaking requirement for work permit holders? And what criteria will be used to determine eligibility for such exceptions?

13 Jun 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

5 words

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker.

13 Jun 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

44 words

Mr. Speaker, considering that one of the changes that was highlighted was this English speaking part of the work permit policy, would the Premier be able to say whether this has been a major issue in the community that has made this highlight happen?

13 Jun 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

107 words

Second supplementary. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question to the Honourable Premier is . . . I guess the . . . I am trying to think of the way, because he does not want to answer my question. So, where we are . . . are there exceptions presently to the English speaking rule that have been …

13 Jun 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

41 words

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Premier provide a detailed update on the government’s acquisition of Sandys 360 facility? And what specific plans exist for redeveloping it for community use? Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker, no, I cannot.