Speeches by Ben Smith, MP

9 May 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

10 words

I will continue to speak . . . [Inaudible interjections]

9 May 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

21 words

Madam Deputy Speaker, it is interesting that the Honourable Labour Minister is one of the people who is chirping right now.

9 May 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

69 words

Because one of the issues is this: The slow movement of immigration is one of the things that has actually been impacting this sector. And what you have to understand is that slow movement means that many times they are placing those jobs in other jurisdictions because their . . . because the immigration process is taking too long. So, …

9 May 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

57 words

So, the issue is because the Government likes to talk about the low unemployment rate, but they can’t tell us how many people have emigrated. We know that because it came up earlier today and we do not have those figures. We can’t even talk about it because we don’t know. Hon. Jason Hayward: Point of order.

9 May 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

96 words

Madam Deputy Speaker, it is not a decline. We are saying we need growth. The Minister talked about 8,000 more jobs. If you are slowing down the process and are putting the jobs overseas, those are jobs that we could have had. Correct? That’s the growth. So, he can talk about that message, but let’s be clear. Under the One …

9 May 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

5 words

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker.

9 May 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

212 words

Yes, I will continue on the immigration tact because going along with that . . . and the reason that this becomes a major subject is that almost everything that we are pointing to tells us that we have a population problem. And it is an emergency because the statistics that were brought to the House earlier today showed us …

9 May 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

80 words

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. Once again, this is the reality that we are living in. I understand that the comments are because it is uncomfortable when somebody tells you that you have got to move faster than you are moving right now. And it is really about we have to grow. Because at the moment, Madam Deputy Speaker, we …

9 May 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

18 words

One thousand per cent. [Inaudible interjections] Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Stop on that note. [Inaudible interjections]

9 May 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

65 words

But guess what, Madam Deputy Speaker, the middle class is falling into that net. More and more of our community is falling into that net. That is why the 65- year-olds, who might not have chosen to continue to work, must work. That is why more of our people are getting on the plane to never return. That is what …

9 May 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

34 words

So, it is interesting that the Government likes to point out that certain taxes were put in place under the One Bermuda Alliance, but they sure continue to collect those taxes up until recently.

9 May 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

20 words

That’s where they were getting that money from. And now they are looking at the CIT to bail them out.

9 May 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

117 words

So, Madam Deputy Speaker, construction. We are happy to see that they are lowering those taxes in order to increase that. But once again, the issue is this: It is the processing of Planning that is holding it up, that is causing the cost to go up because the construction industry is at a halt. Those are the issues. You …

9 May 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

18 words

But one crane is not a construction boon. Most of those buildings that are being torn down —

9 May 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

21 words

It is amazing that he can see that from way down there because I said the crane was on Front Street.

9 May 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

54 words

Madam Deputy Speaker, once again, on Front Street —crane. We can see it. And I was saying that we are happy about that. But Madam Deputy Speaker, how many buildings that are being torn down in Hamilton are being replaced with parking lots? Think that through. Some Hon. Member s: How many? [Inaudible interjections]

9 May 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

81 words

If everything is booming, they would be building office buildings, apartment buildings, and instead they are building parking lots. That tells you where the actual situation is. That is the part that they do not want to talk about. And we are not saying that nothing is happening. But every day that more of our citizens are deciding to opt …

9 May 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

136 words

Thank you. And I will. Thank you, Minister. Because growing is what needs to happen, with urgency. Because the issue is this: The Budget tells you all the things that the Government is going to do. But many of these things . . . we have been patient. The country has been waiting for them. This is not the first …

9 May 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

197 words

Thank you. I’m glad he said that because not giving the funding is how we got into the position in the first place. So, the issue is this: You can tell by a budget what your focus is. We are saying that you have to look to grow our economy so that more of our people can be part of …

9 May 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

232 words

Can you give us more money for the hospital? Can you help? Can you help there too? Can you help with our charities? Can you increase our safety net for us? Can you do all of those things? And we are going to have to increase your taxes with the CIT. That’s where we are. And we have to understand …