Speeches by Dr. Douglas De Couto, JP, MP

5 Dec 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

22 words

I am asking about each of them individually. I presumed it might be a similar answer . Hon. E. David Burt: Right.

5 Dec 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

15 words

B ut if it is not, I would also like to know that. Thank you.

5 Dec 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

49 words

Yes, Mr. Chairman. It is just a clarifying question. With respect to [clause] 31(3) with the payroll benefit factors, the percentages, I think what I heard is , the answer is to align with Pillar Two? Hon. E. David Burt: No, that is what I said for [clause] 32.

5 Dec 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

27 words

Oh, okay. So, do we have an answer for that? Or… Hon. E. David Burt: No, I do not. The Chairman: He said he did not .

5 Dec 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

3 words

Oh, understood. Okay.

5 Dec 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

9 words

Well, hopefully one will be forthcoming, Mr. Chairman .

5 Dec 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

13 words

Yes, [Mr.] Chairman. Thank you very much. Hon. E. David Burt: All right.

5 Dec 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

60 words

Yes, and good evening, Madam Deputy Speaker. I move that the House do now take under consideration the following Motion, notice of which was given on 26 September 2025, that this Honourable House do take note of the opportunities, challenges, and risks to Bermuda arising from Bermuda's corporate income tax [CIT]. [Hon. Dennis P. Lister, Jr., Speaker, in the Chair]

5 Dec 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

9 words

Yes, good evening, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: Good evening.

5 Dec 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

47 words

Quite a day today. It is a CITpalooza and it is a really important topic that we need to discuss in depth. We talked a lot today about the Tax Reform Commission. We talked about the various laws that have been put on the table regarding the—

5 Dec 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

801 words

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And we are all, of course, grateful for these accommo-dations . It is such an important topic that it is important that all the relevant parties and all the right voices be heard in this room for the full ranging topic. Because what we talked about today earlier . . . Because I just want …

5 Dec 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

1,237 words

And it is worth repeating. Pay the debt down. And I know we have had agreement from the other side on this. That could include, by the way, the pensions debt, the underfunded pensions. There are things in there where we would certainly get behind using some CIT money to perhaps get rid of some of that pension gap and …

5 Dec 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

23 words

And they are still not going to talk about it, Mr. Speaker ! And that is coming out of their own mouths !

5 Dec 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

28 words

One of the biggest financial opportunities for this country, and the Government does not even want to talk about what they plan to do with it. [Inaudible interjections]

5 Dec 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

90 words

And frankly, that is our main concern, Mr. Speaker —nothing from the Government about this. What are their financial priorities? How will they approach financial stability? What will [be] the guardrails that they do? So ye s, we want to talk about it because the people need to know. And the arrogance of the Government to say : We are …

5 Dec 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

417 words

Oh ye s, they feel good. They feel good. Okay, let's talk about some of the risks, because I put that in the wording of the Motion. And this is why we have to think really carefully about the medium - and the long- term. This money is not guaranteed to us. It is really not. We have got to …

5 Dec 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

411 words

We have heard a lot about the OECD. They are not here for our benefit. As you know, Mr. Speaker, I put forward quite a lot of questions about : What will this be? What will that be? And often the answer is , It is not in Bermuda's national interest for the Government to share that. And the answer …

5 Dec 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

495 words

Yes, I know what the irritations are, Mr. Speaker, because we have done ample, ample consultation, and you know how companies work. Every year, the board of directors say , Now remind me why we are still in Bermuda. Could we do it cheaper or easier somewhere else? And that is why this Government needs to pick its socks up. …

5 Dec 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

38 words

Oh, he is not paying close attention. I would have thought that this topic would be the most important topic for the Premier, especially today. But now, he says he is not paying attention. All right. [Inaudible interjections]

5 Dec 2025 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House of Assembly

11 words

But he did come back to the room, Mr. Speaker. [Laughter]