Full Text: Wayne Furbert’s Speech Today
Scroll down to read both highlights, as well as the full speech that is being delivered right now by the Hon. Wayne Furbert in the House of Assembly.
Mr Furbert is giving a ‘personal explanation’ for his decision to switch to the PLP, and began by thanking his family who are in attendance in the visitors gallery. He told his family he loves them, listing them by name, and at the end laughter could be heard as the Speaker of the House Stanley Lowe said “don’t forget me“.
Mr Furbert’s decision to switch allegiance to the ruling Progressive Labour Party [PLP] emerged yesterday after he began hand delivering a letter [read here] to his Hamilton Parish constituents explaining his decision.
A former Leader and Minister of the United Bermuda Party [UBP], he resigned from the party in 2008, and sat in the House as an independent.
Excerpts from the speech:
The principals I grew up on yesterday are as strong today as they were yesterday.
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No political party ever made me who I am, and no political party can ever change who I am.
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Mr. Speaker, the Progressive Labour Party government must succeed or we will all fail. Our economy must prosper or we will all suffer. The alternative is too horrific to consider.
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Crossing the floor to sit as a Member of Parliament in another party is nothing new in parliamentary democracies. The great Sir Winston Churchill is perhaps the most favourite parliamentarian to cross the floor and switch allegiance on more then one occasion.
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In my closing point to the United Bermuda Party I would say “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something build a new model which makes the existing model obsolete”
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The text of Mr. Furbert’s full speech follows below:-
