Full Text: Michael Dunkley’s Election Speech

Senator Michael Dunkley is the new Deputy Leader of the One Bermuda Alliance, after gaining almost 75% of the vote [506 to 163] over veteran MP Trevor Moniz at last night’s leadership elections.

You can read the speech below, and watch it on the video replay here. It starts at approximately 53 minutes into the video, drag the bottom bar to fast forward.

The full text of Senator Dunkley’s speech follows below:

Good Evening Colleagues and Friends,

Over the weekend, as I was canvassing in Smith’s North up on Valley Heights, I knocked on a door and a gentleman answered and said: “You again Dunkley? I believe I see you more in our neighborhood than our children.” He laughed and I asked: “How often do you see your current MP?”

He said “only at election time, if at all.” I told him: “By now you know you will see me regularly, election or no election, and that I will be here for you and your neighbours to address your concerns and make sure your voice is heard in Parliament.”

I think most Bermudians know I am not a quitter. I think most see me as someone who is not afraid to take on a tough fight or to make a tough decision.

If you elect me to the post of Deputy Leader of the One Bermuda Alliance, you can be assured I will bring all the qualities that I am known for to the job-

• leadership;
• work ethic,
• honesty and integrity,
• energy, determination and drive to help us put Bermuda first and make the change desperately needed at the polls.

That is my commitment to you!

As members of this exciting new party and movement for change, there is only one goal we can all have.

That is to do what is right for Bermuda. The best way to achieve that is do everything in our power to win the next election.

We need to give this country the opportunity to do better. We need to get this country working again. We need to bring our people together and give them hope that things will get better.

That is why I am honored to have submitted my name for the position of Deputy Leader for the One Bermuda Alliance.

Friends I could go on now by telling you that Bermuda is in crisis

• that we have a 1.2 billion dollar debt
• that we are paying $200,000 a day in interest alone
• that retail sales have gone down every month for three years when compared to previous years
• that tourism is on its death bed
• that International Business is quietly leaving the island
• that 1,400 jobs were lost last year alone
• that many lives have been destroyed by the shocking increase in violent crime.

But you already know this and more.

You don’t need to see it in the news or read it in the papers every day, you know there is frustration and need in our society.

Many are living it, or know someone that is faced with the challenges and have to live with it….day in and day out.

Few have been spared the wrath of this downturn or been immune to staggering increase in violent crime and the decay of our social fabric.

This is the record of the current Government. So if you want five more years of what this Island is going through right now, then vote for them. I am serious when I say this.

If you like what you have, if you are happy with the way things are going in Bermuda, then support the current Government.

However friends, we are at a defining moment in our history. We can chart a new course now or accept the situation today as our way of life.

The decision is up to us. Bermudians I talk to are not prepared to accept where we are at this time. They are crying out for leaders who put Bermuda first.

So if you are like me and want Bermuda to move in a new direction, if you want to change our future for the better, then the time do that starts right now, on this night, in this room.

The OBA was formed to make this change possible. We are here to get this island working again, for everyone.

Some people, and members of the press, ask: What’s the difference between the OBA and the parties of the past? That is a fair question, so let me address it.

If you look around the room, you can see some MPs and some former MP’s.They have unselfishly spent most of their careers in politics as part of an opposition.

In doing so, they’ve spent as much time trying to deal with what is wrong as with helping do what is right.

Many, if not most of them, have never had the chance to put their ideas into action. Furthermore, being in opposition for a period of time is a humbling experience.

And it is also a good thing.

It helps keep the system in check and connects you with the people you serve. It reminds you that Government is there to work for the people.

The people are your boss. Not the other way around. It tells you that you are in politics to serve the people; that you are there to do what’s best for them, not yourself, not your friends, not even your party.

That’s what Bermuda first means. It is something no one in political life should ever forget. So I see the OBA as rebuilding Bermuda’s politics from the ground up.

And by that I mean the work starts at the ground level – on the doorstep, at town hall meetings, in living room chats and with the guys sitting on the wall.

You have to listen to what people are saying. You have to address their concerns. This has been missing for a long time.

The disconnect between government and governed is real, it has widened from year to year, and it is a key reason why we find ourselves in the trouble we are in.

The bottom line here is that you need to stay connected to the people in order to get them results that make Bermuda better for Bermudians;

• a place all of us can be proud of,
• a place of fair opportunity,
• a place we can raise our children in safety.

The One Bermuda Alliance can seize the moment to put Bermuda first.

We have experienced hands and fresh faces, We have optimism and ideas and the missionary commitment to get Bermuda back on track.

The OBA represents hope and has the belief that we must stay connected to the people every day not just prior to an election.

These are powerful ingredients for the change Bermuda needs. The beauty of the OBA is that it was founded by individuals who will do our very best to put aside egos and agendas to address the serious issues facing the island.

We understand the need for change – changing the way we govern ourselves, the way we work together, the way we deal with the outside world. We understand that we can’t keep doing the same things over and over again and expect different results.

We understand that this Island has great strengths we can build on, and that doing so can mitigate our weaknesses.

It has been an honor to work with the OBA team in the Senate, Senators Craig Cannonier and Dr. Kathy Michelmore.

Kathy has devoted her life to both public service and public health and Lord knows this country could use some healing!

Craig is a proud Bermudian whose life story is one of sacrifice, hard work, family and faith. He has the unique ability to understand the needs of business without losing the common touch.

In the short time I have had the pleasure of working with them both Kathy and Craig have shown that the brightest minds are right here in Bermuda and they have brought their experience to the OBA so we can get Bermuda working again.

And they are not the only ones.

With your support, my colleagues and I in the OBA can get Bermudians back to work by supporting the growth of international business, rebuilding tourism and allocating more government contracts to small business.

With your support, my colleagues and I will restore safety and security to our neighborhoods and curb gang violence.

With your support, our able finance team led by Bob Richards a man of integrity and honour; who has been right about the economy at every turn, will reduce government debt to sustainable levels, balance the budget and at the same time invest in our infrastructure to create more jobs for Bermudians.

With your support, our education team led by Dr. Grant Gibbons and Toni Spring will push through reforms that will improve the classroom experience and graduate students with a future of opportunity before them.

With your support, we will put power back in the hands of the people through fixed term elections and referenda for big issues; we will reform the system to make it more transparent and more accountable.

With your support, we will rebuild this island to ensure our children inherit a Bermuda where they can live in safety to fulfill their dreams.

But we cannot do any of this without your support, and the support of your family and friends, the support of your neighbors. We need all of you to make it happen.

I am excited by the birth of the OBA. I’m excited by its marriage of experienced hands and fresh faces. I’m excited by its determination to get Bermuda back on track.

The only thing standing in our way is us, all of us. We have to be the change we want for Bermuda. We have to understand that if we don’t step forward, this island can slip over the edge.

Now is the time. Now is the time to step forward.

We have been taken to the brink.

We need action now, clear-headed action that puts Bermuda first. There is no room for ego, no place for personal agendas, no time for dithering. Bermuda, our beloved Bermuda needs us, all of us

The current government has lost its way. Clearly, they have no answers, no plans for the serious challenges created by their approach to governing;an approach that put politics before policy and self-interest before public interest.

Think about what’s been done with education reform. Are you happy with the progress when more than four years a former Premier said just before the last election the system was in crisis?

Are you happy with the state of tourism? Are you happy with labour relations? Are you happy with public safety? Are you happy with the level of Government debt? Are you happy with the state of the economy?

There are very few solutions coming forward from the current government. This should concern every Bermudian. So where does that leave us?

We have a great new party. Led by a good team. We have a plan and approach to get this island back on its feet. The ball is in our court. The opportunity is ours to seize.

People are watching us – our neighbours, our friends, even our detractors – to see if we have what it takes. In other words, my friends, it is up to us.

It’s time to step forward. It’s time to knock on doors. It’s time to show people we are there for them and no one else.

We have a lot of work to do, but that shouldn’t stop anyone from stepping out. Because we’re in a fight for the future. Let’s be honest, that future doesn’t look promising right now, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be changed.

I have a lot of faith in the people of this island. We are ready to respond.We are ready to do the right thing for our island and our families.

My way of thinking tells me there is no better time to be in politics.We have an island to fight for. We have future generations that are counting on us.

The time is now…to get on our feet, get out onto the street and beat the retreat of pessimism.

As I close… people say that this bye Dunkley comes from privilege.…..Yes I have but what is wrong with that?

I was raised by loving parents and taught the real values of life like the value of hard work, honesty, integrity, respect, tolerance, sacrifice and perseverance. Through this upbringing I have been successful in my own right.

With privilege, I could simply choose to walk away, but my friends, I would rather stand and contribute to our tomorrow.

I am a proud Bermudian and I would rather stand up and fight for all of Bermuda. That’s where I come from. That’s my foundation.

My goal is to make sure this island works for everyone, to make sure that every child, regardless of where they started in life, is afforded the same opportunities that I have been given. It’s about putting Bermuda first in all that we do.

Thank you.

#MichaelDunkley #OBA #OneBermudaAlliance

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