OBA: ‘Questions Require Answering’
Speaking on the news last night [Nov.17] that Walter Roban resigned from his post as Minister of Public Works, OBA Senator Michael Fahy said, “We believe it was the right thing for Mr Roban to have resigned given recent revelations. There are however a number of outstanding questions that still require answering.”
Mr Roban — who has recently come under fire for his decision to allow Planning appeals by fellow Cabinet Ministers Zane DeSilva and Wayne Furbert — submitted his resignation to the Premier citing “heightened public criticism of my decisions as Minister of the Environment Planning and Infrastructure Strategy in two particular matters.”
Government’s recent statement that the appeals have been declared void because Mr Roban had already left the Environment and Planning portfolio before his Parliamentary colleagues had been notified, is a “red herring” Mr Fahy said.
“The pronouncement by Government that the decisions made by Mr Roban to allow the planning appeals of Ministers DeSilva and Furbert will not be upheld due to the decisions not being communicated is a red herring. The issue is the fact that there is an appearance of bias involving three Ministers.”
Mr Fahy’s full statement follows below:
We believe it was the right thing for Mr Roban to have resigned given recent revelations. There are however a number of outstanding questions that still require answering.
- 1. Did Ministers DeSilva and Furbert know about the decisions made by Mr Roban, especially given the timing?
- 2. Are we expected to believe that Mr Roban just made these decisions out of kindness to his colleagues without mentioning it to Ministers DeSilva or Furbert prior to or after the decisions being made?
- 3. Are we expected to believe that Ministers DeSilva and Furbert never once mentioned their respective appeals and did not give what may be described as a wink and a nod whilst Mr Roban was in office?
- 4. Were any other Cabinet colleagues aware of this apparent insider dealing?
- 5. Is the Premier satisfied that only Mr Roban is at fault?
It is important that an unequivocal statement is made by Ministers DeSilva and Furbert and indeed the Premier in respect of all of these questions. The statements should address who knew what and when and who spoke to who on these appeals and when.
In addition, the pronouncement by Government that the decisions made by Mr Roban to allow the planning appeals of Ministers DeSilva and Furbert will not be upheld due to the decisions not being communicated is a red herring. The issue is the fact that there is an appearance of bias involving three Ministers.
The letter from Planning to the agents of Mr DeSilva’s trust advising them of the successful appeal is dated 2nd November 2011. In other words it would appear that, at least in the instance of Minister DeSilva, the decision was communicated. It is also a matter of public record. Nonetheless if Government maintains this stance then we trust Minister Bean will do the right thing.
We recommend that pending a full review of planning laws and regulations a policy be put in place that, at the very least, requires a Minister to follow recommendations by the independent inspector when dealing with anyone the Environment Minister has associations with.
In the meantime, answers are still required.
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- Video: Bean Speaks On Planning Review : Bernews.com | November 18, 2011
Typical. And now the OBA will overplay its hand.And this gem: “We recommend that pending a full review of planning laws and regulations a policy be put in place that, at the very least, requires a Minister to follow recommendations by the independent inspector when dealing with anyone the Environment Minister has associations with.” In other words, let’s not have a Minister. Paula when will you make these guys act like they have 9 seats and when will you act like you have 24?
You have a very selective memory it appears. Are the names Alex Scott & David Allen familiar to you? When the UBP was in power both were very much loose cannons on deck firing away at the UBP no matter if there was an item of real substance or not.
In this case the PLP has provided the OBA with very real cannon fodder.
If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
Oh desperation all over this! The questioning here only make you guys seem weak and desperate.
Go back to your PLP plantation!! Dr. Brown, Zane and Col Burch have work for you suckaaaah !!!!!
Interesting stating that, when u look around Bermuda and who has really lined their pockets via the back of the common folk of Bermuda, it happens to be the same ole gang n guess what neither of the current or pass PLP executives had made off like bandits like< Sir David Gibbons, Sir John Swan and the rest of the gang! If Roban felt he done something wrong n resigned because of it..Then hey he is a strong man!! Can u name one person in the UBP that has no outside business interest n does not use their political connections to gain further economic empowerment NO!!! i guess not!! u can look at the voting lines in Bermuda n still simply see who holds the lion's share of the money in our country…I m tired of hearing racist based comments on our current government…did any of you step in and protest against BEST for stopping the Beach Bar on Warwick Long bay beach??? no because u agree with anyone that pushes an white elitist agenda!! But now u all jump on the PLP for messing up Tourism!! Do they own any of these hotels!!!
Tired of hearing race based comments huh? Funny how yours is the first one mentioning race in this list.
Well I commend you UBP/OBA/BDA for not failing in your overreaching efforts. Now you are calling the subsequent review process a redherring, tomorrow it will be another metaphor you choose from your bashing list. The fact is Roban did not act illegally. He took it upon himself to do the right thing and resign. This can now be laid to rest thk u
When will the OBA member of parliament and Dunkley in the senate do the right thing. They insist that government does the right thing but they did not follow their constitution. Don’t trust them to run my doggie house much less house of assembly. They are all imposters on a high horse.
But you still maintain trust in a Party that constantly breaches established Govt protocol and a Govt that has actually walked all over the Bermuda Constitution a few years back.
Like I said this island is full of jokers and hypocrites.
Tru Dat!!!
I agree but I’m not going to hold my breath that’s for sure.
The question is when will she grow a pair and get rid of the other two ministers involved in this. It was an abuse of power by all 3 of them.
Abuse of power? The minister’s has ability to overturn board decisions! No abuse of power but poor judgement by one minister! Get real OBA.
It’s an abuse of power when he just uses that power for the benefit of other cabinet ministers.It wasn’t ‘poor judgement’, any more than stealing something could be called ‘poor judgment’.
The Premier knows who is in charge,and it aint her…
Really OBA.. Newsflash, you won’t win a election on this issue.
It has passed move on. The more you obsess on this issue, the more people will realise that you have no candidates and no positions on anything.
You miss the fact Fahy that no one broke the law, get over it!
Letter to Fahy,
Just to let you know.
1) He resigned
2) The decisions are going to be reviewed again
3) He did nothing unlawful
4) He Resigned
5) Stop beating a dead horse!
Roban is a dead horse but the other people involved, Furbert and DeSilva, aren’t. They were just as much to blame.
…stop beating a dead horse, let’s move on…Interesting. Let’s just sweep this thing under the carpet, pretend it never happened and that what people suspected was true really was true…Indeed
If Mr. Roban did nothing wrong, then I suggest you all stop bitching and complaining about the UBP and their use of cronyism and favoritism.
No different…except when it isn’t your “team” tha conducts themselvesin such a manner.
Bermuda is full of jokers and hypocrites..
Questions for the OBA:
How many of your MP’s received planing approval from a PLP Minister at one time or another?
If you were to obtain the government, would your MP’s/Ministers cease in applying for planing approval because approval would have to be granted by your colleagues?
Would you deny approval to your fellow OBA MP’s simply because they represent the same party as you?
The decision made by the Minister to resign does don’t validate accusations of under handedness, so why try and make more out of then it is?
Be careful when highlighting accusations because what you say in relation to the decisions of others could come back to bite you.
Your racism betrays you. How pathetic!!
you should read what the man said! wow you PAID bloggers are hilarious you can almost bet what you will say!
micheal – the foreigners own the hotels expect the reefs. rest are owned by big corporations who are tired of bermuda and their lack of product
Roban bowed out because he realized early that his Leader doesn’t have the courage to render the media, BEST, Hayward and all the others irrelevant like her predecessor. They’re enjoying new life with this Premier who takes her steer from the noise you all make. The question for all you OBA folk to answer is why the exercise of ministerial discretion, enshrined in the laws YOU passed when you were the UBP is now bad. I know the reason, you didn’t pass those laws ever expecting that anyone else but you would be using them. Your blackmail of the Premier may be taking hold with her and those around her, but out here in the ‘hood you don’t run this country and no matter how much outrage you manage we are not fooled by what’s really at play.Keep relying on the media as your campaign managers; it has failed three times, care to go for a fourth?
Jim Bean it is so funny how you always make the assumption that anyone who supports or standby the PLP are paid bloggers. That has me believe that YOU must be a paid OBA blogger for you to be so sure that paid bloggers exist.
Give it up nobody pays me to post what I feel. Please stop with the cop out and keep to the topic.
Red Flag specialgirl4, betty trump, vote4me and hmmmmmm are all PAID bloggers. you all have the same phrases even – you are so foolish as to even use phrases given to you by your consultants – the stupid attempts to keep saying ubp/oba/bda is typical consultant stuff. how about PLP – Pathetic LOSER PARTy
PLP – Poor Lackluster party
plp – pretend labour people
be real – you have so many ubpers – vince wayne jonathan stephen larry jamahal maxwell – you are so blinded. cox is moving further to the right than anyone.
Fail try again Jim Bean.
You PLP lot are a thick bunch! I don’t think you understand that most of the everyday people posting on this ‘blog’ are not hard core One Bermuda Alliance supporters… Most of us just want honest effective government which we are NOT getting from the Party Lovin Party. The truth is that the PLP/EBP/UBP has been the worst government this Country has ever had! Paula is trying… But Brown destroyed any chance that the Party Lovin Party will ever get into power again. Your supporters – not the paid bloggers you see here – but the average Bermudians who used to support your Party are NOT STUPID. They see exactly what has happened to the Country and they will never vote you lot in again. I trust your supporters to see through your propaganda to the truth… and either stay home on election day or vote the another Party. They know that a vote for the PLP is a vote for the financial slavery of their children and grandchildren.