Video: Minister DeSilva On FutureCare & OBA
The PLP hosted a press conference yesterday [Nov 19] at the Sylvia Richardson Care Facility in St George’s, where both Health Minister Zane DeSilva and two senior citizens spoke about the benefits of FutureCare.
Minister DeSilva said: “We are pleased to be here today at the wonderful Sylvia Richardson Care Facility. Since 1998, the PLP have stood strong for seniors by increasing pensions, eliminating land tax on primary homestead, driving down the cost of prescription drugs, eliminating upfront payments on medical treatment, introduced FutureCare and much, much more.
“Today I am with some of the pillars of Bermuda, people who have helped to build our country and who in their golden years we have kept always in our thoughts and in our vision for Bermuda.
Minister DeSilva continued: “These are the people we are fighting for, the people who stand to lose the most if we allow FutureCare to be scrapped. These are the people who don’t want to go backwards to the way it used to be. These are people who want us to keep moving forward on making the lives of seniors better, safer and less stressful.
“The OBA continues to say one thing today – another thing tomorrow. One day they support our seniors and FutureCare, and the next day they are standing against our seniors and FutureCare,” Minister DeSilva continued.
“The OBA’s Anthony Francis has stated, ‘The current model of Future Care will be scrapped because it is unfair and unsustainable.’ The inexperienced OBA’s Andrew Simons says ‘the OBA supports Future Care.’
“On Future Care, the former UBP MP spokeswoman on seniors, the OBA’s Louise Jackson says ‘It has got to be means tested as it is not fair.’ Mrs. Jackson has also said many times in House of Assembly that FutureCare needs to be gone! As has her colleague former UBP leader Grant Gibbons.
Minister DeSilva continued: “OBA Deputy Leader and Former UBP Leader Michael Dunkley says ‘Seniors enrolled in Future Care will see no change in their benefits.’ OBA Leader Craig Cannonier says ‘Austerity isn’t such a bad idea.
“Who is really in charge over there and is the OBA more concerned with gaining power than standing strong for our seniors? Will they cutback benefits for our most vulnerable seniors or will they decrease premiums for the wealthy?
“I don’t know and you don’t know because they continue to duck, dodge, hide and run from giving the people of Bermuda their real plan,” concluded Minister DeSilva.
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- OBA: “Pattern Of Distortion & Fear-Mongering” | Bernews.com | November 20, 2012
It looks more like an election rally than a press conference…
Whatever it looks like, fact is the OBA will gut FutureCare.
That’s a lie, and you know it.
OBA will not get rid of it but make it more affordable to seniors. right now the cost of FUture Care eats up about half of a seniors pension and then they are expected to pay rent at the …low cost housing at the Rockaway seniors condo’s… low cost, actually no so that leaves them with nothing. Well done PLP you are really looking after your seniors, and before you ask I got that from the horeses mouth so to speak so please stop the nonsense and get on with the job at hand.
No they won’t don’t be so silly. Why would they do that? What would the motive be for doing that? Ask yourself that before regurgitating the propaganda the PLP are spitting out. Think for once…
Advertising political party for political party gain on government property is he now.
Funny thing is that the very place the minister is holding the press conferance is the Building the Former Ousted PLP Leader “Alex Scott” was the only project that was Built on Budget and On Time By the Present Government and the one who took the Credit Was the Same Minister and His partner……………..What Credit did “Alex Scott get as a Premier”……….Remember how Julius Ceaser was taken from Power ……..Stabbed in the Back.
Here is the Minister who believes all for me and none for anyone else talking about helping the Seniors………. NOT this Minister we are being “decieved” we need to carry out a BIO on this Minister………will the real Zane DeSilva stand up.
Tell us where it says OBA will cut Future Care …..enquiring minds would like to know
Zane will always stand strong ……….it is the only way he can keep getting the tax payers money……..how do you think he can afford to get a make over every other week at Strands………
By the way who is footing the BILL is it Zane and the PLP will pay him back ……….whith the taxpayers money………..don’t be fooled PLP members you will foot the bill, as Zane never does anything unless he gets it back 2 fold.
______ The oba says they will scrap the CURRENT MODEL of futurecare but I see how the big words confuse most.
LOL what was wrong with what I typed?! People arent allowed to ask questions of others integrity? Zane must have more pull than I gave him credit for. Am I allowed to say ask the person who had 50% responsability for creating him? Lol maybe people aren’t allowed to ask serious questions about the integrity of their ELECTED officials. No diss to you bernews, I know you have to cover your own ass.
I propose we change the name of the new KEMH to Club Med in honour of Zane and his mentor Ewart.
It was an election rally nothing less, remember from where this guy came, buddy of Brown, cuba asbestos deals, insider contracting, land deals, a politiacal grandstand
Um, is that government property? Aren’t there rules and laws about doing party political advertising on government property? Or do those rules and laws suddenly disappear when the PLP turns up?
Its clear that some of the animals on the farm are more equal than others.
Isn’t The Sylvia Richardson Care Facility owned by Government? This makes it Government property. If so how is that this obvious PLP election campaign was allowed to take place? Wasn’t it only a few weeks ago OBA advertising was torn out of bus shelters on the orders of the Minister? Talk about double standards and the PLP taliking out of both sides of their mouth. More lies and deceit.
Come on “We Had to Decieve YOU” of course it is Government Property do you think PLP would have it an other way
Come on Zane get off of your soap box – if it was not for the OBA digging into your “Future Care” it would have never been exposed for what it really is.
You need to go back to the construction site and fear Mongol some of your construction workers that are standing around doing nothing. NOT electioneering at the expense of our most vulnerable – Seniors and Children.
What does a construction owner/worker know about the health of seniors or anyone, anyway??????
Day by day you look more and more desperate.
Hold on PLP Puppets! Those construction workers may appear to be standing around doing nothing, but in reality, they’re standing STRONG!
Speaking of standing strong, looks like Zane is the only one even standing! (No offense to the guy in the wheelchair)
You should be ashamed of yourself. Those are seniors sitting.
See, even seniors are fed up. They refuse to Stand Strong for the PLoP!
And no, I’m not ashamed of myself.
hes jus reading wat was written for him…people get dirty when they know they’re losin’…
Zane, is all about himself and what he can gain from a deal, he has been like that all of his adult life.
We should have the same rule here.
http://news.yahoo.com/donkey-not-allowed-run-office-ecuador-officials-163500766.html
When I saw ( what amounts to a political ad) this on the news last night I almost laughed harder than I did at the ad the PLP ran in the 2007 election where the old lady was hugging (the useless) Randy Horton and saying how since the PLP had been the government she felt safe going places that she never could before .
Bermudians used to be considered unique . Now ‘unique’ has a whole new meaning , and it aint good.
They should be ashamed of themselves. A political rally at a government facility.
Protect Future Care – Vote PLP!
Protect everyones future – VOTE OBA
Protect Future Care and make it work better for you, vote OBA
Protect Island Construction – Vote PLP
Disgraceful… And it’s just November 20th. Prepare yourselves for a sh!##y Xmas thanks to these unethical politicians. Nostradamus and the Mayans predicted the world will end in December 2012. I feel like I’m dying a slow death just having to put up with this crap.
“Press conference?”, that what this bunch are disguising election rallies as? I was undecided but every day they make my choice clearer and clearer.
Hurry up December 17th so this crap can be over.
Is the end of the world as predicted on the 22nd of Dec , by the Mayans ? well you lot do not bother to buy all of those xmas gifts or maybe you should !!!because if the world comes to an end you will not have to pay for these expensive gifts…. so hey go all out….
Every time I see Leroy Bean at one of these things, I wonder what happenend to the money Gov’t. gave to him and Michael Weekes to establish “safe houses”. Anybody who might know could help by giving an answer.
His voice sounds like nails going down a chalkboard. Horrible public speaking skills, just horrible. It is embarrassing.
Horrible speaking skills and he’s reading from a script.
What is that on his chin?!
Piece ah toilet paper
Here is an idea; why don’t the leaders of the two parties (PLP/OBA) have a debate similar to the one Obama and Romney had in the United States. We’ll ask that PLP supporters formulate questions they’d like to ask Craig Cannonier and ask OBA supporters to formulate questions they’d like to ask Paula Cox and then we reverse everything and ask Paula Cox to answer the questions that the PLP supporters have provided and ask Craig Cannonier to answer the questions the OBA supports have provided. That would cause some confusion wouldn’t it!!!
Oh dear, we can’t do it now; I’ve let the cat out of the bag!!!!
In order to have a debate the PLP would have to seek permission to have an English language coach to help them bip bip their way through the debate and a spin doctor..
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. I love how they finished in a hurry when the rain came so that they could run for cover……..How fitting – So much for standing strong! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
& now we know the people sitting behind him were bused just for the press- Wow ! (No people in St.Georges willing to be there??)
this guy is the biggest rat in politricks
Guess who mentored him!
OBA, put your posters back up at the bus stops! I see and hear political posturing and campaigning on Government property by the PLP. Why do they have to make the preparation for the election so unbalanced and one sided? Why can they campaign on Government property, while OBA posters are removed from other Government property? What are they afraid of?
Spin and confusion, Mr. DeSilva, and exploitive of our seniors in the bargain! You have no shame! SMH.
The OBA has been very clear. Future Care is flawed – the cost is unequal depending on when you joined, although the benefits are the same, among other concerns – but the program will not be scrapped, just made to work and be sustainable, which it isn’t yet.
The thing that really needs fixing is health care costs, which have sky-rocketed, primarily due to actions taken by Dr. Thomas during his tenure (remember him? and the questions we were asking several months ago about his salary and why he was let-go? that still haven’t been answered?). That is also in the OBA platform (www.oba.bm). Seniors, the homeless, the uninsured and under-insured will also benefit from the Medical Clinic, which was a sore loss when Dr. Brown closed it (in its incarnation as the Indigent Clinic). The more unemployed we have, the more we will have uninsured people. Doctors are unwilling to treat people with no insurance. Who is taking care of these folks now? They are utilizing the ER, which also helps to drive up costs (not blaming them, they have little choice).
I should have said, the promised Medical Clinic.
October 17 2012.
This afternoon the PLP issued this statement: “Allowing advertising on government property sets a dangerous precedent. When the PLP was offered, we turned it down as we believe it’s highly inappropriate to have political advertising on government property. We believe that this is a common sense position and have no intention of splashing political advertising on government property. We challenge the OBA to abide by the important precedent that government property is no place for partisan politics.
“The OBA crossing this line is very dangerous. Today, politics in government bus shelters. Tomorrow, who knows what! This is a very slippery and dangerous path that the OBA would have for our country. Bermuda needs to steer clear of allowing political messages to appear on government property.
Apparently this only applies to non PLP political advertising. Talking from both sides of the mouth, at the same time.
I guess those OBA posters can go back up in the bus stops.
I had an Interesting conversation with a lady lately I was shocked to see the amount of money govt Spend on Seniors. Who is Going to take care of the seniors in the future its a sad state in many places in the world and with our cost of living its real bad here. have a look at the Government Budgets that support seniors wow and wow what will we do?
What doesn’t make sense to me is that this island is a center for international insurance and this is basically a group health program. Isn’t there someone here who has the experience to manage this and make it work?
Wy is Leroy Bean sitting under the PLP tent, while a patient sits outside of the tent.
To whom is Mr. DeSilva speaking?
Mr. Woods talks about the wonderful facility, it should be it is the most expensive on the island – a government facility – even more expensive than Westmeath.
I cannot close without mentioning Campaigning on Government Property with all the green “Standing Strong”