Opposition: New York Trip “Raises Questions”
[Updated] “After the recent lecture by the Finance Minister informing Bermudians that ‘money doesn’t grow on trees,’ the recent junket which the Premier and a cadre of OBA insiders participated in raises questions,” Shadow Tourism Minister Zane DeSilva said today.
“The public has a right to know why it was necessary for Premier Dunkley, Ministers Grant Gibbons and Shawn Crockwell, and Senator Jeff Baron to participate in this New York junket and how much Bermudians paid for it,” Mr. DeSilva added.
The Premier, Ministers and Senator recently traveled to New York, where they, along with Bermuda Tourism Authority CEO Bill Hanbury, attended a media event event.
Members of the group also attended the the Mary Celestia shipwreck fragrance launch in Tribeca, and the Government said that Premier Dunkley and Minister Gibbons met with “top tier business entities in New York.”
In a statement today, Mr. DeSilva said, “As Opposition, the OBA and their supporters criticized any travel by PLP Ministers regardless of the benefits that were delivered to Bermudians.
“After the recent lecture by the Finance Minister informing Bermudians that ‘money doesn’t grow on trees,’ the recent junket which the Premier and a cadre of OBA insiders participated in raises questions about whether there is a gap between what the OBA says and the actions that they take with the public purse when it comes to travel.
“The public has a right to know why it was necessary for Premier Dunkley, Ministers Grant Gibbons and Shawn Crockwell, and Senator Jeff Baron to participate in this New York junket and how much Bermudians paid for it.
“In light of Minister Bob Richards recent comments dismissing the needs of Bermuda’s seniors, and Minister Wayne Scott dismissing the concerns and needs of the Centre Against Abuse, the OBA must explain how they continue to be make funds available consistently for these types of excursions.
“The Premier’s refusal to disclose whether taxpayers footed the bill and at what cost while also refusing to disclose who he met with is reminiscent of his disgraced predecessor.
“This is the same lack of openness, transparency and accountability that led to former Premier Cannonier’s resignation and caused immeasurable harm to Bermuda’s reputation.
“Premier Dunkley and the OBA ran on a campaign of austerity, openness, accountability and transparency. Yet he continues to operate as though he and the OBA are above the rules that apply to the rest of us and Bermuda is watching.”
Update 8.40pm: In response, a Government spokesperson said that “New York is considered to be the business capital of the world and a critical market for Bermuda’s economy.
“The New York visit has only just concluded, and it would be premature to provide a finalised account. However, the public can be assured that the visit was prudent and fiscally managed, with the aim of achieving key national objectives of attracting direct inward investment and showcasing Bermuda as a premier vacation destination.
“The Premier and Ministers who attended New York were there in key capacities,” the spokesperson added.
“In fact the business meetings conducted by the Premier and Minister Gibbons were invaluable as were the media briefings in which the Premier and Minister Shawn Crockwell engaged in. This resulted in considerable exposure for Bermuda on various levels.
“As an aside, the Government is in the process of finalising a travel website detailing Ministerial travel costs, which can be viewed by the public. The website launch is forthcoming.”
“The Premier’s refusal to disclose whether taxpayers footed the bill and at what cost while also refusing to disclose who he met with is reminiscent of his disgraced predecessor.”
They just got back on island today Desilva! Were you at the airport demanding to know how much they spent?
This is just pathetic. If they refuse to answer once formally questioned then then you can bitch and moan. But this is just silly and another example of unconstructive criticism by the Opposition.
Blabber first think second (if at all)…just like his comments on Salt Kettle.
Zane the people have been asking where our unaccounted for $800 million went? We demand to know. Think of this before you throw stones.
Could it be that MD is emulating his fellow Mid Ocean Club Member and erstwhile pal former Premier EFB? In terms of empathy (or lack of) and concern for others (again, or lack of), they have a lot more in common than first meets the eye. That said, Zane does seem to be losing it more than a little – Is he feeling pressure from somewhere, an investigation perhaps?
If MD is travelling first class with bodyguards and staying in first class hotels then you have a point.
No?
Then don’t compare him with Brown the self-promoter.
Time will tell but consider this: the nuances might be different in-so-far-as the two individuals come from the elites of two very different cultural backgrounds, but in both cases it will always be very all about them and very little about anybody else. By way of reference, neither is by any stretch of the imagination an accidental Premier,it was what both aimed for from the outset.
Again, you just have to laugh…… like the PLP never took ‘junkets’ even tho the national debt was going through the roof ….
I would also have hoped that instead of calling it a junket, Zane would have seen at least one thing: they were all supporting an event by a local business…..which got a lot of publicity for Bermuda!!!!!
Is that the best the PLP can do? Shame.
It’s not the PLP!! Its the damn people that want to know! They just told my Grandmother that she will have to make due, and here they are blowing through at least $20,000 for this junket. WHAT MONEY TREE PAID FOR THIS?!?!
$20,000? This ain’t the sixties! More like $20,000 each!
Then maybe you should tell your granny how the PLP allowed the pension fund to become unfounded to the tune of $1.5bn. Also, don’t forget to mention how the PLP failed to audit the pension funds for the last 4 years of their tenure. After that tell her that as per the most recent actuarial study that funds are predicted to run dry by 2047.
Or maybe you can offer a better solution, or don’t you care about the future generations who will be negatively affected by the PLP’s mismanagement of the pension funds and Government finances as a whole.
I want to thank you for calling it like it is. Far too much criticism from those that don’t know sh**z about business. Each one of the Minister can stand their own ground when it comes down to being business minded unlike our former Govt. Ministers
The PLP’s borrowing from the pension fund to pay for their parties really affects government workers who will be alive when the fund runs dry – so potentially anyone under 60 or so.
Why does your grandmother have to “make due”? Ask yourself that question.
Why is it that you fee your grandmother is owed anything? My grandmother is by no means a wealthy woman but saved her pennies for retirement so she would not have to rely on anyone.
I feel bad for your grandmother if she is struggling but maybe her siblings, children and grandchildren need to help her. It is not the governments job. Sorry.
While I understand that the seniors find it hard to take that there is no money for increases, how about the next generation who will not have any money for pension at all, regardless of the fact that we’ve worked and paid into it our entire lives? Because that’s the way it’s going.
I figure that this trip to NYC was yet another investment in bringing Bermuda back from the brink.
Yeah, at least New York is actually a source of tourists. Not like Ewart Brown’s totally wasteful trips to China or India that got us no tourists but cost us a fortune.
How very silly…and becoming rather tiresome although totally expected. They must think this improves their prospects next time ’round. I suppose they feel the more they attack before the assault the better.
Although shroaded in political point scoring and quite juvenile the fundemental point made by ZDS is a good one, i.e. what was the cost benefit anaylsis of this trip etc.
I think that is a perfectly reasonable question and should be answered
You have a point. It is so easy to get caught up with the cheap political point scoring (both sides have done it) and the PLP conveniently forgetting or rewriting history.
But the OBA did put the head under the PLP about travel, so they should reveal the cost etc.
This is reminiscent of your stint on Parlaville Road. Balance and fairness eludes you until it is forced on you. Nothing changes.
Can we at least give them a few days?
The PLP should really consider putting a muzzle on Zane. He doesn’t do them any favours when he speaks.
They just landed back in BDA today!
Zane, oh Zanie bie’ I’m surprised you weren’t at the airport with arrest warrants for everyone that represented Bermuda on that trip to N.Y.C. Yes warrants for, “misappropriating of our Government funds”
Typo: “misappropriation of Govt. funds”
They just arrived back…? Why is this necessary…? PLP ask this question through normal parliamentary questions (once costs are tallied), which is what’s normally done! So this is merely political posturing!
The Summer is over and the idiots are back!
I’m gonna miss the peace and tranquil the island had for almost two months!
Smiths
any good govenerance is before a trip takes place. Who are we meeting? – how can they help Bermuda and how can we quantify that? This is done against the cost of the trip itself or staying at home.
This should have been done long before they left. I am sure it was but it still needs to be disclosed as this is something that was very much part of their problems with the PLP. They ahve to be better.
You are right, but asking for it the day they fly back is a bit ridiculous. It’s kinda like rushing out to the car when you wife gets back from the grocery store demanding to know how much was spent and what she bought while there.
I kind missed the circus atmosphere while the government MP’s were on summer break. I liked getting my daily chuckle from MP’s rolling around in the mud together making zero to no sense of the problems at hand. All while the country imploded from their vial attempts to polarize far left and right minority factions in their childish irrelevant rants. Maybe the next round will see the MP’s fully disenfranchise all remaining voters as they attempt to further polarize the masses instead of solving the problems.
The PLP went to India,Argentina and all over for NOTHING!
Now MP Desilva complains about any and everything,a bunch of whiners.We know who wasted our money and it certainly is not the present govt!
Don’t forget about going to China for some empty tourism award, then blowing all ties by taking in refugees China considers to be terrorists.
Only one comment here. Zane – You have already thrown all your toys out of the pram!
Maybe if you actually turned up at the house when it reopens you might be able to ask the questions you’re throwing around in press statements Zane
at least it wasn’t at the Playboy mansion like another Premier+Co headed off to for a ‘tourism’ trip.
Wow this feels like deja vu! In this 21st century technological age, do we really need to wait until they physically land to offer a response to the public? Do they not have phones, laptops or tablets with email messaging capabilities? What about the Deputy Premier and other Acting appointments while the Ministers are away, can they not offer a response? Does the dissemination of information simply stop when the Premier is away? He has all sorts of ways to communicate expeditiously. Why can’t the OBA stick to their present campaign promise of transparency without folks continually referring back to the PLP? Aren’t they supposed to be the Govt of change for the better?
Data Roaming is expensive maybe they turn them off to save on costs!
Folks always refer back to the PLP as they are the only other party to vote for.
At least this was in NY, our most connected city, and it appeared there were multiple meetings/events in one visit.
That said, it would be nice to know the cost to taxpayer. As somebody said, the Opposition should ask if they bother to return to the house.
Shouldn’t they wait to the trip ends to give a definitive figure related to the costs of the trip? Or do you want them to estimate and if their estimation is wrong then you will say are lying.
And let me add the PLP only ever divulged the costs of their trips once the Opposition asked them as part of their parliamentary questions. Never once did they take the initiative to reveal them in their own will and never did they reveal during the trip or as soon as they landed. You guys are being nothing but disingenuous and nothing more in your zealousness.
What did you want at the end of day submit their receipts to Bernews?
This is simple childish nonsense and false allegations. Desilva claims that the Premier refused to answer. But who has asked the question formally? And no his little press release isn’t a question.
Apparently this was the case under PLP Premier Paula Cox.
He makes a point though. How many members of the government really needed to be involved. Looked to me like it was just an oppertunity to meet and greet and see who they could meet in NYC to bump up their social circle. If it was anythign to do with work in the Business world we would only need 2 people AT THE MAX to represent bermuda or in this case the Bermuda Government. Lets get back to focusing on how to HELP BERMUDIANS and not look for every photo opp or take advantage of Government Benefits. We voted OBA because we wanted a change not another party to dip into our pockets.
Exactly! These same folks yelled from the mountain tops when the other Government did the same things.. So were you really concerned about costs and the public purse? or was it just because it was not the government you voted for? Disingenuous doesn’t begin to describe you people… Sad part is that they can’t even pretend to be concerned with this OBA Gov’t's shenanigans.
Going to India, China, Dubai etc. for absolutely no reason is much different then travelling 2 hours away to meet with business leaders and news publications. The only thing of any benefit from the other trips mentioned was that a former premier was able to start his own generic drug importation business with another PLP MP with the Indian representative he was pictured with on the basis of discussing Bermuda business.
If you can’t tell the difference is because you are blinded by loyalty to your Party. Unless you can prove me wrong what benefits did those trips bring to BDA? Cause those were the main ones people complained about. Waiting patiently for your answer.
Or we can talk about the $20k that the former premier wracked up in ground transportation costs alone at the Pres. Obama inauguration. But I have no doubt you will defend the need for such expenses and the massive entourage that we paid for (inc. not needed bodyguards).
You are the one being disingenuous in your apples to oranges comparisons.
Don’t forget the Playboy Mansion!
It wasn’t the “same thing” though, was it.
Follow the money.
Zane.
Follow the money.
Ps.
What happened to my swamp.
The seeds of another jet-gate; this government will never learn. They are unable to grasp that they hold the reins of government at the behest of the Bermudian people and are not a power unto themselves and therefore when asked questions on the behalf of the people; they are bound to answer.
Ewart wasn’t “bound to answer” though was he.
Aren’t these plantation questions, by the way?
While I agree that Government business should be open to scrutiny, why has it only become a national emergency since December 2012? If the cost of planned trips are announced in advance it can only be an estimate. If the actual cost is more (or less) will those same voices be shouting cover up or deception? I’m all for asking after as the cost will be known, but before? What if some of the attendees happened to be in NY on their own dime but joined in to help Bermuda? This really is silly season.
Creamy, that’s the problem with Alvin. He fails day after day day to admit that his team also played the same games. He’s incapable of criticizing his crew.
Can you show me who asked the questions and where anyone refused to answer?
Seriously Alvin please answer since you are throwing allegations once again.
That’s all Alvin does – throw around unsubstantiated gibberish, just like his buddy Chris Famous. Maybe Alvin should get an opinion column at a more mainstream media outlet, instead of that propoganda rag of Laverne’s…
Give this political jaw boning and teeth grinding a rest–the group is trying to build back confidence in this Island and NEWS FLASH–it isn’t easy after 12 years of domestic economic/political mismanagement, the global financial crisis AND increased regulatory pressure from all our traditional trading partners.
In case you haven’t noticed –people are NOT lining up to come to Bermuda in respect of business or tourism (note ST Kitts projects that they will welcom 1m visitors this year)
So all the arm chair critics and experts out there–Care to hazard a guess why?
Because we lost the plot–so instead of moaning for cheap polticial ppoints–lets use ouor colelctive wisdom to figure out solutions for our problems–novel idea huh?
Zane keeps hitting strikes.
The Premier has NEVER said he refused to reveal anything. Keep making stuff up, Zane. History will reveal who was on the right side of the truth. What a terrible legacy the PLP is leaving behind.
Feeding at the trough is nothing new to the OBA /UBP , they just took a fourteen year walk in the wilderness before returning to the slop . Now that the families are once again at the head of the table and the minions have their feet under the table all is again well with the world .
As is their track record they leave it up to conjecture as to who they actually met and what government business was accomplished on this particular high end excursion . Did they talk to investors who may be interested in the privitization of Bermuda ? When they say they were selling Bermuda , exactly what , who and how low or how high is Bermuda for sale ?
Now every government minister must travel for a multitude of reasons , however , they owe it to the people to at least inform them of every trip on tax payer dollar beforehand and with good reason .
Did this excursion go over budget , under budget or within budget ? What was the budget ? Did we get value for money ? When can we expect to see tangible returns on our investment ? I think these are fairly simple questions to answer , I also expect the shills to come out swinging with the usual nonsense that we been accustomed to for the last eighteen months or so . When they come please bring the reason why Craig Cannonier is still enjoying the benefits of the Premiership !
The minority report.
We got a budget earlier this year. It’s in there.
We get a budget every year , bring proof that it is in there , what ever it is you say is there .
Speaking of selling off, when did Bank of Bermuda get sold off?
And in terms of track records at least the UBP didn’t bankrupt the country for the next few generations.
The selling off of that bank was between the private owners , shareholders and buyers … Nothing to do with the general public .. Nothing ! I’m unable to tell you when it was sold or the conditions of the sale of that particular private entity .. So sorry .
Look up the definition of bankrupt ! I understand what you mean to say , but unfortunately it’s beyond your ability to express it in the correct terms .
You appear to be simple so I tried to use simple terms i.e. bankruptcy = broke.
If BDA were a business, bankruptcy would be a better option than the state we are in now (we are billions of dollars worse than broke).
The pensions are underfunded and will run dry in approximately 30 years, interest payments on debt is in the hundreds of millions of dollars yet Bermuda’s main sources if income rely on money from overseas (IB and tourism). They declined under the last administration (and continue to do so).
NY is a huge market both in terms of business and tourism and we need the investment. If money doesn’t start coming in, the cuts will have to continue.
Unfortunately, people like yourself see this as anti-Bermudian but we need to increase the resident population. Judging by your Cup Match and tourism comment you even seem to be pi$$ed that the tourists are foreigners.
Nothing is as it appears !
The sale of the bank required Government consent and approval so it was absolutely a public matter. But why let facts get in the way of your opinion, eh?
Coffee, while the sale of the Bank of Bermuda was between private parties it required the specific approval of government in order to happen. The Bank was a local company and, as such, among other things was subject to the usual 60/40 Bermudian ownership requirement. That had to be waived.
Only because the board of directors of the bank made application ..
Again do not let the facts get in the way of a good story !
Zane,you have no idea of what you are talking about,you and your cohorts messed up big time with the people’s money on family n friends only and now you are trying to look good by trying to score points against people that do know what they are doing.
The plp will never get back into running this island into the ground because the people have seen what you lot are all about during your 14 year terror tour of Bermuda and far away places that various members of the plp visited on the people’s money and for what…NOTHING!
Zane – go away! Just go away. Please.
From what i’m hearing Zane may be made to look very silly very soon, and it will be abundantly clear why the Premier, the minister of tourism and the minister who put together the presentation for a certain sporting event where in NYC together. Did someone mention the NY Yacht Club??
ahem…pardon me…but…we know money doesn’t grow on trees,that is why we are asking for it…whoever said “money doen’t grow on trees” obviously never sold marijuanna…they took the most wonderful vegatable known to man and made it illegal…….legalise medical marijuannna…we need the money….govt. needs the money…..country needs the money…maybe less of ours will go amongst the missing.
So far I’ve seen nothing wrong with this Promotional Trip to NY. – This trip was something beneficial to the Tourist Industry
of Bermuda. – The PLP should have supported this.– after all – they done the same thing but spent more money doing it.
Perhaps the People of Bermuda would like to Know how much did it cost and what was achieved by this trip – from the running Govt.
Mark Bean opens a betting shop in an economic empowerment zone (with Mayor of Hamilton and Deputy as honored guests along with the investigated Mr. Flowers his partner from Bahamas) PLP statement: Job Provider.
If the PLP somehow managed to get power again there will be an exodus of business over night rest assured!
I think it is disgusting that they did not take a bunch of civil servants and the Gumbays with them! Should have flown first class also and had a fleet of limos at the air port with Suites for everyone at a top Hotel, credit card shopping etc. WHo would they be then? Hhmmm.
I saw a tweet from the milk man today with a pic that appears to be taken from very close to the front row for Derek Jeter’s last game at Yankee Stadium.
While he’s answering Zane’s crazy questions, maybe he can throw in a comment as to where those tickets came from and who paid for them? If he paid for them, good for him – those would be EXPENSIVE!
Once again it appears there were no civil servant technical officers who went on the trip. Who were those other men? If they were OBA insiders who were there instead being privy to the people’s business I say two names for past reference. Stephen DaCosta! Deja vu people. A slap in the face to civil servants if none attended and these other men did. Wow have they not learned? This smells like JetGate. Amazing. Questions definitely need answering. Let the spin begin.
Following Zane/PLP logic, Dr. Grant Gibbons should not have travelled to pitch Bermuda for the Americas Cup… Which points to the basic fault in Zane’s argument, that sometimes you have to spend a little to make a lot. Of course, if EFB’s trip to China had resulted in thousands of newly rich Chinese coming here for tourism, he would be lauded for this, but the fact of the matter is he did not pull it off for whatever reasons – my guess is he managed to offend them, not a difficult thing to do when you are him.
I may be missing something here, but if this had been the PLP, I’m sure the OBA staunch supporters would be crying down the event and the attendance of that many representatives! As long as they do it, it’s fine!! Why is that?
They didn’t go for the perfume event. The owner of the company stated that once she heard that the Ministers would be in NYC she asked them to attend the unveiling.
The initial trip was to pitch the benefits of doing business in BDA via the Premier and Dr. Gibbons to industry leaders. Crockwell and Hanbury were there for the BDA tourism pitch to well known publications such as the Wall Street Journal, NY Times and several other travel magazines.
So stop with the spin that the representatives simply flew to NY for a perfume unveiling and that was the only reason that they were there in the first place. That is a lie plain and simple.
How the hell do you know that? She just happened to have the premiers private extension? How convienient. “She stated”… where does it say that? Or did you make it up?
I suspect LiarLiar reads news from a variety of news sources on the island.
And getting in touch with the Premier’s office isn’t all that hard. Never has been, regardless of who was in power. Pick up phone, dial. Or email. Or, you know, since Bermuda is such a small island, just maybe someone knows someone…
You are speculating too, all of that you just made up!
I don’t care what you suspect.
Talk about spin!
Because thats the way it was when the plp did it. Schoolyard politics mate.
“…sometimes you have to spend a little to make a lot.” Why does this analogy only ring true and is accepted for certain sectors of Bda’s society and not others? The question is not about promoting Bermuda everyway possible which I support but who served what purpose in the Bermuda contingent and at what expense? Who were those extra men wearing Bda shorts in the picture doing the people’s business? And if this trip doesn’t result in thousands more NYers then what? I mean how long have we had a NY tourism office what is it that they are doing! Were they part of this event? We certainly need to think more outside the box other than including in the overall NY promotion a limited edition of an overpriced perfume that so few will have access to purchase anyway! How does that convert into volumes of visitors? Going to other jurisdictions like the PLP did was worth the try.
Because certain sectors spent a lot on themselves and made nothing for the country. It’s not the same thing. The opposite, actually.
Presently this trip has only served to put us further in debt.
It has not yielded any returns. And there are no assurances that it will.
As we know so little about what happened, we are left to speculate.
Promises from the oba that we will get value for money here does not inspire confidence, considering their track record with promises.
Furthermore we have to recoup all the money spent before making any additional funds, thus the need to get these things done for less money with less people, and even then it is a long shot. Also there is no way to trace any increase that we may experience to this event.
Anyway, we can thank our government for taking all of that much needed foriegn currency out of bermuda.
God job