Video: OBA On Access To Voter’s Information
[Updated] The One Bermuda Alliance is holding a press conference this afternoon [July 16] and you can tune in below. We will have additional coverage later on and in the meantime the live video of press conference is below.
Update: The live broadcast has concluded and the 22-minute replay is below
Update 3.14pm: The press conference is still underway, but as a simplified initial summary, the OBA alleged the PLP previously “obtained the private and confidential contact details, email addresses and phone numbers of voters” from Parliamentary Registrar’s office.
The OBA said the Parliamentary Registrar confirmed she would launch an investigation, the report has not yet been released to the public and the OBA “demands that this Report be released into the public domain immediately.”
Update: In response, Minister for the Cabinet Office with Responsibility for Government Reform Lovitta Foggo said today: “It is unfortunate that the Opposition has chosen to attack the Parliamentary Registrar and the work of that office on the eve of the one year anniversary of the historic 2017 General Election.
“The timing of their media announcement is a clear attempt to diminish the success story that this Government will share with the people of Bermuda on efforts undertaken during our first year of Office to deliver on our promise of a fairer and better Bermuda.
“The Office of the Parliamentary Registrar is an independent arm of government subject, to oversight by the Governor. The Opposition is obliged to bring any complaints and/or allegations with respect to their work to the attention of the Governor.
“This Government continues to be committed to good governance, transparency, and fairness.”
Update: OBA MP Patricia Gordon-Pamplin’s full statement follows below:
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Bermuda Constitution. This landmark document is the foundation of modern democracy in Bermuda.
It sets out the electoral processes by which Bermudians choose their parliamentary representatives and their Government. To have free and fair elections there must be a level playing field.
We have had 3 changes of the party in Government: the first in 1998; the second in 2012; and the third in 2017. Our general elections have largely been free of allegations of impropriety or election fraud.
In the past when your party won or lost, a Bermudian could have the conviction that there was a fair electoral process.
Successive generations of Bermudians have fought for us to take this assumption for granted; that is, to fully enjoy the right to participate in free and fair elections where political parties are able to compete on a level playing field.
It is for this reason that I come before the people of Bermuda with a heavy heart to raise very serious and grave concerns.
Specifically, it is our belief that the PLP has had improper access to the private contact information of thousands of registered voters over a period of at least 5 years as confirmed by the Parliamentary Registrar in a report in the Gazette dated the 10th of August 2017, which said: [and I Quote]
“ ‘I have now been able to ascertain that the information was requested and approved in 2012 by the then Parliamentary Registrar,’ she said.
File transfer of the information was “still in effect beyond 2012’, she added.”
It is our belief that the PLP obtained the private and confidential contact details, email addresses and phone numbers of voters via access from Parliamentary Registrar’s office, which the then Opposition Leader, David Burt has already admitted in July last year.
In a pre-election interview at Alaska Hall:
David Burt was asked a question about an investigation into unsolicited emails being sent to voters by the Party [PLP]
He said: I can only refer you to the statement we made when we were contacted by your newspaper on Thursday or Friday on that matter.
He was then asked: does the Party want to comment as how the information as to email addresses was obtained in the first place?
Mr Burt replied: “That was in our statement. I don’t have a copy on front of me but the information came from the Parliamentary Registrar’s Office. We contact voters on the doorstep, we contact them by email, by phone and that information is received from the Parliamentary Registrar’s Office.”
He was asked a follow up question: are you saying that the Parliamentary Registrar provided email addresses to the PLP:
Mr Burt replied: The information we received is the same information that we have received from the Parliamentary Registrar, I want to say .. for the last ten years.
He was asked whether email address were included.
Mr Burt replied: The information we received does include that, yes.
He was asked: Do they give it to you?
Mr Burt replied: We have a link that we download the information from that we have been downloading information from for the past seven or eight years.”
Access to data which was not given to the OBA. Using this singular access, the PLP was able to aggressively target voters.
We discovered this impropriety in the run up to the 2017 General Election.
Our candidates were contacted by numerous voters complaining that they were being contacted by the PLP – via calls to their private telephones and emails to their private addresses.
These voters stated emphatically that this private, personal contact information had not been shared by them with the PLP.
In some instances, voters indicated that they had only recently registered with the Office of the Parliamentary Registrar.
Voters stated that the PLP had then contacted them on a specific email or personal mobile or home phone number that was not publicly available, or had only recently been created or obtained, and that email or mobile number had been shared only with the Office of the Parliamentary Registrar.
The Parliamentary Registrar has confirmed that such information is not made public.
A prominent notice on the Parliamentary Registrar’s website states, “Records obtained or created by the Parliamentary Registration Office in the course of carrying out its functions are not accessible to the public”.
By an e-mail to the OBA dated 28 October 2015, the Parliamentary Registrar confirmed to the OBA that:
“the sharing of email and phone numbers is not something that we share outside the office.”
In addition, the Parliamentary Registrar in a letter dated 14 July 2017 stated:“I can confirm as Parliamentary Registrar I have given NO authorisation to anyone to share voter contact information. Neither am I aware of how this information could have been obtained by persons outside the Parliamentary Registrar’s office.”
This is not acceptable.
If the Constitution can be thought of as the rules of the game, the Parliamentary Registry is its referee.
All good sportsmen love winning and hate losing.
But they participate knowing that the referee isn’t favouring the other side; that if they lose one day, they can still win another.
Whether knowingly or not, the Office of the Parliamentary Registrar tipped the balance in favour of one side.
Since the OBA shone a spotlight on this issue, the Parliamentary Registrar has confirmed that she did not authorize this sharing of private information.
Ms. Tenia Woolridge said that she would launch an investigation into how voters’ information was improperly released. She committed to sharing the outcome of this process.
However that Report has not yet been released to the public.
We firmly believe that there is an overriding public interest in the release of any Report and getting to the centre of this web of apparent deceit.
Fast forward nearly a year, the public remains none the wiser. What happened with this investigation? Where is the Registrar’s Report? What is being done to prevent this sort of thing from happening? We understand that she has prepared a report, but we still know nothing.
The PLP are still in possession of this information and are using it to the hilt while falsely claiming that they obtained all information through their canvassing.
Despite the promise by the Parliamentary Registrar, we have not been able to obtain the release of the Report.
The OBA demands that this Report be released into the public domain immediately. Transparency must be the order of the day.
If we are to ensure true democracy, responsible parties must be held accountable and the playing field must be levelled, to ensure fair elections in the future.
At the bedrock, this is not about the OBA. And it is not about the PLP. It is about democracy.
mmmmm …. so all that has to happen is for the parliamentary registrar to release this report and it will all be cleared up, pretty simple really.
Ya and Puttin hacked de election.
Next.
ha, which trump won’t admit in front of Putin!
I wondeed how the PLP got my email address. If it’s true, the person(s) responsible need to be fired.
What time is the March? When is the strike!
Girl be real these lot would use any deflection over going to a wound clinic
I can not stop laughing watching this press release
Oooh those OBAERS AND UBP BIES LOOK PITFULL IN THAT PRESS CONFERENCE…. Was this a joke
…… a dead sleeping party…please
Information is often given willingly by persons….during canvassing…..nothing is hidden anymore as technology is more advance than the old guard of the obaubp…
Get over your defeat….obaubp failed to contact with the people….
Party is sinking after this press release…..help….take a break….go do something go benefit Bermuda instead of this child play by Dunkley and company…
Ok betty, considering i didnt “willingly give them anything” how did they acquire me and my wife’s personal cell numbers considering we dont have lamd lines?
The tooth fairy got it numbskull
There are plenty of ways to get info….telephone book..Facebook….social media sites.,.. They are linked in most cases….and good old fashion canvassing…..door to door…over the years PLP has built a data bank…
Stop crying over spill Dunkley milK. OBAERS
Move your party on a higher playing field
But they didn’t get the information from the phone book. They got it from the civil service, who were handing over private informstion about voters to give the PLP an advantage.
Spin Doctor Answer and his Associates (OBA) still trying to divide and conquer. We got your numbers through you hate filled messages mate. NEXT!
Well I guess you are informed now huh Paget? Think again the OBA had it from their previous term. spin OBA Spin
I would be more concerned with why so many Bermudian voters and party members have flip flopped over to the PLP!
In addition I would also be more concerned why the BEST and Brightest Bermudian members have departed! What’s left now is a circus act with 4 people sitting in the audience eating UBP popcorn.
As a black Bermudian I used to vote for you and strongly support you, take my advice you will not win for 25 years +++++++
OBA only had 3 marches that I can recall, de lynch mob against Dr. Brown, Same Sex and de Immigration.
Very interesting.
No but Burtin did.
This is a relief to me. I thought not recalling meeting Jamal Simmons and giving him my email was down to my alcoholism .Maybe I am just having a good time. Thanks PLP !
It will come to nothing as the PLP supporters, at large, will not care and will justify it somehow and instead attack the OBA for bringing it up. If you recall it was this zealot/sycophant type support that led the PLP last time to believe they could do whatever they want without fear of punishment. And the whole of Bermuda paid for that arrogance in the end (and is still paying for it literally and figuratively).
You even have them on here advocating for the Government to step in and help shut down Dunkley’s Dairy simply because he is on the ‘other team.’
Bermuda is turning into a pretty nasty place, politically wise, at this point.
And within two minutes my prediction of how the zealots/sycophants will respond is spot on. Now if the OBA procured information in this manner they would be screaming about how they are dictator like and cheating blah, blah, blah.
Sorry love the only name that hurt me is OBA Hahahaha
Wow! Proof ‘these people’ live to post. SCARY WEIRDOS. Mate my lawn needs cutting, car washing and oh my house needs painting. That should keep you busy for about a week so that we can have a break from your maniac behaviors.
Thanks to you nutty OBA followers
If you recall it was this zealot/sycophant type support that led the OBA last time to believe they could do whatever they want without fear of punishment. And the whole of Bermuda paid for that arrogance in the end (and is still paying for it literally and figuratively).
Weird how you can change three letters and it kinda makes sense.
So who is it “doing what they want” now?
You crazy trolls. Do you work? Aren’t you parents? Have hobbies? Get a life.
All of us who wanted a change….and not just in a name
It doesn’t though. The OBA did not bring Bermuda to her knees as your beloved PLP. The OBA actually brought Bermuda back from the brink that the PLP drove us to. The facts are there for all to see. Just because you choose to be a zealot/sycophant doesn’t mean they disappear or are not facts anymore.
The fact that the ENTIRE WORLD went through a global melt down and Bermuda simply didn’t prepare for it seems to evade you. Or shall we kept on believing the 800 million dollar lie you all created? How many more lies shall we the people believe from the obaubp?
Get over it Truth. Did we (the island) sink like the ship you and the OBA politricksters are on? Did Bermuda fall under, have companies left since? Where is the island struggling?
And pls don’t thank rhe OBA for AC Cup.
You and your MP’s keep feeding the people fear based stories
Why do you insist on banging your head open over and over based on your false beliefs that the country was in dire straights yet we are still doing business as usual while building a new airport.
Come here love let me fix that gash for you and give you a big hug.
The country is in dire straits now.
Weak, xenophobic leadership. No idea, no clue, no direction.
Same old incompetent PLP. Achieving nothing.
And off ball residents who have nothing better do do then sit on their mobile devices and spew hate. The airport is still operational all you need to do is click your choice in flight plan, enter your info and viola! You can GO!!!
Country is still being run by the PLP! No matter how vile and divisive you try to be on Bernews. The people have spoken mate.
I know this is killing you and you wil not rest until your narrative is believed but the polls showed even your own mates had little to no confidence in giving the OBA a consecutive term Toots.
Kisses and hugs
Wow! Truthhertz is the guilty party guys. She knows your info based on her warped mind and has just told you what you will do. Bravo Truth. Have you been spying on us too????
are the oba trying to reuse the woman on the right hmmm
I got calls from the oba so how did they get my number cause my number is not listed
why don’t they just fold up once again where is nandie
These LOSERS need to go away. Nobody in the right mind would vote for these wolves in wolves clothing.
These ‘losers’ may have lost anyway, but they are making a damn good point – if you cannot see that then go back under your rock
Actually Al, it was you who offered to hide me. Thanks Rock.
Better prepare yoursef for a long wait with these jokers
AM that’s not how you spoked to me last night. Oops! You think you wife’s going to read this?
A are you as dim witted as you sound? I just want to give you the benefit of a doubt mate.
And everytime I went on youtube they bombarded me with their crap.
But nobody shared your private information with them, did they.
Too stupid to see the difference aren’t you.
Tsk!tsk!!!
Answer you continually display your mentallity with the names calling. Typical OBA mindset – resort to spoiled brat, tanteum behaving child when you do get what you desire.
Grow some!
So who’s name-calling now?
Oh I forgot. It’s “different” when you do it.
Stop being a baby Answer here are a set of khahunas
Are you really a Dingbat? Curious
Ill-informed Answer takes a shot again and misses the opponent causing him to swing wildly and lose his footing. The crowd ohhh’s as he goes down face first hard against the canvass.Unable to get up his corner throws in the towel.
What do you say to the loser after a fight as you drive them home? Nothing! You remain silent and hope one day he will learn to stay out of the ring.
Undeserved privileged syndrome.
Like you lot huh? Lmao. Small man syndrome running rampant. Only think you will ever have is a scoreboard.
Anbu We know you are envious and can’t keep the jealousy down mate, maybe a yellow bird will watch it down nicely.
Toddles
Lmfao! You just described every plp supporter to a frikkin T!! Hahaha god u lot are rich. You really are a tool
Noting hiw infatuated you are with us and hw well you know us is proof you OBA are not smart enough to win a consecutive election is what’s hilarious mate!
Laughing all the way to my parties functions as we bask in a SOLID WIN! HA!ha!! ha!!!!
Yeah,that was pretty awful but this is worse.
the people that the oba fooled in 2012 were not going to be fooled
again in 2017 so they were not going to vote again for the obA
lol, but the PLP is the party of ‘we had to deceive you’.
Be careful to whom you give your email.
Al you sound like a stuck record….go make us some tea boi
So why did former OBA voters rejected them at the polls?
Race and stupidity just about covers it.
How about people got tired of being misled by a bunch of proven liars? O u didn’t think about that did you.
Ah, I knew someone would bite. Let me explain it to you. The PLP were brilliant in opposition, with race and a credulous base on their side, they engaged in dog whistle, populist politics. It didn’t matter if it were true, because it whipped up the base into a frenzy. Such was their success, that they were even able to utlise a foreign rabble rouser and agent. The irony was lost.
The OBA, were politically naïve and were frankly ambushed as they tried to undo the mess they inherited from the previous administration.
However, my dim witted friend, the facts are thus:
The OBA achieved more in those short years, generating investment, putting Bermuda back on the tourism map and importantly steadying the fiscal ship than the PLP ever.
The PLP remain incompetent and fiscally challenged, which is about as polite as I can put it. They are discriminatory, and fundamentally incapable of being inclusive or progressive. We are one year in to their administration and they have achieved nothing. Absolutely nothing.
How do you feel about being lied to now?
Sorry Sandie babe, too much gibberish. I know it’s a strecth for you to express yourself as minimally as posible but I didn’t have time (nor care to) to read your essay. Do try getting to the point quicker mate
Jealousy and Envy covers Sandi’s eyes, ears and mouth!!! Nuff said
Lol A is their new mascot! I’ll be your lackey and keep the rhetoric going because if we say it enough some other nitwit will believe us
The OBA is the party of DECEPTION. Let’s sprinkle some pepper in the salt to act like we are for the people. We are not all blinded by your ways Allistair Maclean
Diversity for thee but not for me sounds abt right.
Al do you know you are
1. Not more intelligent than most
2. Don’t come off as smart
3. Show how ‘off’ your heart is each sentence you type
Therefore you come of like a pesky ant at a picnic who gets sprayed by Baygon so that you no longer mess up the celebration others are enjoying.
Allie, Allie, Allie!!! We WON mate! The only ones decieved were the OBA in believing the had a second term.
Wink
Lol this is another joke and reason why they the OBA party are where they are today. Once all the remaining jokers have been removed from the party maybe then they will become valid. If noticed it is always the old guard up front and the never crew standing around being used as props.
it wont be long before all of you plp supporters will be begging for a new government Burt and Co have no clue how to govern ….I will repeat spend spend spend and its in your face but you can’t see it …its called Blind love ….if you vote them in again its proof that you don’t care of this islands ability to recover but rather at all costs you want power
Folks are leaving this country every month ..That’s fact
simple I didn’t vote for them
It won’t be long before I grab you by the ear and make you clean up your room KEVIN. GET OFF THE INTERNET
At least he has a mum, and dad most likely
Ouch! Anbu is tryna hurt someone!! Ha! Ha!! Ha!!!!
Love even with one parent we turned out better than you love. Lol
Hugs for Anbu as she didn’t learn how to keep her feelings in tact.
Try again….. I am up here. Soaring in the clouds.
Even if true, and it probably is true – and the OBA as the party in opposition demand under the circumstances a fresh election and the Governor grants it – all that will happen is that the PLP will score an even bigger victory, probably taking Dunkley’s seat along the way…
Because OBAers Believe everything coming out of the mouths of the PUPPETEERS but they nah deal with the real issues. Deflect,deflect, deflect. Happy to close their ears to Moniz and the truth they use their surrogates to take the punches. Bunch of cowards
Remind you plp fools. 1998-2012. Screwed the economy. Happening again.
Remind Stevie his Monday meds are still in the container
Remind Stevie he can leave anytime
Remind Stevie he is a fool for not getting ova that whop a.. we gave them at the polls. Lol@Stevie and his kind.
#freefromnamecallersnlosers
They’re too ignorant to see it
Yuh you byes (OBAers) goan swalla dis pill too no madda how much vahter yuel need to get it dahn
If you need help crossing deNile um gotta boat.
Just want to get this straight. PLPers have no problem with the civil service not being apolitical (as required in all democracies) and allegedly using confidential information to use for the benefit of a preferred political Party?
Am I on the right track guys? Is this really the route you’re looking to take Bermuda down?
Just wanna get you straight Double. This Friday yuh wiff me an yuh youff right and DON’T forget de charl support money honey Mwah I love you poohkie. Double jr said hi an Meme said bring her dat doll from Brohn an Co pls
No you aink on de right track. De train tracks are up de road on de left boi
DS what did I tell you? You have had the wool over your eyes for years and have been your own demise. Leave mate. Go join Boris J and start a hate-filled, prejudice, fear based platform back home
This is not surprising. The Civil Service is run by hard core PLP supporters. But, nothing will happen with the release of the report- 25 – 11 – the people have spoken. We’ll have the PLP for decades.
Yay! You dude you one of the smart ones. Acceptance
I thought Michael Dunkley was announcing his retirement from politics, so the press conference is useless.
He really needs to go away! What a moron! He is hurting OBA chances to regroup! Even Gibbons knew when it was time to get off the Titanic! Women, children and Gibbins first!
if I had the choice of a phone call -vs- those OBA pop ups on EVERY web page I opened, I’d take the phone call..
Lol I feel you mixitup Is like erry time I wisit a site does lot ar chasing me
Awwww…they are now the opposition.
Moniz has got to be livid.
God bless the great Shaun Crockwell and his real vision of these gombeys!!
Don’t insult the gombeys by saying the OBA are gombeys. Gombeys are good people!
So, wait, the stink just came out about OBA’s past dealings last week so now this week the OBA are trying to return fire?? Rather than standing up and addressing those accusations openly & directly they would rather play a game of distraction. Games people play…
I know I received a few unsolicited phone calls from OBA pre-election as well as annoying pop up advertisements from the OBA on various web pages. Not to mention the YouTube interruptions every five minutes with OBA advertisements (which actually did more to deter me from them rather than being drawn to them).
Either way, this puppet show of deflection & deception is quite amusing. Continue on.
Dats how da roll. OBA = DEFLECTION!!!!
Same sh^* diff’rent name
Those ads have nothing to do with this issue whatsoever
It was the Facebook posts from Dunkely that turned me off the OBA and I received calls and emails from the OBA not the PLP and my number is not even listed and I never gave them permission to use my email. So tell me how that all happened?
Yup I agree! Those Dunkely arrogant and elitist Facebook and Twitter posts hurt our Party and he continues to this day which ain’t helping us at all! Just be quiet Dunkley – that’s all your supporters ask of you! Go away and be the memory you need to be! It’s because of you that we are not a trustworthy opposition and a non effective opposition! Go make milk or be a walking advertisement for the elitist school you went to!
A certain segment of society claims it was oppressed for 400 years and now they will do the oppressing. They do not care what OBA/UBP people think or say.
More whining coming from the privileged. What you just said was so asinine it doesn’t even merit debate…more lies from the Oba trollers
Joe give it a rest THEY WERE!!!!!!!!!
Once again spreading fear and hate amongst your loyal followers. Why would we WAiy so long if we were going to retaliate???? Wouldn’t we have done it by now mate?????
You are exposed as a fake fear monger
GAME OVER
Ah, so that how they got my information……yet still waiting for someone form both sides to come knocking on my door.
Right before the 2012 election the OBA texted my private cell number. I wanted to know how they got it because my cellphone company did not give it to them.
Now that they have lost they are asking about the same tactics that they used. Smh. A very sad try to remain relevant.
Its called the INFORMATION AGE. Not the stone age OBA!!!
So that means that private information should be disseminated ot special interest groups by an institution/organisation/function who is legally required to keep such data confidential?
Do you guys hear yourselves defending this nonsense?
Do you Double…..you really gut to keep up with the times mate. Would you rather have received something in the post??? Oh by the way. The PLP WON the last election too.
Do try and keep up mate. Lol
It’s called ‘right to privacy’ Dennis .
I look forward to poking around with your banking and property ownership information (all to my benefit I might add) .
Any person held in office as such as the Parliamentary Registrar in which utmost respect, high morals and exceptional professionalism and ethics are required, regardless of one’s political beliefs and commitments, should be immediately removed from the position if the slightest inclination of conflict of interest and misconduct is demonstrated. She needs to be removed.
So the Registrar has today admitted that there was unauthorized sharing of private information. It does not appear that any action was taken against the staff involved.
PLP are holding a function love. It’s open to ALL See you there