Registry Office Responds To OBA Comments
The Parliamentary Registry Office falls under the supervision of the Governor who has responded directly to the OBA regarding this matter, the Parliamentary Registry said today, adding that the Governor’s letter to the OBA communicated the results of the Parliamentary Registrar’s review.
This follows after the OBA alleged the PLP previously “obtained the private and confidential contact details, email addresses and phone numbers of voters” from the Parliamentary Registrar’s office. The OBA said the Parliamentary Registrar confirmed she would launch an investigation, with the Opposition saying asking the report be “released into the public domain immediately.”
In response, the Parliamentary Registry Office said they would like to inform the public, that four days prior to the last General Election the OBA raised their concerns with respect to the sharing of voter information by the Parliamentary Registrar.
“Less than two weeks after the election, the OBA felt it necessary to write directly to His Excellency the Governor, John Rankin CMG, about this matter.
“The office of the Parliamentary Registry falls under the supervision of His Excellency the Governor, who has responded directly to the OBA regarding this matter.
“Therefore, as far as the Parliamentary Registry is concerned this matter was appropriately dealt with by His Excellency in his letter to the OBA communicating the results of the Parliamentary Registrar’s review.
“The points of the Parliamentary Registrar’s review, as communicated by His Excellency were:
- “The Parliamentary Registrar did not issue any authorisation to share voter contact information and there was no evidence of infiltration of the voter database by unauthorised access
- “The review determined that the provision of the information requested was approved in 2012 by the then Parliamentary Registrar acting in his discretion
- “Once this information sharing was brought to the Parliamentary Registrar’s attention she took immediate steps to shut it down.
“His Excellency has more recently requested a correction of inaccurate statements made on the floor of the House of Assembly by the former Opposition Leader on June 8, 2018 in respect to this very issue. The request made by the Governor, is still an outstanding matter for action by the former Opposition Leader.
“Until such statements are corrected, the Parliamentary Registrar is not prepared to respond further to comments made via press release by the former Opposition Leader that builds on inaccuracies already released to the public on the floor of the House of Assembly.”
And that’s all folks!
Pamplin, Atherden etc time to move on.
Not at all – this confirms voter information was passed on, despite the fact it is NOT meant to happen, and that it was shut down … but we don’t know when.
However, we do know from a press conference on the eve of the general election, that David Burt admitted the PLP was still getting this info.
Would it have made a difference to the election? probably not – but that is to ignore a vital point which is that this information is private.
That is what is concerning and it is totally correct of the OBA to raise this.
It does not matter, there is none so blind. than those that will not see .
You guys are funny.
If the OBA procured private voter information all sorts of accusations and labeling will be coming from your side.
If the PR declined to issue report on how private voter information got into the hands of the OBA you would scream louder.
But because its your beloved PLP you say it’s nothing to see here.
SMDH at you sycophants. You are helping erode our democracy with blind support such as this.
Democracy is what got the OBA transitioned into the opposition by the will of the majority.
Correct … and anyone who says different is full [insert expletive].
I don’t think it’s quite as simple as you make it out to be.
Yes, we technically have a democracy in that we elect our government via a majority vote election. But that’s doesn’t mean that we have an effective democracy.
For a democracy to be effective, voters need to exercise a degree of thought when choosing and not simply exercise their vote in the same manner everytime.
So I think the point that is being made is that generally speaking PLP supporters will always support and vote PLP regardless of what they do and how bad (or good) their performance is – which in practice undermines our democracy.
That, of course, ignores the “swing voters” who kept the UBP in power for decades.
Bermuda is now sufficiently rich and stable, in the eyes of the swing voters, to trust the PLP for a while longer. THAT is what democracy is about.
I doubt there are many genuine swing voters in Bermuda. You’ll probably find that the PLP being in power is more a result of a shift in Bermuda’s demographics than people switching their voting preference from UBP/OBA. The OBA only won the 2012 election by 5 votes, and that was because a significant portion of PLP voters did not vote. It was not so much a matter of historical PLP voters voting for the OBA. Nor is it correct to imply that Bermuda is richer or more stable today than it was 30 years ago (we have the largest debt we’ve ever had).
That being said, the only point I was trying to make was that you can have democracy that complies with all the formal requirements but doesn’t operate as an effective or healthy democracy. Whether you think Bermuda is a healthy democracy or not is a matter of opinion that people will always differ on.
Simple deflection as usual. You know what your reaction would be if the OBA did this. You guys are massive and dangerous hypocrites.
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 did in 14 years of destruction.
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.
Like it or not, the PLP government is also the government most people voted for 12 months ago
Correct, and they are going to get a rude awakening.
Still waiting for Putin to be blamed.
Only one way to clear up this confusing mess is to release the full, unrefacted, report
Cant we all just get along and move on?
The Russians are here.
Yeah, dressed in green …
“Once this information sharing was brought to the Parliamentary Registrar’s attention she took immediate steps to shut it down.”
And there it is!!! This I believe falls under PIPA… Who’s butt is on the line?
Oh, no one’s butt is on the line. The Parliamentary Registrar is ‘outraged’ that the public knows her office was distributing private information. That’s all we’re going to get from this lot.
Be nice to your neighbor tomorrow.
Or the person in your office that you “don’t really like”……
If we all made small steps to make Bermuda a better place to live. Then we would ALL be doing the work that our elected politicians seem unable to perform.
“*The Parliamentary Registrar did not issue any authorization to share voter contact information
*Provision of the information requested was approved in 2012 by the then Parliamentary Registrar
*Once this information sharing was brought to the Parliamentary Registrar’s attention”
OK, so the Parliamentary Registrar did not give authorization but then in turn they did give authorization however once they realized they gave authorization it was stopped… OK, got it…. Can’t make this stuff up..
Yep. This is what civil servants think is sensible. We’re paying for this sh1t as well.
If you object to the PLP having your personal information, I suppose the answer is to keep a copy of this article and then refuse to give personal information to the Parliamentary Registrar.
Of course, the fact that the Parliamentary Registrar broke the law will not be an answer if you are charged with refusing to give the government required personal information
Clear as mud comes to mind. When will local politics evolve to a place where we can deal with real issues rather than ridiculous self inflicted controversies. Honestly ,haven’t people had enough of this?
“His Excellency has more recently requested a correction of inaccurate statements made on the floor of the House of Assembly by the former Opposition Leader on June 8, 2018 in respect to this very issue. The request made by the Governor, is still an outstanding matter for action by the former Opposition Leader.
Until such statements are corrected, the Parliamentary Registrar is not prepared to respond further to comments made via press release by the former Opposition Leader that builds on inaccuracies already released to the public on the floor of the House of Assembly”
How interesting. I was not aware that the Governor had the power to insist that an MP withdraw a remark made on the house floor as a condition of his performing his duty
The current Parliamentary Registrar did not issue authorization, but the former Parliamentary Registrar did issue authorization, acting in his discretion.
So he thought it was within his ‘discretion’ for a government department to use public funds to gather private information about voters and then to give those details to a political party in order to give it an advantage on an election.
Did that former Parliamentary Registrar get fired? Did he keep his pension?
And how is it that we are told “Once this information sharing was brought to the Parliamentary Registrar’s attention she took immediate steps to shut it down.”? Doesn’t that mean it happened under her watch?
It stinks.
Not worst then using public funds to host a sailboat race for Billionaires after telling seniors money dont grow on trees.
At which time the current Registrar was the Assistant Registrar.
June 7, 2018 PLP Increases Majority In House To 25 – 11
Why doesn’t someone come out with what many people are saying is the truth. THE PEOPLE DON’T RESPECT/LIKE oba/UBP anymore. That’s how they received the information.
Dunkely and company are finished.
What is it with Dunkley Derangement Syndrome? He lost, the PLP won. We’re a year in, stop looking back, look forward.
It’s as bad as Republicans banging on about Hillary. She isn’t President.
Perhaps there’s something deeper here, without a boogey-man to focus on what are we left with? A PLP that isn’t progressive, devoid of ideas, incapable of growing the economy and beholden to religious conservative values.
That’s the real issue – no one to hate and you have nothing. Pathetic.
‘Certain’ people trigger him/her obviously.
But yes you are completely correct, they need a boogeyman to hate and deflect upon when they can’t figure how to legitimately defend such antics.
The people have moved on that’s why they kicked the OBA out. Why did so many Bermudians flipflop off the sinking ship over the last years? Even the best from the UBP left you. LOLOLOL What a joke. You are feeling bad but it’s ok get over it.
I’m not feeling bad, because it’s not going to affect me.
The “people” voted against their own best interests.
The Parliamentary Registrar needs to go. Unethical at best.