Column: ‘OBA Attempts To Divide & Distort Truth’
[Opinion column written by MP Wayne Furbert]
“A Lie Can Travel Halfway Around the World While the Truth Is Putting On Its Shoes,” ~ Mark Twain
As you observe the OBA, a distinct pattern emerges. A pattern of half-truths, innuendos and outright fabrication. Over the years, they have been repeatedly caught bending the truth, rewriting history and breaking their word. Sadly, even their “new” faces up have fallen into this pattern of behaviour.
Here are a few examples:
- In The OBA’s Reply to the Budget Sen. Nick Kempe stated that “the OBA handed over a Government spending only $908M”. This was untrue. The last OBA budget had Government spending projected at $923M. Through prudent spending and control, following the July 2017 Election, the PLP Government brought in the actual audited amount at $892M and under the OBA’s projections
- The OBA claimed that the PLP hired 318 new government workers. In fact, the OBA Government had budgeted for 5,017 government employees in 2017/18 while the PLP budgeted for 5,082 government workers, a difference of 65 not 318.
- The OBA claimed that “…salaries, wages, employer overheads and other personnel costs have increased by $36.7 million since the election. In fact the OBA budgeted for $475M in salaries in 2017/18, and the PLP Government has budgeted for $478M or a $3 Million difference. This is after giving a 2.5% and a 2% increase salary to government workers!
- The OBA claimed that they “…handed over a yearly consultancy spend of $12.7 million. This year the PLP is budgeting for $15.9 million in consultants, an increase of $3.2 million in two years.” In fact, the OBA budgeted for $17M in total consultants 2017/18 and the PLP in 2019/20 has budgeted for $15M, a decrease of $2M.
So this begs the question. Is the OBA attempting to deceive Bermudians again or is it just that they can’t count?
The Opposition has two weeks and 56 hours where they can promote what they would do differently and ask questions surrounding the Budget.
Yet ironically for the first time in possibly decades, the Opposition has declined to debate the Ministry of Finance and refused the opportunity to drill deeper into this critical Ministry. Instead, Bermuda is treated to a barrage of blatant falsehoods from the OBA via the media. All while the Budget items they have chosen to debate have exposed the ineffectiveness, lack of depth and lack of substance within the OBA.
Maya Angelou once said, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” When it comes to an inability, to tell the truth, the OBA has shown us numerous times that it is something that they truly struggle with.
Despite the OBA’s attempts to divide and distort the truth, progress is being made and in the coming year, we will be tackling some of the challenges that are holding our country back. Whether it is a living wage, affordable healthcare or mortgage relief, the work will continue towards the better, fairer Bermuda that we all deserve.
- Wayne Furbert
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Talking about “half-truths, innuendos and outright fabrication” – Wayne Furbert is the master of such matters.
What is budgeted and projected on the one hand, and what is reality are very often two different things. The PLP are not particularly well known for staying in budget on anything !
Flip flop, you’ve got some crust, your column reminds me of the old adage of the pot and the kettle! The PLP primarily won the last election through the divisive tactics of their propaganda machine which had four arms: the People’s Campaign, the BIU, the BPSA and Hate Radio.
This: Despite the OBA’s attempts to divide and distort the truth
Give us a break Flip Flop! How can you say this with a straight face!? How many times has the PLP distorted the truth? Frankly, I am so disappointed with this Govt and its friends and family payments that I believe nothing you or it says
why is the PLP still in Opposition mode? Also, instead of this b/s please tell us when new jobs are coming, tell us your plan to stop the retail sales implosion, when are you going to lower taxes? when will you lower government spending? when will immigration reform actually happen? flip flop is a joke and so is this govrernment
How did the sinking fund figure into Mr Furberts calculations
I just don’t believe what this government says anymore, period.
Wayne flip flop furbert i had to read that twice because that so much sounded like the ubp furbert talking about the plp. If there was ever a case of the pot calling the kettle black we see it every time the plp call for a press conference the circus is really good at smoke and mirrors and won’t be long for truth to be known when they tell you how much the 2018/2019 loss will be …..flip flop was there saying how well they had managed the budget
stay tuned
How funny coming from someone in the PLP. I could through these manipulated “fact” line by line but why bother. We all know what a bad job this Government is doing, we all know how their incompetence now has us on the EU black list, bad the economy is getting, we all that they have raise our cost of living by taxing us more, we all know that people are started to leave in large numbers, we all know that Bermuda will continue to slide downhill while the PLP are Government.
LOL there’s no way Wayne wrote that. It’s not his language.
How are you going to work for a better, fairer Bermuda when there’s no money left and we’re on the EU blacklist?
Furbert.no clue.
Comes right out of your playbook Minister Flip Flop. So how is it the PLP can have an old UBP diehard like yourself on the front line?? Are the other koolaid bunch not photogenic enough??
this is what you get when you mix Titty Milk and Kool aid.
As a couple of examples, can Mr Furbert comment on the constant claims (still made regularly) that the OBA ‘doubled the debt’?
And the pre-election claims that the AC ‘cost $140m’?
He has to check with his consultants.
The word truth shouldn’t even be in his vocabulary.
Interesting that Mark Twain was quoted for this piece. Mr. Twain also has some doozies about politics and politicians:
https://www.thoughtco.com/mark-twain-quotes-2734314
NEWS FLASH.
Bermuda being on the EU Blacklist happened on the watch of the PLP.
FACT: The Premier said last week we would not be on the Blacklist.
RESULT: How can we believe anything this administration tells us.
RESULT: MASSIVE CREDIBILITY HIT.
Sorry Minister–timie to eat some humble pie, cut the arrogance.
Such utter nonsense from this man. The absolute nerve of him is unbelievable and defies anything that remotely resembles integrity, morality, truth and down right old fashioned honesty. Shame on you Furbert and shame on the PLP – you are in absolute and utter shambles and every where you turn is a festering mess. Please do us all a favour and do the one job you have right.
Yes flip flop and thats EXACTLY WHAT THE PLP ARE DOING NOW BERMUDA IS ANOTHER WORLD INDEED
Wait…is flip flop furbert honestly writing an article about division and distortion?!? Lol. You really couldnt make this stuff up! Lol
Why do PLP opinion writers always seem to start their drivel with a quote? Famous does it too. Is it a weak attempt to attach some intellectual gravity to the following poorly worded prose or to try to demonstrate they have “um deep thoughts”?
No, it’s just the same consultant who’s doing the writing. You don’t really believe Furbert had the wherewithal to write this, do you?
That all started waaaay back. The PLP ministers usually quote a bible verse though, you know, to show how pious they are.
“Who cares” ~ Wahoo
Sir at this point if anyone is seriously following the OBA you have to question their moral character. When the UBP decided they where going to use black faces as surrogates to win, this truth should tell you everything you need to know about the OBA and anyone supporting them.
Vote no confidence PLP.
I did…25-11 though.
The same day the Premier holds a press conference to try and damage control a complete dropping of the ball by the PLP and call for bipartisanship efforts to get Bermuda out of a mess he and his party created Mr. Furbert, almost on cue, hands this nugget to the press.
Unbelievable.
This release is really for the parry faithful. Keep them angry and show them who to blame. Divert attention from the disaster we created to one THEY created even if the facts are completely twisted and coming close to outright lies.
When will people wake up?
Common Wayne. You can budget as much as you like. This does not mean that you will not exceed your projections. How many and by how much will/did the PLP actually spend.
The again you do not intend to account for your total expenditures. We still do not know where or when the monies that the Auditor General cannot find from the PLP’s last term in office. Let us face it. You can spin as much as you like. But, the PLP is still incompetent. What part of integrity and expertise does the PLP demonstrate?