Column: Work To Turn This Situation Around

September 16, 2019

[Opinion column written by OBA MP Michael Dunkley]

If you do not have a record to run on then paint your opponent as someone to run from.” - Former President Barack Obama.

It is so typical of the PLP to try and paint the One Bermuda Alliance in the worst possible light at every opportunity to take the focus off their own failures prior to 2012 and over the past 26 months since winning the election in 2017.

Just look where we stand today with economic statistics portraying a dismal picture, confidence in Bermuda at its lowest point since the inception of the survey and Bermudians emigrating on a regular basis.

The writer of the PLP Op Ed will not face up to these realities just like he would not stand up and take his party to task over the $330 million dollar budget deficit that the OBA inherited in 2012, the astronomical increase in debt under the PLP watch, the doubling of the Berkeley contract from about $70 million to $140 million, the fiasco with the Dame Lois Browne Evans building, the $45 million squandered on the failed Grand Atlantic and the Auditor General’s report outlining serious challenges in the way the PLP handled the public purse.

The writer also forgets that it was the PLP, under pressure before the 2007 election, who orchestrated the land swap with the principals of Morgan’s Point to get them off the Southlands Property and put them on the brownfield site which required significant remediation.

When the OBA became the government we faced very difficult circumstances with a government that could not meet payroll in January of 2013, deficits that were threatening to drown Bermuda, an economy that was in a tail spin and many other significant challenges.

As former Finance Minister Richards has said on numerous occasions, we took a two track approach to turn the island around; a plan to balance the budget over the next few years and to attract badly needed inward investment of capital. While we were not perfect, we made mistakes along the way, we did turn around the well-being of the island in spite of the constant headwinds we faced, often manufactured by the PLP to obtain power again.

In fact the only positive signs currently in our economy started under the OBA but what happens when the new airport terminal opens next year, BELCO construction ends and St. Regis opens in 2021?

Arbitrade is not the answer. Fintech has not created the jobs promised.

The multitude of MOU’s proudly displayed by Premier Burt are not even worth the paper they were printed on.

The current situation at Morgan’s Point is a concern, and not what we envisioned when the guarantee was agreed to by the Government and Parliament.

However, while hindsight is 20/20 vision, I am not going to question the decision today, but instead my colleagues and I are willing to work with the Government and Morgan’s Point to turn this situation around, to get the project going again, make sure creditors are paid, complete the development and open it for business!

Wouldn’t it be a breath of fresh air to work together for Bermuda, put aside the partisan politics and to help the people we serve!

- Michael Dunkley

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Comments (7)

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  1. STFu says:

    Wouldn’t it be a breath of fresh air if you would STFU and give our party the OBA a fighting chance to get elected?! You are killing us Michael! You and Craig need to go and remain silent!

  2. Onion Juice says:

    So you gonna quote President Obama to get approval.
    LMAO

  3. STFu says:

    And nothing happens when the airport is finished because you gave all profits away for 30 years and have us on the hook for performance guarantees too! I vote for OBA but the airport, Morgan’s Point and trading education for a boat race was not acceptable to me on any level! Michael you and Gibbons ran us into the reef but you thought you could hide it once you were re-elected. Also I know you made promises to the Hamilton Princess and East End Hotel for casinos but that back fired too! Just go away quietly and let the rest of us resurrect the OBA! You are damaged goods!

    • Joe Bloggs says:

      Umm, the Morgan’s Point land swap was agreed in 2010 and completed in June 2012, before the OBA won the 2012 election.

    • Lol says:

      Lol

  4. Joe Bloggs says:

    Michael, the OBA is done. The BDA started out as a good alternative, a party that wanted to do the right thing. Then the UBP ended up embroiled in a court case and everyone but Kim Swan and maybe one or two others quit the UBP and joined the BDA. You and the other former UBP members changed the direction of the BDA to the extent that some of the founders felt obligated to resign. That is why the OBA is often called the ubp/OBA and that is why the PLP won the last election 24 to 12.

    PLEASE understand the baggage that the old UBP carries and that all former members of the UBP bring to the OBA. PLEASE let the OBA return to the BDA and bring fresh ways of thinking and fresh talent to Bermuda’s Parliament.

    If you ignore me, I hope you stay here as Bermuda descends into something resembling Zimbabwe.

  5. Charlly X says:

    Well apparently both Parties are failing! If it Aink the Green Bandits it’s the Red Bandits ! Did you ever notice how much property politicians buy when in office. Did you ever notice they get the scoop on business ventures first . Then they want us all sing n rejoice their party name like slice bread ! Hmmm I wonder who gets the most n first slice??? Said the Tea Kettle to the Frying Pan !!!