Hashtag: #MichaelWeeksColumns
Column: Weeks On Fuel Prices, Costs & More
[Opinion column written by MP Michael Weeks] Last month Premier and Finance Minister David Burt was asked to approve a 5% increase in price for gasoline and a 6.7% increase for diesel for March. He refused to raise the prices and instead ordered a review that will look to see if price reductions can be made in line with the PLP commitments to lowering... Read more of this article
Column: Automation, More Efficient, Cuts Costs
[Opinion column written by MP Michael Weeks] As part of the Government’s commitment to providing services in the most cost-effective manner, the Department of Immigration has undergone a rigorous process review and is overhauling outdated processes and procedures. The objective of the Automation Project is to transition as much as possible away from... Read more of this article
Column: Working Hard On Behalf Of Workers
[Opinion column written by MP Michael Weeks] The Government continues to work hard on behalf of the workers of this country. With the most recent amendments to the Employment Act the Government has demonstrated its commitment to ensure workers’ rights are protected in the workplace. Additional rights include the following: A requirement for employers... Read more of this article
Column: Immigration Policies & Initiatives
[Opinion column written by MP Michael Weeks] Without much warning, the pandemic steered Bermuda into an unprecedented downward slide which led to: Enforcement of shelter in place; Shutting down of Bermuda’s borders; An unforgiving blow to the hospitality industry with well over a thousand workers being forced to shelter at home without pay; Hundreds... Read more of this article
Column: We Will Get Through This Together
[Opinion column written by MP Michael Weeks] “On any given day, those who operate food shelters and deliver to the needy are constantly asked the question, “When will things get back to normal?” I assist at a food shelter, so I hear your questions and concerns firsthand. Thousands of Bermudians are working from home, some have been sent... Read more of this article
Column: Michael Weeks On TN Tatem Building
[Opinion column written by MP Michael Weeks] It is interesting that the same One Bermuda Alliance that saw 4 Education Ministers in 5 years, slashed scholarships and educational opportunities for Bermudians and on the issue of school mould at TN Tatem referred to teachers as “mischievous” suddenly has all the answers. The mould issue is a legacy... Read more of this article
Column: Shared Goals That Benefit Our Children
[Opinion column written by MP Michael Weeks] “Fix the problem, not the blame.” ~ Japanese Proverb With the new year only a few days old, for many of us it is a time for reflection and the opportunity to take a new approach in our lives; a new approach that benefits ourselves and those we love. If we genuinely love Bermuda, we must reflect on whether... Read more of this article
Column: Now Is Time To Act To Protect Children
[Opinion column written by MP Michael Weeks] Bermuda is an idyllic place of natural beauty and community connectedness. We abide by a deep sense of shared responsibility and belonging. Many of us have access to educational and economic opportunities that most in the world can only dream of. But Bermuda also has its divisions and secrets. Concealed... Read more of this article
Column: Michael Weeks On Dark Helmet Visors
[Opinion column written by MP Michael Weeks] Whenever there is a spike in violent crimes, where helmets with tinted visors are utilized, the debate calling for the ban of tinted visors raises its head. As far back as May of 2011, the then Minister of National Security – Wayne Perinchief, in response to a spike in violent crimes and the use of... Read more of this article
Column: Parenting Council Needs Both Genders
[Opinion column written by PLP MP Michael Weeks] “While I applaud Minister Patricia Gordon-Pamplin for the institution of a Co-Parenting Council, whose primary aim would be to assist parents finding themselves in the midst of aspiration [whether matrimonial or relationship]; and in dealing with the management of amicable agreements where their... Read more of this article
‘Need Government That Believes In Bermudians’
[Opinion column written by PLP MP Michael Weeks] Since taking office, the OBA have demonstrated that their priorities are out of step with Mr. and Mrs. Bermuda. From breaking promises and being repeatedly caught in untruths, to implementing policies that have made it harder for Bermudians to get employment in our own country, the OBA have shown themselves... Read more of this article
Opinion: “Bring New Ideas And New Solutions”
[Opinion column written by PLP MP Michael Weeks] The Bermuda Progressive Labour Party has a responsibility to not only hold the government accountable, but to bring forward new ideas and new solutions to the issues facing Bermudians. In the last session of the House, we brought forward draft legislation that would have ended conscription, decriminalized... Read more of this article
Opinion: “We Simply Will Not Get Up And Leave”
[Opinion column written by PLP MP Michael Weeks + Updated with OBA response] “Please get up and leave and go somewhere else.” These were the words spoken on June 14th 2013 by then OBA Attorney-General Mark Pettingill in reference to Bermudians who were upset with moves by the OBA at that time. Not one OBA MP spoke out against those comments. Not... Read more of this article
Michael Weeks: “Make Our Youth A Priority”
[Opinion column written by PLP MP Michael Weeks] “Don’t tell me where your priorities are. Show me where you spend your money and I’ll tell you what they are.” ~ James W. Frick Since taking office the OBA has taken a series of steps that have impacted our youth and that have created even greater challenges for those young Bermudians... Read more of this article
Opinion: Michael Weeks On “The Two Bermudas”
[Opinion column written by PLP MP Michael Weeks] A few months ago, I wrote an opinion piece entitled “The Two Bermudas” in which I spoke of the inequality between different segments of our community. Since then it seems as if the divisions between us have grown. In recent weeks, we have witnessed the OBA exhibit behaviors that clearly indicate... Read more of this article
Opinion: Divide Between The “Two Bermudas”
[Opinion column written by Opposition MP Michael Weeks] Over the past year, you may have heard the PLP often talking about the need to break down the divide between the “two Bermudas.” Today, I’d like to take this opportunity to explain a little bit about why Bermuda works best when Bermudians are put first. When we talk about two Bermudas we... Read more of this article
