Live Coverage: May 28th House of Assembly

10:20am Ministers including Glenn Blakeney [PLP], Walter Roban [PLP] and the Premier deliver a Ministerial Statements. The Premier’s statement on the Media Bill is here.

10:30am: John Barritt [UBP] questions the Premier about the media bill. Further MPs question about the Ministerial statements. Louise Jackson [UBP] asks how the government intends to encourage hospital rather then home births.

10:40am: Dr Grant Gibbons [UBP] asks a question, that the Speaker and Premier say they don’t fully understand, and the Premier says it should be directed at the media. Dr Gibbons repeats, asks what actions did the Government take to encourage the media to start their own council. The Premier says he mentioned it in the House, Throne Speech, and invited the media for an informal dinner which all showed up except “the daily”. The Premier goes on to say that the editor of the Royal Gazette said “in a moment of honesty” he was too busy. He quotes the statement released saying the media “dropped the ball.”

10:45am: Congrats and Condolences start, with congrats sent to persons and groups including Youth News, Abuse Center, Rosalind Robinson, Valerie Taylor, Russell Richardson, the new female leader of Trinidad & Tobago, Warwick Academy, Bermuda Institute, Cedarbridge, para-athletes and the Center of Leadership.

10:48am: Kim Swan [UBP] congratulates the Ministry of Culture and Social Rehab for the Bermuda Day Parade, as well as Ashley Estwanik, Chris Estwanik, Wayne Scott and Ray Swan for their fine performances on May 24th.

11:04am: Intro of Bills starts. Bills mentioned to be set down on order paper included a bail and firearm bill. Second readings of bills commences. Matters on bills continue.

11:14am: Kim Swan [UBP] speaks on tourism, says we need a “doctor to come to resuscitate it”. References the Premier’s statement about first quarter tourism statistics yesterday. Speaks on taxi drivers, and the difficulties they face.

11:23am: Kim.Swan references the murder this morning, says we do not want Bermuda to “go to scale of violence we see in Jamaica”. Calls for “every person to stand up against” gang violence.

11:29am: Premier says he agrees with some of Mr Swan’s points on the churches and gangs. Speaks to tourism, saying our #1 asset is our people, and talks of programs the Department of Tourism has implemented. Pointed out other regions have lost flights, while we have gained.

11:44am: Terry Lister [PLP] speaks on the murder today, saying how “hits home”, as the young man he knew personally [Editors note: Mr Lister is the Sandys MP, where the young man lived]. Says the family experienced a traffic death within their family recently. Says its time it stopped, and calls for people to do what they can to help curb these issues.

11:50am: Dr Grant Gibbons [UBP] speaks to tourism. Also, speaks to the murder today

12:10pm: Randy Horton [PLP] says condolences to the murder victim’s family. Says he will visit family tomorrow. Calls on people to stand up, says if people see crime and won’t speak out they are part of the crime. Calls for a Joint Select Committee.

12:27pm: John Barritt [UBP] speaks on the murder today, agreeing with previous MPs that we as a community need to work together. Mr Barritt quotes Martin Luther King. Speaks to radio cabs, tourism and more.

12:44pm: Wayne Perenchief [PLP] speaks on “criminality in Bermuda as we see it in the present day”. Says we can solve these issues, and don’t need to make it a political football. Says “posses” have hardened into gangs. Recommends offering a “bounty” for turning in a firearm, says he believes there can be a financial motive for criminality, says “hangers on” may want to take advantage of a $5,000 bounty for a firearm.

1:02pm: Trevor Moniz [UBP] says he is repeating his “mantra” on law and order in Bermuda.

1:10pm: Charles Swan [UBP] speaks to tourism, then speaks to crime and the murder today, and the planned pool to be built, praising our swimmers.

1:29pm: Dale Butler [PLP] asks “how did we get here?”, and says we have had a major shift of our values. Expresses condolences to murder victim’s family, and says we must work quickly to combat it. Says we must ask ourselves what assistance we may be eligible for from the UK as a Colony.

1.49 pm: Glenn Blakeney [PLP] speaks about the planned pool.

1.59 pm: Dame Jennifer Smith [PLP] speaks to public beach in St Georges.

2.01 pm: Paula Cox [PLP] says she remembers her father saying he got involved in politics to be part of change for little black children coming along, and that we must return to that kind of caring, and that unless you have you have your “head in your butt” you know we have problems.

2.16 pm House adjourned for the day.

[Disclaimer: This is unofficial and does not represent all statements made, or speakers. For previous live blogging coverage click here.]

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Category: All, News, Politics