Cabinet Office Report: 100 Days in Office

The Cabinet Office today [Feb 4] released a status report ‘Resetting the Dial’, which outlines the new administration’s first 100 Days in office.

While revitalising and relaunching Bermuda’s recession-battered economy and taking a zero tolerance policy towards crime are immediate priorities for Government, Premier Paula Cox says measures which will ensure “social justice and equity” for all Bermudians also feature near the top of her agenda.

The Premier — who this week reached the symbolic milepost of one hundred days in office — released the report which highlighted Government accomplishments of the last three months but also previewed a full raft of legislative, economic and social goals her administration intends to pursue.

“Your Government is committed to providing employment for our people and setting the table for renewed economic growth that creates new jobs,” said the Premier in her introduction to the report. “Your Government will continue to protect Bermudians in the workforce, and will remain vigilant in defending the employment rights of Bermudians.

“Your Government recognises the need for our policies and programmes to reflect an emphasis on social justice and equity. This covers the waterfront. It includes our education system, our criminal justice system, our system of healthcare, our tourism product, our border controls, our public infrastructure, our transport and housing policies, our social services network, our environmental policies and our economic policies.”

The Premier said Government efforts to reinforce law enforcement in a bid to crack down on crime in Bermuda must be matched by similar efforts aimed at eliminating the root social causes of lawlessness in the community.

“Your Government recognises that any strategy to reduce crime has at its core, the duty of the Government to protect its citizens and to act against those who break the law,” said the Premier. “A zero tolerance approach to lawlessness is important. Our enforcement and our sentences must be robust enough to deter would-be criminals.

“However, punishment on its own is not enough. As the Government we also have a responsibility to address problems that can lead people into crime. In addition to substance abuse, poor housing, lack of skills and lack of employment can be major obstacles to preventing repeat offending. Our substantive effort at raising skills and opening opportunities to get more offenders into jobs will go a long way to tackling the cycle of repeat offending. Strategic linkages across Ministries contribute to this. We must also address the underlying causes of crime and this includes helping offenders become more productive. There are substantial reforms that are already delivering results. However it does not stop there. Ministers are busy.”

The Premier said throughout the island’s history Bermudians have repeatedly demonstrated they are a resilient and determined people and she is confident they will remain undaunted by the challenges involved in repositioning and retooling Bermuda so it can prosper in the 21st century global environment.

“Although difficult choices will be necessary, the task and direction are clear,” she said. “Challenges throughout the global environment require a new paradigm for local empowerment that will enable us to secure our people’s future.

“Our vision for Bermuda is a vibrant and innovative economy that draws on the Bermudian traits of ingenuity, entrepreneurship, intellectual attainment and hard work. Together, we shall draw on these traits to ensure our shared vision becomes a reality. The work continues. We remain optimistic about our country’s future.”

The full 28-page PDF version is below, click ‘Full Screen’ for greater clarity:
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