New Opposition Senators Officially Appointed
His Excellency the Governor, acting on the advice of the new Leader of the Opposition John Barritt, has today [May 18] made the following appointments to the Senate; Michael H Dunkley, Legay Craig Cannonier, Dr Katherine Frances Michelmore.
The Governor has written to the President of the Senate to ask her to swear in these three new Senators at the next meeting of the Senate.
Newly appointed One Bermuda Alliance [OBA] Senate Leader Michael Dunkley is a one-time United Bermuda Party leader who represented Devonshire East in the House of Assembly for many years. At the 2007 General Election he contested the marginal Smith’s North constituency, losing to the Progressive Labour Party’s Patrice Minors.
Mr. Dunkley was subsequently appointed to the Senate by the UBP and has been reappointed by OBA interim leader John Barritt to provide both “continuity and experience” to the new Opposition Party’s Upper House team.
During his political career, he has held important posts in the Shadow Cabinet, having had responsibility for Labour, Home Affairs and Public Safety and for Health and Family Services..
After attending school in Bermuda, Mr. Dunkley went to George Washington University and the University of Richmond in the United States, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Scholar Athlete Award.
Since he came back to Bermuda, Mr Dunkley has run the family business that supplies Bermuda with milk — Dunkley’s Dairy. He has also been involved in public service for most of his working life.
Deputy OBA leader and newly appointed Senator Craig Cannonier is the former leader of the Bermuda Democratic Alliance [BDA]. He was born and raised in St David’s, attending St. George’s Preparatory School and the Bermuda Institute.
After obtaining a BSc in Industrial Psychology from Towson State University in Baltimore, Maryland in 1986, he went on to acquire retail management experience in a number of different arenas.
Sen. Cannonier began his career by working for the MarketPlace Group where he was responsible for human resources, training and purchasing. He served as the general manager of People’s Pharmacy for some ten years.
Prior to beginning his association with Esso Bermuda, Sen. Cannonier served as a relationship manager for Cable & Wireless. Sen. Cannonier currently runs Esso City Tigermarket, Collector’s Hill Esso and Warwick Esso.
Senator Dr Katherine Michelmore grew up in Bermuda attending Dellwood Primary School and Warwick Academy.
At about the age of 12 years, Dr Michelmore decided she wanted to be a doctor and from that point pursued her goal. She attended Newcastle Medical School before moving to Oxford University as Bermuda’s Rhodes Scholar. Sen. Michelmore completed a PhD thesis in epidemiology, which is the study of how and why diseases affect different populations, and later decided that she wanted to become a General Practitioner.
After 15 years in the UK, Sen. Michelmore moved back home to Bermuda with her husband in 2002, working as a Family Doctor for several years. After the birth her second child, she transitioned into a new role as the Employee Health Physician at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, where she continues to work part-time.
Sen. Michelmore has a strong interest in improving the health of Bermuda and has recently worked on a Task Force to establish diabetes guidelines for the island. Her concern for the environment has also led her to work with the Bermuda Environmental Sustainability Taskforce [BEST]. She also served as Deputy Leader of the BDA.
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This whole things is a joke. People are being appointed to the Senate when their mere presence is based on the votes for a party who is no longer the majority Opposition?!! Are you people really serious about “One Bermuda?” Really?
As each day passes, this becomes more of an issue for me – - All UBP elected and appointed officials who are no longer members of the UBP SHOULD GIVE UP THEIR SEATS/APPOINTMENTS AND EARN THEM VIA A BI-ELECTION PROCESS. Until that happens, I have no faith or favour in this “new” opposition.
Yng Black Mind (those who know understand)
Interesting point to note – One Bermuda was and/is the motto of Kim Swan, UBP Leader – - if you don’t believe me, look at this licence plate – had it for years.
I agree with Yng Black Mind. The Senate is a joke. Let’s get rid of appointees such as David Burt and LaVerne Furbert. Have Wayne Furbert run in a bye-election. After all the playing field should be level shouldn’t it?
If senators were elected the OBA would win.
Years ago the Senate was inhabited by seasoned polititians. People who had given years of service as an MP & was in effect semi retired but still had the interest & a wealth of experience to have a second look at legislation coming from the LOWER House.
These days The Senate is more like kindergarden for MP wannabes & a reward for party faithful political hacks who will rubber stamp anything placed in front of them. Thrown into this mix, for a little credibility, are a few independents who try to instill some maturity among the children.
The determination of the victor of the next general election will first be fought in the senate . I predict that the senator who takes on Lavern Furbert and wins will set the pace for things to come .She has to be outwitted
Yng, read the Constitution. Who you want elected to the Senate. Baggers at the Market Place?
@Terry – - please know that my statement is designed to highlight several different points – - I am well aware of the Constitution and its regulations to the appointments to the Senate – - the OBA, as the official opposition, has every right to appoint their members to the Senate. BUT the issue is the fact that the members who have the ability to appoint SHOULD run in a bye-election first.
I do not see what that will prove they would rewin most of the seats they held under the UBP would they not? Since the UBP has but one or two nails to go before passing on as it were. I do not think the PLP have made more ground in those areas and in fact might have lost some. At best if the PLP did pick up more of a majority in the house what benefit would that bring a Government with no opposition? Although I do see the principal in it if that happens then Wayne should have to as well at the same time all bye elections should be held. Besides the PLP are having a bit of trouble keeping those in their fold happy as it what make you think they will be able to attend to more needs in more areas.
LOL
@LOL – my point is that everyone who changed parties after winning should be made to have a bi-election – - including any PLP member – - across the board – - fair is fair.
I did say I agree with the principal.
LOL
A nice mix of new blood and experience. Go head OBA!!
@ringmaster. Agreed. Anyone voted in and then switch should resign and run in a bye election! Young blk mind makes sense as well!
Hey, nobody likes change, but I think that having a credible opposition is only good for the country as a whole. Good on the OBA and those that have had the will to finally remove the shakles that the PLP so effectively put on the UBP. There was no way forward for the UBP so this was bound to be the ultimate outcome. Sure, there are some staunch UBP supporters that aren’t pleased. Indeed there are PLP supporters that will never endorse the OBA either and are secretly irritated that there now appears to be what could be a viable opposition, but for the majority of Bermudians, I believe the OBA can succeed in helping to raise this Island to better places and more opportunity. It won’t be easy though – we’ve travelled quite a long way down a trecherous road…
This is not a merger but a “reunion”. Same camp!
Their name should have been RUBP The Re-United Bermuda Party, or MOP, The merged opposition party because that would accurately capture the reality of which side of government they’ll be on for a long time to come.
Some you lot are sounding more and more Tea Partyesque by the day…
When didn’t they Tired. If you could go back to 1998 more Tea party statements have come from that side. Which is why I do not understand that some PLP people don’t understand why UBP people aren’t flocking to the PLP. They stated they don’t need their votes and could care less about them and the try to call opposition to the Tea partiers (implying that they are racists and the like). You know what I talking about.
LOL
What do your reactions have to do with the accuracy of my statement?
EDWIN STARR says “Huugh…. yeah….. absolutely NOTHING!”
I have a question
I am frustrated with the PLP and dont like the history behind the UBP, why would I vote for the OBA if it is a fact that the most of the members of the OBA are of the UBP? Why wasnt the OBA’s leader someone with no ties to either party?
Confused, you truly ARE confused. Who would you like as party leader? Somebody who has not done any work for the party? Somebody with no experience in anything (there is already plenty of that in the PLP)? Some random person grabbed off the street? How about Johnny Barnes?
Get real. My personal prefference is for no political partys at all. Vote for independents by proportional representation. Those voted in choose the Premier or voters choose the Premier out of those voted in.
Never happen.
I actually agree to this
“I am frustrated with the PLP and don’t like the history behind the UBP” although history is history and many of the past member responsible for the past legacy are gone it still has a eerie feel to the UBP some sons and daughters maybe. On the other note the PLP are mostly the sons and daughters of those before them so same feeling and the good Doctor sealed my vote from the PLP for now. Hopefully things will change soon.
But I’m willing to give them a chance due to the PLP have had 13 years and schools are still no better, crime is high (effect of no money in the economy ), and the island has more race baiting then I can ever remember going on, the cost of living is ridiculous (you don’t even want to know what I have to pay in rent with a family of four top with groceries and utilities paycheck to paycheck people not cool). I think parties in power become to comfortable to quick and need to be voted out once in a while just so they know they need to do the best job possible while squandering as little as possible. IMO
LOL
No one else in politics Bermuda is only so big and only certin people have put themselves forward everyone else minds their own and moves ahead.
LOL