One Bermuda Alliance Launch, Name Senators
[Updated with videos] The One Bermuda Alliance hosted their first press conference this afternoon [May 17], launched their new website, and named Craig Cannonier, Michael Dunkley and Dr Katherine Michelmore as ‘Senators Designate.’
Pictured below left to right are Dr Katherine Michelmore, Michael Fahy, John Barritt, Craig Cannonier, Bob Richards and Trevor Moniz:
On May 3, members of the UBP voted to dissolve the party and merge with the BDA to form the OBA. Not all were in agreement, as on May 10 UBP leader Kim Swan, MP Charles Swan and others launched legal action seeking to stop the UBP from dissolving. However seven UBP MPs resigned from the party to join the OBA. Kim Swan and Charles Swan remain as the only two UBP MPs.
The BDA has been dissolved, and their three MPs [Donte Hunt, Mark Pettingill and Shawn Crockwell] joined with the UBP MPs to form the OBA. The three were originally UBP MPs, splitting from the UBP’s Parliamentary ranks to form the Bermuda Democratic Alliance in 2009.
OBA Interim leader John Barritt was sworn-in as new Opposition Leader at a Government House ceremony this morning, while former BDA Leader Craig Cannonier has been named Deputy Leader of the One Bermuda Alliance.
Former BDA Leader Craig Cannonier, former UBP Senator Michael Dunkley and former BDA supporter Dr Katherine Michelmore were named as ‘Senators Designate,’ which effectively removes UBP Senators Jeanne Atherden and Suzann Roberts Holshouser.
Video statement from Senate Designate Dr Katherine Michelmore:
The group launched their online presence at approximately 1pm today, when their new website OBA.bm went live. In addition, they have started a Facebook group as well as a Twitter account.
Video statement from Senator Michael Dunkley:
Ex-UBP Senator and Former BDA Chairman Michael Fahy as been named as OBA Chairman, while Michael W. Branco has been named as Deputy Chairman.
OBA Interim Leader John Barritt’s full remarks follow below:
My name is John Barritt and I am here today with colleagues and friends to announce the formation of One Bermuda Alliance.
Before I address aspects the OBA’s mission and make-up, I want to talk briefly about circumstances that have brought us to this decision.
Few people will disagree that Bermuda is in serious trouble.
Gang-related shootings are tearing apart families and communities.
Unemployment has become a fact of life for thousands – putting tremendous strain on families.
Massive national debt has forced cutbacks in basic public services.
Education failures continue to short-change our children, narrowing their opportunities in life.These issues, and others, are in our face every day. They are tearing at the very core of who we are as Bermudians, undermining our way of life and threatening our future.
Thousands of lives have become more difficult, more stressful, and there is no end in sight.
Despite the alarming situation, the current government gives no confidence it knows how to get the island back on track. We hear talks, lots of talks but
- No real plans to restore jobs
- No sustained, over-arching plan to solve gang violence, and
- No urgency, no real commitment to end the education crisis.
What we do see is the blowback from years of reckless Government spending now hobbling its ability to
- operate ferries and buses,
- fund critical Police operations,
- support struggling families and charities, and
- protect seniors from rising health care costs.
We consider Bermuda’s situation to be extremely serious and urgent, requiring a unified response. We intend to provide the country with the opportunity, and hope, to get it back on track. We are a committed group of people – Parliamentarians and non- Parliamentarians, formerly of the UBP and the BDA – who’ve elected to join together and to put Bermuda first. There are people who wanted us to postpone this launch day, but waiting is not an option. The time to act is now. The levels of stress, anxiety and frustration in the community are not going away under the current conditions.
We are not alone with our concerns. Bermuda is crying out for change, for change in the way we practice politics and in the way we conduct the people’s business. We’ve heard it loud and clear: People want a new approach, they want a new direction. We firmly believe that the people of Bermuda want us to come together, to put aside old political and personal differences to work together for the good of the country. That is what we are committed to doing, and we are demonstrating that commitment by working together through the formation of an entirely new party.
The OBA wants to be the agent for change, and that is reflected in how we’ve set up the party.
Let me share with you an example of what I mean; an example of the commitment I am prepared to make for the change that is required: It was agreed that whoever became the interim leader should not be a candidate in the leadership convention, which should take place in four month’s time. That is the role I’m playing.
The leadership contest is open to anybody, and since the Bermuda Constitution says a party leader must have a seat in the House of Assembly, I have indicated that I am prepared to step down to make way for that new leader should he or she not already be a Member of Parliament.
I have committed to this role because there can be no change without people willing to make change. That is my particular commitment to the One Bermuda Alliance and to change.
Each member of the OBA has stepped out of their comfort zone to be an agent of change. They put aside party loyalty and identity to put Bermuda first. This is no small thing.
For example, it is natural to feel some sense of loss at giving up a lifelong association or a more recent commitment that held such promise. Past members of the UBP can reflect on that party’s long list of achievements – from desegregation of schools, the creation of Bermuda College, CURE legislation, health care and pension legislation, sound economic management and full employment to name but a few. On the other hand, I recognize that other people will continue to see the UBP associated with a historical legacy of white privilege, and the failure to do enough to benefit the black Bermudian and Portuguese community.
Even today, the legacy of slavery, segregation and institutionalized racism persists. As a former member of the UBP and as a member of the wider Bermuda community, I recognize and acknowledge this and carry into the OBA the commitment to work for an equitable and fair community.
Hopefully, our actions today and going forward will resonate and find echo with the many who have been turned off by the same old, same old UBP/PLP dynamic that has dominated our politics. It is from this that we turn away today.
The OBA welcomes people who have been discouraged and disillusioned by the old, tired ways of doing politics and who are looking for a new home to chart a new course for change.
We invite them to come forward now at the beginning to help shape the OBA and the direction it takes.
For example, the finalization of the party’s Constitution will take place in the months leading to the leadership convention. This work will be open to anyone who wants to join us at the ground level as we make a fresh start for a new beginning.
The same will be true for our policies and positions on issues of the day: The work of our Shadow Ministers will be strengthened by party spokesmen who will take an active role in the development of party policy through shadow boards.
I want to take a moment to emphasize that the formation of the OBA is not just about creating a stronger Opposition. We are doing this to provide Bermuda with an alternative government.
This will take more than a single press conference to present, but today I want to provide you with some idea of the principles governing our work and the directions we would like to move the country.
- We will put Bermuda first at all times and in all possible ways. The Government has not always followed that principle and it lies at the centre of much that has gone wrong.
- We believe Bermuda works better when its people work together. We will push to make our Parliamentary system more inclusive and more collaborative for the public and Parliamentarians.
- We will work towards growing the economy to full employment.
- We will work to balance the budget, get public debt under control and reduce red tape to improve our competitiveness.
- We will work for a ceasefire on the streets, and begin to address the underlying causes of crime.
- We will focus on ending the education crisis once and for all.
- We will begin to reform government to ensure fairness, equity and transparency.
Bermuda needs a government with a clear vision and clear goals and the know-how to achieve them. It needs a government that helps people meet the challenges in their day-to-day lives.
The OBA already has an excellent mix of people with fresh ideas and energy and experienced hands to start us on the way to making the changes Bermuda needs. Notwithstanding this, our plans and preparations have already been met by the usual critics and naysayers, some of whom would prefer that we not even get off the ground. We are beyond that now. We are simply looking to create the opportunity to foster positive change for Bermuda and, with the help of others, to help this country succeed. Our focus will be on easing the problems and pressures facing the people of this country. We think the public will support that work.
We want to earn your support and trust, one person at a time. Rome was not built in a day.
We are building from the ground up to give everyone an opportunity for a new beginning and a fresh start.
For those who want to learn more about us, I invite you to visit our website at www.oba.bm.
Remarks by the Craig Cannonier, Deputy Leader of the One Bermuda Alliance, follow below:
I am honored to stand here today at this moment in the history of Bermuda. I want to thank my family – my wife, my children and my mother. She cannot be here today because of illness in the family, but I know she is praying for me and thinking of all of us today.
I also want to thank all the former members of the BDA and UBP who put aside party loyalties and put Bermuda first.
A few years ago I did not know John Barritt and I may have made conclusions about him without getting to know him. And possibly, he might have done the same with me. However, today, I have come to know John as a man who cares deeply about this country and who has the experience and passion to lead this organization.
Many will try to define what happened here, but I will tell you that for me the highlight was getting to know individuals whom I would otherwise not have gotten to know.
Healing begins with communication and communication leads to understanding. This is the essence of one Bermuda.
We have gathered here today because Bermuda is confronted by an array of challenges that are tearing at the very core of who we are. All are affected one way or another, no one is immune.These challenges demand a unified, dedicated response; one that has been lacking in recent years. They demand a response that is not just about party, but about purpose.
Martin Luther King Jr. once spoke of the “fierce urgency of now,” and that powerful recognition is the trigger behind the formation of the OBA. We have to act now. The problems we face are growing, not decreasing. The future of the country is at stake.
We cannot wait to start tomorrow. We start today.
We cannot accept business as usual. We must start to build on common ground, and stop dwelling in the spaces that separate us.
We have set aside party loyalties for the sake of the country. Our mission is to put Bermuda first, because that is what has been missing.I have talked to thousands of Bermudians over the past year and I hear the same concern: ‘Something is wrong. Something is not right. Who would have thought that we would have multiple killings in one week. There was a time when this was unheard of in Bermuda and this Government wants to go on like business as usual. When I think about those families and the lives that could have been, I will not go on like business as usual we must end the gang violence now. This is not the Bermuda I know. This is not the Bermuda I want.’
People feel the government is not responsive to their needs. They feel its ministers are disconnected, not just from everyday realities but from any sense of responsibility – from any sense of accountability – for the protection and welfare of Mr. and Mrs. Bermuda. People want solutions. They do not see them and they are not confident this government has them.
There are those that will try to downplay or define what is happening here today into something negative. They will want the people of this country to think that the OBA is nothing more than business as usual; that we are old wine in a new bottle. They will try to fool you into thinking this was some backroom deal. They will invoke the past, rather than look to the future. They will want to distract from the declines that are gripping Bermuda and the lack of effective leadership that provides no real solutions.
Well, I am here to put Bermuda on notice that we are going to every home, every neighborhood every church every business to every community to invite those who care about the future of this country to join with us, to work together for solutions, to put Bermuda first.
We will:
- reduce government debt to sustainable levels and balance the budget within our first term by reducing administrative red tape and increasing fiscal responsibility
- lead by example by slashing Ministerial pay by at least 10% and hold Ministers accountable for their actions
- get Bermudians back to work by supporting international business, rebuilding tourism and allocating more government contracts to small business
- restore safety and security to Bermuda and end gang violence by providing the police with proper funding for modern technology and 24/7 patrols
- reform public education and create opportunity by significantly improving classroom effectiveness, introducing a fully integrated technical curriculum and a longer school day
- increase democracy by having fixed term elections, right to petition for referendums and recall of MP’s
Bermuda you will have a voice in the OBA. You will have a voice in the future of your country. This is your party.
And through our work together, we will restore hope in a brighter future, and restore confidence in what we can do as Bermudians.The OBA will be about bringing forward the best we can be for our country. We will not forget our roots. We will not forget the meaning of public service. We will not lose our way. We will put Bermuda first.
I am proud to be here today with John and my colleagues; proud to be starting this journey together.
Truly it is a new day.
Thank you.
Update: Full 11 minute video of OBA Leader John Barritt’s speech at the press conference:
Update: Full 10 minute video of OBA Deputy Leader Craig Cannonier’s speech:
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I think they just earned my vote
Mine too.
Our Future is Born!
Correct me if I am wrong, but is the OBA simply the UBP with a different name? I really don’t see how the OBA is an agent of change.
The UBP/BDA failed to attact and convert significant numbers of PLP supports.
So, the OBA comprises of mainly those folks who once supported the UBP. So, what is the change? The OBA is simply the UBP with a different logo, different leader and different website.
The people of the OBA are simply those who supported the UBP.
If it was the UBP with a different name, the diehards wouldn’t have filed and injunction to hold on to their precious UBP. I know many of the members of the BDA … whole different ballgame mate. Time will tell …
And if it were part of the plan all along?
then you’re a hella theorist..
LOL…the members of the BDA didnt cross over…just their MPs and leadership. Most members have abandoned ship.
We welcome you to be the change you wish to see……..
@ Flikel I totally agree with you. The UBP pretty much changed their name to the OBA. It’s like taking KFC home and saying you cooked it yourself…lol
Hey the UBP changed their logo? FINALLY!!
Disappointed to hear that John Barritt will not be a candidate in the leadership convention. He’s the most sensible, experienced and charismatic individual the OBA has.
Well … I suppose everyone is entitled to their opinion.
Indeed. Who would you like to see leading them?
Grant perhaps. Dunkley perhaps. Pettingell perhaps. Bob perhaps. The PLP does also have a small pool of talent, and I am going to have to vote for an experienced team at this time, and not just for the leader. if there is going to be a lot of new unexperienced faces in this new party then it is going to be a cause for concern.
Well, if Paula Cox calls a snap election soon, the OBA will have no choice but to fight it with John Barritt at its lead.
Mr. Wells, I agree with you that I am disappointed and yes John Barritt does have all the qualities you have attributed to him, but I also feel many others on the OBA team do, and I admire him for his willingness to step aside if in his wisdom and experience he feels that will be the right thing for OBA. He gave a excellent speech and so did Mr. Cannonier. Both were filled with great hope and promise.
I agree!
I agree mate !!!
I agree. John Barritt is a good, fair and honest individual who is respected on both sides of the House. I’m also disappointed to see Suzanne out of the Senate, however I’m hoping they have better things in store for her. As an east ender, I like and support Suzanne. However, new blood is always a good thing.
If you are to be successful you need to put your solutions to the above problems listed and many others you did not list to the people so that they know these are the solution you came up with and so that the PLP can’t undermine you by taking them and the credit for them. Come to the people first as proposals, seek consultation from us and then present them to the PLP any other way and they will surly cut you out of the credit making it had to see you as a viable government in waiting. This is how you will differentiate your self from the old UBP that was seen to critics just to cities.
LOL
Good Luck ! and may the people be with you and be part of you……………………
so they did all this for a name change??? seem a bit stupid to me!!!
Dr. Ewww-Wart Brown left us in a mess. He WILL have is day though!!! Having said that, I wish OBA all the best, they have my vote.
I think the oba is what we need now…..enough of of the incompetent plp.
Everything they do turns into a fiasco.
Even though this political unification has dragged on, it was a healthy process and only serves to create better competition for the leadership of Bermuda.
I say we should try to be less cynical about political parties and judge them for their capabilities and previous performances.
One suggestion I offer is that prior to the next general election, all candidates running for office should be required to participate in live televised debates and Q&A sessions. This allows the public to better understand the candidate with the smoke and mirrors of party ideology.
Stay positive.
How fast do you think Bermuda Politicians can think on their feet and will the people hold them to what they would say on said debate. I have been to a few question and answer PLP meetings and they even had readied pre-approved questions to ask…………………………..
LOL
Back Breaking News…Election Friday Coming!
Okay…. New name…. Same faces…. whats really different ??
It’s actually a mixture of new and established “faces”. You should perhaps read the article.
If you’re the kind of person who gets tired of the same old faces, the PLP must be driving you completely mad.
Calling MAWI we have a specialgirl4you………………………………………….
LOL could not resist
I guess many of you are just too young to remember, but the UBP did do a good job, I mean based on tha fact that it had to work with Bermudians and all.
These guys have my vote. After all, I now know what the PLP is capable of.
UBP did a good job. Youmust be Portuguese or white!!! Those are the only racial groups that thrived under UBP rule! Oh, and a selected handful of blacks. The PLP is no different than the UBP, the UBP employed the same tactics, we are just more willing to accept it coming from a “white” party than a “black” one
what do you mean,,Portuguese or white ,u.b.p. did not do any favors for the Portuguese, as a matter of fact they kept the Portuguese in a very short leash as if they were afraid of them..it toke 30 years to come up with the so called long term residence papers , and even then it still came with a lot of restrictions . Portuguese people worked hard for many many years and still work hard for what they whant, its not that what they acomplish was given to them ..
and yes u.b.p. got deaf, and dum, and thats why they lost the election and as i see it they got a very long way to go to get back in if ever. now it is up to the people of this Beutiful coutry or Island what ever you whant to call it to get together and end this mad issues that we are dealing with , P.L.P, are not any better then what the u.b.p. was, they are just deaf and dum, and until we say enough is enough they are going to get worse, it is all about them selves not you or me let alone the portuguese or white its a shame that in todays world some people still go on black and white lets get together and get over this ..
Well said
Portuguese or white? What are you discussing, race or nationality?
The difficult situ that many PLP supporters are faced with is that we do remember a time, when in relatve terms, the country was in far better financial shape for the majority of our citizens. Yes there were significant racial issues that were unacceptable and demoralizing and yes that was the catalyst for voting the bums out.
Having said the above, we are now 13 years into a so called progressive ( yeah right!! ) – labour ( more like birthing ) party reign and there is nothing progressive at all about this bunch and labour has taken a massive hit during their tenure. The BIU are toothless, in fact, they don’t really appear to be interested, Ministers are busy worrying about how much they can earn versus how they should serve, Premier’s wanting to be Dames and demanding to be treated as such, worse even if you evaluate the horror show produced by the good doctor..So those that would have us believe that the coming together of the old UBP with the new UBP is a bad thing, should only consider how bad it really is in this paradise lost…
You can change the packaging on a box of cornflakes; you can give it a new name and even bring in a new pitchman but a stale box of cornflakes is still a stale box of cornflakes!
You mean as in having a new Premier who is also the same 7 year term Minister of Finance trying to recalibrate/reset the dial along with a Cabinet of tried and fired and rehired people?
What a very interesting day. Every piece of legislation John Barritt lists in his speech as achieved by the UBP was forced on them by the effective PLP Opposition and I am old enough to remember. That said, it is a new day and it will be fun to watch these two strange bedfellows squirm around the statements made about each other over the last two years. The real test will come when they mount some criticism of the Government. Will it be genuine and real or will it be more the same as it was with the UBP…..so far so good but its their DNA (to quote Dr. Gibbons) that they have to control.
Well ‘HMMMM’ it’s a shame they have been such a bunch of incompetent losers since they got in 12 years ago. TWELVE YEARS. Yes, I am shouting. They’ve had their chance, and they blew it.
The country is in the proverbial shi-ite thanks to 12 years of utter complete incompetence.
It’s time for change.
The country is in proverbial sh*t because of the UBP. They created and polarized the class and social issues present today, not the PLP! It became polarized when PLP gained power in 1998. Under which party’s watch was the disaster of a public school system created. What jackass though of that? Well the jackasses were the UBP. But they did it to put all blacks in one place so we cow,d destroy ourselves. Modelling the education system after those idiot Americans. The school system was perfectly fine!!!!!
“Shaking”, the PLP – er – Jackasses (to use your very descriptive word) have had more than 12 years to reform the education system if they didn’t like it. But they didn’t.
In fact, it was the PLP who spent $130m rebuilding Berkley. Didn’t change the system, just rebuilt the school.
If your ‘disaster’ of a public school system was created under the UBP, it has been re-affirmed time and again by the PLP. And how many Education Ministers have we had under the PLP? It’s been a new one every year or so hasn’t it? Except for the current one, who had a go at being the education minister back in the 1990′s. The decade before last. You know, back in the century before this one. In the old days, when the PLP used to be a new government.
If you want change, mate, you have only one choice. And it isn’t the PLP retread failures in now. They’ve had their chance. Didn’t work out. They’ve been a disaster. Hopeless.
And why didn’t the PLP sort it out?
Just a note if the PLP was so effective an opposition why did it not strongly oppose the school system change when it was proposed. How strong of an outcry was there I don’t remember them protesting or sitting out or any of that. In fact as they were part of the house and also voted on the issue was their vote unanimous maybe we should find out. If any one knows were to find that information I would like to know.
LOL
The PLP have done little more that out UBPing the UBP. The PLP have had 13 years to “fix” Bermuda.
To be honest SMH.. yeah it was a dumb idea to create a massive school… but as many have said, it has been 12 years..
and im not saying things should be all sorted and happy after 12 years… but at least on the path to correction. All we’ve done is gotten an expensive report made and then put it on the shelves…. and then complained about how the UBP screwed it up… There has been no solid move to do anything about the issue.. once that is on track, then the PLP can start using education as an excuse as to why they should be in govt.
Very dumb idea, UBP made to make a one massive school, you really see the division in the private schools between the havs and hav not, just like the Island divided
I totaly agree with you “shaking my head”. The failing American school system should NEVER have been implemented in Bermuda and I am deeply upset that the UBP made that decision for us. I am equally upset with our current government who has had more than enough time to rectify this situation as well as many others over years. I don’t care which logo/name change comes under I just want it FIXED, enough is enough!
Maybe since they were such a good opposition maybe they should return to that post as they aren’t very good at the present one.
LOL over 1 billion in debt you know
Given the outlandish fiscal screw up thrust upon us by our current leaders I am Way..Way past the ‘need to control’ issue as this current bunch of PLP control freaks, masquerading as politicians have the very same DNA, albeit without the ability..
The OBA will do the following:
Reduce government debt to sustainable levels and balance the budget within our first term by reducing administrative red tape and increasing fiscal responsibility.
To achieve the above we will:
1. We will eliminate the free death duty tax and go back prior to 1998 and reinstate the rates we had at that time, than increase the rate 4% per year.
2. We will abolish the Special Persons Pass and make sure that those persons pay the same rates on ferries and buses.
3. We will abolish the 50% cost of education at The Bermuda College by increasing the fee to 100%.
4. We will abolish the free licening of vehicle for seniors, and restore the rate to todays fee structure.
5. We will abolish the free day care for families in need and restore the rate to todays cost structure.
The above is a start and they should be able to save a bundle.
Drag
My my. Sounds positively wonderful!!! *coughNOTcough*
Drag, why don’t you list the ‘benefits’ promised (yes, promised) before the last election by the PLP that they now cannot afford. Free buses? Free college? free childcare for all? Senior care?
Actually, wouldn’t it be nice if they suggest doing away with useless contultants who are ‘friends’ of senior ministers, expensive music festivals, and vanity projects. Or concrete ways of expanding the tax base, by actually encouraging business, rather than spouting racist xenophobia at every turn.
They might try to bring the country together to rid it of the crime that has got out of control under the PLP.
Crime is out of control, but the government doesn’t control the police. Blame Gov House for that.
Apart from spending silly money on the police, toughening sentences, and infringing on civil liberties, what else would you like them to do?
Plenty “silly money” is being spent on useless consultants as well!
Preto, I’d like them to spend much more money on the Police, toughen sentences, and infringe on the civil liberties of gangs of thugs.
That old line about “if only we were in charge of the Police” goes back to the previous governor. You’re out of date. In the past few years Burch was very willing to talk about the good relationship and high degree of cooperation between the govt and governor.
And in the meantime the Police force funding is cut year after year by the PLP because the government has no financial flexibility to do anything else.
Something will have to be done by whom ever is at the reins to bring in the billion dollar debt maybe they could start with your PR contract eh Drag…………………………..
LOL
Hi MAWI I know this guy who thinks he’s a fisherman …… put that line down you’ll pop your eye out swing like that trying to type man…………………
6. Free Lures……..
Terry,
Excellent suggestion “Free Lures” also “Free Kool Aid” to keep their members from running to the New UBP. Ha ha ha.
Looks like I might need a larger boat. Ha ha ha
I knew that the bait was attractive.
Just as I expected some fish cannot resist certain types bait. LOL Ha Ha Ha.
Reminds me of a Hogfish, a real sucker for a crab.
Drag
Drag my man they (MAWI) let you out again they feel bad for the old guy eh.
LOL
Hmmmm…..read both of the speeches above and both have me thinking that some of the suggestions stated that need foremost attention, were ones created by the ‘old UBP’. So now because some members have gone and joined a new party, you will think lots of people will have forgotten just how you have been involved in politics over the years gone by. Never new one could really know some one and what they stand for after a few meetings. Knowing some one comes with years of being surrounded by that individual(s).
Keeping it real, yes the PLP should have done better on some issues. But some of you ask yourselves if you are suffering extremely beyond control. 10yrs can never beat 30yrs. And if the old UBP’ wasn’t so much involved in “in house” bickering , than they would have provided the opposition needed to keep the PLP in check, because I do remember the PLP did that to the ‘old UBP.
Politicians are just like salepersons across the board. Sell you a dream and not mention how you are going to maintain it. See most @ pre-election time and no more the day after.(Just my opinion)
To VTM :
Soooo, it was the inability of the UBP to keep the PLP in check that forced Doc and co to mis-manage ( and I am being kind )us into serious / massive debt? Also please explain suffering extremely beyond control? Does it mean , don’t have a job, can’t pay the mortgage, afraid to be out at night, more ex-pats on permits than ever before?
Seriously, how long does it take for you to know someone is selling you a 6 for a 9 before you admit that you have been had by these would be saviours called the PLP?
These are same guys and gals that had their faces pressed up against the UBP window panes for decades, complaining to all that would listen about the lavish party going on inside the Red Carpet. The complaints all ceased when they hired the band, set the menu and MC’d the party.
Bob,
If the shoe fits,……you know the rest…with out strong opposition the leading govt. has time to do what ever…..end of my opinion. Quiet minds are lethal.(Shhhh!!)…go get a real response elsewur…..lol
Vfm..I am not sure how one should respond to your sad commentary..you have been found wanting..
As are most of the outspoken supporters half turths and a whole lot of “well the UBP did it” but when you ask more questions it turns out the UBP didn’t do things quite like they say. PLP held the UBP to account then what were the votes to the school change and why did the PLP not have a stronger opposition to that? Seems to me they are both to blame.
LOL
Why has a move to OBA made John Barritt realize that the legacy of slavery, segregation and institutionalized racism still persists?
Don’t try to all of a sudden be an agent of change as a means of trying to draw a vote!
Well don’t look for the PLP to change anything. They’ve been there for 12 years and have successfully ruined Bermuda. Look at crime, tourism, jobs, education, the environment. They’ve had their chance. If you want change, PLP won’t give it to you.
Give it a rest… A VAST MAJORITY of poeple in this island are FAR better off than they were in 1998. They have more educational oppotunities, they own more business, they own their homes, they succeed in public schools and go away to university and come back prepared to lead in their communities.
You may only want to talk in the negative, but lets not be silly. Once again on crime, i say, that GOVERNOR controls the police, what ELSE would you like the PLP Government to do on crime. Everything the police have asked for the govenment has given them. I hate this stop and search BS, but guess what, thats what the police wanted, thats what they got.
This is global recession, with jobs AROUND THE WORLD in the worse shape they have been in since the 1930s, so though you may want to hang it on the neck of the PLP, your rhetoric rings hollow.
The public school system is NOT perfect, but it churns out many success stories, that go on to suceed in the private sector. Though the RG and you may only want to focus on the negative, we see the positive every day here on Bernews.
If you want opportunity, the PLP will give it to you.
Where is Socrates when you need him?
Preto,
Aaah I see. We’re all better off now under the PLP? You might have a difficult time explaining that to the 2,000-3,000 jobless. Or the people that used to work at the 50 or so hotels and guest houses that have closed in the past 10 years. Or people made redundant from insurance / reinsurance and related companies over the past few years.
Your ‘let them eat cake’ lines sound a bit hollow to people who live in the real world.
The champagne socialists at PLP HQ, with their multiple houses, dual incomes, protected pensions, etc, might feel better off now.
The rest of us don’t.
Please provide stats as I do not believe you Preto unless of course you are part of the inner circle. Are you? Most average people I know are not doing so well right now and those people who are successful now made it happen for them selves the PLP can’t take their credit from them.
LOL
Ahh, yes.. The PLP can’t take credit for anything good, and must shoulder the blame for all that is bad.
Classic!
Well Preto, the PLP were in charge for the last 12 years. Shouldn’t they take the blame for things that haven’t worked out? They were spending money like nobodie’s business. Wouldn’t it be sensible to hold them accountable?
Or would you rather blame the party who was in opposition for that whole time? Or are you trying to blame the new party that started yesterday?
Interestingly the PLP did try to take credit for the following initiatives (as listed prominently on the platform page of plp.bm) but very recently (and rather shamefully) they have now been removed:
——–
Our 2007 manifesto chronicles the accomplishments of nine successful years of governance by the Progressive Labour Party and lays out an ambitious vision for the future.
The major highlights pledged in the Platform are:
•Future Care – Upgraded Hospital Insurance Plan (HIP) to cover major medical expenses for seniors
•Child Care – Free Day Care services for Bermudian Families
•Public Transport – Free Bus and Ferry Services
•Education – Free Bermuda College for all Bermudians
•Housing – 500 Interest free down payments for first time Bermudian home owners
•Environment – Green Paper on Energy to reduce Bermuda’s reliance of Fossil fuels
—–
If these are the “major highlights” the PLP choose to hang their hat on, the OBA should have no problem winning the next election (if the electorate actually vote(d) based on competency) and should come out swinging with a “Mission Accomplished” parody campaign.
Can you show me the quote that you just stated.
thank you people, give these guys a chance!
Day kick Kim to de curb
i get irritated reading these comments….. what we need is no party’s… thats the problem we all need to come together as BERMUDA and all of us get this island back on track, as long as there is separate parties then we are all in for a long misserable ride. I really wonder if anybody really believes these words “ONE BERMUDA” because to some they are just that WORDS………….. i am outta here
I’m with you to an extent, they fight over dumb ish sometimes, but political parties are a reality and will never go away.
What we need is everyone on board at these times. That’s not only the PLP and the UBP, thats the unions, BELCO, HSBC, Capital-G, Bermuda Gas, Marketplace, Lindos, BFM, Colonial, Argus, all the companies that made a killing during the boom times are still raking in profits while the small man suffers. That’s what it will really take to pull through this downturn quicker. The question is, are those companies ready to have a break even year, or do they still need to rake in profits while people suffer?
Really? All these places have been ‘raking in profits’?
First, many of them are private. You have no idea whether they are doing well or on the verge of bankruptcy. You’re talking about things that you actually have no idea about.
But some of them are public. Argus, for example. Still ‘raking in profits’? Er…right.
Tell you what. If that company is so fantastically profitable right now, why doesn’t the BUI take the $7m that Ewart gave them for free and invest it all in Argus? Wouldn’t that show everyone? That way the BUI could participate in all these amazing automatic profits that are being made, for the benefit of the Working Man and all that.
I’ll wait for the Union accounts before i comment… may be a long wait! SMDH!
Preto you just don’t know. Some of the insurance companies you mention are thinking about axing health altogether right now as they are losing money like water in a leaky bucket. Bermuda is just not as healthy as it use to be.
LOL
Preto….WELL SAID WELL SAID…….. Its not all bad under the PLP… no they may not have done everything correct….but most try to paint a picture like they have not done anything right. They have done a great deal of things right…….The ecomony is bad all over the world, so it is not just a Bermuda Problem, its a world problem. Keeep it up Preto…..wise
Am i the only one that see 666 in this logo? or and over active mind?? jus thoughts
Good observation!!! All devil worshipers!! I’m not voting for either party, the UBP/OBA, PLP or whatever party name they are called are ALL run and controled by off shore mega banks and financial oligarchs!! WAKE UP people it’s ALL smoke and mirrors!!
Sort one 6: O b a maybe you need glasses you note a football ref are you?………..
LOL
Thant’s “short”
POLY TRICKS…DNT TRUST NONE OF THEM!!
Come on man I’ve been running this name for all of the Bernews and even before this site. I know the name is hot like fire but it gets confusing to look at. Please change to something more unique.
LOL original
Rick Rock I beg to differ with you. In 1998 we voted for change and we got it. It just was not what we had in mind, it got worse much worse!
Please tell me what got worse? More companies, more jobs, more income, a better standard of living, more options, less monopolies.
Bermuda is feeling the effects of a recession that is crippling the world, but can you honestly say that after 13 years of PLP government Bermuda is a worse place? That is NOT accurate, and I bet that a Majority of the electorate would disagree with you.
They have seen their kids get jobs and reach the heights they only dreamed of, they have tasted home ownership and our proud of their family busineses. They see opportunity in a country that in 1998 it didn’t exist. Look at home many of our young poeple are in insurance and industry that has quadrupled in size since 1998.
The last 2 years have been bad, not just for Bermuda but for everyone, but please do not try to rewrite 13 years of history.
Plato : The Greeks apparently never learn…. post Eugene Cox, it was / is the PLP’s inept and morally bankrupt leadership that has led us to down this dangerous road…now remove your head from the sand and send the ostrich back to the zoo..
“…but can you honestly say that after 13 years of PLP government Bermuda is a worse place?”
Good God man. Are you actually serious?
I was thinking the same thing everything he listed is the opposite of the truth.
LOL
Eveything he listed is the TRUTH you all know it just don’t want to admit it because you are negative minded people who have no true care for whats going on. Just blog flys bugging the world.
Actually the only one I can agree with is ………. nope sorry non of them are true companies continue to down size so in fact less jobs, due to these job losses the standard of living is worse as people can’t afford necessities (i.e. groceries), I don’t get the more options part has Belco allowed another player in I know your not glowing over the cell phone industry as the more options thing. What new companies do you chat bout I must be unaware form where I work I see companies moving not coming so please name some if you can then we’ll see how many jobs the produce for us and what type of tax revenue they generate. If their is more income why is Government cutting services, why are most pay increases way below the standard of living increase meaning people are making less. Prove me wrong I would like the good news too.
LOL
Damn grammer “they” “there”
Dead Serious! And i see nothing that you wrote to counter what I said above.
“More companies, more jobs, more income, a better standard of living, more options, less monopolies.”
Our economy has grown and matured a great deal since 1998, only someone with their head in the sand would ignore that.
Does the PLP do everything right, hell no! They get a lot wrong, but to say that Bermuda is worse in 2011 than 1998 is an opinion that some of your friends may share, but i venture to say most will not. People see and recognise progress in their families and amongst their friends.
Plato you are right I agree 100%
“The economy has grown and matured a great deal”.
Something tells me you are either a civil servant or a government minister. Those are the only ways you would get such a distorted and twisted view of what is going on.
I beleive that the things you are refering to are determined by the the open market, or private sector – NOT the goverment. The Government is in place to govern, and provide the basic needs to the society. A few things that have detoriated are as follows:
1) have you seen the state of the roads. They are HORRIBLE. All public roads are the responsibility of the governement.
2) we have kids that are “graduating” from our schools that cannot read or write. Again the government needs to implement things to ensure these kids are not being pushed through the system.
3) we have a rise in crime. And before you say the Governor is responsible for the police, maybe we should look at the issues realating to those who are committing the crimes. For the most part they have come from a poor back ground to young mothers, absent fathers, have been a part of the failing education system and often become teenage parents. Perhaps controling our crime problem would come from a little more knowledge on how not to have children before you are in a committed relationship and out of school.
4) the public waste is not picked up on a timely basis, simply because the equiptment is broken (remember a few months back when there was only 2 working trash trucks island wide).
5) Public transportation is not fuctioning efficiently. We have ferry’s that don’t work, we depend on paying bus drivers over time to meet the demands of the schedule that has been in place for 10 years or more!
6) Street lights do not work – this is a basic safety concern.
These are things that are very basic that governments provide. These are the things that i have personally seen detoriate particularly in the last 5 to 6 years. These are the basic things that I would like my goverment to “fix”. Instead of fixing these basics have been neglected, and all the issues we have are blamed the previous government and the global economy. While we quibble about the issues of the past and this party versus that party our infrastructure is crumbling beneath our feet. Some of the things i have listed above are at sub-third-world country standard. To me that is an issue! It is like buying a $1M home and not maintaining it and having to sell it for $250K.
The private sector is not going ot help us. They are here for the almighty dollar. They only people that can provide the above basics is our government, and they are FAILING!
Garbage twice a week that’s the biggest improvement I’ve seen.
LOL
While all you idiots complain about the oba being the ubp with a new name, the plp mp’s are cashing in their hefty cheques and ms cox is contemplating how great it is to be a member of the ‘peoples government’
Meanwhile ewart brown has ran off in exile to another country living in a house bigger than any ‘white privileged’s off the bermudians tax money which they put blood, sweat and tears into earn: he is never to return to ‘his country again
Overall this working class government thing isn’t going so well: but the plp mp’s seem to be liking it!!!!!
#equality!!!!
You have a point but could you please refrain from the bigotry comments. Making allegations without any facts or concrete evidence is disrespectful and wrong. There have been many people particularly blacks that have spent life sentences, 25 years or more, in jail for crimes they have been completely innocent for. Even if you have a deep hatred for Mr. Brown please stop the false allegations unless you have concrete evidence. This is not only in regards to you comment about Brown living off the people’s money (back your chat up) but to anyone who feels the need to hang someone before they are found guilty of any wrong doing.
I don’t have massive hate for brown or the plp. But I am berry unhappy with the billions of dollars of debt that the country’s government put us in
well as far as i know, when he came back his Dr. practice was near bankrupcy… now he has a million dollar or more house in martha’s vineyard..
if something about that is incorrect please let me know, but as it stands that is NOT something that should happen after a few years in govt.. can you explain where that came from or refute the info?
It’s common sense that Ewart Brown is living off our money, his salary was paid by our tax dollars…
Um, where not talking about the money he legally made from being the leader of this country. All leaders get paid by tax payers. I’m sorry if you don’t like the man but the leader of a country is far more important and far more pressure than what we do. I mean that respectfully.
Now I am on the same page as all of you when it comes to the debt we are in. However I will not use
false words to give room to hate. MLK faced many injustices but he never allowed his words to be used towards lies and hate.
We can agree and we can disagree but please say what is true only. How could you talk about someone and their wrong doing while at the same time your words are wrong.
Speak peace and show your support for the new party and don’t use words that could be lies and spun to sound like hate.
I’m not OBA or PLP I’m all about OLB. One Love for Bermuda!!
Have a good day!!
It’s amazing to read the comments about the new OBA being just the same old UBP in disguise etc. The truth is that both the UBP and the PLP are completely different than they were 40 years ago. To suggest otherwise is ludicrous in the extreme. The PLP many years ago were staunchly socialist – remember when they sent a delegation to the Russian embassy and when asked about it on local TV there spokesman said it was “none of our goddam business’! I make the point because you can’t really think that the modern PLP is a purely socialist party – they have moved forward; there political leanings have changed and they have completely new personalities in the present Government. It’s called evolution!
It just the same with the UBP. With the majority of its MP’s now joining the new OBA, along with members of the BDA, it is totally false to say that this new party is just the same old same old, just as it is to say that the PLP has never changed.
I’m looking at both parties – the PLP and the OBA (the UBP is now firmly dead and buried) – to see what solutions they have to offer, and I’m acutely aware that the PLP has been in power now for 13 years and has had all that time to make positive changes. Right now, even taking into consideration the difficult economic times faced by other countries around the world, I’m not at all convinced that the PLP has steered a correct course in recent years and I seriously question their ability to turn our economy around. I for one, will be watching intently, and if the OBA offers positive solutions in comparison with what the PLP has to offer, then I would be willing to give them my vote and my support. That’s just one opinion, but there may be many more like me, so wise up PLP and start doing things right or else you’ll be out.
I second this post
We are fed with the plp govt with their extravagant lifestyle.. getting to the ends of the earth in fabulous and costly ways while we struggle from day to day,their big cars with gas included,5stars hotels,first class flying, visiting places where Bda has NO connection econ.,This maintenance is FIRST world price but they are giving us third world proformance even lowere..The average person is now seeing that they hvnt done anything positive to increase,improve, or innovate the way of life in Bermuda.This govt has no idea how to run this island with sense, and sensibilities.Let someone else take over..the plp have failed miserably..
How the HELL, do you TRUST any of these PEOPLE.
Why wouldn’t you?
lol i dont trust any of them… and as such i woulndt try to vote anyone in because i like their promises, i simply think theyve seen what the plp does in 12 years and wont may actually take some steps to stop our deterioration.
I don’t trust any politicians personally.
LOL
The Progressive (actually the opposite of what they truly are) Labour (really??) Party (yes…they certainly know how to do that at our expense)has been the biggest political disappoint to me personally.
I used to love and revere PLP stalwarts like Freddy Wade and Lois Brown Evans. They were true leaders who sacrificed their health and careers to further all Bermudians.
Fast forward to 2011 and the current bunch of imposters currently running government have succeeded in turning our island home into a facsimile of what it used to be.
We were once a safe community, with an abundance of jobs. Tourism was flourishing and the insurance sector was booming. We used to have an expanding economy with a sound education system that churned out literate, qualified Bermudians who took their rightful place in all sectors of society. The buses ran on time as did the ferries. There was a general feeling of wellbeing and hopefulness. Our young people believed in the Bermudian dream of homewonership and looked forward to raising their families in a safe environment. We did not fear our young people and they did not terrorize us.
Were things perfect….no they weren’t, however as a people we believed that if we put our shoulders to the wheel we could all succeed together. All that has evaporated since 1998. And Dr. EB, the Darth Vader of Bermudian politics dragged us all to the Dark Side………
I wish the One Bermuda Alliance God’s blessing. May he grant each of you the wisdom that you will surely need in order to get us out of this quagmire and mess the current government has gotten us into.
One
….. Bermuda Alliance
No Preto…One (Love)…..
LOL, sounds good. In the end, we all need to be rowing in the same direction. Whether its PLP or UBP or OBA, we need to make sure that Bermuda wins.
I fear however looking to politicians to provide answers to problems that they cannot solve is a recipe for cynicism. “We did not fear our young people and they did not terrorize us.” No politician can solve that one.
I applaud any member of our community who is willing to stand for election and represent within the decision making paths that form our way of governing. My sense is the two party system that evolved in the 1960′s has become severely limited in its ability to meet the needs of our contemporary society. The majority of Government activity is framed in the language of western economics and producer and consumer activity. Unfortunately economic theory has no inclination toward, or language for social or cultural distress outside of its assumption that if people make enough money then all will be well. It does not speak to the social/cultural conditions people live in outside of quantitative assignments of value to something we seem to be obsessed with – standard of living. In our world, standard of living simply refers to the levels of disposable income available to purchase goods and services. The more the “average” person has, the better off “we” are. Quality of life has been edged out in favor of the accumulation of material wealth. The challenge is that our economic paradigm is based on linear assumptions that comprise markets which have come to define who we are. There is no spiritual component within the marketplace. There is no sense of ecological value within the marketplace. There is no sense of place and meaning in the marketplace. A people’s success is “hedged” in levels of material wealth and subsequent lifestyles that depict these levels. The term sustainability flies in the face of the maximization credo held within the marketplace’s supporting cast – the so-called “players” in the market. Whilst we can all see there are levels of privilege in the markets, we have no mechanism to manage how privilege gets to be assigned and by whom it is derived. Economic theory has no language for such things and yet much of the underlying angst in our community is centered around market privileges and who is allowed to graduate through the ranks and who is not. No one is quite certain how this happens albeit there is plenty of theory and speculation along with large doses of distress about this process. Value and success in our culture are defined by how privileged one is. My sense is that most people are aware of the problems this causes and yet, because our decision making paths are so heavily influenced and pre-occupied with the market and standards of living, we have no language to manage the deeper human living systems, the human distress perpetuated by the market. Human beings have value far beyond material wealth and yet we spend little time nurturing and expanding this. We teach our children to be good consumers and we teach them about how to live in terms of being in the market. The market dictates their sense of worth and value. The market has no concept of quality of life, it does not matter, humans are simply producers and consumers in this limited view of the world. Our system of Government appears unable to reach past trying to manage the market and expand to tap into the evolving living system underneath the markets – the system where we find increasing amounts of human distress, the place where abstract knowledge and ego-consciousness are replaced by wisdom, a deeper knowing about the world. My sense is the “voice” people are seeking to have represented dwells here. My sense is that people are looking for quality of life – not one based on slaving away within the limited confines of producing and consuming in the marketplace. How can it be that the marketplace determines the level of healthcare and education different people have access to? How can it be the marketplace determines who is more valuable than whom and subsequently “rewards” some more than others based on their “market value”? Where is the voice of the people in the market? Are we going to allow the market to value our children or are we going to value our children? Are we going to be a “Walmart” or are we going to own our place in the larger world? I applaud anyone willing to stand up and be the voice; be the voice of the people and challenge the power of the market. We need to re-sacralize who we are, how we live and what we value. Current western economics has no interest in this; all it is concerned with is people producing and consuming. Well-being, value, an inherent sense of self and community worth need to be seen and heard. This is what I want to hear our leaders talk about; that is the Government I would support. I am seeking a Government that represents and defines our culture, who we are and the value we represent.
Wow! Well written.
Welcome to my understanding — Capitalist Classism you have classically describe it to a T.
LOL
I somehow don’t think the present Government will go for this, but future ones might: what are the chances of Bermudians who presently live overseas being allowed to vote in local elections? Just because many of us happen not to live in Bermuda doesn’t mean that we don’t have her best interests at heart, and we’d like to be able to have some input into her future.
We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
The comments made suggested that we as a people still have along way to go. The level of debate needs to raise to a higher standard of respect and exchange of words that deal with issues. It almost sounds like a desperate attempt to somehow think that this approarch will do away with one party or other, or one person or another. People this level of discourse is not good for a country to move forward !!
Please inform MP PAMPLIN NOT TO BE SO QUICK TO RUSH TO JUDGEMENT ON THE WAY THE BIU IS HANDELING THE CURRENT BUS DRIVERS DISPUTE BEFORE SHE HAS ALL OF THE F A C T S(FACTS).THE BIU ARE DOING A FANTASTIC JOB IN DEFENDING WHAT IS RIGHT AGAINST SIGNIFICANT OPPOSITION,WHICH INCLUDE PROCRASTINATION,INUENDOES,LIES AS WELL AS PROTECTING THE LAW AS IT RELATES TO THIS PRESENT SITUATION.
THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE THAN YOU THINK WHO ARE SEEKING A CHANGE IN THE WAY THIS ISLAND IS AT THIS PRESENT JUNCTURE.MP PAMPLIN’S COMMENTS IN THE SATURDAY’S ROYAL GAZETTE AUG 13 2011.IS WHAT SOME OF THE PUBLIC MEAN WHEN THEY SAY THE SAME OLD THINKING.THE COMMENT’S MADE BY MP PAMPLIN WILL NOT ENHANCE THE OBA’S CHANCES AT THE NEXT ELECTION.MP PAMPLIN’S COMMENT’S IS WHAT ONE EXPECTS TO HEAR ON A RADIO TALK SHOW SOME OF WHOM SPEAK WITHOUT FACTS.IF A PERSON WHO IS HAVING DIFFICULTY AND THE FACTS WHERE ABSOLUTE IN THEIR FAVOUR AND THEY NEEDED TO MEET WITH THE OBA.WHAT HAS MP PAMPLIN’S COMMENT’S DONE FOR ADVANCEMENT?THE BIU KNOW EXACTLY AND ABSOLUTELY HOW TO HANDLE THIS PRESENT SITUATION.TUNE INTO HOTT 107.5 SUNDAY EVENING TO GET THE F A C T S.(FACTS)
ON ANOTHER NOTE MP J. BARRITT HAS THE INTELLIGENCE WHICH RELATES TO ALL OF BERMUDA.HE IS THE PERSON WHO SHOULD REMAIN AT THE HELM OF THE OBA.TO PREVENT RETORIC WHICH IS NOT FACTUAL.I CERTAINLY HOPE WHEN THE FACTS PRESENT ITSELF MP PAMPLIN ALONG WITH ALL OF THE NEGATIVE ONES WILL APPOLOGIZE TO THIS SAME OPERATOR WHO HAS TAKEN A LOT OF HARRASSEMENT VERBSAL ABUSE HUMILIATION ECT.ECT.
Hi friends, nice paragraph and good arguments commented here, I am genuinely enjoying by these.