Premier Unveils Jobs Creation Plan
Premier Paula Cox provided Parliament with the outlines of a substantive plan aimed at helping job creators put Bermudians back to work when the House of Assembly met on Friday [Dec.2].
Describing the Incentives for Job Makers Act 2011 as major initiative aimed at stimulating business growth and employment, the Premier said the legislation — centred around permanent residency for leading off-shore executives with proven track records of hiring and promoting Bermudians — would result in a new partnership between the international business sector and the island.
“Mr. Speaker, you have heard me say that this Government’s number one priority is to create jobs now,” she said. “To do that, we need to continue the very positive relationship we have with our international business sector, and this Bill represents a promise kept by Government to honour that commitment by offering permanent residency to those senior executives at the top of these organisations who are key deciders as to whether or not jobs in their respective businesses remain in Bermuda.
“Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, you would have read the story of an economist that described the challenges of the US and Europe to recover from the “biggest global economic risk” currently facing the world. Our own approach to this crisis must be innovative and far reaching. But more importantly, any solutions that we embrace must clearly communicate to Bermudians how they benefit.
“Some suggest that the Government should go further and provide permanent residence and Bermudian status to wealthy individuals. Mr. Speaker, this Bill requires that businesses have to pass the ‘smell test’. They have to show clear demonstrable commitment to providing meaningful employment opportunities to Bermudians, not just at entry level but throughout the organisation. They must be in compliance with labour laws and human rights legislation. In turn, we will continue to provide an enabling environment for business – without putting a price tag on Bermuda. Bermuda is not for sale to the highest bidder.”
Premier Cox’s Remarks Appear Below:
Mr. Speaker, today I rise to introduce for the Second Reading the Bill entitled “Incentives for Job Makers Act 2011”…
Mr. Speaker, Today I bring before you a Bill that is unprecedented in Bermuda, but this is nothing new for the Progressive Labour Party Government. We do not shirk the thorny, ticklish, difficult-to-address issues. That has been our mantra. You may recall the long-term resident issue, though in that case, one was solving an inherited problem that no previous government had the testicular fortitude to address. Yet, in this case, one is creating a template for a twenty-first century solution.
Mr. Speaker, International Business is a sector that contributes 1.5 billion dollars to the Gross Domestic Product [GDP], representing 25% of the total GDP. But, Mr. Speaker, this is a symbiotic relationship. Bermuda and Bermudians benefit through jobs, rents, etc., but international business also benefits from the strategic position we have in the Atlantic, being so close to the US, and from the enviable reputation we have been able to build for our small jurisdiction, punching well above its weight and hosting a world class financial services sector. We have become a magnet for insurance and reinsurance business especially and, much of the work that this Government has done to protect and enhance our relationships with the UK and US Governments, the OECD, CFATF, IAIS, NAIC and many other global regulatory agencies, has made Bermuda the domicile of choice for credible, quality, substantive business.
Mr. Speaker, you have heard me say that this Government’s number one priority is to create jobs now. To do that, we need to continue the very positive relationship we have with our international business sector, and this Bill represents a promise kept by Government to honour that commitment by offering permanent residency to those senior executives at the top of these organisations who are key deciders as to whether or not jobs in their respective businesses remain in Bermuda.
Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, you would have read the story of an economist that described the challenges of the US and Europe to recover from the “biggest global economic risk” currently facing the world. Our own approach to this crisis must be innovative and far reaching. But more importantly, any solutions that we embrace must clearly communicate to Bermudians how they benefit.
Some suggest that the Government should go further and provide permanent residence and Bermudian status to wealthy individuals. Mr. Speaker, this Bill requires that businesses have to pass the “smell test”. They have to show clear demonstrable commitment to providing meaningful employment opportunities to Bermudians, not just at entry level but throughout the organisation. They must be in compliance with labour laws and human rights legislation. In turn, we will continue to provide an enabling environment for business – without putting a price tag on Bermuda. Bermuda is not for sale to the highest bidder.
Mr. Speaker, the late Steve Jobs once stated: “Innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity — not a threat.” We embraced that mantra as our own in the development of this Bill. We consider that this Bill achieves the right balance between providing opportunities for Bermudians and rewarding companies for sustaining their investment in Bermuda, particularly in these economic times. However, we must ensure that are limits as we cannot open the door too wide or we will, ourselves, perpetuate what we addressed, on becoming Government, with the long-term residents issue.
Mr. Speaker, this Bill is intended to achieve the following:
a) Provision of concessions for those businesses critical to the economic success of Bermuda and which (1) have at least 25 Bermudians on its staff; (2) have Bermudians at all levels of the company; (3) provide entry level positions to Bermudians graduating from high school or college; (4) have programmes in place for developing and promoting Bermudians; and (5) exercise fair employment practices.
Mr. Speaker, please note that when we get into Committee, I will move a motion to introduce an amendment that provides the Minister with the discretion to lower the number of Bermudians that must be on staff, where applicable given smaller sized companies.
The new section 3B builds in the flexibility to allow us to right-size elements of the legislation to smaller businesses. The amendment provides for the Minister to take into consideration additional factors, other than the number of employees, including:(1) the size of the company; (2) the significance of the company to the economy of Bermuda; (3) the existing or likely economic situation in Bermuda; (4) the protection of local interests; and (5) generally, the interests of the community as a whole. This amendment, prompted by an inadvertent omission, recognises that there are companies that may not have as many as twenty-five staff but are still making a tangible and significant contribution to Bermuda.
b) This Bill also provides for exemptions from needing a work permit to senior executives of companies that have been designated as critical to the economic success of Bermuda.
Mr. Speaker, the Bill provides that up to a maximum of five persons in a company, can obtain the exemption at any one time. The phrase, at any one time, means that if a person, who has been granted the exemption from needing a work permit, leaves the company or, alternatively obtains a permanent resident certificate, the company can then apply for another person to obtain the exemption, provided he or she meets the requirements of the Act.
Mr. Speaker, you may ask why a maximum of five. This is not an arbitrary number but one that was suggested by the Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers in a letter to me in April of this year.
c) The Bill provides for the creation of a Cabinet Committee comprising the Minister of Finance and the Ministers responsible for immigration and work permits, respectively, to determine the eligibility of persons applying for the provision of exemptions from needing a work permit. This Committee demonstrates joined-up Government that provides for the consideration of information from those Ministries that may be relevant to the application for exemption from needing a work permit.
d) The Bill provides for the issue of a permanent resident’s certificate [PRC] to persons that have (1) been exempted from needing a work permit for ten years; and (2) have been ordinarily resident in Bermuda for a period of at least ten years. We also recognise that there are job-makers that, for many years, have consistently provided for employment of Bermudians and have actively encouraged their development and promotion through their respective organisations. The Bill that was initially tabled on the 18th of November allowed them to count the period of ten years from the 1st January 2007, making them eligible to apply for a PRC in 2017. Mr. Speaker, after further consultation with stakeholders, please note that when we get into Committee, I will move a motion that moves that period back by 2 additional years to 1 January 2005.
Mr. Speaker, some will ask why we do not allow for the full ten-years from 1 January 2002 to be counted. For me, in this environment of continued economic volatility, the issue is one of sustained commitment. Once a PRC is granted, except under extraordinary conditions, it is not revocable. The company of a job maker who is a PRC holder could pull out tomorrow and revocation is not a remedy.
Mr. Speaker, once a PRC has been issued to the job maker, the spouse and children can immediately apply for a PRC under section 31B, provided that they (1) have reached the age of eighteen; and (2) have been ordinarily resident in Bermuda for ten years immediately preceding the application.
e) The Bill creates a fee of $20,000 for an application for an exemption from needing a work permit. This fee is consistent with the fee charged for a ten-year work permit. However, a significant difference is that an exemption granted under this Act has no expiry date, provided that the holder continues to meet the criteria of Section 5 of the Economic Development Act, that is, (1) the company in which the applicant is employed must be a company that has been designated under section 3B(2); (2) the applicant must be a person in a senior executive position in that company; (3) the applicant must be responsible for making decisions that are critical to the continuity of the company in Bermuda; (4) the continued presence of the company in Bermuda must be dependent on the applicant remaining in Bermuda; and (5) the applicant’s continued employment in the company. Indeed, some have suggested that, because a person can be exempt from needing a work permit indefinitely, a permanent resident’s certificate is not needed.
f) But for those who choose to apply for a PRC, the Bill creates a fee of $120,000 for an application for a permanent resident’s certificate. This cost represents a premium as a PRC, by its very nature, is permanent. When a person is granted a PRC, he or she immediately obtains for his or her family an ability to apply for a PRC under section 31B which also frees them from immigration control. Therefore, there is a loss of potential fees for not only the job maker, but his or her family.
Mr. Speaker, an ancient Greek orator, Demosthenes stated that: “Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises.”
The Incentives for Job Makers Bill is an example of our great partnership with business. While this is the first in the menu of new offerings from the Government and outlined in the 2011 Throne Speech which demonstrates an openness and a willingness to forge meaningful partnerships and alliances with international business, one must not forget the raft of initiatives providing relief to the retail and hospitality industry including restaurants and hotels.
So it has the potential to be a win-win. There are no blank cheques and the necessary ingredient is that there is an incentive and encouragement provided to international business to invest in Bermudians and Bermuda while there are these turbulent uncertain terms. The key ingredients of this Act are the controls and checks to ensure an ongoing, sustained and continuing commitment to Bermudians and Bermuda.
This is a defining moment in charting how we will navigate the stormy and choppy economic waters together; a shared commitment and willingness to work together which reflects our collective belief in Bermuda. That is the way forward we have to forge to be successful.
Mr. Speaker, with those introductory remarks, I now move that the Bill entitled the “Incentives for Job Makers Bill 2011” be read for the second time.
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The plp/ubp………….
LOL
Crazy the haters on this thread. Proves that Premier is doing something right.
Keep up the good work Premier. You’ve help to navigate us through trobuled waters and now we’re headed in the right direction.
Thank you for your hard work, please keep it up.
When the PLP win the next General election her days will be numberd. Col. Burch will wipe her out within a year.
The Prime Minister of Italy just announced that he would refuse to accept his salary for the job due to the sever economic troubles of his country.
Premier Cox should do the same…
oh wait, that’s right…the PLP jokers are in this job FOR the money. My mistake.
They should probably take raises of 50%-100%. Or did they already do that too??
I can’t keep track. Are the PLP jokers getting enough of our money yet? Or should we send a collection plate around the whole country so they can get get even more?
@Lead by example…stop with the silly BS…. Greed in Politics is a time honoured tradition.The PM of Italy’s gesture is encouraging but far from the norm. I live for the day that we have political candidates to chose from that are honest brokers and make good on their campaign promises. But I have had it with comments such as yours that would suggest that the PLP have a strangle hold on corruption. Really? Are you suggesting that our pre-PLP political leaders were in this game for more noble reasons? Wow!!!!
not yet approved and contains provisions “At the descretion of the Minister” to change the requirements to allow companies with fewer employees to benefit….that would be introduced when it gets to committee…in other words when you dont know about it….all politics now that an election is approaching full of buzz words…..companies and their CEO’s only want the permit issue dealt with expeditiously nothing more….
I think they have finally realized what is required to create jobs…bring in more IB companies and keep the current ones from leaving. Allowing smaller companies or companies with less than 25 Bermudian employees is necessary. One IB work permit will provide income for several Bermudians in other fields. Let’s face it IB is great for our economy. I don’t see us losing from this policy even with its discretionary clauses.
Ahhhhh yes, that wonderful philosophy so aptly coined Trickle Down Economics.Will you stop with the silly Reganomics spin. It proved to be a major failure for the middle class and lower classes in the US as it has been for the VAST majority of Bermudians.
hhmm….interesting. How does this help put Bermudians back to work now? the areas of the bill outlined in the premiers speech don’t speak to any direct plan to create jobs…am i missing something? All this says is top level execs for big business are exempt from needing work permits. Is this a trickle down jobs plan? If these people are effectively made permanent residents how are bermudians going to ascend the corporate ladder? Of course i understand that if these companies leave there is no ladder to climb, but it seems this policy or perhaps just the headline of this aricle is a misnomer. I find the statement “Bermuda is not for sale to the higest bidder” highly ironic given this legislation coupled with the recent real estate policy reversal. Two bills that only affect the upper eschelons of the pay scales. I’m sure we’ll never know which companies are deemed “critical to the economic success of Bermuda”, nor how many permanent residents are created by this bill, nor how many actual jobs are created. Of course, we we’ll never know how many jobs are saved by this as well. I hope its worth it.
More Cogwash. How many times, in how many Throne speeches from how many Governments have we heard “We are going to create jobs.”?
So, how is all that PLP job creation treating everyone these days? Everyone doing well? Anyone noticed how easy it is to park a cycle in Hamilton lately? Anyone noticed how many houses & apartments sit in darkness every night? Noticed how many cars & cycles are for sale? Noticed how much household stuff is for sale? Noticed that it is easier to park in supermarket lots?
Keep up the good work there PLP.
“We do not shirk the thorny, ticklish, difficult-to-address issues. That has been our mantra.”
If this is the case, then please tell me exactly where our tax dollars have gone on all of those shady construction projects. I want some accountability !
We could certainly use the tens and tens of millions of dollars in cost over-runs now.
I’ll be waiting.
Madame Premier
You and the PLP will also remember that other famous quote from the late Steve Jobs
“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me.”
>….
More Cog-wash….
The premiers jobs creation plan does not make any sense. Most of the unemployed in Bermuda do not have the education to work in the international business sector. There are jobs that these unemployed people can do already that don’t require any sort of degree or very minimal training or education. These type of jobs just need to be giving to Bermudians because like I’ve typed in post before no one can tell me that their are not unemployed Bermudians out there that cannot be taught to toss salad, greet & sit people in restaurants, wait tables, clean buildings, lay tile, chop trees, stock groceries on shelves, take care of elderly, serve customers at a retail stores & etc…etc…etc.
Those who want to rebut this statement by saying that Bermudians are too lazy, rude or dumb to do these jobs need to check themselves. These type of comments usually come from local crabs trying to pull other locals down with their prejudice and are part of the problem or foreigners who have prejudice views of locals but still reap the benefits of our country.
We don’t have to kid ourselves & think that we have enough Bermudian university graduates to take on the whole IB sector especially after years of the messing up the education system here. On the same note our education system is not fully broken and we have many intelligent Bermudians who have high school diplomas who can fill the positions mentioned in my first paragraph of this post.
If someone actually did a survey of the western union and banks in Bermuda to see how much money gets wired to other countries by people working in these layman positions they would find that millions leave Bermuda yearly. These are millions that could be put back into Bermuda’s economy but instead help some other countries’ economy out of recession.
Why don’t businesses hire these out of work Bermudians then?
There are some businesses that give jobs to Bermudians but when there are 2000 plus out of work these one can’t hire them all. On the other hand there are many that rather hire foreigners from countries where they get paid so little that an underpaying job in Bermuda looks desirable to them. These businesses won’t hire a Bermudian because they will have to pay them a reasonable wage since they know there rights unlike the overseas workers they hire. In other places in the world cheap labor is just a drop in the bucket so it doesn’t effect countries on a whole. Bermuda is too small for this slight in its industry and it sticks out like a sure thumb especially when you have lived here all your life and witness the change. In the last days of UBP they where trying curb this problem when they saw it creeping up by limiting the amount of permits given to Portuguese workers but with PLP in power the doors have been left wide open. Though at the time UBP was sending Portuguese back I didn’t see the problem because the work they did even though manual took skills and no Bermudian could do it better. Forward to the present Portuguese are still brought in to do manually skilled jobs like masonry but they are not the ones being brought in to do jobs that take little skills to accomplish that any Bermudian with even a middle school education could do. Employers in Bermuda do not need to bring in foreigners to wait tables, toss salads and serve costumers in retail.
They don’t need non-Bermudians to clean homes and businesses either. The Filipinos that clean at a business I know about are very nice, polite, and willing. However, I have a grand-daughter out of work for a year or more who could do the same work, but the cleaning company won’t even give her an interview.
This is exactly what I’ve been on about in other post but I’ve been shot down by others pegging me as a racist nazi. This is despite the fact I keep typing that I have nothing against Filipinos or other expats. I’m just voicing my opinion about preservation of jobs for people who’s families have been in Bermuda for generations essentially Bermudians. I realize Filipinos are not bad people but at the same time their nation relies on shipping their workers abroad to keep the Philippine’s economy going. This is fine in large countries where they are only taking a slice of the pie but in tiny Bermuda there is no slices to be had especially in recession time. We need money made in Bermuda to stay in Bermuda and jobs for Bermudians so they can make that money. I’m not a racist for having this view just a realist & the reality is that employers are giving jobs that Bermudians can do to foreigners at the employers gain.
So you feel that a Bermudian business owner should be forced to hire Bermudians (at higher wages according to you) and not be able to hire expats who are prepared to do the work for a lower wage?
These out of work Bermudians who can do all these jobs but won’t take them because the pay is too little, where do they get money now to live on? There are no welfare or unemployment benefits in the Bermuda. Surely they would have to accept lower wages, no?
Actually its not only me who feels Bermudians should be hired before foreigners if the local is able to do the job since this is a law already in the Bermuda employment act. As for the higher wage, I’m talking about a wage that is high enough for someone to actually afford the cost of living in Bermuda. At the moment many foreign workers in layman positions are sharing living quarters with five others or more in rooms the size of their employers garage. This may be fine for them because for the time being the money they send back home when converted is enough to buy them a decent size house. Even though many foreign workers do not mind being subjected to this type of sweat shop treatment I feel this is wrong to be going on in a developed country. I guess you feel its alright for this to happen as long as you don’t have to go through it? You probably also think that Bermudians should be suffice with this type of wage also & just shove their family into hole in the wall. Many of these foreign workers do not bring their families with them so what they send back stretches much further. Where do you aspect Bermudians to ship their family off to so they can live? Africa Maybe? These employers are selling $7 frapachinos and $20 dinners making loads of profit but refused to pay decent wages but this is alright? right?
There are organizations in Bermuda helping the unemployed but surely you don’t think thats the solution? If you have been keeping up with the news you would know that Salvation Army has reported record high of locals utilizing their soup kitchens. Also you would have known that some Bermudian mothers are sending their kids to school without breakfast or lunch because they can’t afford it. Another fact you would have found is that many locals are without electricity because this is not affordable either. This is how the unemployed in Bermuda are getting by. Don’t you think these people would have taken these lower paid jobs if they where given them but these employers are not hiring these people. Why? Because as soon as one of these locals complains to human rights about the unjust pay they get the employer will have to pay all justly. This means they will have to scrap their plans for their new pool. Do you think the greedy employers are willing to do this? I DON’T THINK SOOOOOO!!!! Do you think this is Jamaica, Brazil, Mexico? WRONG THIS IS BERMUDA!!! The country where its nationals should not have to drive miss daisey or be named toby to live.
I now what the work permit rules are. Clearly businesses are able to get them approved because Bermudians are not applying for the jobs. As you point out, almost anyone can toss salad, greet & sit people in restaurants, wait tables, clean buildings, lay tile, chop trees, stock groceries on shelves, take care of elderly, serve customers at a retail stores & etc…etc…etc. It’s sounds to me like you would like a socialist style Utopia where there is a mandated (high enough to meet your standards)minimum wage that will attract all these unemployed but eager to work Bermudians and entice them to perform at an acceptable level in jobs that they typically have shunned in the past (servitude is too close to slavery). No businessman in a small economy like Bermuda will invest capital unless he sees a decent return for the risks involved. One big risk is the cost and reliability of the staff. If he cannot hire people at the right cost he will close the business and go and do something else with his capital. If there is so much profit available, such that higher wages could be paid, there is thus room for new businesses to open and create more jobs. That’s what competition is.
I would personally take a lower paying job than have to rely on the generosity of others.But that’s just me
How is it clear that Bermudians are not applying? Immigration does not go around and make sure all job applications are considered. They just trust that the employer is honest enough to accept of Bermudian’s resume before looking for workers abroad. The problem is many employers are not honest. Wow!!! Ignorance is bliss. Well, I guess for some it is. Huh?!?!? People have had their positions made redundant by companies here & a month later that position that was no longer needed is filled by a foreigner. The paradox of it all is that many employers hire on experience relayed in a previous employers reference letter. This means you need to be on good terms with your ex-boss even though they shafted you.
Do you really think business owners are taking a risk when opening a business. Competition is a ferry tale here, since when have you seen a dollar burger offered in Bermuda. 90% or more of the businesses charge the same price as their so called competition for the same or similar product. They sell at this price regardless of them ripping of the consumer by upping their stock 75% of the landed cost. If company owners were really worried about taking risk they would sell services & products at a COMPETITIVE price. A majority of these business owners are from old money & know the ropes already. They are not a cautious entrepreneur taking a risk when hiring. They are greedy major capital owners looking for submissive third world nationals to exploit while they let locals hold the short end of the stick.
As for socialism that is another ferry tale just like capitalism, communism & all the other theoretical government systems. I lived in a socialist country for few years wondering why I step over people of european decent warming themselves on subway grates in the street while people of other cultures had jobs & homes. This was strange to me since even though I feel no one should be homeless that their was more homeless whites then others. Whilst helping these poor souls out I would ask them how they got to be this way. The stories were all the same they lost their jobs to foreigners. This sounded so unbelievable to me I started to research it. I found that years before there was a prime minister of this country named Pierre Trudeau who who pushed to help foreigners in third world countries. He did this by creating laws that would let them into the country & give them jobs. This backfired for the people already living there because business owners sacked their previous employees to give jobs to these refugees. It was more profitable to hire this cheap labour now at their fingertips then keep paying locals livable rates. This is why I believe all ism are fallacies that look good on paper but will never completely work.
I don’t expect these business owners hiring foreigners before locals to be generous because this is not in their greedy nature. What I do expect is for them to obey the laws of Bermuda & stop lying to immigration about them not being able to find Bermudians to do the job. I’m sure if someone stole from their businesses the owner would not be happy if the defendant got off because he payed the witnesses to say they didn’t see him do it. The law is the law & the employment act does not state employers are allowed to hire foreigners if they agree to be paid less than a Bermudian. If this was the case someone could open a business ship in Amazonians
pay them with seashells & call it a day.
Last thing I’d like to address is that punch line about you taking a lower paid job. LOL YOU’RE FUUNY!!!!! Do you expect me to believe that you would sacrifice having lights in your home & food in your stomach just to help your boss get RICHER? I would believe that if you didn’t have the luxury of a computer but obviously you do or how else would you be able to keep posting. There are kids in highly developed Bermuda who if they had a computer would eat it they’re so hungry. Why don’t you explain your logic humbleness to your employer to their mommies.
Having money is not everything but not having it is.
On your last point, I don’t really understand how having a lower paid job means I sacrifice having lights and food but having NO JOB means I get to keep these things. Please explain.
Regardless of the your belief that all business people are greedy pigs,the only way it can work your way is for a mandated (high enough) minimum wage because either:
1) Bermudians apply but won’t accept the lower wages so the owner is granted a permit
2) Bermudians don’t apply because they know the wage is too low so the govt grants the permit
or
3)Bermudians apply and would accept the lower wages but still don’t get the job because (for some reason) the business owner prefers to hire a foreign worker.
The latter is illegal and in all honesty, if a Bermudian wants the job at the rate offered why would a businessman go to the exepense and aggravation of hiring a foreigner for a job that we both agree anyone could do?
There must be some other reason why the owner prefers the foreign worker and is willing to break the law.
I know that a company must advertise jobs and prove that no qualified Bermudian has applied. Given that we both agree that no qualifications are really required for some of these menial jobs, clearly the “qualified” bit is irrelevant. I know that you think that this is a naive belief but, unless there is some other reason, why would you not hire the Bermudian?
“d) The Bill provides for the issue of a permanent resident’s certificate [PRC] to persons that have (1) been exempted from needing a work permit for ten years; and (2) have been ordinarily resident in Bermuda for a period of at least ten years.”
So this bill in no way aims to attract new foreign capital given the pre-existing 10 year requirements.
Another failure in waiting for the PLP.
Also, she has spent the past year or so attempting to say that the reason Bermuda is in a mess is because the US economy is suffering. She calls this a “Jobs Creation Plan”, so is she now saying that all along it has been within the government’s control to create jobs?
Ditto
Too Late…..should have done this years ago instead of pussyfooting around with the Big Conversation, Uiggar-gate, banishing IB corporate ex-pats, dumb real-estate laws, and providing free everything from public transportation to childcare…….no wonder we’re BROKE
VOTE OBA
and they want to push the dates back to 2005…wonder who has a claim to that? does anyone have any trust for the policies of this Government? other than you LaVerne and some of the other Sheeple I mean……do the honorable thing and resign….and form a coalition to try to save what is left……
The Premier must be a genius. For the last several years she has blamed the Global Recession as the cause of Bermuda’s financial woes and loss of jobs. It had nothing to do with the PLP’s treatment of business. Not now it seems. Suddenly she has found the magic cure in the provision of offering to sell a PRC to a few people and this will create masses of IB jobs. Suddenly in her eyes the clouds will clear, the sun will shine and unemployment, and the Global Recesssion, will no longer affect Bermuda.
With an election looming, the PLP is showing how desparate and out of touch they are.
@ Bewildered–so what’s your solution?
Quo Fata Furunta Hatta…
What good news for the 90% of you asses who write this stuff. And for the 10% of you who are Bermudians, its time for you to leave the play-ground of the ex-pats — you know, that place that you thought was your home!!!!
So you disagree with the Premier then?
She’s talking a whole lotta ying yang!!!
What is the PLP going to do about all the unemployed Bermudian construction workers who cannot get a job because the construction bosses refuse to hire Bermudians? All these construction sites are manned by non Bermudians. Take a drive around Bermuda and take a look. Construction bosses are now paying mid 80′s wages, they pay no overtime because they have day crews and night crews hence all the foreign construction workers working till 2 and 3 in the morning. Some construction bosses flatly refuse to hire Bermudians.
Sooooo….the PLP is for labor and the blue color worker? Yeah right. Some construction bosses have illegal construction workers on site and others use workers that are violating their work permits. Let’s see Paula address this travesty. The PLP has sold us down the river. Facts are facts and I dare anyone to challenge what I have posted here. Any takers??? No I didn’t THINK so!!!What the heck is going on??????
Not gonna happen. Those “construction bosses” are sucking up to the PLP big time. The PLP won’t do anything at all about it.
Pretty words, nice, big, important-sounding words! It’s so hard not to be cynical about Premier Cox’s pronouncements.