UBP: ‘Misspeak’ By Minister ‘Bizarre At Best’
Commenting on the recent “misspeak” by Minister Wayne Furbert, UBP MP Charlie Swan said the “entire episode is becoming farcical,” while his fellow UBP MP Kim Swan said the “misspoke notification” by the Minister is “bizarre at best…”
The “misspeak” is the latest in the ongoing plans to develop the old Club Med property in St George’s, which was supposed to have had a Park Hyatt Resort constructed and opened by 2012. It was imploded in 2008, after being closed in 1988.
Last night Tourism Minister Wayne Furbert told ZBM : “The agreement with the Club Med, or Park Haytt, has terminated. We all know that the termination took place. But the Government is looking at its options of what it should do.”
Minister Furbert subsequently issued a press statement this morning saying: “Yesterday, when I spoke on ZBM news, I misspoke when I said that government has terminated the Park Hyatt agreement.
“What I meant to say, is that the time period for the agreement has expired and that the agreement has lapsed. We are fully committed to a hotel in St George’s. Mr Bazarian and his team are travelling to Bermuda and we will be meeting with him next week,” said the Minister.
Also speaking on the matter was UBP Kim Swan who said: “The Bermuda public are left saying “What is going on” as the Minister of Tourism corrects his statement – which was on ZBM Television news report at 7pm and midnight followed up by Bernews – which stated that the Mr. Bazarian contract has been terminated.
“This “misspoke” notification by the Minister of Tourism is bizarre at best and has left many trying to find suitable synonym that can replace the word “terminate”.
“There was a definite position articulated by the Minister and this latest twist can certainly be viewed as an obvious clawback – this against the backdrop of an already uncertain set of circumstances regarding in access of 125 acres of Government Lands for 242 years – nearly 10% of our land mass,” continued Kim Swan.
“My colleague Mr. Charlie Swan and I have been questioning the lease and were able to table parliamentary questions which first brought to light that the Mr. Bazarian was in breach of the lease.
“For the record, the United Bermuda Party in 2008 also called for the lease to tabled in the House of Assembly and debated – but this was not done by the PLP.
“Now following a pronouncement by the Minister of Tourism that the lease has been terminated. The same Minister more than 12 hours later states that he misspoke.
“This “misspeak” by the Minister is almost as shocking as the premature demolition of the Golf Course Clubhouse and the Fort St. Catherines Beach Pavilion,” concluded Kim Swan.
Charles Swan said: “The entire episode is becoming farcical, but the people of Bermuda deserve better than this farce – being played out by our government. Minister Furbert needs to convince his colleagues – and himself – that by being open and transparent earlier – much of this might have been avoided.”
zzzzzzzzzzzz, You all in the so called UBP are just looking for air, and bernews gives it to you.
I wonder what happens if there is actually a hotel built. Do they shutup.
If there’s a hotel built there, we better buy some winter coats because hell will have frozen over.
Well, get your pals to build the hotel they promised and we’ll find out.
We have all made mistakes. Mr. Furbert was man enough to own his. Yes when the hotel is signed seal and delivered, I’m sure all will hold hands and sing cum bye ya.
@Cahow-It’s ‘Kumbaya’, not ‘cum bye ya’ (which sounds like some XXX stuff). Gosh, why don’t people check correct spellings, sayings, etc. before posting and looking like idiots???
@politely pompous – you knew what cahow meant, wtf? get into the 21 century cyber media. no need to spell check – you should name yourself pompous a$$.
@Whatever-we’re supposedly adults here discussing a serious issue…we’re not a bunch of teenagers and this has nothing to do with ‘cyber speak.’ If people want to say ‘LOL, LMAO, WTF’ etc. that’s fine. However, there’s a big difference between doing that and blatantly using a wrong term just because you’re too lazy or ignorant to find the right one.
That’s why ex-pats come here and think Bermudians are dumb. ‘Cum bye ya’? Are you kidding me? That isn’t ‘cyper speak’ or anything to do with cyber media; it’s a person who clearly isn’t very intelligent and showing it…either you’re the same person or someone who knows that poster or why else would you care so much? THAT is the question!!!
Probably works for Gover(n)ment. Probably in the same department that writes up those after-the-fact contracts.
The prob tho WO is how long do you wait? The agreement has expired, and not even the “finished in 2012″ part… nothing has even started yet….
If we have to wait another 10 yeras, and FINALLY a hotel is built, will you come on and say “told you so” to the naysayers because the hotel finally happened?
To be blunt this bazarian/st geo nonsense is getting old. It was a fooling move by Dr Brown, and it needs to be ended and rethought, not strung along. If Bazarian broke the agreement, then so can we and nullify that 132 yr lease
how m michael jones is not ans any o the question he was the u p frot man doing a lot oftalkin when this first started. for dr. brown and mr b.
“What I meant to say, is that the time period for the agreement has expired and that the agreement has lapsed. We are fully committed to a hotel in St George’s. Mr Bazarian and his team are travelling to Bermuda and we will be meeting with him next week,” said the Minister.
This is unacceptable. Mr. Furbert’s clarification” once again states that the agreement has expired and has lapsed. This Government MUST NOT enter into any further agreement with Carl Bazarian without the explicit agreement of the people in this country. This land must not be re-shackled!
Obviously Wayne did not get clearance from his Doctor to speak.
“Misspeak”. Isn’t that the term MPS use in the House because they cannot use the word lying. So, Mr Furbert, what you are really telling us is that you knowingly lied to us through the media. Is that what it is?
We will be on the short end of this one, I can assure you.
Remember The Hamiltonian? SSDD!
Don’t have to even read the comments.
Bullsh!t.
25 years.
Ewart bloo it up.
Shut us a$$holes.
Now back to regular screw Bermuda.
on of dr. browns tricks.
Nah look, A Karaoke singer can’t run tourism period
Suggest Vince Ingham as Minister of Tourism
He told us last night what the situation was, now he is being forced to back paddle and tell us what the situation “is”.
“Misspoke” is the new buzz word these days for retracting a truthful statement and replacing with a not-so-truthful one.
Be fair. The Minister is very respectful of the truth. That’s why he uses it so sparingly.
Mr. Furbert please elaborate on your misspeak. “UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM…(note to self…can I keep this up till the election is over?) UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM (note to self…why did I leave the UBP?) UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM UM……………………………………
No one will actually know what the deal is – it’s buried under the rubble of the former club med property. Politics is a b!tch no?
He has nt been taking any behavioral modifing , psycho therapeutic pharmaceuticals lately ,…has he?
This has to be chalked up as one of the worst agreements to have entered into. A nice Golf Club house with a splendid view which could have been a viable business for the Towne of St. Georges is blown up and gone to waste. A picturesque and functional Golf Course which could have potentially generated income for the Town of St. Georges and provided for some recreational opportunities for young and old Bermudians alike has been reduced to bushes and weeds. A fairly decent beach house at Fort St. Catherine which again could have been a viable business for some Bermudians and also provided refreshments and recreation for beach-goers.
If only all those concerned could have used the same energy, urgency and speed with which they destroyed things to build the new hotel, we would have been so much well off.
You might also wish to find out from HSBC if they are in anyway (still) involved in the deal, especially given their experiences to date financing new hotels in Bermuda.
Hotel firm looks to its own coffers to build St. George’s resort
Posted by Admin on Oct 23, 2010 in Local News & Alerts | 0 comments
PARK Hyatt’s senior vice president for real estate development is explaining why the luxury hotel brand decided to invest its own money into the new St. George’s resort.
Photo: Newsday.com
Patrick McCudden gave the thumbs up as Premier Ewart Brown announced what is apparently the final go-ahead for the resort to be built on the old Club Med site starting next November, Bermuda Broadcasting TV reported.
Developer Carl Bazarian would not say how much money the hotel group is investing, but added that with his own resources and a loan from HSBC, the money for the project has been raised.
The project is said to be in the $300 million range.
Flip Flop… too funny…
Look for new investors….maybe he needs a trip to Bahamas …see how they are doing it!
Looks like Gombey House, Martha’s Vineyard was not consulted with first. Wayne needs to learn who his Master is. He is not in the UBP anymore where you talk to your colleagues first to hopefully prevent making a fool of yourself.
Triangle Drifter, you’re still got it on for Dr. Brown? I wonder at what point will you let it go. Maybe Wayne took the advice of the other “former Premier” Sir John Swan. I doubt if he had a conversation with Dr. Brown before making that statement.
How about after a royal inquiery? You just say anything don’t you?
May i suggest you … read about morgans point. This any hotel investor would seek out before investing.
How the Bahamas is doing it………….$3billion from the Chinese Govt.
company and TEN THOUSAND BAHAMIAN WORK PERMITS,for 10,000 chinese workers to build it on time and (NOTE PLP) on BUDGET.They the Chinese
aint having no hanky panky over the building unions or budget.
Thats the new way of building hotels these days,their is no trust with goverments anymore.
So to all remember the golden rule.
He whom has the GOLD RULES.
Please someone send the Swan chaps a copy of the memo..The UBP is dead…
True, but even from the grave they are making more noise, as they should, than the OBA about the shenanagans of the PLP. Lets hope the OBA is standing on the side, waiting for the election to be called so that they can come out, guns blazing. Give the PLP a taste of their own, a US style campaign. Take the gloves off.
@ blue bird–um luvin it! I remember the golden rule, he who has the gold rules..HAhhhahahahaha…so tru…what about rock hard diamonds, gold tends to melt in heat…
Minister Furbert was correct, the agreement has terminated according to its contents..Minister Furbert repeated after saying he mispoke by changing his wording from terminate to expire–both have the same meaning, of coming to an end– which is exactly what the contract has done, therefore if the contract is expired it becomes null and void, so there no longer exists a contract! where are the lawyers!when a persons work contract ends immediate negotiation must take place but effective of the date it has expired..as with any other circumstance, marriage, relationship, ect…terminate/expire tomatoe/tomatoe, whats the difference..would be nice if we had someone interested that could get in pronto! Wayne is acting more and more like his predecessor…1)confused about allegiance (going to us singing Their National Anthem!!here at home no one know when to stand up 2)appearances at the hotel, working the scene hmmm sound familiar,–Wayne do you have any fresh ideas besides promoting yourself as the next up and coming singer?
All I know is, that 100+ year lease had better be expired/terminated/done with/finished,whatever, too. It was bad enough that such a lease was entered into with Mr. Jefferis at Coco Reef. To do so again is just outrageous (giving away our land willy-nilly) – and we never would have known about it without non-PLP people speaking up and TRULY standing strong for us Bermudians instead of just saying it (really appreciate the watch-dogs among us – keep up the good work)