OBA: Speech Did Not Outline Economic Plans
Bermuda should be very concerned in the midst of an economic crisis that has killed jobs for thousands and spread financial hardship across the country that the Government’s Throne Speech does not address the country’s number one need – which is jobs, Opposition Leader Craig Cannonier said.
Mr Cannonier said the Government “outlined no economic recovery plan, no jobs plan, and no help or hope for families struggling to make ends meet.”
Mr Cannonier’s full statement follows below:
Bermuda should be very concerned in the midst of an economic crisis that has killed jobs for thousands and spread financial hardship across the country that the Government’s Throne Speech does not address the country’s number one need – which is jobs.
The Government tells Bermuda that it is ‘poised… to finally break the grip of recession’ but it outlined no economic recovery plan, no jobs plan, and no help or hope for families struggling to make ends meet.
This is Bermuda’s immediate national priority and the Throne Speech is silent on what to do.
The One Bermuda Alliance is prepared to get Bermuda’s economy working again for the people. We have outlined plans to grow and protect jobs, stimulate hiring and extend opportunities for entrepreneurs, support small business development, improve conditions for international business and ease the cost of living.
We have outlined plans to provide our children with the education they need to succeed, return safety to our neighbourhoods, and provide Bermuda with a government that is open, transparent and accountable in conduct the people’s business.
The OBA is ready to meet the needs of people – to make our Island work better for families, students and seniors, businesses and entrepreneurs.
People need immediate and strong action to ease the serious economic and social pressures they are facing, but the Throne Speech betrays a government that lost touch with their needs and concerns.
The promises listed in the Speech are recycled from previous Throne Speeches or they are 11th hour, election-eve concessions to long-standing public demands for action. It is not good enough.
Bermudians will soon be given the opportunity to decide whether they want five more years of the Government’s casual approach to the people’s business or whether they believe it’s time for change, with new leadership, new ideas and a vision to get us moving forward in a new and better direction.
The One Bermuda Alliance is the change. We are committed to building a Bermuda based on social and economic equity for all, leaving no one behind.
Our Economic Recovery Plan includes specific steps to restore jobs, opportunity and confidence by:
- Giving employers a two-year payroll tax exemption for all new hires
- Protecting Bermudian jobs by cracking down on employers who abuse immigration rules
- Supporting small business by directing 20% of all government goods and services spending – about $80 million a year – to them
- Extending the North Hamilton EEZ and developing the Marsh Folly area.
We look forward to outlining our vision and plans for Bermuda in our formal Reply to the Throne Speech next week.
she did not mention it as unfortunately she does not know what to do. she’s going to call an election soon so she does not have do the next budget as cuts will have to be made to sort out the mess pop have put us in
Paula. is a joke and will go down as the worst premier we have ever had to endure !!!!!!! and we thought Ewart was bad !!!! God please we need your help … or maybe our new GOVERNOR can help us ….
I have to respond to the two comments above as I feel it is a crying shame that regardless of your opinion of the Premier I think it is very distasteful that you would comment on her by calling the Premier she or by her first name,that point I bring out simply by saying many of us like to sit back and complain but I think since some of the ones making the comments know exactly what needs to be done,just maybe they need to run for that office and lets see what type of finance minister they can be or Premier,I would also say that the O.B.A would indeed br grateful for you joining their team as a candidate as they are right now not giving any real blue print on what to do about the economy or jobs or slashing some of their ridiculous prices in some of their establishments.
i agree with your comment about being disrespectful to Madam Premire. Please people show some respect. Regardless of how you feel about Madam Premere or the PLP show respect.
Duane please try and take the time to use punctuation in your postings if you genuinely want people to read them! You often have something interesting to say but it is negated but the fact that your sentences read as one continuous often rambling thought which people stop reading after the first few words for lack of punctuation! ; )
Piss off. “She” or Paula are a couple of the more respectful names I could think of.
Duane, you have nothing substantive to add. Learn how to puncture a sentence and use paragraphs, and maybe we’ll listen to you.
Paula gets the respect she deserves. Which is very little. She should call the election so we can get some competent, trustworthy and honest people running the place rather than the current bunch of buffoons.
Nobody beats Brown. He in a league all his own in uselessness. Cox is a distant second.
Why was there yet another throne speech, all the work cannot be done before the election, so it is pure electioneering. Claiming to have listened to the people….the PLP haven’t listened to the people in the last 14 years…remember the bouncing ball, we had to decieve you, just a COG in the wheel, 1.4billion dollars in debt and PATTI..where is it? The Premier is either Stupid or a liar she is electioneering. What is she doing promising money to the credit union…..This is taxayers money for all Bermuda, not money to be given by grant to a small minority fund which was mismanaged and finds itself in a mess. A grant means the people of Bermuda are once again being ROBBED., a loan yes, but a give away…lthat is stealing from Bermudians. To Vote for this PLP again and we would have to be brainwashed or mugs.
I wonder if craig gets tired of saying the same thing. Probably not.
Nothing that he said above says anything about how.
Just, select us, we’re magicians and we’ll fix the world.
The OBA couldn’t possibly be worse than the PLP. You must like swimming in debt.
well i’ll tell you what…we will definitely need a friggin’ Magician to try and re-float this Island….Wake up brah! the sh!t has been hit the fan long time ago but you are jus feeling it in your face now …so beware its coming fast and furious. I hoped you listened when you were told what was coming…if ur one of those that go with the flow …then down the drain you shall go.
Giving employers a two-year payroll tax exemption for all new hires
Protecting Bermudian jobs by cracking down on employers who abuse immigration rules
Supporting small business by directing 20% of all government goods and services spending – about $80 million a year – to them
Extending the North Hamilton EEZ and developing the Marsh Folly area.
We look forward to outlining our vision and plans for Bermuda in our formal Reply to the Throne Speech next week.
Hmm what about Ministers that abuse Immigration rules? Include that to the list
I see the PLP has been rooting around in my pockets again-all they seem to come up with is FLUFF
look leave Craig alone…he doesn’t have a clue…BRING ON THE MILKMAN… OBA LEADER IN WAITING…
come back when u aint drunk and i will attempt to educate you….OMG
Craig,
Here is an idea. You can’t wish thing into action. You can say nice things as much as you want, but if you can’t say HOW you’ll do something differently then you’ll stay in opposition.
It would be nice if you held the Govt to the same standard. They are, after all, the Government.
You will see in the platform once the election is called my friend.
The fact of the matter is even if OBA won, not much change could possibly be made in 4 years,because they will be in their learning curve all over again. The PLP is doing just fine, they got us in debt, let them get us out. I have no doubt their plans will work to boost this economy. See in order to get us out of debt, the economy needs to be boosted and they have solid plans to make money.Try studying other jurisdictions Throne Speeches. Not too much details either. But the foundation and roots are there.
Edgar what are those “solid plans to make us money”? And why haven’t we seen fruits of them all this time? This recession is not new by any means.
Also, “the govt is doing just fine?” In what universe? Have you been asleep since EBs tenure?
If by “just fine” you mean that we have more debt than we have ever been in, far less jobs than we need, very little to show for the 1.5B that’s has been spent on “infrastructure” and PLP insiders enriching themselves at the expense of us and our children then yeah, they’re doing “just fine”.
Take the blinders off.
lend me the pillow you’re dreaming on. the plp just make money for their core group. the BIU getting bailed out! Gilbert Lopes/Zane de Silva construction… the airport. Dr Evil’s Generic drug deal and “medical tourism”…. give me a BREAK! those ideas will NOT get Bermuda back on its feet.
Speech Did Not Outline Economic Plans, well what do you expect? the gombeyment has not don’t a lot… well yes they have. spent a lot of money and put the island in debt!
sign it flip flop, bermuda is another world cause it surly is now! LOL
It was more of the plan to do a plan to do something nonsense that the PLP constantly does.
The Cog is not turning the wheel, the PLP club is. When you have people like Col. Burch running for parliament after loosing in a constituency, then you know that dishonesty is rampant in the PLP. This party has too much baggage and the people are having to pay for it.
if the oba gets in ….DO you know how far they have to dig in order to get to the bottom of our debt …then they have to bring us all the way back up just to be at $0….what is the chances of that ?when the rest of the world is on the brink of financial collapse….TELL ME PLEASE!!! HOW! and for the idiots that jus wanna ridicule Craig Cannonier…he is jus another Barak Obama…jus a front man for the shot callers …as is Paula.
The rest of the world is not in the brink of financial collapse.
Calm down.
so you think not huh..? ur jus another sleeper…i talk from researched facts …its not my opinion or my imagination like the majority of bloggers here
@ DUANE
I DONT REMEMBER YOU GIVING EWART BROWN THAT SAME RESPECT THAT YOU ARE NOW TRY TO PRESENT TO THIS PREMIER….TELL ZBM ROLL BACK THE TAPES AND LISTEN TO SOME OF YOUR STATEMENTS
Respect has to be earned. Since 1998 Bermuda has had to endure total disregard.
In my opinion whoever votes for PLP again is RETARDED!!!!!!!!!