PLP & OBA On UBP Report, ‘Cover Up’ & More
The discussions surrounding the UBP report continue, with the PLP saying “the evidence is overwhelming” that a “cover up” is taking place, which the OBA responded to saying it was “rich” coming from the Government that “brought the Uighurs to Bermuda in the dark of night.”
The document was first reported on some three years ago by ZBM, and it resurfaced in the public eye last week. Since that time a legal notice has been issued to the media, OBA Leader Craig Cannonier called it a fabrication and ended a press conference when questioned about it, Wayne Furbert confirmed its existence and said he was probably a ‘surrogate’ himself, while Kim Swan has reiterated the document exists.
Following ZBM’s report in 2009, Mr Dunkley told the Royal Gazette: “That report was an embarrassment to me and an embarrassment to the members of my party. They said Michael Dunkley was too much out in front. Well, duh, I was the leader of the party.
“Give me a break. I don’t need to surround myself with anybody other than the people who I trust and the people who can accomplish the goals that we need to accomplish.”
Speaking yesterday, PLP MP Walter Roban said: “The evidence is overwhelming. And, it’s time to tell it like it is. This is a cover up, plain and simple.
Mr Roban continued: “The Opposition attempted to cover up the fact that they called for the use of ‘black surrogates’ while hiding their real leader behind the scenes. They attempted to cover up the fact that the report called some of us ‘downscale’ and ‘less educated.’
“And, they attempted to cover up the fact that their whole reason for existence, the renaming and rebranding of the UBP was little more than a desperate attempt by the old UBP guard to regain power. The plan is spelled out in great detail in the report. This is a very sad tale indeed. What more will they do to perpetuate a fraud on Bermudians?”
Mr Roban continued: “Dr. Grant Gibbons and Mr. Glen Smith, both now OBA politicians, have thus far refused to acknowledge whether or not they received or have seen the report. This issue should matter to every Bermudian because it speaks to the character of people that want to lead this country. Bermudians need to ask themselves what these people are really all about and what else they might be hiding.
“In light of this exposed cover up and yesterday’s troubling press conference by Mr. Cannonier, we believe that now, more than ever, Bermudians deserve to have their questions answered in a televised debate. I can report that, as of this afternoon, the OBA has not responded to our notice of continued interest in a debate.
“The Premier remains ready, willing and able to debate Mr. Cannonier and we reiterate our call to the OBA to sit down and hash out the details for a televised debate. Time is running out. Let’s make it happen,” Mr Roban concluded.
OBA Chairman Thad Hollis responded saying; “First, the One Bermuda Alliance has responded to the PLP’s ‘notice of continued interest in a debate.’
“Second, today marks the 3rd or 4th press conference the Government has held on a report drafted five years ago for the United Bermuda Party. At the same time, we note the Government has not held a press conference on the need to grow jobs for Bermudians.
“It did hold one press conference on crime, which was dominated by news of drug charges against one of its candidates and also the National Security Minister’s statement that the Government did not yet have a gang mediation strategy in place – this after more than three years of gang warfare that has seen more than 70 people shot and 20 killed.
“The five-year-old ‘secret’ UBP report has nothing to do with the One Bermuda Alliance. The language reported in the report is offensive. And the language used by Mr. Roban questioning the character of OBA candidates is rich considering he was forced to resign from Cabinet just one year ago for questionable Planning approvals given to his colleagues Zane DeSilva and Wayne Furbert.
“For Mr. Roban to suggest the OBA is involved in a cover-up is also rich; this being a Government that “had to mislead” the people about the takedown of a Premier just days after her election and that brought the Uighurs to Bermuda in the dark of night.”
So, in other words Roban, STFU.
My fellow Bermudians, learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. Don’t be swayed by scare tactics.
PLP is desperate to retain seats, they should be concerned about the unemployed and underemployed.They are more concerned about the vote rather than the person.
Bermuda you are in deep trouble. With less than 2 weeks to the election neither party has come out with any platform of policies on which they are running. The PLP after putting the Country into serious debt with past policies can now only smokescreen with this document and yet again play the race card.
Stand up voters and vote on the future of your country, ask the parties for their policies and vote on the basis of which party is going to provide a future for your children.
I really doubt Mr. Cannoneer or Mr. Bob Richards, the two main guys who will run things in the event of an OBA victory, are anybody’s surrogates. On the other hand, I think it remains clear that EFB sill runs the PLP show as we should all fear in the event of a PLP victory and his surrogate Zane taking over shortly thereafter.
Also, what is outrageously wrong woth a report that effectively confirms high levels of irruption throughout the PLP Government.
Make that corruption
OBA take a break you sound like a broken record. The public is tired of your constant crying. The only thing you are good at is pointing fingers. Your entire campaign has been about the PLP and you continue to poison the minds of the public with deception.
I think you got the two names mixed up there…
I think you have that confused somewhere, go back and read the press releases from the last month. More lies from a “real” supporter.
Definitetly got the names mixed up. It’s the PLP that are doing all the crying. I haven’t heard the OBA bashing the PLP like they are doing the OBA, running scared are we, well you should be. please don’t lie and tell me, a member of the voting public, that you don’t have any “Secret” documents, and what about all the cover ups in the last how many years. let’s get on with the real deal and get this country back on it’s feet and stop acting like you are in kindergarten.
Your eyes, ears & what is between them must work differently from the rest of us. The OBA has not hammered at the PLP as such. The OBA has been hammering at the PLP’s atrocious record of ineptness & the stench of corruption which is there for all to see.
This is rich coming from the PLP who are OBSESSED with the UBP!
I like the response from the OBA ( from the above) OBA Chairman Thad Hollis responded saying; “First, the One Bermuda Alliance has responded to the PLP’s ‘notice of continued interest in a debate.’
“Second, today marks the 3rd or 4th press conference the Government has held on a report drafted five years ago for the United Bermuda Party. At the same time, we note the Government has not held a press conference on the need to grow jobs for Bermudians.
“It did hold one press conference on crime, which was dominated by news of drug charges against one of its candidates and also the National Security Minister’s statement that the Government did not yet have a gang mediation strategy in place – this after more than three years of gang warfare that has seen more than 70 people shot and 20 killed.
“The five-year-old ‘secret’ UBP report has nothing to do with the One Bermuda Alliance. The language reported in the report is offensive. And the language used by Mr. Roban questioning the character of OBA candidates is rich considering he was forced to resign from Cabinet just one year ago for questionable Planning approvals given to his colleagues Zane DeSilva and Wayne Furbert.
“For Mr. Roban to suggest the OBA is involved in a cover-up is also rich; this being a Government that “had to mislead” the people about the takedown of a Premier just days after her election and that brought the Uighurs to Bermuda in the dark of night.”
CAN WE PLEASE TALK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT MATTERS ?!?!?
The PLP have known about this document since 2008/09 but its wasn’t a big issue until the end of 2012?
It is obvious that they are wasting time talking about nothing to deflect from their atrocious record. There are far more serious matters to be dealt with. Our politics is so immature because it is being led by immature people.
Try having this conversation about a “secret document” to a Mother who has lost her son to gun violence or a parent who has been unemployed for over a year or families that are afraid to send their children to public school because the system is simply not up to par.
There are far more important issues to be discussed. PLEASE move on to something of substance.
“… families that are afraid to send their children to public school because the system is simply not up to par. …”
Or fearful their child may get beaten to a pulp by gangs of cowardly schoolboy marauders.
Boy, we Bermudians sure love to create drama, don’t we. It’s not like there’s anything else that is more deserving of our time and attention!
I suppose the PLP had no other choice but to bring out Roban since proactically all their candidates have been involved in some sort of scandal at some point in time. I think more of this debate should surround their ex-leader, Dr. Brown. Afterall, he’s one of the main reasons why Bermuda is in the mess that it is now, and if people don’t think he’s behind the scenes pulling strings then they are crazy.
Roban’s had his own scandals. He had to resign last year when he approved planning for previously denied developments for two other PLP cabinet ministers, on his last day as Environment Minister. He lost hos job for that, rightly. But then he was back 3 months later. Cox had no choice – ever other potential cabinet minister hates her guts and takes no notice of her. She has about 3 people loyal to her left. As soon as the election is over she’s gone, whatever happens.
Roban is the guy who justified all-expenses first class trips to the Paris Satellite Conference by telling us the satellite business would become the third leg of Bermuda’s economy. Notice they’ve gone all quiet on that, because it was total BS to begin with.
Roban telling someone else they are “perpetuating a fraud on Bermudians” is rich coming from a proven self-confessed fraud who’s main interest in life is to line his own pockets.
Report after report surfacing to distract the voter. Everyone forgetting that the plp put us in debt and has no plan for our unemployment? Good, that was the plp’s plan all along….
Dr Evil did say he would “bring this Country to its knees!” He said that!! And y’all just whistled Dixie. Well it’s a fait accompli.
Thanks for nothin’!
Can we get back to the economy and financial management please? It is the only issue of consequence for this particular election.
here comes the race card! Give us a break
Just love how the PLP is so focused on saying the OBA is hiding things. Really? People in glass houses……………
@ JT
I think Cannonier will delay or avoid debating economy and financial management with the Premier at all cost.
As much as you think he has her track record as his full arsenal… He might find himself standing in front of the podium with an empty barrel.
At best, he could try to squeeze as much granular information out of the Premier during the debate so that others could dissect and retort in post debate responses.
In a Head to Head debate, I think he’s out manned by Madam Premier.
You are probably right. She is a master at babbling on & on, sounding very intelligent to the uneducated, while really saying nothing at all.
The Premier would do what the PLP do, deflect, avoid, redirect change the topic and attack. There would be no factual answers presented on the economy, debt, waste, economic stewardship because there is no advantage to doing so. To that extent I agree with you.
The OBA would be better off releasing their platform, avoiding the trap of the predicatble PLP campaign strategy, continuing to run a clean campaing and don’t bother ‘debating’. Rely on the intelligence of the electorate and let the chips fall where they may.
Oh! what tangled webs we weave. Dismiss the whole lot of politicians that have involvement in any way of deception for Bermudians. Then draft a new group that are given to openness and integrity. All the deceit causes the public not to trust. Both parties it appears have walked in deception. Bermuda we need to dismiss the lot.
Just a bunch of rubbish!
forget the cover up
LETS TALK ABOUT HOW WERE GOING TO FIX THE ECONOMY !
The PLP talking about cover ups???? Really??
They should know. They have done NOTHING BUT COVER UPS for years, and years, and years………………
And Roban needs to keep quiet. He is in NO POSITION to talk about anything given his past and his questionable dealings with Furbert and DeSilva…………..
Mr. Cannonier and OBA – PLEEEEZE do not play this stupid PLP game. They have NOTHING TO STAND ON so must create smoke and mirrors to cover their 14 years of empty spaces!!!!!!!!!!
BTW this is not secret if it was talked about back in 2009! Also it may be “propriety” as in it belongs to the person who paid for it, but certainly not secret – especially as it was in the newpapers in 2009!!!
Finally, a recepient of any document, letter, report, email is NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WORDING USED BY ITS AUTHOR. Therefore even if the NOW VERY DEAD UBP did commission a election report, which is certainly within any party’s right to do so, they are NOT responsble for the usage of words by its author.
Finally the UBP RIGHTLY SO, disbanded and is now dead and buried. The OBA has NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS OR THE UBP. Many lessons have been learned over the years, which has lead us to a brand new party – filled with a huge cross-section of new Bermudians, of differing ages, gender, colour, education, etc. This is the NEW BERMUDA and the NEW HOPE FOR BERMUDA.
PLP – you are soooooooooooooooooo fired and soooooooooo vile and hateful. All you have left is Race………..what a very sad stage to stand on and one that goes EXACTLY AGAINST Dr. Martin Luther Kings words of “I HAVE A DREAM………………that people will be judeged by their CONTENT NOT THEIR COLOUR……..” shame, shame, shame PLP. You are an INSULT TO DR. KING, HIS WORDS, AND ALL HE FOUGHT FOR.
Dayum!!! …. That was good…. I like.
Very well put – thank you.
If this report was so racist why did all the Black leaders stay on?
I don’t get it, two Black men kelp the UBP alive when all others left!
To be honest I believe the report is true I believe that some in the OBA are from the old UBP way of thinking. It does not excuse the major !@#$# ups from the PLP and the mess they help put us in, but it gives them a back door out!
“The Titanic was unsinkable”, “The Earth was Flat”, “the PLP will thrive after Dec. 17.”
I’m predicting 20 OBA seats, 2 Independent, and the balance to a disintegrating PLP.
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
MLK
BTW … Where is Paula??
London, UK. Hosting the students who can’t vote!
Another junket, first class on our tab. Bet this trip will clock in at around $30K – nice sum to help someone having a hard time back at home or a Bermudian student who can’t find the money to continue his/her education.
These people have to be stopped! They have neither shame nor basic empathy for the masses of people they claim to be “standing strong” for.
Agreed Argosy
After more than enough time hearing about this “stupid not-so secret document”, that has nothing to do about nothing; on Tuesday, December 4, Bermuda was silenced by an explosion of epic proportions. In a soft and subtle tone, Mr. Peter Cattell of VSB News delivered a broadcast that sent shockwaves through our core.
“A confidential report written for the Progressive Labor Party on the subject of electoral strategies for racist politics, by their white consultant, Michael Markham, has come to light today. The 19 page document prepared in recent months addresses the Party’s obsession with race often in critical terms. VSB News Brian Darby reads a typical segment of Mr. Markham’s writings”:
“A fearful person will do anything, say anything, accept anything, reject anything, if it makes him feel more secure for his own, his family of his country’s security and safety, whether it actually accomplishes it or not”;
“White people in Bermuda are in fear from the PLP leadership and what they might do to their security”;
“The Elite black power group finds satisfaction and glee in perpetrating this fear as a psychological payback for slavery”;
“The leaders thrive on contempt, crisis and chaos, utterly cynical, they seem to have believed only in self-justification of power. For example, party leaders blamed the whites and the previous democratic government for Bermuda’s dysfunctional state giving the people a reason to listen to the leader and become his followers”;
“when people are afraid of losing their livelihood, any solution is gratefully accepted in these desperate times and the people could be easily swayed into believing what the party said without thinking; thus tactics are based on the need to create a common enemy to feed popular resentment and mobilize the masses”.
Typed (not signed) Michael A. Markham 2012
Oh my God! Did you just see that? What did he say? Did I hear that right? You have got to be kidding me. What the @#!* I told you about them! My blood is boiling! My heart is pumping! My emotions are running rampant! I do not know what to say. What do you think? Yeah, me too; for Real! Time for CHANGE. What kind of people are these? How can they run our country? This is the information they pay for? Silly rabbit. Wow! Karma is a …..!
And so, we hit the blogs for Round 1 before the further rounds of DaCosta, Spence and Sherri-S kick off. We gloated to those on the opposing side of the political fence. We provoked the battles and we ridiculed one another. We tried to convince one another that this could not be so. We argued. But there could be no debate. The emotion is overwhelming.
Yup, we have come back to reality and the world of ugly politics; the black and white kind. Meanwhile, some are kicking back laughing at the debacle below in amusement.
To understand this in context, let us first try to understand the purported author. His name appears in one media networks broadcast and immediately we are consulting Google. We quickly find a Royal Gazette article, dated 3 January 2011, by Jessie Moniz.
The caption underneath the photograph of the article reads: Michael Markham, Bermudian – Expert on Religion and the New World Order. The article is quickly posted on FB. We read that his mission involves breaking down barriers, ending hatred and wars. He has been close to government for 15 years. He was an advisor to Dr. Brown. He has managed money and was head of the Justice Fellowship, although now retired. He has spoken of corruption within the public service, which landed him in a hot bubble bath with the union. He brings to light the central banking system versus the gold standard. And finally, he confirms that Bermuda Monetary Authority is the New World Order. And this is only the first article on tap.
So how does this gentleman get the ‘green’ light to be commissioned to draft this new and improved “secret” report, which deals with such uber sensitive issues as ‘electoral strategies for racist politics’ in 2012; much less, under the Hon. Premier Cox’s leadership? The same Hon. Premier who has run a clean campaign without any reference to race?
The new and improved secret report made no mention of Markham being a paid PLP consultant, anymore than him being a CIA or MI5 agent. So where is this coming from and why now? Well there is that issue of the “stupid not-so secret document” that has been making airwaves of late.
Could someone have used a little distraction right about now? Is it reasonable that PLP made up a fake document to suggest how or why the UBP transformed into the OBA, and then made up a real playbook to confuse people (but equally made up) to be released the next day in a masterstroke of strategic brilliance to confuse the voters and bring race back into the forefront of our electoral politics? While at the same time, harboring this vitriolic hate campaign? Is this the type of society to which we have been downgraded?
There is an elite black power group in our midst! Could this be the 2012, ‘45 dub-plate special’ counteraction to the 40 Thieves legends of old? Or is it all part of the Mayan’s ingenuous plan to test our ability to tell time and make sense of the stars?
So, is it true, that despite the obvious fact of the matter, the news presents that a ‘white’ consultant has struck a deadly blow for the ‘green’ house, only for it to be exposed by our super heroes?
Does anyone within the white community truly feel this Mugabe-level paranoia because Zee Germans are coming??!! Hitler, Goebbels, Mein Kampf oh my! Does this document sound like the reading material that one would commission to be informed about them? Does this document seem like the type of instruction manual that some say the PLP have become masters of playing over the last half century? Or does this sound like someone’s opinion about how a certain segment views another within this tiny country? The opinion of someone fed up with the current administration? Does it resemble the myriad of conversations that take place among some of the most vocal anti-PLP voters in private?
Now what did that other “stupid not-so secret document” quote about the less educated? Someone is clearly playing games people, I think it is the hand up Mona Lisa’s skirt; but you be the judge and let your reasoning be your guide. In short, this latest episode is madness. It is becoming as treasonous as our black on black crime and those that would appear to foster it. It is an affront to our character as a people who have yet to achieve living in competition and common-unity.
Either way, it is absolutely ridiculous to think that the pompous elite black power group (“EBPG”) would seek to be reminded of their arrogance as evidenced by Markham’s “critical” language as referred to his purported “memo”. Has the EBPG surpassed the depths of “….. surrogates” in the game of thrones? Was democracy truly lost in 1998 along with everything else good in ‘Another World’?
This ‘story’ is illogical beyond reason; it defies belief. And yet, so many of you more logical voters have jumped up and down with such euphoria at the idea that a further “secret document” could exist, lest one so damaging as this to shake the instructions that rocked an older Party to its foundation! Karma is indeed a beach.
SHAME on YOU for playing these games, wherever you may be!
This is a playbook all right, one that could quite literally be followed to the letter. But one thing is for sure, no one with any sense whatsoever can connect this document with that of the hallmarks, spirit or mindset of those proud members within the PLP’s highest and most humble ranks. In the post-game analysis, consider which playbook appears to have a ring of truth about it. Do you think that these “personal conclusions” were intended for the PLP, or for YOU? It seems that some of us are willing to pay top dollar to be spoon fed manure. I hope that you are sick of the taste. I know I am.
Yes, indeed Watson, “TACTICS”.
Q: How did you get involved with the PLP?
A: My whole political experience in Bermuda has been with the PLP. My first experience with them came when Minister Neletha Butterfield brought me in to do prison reform. That must have been maybe 15 years ago.
Michael Markham, Jan 3, 2011
Are you saying he was wrong about that Marc? Did Neletha Butterfield bring him in or not? Was he an adviser to Ewart Brown or not?
I can’t believe they are still trying to milk this dead horse (if I can mix metaphors). They really have nothing, do they? the report was and is not secret. There were two, one that was acknowledged by both Mr. Dunkley and Mr. Barritt, and a pathetic forgery, the authors of which we have yet to uncover.
And elsewhere, OBA ideas to grow our economy are criticized with no alternatives offered. One would think growing the economy would be first on their list of initiatives, with specific objectives outlined. Instead, we have a vague, airy-fairy 10-point plan and this pathetic smear attempt.
I don’t think any of us expect rocket science, but we at least deserve some kind of effort on the part of the present government to address the glaring and obvious issues – the economy, education, tourism (where are the end of October and November figures? or will there be some other manufactured scandal to deflect and divert when they are announced?), the economy, our crumbling infrastructure, the economy, the wharves, etc.
You PLP haters go hard lol
Paula Cox how can you speak at a news conference and openly say your not relying on a report big lie,this has been a subject pushed by PLP over and over. lol
@ Pastor Syl Hayward the only solution the PLP Has is to milk a dead horse lol that says alot obout the current government.
PLP Has made mistakes but we still deserve the power (in other words let us continue on this path of desrtuction) lol
LES B FRANK i agree OBA victoy
victory i mean