PLP Question Premier On Minister’s Salaries

March 28, 2013

In response to remarks given earlier today [Mar 28] by Premier Craig Cannonier, the PLP said the Premier “once again missed a chance to speak honestly to the Bermudian people.”

“When asked about Ministerial paycuts, the Premier again told Bermuda that it was “not possible” to make them effective immediately, so they couldn’t come into place until April 1, 2013″, the PLP said.

“However, the former OBA Leader, John Barrit, this week in the Royal Gazette contradicted this statement. When asked if whether the salary reductions could have been retroactive he wrote, ‘They could have. You can look it up in the legislation, Ministers and Members of The Legislature (Salaries and Pensions) Act 1975. It’s there in black and white: Section 2(3). As to why it was not done is a question only the Government can answer.’

“Not only does John Barritt rebuke the Premier’s false statement, but in the resolution in which the Premier decided to delay the pay cut for ministers to April 1, 2013 he gave his Ministers in the Senate a retroactive pay raise effective January 1, 2013,” the PLP said.

“Someone is not being honest with the Bermudian people, and we call on the Premier to tell the truth and say he could have made the pay cut effective ‘immediately’ but decided to go back on his word and make it effective on April 1, 2013.

“Further we call on the Premier to clarify why he feels it is appropriate for his Part time Ministers to collect full time pay. All Ministers that are “part time” [meaning they still have their private sector jobs] are currently collecting the same salaries as full time Ministers.

“We also ask if the Premier intends to ask that those Ministers who are working part time, but are being paid full time salaries, to pay back the money to the taxpayer”, the PLP concluded.

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Comments (24)

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  1. young bermudian says:

    Wow, if this is the case this is deceitful. Can someone lay out the salaries for 2012 and 2013 in plain English Please. Not even the budget book gives a straight answer. MP and Minister salaries are split. Also how much are part-time minister’s paid? I know Education and Environment are part-time, who els?

    Thanks for the answers.

    • Mad Dawg says:

      Let’s see 2011 and 2010 as well.

      And you would see that the current salaries are the lowest of them all.

      That’s what the PLP doesn’t want to talk about.

  2. nuffin but da truth says:

    the plp want WHAT ? the TRUTH???

    the plp does not know the meaning of the word.

    • Black Soil says:

      The PLP need to question what they are all about. So far they have shown to be about themselves and to HELL with Bermuda.

  3. Verbal Kint says:

    I try to have some decorum in my posts, but, really, when are you m**********rs going to stop acting like children and address some REAL issues. There is NO future in both parties acting this way. You are fiddling. Rome is burning!

    • Seriously.... says:

      O, so you have no issue with.

      1) Your Premier lying to you

      2) Ministers getting full time pay for part time work

      Sorry, i do.

      • Verbal Kint says:

        1) Don’t put words in my mouth. I didn’t address any of that.
        2) I said both parties. I’m fed up with all of them. The Island is on life support and they can’t find anything more important to argue than this? They’ve spent days on nonsense while the population get one day closer to economic collapse. Time to put some heads together and act like adults. That seems to be the one thing these guys can’t do. Both sides. I give up. Watch generations of building the economy crumble while they argue about who gets the last of the crumbs. This group of people deserves the Hell historians will give them if they can’t right this ship soon. We are witnessing one of the richest economies on Earth going belly up.

        • Verbal Kint says:

          I have more to say. Do you want to know which “side” you can trust. Right now you can’t trust either. They are being measured and are coming up wanting. The sure way to failure is to blindly support one party (either party) while you stand in the way of REAL progress. The people of Bermuda are getting the s****y Government they deserve. It’s time for the populace to grow up and demand better, or quit complaining.

          • Furby Logic says:

            David Burt always comes out with such petty criticism. Maybe they didn’t deal with the salaries straight away, but they have now, so move on!
            Maybe they had more important things to do at the start – like removing term limits to get more investment in Bermuda

            • Black Soil says:

              David Burt would turn Bermuda into a 3rd world country….if he and his mates could just get POWER!!!!

            • Victor says:

              When the truth about various PLP projects is shortly revealed, nonsense such as this rhetoric will not stand up to scrutiny – watch KEMH as it will likely start there.

  4. sonoso says:

    did you research this Ministers and Members of The Legislature (Salaries and Pensions) Act 1975 PLP? or is that just too much damn work for you?

    if i recall the salaries were initially cut by 5% upon winning the election, and then a further reduction.

  5. Joonya says:

    “The Premier once again missed a chance to speak honestly to the Bermudian people.”

    You lot have got to be kidding me. I think our previous Premier(s) took ‘the title’ for dat!

    “WE HAD TO DECEIVE YOU” “WE HAD TO DECEIVE YOU” WE HAD TO DECEIVE YOU”

  6. Joonya says:

    Oh and I forgot, “WE DONT CARE WHAT YOU THINK” and “ITS OUR TURN NOW”
    BAHAHAAA

    • Um Um Like says:

      Perhaps Dame Louis should have said, “one day, by your sheer stupidity, the plp will deceive you”.

  7. Patricia says:

    Verbal Kint i agree with you.

  8. ... says:

    And we the PEOPLE of BERMUDA call on you PLP to please answer why in the last 14 years you NEVER took a pay cut…infact you INCREASED your salaries when you fully well knew the status of Bermuda financials…

    • Black Soil says:

      That is because Bermuda was ALWAYS something for the PLP to exploit.

  9. god1st says:

    The Old boys association is running a business and not governing the country.

  10. weedy says:

    David Burt and Mr Barritt, came out with facts. What you have here is OBA supporters and MP not willing to accept the truth, or to be honest. The OBA prides its self on being honest, transparent and open, this was why I voted for them. This now proves that this is not the case. It also is evident they do not want to be held Accountable. This is unacceptable. Folks must be willing to hold the government of the day accountable, regardless of whom they support. This is an example of the OBA being called out on their wrong doings, yet not willing to stand up and say YES I am guilty. This is wrong, and the OBA must be HONEST and more so Transparent moving forward. Why is Mr Cannioner putting himself in a position where he continues to lie? OBA are not doing politics differently.

    Verbal Knit and the other comments are made by diehart supporters, whom will protect the OBA regardless if they outright lie or steal. These kind of supporters are dangerous to any political system. Not willing to hold the government of the day accountable. It is asahme when folks act in such a manner.

    • Mad Dawg says:

      Betty, You have some nerve.

      Cox delayed cutting salaries for years because it would just be “symbolic”. Then she did a 5% decrease, in her final year. Bug deal. That was after years of increases for the PLP political elite. They ripped off the country and did a crappy job. None of them were employable in the real workd. What are Burch, Cox, Roban doing now? Still hoping for government handouts?

      The govt implemented a 10% increase as soon as they could pass laws. That’s goid enough. Now get a life Betty.

    • Come Correct says:

      That was the most hypacritical post I’ve seen.

    • Concerned says:

      weedy, Mr Hypocrit! This will be the last time I waste my time reading your posts. utter nonsense!