PLP: ‘We Expect Apology From Gordon-Pamplin’

May 15, 2013

“The Premier needs to show that he is in charge, hold his Ministers accountable and lead. We expect an immediate apology from Minister Gordon-Pamplin,” Shadow Health Minister Zane DeSilva said today.

Mr DeSilva was speaking in response to a statement by Health Minister Patricia Gordon-Pamplin, with two having exchanging words about the FutureCare health insurance programme for seniors earlier this month.

The Minister said “I think that the $14M that the Minister charged the people of Bermuda to do some landscaping at Port Royal golf course would have gone a long way to ensure that money was available for further benefits to our seniors, but it appears that his priority was not with our seniors.”

Mr DeSilva said that “in an attempt to deflect from the OBA’s quickly growing record of broken promises, cover-ups and lack of accountability,” Minister Gordon-Pamplin made the “ridiculous claim that my company received a $14 million contract to do some landscaping work at the Port Royal Golf Course.”

“She compounded this fabrication by claiming that this contract may be the reason why the OBA can’t find the money to help seniors in need,” continued Mr DeSilva.

“The truth is that the involvement of Island Construction Services in the project was as the Earthworks Sub-Contractor; a contract which was awarded by the Board of Trustees following a competitive bidding process. ICS completed the Earthworks Sub-Contract for a cost of $1.55 million or 11% of the entire project cost.

“The entire‘Port Royal Renovation Project’ budget was $14 million. To infer that ICS benefited to the tune of $14 million from this project is misleading, holly inaccurate and deliberately divisive.”

The full statement from Mr DeSilva is below:

Last month, in an attempt to deflect from the OBA’s quickly growing record of broken promises, cover-ups and lack of accountability, the part-time Minister of Health Patricia Gordon-Pamplin made the ridiculous claim that my company received a $14 million contract to do some landscaping work at the Port Royal Golf Course. She compounded this fabrication by claiming that this contract may be the reason why the OBA can’t find the money to help seniors in need.

The truth is that the involvement of Island Construction Services in the project was as the Earthworks Sub-Contractor; a contract which was awarded by the Board of Trustees following a competitive bidding process. ICS completed the Earthworks Sub-Contract for a cost of $1.55 million or 11% of the entire project cost. The ENTIRE ‘Port Royal Renovation Project’ budget was $14 million. To infer that ICS benefited to the tune of $14 million from this project is misleading, holly inaccurate and deliberately divisive.

I know she didn’t tell the truth, she knows she didn’t tell the truth and now YOU know she didn’t tell the truth. The facts are the facts, yet after being given the facts 2 weeks ago, the part-time Minister of Health has refused to apologize, not just to my company whose reputation she attempted to tarnish, but to the people she misled.

We know that broken promises are ok under the OBA. We know that refusing to answer questions is ok under the OBA. Now under Premier Cannonier’s “leadership,” it is apparently ok to concoct bold faced fabrications intended to mislead the people.

The photo op Premier needs to stop posing, start leading and get control of his Cabinet. Broken promises, running from questions and now misleading the people, cannot be values that Premier Cannonier supports. The Premier needs to show that he is in charge, hold his Ministers accountable and lead. We expect an immediate apology from Minister Gordon-Pamplin.

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Comments (57)

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  1. Two jobs says:

    We wouldn’t have this problem if ministers didn’t have full time jobs as well as their ministries.

    • blankman says:

      or if the PLP hadn’t spent $14 million on a golf course.

      • Fed Up says:

        slight conflict of interest anyway Mr. DeSilva, as a Minister you or your company or companies associated with Island Construction should not be beneffiting from government funded work, sorry, watch out though because it can all come crashing down on you one day, Greed is not nice.

        • ABM says:

          Majority of the Ministers have companys that benefit from government funded work. So if your going to bash one Minister for it, then you should bash them all. Show some equality in your blame game.

      • ABM says:

        You can’t be serious with that statement?!

  2. What a “crock of….”

  3. The modern age says:

    Is it true though? The PLP had an embarrassing record of cronyism. She could have picked any one from dozens of examples frankly.

    • frank says:

      the minister needs to tell the truth or be kicked out graig needs to get some balls

      • Story Teller says:

        That’s the why I feel about PLP MPs who have the audacity to call others rednecks in the House. But no outcry from the usual suspects as suspected.

      • Fed Up says:

        Read it again, she is telling the truth.

  4. Clive Spate says:

    Wow!!.

    If I recall correctly this exchange happened two weeks ago (maybe longer). If this is how long it takes the PLP to demand an apology imagine how long it would have took them to get around to finish the work up at Dockyard.

    Kind of explains why lots of things got neglected on their watch.

    They really need to up their game and be a decent opposition part for the sake of Bermuda. We’ve already seen what can happen if one party gets too comfortable.

    • frank says:

      when something is wrong it needs to be put right

      • media says:

        Well, this is actually the second time the PLP has said this. He just repeated what he said in a Press Release the first time.

        Zane better be careful not to protest too much, there is plenty more material yet to see the light when it comes to Port Royal. He seems to be forming an early defense in the Press, he must be worried.

    • OMG says:

      Inzane just woke up from his hibernation (Dec’s election) :)

    • Sir George Somers says:

      I actually know why Zane is late in demanding an apology! He’s been on holiday. I saw him last week Thursday may 9th at the Hardrock casino, Hollywood, Florida

  5. Hudson says:

    Mate, I’m waiting for the PLP to apologise for ruining the Bermuda economy, spriraling the debt to completely unsustainable levels, deceiving the population at every turn, trumpeting prosperity and soon-to-be wealth while I faced unemployment, and all the while maintaining a holier than thou attitude which they believed to make them untouchable. Puh-lease Mr. DeSilva – spare me….

    • Tried And True says:

      Is he inZane? Ministers that live glass houses should not throw stones!

      • Tried And True says:

        Zane said ” Broken promises, running from questions and now misleading the people, cannot be values that Premier Cannonier supports” You are correct Zane, your former leader supported those types of values. You do remember the famous “we had to deceive you speech, don’t you?

      • Incognito says:

        LOL at Tried and True! InZane! Now I’m stuck with that Cypress Hill song in my head.

        Inzane in the membrane (inzane in the brain)
        Inzane in the membrane (crazy inzane, got no brain)

        Yup, will be singin’ that song every time Zane pops up in the media ; )

    • OMG says:

      I am with you – the PLP need to apologise for the financial mess they have got us in. Flip Future Care, Golf course, TCD, Heritage Wharf, Govt Light bulbs, COH, GP cars, etc. etc. etc.

      So before a demand of the current Govt. I suggest inZane and the rest of his lot have a public apology (Front Street would be nice) for all the screw up he and his lot have done to the people of Bermuda!!!

  6. TellME says:

    Desilva, you forgot to ask her about the 2000 jobs they promised. Last time I checked we still have a high unemployment rate.

    • Tried And True says:

      You expect 2,000 jobs to me created in 5 months? Took 13 years to make them disappear! Give them a break. Geeesh.

      • Hudson says:

        Now TellME, please don’t sound quite as silly as Zane. Please tell me you are joking right? You honestly thought that when you voted the OBA in, that magically all our problems would go Poof and disappear overnight? Like Tried and True said, it took 13 years to get to this mess – I’d give them at least 2 – 3 years to generate the 2000 jobs they were on about at a minimum. Judge them at the time of the next election and not before…

  7. Nuffin but da Truth says:

    Memo to the plp:-

    WE DON’T CARE WHAT YOU THINK!

    (ring any bells in your heads?…as in “what goes around,comes around and kicks you in the @SS!”)

  8. Oh pelease Zane Give me a break?where is the apology to the bermudian public over the 14 years??you got your contract down at the the airport dump now so do not cry ??Tired of this bull—??As for the rest oF PLP supporters and officials??take a step back , breathe and look forward to the next five years in order to learn from the people of Bermuda, to see how they are hurting from the bottom!!what held Bermuda togher was the middle class and lower class., so that is where you must appeal too>>

  9. Victor says:

    Zane My Boy, When is Ewart Brown going to apologise to the 35% of the population he called ‘Plantation Owners?’ You and your cronies can go and get stuffed until that day arrives.

    • Lauren says:

      It’s not nice to talk about disinguished elder statesmen like that. Learn some respect for your superiors.

  10. Elizabeth Von Trumparani says:

    PLP: You lost – get over it! And yes, we don’t care what you think!

  11. Triangle Drifter says:

    Well now, who is going to believe Zane? Who is more credible? Produce the paperwork, all of it, relating to Port Royal. Then we shall see where the money went.

    Maybe Minister Gordon Pamplin can put a priority on investigating the Port Royal renovations. Would that help?

  12. 1minute says:

    We expect apology from the PLP

    Signed,
    The people of Bermuda

  13. navin johnson says:

    they send Zane out with a statement to deflect from the work that was performed on the dock that Zane and his other construction cronies screwed up……did he have his black shirt and white tie with the sunglasses on looking all Tony Soprano like?

  14. Raymond Ray says:

    Here we’ve an example of, “the pot calling the kettle black”

  15. Crazy Lady says:

    Wow Zane…. I thought you were better then this. All that you call the OBA , has already been done by the PLP. It would all be so funny, if it wasn’t so sad.

  16. Rockfish#1and2 says:

    Zane is joining the likes of Roban,Burt and company who are having a difficult time accepting defeat at the polls.
    It must be tough for them to spend so much time and expend so much energy in an effort to conceal their deeds and deals done while they were in the driver’s seat!

  17. Sandgrownan says:

    Zame who?

  18. Garry Marshall says:

    I thought it was 19.5 mill for the whole job!!!!
    I go to Myrtle Beach (Golf capital of western hemisphere) and
    seen where they have completely tore up old and rebuilt a new coarse
    for about 3 to 4 mill, not just rearrange cart paths and dig a water hole.
    I think it IS about time the currant Government and the British Government looked (investigated) into the past hanky panky deals.

  19. Y-Gurl says:

    Who woke up Zane? ..can we talk about the Cuba asbestos deal or the “freinds and family” contracts, land deals, or dock works, this would be a more constructive and revealing discussion.

  20. PLP = PLOP says:

    Yeah well guess what, PLP? I expect you to apologize to ME, and my future generations for destroying Bermuda so hard, that our children for 100 years will be wallowing in YOUR debt!

    You PLP are INEPT and should NEVER gotten your job. You only did based on skin colour – and that proves how SHALLOW “Bermudians” are.

    You PLP ruined our country, our nostalgia, our history, our culture, our tourism, our economy, our education……. in fact every thing you DESTROYED was a department you were supposed to DEVELOP!

    You PLP shoved your black-supremancist propaganda down our throats and poisoned the minds of thousands of youth with your racial hatred of whites.

    Remember what the PLP said… “WHITES HAVE TO SUFFER.”

    SO WHY DONT YOU APOLOGIZE TO US, PLP?

  21. Sorry Sir says:

    How much times are you gonna ask for an apology, PLP?
    Your feelings hurt?

    Too bad.

    • Suck it up says:

      OBA should invest in Kleenex. they have a lot of tissues to pass over to the PLP. Could make some good money

  22. Naive Observer says:

    If the numbers are wrong, then she should apologize for using the wrong numbers, period. And then ask when the leader of the PLP will force his members to apologize for the many things they got wrong, using offensive words, driving the economy into the ground, etc.

  23. It only hurts when I breathe................. says:

    If I was a betting man, I know where I would place my bet on who is telling the truth and who is not!!!! Pat you got my vote lady as a fine and honest person and who I would believe ANY DAY OVER ZANE………a KNOWN master deceiver!

    Every time you turn around the PLP is asking for apologies!!! MEMO TO PLP – YOU, YOU, YOU apologises to the people of Bermuda for the state they have left this county in, for your 14 years of racist remarks and for your cronyism, back room deals, and Oh! just WHERE DID ALL THE MONEY GO…??? and on….and on….an on…..

    Just shut up and go away Zane. Nobody cares about you or your PLP cronies – you are soooooo yesteryear and soooo irrelevant.

  24. JONO says:

    Please Zane, stop crying…

  25. confused says:

    correct me if i am wrong but wasnt Zane the Chairman of the trustees for all the Golf courses at some time as well???

  26. The Truth! says:

    Was Zane the chairman of the Golf Course Board Of Trustees when the contract was awarded?

  27. Billy Mays says:

    Once the taxpayers of Bermuda have received their apology from the plp, who plundered this once wealthy island for so many years, perhaps then the plunderers can ask for something. Until then, sit down, shut up, and count your blessings that you’re not in prison…

  28. Verbal Kint says:

    Where’s Marc Bean to?

    • Suck it up says:

      probably with M. Daniels working on who else from their circle of friends they can promote

  29. HeyBye says:

    Zane, you are irrelevant.

  30. bermudagirl says:

    and I expect hell will freeze over first before Ms Gordon Pamplin issues an apology. Oh and while we are at it, I’m waiting for my apology from the PLP for the many years of ignorance we were put through… oh yeah and hell will freeze over before that happens!

  31. Cole00Cash says:

    I’d still like to hear an apology from former Col. Burch for all of the incredibly racist and divisive things that he said while he was a minister.

  32. Suck it up says:

    Stop being a crybaby. The amount of crap that flowed from PLP. Did you see OBA up in arms crying to apologize ever time? NO. And the things PLP said were FAR worse also some the things PLP cry about being said are true anyways. at the end of the day this is politicis. Get over it or get out of politics you crybabies! Marc Bean, what happen to not complaining for the sake of it?!?

  33. Amazed says:

    Wrong is wrong no matter who does it and trying to justify bad behavior based on others past bad behavior is not good for anyone. Any MP who is proven to be wrong whether intentional or not should take responsibility for their actions.

  34. X4achange says:

    Zane, Zane GO AWAY and don’t come back another day!!!

  35. Mad Dawg says:

    Zane should publish a list of all the government contracts his company received from the PLP, since he has been a member.

    That would, presumably, show us that he didn’t benefit personally at all from being a government insider, right?

    I mean, it would be wrong if the Minister of Health awarded his own company contracts involved with building a new hospital, for example.

    So let’s see the list and clear it up once and for all.