Shadow Minister Responds To Transport Minister

May 22, 2013

Shadow Transport Minister Lawrence Scott has “respectfully suggested” that Minister Shawn Crockwell “research the information and check the facts before replying…”

Mr Scott was speaking after an exchange in the House of Assembly on Friday, which saw Tourism & Transport Minister Shawn Crockwell say the Millennium ferry boat was already in Bermuda, and refute Mr Scott’s suggestion it was not on the island.

The boat — which which was chartered from overseas at a cost of $1.2m — did not actually arrive until two days later. It is pictured below in St George’s yesterday afternoon.

Rhode Island Fast Ferry Millennium, St George's Bermuda May 21 2013-5

The Minister admitted the error, saying he “erroneously stated” that the Millennium had already arrived as he “was advised by my technical officer earlier in the week that the ferry would be on Island by Friday.”

“I apologise for this honest mistake. However, I am thrilled the Millennium has arrived and look forward to the vessel entering service very shortly to assist our local fleet for the summer season,” said Minister Crockwell.

Speaking this morning, Mr Scott said that he was “pleased to receive the news” that Minister for Tourism, and Transport Shawn Crockwell had “stepped forward and confessed that indeed he had mislead both the members of the House of Assembly and public last Friday, when he had declared that the contract ferry Millennium was in Bermuda; although, in fact, it was not in the island and did not arrive until two days later.”

Mr. Scott said that it is “ironic that the Minister provided the House with the key to good and sound governance when he stood boldly on the floor of Parliament, interrupting me, as I spoke ‘On The Motion To Adjourn’ and demanded that I do my research and get the facts before I speak; if only the Minister had at first addressed ‘The Man In The Mirror’ he would have avoided his current embarrassment.”

“However, it is helpful that the Minister has cleared the air; because now the public need to know if the Millennium is here only for the summer contract work or a trial run. Because unless it is a coincidence, it is stated in the media reportedly that the more than ten year old boat has a ‘For Sale’ sign on it.”

The Shadow Minister concluded by saying that he “respectfully suggest that the Honourable and Learned Minister research the information and check the facts before replying this time.”

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Comments (22)

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  1. Fed Up says:

    Mr. Scott please get over it this is old. The ferry is here and that is the main point. if you can’t find someting constructive to say then please don’t as it is really getting boring.

    • Triangle Drifter says:

      He is just following in Daddy’s footsteps. Pre 1998 it was a toss up between Alex Scott & David Allen as to who could bring the most frivolous issue to The House. With the ‘new’ PLP Opposition nothing has changed.

      A loose cannon blasting away in all directions & hitting nothing.

    • The Truth! says:

      What do you expect from Scott? He is not that bright! He said on Lets Talk that the Berkeley School project was the best managed project ever! Pathetic!

  2. JMad says:

    Oh come on guys. This is getting boring now. No one dragged it out, to this extent, when a PLP MP stated that the Rockaway dock was fixed when it clearly wasn’t last year.

    Mr. Crockwell was wrong, and admitted and apologised for it, by a mere 36 hours.

    The ferry is here and running and it couldn’t of been better timing due to the ferry accident yesterday and the return of the cruise season.

    This again was a joint effort by both parties as the PLP initiated the chartering of this vessel to deal with the transport problems and the OBA ensured that it was followed through.

    See what happens when you all seek to work together as opposed to acting like you are in gangs. Set a tone from the top for the public to emulate FOR ONCE!!

  3. Rhonda Neil says:

    how many mistakes can one make before in becomes an on purpose…

    • Soooooo says:

      I was asking that this time last year…

    • The Truth! says:

      Rhonda, how about 14 years worth?

  4. Say no says:

    Why does this boat say “Rhode Island Fast Ferry”?

    • Building a better Bermuda says:

      That is the company from which it was rented

      • Ringmaster says:

        I think this is the new fast link between Bermuda and Rhode Island. Departs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with Sunday off in deference to the Church vote.

  5. Wow!! You are really grasping at straws on this one Mr. Scott. Minister, you must be doing a great job if they are complaining about which day the ferry arrived. Keep up the good work!! Foolishness beyond belief.

  6. Tolerate says:

    Hahaha, is this the same Lawrence Scott (newbie to politics) that criticized the OBA for wasting money on the Ferry in the first place; only to find it was ordered/rented when the PLP was the Government?
    Shadow Minister for Transport Lawrence Scott said the decision to contract a non-Bermudian company at a cost of over $1 million is “very disturbing,” and becomes “more troubling as it appears that the OBA failed to give first, fair, due consideration to Bermudian companies.”
    Believe me, I am not being insulting by my newbie reference (I congratulate him for taking on the responsibly of being a part in the direction BDA is to go), but after that gaff; really?
    Come on Minister Crockwell, apologize.
    Maybe the “For Rent” sign, was part of a deal to buy if the summer test run went well; or for a private company in BDA to buy so they don’t have to journey back over the Atlantic?
    After all you Minister Crockwell, you was wrong by 2 days and should not have interrupted him.
    What next?

  7. really says:

    Today, yesterday, tomorrow, two days … WHO CARES!!! I can’t believe our politicians actually think this is worth debating. Stop bickering and get back to work.

  8. John E. Thorne says:

    I can’t believe people making such a fuss over an honest mistake which we all make all the time! Get over it and find something constructive to do!

  9. Building a better Bermuda says:

    gotta love the PLP’s constant attempts to try and make themselves look saintly and the OBA villainous, the minister admits he was working off bad information and yet the shadow minister still accuses him of misleading. He may have uttered bad information accidentally, but to say he was misleading is to say that he did it on purpose. I suppose the shadow minister would have us believe that the PLP never deliberately misled the public, I would say that they are doing it still.

  10. Stanley Trott says:

    This is so rich for the Party of idiots who LIED to the Bermudian for more than 14 years so insist that the an OBA Minister LIED because he received information from his P.S. that the vessel would be in the Island by Friday…but actually arrived on Sunday.

    Yea….such a LIAR, to believe what his P.S. said. I’m sure Minister Crockwell shouldn’t believe ANYTHING the P.L.P.’s precious Civil Servants tell the current GOVERNMENT’s Ministers. Perhaps a “purge” of those Civil Servants would “encourage” them to obey the regulations that they are supposed to be impartial and serve the GOVERNMENT not a particular party, would serve as a true “wake-up-party” to these cretins.

  11. Jus' Askin' says:

    Funny how OBA’s lies are defended ;-)

    • Time Shall Tell says:

      This site is the OBA playground, you have to understand that before even attempting to read any posts here..Don’t believe me? Watch the replies..

  12. HeyBye says:

    Such trivial nonsense.Making noise for the sake of making noise.
    PLP you are irrelevant.

  13. Triangle Drifter says:

    Considering how old that ferry is, older than the Bermuda ferrys, And how many miles it has run from Point Judith to Block Island, much further than the St Georges run, that boat is looking good.

    Maybe they can teach the Bermudians a thing or two about maintenance while they are here.

    Our boats, from the same builder, are a sorry looking mess. Skippers banging into docks don’t help them much.

  14. Raymond Ray says:

    There are some asinine statements made in reference to the article. Mr. L. Scott. He seems to be speaking to hear himself and really hasn’t anything constructive to suggest. Soooooo, he picked-up the baton; Mr. L. Scott you are flogging a dead horse bie’ the point has been made previously, and was acknowledged by Min. Shawn Crockwell and furthermore, he apologized for the error made…
    “Get over it”, are words the P.L.P. were famous for using, now it’s time for you on that side of the room to eat them same words.