Poll Results: Voting, SAGE Report, Grocery Bags
[Updated] According to a recent poll by Profiles of Bermuda, just under one-third of Bermuda voters believe that implementing recommendations from the SAGE report will likely improve the economy, the majority of people do not like the idea of charging for grocery bags, and an election held tomorrow would see the OBA and PLP in a “dead heat.”
Who Would You Vote For?
If an election were held tomorrow, more than 4 in 10 [44%] would vote for the Opposition PLP, a 14% gain compared to the March 2012 poll. Nearly 4 in 10 [37%] would vote for the ruling OBA, a slight 2% down from March of 2012.
Compared to the last poll, the additional support for the PLP came almost entirely from undecided voters, which were down by nearly half [from 23% in 2012 to 12%].
Profiles of Bermuda said “it should be noted that due to the margin of error, plus or minus 5%, these results mean that statistically, an election held now would be a dead heat.”
Independents in the table below include UBP responses for 2012.
If an election were held tomorrow, which party would you support?
Spending and Government Efficiency Report
Nearly one-third of voters [32.5%] believed that implementing the recommendations from the SAGE Report will likely improve the economy. Just over 3 in 10 voters [30.7%] were either not sure of the impact or had not read the report.
While just over one-quarter [25.1%] felt that implementing the recommendations would make no difference to the economy, just over 1 in 10 voters [11.7%] felt that implementing the recommendations would have a negative effect on the economy.
How do you think that implementing the SAGE recommendations will affect Bermuda’s economy?
Charging People for Bags at the Grocery Shop
Nearly two thirds of voters [64.3%] are opposed to any moves to charge a small price at grocery shops if they do not bring their own bags. Just over one-third [34.4%] were in favour of a small charge while 1.3% were unsure.
Are you in favour or do you oppose charging people a small price for bags at the grocery store if they do not bring their own?
Survey Notes
In explaining the poll, Profiles of Bermuda said, “Category totals may not add to 100% due to rounding. The survey was conducted among 375 registered voters between March 20, 2014 and May 18, 2014 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 5%.
“Some 69% of respondents were obtained by landlines, 24% by cell phones and 7% via the internet. Data for all demographics were weighted to reflect the 2010 Census. This is the final release in this series.”
Update 4.32pm: Opposition Leader Marc Bean said, “These poll results show a Bermuda that is becoming more and more disillusioned with the OBA government, and looking to the PLP as a Government-in-Waiting. We will continue advocating on behalf of Bermudians and working hard to represent our constituents.
“We will be presenting ideas and a vision that sees Bermudians prosper in our own country. We thank the people for their support but there is much work to be done, and we will continue holding the Government’s feet to the fire, fighting for transparency, accountability, and openness.”
Who owns profiles of Bermuda? Dead heat? PLP is done…..
Not done, Navin Johnson. There are, sadly, quite a few who appreciate and applaud the type of gutter politics we have recently been subjected to, and a good proportion who believe the propaganda that they have been relentless in releasing. Many appear to believe that the debt is just scare-mongering, and the sense of entitlement displayed even by those once considered reasonably level-headed is quite frightening.
Most honorable Pastor,
I might be mistaken but I think that your response at 11:01 you have effectively just publically admitted that you are in fact a supporter of the PLP and not unbiased observer you and your party claim to be. Shame on you pastor
I think you need to re-read his message. It’s not saying what you think.
“375 registered voters between March 20, 2014 and May 18, 2014 ”
That is 375 people over 2 months !!!! wow
So much can happen in two months
Pastor I believe the most ardent support base of the PLP is still there no matter what they say or do. People who gave them an opportunity only to see the devastating results followed by the divisive onslaught have written the party off …
since OBA has been the govt they are yet to reduce the deficit, in fact they have increased it… under the excuse it is all the PLP’s fault…
Rhonda: That is because it WAS the PLP’s fault 100%. If you recall there was no debt at all when they took over in 1998. Now it is about 2 Billion.
Who would you say is to blame? Oh yes, the OBA…
HAHAHAHA Keep drinking the Koolaid
Pastor,
Everyone knows that the OBA won the last election by default except you and your brother.
Those black voters who stayed home last time will be coming out in droves at the next election for the PLP.
And one other thing: they never bought into you and OBA’s phony one Bermuda meme and they still don’t.
Unlike you they are not in denial!
They know who people like you and your friends in the OBA/UBP are really serving and its not them.
Enjoy it while it lasts…
@ Truth Teller
If the PLP are returned to power anytime soon to continue with their blinkered & clueless fiscal mismanagement of Bermuda then sadly Poverty will be their calling card.
I hope you and those pollsters Enjoy it because that WILL last. SMDH
no…PLP is not done.
last election was a result of PLP voters not turning up to support their party. They will show up next time.
They will show up next time because they did such a great job with during their 14 years? Why would people suddenly see things differently. Bermudians are smart people and luckily can’t be manipulated as easily as you’d like to think.
They were pretty much manipulated to vote for the OBA.
And with that we end the era of international business in Bermuda
We already fell off the cliff. Bermuda is going down.
haha real talk!
Wait till the PRC holders get status…dead heat no more!!
I hope they show up. And if they have at least half a brain, they’ll vote OBA.
PLP is indeed done.
James Herald,
Your intense fear of and hatred for the PLP emanates from your own sick mind and weakness as a being. Take a second long hard look at your soul self.
So we have a HUGE Goverment 8,000 who do receive the Civil Service pension and also the Goverment Pension.
We are “STILL BORROWING” $276Million dollars per year to keep the Goverment going.
As our HUGE DEBT continues to rise,you think we can continue the same way.Or do you think our “DOLLAR” will be worth the same as Jamaica dollar.
$108 dollars to one US dollar as our is dollar for dollar.
The ecconomy will crash unless we stop spending more than we have comming in and that is with or without the “PLP/BIU”
The OBA will win the next election.
Poor guy,
Yes, of course UBP/OBA will, if they succeed in the art and science of hoodwinking and deception. Remember, to everything there is a season (they live by the sword–and they are, they will sure as hell die by the sword–just a matter of time). Somebody is watching and taking notes–and may very well not confer upon the UBP/OBA a passing mark which many like you are hoping for.
Funny how the PLP are always targeted as negative but we have the comments from Pastor Syl and others who continue to offend anyone who supports PLP with a broad brush.
Perhaps Pastor Syl needs to realize that the scandals that have plagued the OBA in just 18 months, the lack of transparency and accountability on which they were elected, their increasing of debt and their lack of a financial plan to turn around the economy has people wondering what in fact they are going to do.
You can blame the PLP all you want but the OBA was elected because they promised to have all the answers. Now we see that they don’t. Jobs are still leaving, companies are leaving, and perhaps it wasn’t the PLP fault. And if it was simply as simple as the PLP being at fault, then wouldn’t things have changed overnight?
What we are seeing is a government who preyed on the fears of some and on the apathy of others to win election, and who have no clue what to do. Bob Richards is constantly referred to as the financial guru but what has he done in 18 months to turn Bermuda around financially. Nothing, except excuse after excuse.
watching,
My prayer for Pastor Syl and her company who persecute the PLP unrelentingly is Father/Mother forgive them for they know not.
I think comments like the PLP is dead will only backfire. Because people will want to prove you wrong. The better way is to say Bermudians are too smart, because they are, to be fooled again by the PLP and the OBA better not stray from the principle of honesty and transparency either.
Do you think these smart Bermudians are more or less likely to recognize that the OBA is essentially a successful campaign of manipulation in and of itself? Beyond the proven ‘UBP to BDA to OBA Report’, the removal of their surrogate Premier was the ultimate affirmation of this for MANY people.
Ian I’d have to agree with you mostly.
In fact the only thing I can think of that would be worse
would be if the PLP got back in.
Then Bermuda would truly be finished.
Bermudians could never be referred to as smart if that happened.
Quite the opposite in fact…
I’m not convinced that whether Bermuda fails or succeeds is entirely in the hands of those who stand at the helm of our petty local politics. There are much bigger forces that drive whether the economy ticks along favorably or experiences decline. Bermuda experienced its best years under the PLP. Not because they did anything particularly special, but rather good timing for an industry that was growing VERY rapidly. Things pretty much EVERYWHERE got bad after the obvious post-2k8. Yet folks seem to convince themselves with ease that somehow we could have steered clear of it if we could have put aside a bit more and been more accommodating to an already thriving IB sector [and community]. Well that is BS because quite frankly a lot of folks weren’t practicing the same fiscal conservatism they’re preaching to the PLP AND the IB sector is still ridding itself of scores of expats after the OBA has scrapped work permits, given well-to-do / wealthy corporate figures access to PRC-status, given foreigners easier access to local realty, given foreigners easier access to controlling interests in Bermuda companies, contemplated ‘commercial citizenship’ and now work to orchestrate giving status to thousands of foreigners. And it will take the realization that the OBA has hastily ‘sold off/out’ without securing any real returns before they accept that their approach was somewhat ill thought out at the expense of average Bermudians. And conversely, if the PLP were to win the next election and the island started to see real turnaround, perhaps due to successful economic diversification spurred on by global performance, it would not necessarily be THAT change in government that caused the new wave of prosperity. My thoughts are that either government is just as capable of governing a successful Bermuda because the forces that drive that success are large external and always [at least] sufficiently accommodated locally. Where the OBA comes up short in my opinion is the lack of weight they seem to give to the recognition that we do more than enough to accommodate those forces locally. And the continue not recognizing [or simply not acknowledging] this all while giving away more and more to ‘outside forces’ at a rate that guarantees diminishing to negative returns for the average Bermudian.
They commissioned the SAGE report and table and excellent, fair budget and have negotiated pay cuts from the unions. I’ll take that kind of manipulation any day!! What did the PLP ever do for you? We all know what they did to you (and me) but what about for you?
Bermuda’s past and present government[s] don’t “do anything” for me… I “do” for me regardless of who is in government. If the quality of one’s existence is directly tied to who is the government of the day then that is very unfortunate. But for those who do view things in that context, some would answer your question speaking to things like affordable housing developments, economic empowerment zones, improved public transportation [i.e. fast ferries], the Mirrors Program, sporting/tourism initiatives like the PGA Grand Slam and Music Festivals, seniors housing projects, seniors benefits like car licensing and public transport waivers etc. No government will be perfect including the OBA. But don’t pretend like, at the core of things, it is what governments here do or don’t do that drive most people’s decision whether to support them or not. “We all know” the basis’ for siding with either the PLP or UBP/BDA/OBA are much simpler, long-standing dynamics like race, class and [original] nationality.
I think that what you say has some merit because it appears that party support continues to be divided straight down the middle. there are many reasons for this and for one set of supporters to continue to badger the other set because they happen to disagree wont get us where we need to be. Every thing that the present government does is not automatic correct or the best for the country and it needs to be evaluated on its merit but this is not always the case.
Quote from article “Independents in the table below include UBP responses for 2012″. I thought the UBP disbanded before 2012.
They probably want to categorize it for Kim and Charlie Swan, as they ran as Independents in the last election, despite being UBP members until before the election.
Some of you people truly insult the majority of Bermudian voters. Comments like PLP supporters are ignorant or dumb or stupid truly demonstrates the utmost disrespect to the vast majority of Bermudians some of whom became disenfranchised at the last election but remain true to the core values of the PLP the party that truly fight against the bigotry and wickedness of our passed which was also cloaked with economic prosperity. You wouldn’t dare make these comments with your names attached
“MD”.
Hippocrite.
Whom are you.
Are you for real? Who got disenfranchised at the last election? And FYI, ANYBODY who votes for the PLP again, ever, is responsible for the demise of Bermuda’s future. You are right about one thing, the core value of the PLP was to fight against bigotry… a value which they have shamefully lost. And what exactly do you mean by “you wouldn’t dare make these comments with your names attached”? Are you saying if you knew who these people are you would bring harm to them? I hope Bernews tells the police who you are.
MD: Nobody is insulting the majority of Bermudians. The majority of Bermudians voted OBA.
It was a much smaller number of people who voted PLP and that is why PLP lost the election.
Pay attention now!
Why do people assume that the people that didn’t come out would have voted PLP. I was with a group of about 25 people who didn’t vote but if we did it certainly would not have been PLP. Now hold ya horses cause we didn’t vote cause we did know OBA either and the way both parties sound on a Friday evening in the house and I guess any other day of the week, we probably won’t vote again.
Also, don’t give me that bull about ancestors fighting for my right to vote cause they certainly didn’t fight for this garbage that is going on in Bermuda Politics. They fought for my right to vote for whoever I feel is best and right now they both stink
I’d have sent a spoiled ballot myself, but to each their own.
Problem is now both the PLP and the OBA are going to claim you for their own when it comes to their marketing/campaign propoganda for the next election.
MD Bermudians are most definitely not dumb or ignorant quite the opposite which is why it difficult to understand why the PLP can have any credibility left after their time in power and the antics that have happened now that they are the opposition. Core values are just that, core and 14 years is a long time to get the chance to prove yourself, or in this case not. I think the majority of Bermudians want something better that incorporates their core values and is not people just using these values as a ruse to get elected again. Bermudians needs to focus on what it want for the future rather than only focus on the wickedness and bigotry of the past.
Looks like most people support Sage Commission which is a good thing to see. But this PLP poll should make International Investors stop and think, but that is PLP plan. They want no economic growth, no job growth, no hotels, NOTHING for next 3.5 years so they can get re-elected in 2017 and then wave their magic wand and “poof” – NOTHING HAPPENS, EXCEPT PLP gang have fingers back in cookie jar…
That is the dumbest statement I have ever heard to date.
Ian: Clearly you don’t read Betty’s submissions.
Yet the truest statement writen on Bernews.
LOL
Instead of charging customers for bags, how about a small discount for people who bring their own bags? The shops should already be including a fee for bags as an operating cost of doing business, customers who bring their own bags are saving the stores money while they are still paying for bags they don’t use.
if u think that the brown bags aren’t already incorporated into the price of your items then….
The PLP will not win as we are not STUPID.
Poor guy,
It is written: “The PLP is going to WIN the next election!”