Opinion: OBA’s PRC Position Is “Insensitive”
[Opinion column written by Chris Famous]
The OBA’s position that PRCs won’t be taking jobs because “they already have jobs” and that “PRCs already have full freedom of employment,” are insensitive to the thousands of Bermudians who cannot say the same.
What the OBA will not admit is that there is an immigration policy that dictates a hiring hierarchy:
- Bermudians
- Spouses of Bermudians
- PRC holders
- Work permit holders
Therefore granting status to PRC holders, would place them in direct competition with Bermudians for employment while many educated, talented, and capable Bermudians are unemployed.
The OBA often says that Bermudians simply don’t understand how the economy works. However, too many Bermudians do know that the economy is not working for them at present. Let us look at some facts:
- Approximately 3,500 Bermudians are unemployed
- Bermuda’s youth unemployment rate is approximately 38 percent
- Job losses are nearly three times higher among Bermudians [7 percent] than among PRCs [2 percent]
- Approximately 1,200 persons were reported as unemployed recently
- There is a disparity in incomes, with PRC median income at $81,601 and Bermudian median income at $58,640
- There is also a disparity in unemployment levels with PRC underemployment at 9.5 percent Bermudian underemployment at 17.5 percent
The OBA has failed to produce a plan to create 2,000 jobs for Bermudians as they promised pre-Election. In fact, many of the policies that they endorse can be viewed as Anti-Bermudian including:
- Creating a pathway to status for persons born in Bermuda to guest worker parents
- Allowing foreign companies to purchase residential property, despite the fact that approximately 38 percent of our residential lands are currently owned by non-Bermudian
- Removing term limits without consideration given to protect key occupations for Bermudians, thereby opening the possibility of a new wave of long-term residents seeking status
- Attempting to allow the children of guest workers to compete with Bermudian children for summer employment
Pre-election, the OBA promised that they would not grant PRCs status and many Bermudians believed them. Yet today, they refuse to collaborate and close the loophole that would allow thousands of PRCs to compete with Bermudians for jobs and property.
The PLP believes that Bermuda’s Immigration Policy must take into account our island’s unique circumstances, our size and limited resources while protecting access for future generations. That is why the PLP extended rights to PRCs in the first place; a gesture that was fair to Long Term Residents while protecting Bermudians birthrights.
Bermuda needs an Immigration plan that encompasses the big picture and puts Bermudians first. That can only happen if the OBA is willing to collaborate with us. We encourage Bermudians that the time has come for us to work together to create a comprehensive National Immigration Plan that works for all of us.
This coming Thursday July 10,2014 at Clearwater Middle School at 6:30 PM the PLP will be hosting the third in a series of town hall meetings to speak with Bermudians about their concerns about this issue. The panel will include Deputy PLP Leader Derrick Burgess, Shadow Immigration Minister Walton Brown Jr, and Senator Diallo Rabain, and will be moderated by Shadow Education Minister Lovitta Foggo.
Thus far the OBA has refused to listen to, or speak with the people of Bermuda over this issue.
Just as we engaged with Bermudians over key issues of employment and the SAGE commission, we will continue to listen to them and be their voice in parliament.
- Chris Famous
Mr. Famous,
You state, “What the OBA will not admit is that there is an immigration policy that dictates a hiring hierarchy:
- Bermudians
- Spouses of Bermudians
- PRC holders
- Work permit holders”
I cannot find such policy in my research. In fact, today Walton Brown admitted that he was not sure if such a hierarchy existed anymore. Please fact-check this point or issue a friendly retractment.
Exactly. The PLP’s position on this issue is based on a factually wrong position.
They need to admit that it is all about votes. They don’t think former PRCs will vote for the PLP – and why should they if the PLP is working to keep them second class citizens.
There is no such “hierarchy” on the law books.
That’s because such a hierarchy doesn’t exist and if it did would almost certainly be a violation of the Human Rights Act.
The PLP are making things up to justify their xenophobia and continue to fight against human rights.
Chris Famous is similar to Rev Farrakhan. He likes to grab peoples attention by starting out with bold face lies. Then he works on your emotion so you act accordingly.
He has said that Politics is a chess game, so he is playing with the minds of people to curry favour towards the PLP. It’s either for his ego or personal gain.
He is a shameful character.
How many people who didn’t qualify for Bermuda Status were granted it under the PLP watch through this “loophole” ???? No mention of that is there.
@ Black Soil are you aware that Rev Farrakhan was once banned from coming to Bermuda, so by your comparison you are actually complimenting rather than insulting, and the reason he was banned was because de White Oligarchy System didn’t want blacks in Bermuda to be Liberated from White Supremacy Ideology, times are changing my bie you cant stop de Movement !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Word play like this is considered sorcery.
LOL
Mr. Famous likes to pride himself on reporting the FACTS, but conveniently throws them out the window when they get in the way of his opinions.
There’s a word for this: demagogue
PLP – putting party before the country since 1998.
Those statistics are Pathetic, Bermuda has always been a place where Whites came from their Homeland where they were lower class and then come here to receive White Privilege Status !!!!!!!!!!!!!
What Bermuda do you live in cause it aint this one. Go back to where ever you came from….oh snap I sound like the PLP…………..
LOL
Are PRCs required to apply to the Immigration department prior to applying for a job in the private sector?
How is that possible if they do not require a work permit?
Please can someone explain exactly how this so called ‘hierarchy’ works? From what I can tell if they do not need a work permit then Immigration has no say or input into the hiring of PRCs and it is solely up to the employer as to who they hire for their business.
Please can someone clarify.
The clarification is that the hierarchy doesn’t exist.
The PLP can trot out all of the MPs it wants and Chris Famous can write as many opinion pieces he wants but it doesn’t change the FACTS that (a) there is no hierarchy and PRC holders = Bermudians = spouses of Bermudians and (b) with limited restrictions, PRC holders can already hold property.
Therefore, it all comes down to votes, votes, votes for BOTH parties.
He speaks of the unwritten rule that the PLP tried to influence where ever they could for HR hiring practices. It didn’t extend much past the Government quangos, civil service, hospital…
One of the PLP’s flaws in their argument about how PRC’s will compete directly for jobs (other than the obvious one that they are as eligible for a job here as Bermudian any way) is that their own statistic show less PRC’s unemployed (2% of roughly 1800) than Bermudian (7% of a roughly 35,000) anyway, then you minus those PRC’s who wouldn’t be eligible for status, so there really aren’t that many looking for jobs. Maybe the PLP is saying companies should fire their PRC’s to hire Bermudians.
Then PLP have been paying their spin doctors to play with facts until they are convenient lies for decades, the one upside right now is they aren’t able to use our tax dollars to do it anymore.
Without even reading this junk. Famous,famouss,famousss STFU
No matter how the PLP spins it, their stance on this issue will never seem (to me) anything other than xenophobic.
Give these hardworking assets status and keep them on our shores!
Why do you insist on lying (or at best, grossly distorting the truth), do you hate Bermuda? It’s the only logical conclusion
He does hate Bermuda and wants to see it fail. So full of hate some people are. Sad really.
“Thus far the OBA has refused to listen to, or speak with the people of Bermuda over this issue.”
Clearly only the PLP camp thinks this is an issue??
With this endless rhetoric immigration policy will not matter in a few years….we will only have older Bermudians who have no where else to go leaving Mr Famous and his cohorts with Bermuda all to themselves …..I must be missing something as I always thought that PRC’s had everything except the right to vote so it must come down to voting……although it is. to that easy for a PRC to buy a property as evidence must be provided that no Bermudians wish to purchase the property just like job advertising….
Votes votes is what the fluff and fuss is about Navin. PLP aren’t fighting for the average Bermudian more so political power.
Blaming the OBA for something that is already law is a little ridiculous.
The reality is that the OBA is looking at the best solution for closing the loophole instead of the rushed option proposed by the opposition which could very well cause more problems.
Sadly, the opposition is more interested in misinforming, in my opinion in having heard what they have to say, the public in order to incite protest.
This is not helpful behaviour.
Interestingly, what the PLP consider as anti-Bermudian measures, appear to be measures that will benefit Bermuda and Bermudians by smoothing the way for international business and money to come into our island.
We can’t fix the position we’re in on our own, we need outside input/influence. Being anti-foreigners is actually pretty anti-Bermudian, in my estimation.
“There is a disparity in incomes, with PRC median income at $81,601 and Bermudian median income at $58,640” – PRCs, by their very nature, are older in age/have more work experience than the average Bermudian. A better comparison would be PRCs vs. Bdians > 50(?) years old or PRC’s vs. Bdians with 20+ years of work experience. #s would be much closer methinks…
“There is also a disparity in unemployment levels with PRC underemployment at 9.5 percent Bermudian underemployment at 17.5 percent” – Again, not an apples to apples comparison. And are we talking about UNemployment or UNDERemployment here – you mentioned both… Compare PRC unemployment vs. Bdian age 50+ unemployment and I’m sure we will see closer #s.
“The OBA has failed to produce a plan to create 2,000 jobs for Bermudians as they promised pre-Election.” – they never said 2,000 jobs ‘for Bermudians’… but truthiness is never the name of your game
“…they never said 2,000 jobs ‘for Bermudians’”. Oh really? Well maybe the 2,000 jobs went to foreigners then.
This ‘hierarchy’ that he’s talking about does not exist. It never did. He’s delusional.
Unemployment, a gift to us from the last PLP government, has to be tackled. But not by denying the legal and human rights of small a group people. Unemployment is not their fault, and unemployment would not be affected either way by PRC’s obtaining Bermudian status.
“Unemployment, a gift to us from the last PLP government”. If I remember correctly the unemployment under the PLP was way down.
Um. You don’t remember correctly. The unemployment started and escalated under the PLP and continued into the OBA Govt as they try and stem the tide.
You don’t remember correctly
When the PLP came in there was ZERO unemployment
You must have been off island for the last 5 years of their rule then. It was around the end of 2007 when that train left the station, and it had built up a good head of steam as the PLP had put the throttle down by the time they were kicked out. As with any runnaway train, you can’t just slam the brakes and expect it to stop on a dime for you, but while the engine hasn’t stopped yet, at least it is slowing down.
Remember it took over 30 years to develop the economy we had before 2007
Unemployment. When the PLP took over, it was virtually nonexistent. When they left power, there were thousands of Bermudians unemployed.
So unfortunately you don’t ‘remember correctly’.
Up to the early 2000′s and certainly prior to 1998, there was what was called overemployment. Despite people here on work permits, Bermudians could work 2 or 3 jobs, not because they had to but they wanted to make money to buy property, a boat or travel. Plenty of opportunities were available. I recall you could work part time as a bartender for $50,000 a year. For those too young and brought up on how bad things were, the UBP were the governing party. Not denying there were social and racial issues, but today these issues seem the same but without the jobs.
I am in NO way agreeing with this article, but the policy does exist. Go to http://www.gov.bm website, look under home affairs, then immigration, and click on “work permit policies 2013″. It’s on page 6.
At best it’s a wish list. I’d be hard pressed to call it a policy (and it’s in violation of human rights laws) but, as the site says, the only way that Immigration can influence who is hired is via the work permit process.
It’s not a violation of human rights laws. I’ve served on the human rights commission. Every country has regulations and restrictions on who is able to reside and work in that jurisdiction, so this is not unusual and it’s acceptable to give preference to citizens regarding employment.
However, in practice this policy only has real authority when a work permit is needed and immigration has to review the list of applicants OR if an applicant lodges a complaint. Almost all employers are aware of this hierarchy, at least everywhere I’ve worked in IB has been well aware.
FWIW, I believe in a path to citizenship! I’m just saying that people need to educate themselves and learn the facts so that they can have MEANINGFUL rebuttals, not just saying “oh he’s wrong”.
This is true. I don’t know why there have been so many stories And comments debating this, unless the Work Permit Policy as published on http://www.gov.bm is not enforceable law.
“Filling Job Vacancies
The main criterion in assessing whether or not to grant a work permit is whether there is a suitably qualified Bermudian who is interested in the job and available to do it. If so, then a Bermudian applicant who fulfils the minimum advertised requirements and qualifications for the job, should be hired in preference to a non-Bermudian. An employer who applies to employ a non-Bermudian in a job for which there was a Bermudian applicant is required to give clear, satisfactory reasons for not employing the Bermudian. It should be appreciated, though, that the Ministry can only prevent the hiring of a non-Bermudian by the refusal to grant a work permit. The Ministry has no powers to force that a particular Bermudian is employed. Notwithstanding this, it is expected that employers will fill jobs in Bermuda in the following order.
Bermudian
non-Bermudian spouse (including the widow or widower) of a Bermudian divorced parent of a Bermudian
Permanent Resident‘s Certificate holder
non-Bermudian with a qualifying Bermudian connection
other non-Bermudians”
The passage quoted above clearly refers to what should be done, not what has to be done, when a work permit is sought. It has nothing to do with a “hiring hierarchy” policy, or in the PLP Fact sheet, “Legislation”. It also clearly states the Ministry has no powers to force the matter.
Where are the facts in your piece or is this just your or someone else’s opinion Chris.
LOL
Mr. Famous:
One question: why do you always write anti-OBA articles? I’m at the point of just skipping your articles. Same view each time. I suppose that’s your aim – to get to the PLP base?
The OBA didn’t make any promises to the PLP or PLP supporters (swing voters maybe). There is a long list of promises the PLP broke…so what? I’ve never seen you write about that? Did the PLP listen to the OBA when they were the government? So what? The PLP is NO longer the government.
Why don’t you also write about what the PLP has to offer more often…? What’s their plan to get us out of this mess they created? This would be far more balanced and helpful to the community. As far as I’m concerned, at this point your articles are just propaganda! PLP opinion?
Very easy to be a side spectator and critique. Try to be more balanced. Otherwise, I’ll just stop reading your unbalanced opinions! Why don’t you explain to Bermudians our dire financial status, the most important issues? I guess, you probably don’t think so?
Keep saying half truths and, I guess, certain people eventually believe them to be fact. Fortunately, not all of us!
Smiths
BTW, you are misrepresenting facts on PRCs. Remember, at one point we were all immigrants! But again, that’s you’re “unqualified” opinion.
To be fair, the author is a known PLP supporter, and has made no claims to be objective or unbiased in his opinion columns.
There aren’t many unaffiliated political columnists as of today in Bermuda, whether that’s a result of the deep polarization of Bermuda politics or if ‘moderate’ or unaffiliated voices just get drummed down from both sides and just give up, who knows.
Balanced? How? He is PLP.
http://plp.bm/about/officers
Ms. Christopher Famous
Assistant Party Organizer (Central)
quote “Bermuda needs an Immigration plan that encompasses the big picture and puts Bermudians first. That can only happen if the OBA is willing to collaborate with us”
Um um Mr Famous, isn’t the OBA the Government of the day who is responsible for the Immigration department? Therefore wouldn’t the PLP be wise to try to collaborate with them? Try it, you might actually be successful LOL! You’re sentence above as written could actually be
misunderstood to be a veiled threat!
That’s probably exactly what it is…
Don’t play with us, our way? Shut down the island
It’s pretty much the plpbiunambla way these days, a sad derailment for a party that once tried to fight for good
This hiring hierarchy you speak of does not exist. It is a myth or a lie.
An employer is entitled to hire anybody who does not require a work permit – whether a Bermudian, spouse or PRC.
Discrimination in employment against anybody with a Bermuda connection is illegal.
It is an actual policy per the government website. See my comment above.
Not saying I agree with this article, but he’s not lying on that point. In practice, it rarely becomes an issue.
PRCs do not require a work permit so that policy which looks more like a wish list does not and can not apply to PRC persons.
LOL
Yes it does apply to PRC’s. If I, as a Bermudian, or a spouse of a Bermudian, am qualified for a job and the employer gives it to a PRC instead of me, I can lodge a complaint with immigration. If it is found that I am equally qualified, then the employer would be found to be in violation of immigration policies, and would be subject to enforcement and its attending consequences.
I’m not saying it’s fair. I’m just telling you what it is. Frankly, I’m not sure how often this policy has been used when not needing a work permit, but as I do know of a few instances where spouses of Bermudians have used this hiring hierarchy to replace work permit holders, it only makes sense to assume that it has also been used to replace PRC’s. BTW, I know PRC’s, and all of them know about this hierarchy. It seems to be news to only some of us!
Sorry can you show me where in the PRC legislation that requires holders of such needs a work permit.
LOL
PRC’s do not need a work permit.
All I am saying is that if there are two equal applicants (Bermudian and PRC) the guidelines say that the Bermudian should be given preference. In this situation, immigration would have no idea about it since no work permit is involved. If, however, the Bermudian is not selected and feels unfairly treated, they can complain to immigration. Then the employer would have to explain why they hired the other person. If they did not comply, it could put any work permit applications (for other positions) in jeopardy (i.e. not a good corporate citizen). However, I’m not sure how often it would ever have been an issue since someone would lodge a complaint and who would even bother if there wasn’t much immigration could do anyway?
I think it’s a bad policy because you (a) cannot track it and (b) have limited options to enforce it. I’m not agreeing with the policy, my whole post was only to point out that it does, in fact, exist, however rightly or wrongly one feels about it.
Spouses of a prc holder requires a permit. Fact
‘Thus far the OBA has refused to listen to, or speak with the people of Bermuda over this issue.’
thats where you are wrong, the people of Bermuda voted for the OBA – FACT, it is how democracy works, according to the last election the ‘people’ of bermuda want to support PRCs, and their children, the ‘people’ of Bermuda wanted human rights, including sexual orientation, the ‘people’ of Bermuda wanted investment and improvements to the economy. The ‘people’ supported an end to conscription.
The ‘people’ of Bermuda determined that the PLP was unable to run the country effectively and was “refusing to listen to, or speak with the people of Bermuda over many issues ” thats why we, the people voted them out.
But don’t worry in 4 years time, if we the people are not satisfied with our government we will have the opportunity to once again demonstrate who we feel is listening to our needs and who is not.
Once again, a rep of the PLP who believes that if you tell a lie enough times it will become the truth.
Time for the PLP to admit it is all about those votes.
PLP should have been courting those votes – now they’ve permanently alienated them. This is desperate times for PLP.
A terrible PR nightmare that is only getting worse with silly articles like this.
PLP should bury this and quit while they are ahead. It can only get worse for them if they continue to make noise about this.
Great comments above that deal with the heart of Mr. Famous writings.
Operation Pressure Cooker.
Wonder how much they pay him.
What this article states is absolutely true and agreed with by every bumudian I speak with.
I’m not so sure on that. If all of this really rang true, there would be HUNDREDS of people showing up to these town hall meetings. Really it’s the PLP core supporters who are really charged up about this, otherwise the town hall would be overflowing with people.
Either Bermudians are too self centered to care or they realize that these PRCs are already an integral part of their community and aren’t necessarily concerned about them getting status.
If it was that big of an issue there should certainly be more public interest. Heck, I’m not even a PRC and I am following this issue with keen interest.
The PLP propaganda machine is certainly spewing a lot of smoke and fire but from what I can see the tires are firmly stuck in the mud and spinning.
Then you don’t talk with a very diverse representation of the Bermudian population. Try going outside Alaska Hall and talking to others.
Then you need to go outside your house and speak to more people
this guy Famous and the plp are a bunch of LIARS as has been proved many times before.
Did the disgraced ex premier Craig Cannonier resign for going on a trip or lying about the trip ?
So Chris,
You are blaming unemployment on the the OBA and PRC’s. Yet we all know that the majority of those unemployment figures materialized under the previous PLP and continued to grow as economic fall out under the OBA? I don’t understand what point you are trying to make here?
You are blaming the OBA for a PLP legislative mistake, which is law at present.
You are blaming the OBA for unemployment, when the vast majority of that unemployment began under the PLP.
You are blaming PRC’s for taking Bermudian jobs and for having a higher net income and employment rate, yet you state that it was the PLP that enacted the PRC legislation in the first place!? So why are you proud of the fact that the PLP put the olive branch there in the first place, if it is causing so much hurt to the unemployed Bermudian?
Yourself and the PLP are once again trying to influence the unemployed by painting a picture that is twisted. In reality, these people deserve citizenship and under the present rule of law are entitled to it! The PLP use only emotion and not logic.
I hope for the sake of future generations that PRCs are granted status. I hope their children become Bermudians. I hope their income continues to remain in our economy.
If you understand so well how our economy works, then please enlighten us where the money comes from the pay the average civil servant?
More propaganda to keep the masses poor as the old political elite try to take back power.
Everytime I read an opinion piece penned by a political scientist or activist–it really disappoints me.
Not so much for the basis of the pieces but more importantly that there is a segment of beautiful Bermuda’s population that are simply fighting against the sea change that is coming with the young voting block.
We have a wider world view and demand the same from our leaders and politicans.
The tired old rhetoric and baiting of the base voting population is simply manipulative, misleading and totally disrepectufl to their rights.
The PRC issue is one of human rights issue and I am shocked that some of our “leaders” are turning a blind eye to this.
Very sad.
These will be your votes to loose…that’s a direct challenge–are you all mature enough to move on a deal with the real issues contronting this country???
Bank in the day I grew up in a Bermuda where could almost get a job any where at anytime there was always more jobs available than people to work.
The union was strong and there were always issues and the occasional strike but people were still working.
Now we are fighting over jobs that are disappearing and jobs which may or may not be around 2 years from now. In other countries we see unemployment of over 30% in some sectors of the economy in Bermuda we cant live with that.
I do not think government can create exceptional paying long terms sustainable jobs other than just hiring more civil servants and police.
Things are different now and if we do not find a way to solve these issues together my grandchildren will be fighting the same battles.
I the OBA and the PLP cant find the solutions we should disband them both and let all MP’s sit as independents and give them a chance to solve our problems.
No it’s not insensitive.
It’s the law. PRCs can get whatever job they want and can buy property. They have that right. I don’t see the insensitivity.
What’s insensitivity is how the PLP left Bermuda in this position without heeding the right advice.
Mr famous you are a idiot ..I get tired of reading your crap every week …u said on the talk show the other day that you research your info for weeks prior to your outburst and I havent been able to find your sources yet… you and the plp are so anti bermuda and so racist it ridiculous. . 14 years and now u idiots want to fix things and try make government look bad.. I remember in 98 being 16 and on court street celebrating history and the plp win …fast forward to this day you have only made this island sh!* for my generation
Once again, Mr Famous you have provided only a one sided view.
There are so many glaring assumptions and inadequacies in your article that I cannot cover them all, but here are some:
“Therefore granting status to PRC holders, would place them in direct competition with Bermudians for employment while many educated, talented, and capable Bermudians are unemployed.” – THEY ALREADY HAVE JOBS !!!! And the ones that don’t do not want them as they are likely spouses etc.
Your points 1 and 4 are contradictory, or are you saying that 3500 are always unemployed and recently only 1200 are reported as unemployed.
Perhaps you should consider training, attitude, willingness and desire when examining youth unemployment and job losses. There are loads of entry level positions in the papers, but these jobs are often considered “beneath” Bermudians.
Andrea has already discussed the wage disparity and underemployment, so I shan’t dwell on it.
The issue of PRC and status is a loophole that your beloved party, in ignorance, allowed to be legislated and the OBA now has to clean up. I still don’t know what your issue here is anyway, as the PRC holders that qualify are long-standing, contributing members of Bermuda’s economy, which is more than we can say about some others. You also have no idea as to which way they will vote, so that point is moot – or perhaps you would like to play the race card again here.
Every sensible minded individual could see that term limits caused considerable financial distress on Bermuda’s economy, but you seem to think that it affected “key occupations” and that reinstating them would benefit the economy. Please define “key occupations” and show me the full set of employment numbers. I suspect that you are simply spinning a party line here with no substance.
The PLP had 14 years to “take into account our island’s unique circumstances, our size and limited resources while protecting access for future generations” whereas you chose to bleed the country for all it has and now your only course of action is to stamp your feet like petulant children when you don’t get your way.
Grow up and get back to work instead of fighting any constructive idea that the OBA comes up with and marching on Parliament disrupting those that are working.
I am glad to see that you finally have realized that it is time you decided to work together, but I wonder if that includes the OBA or not.
If Mr Famous thought that these PRCs would likely vote for the PLP then he would welcome them with open arms. We all know this.
It would be interesting to look at the historical granting of status in respect to those PLP spokespeople/supporters who are so fervently anti-immigration. I don’t think you need to go back more than a generation or two to find that that many of those so opposed to welcoming immigrants or guest workers into Bermuda, are people who directly benefited as recent descendants of emigrants from the Caribbean (and other countries) to Bermuda. If Bermuda is to succeed, we need to have a balanced view on emigration, which needs to start with a truthful and honest discussion, not the misleading propoganda we are seeing.
$800 million.
Whats the difference between Marthas Vineyard and St. Kitts.
Your right. Both islands and Bermuda plays a part.
Bermuda Triangle……………………………
Shalom.
Oh Christopher Christopher you are playing the passive aggressive victim here.
YOU ARE NOT THE VICTIM NOW STOP TRYING TO STOMP ON HUMAN RIGHTS!
What is going on in America or in Australia in regard to immigration policy is that xenophobic? It is Bermudian national rights that are been violated.
But it’s our own fault we should have never allowed this anti-Bermudian OBA government to gain control of the government. But it is a lesson well learn next time we will make the 1998 elections which saw the PLP become the government for the first time; seem like a small bubble such will the political victory of the Bermudian people when we sweep this government into the dust bin of history.
BIG DIFFERENCE. The us are trying to stop people from illegaly entering the country and taking up work, houseing and such. In Bermuda the PLP wrote the “clause” not a loophole at all but a part of the legislation. So Stop trying to mislead people here and in the country it’s not a loophole its a clause. Why is it there and who could have benefited from it is the real question?
LOL
Apples & orages Alvin. What’s happening in the USA is they are protesting bus loads of foreigners being entered into the country. Here the protest is against people who have been in this country at least 25 years, or were actually born here.
But don’t let that stop you making a comparison.
Dear Mr. Famous,
While I appreciate the freedom to express oneself–Please remember that there should be a measure of compassion for those that might be impacted by the airing of your and by extenstion your colleagues’ views.
A vast majority of our community rightfully demanded equal rights and dignity which happened and is now ensconced in a framework of rules to protect human rights.
All of Bermuda should remember this and honorr the spirit of Human rights and dignity and speak oout against politicans and leaders who manipulate arguments and issues for personal gain.
This is a NEW and modern Bermuda–we simply can’t and won’t stand for archaic thinking.
The “YOUNG PEOPLE” of Bermuda should not forget that they are $2.5Billion dollars in DEBT created by the PLP/BIU,and growing.
And you will never be able to pay it off.
This gentleman is a PLP/BIU “DEMAGOGUE” if you do not understand please Google.
Dear Bluebird,
We know exactly what a demagogue is and we reject closed minded self centered thinking and platforms and we reject anything that rolls over the elements of basic human rights.
One the one hand Bermuda wants all the benefits of a modern, evolved, first world country–but on the other, it some how succeeds in holding itself in the past in respect of view points and issues that are not inclusive of ALL BERMUDIANS.
The young people of Bermuda are watching and we simply do not support this old school hypocritical thinking.
Its up to those in power now to widen their world view or loose a very lucrative voting block–
We are on the hook for your follies and we will not blindly follow hollow rhetoric–them days are gone—
There is a sea change happening and younger voters have a wider and more inclusive world view.
Its high time that Bermuda acts like a first world nation–and in the first instance–stop trampling over basic human rights for policitcal and personal gain.
The young voteers see right through you all and we are telling you to evolve or loose!!!!!!
The PLP passed the law, and as a result this group of people has a legal right to obtain Bermuda status, thanks to the law that was passed by the government.
That’s not ‘old school hypocritical thinking’. It’s just a plain fact.