OBA’s 2015 Throne Speech Status Report
In advance of Monday’s Throne Speech, the OBA provided a ‘status report’ on progress made on last year’s Throne Speech, saying some of the completed initiatives include amendments to PATI legislation, opening of the process for citizens to serve on government boards and committees, implementation of Danielson Framework to strengthen teaching skills, formation of Financial Policy Council and Fiscal Responsibility Panel, new business models for Bermuda’s Aircraft and Shipping Registries and a new Government website.
The ‘status report’ from the OBA is below:
Initiatives Completed
- Amendments to PATI legislation maximizing citizen’s rights to request and obtain records from public authorities in a timely manner.
- Legislation authorizing Population and Housing Census
- Human Rights Act amendments
- Ensuring people with mental disabilities or impairments are not discriminated against in employment, accommodation and procurement of goods and services
- Outlawing discrimination based on printed word so that online comments can allowed as evidence
- Prohibiting publication of racist material
- Expanding definition of public place to expand protection against abusive, threatening insulting words used to promote or incite hostility against a member of the public based on colour, race, ethnicity…
- Transition of Human Rights Commission to a non-ministry entity, providing the Commission with a level of independence in line with international best practices.
- Expansion of the Co-Parenting Mediation Council to ensure both men and women are involved in progressing mediation to enable separating parents to remain involved in the lives of their children, and to make custody and divorce proceedings less acrimonious.
- Personal Information Protection Act, requiring person’s consent for collection, use and disclosure of their personal information, in line with international best practices.
- Opening of the process for citizens to serve on government boards and committees.
- Implementation of Danielson Framework to strengthen teaching skills.
- Formation of Financial Policy Council and Fiscal Responsibility Panel to advise on Government’s fiscal policy and performance, increasing transparency and credibility with international observers.
- Increase access to affordable chronic disease medications through membership in the Pan American Health Fund, enabling procurement of selected drugs at favourable rates. The first order arrived in October with a gross savings of $654,759 to subsidy funds.
- Establishment of a Mental Health Court.
- Expansion of the GREAT Programme to deliver positive life messages to Primary and Middle School students.
- Passage of The Defence Act prescribing a path to end conscription and create modern system of discipline for the Royal Bermuda Regiment.
- Completion of review for closure of one of the minimum-security correctional facilities, due to low recidivism rates.
- Construction of new bathroom facilities at White Hill Field in Sandys and Shelly Bay in Hamilton Parish.
- New business models for Bermuda’s Aircraft and Shipping Registries.
- New Government website designed to link visitors to information needed in three clicks.
Works In Progress
- Cyber-security framework to protect against cyber-threats, in development with private sector.
- School Improvement Plans for every school, scheduled for completion in 2018.
- Adoption of standards-based grading for school system-wide consistency.
- Opening more school-to-career in trades and STEM through partnership with Department of Education and Bermuda College.
- Expansion of curriculum and support services to include English language learners.
- Electronic gazetting of Government notices.
- Creation of new enforcement regime at Planning Department to end the ‘build-it-now, sort-it-out later’ practice.
- Amendments to National Pension Scheme to ensure workers have financial independence and security upon retirement [Bermuda Monetary Authority].
- Licensing legislation to regulate conduct of debt collectors, for tabling 2017.
- Senior Abuse Register Act amendments to protect seniors, anticipated 2017.
- Modernize Residential Home Care Homes and Nursing Home Regulations to strengthen protection for seniors and persons with disabilities. Draft standards in development and for consultation prior to publication.
- CCTV network expansion to Dockyard and St. George’s.
- Gaming regulations for tabling this session.
- Tourism Incentive Act to encourage investment in hotels development and tourism products, for tabling this session.
- New fire safety standards. To be gazetted.
No matter how much they are trying to impress, they’re still gonna get voted out.
Well thats up to de disillusioned Black voters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Possibly so but at least you can see that they actually got stuff done unlike a certain……
Oh never mind. You don’t care.
Ya they got stuff done, but for their own circle.
LMFAO
Disillusioned Black Voters? You mean the ones that still have their jobs and home intact because of 2012? LOL wake up bie, the money is flowing again!
Yes! This is a smart move on the OBA’s part. Ive always wondered what the score cards are for Throne Speeches. I wish there were fact checkers in Bermuda however.