Bipartisan Committee On Immigration Reform
Today [Oct 10] the Minister of Home Affairs Walton Brown announced the names of the members of the newly-formed Bipartisan Committee on Immigration Reform.
Those members are: PLP MP Renee Ming, PLP MP Christopher Famous, OBA MP Ben Smith and OBA MP Leah Scott, with Minister Brown Chairing the group.
“Next month the Bipartisan Committee will engage the public in a consultative process regarding various aspects of immigration reform,” the Ministry said.
“It should be noted this group serves a different function to the Immigration Reform Working Group whose mandate is to come up with principles that will guide legislative reform in the areas of Bermudian Status, PRCs, and Mixed Status Families.
“The Bipartisan Committee on Immigration Reform, meanwhile, will be looking at a much broader set of issues regarding immigration reform.”
“What the working group is doing is very important,” said Minister Brown. “The principles they come up with will guide the legislation to come. Once the working group presents these principles on or by October 31, the bipartisan committee will commence its work. The aim is for them to then come to the public for consultation in November.”
The Minister added: “I am very pleased that these four Members of Parliament have agreed to work in a consultative fashion to address and bring resolution to such a fundamentally important matter; that being comprehensive immigration reform.
“There is much work to be done. Consultation and public input are extremely crucial and only after an extensive consultation period will changes to both legislation and policy be proposed.”
“Members of the public may recall that the completion of comprehensive bipartisan immigration reform is one of the items of priority highlighted on the Government’s agenda,” the Ministry added.
“The question of immigration reform has been a challenging one, with many distinct groups effected by it,” said Minister Brown. “Our intention is to create a truly inclusive and collaborative approach to get the best fit for Bermuda.”
Ben Smith & Walton Brown are best buddies. When is Ben going to cross the floor?
The PLP are going fail with this one. Where is the diversity? Bermuda is headed in the wrong direction already.
Wow.
Just imagine if the OBA was still in power and set up an Immigration Committee that consisted solely of certain Bermudians. Imagine the outrage and the accusations that would follow. Be honest with yourselves.
But I know that diversity is meant for thee and not the PLP.
The double standards on this island are nauseating when it comes to such.
“Truthertz”,
You need to look in the mirror. Here you are writing in on Bernews under a pseudonym and you still refuse to use the word black as in “black Bermudians” when it is very clear that is what you are referring to with the allusions that litter your response above.
And just for the record whites are not the new victims of so called black racism…
Yawnnnnn at your pathetic attempt at deflection…but when that’s all you have, it is to be expected.
Is you Christian name ‘Truth Teller’ hypocrite?
What?!? Does he have amnesia? Did he hit his head or something? He just put forward a bill last week without any transparency or consultation! Or does this mean that they will withdraw that bill now? What silliness is this?
It is the same way they governed last time. Make grand announcements and then when they get push back they change their minds. Rudderless ship.
24-12
Get over it already.
its not a competition ya dummy
Um excuse me, ya too young to understand de struggle we endured for us to enjoy this Historic result. But you silverspoon Millennials know everything and have all de answers, but dont know S!@# about de STRUGGLE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OJ, you’ve never struggled a day in your life. You’ve never had a job, you have no skills. You are a simple racist, you’re angry because you have nothing but hatred.
You’re lazy and unskilled…should have paid attention in school, then maybe you could have contributed to society…instead, you spew your racist drivel, daily.
You’re not struggling if you have access to a computer, have an Internet connection and can waste your whole day spewing unintelligent garbage all day.
You probably think your suffering when you don’t get more than 10 megs.
Chris Famous has already made his views know in the following bernews article.
http://bernews.com/2016/03/column-how-is-policy-working-for-bermudians/
to John Doe:
So what.
It would appear as though now that the shoes are on the Bermudians’ feet , you have issues with that!
Suck it up!!
Lets see who will be sucking it up if the PLP and policies force the IB to relocate. The PLP thought they could get away with it last time, and it nearly back fired.
Giving rights to a reside CEO who pays a lot in payroll tax, and employees Bermudian is a good thing thing for the educated who understand the values.
Who do you think is going to pay into the system and when 25% of located are retired?
Just put back the Term limits please! Bermudians first!
That policy put Bermudians last. Nationalism never benefits the local population, just the elite few who promote it
Actually nationalism is what countries are built on. Historically without it countries end up being conquered and divided.
Er, no. Nationalism is an isolationist policy, based on purported racial and ethnic supremacy.
That is the PLP and their supporters in a nutshell.
Always have been and always will be.
Yup, let’s kill IB in Bermuda for good.
Bermudians first to the bread lines!
Trump will do that himself when he enacts the part of his new budget plan where he gives concessions to any US or foreign IB who sets up in America. Wanna bet they take his deal over Bermuda’s with term limits and all.
First in the unemployment line if you do that again.
Bermuda IB is facing a lot of competition from other countries to relocate where it is a lot less expensive to setup and do business. A lot of companies are already moving jobs overseas where it is cheaper. We don’t want give IB any excuse to leave because once they go, they will not be coming back. Also without IB it does not take a certified accountant to realize that Bermuda would go bankrupt quickly
They are moving to these countries because they cheaper not because they don’t have term limits. Most countries have term limits even the ones that have tax concessions. You can’t just go to any country you wish as a foreign worker and then feel entitled to live the rest of your life there just because of a few years residing.
Actually you can move to other countries and buy residence. Ironically, St Kitts, where the majority of the PLP hail from, has been offering residence for dollars for years. Do your homework!
Actually that’s why I said MOST countries and did not say ALL have term limits. When I said most I was not talking about the ones where 37 US cents is equal to their dollar. Our main competitor Cayman Islands has term limits and they are still enticing more IB then us.
This committee is decidedly unrepresentative of the Bermudian population. Course with 3 out of 5 members being PLP, and their lack of diverse appeal, it is hardly surprising that the PLP ‘collaborative’ governing isn’t all that collaborative. A 50/50 split with equal population representation from both parties would actually be collaborative.
Why would the Minister agree to set up a bi-partisan committee and agree to include members of the opposition on it? Makes no sense whatsoever!!!
obviously u have no clue wha bi-partisan means lmfao…
OMG. You were once a Senator. No wonder you haven’t been reappointed.
bi·par·ti·san
[bīˈpärdəzən]
ADJECTIVE
of or involving the agreement or cooperation of two political parties that usually oppose each other’s policies:
Over the last 20 years, the Cayman Islands population has gone from 35,000 to 59,000. In the same time frame, Bermuda’s population has gone from 65,000 to 61,000.
All countries need immigration. No country or business can thrive when shrinking.
Bermuda desperately needs more people to come here, live here and work here.
Larry Burchall was so spot on when he said “res pop” must grow. Poor Bermuda. Completely moving in the wrong direction .
Ya, de Columbus Movement.
And Cayman Island is experiencing their most terrible social ills because of the great devide between the wealthy Capitalist and the disadvantiged locals.
Yes we know we need foreign workers, but when you make it priority to migrate workers who are desperate for a better life which CAN lead to exploitation, then that has an effect on local workers who have inherited the basic Workers Rights, which goes against Capitalist ideology.
But when you have a country that has foreigners that outnumber locals, you will have a problem. Thats why America, Canada UK and the rest of Europe are B!+€#ing about immigration and we get called xenophobic, giving account that we are only 21 square miles.
I’m not against foreign investment and interest because we do need it, but there needs to be a balance and at what cost.
(Great divide)
You don’t jack about Cayman…
OJ, you’ve already proved your stupidity for today, why go overboard?
To UPSET VOTER:
I agree wholeheartedly…put back the term limits for foreign workers. If oba opposes, later for them. That is exactly what oba did to P.L.P.
Interestingly enough, Ben Smith who did nothing leading up to the election(People in C 31 feel that he is lazy).Good. He is on the Immigration Reform Committee.Expect nothing from him. Leah Scott..one minute she was quitting the oba. Once she was slapped with a portfolio, she was quietly happy.
We Bermudians MUST NOT FORGET that the oba was mean and nasty to born Bermudians.
KARMA!!!
All those Bermudian employees that voted for you guys are sure gonna feel the Karma.
I find the mix of this group very interesting. No I’ll be blunt “Where is the ‘Other’ Bermudian in this Committee”?
If this is how the new PLP Government is going to carry on, well you better just watch out.
This little island is going to sink quickly.
Lord help these idiots.
It has light skin, dark shin, young, old, female and male.
That’s about the extent of PLP’s ideas of diversity.
If the plan is for every Bermudian in the community to buy into the final recommendation (which hopefully it is, otherwise what is the point?), then this is not a great way to start. I assume that bipartisan in this sense means cross-party so that the Minister can only select from MPs. We all know that the best talent is not always in politics. Please bring in some senior community members from both parties or none to get this to the right decision for everyone. Enough division!
The stay over Status holders now living of the fat of the land and telling us how to run our country with the vote, who came here on contract should pay an annual $1,999 license fee each. You don’t see them clearing the roads do you ?
All take and no give!