HRC Commissioner To Join Reform Committee
“In the interest of collaboration on human rights and immigration issues in the long term, the Minister has invited a Commissioner of the HRC to join the Immigration Reform Committee and the HRC has accepted this invitation,” the Ministry and HRC said today.
The joint statement said, “Following public statements issued last week by the Human Rights Commission [HRC] and the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Minister of Home Affairs Walton Brown and representatives of the HRC met on Thursday, October 12th to discuss the consultation process in respect of the Bill.
“The discussion was candid and constructive. The Minister acknowledged the HRC’s fundamental concern at undermining the primacy of the Human Rights Act 1981 as a means of addressing immediate and necessary Immigration reform.
“The Minister, a human rights advocate, recognizes the Human Rights Act 1981 is not a tool to be manipulated, nor weakened, and laws should only be exempted from its primacy in a reasonable and balanced way.
“Equally, the HRC recognizes that Bermuda must have control over its immigration. However, that regulation should be exercised in a reasonable manner that upholds the principals afforded under national human rights legislation.
“In the interest of collaboration on human rights and immigration issues in the long term, the Minister has invited a Commissioner of the HRC to join the Immigration Reform Committee and the HRC has accepted this invitation.
“The Minister is also committed to accepting submissions from the HRC and other interested parties on future amendments to the Bill, or related recommendations. Both the HRC and the Minister will seek to educate the public further on this very important issue and will be providing further information in the near future.”
Is furbert going to withdraw this bill then? Wonder if the same crowd that protested before will be up on the hill on friday? After all, it is their rights that they are taking away as well.
This is a positive development that shows the Government’s willingness to collaborate and work together.
If they were truly willing that would a) sought to collaborate prior to tabling the bill and b) withdraw the bill until the promised collaboration has been accomplished.
It is meaningless – there is no commitment to adopting the HRCs future recommendations; no amendment in the proposed new law and no period of consultation …. there is also no way of knowing how future Home Affairs Ministers (no-one stays in office forever) will use this law.
Lipstick on a pig comes to mind.
Sad.
Purely optics. One vote out of how many? A voice drowned out by the clamorings of those with an agenda.
“The Minister is also committed to accepting submissions from the HRC and other interested parties on future amendments to the Bill”….so what is happening to the current proposed bill? Is this being pulled so that the above consultation can take place? Or will consultation only apply to “future” bill amendments?
Consultation? What is this word you use? The PLP don’t need consultation, they know there will be no demonstrations at Parliament as they control the protesters. The people will do as they’re told.
Minister Brown is on a mission, and knows exactly what this Bill will allow him to do if it becomes law. Whether it is signed into law is part of the big scheme.