OBA: ‘Total Bill Larger Than Outgoing Cabinet’
The Premier has “appointed 5 Junior Ministers to assist the 11 full-time Cabinet members,” and “not only is his total bill larger than that of our outgoing Cabinet, but having this many assistants begs the question as to the competence of those whom he has chosen,” Opposition Leader Patricia Gordon-Pamplin said.
New Junior Minister Sworn In
The Opposition Leader’s comments follow after Wayne Furbert was sworn in as the new Junior Minister of Finance, with Premier and Minister of Finance David Burt saying he was “pleased to welcome the knowledge and insight that the Hon. Wayne Furbert will bring to the Ministry of Finance,” adding that “he will be assisting me with Parliamentary duties in the House of Assembly related to finance.”
Senator Vance Campbell previously served as the Junior Minister of Finance, Public Works, and Government Reform; and the Premier said that Senator Campbell will “continue to speak on financial matters in the Senate and will serve as Junior Minister of Public Works and Government Reform.”
Opposition Leader’s Comments
Ms Gordon-Pamplin said, “We heard the Premier boast about the small size of his Cabinet when compared to that of the OBA, and how austerity must start at the top.
“We are only three months in and he has appointed 5 Junior Ministers to assist the 11 full-time Cabinet members. Not only is his total bill larger than that of our outgoing Cabinet, but having this many assistants begs the question as to the competence of those whom he has chosen.
“Maybe the Premier might look to the remainder of his back bench to try and find individuals who might truly have the capability of running a ministry effectively on a full time basis without expending the extra public cash to make up for the shortcomings of his chosen ones.”
PLP Response
In response, a PLP spokesperson said, “The PLP will execute on our election mandate and has a unified team that is working tirelessly to deliver. Only people who want Bermuda to fail would want less than full effort and resources being used to advance Bermuda’s interests.
The Leader of the Opposition OBA would do well to listen to the sentiments of her own MP Jeff Baron who recently called on politicians to ‘talk about the real issues.’
“Bermuda has major challenges locally and internationally. The OBA needs to decide whether it wants to play a part in improving conditions in Bermuda, or if it wants to spend the next 5 years nitpicking while the PLP works to create jobs; diversify our economy; reduce the cost of living; reform education; and increase opportunity for Bermudians that have been left behind.
“If the Opposition Leader thinks her immature statements assist in building a better Bermuda then it is clear she and the few who support her interim leadership within the OBA haven’t listened to what voters overwhelmingly said on July 18th.”
WELL did you expect anything different that that. These clowns in Government have no idea, just like most Bermudians, of how we get our Dollars. Why is our Bda Dollar on par with the US Dollar? Bet most have no idea.
Woman go lay down and hush. Worst Immigration Minister since John Swan was Leader of the UBP
Your mother is also a woman, do you talk to her in that mannor? Show some respect.
So you’re fine with Burt’s issues. Got it.
Sexist alert!
Just because a person said woman?????
Misogynistic any? Woman? Really? Bet you didn’t think Harvey Weinstein did anything wrong.
PLP up to antics again. Same stuff they did last time the screwed up Bermuda.
Well 47% of us saw that in the crystal ball on July 17….
Jobs for the boys. Oh, wait, we can’t say that anymore. Friends and Family plan?
You cannot say that if you are white (or Portuguese) according to CURB.
They are the Government get over it…you have five years!!
Are you seriously suggesting that people get over irresponsible governing?
On the other hand, your pseudonym says it all!
And the same advice to you and yours, “Get over it already”. See how that works?
O.B.A F!@#ed up so bad, everytime they oppose something its like de boy who cried wolf.
Even though they may have a point, when I think of JetGate, Habour Front, de airport deal and anti- Bermudian policies, there is no redemption for their F!@#ups.
OMG !!!! You used the “BOY” raciest word.
You do realize that not everybody likes either the OBA OR THE PLP?
Can’t use the word ‘boy’. You must be a racist.
Dude, nothing the OBA EVER did remotely compares to the harm brought to the Bermuda people at the hand of your PLP government. It’s insane to me that PLP supports know this but simply don’t care. It is all about race after all, nothing at all to do with good governnce on behalf of the PLP…..that simply doesn’t exists, nor will it by seeing the craziness going on now.
New York Four Seasons Gate
No transparency on travel expenses gate
and this one should have everyone shaking in their boots…
Junior Finance Minister Furbertgate
PLP=Incompetent.
When I read the PLP response i had to read it again , i thought they had been misquoted,they have one goal thats to finance all of their freinds and family . the PLP cabinet are a very weak inept group who do not know what they are doing. Please explain how we went from a bus service with no cancellations in MAY to our current situation. When you can’t manage effectively this is what happens. They will BS the public for 5 months then tell you how much they spent and how bad the deficit is and that we have to borrow again …the slippery path began in July and we have their loyal supporters to thank
The Jetgate guys are in the PLP now.
The Harbour deal saved us from more disasters.
The Airport Deal was approved by every financial expert, just like the Hospital Deal was when the PLP did exactly the same thing.
Ya and I have a bridge to sell you.
LMAO
1. Jetgate involved the Premier at the time and two OBA MPs who were on the verge of assisting the PLP will a vote of no confidence just before the election was called. The Premier resigned, the other two became Independents and friends of the PLP. Makes you go…hmmmmm
2. Habour Front? Not sure what you mean? Do you mean the Hamilton Harbour Development? The one that was taken away? Then the PLP attempted to hang that unfortunate incident on the OBA when it was all about the PLP extension known as Team Hamilton.
3. Airport deal, the most vetted project in the history of Bermuda including the Hospital Deal which was done on the same basis.
Now, let’s talk about Berkley, Grand Atlantic, Port Royal or the cruise terminal. Take your pick of disastrous non consultation PLP deals that cost this island a fortune.
Deficit reduction IS the real issue. Nothing the PLP have done yet suggests that they understand.
It is scary the direction they are taking us already. The rhetoric has started to make investors rethink if they are wanted in Bermuda, even when ministers say the former government has only looked to certain people, that alone speaks volumes. All I can say is get ready and prepared if you can. If not, I feel for you if you have no options, but to go down and stay with the sinking ship.
The rhetoric has started making BERMUDIANS look at other places to live!
All the PLP will do is spend money! They will do no good for Bermuda, because they don’t know how. Every time the PLP talk about the election results just reminds me i’m from a place with lots of beauty but very little brains.
All she does is complain and complain …………..
Get used to it. Everyone had to listen to the PLP whining about everything for the past 4 years.
“ oh no they’re creating jobs” “oh no there are new jobs and it wasn’t our ideal”, whine whine whine.
Well – she learned that from listening to 5 years of the PLP in Opposition.
That’s her job. She isn’t government.
The leopard cannot change its spots.
We have been hoodwinked and bamboozled again!
Money will leave and they will be king of the ashes
“or if it wants to spend the next 5 years nitpicking while the PLP works to create jobs; diversify our economy; reduce the cost of living; reform education; and increase opportunity for Bermudians that have been left behind.”
The PLP didn’t say that, did they?
Nitpicking is pointing out that the statement that the PLP made about reducing cabinet turned out to be a complete lie, and their cabinet now costs us significantly more than the previous government?
That is nitpicking?
PLP II are already failing. How long will Bermuda survive?
If all ministers are full time, then why do we need juniors as well?? That is not a sign that the govt. understands how to save money.
More empty words from an arrogant PLP who bankrupted Bermuda between 1998 and 2012 and now try and pretend they have the answers. By their failures they will be seen to be anti Bermudian as Bermudians will be the ones to suffer the most. Just that those Bermudians will still praise the PLP.
So Flip flop Furbert can’t say why he was appointed as jr finance minister. Talk about transparency. Same old plp to me.
“Maybe the Premier might look to the remainder of his back bench to try and find individuals who might truly have the capability of running a ministry effectively on a full time basis without expending the extra public cash to make up for the shortcomings of his chosen ones.”
Come on, Pat, you know better than that. A political leader wants people who are loyal, not able. An able person is a threat to the leadership role.
“The OBA needs to decide whether it wants to play a part in improving conditions in Bermuda, or if it wants to spend the next 5 years nitpicking…”
These guys are a bunch of jokers. Did they play a part in trying to improve the conditions in Bermuda when they were not in power? All they did was nitpick at everything the OBA did. Crusty
The Premier misled the public by stating his reduced Cabinet was an example of fiscal resposnility from the top.
Only to the PLP would the calling out of this be considered to be ‘nitpicking.’
But don’t worry PLP, you know full well your supporters won’t hold you to account. Openness, transparency and truthfulness are for the other guys.
You gotta wonder what the plp supporters think, do they truly understand what is being done with their tax dollars? Nothing improved in 15 years of plp and inquiries suggest that there was a lot more to blame than just lack of understanding by the plp of how to run a government. Where do some people get their news? Are there really not that many free thinkers? In this situation would the plp really want to fix education?
And still haven’t and probably wont hear anymore on the pending caeses!