MP Leah Scott: When Is The Appropriate Time?
Noting the PLP’s 100 Day pledge to review the airport redevelopment contract to “see if Bermuda can get a better deal,” Deputy Opposition Leader Leah Scott said she “would like to know when the appropriate time would be to reveal the better airport deal that this new Government has secured for us.”
Ms Scott, who is also the Shadow Transport Minister, said, “The PLP stated, in its election platform, and as part of their 100 day pledge, that they would review the ‘privatization’ contract [their words] between AECON and the Bermuda Government for the L.F. Wade International Airport.”
“The Deputy Premier and Minister of Transport and Regulatory Affairs, Walter Roban, reiterated the Government’s 100 day pledge saying, ‘You may be aware as part of our election platform – particularly our 100 day pledge – the Government committed to, and I quote, ‘review the privatization contract between Aecon and the Bermuda Government for the L.F. Wade International Airport to see if Bermuda can get a better deal.”
“….We believe the country cannot afford the agreement that the former Government signed us up to. As this transaction is under review, all options are being considered.” [Bernews – 23 October 2017]”
Work underway on the airport site last week:
“On November 3, 2017, in a statement in the House of Assembly, Premier and Minister of Finance, David Burt, also confirmed the pledge, saying ‘Since this new Government took office, we have successfully completed or significantly advanced 21 of the 21 – 100 day pledges that we made to the people of Bermuda.’
“Speaking of travel, this government is confronted with a contract for the construction and 30 year management of a new terminal at the L.F. Wade International Airport which has now been upended by the potential sale to a Chinese firm of Canadian Company Aecon.”
“In keeping with our promise to the people of Bermuda, this latest development and the overall arrangement are the subject of a full review. The people demanded that we examine this contract with a view to improving the deal, and this we shall do. This Government is determined to emerge from this review with a better deal for the Bermudian taxpayer to mitigate the clear privatization efforts of the previous administration.’
Ms. Scott said, “The PLP Government has gone well beyond its 100 day pledge to provide a report to the people of this country as to whether the PLP can, in fact, secure a better deal for the people of Bermuda.”
“The independent Blue Ribbon Panel, set up by the OBA early in 2016, found that the airport deal was ‘commercially sound and reasonable’. However, on October 23, 2017, Minister Roban said that ‘As Opposition, we expressed our dissatisfaction with this arrangement, and as Government that dissatisfaction remains.”
“On 8 January 2018, Minister Walter Roban issued a statement saying ‘A review into the controversial airport redevelopment contract has been completed and the Government will advise the public of any important developments at the appropriate time.”
Ms. Scott said, “Curiously, Minister Roban is yet to respond to any questions regarding the review and the Government’s report on its findings, including when the Bermuda Aviation Authority report was actually received by the Government.
“Nor has Minister Roban informed the people of Bermuda as to whether he thinks that it may be too late to change the contract and what the ramifications of doing so would be, if indeed a P3 airport development project is a bad deal for Bermuda.
“So I would like to know when the appropriate time would be to reveal the better airport deal that this new Government has secured for us, the taxpayers of Bermuda? After all, it was our tax dollars that were used to secure the review and the report, so we are entitled to know the results.
“Or perhaps the Government’s hesitation is because they now know that they cannot secure a better deal, and that to take any steps to rescind the existing contract and business relationships would throw our economy into a financial tailspin, as well as jeopardise the jobs at the airport that the OBA created for Bermudians.
“And maybe…just maybe…..the Government has found that the deal secured by the OBA government to redevelop our airport wasn’t so bad after all,” Ms Scott added.
Chris Famous said the airport should cost $100m. Of course, that was before the election.
Well he’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer is he…
No, he is not.
Sharp enough to cut SpongeBob.
There’s no telling what the cost of this deal will really be. OBA should stay quiet for the moment because they were the ones who signed a deal that could potentially have the BDA airport owned by China for 30 years since CCCI is pretty much state owned. At the moment Canada is looking into any security implication for Canada in the buyout. As long as there are no security risks for Canada it will be approved. Canada is not going to access the security risk for Bermuda in this deal so Bermuda should do it themselves and do it quickly because the deal will go through next month if approved by Canada.
Sit down Leah
No report will be made public until the report says what the PLP wants it to say. As every day passes it confirms that the OBA made the best possible decision given the financial position that Bermuda is in thanks to PLP version #1.
Are you sure of that? Our Airport may belong to China, the country that sells the world synthetic rice and honey. Who knows what corners they will cut to save a buck when they take control.
Oooooohhhh the big bad man from China is coming for you!!!
The Canadian government and many of the other governments think so.
Canada has held back the sale of Aecon for months now because they are unsure of the security implications of the deal. The republic owns majority shares in CCCI and every other company that has bought out major companies around the globe.
Wow….Neally everything is manafactured in China….for example they make 80% of the world air conditioners….you like being cool summer time? 70 % of the worlds phones….60% of the worlds shoes….the list goes on and on…1 county is responsible for 25% of global manufacturing and owns almost 50% of the worlds ships….they are truly the backbone of global trade…know your facts B. It’s more than fake rice and honey….how much garbage food does the US make? And what exactly does Bermuda produce? Smh…you can’t diss China
China is the world superpower in production but last I checked China has a bad track record in fair trade.
Yes, America produces garbage food but they have laws that say they must keep within the guidelines of how bad the garbage is and let the consumer know they are getting garbage. China has a record of cheating most of the laws put in place.
Yes, China produces mostly everything we buy or eat and they are able to get this market foothold by cheating. They have inhumane labor practices and cheap fillers that keep their cost low enough that no one else can outbid them. Most of the honey of the world is exported from China but only a small percentage is genuine honey. Much of the honey we consume is filled with rice syrup. Honey is a major world commodity and they exploit it just as they do many other world commodities.
So where is the airport report?
“China is the world superpower in production but last I checked China has a bad track record in fair trade.”
you should check on the US too, you’d be surprised….have a look at Bermuda while you’re at it…and sit down and be quiet, you’re too stupid to comment.
PLP will try and spin this somehow…justttt wait.
The appropriate time is when the Minister and the Government deem appropriate. MP Scott forgets she is not in the government and therefore doesn’t call the shots.
Sucks doesn’t it?
The irony of it all is that the PLP at every opportunity created stories to sell their faithful , they promised them the world and now they are tasked with making it happen …guess again they will delay because they can’t provide them
keep believing in them
One day the coin will drop
what’s the holdup–we pay the Gvt’s salaries and we want to know full stop–do your job and release the report–or is this more of the same that happened with the AC report–most likely..
regardless of who won what–Do your jo
So you guys weren’t being sincere when you cried and whined about transparency between 2012 and 2017 huh?
You would’ve thought…
this was another bunch of election nonsense
Man everyday someone’s taking shots at the PLP…you expect them to defend themselves….but what can they say?
If they told the truth it would be a start. It’s like they don’t know how.
Crickets!!
Just like updates for us that have to catch the bus, crickets!
Just like the case against The Port Royal thingy, Crickets!
But I give credit where its due, nice to see the Lehay case going forward, will be interested in result. Humming..
“Man everyday someone’s taking shots at the PLP…you expect them to defend themselves….but what can they say?”
Perhaps the PLP should stop spreading lie after lie about the OBA…maybe it’s time for your party to grow up and show us how much better they are…when can we expect to see that? It didn’t happen last time.
My party? Which ones that? Are you illiterate or just simple
“Are you illiterate or just simple”
look up the meaning of those words, before you spew them from your ignorant hole.
It’s apparent that the plp can’t get the airport deal to work in their interest. Sad how the plp fans continue to support this party.
Leah, bore off, go join the PLP. After all, you’re the one who disrupted the OBA’s time in gov’t for letting internal party matters get out into the public realm. Anything you say I just can’t take seriously.
I like the fact that Leah took a position that she believed in. I think she is great. The PLP fear her.
Nothing wrong with taking a position but publicly criticizing your own party is a mistake at best.
Leah,
Do you get paid by the line for these ridiculous releases?
Please focus on your day job and business development
And please don’t write an Op Ed saying the recent compromise on SSM has devastated the Bermuda economy and tourism,
When is your retirement date and when you and Jean gonna make the young politicians in OBA run the party?
Fake Faker Fakest
If she doesn’t live in the east end she has no say Right? Isn’t that the way the island works now ?
MP JP L. Scott – it’s time you called it a day as you have no political capital anymore please focus on your IB job and saving for retirement and a legacy for your family…..please stop putting your name to these non OpEd OpEd’s they are total drivel
Stay in your Lane