Video: BIU President Says ‘It Was Never Political’
BIU President Chris Furbert held a press conference this afternoon [Feb 5] to respond to remarks made by former Minister Bob Richards, saying that their objection to the airport deal was “always about the cost.”
“It was always about cost,” he added. “The country is going to lose revenue for the next 30 years.”
“It was never political from our point of view,” Mr Furbert said. “We had made a public statement that if this was a PLP Government bringing this airport the way that OBA Government brought it, we would have had the same problems.”
The 11-minute live video replay is below:
must this man continue to hold press conferences over non issues.
Hey Chris, can we see the Union’s financial statments please?
Let’s talk about that if we are concerning ourselves with loosing money! Show us you know fiscal prudence then we will listen to your theories about the cost of other projects!
BINGO!
When was the last time the BIU released their financials?
Call for the government to be transparent, but not transparent themselves.
Why are we like this, Bermuda? We deserve so much better.
It is an issue, we are loosing $45 Million a year for 30 years, a contract that fools voted on without reading the WHOLE CONTRACT and no accountability and if they dont make their annual quota, we have to fund it to make up the difference.
Know if you dont have an issue with that and if you are a business minded person, well I have a bridge to sell you.
LMAO
Where is the $800 million? Why won’t you answer that?
Ask Scotland Yard, they gave their answer.
Then using your logic, please refer to the numerous independent reports by seasoned professionals which noted the airport PPP as being a good deal.
And why won’t you answer why you support he hospital PPP and not the airport PPP?
You know how I know you’ve never read it don’t you.
$2 billion in debt in 5 short years. Now that’s something for which fools can vote. Declining jobs, declining tax revenue, flight of capital (intellectual & financial)….squandered opportunities…16 -20 years of utter incompetence and failure.
Who is the fool OJ?
Hospital wing is the same deal minus the transparency. You’re silent on that. I think you like to look stupid.
The contract requires Bermuda to come good on their tourism ambitions. You know, accountability, responsibility?? Something the Pee El Pee and the civil service haven’t experienced too much of!! Again, do you know what PPP stands for?! Public Private PARTNERSHIP!!! You expecting to get a free airport and just sit on your a$$es all day? Do look at the financial results from BCM McApline on that hospital project, they actually lost money due to cost overruns mainly due to labor!!
If you had any clue about how business works you would know that the associated COSTS that come along with the revenue get paid. So anyone who does indeed have a clue knows you are being dishonest about the 45 million being “lost” (or loosed as you so brilliantly put it). You claim you read the contract but left out that little fact? This is why you have zero credibility.
Onion Juice, PLEASE riddle me this…Why did two individual reports sponsor by both parties respectively say this is not a bad deal AND why did it win an award for PPP of the year?
Also where did you get $45Mil? Is that subtracting operating costs? If so what operating cost number did you look up?
“It was always about cost,” he added. “The country is going to lose revenue for the next 30 years.”
And yet the BIU, People’s Campaign et al said absolutely nothing when the PLP entered into a PPP contract to build the hospital wing (not even a whole damn hospital) which sees the same amount of money ($30mn) being ‘given away’ for the same amount of time (30 years) to a foreign entity. A hospital wing that doesn’t even have enough beds to match the demand. A cost that is one of, if not the, main driver behind our ever increasing healthcare costs.
So yes Mr. Furbert, you and your crew’s opposition to the airport redevelopment was 110% political. You can hold a million press conferences staying the same thing, but the facts remain enshrined in history. And if you don’t believe me please show me their opposition to the hospital wing PPP. I have looked high and low and can’t find one opposing statement, but I can easily find umpteen quotes by you against the airport redevelopment that has nothing to do with cost. So whilst you and your supporters might easily forget, the internet never does.
Yes, the hypocrisy is unbelievable ….
The Premier has twice promised to release an unredacted PPP contract re the hospital … still waiting ….
He also promised to reduce the cost of living, while his new tax proposals will achieve the exact opposite.
Mr. Ferburt, with all due respect (Which isn’t much), stop it
You’re only digging yourself into a deeper hole.
Maybe you will find the 20 years worth of financials that hole that you have yet to produce – Union Members deserve to know where their money is. CF you are a mess stop calling these press conferences you only draw attention to your ignorance…..actually please keep it up Bob is laughing his a** off.
Can I ask why a Union, who is supposed to act in the best interests of their members, strongly urge some of its members to take up a new employment contract that would result in a significant pay rise for those that do as well as the ability to keep their existing benefits?
What type of Union would advise their paying members to reject a contract that would see them benefit?
The answer is a Union that is so deeply tied to one political Party that it is willing to advise their members not to take a better employment contract because of its politically biased opposition to such a development.
Utter tripe. If you don’t realize all opposition to the airport deal was a PLP smear campaign you’re delusional. Thats why I can’t support the PLP. They’re all talk. All the good the OBA did during their short time in office, but to hear the PLP tell the story of their tenure its as if the devil himself was in charge and was leading us to ruin. Wake up Bermuda. The PLP in its current state will destroy us. They already are looking at taxing us to hell and back this year, flying in the face of their promises to lower costs.
And have they reduced goverment spending? No! On the contrary they’ve increased spending on the already bloated civil service. I say again WAKE UP!
Bob Richards?? Who is that???
He attempted, with his supposed intelligence, to affect THOUSANDS OF GOVERNMENT WORKERS…
Well, he will not get the chance.
He was most busy doing “their” biding
Nevertheless, he is now in retirement.
I wonder how long that will last??
He forgot the intelligence and cleverness of his own people.!!
“He forgot the He forgot the intelligence and cleverness of his own people.!!
Hopefully you’re not an example of the ” the intelligence and cleverness of his own people” or else Bermuda is truly screwed.
Dogwhistle bigotry.
Why don’t you comment on the presentation at the pre-budget meeting about declining jobs, tax revenue and increasing debt?
Think you can string together a coherent thought one way or the other?
Until you do that, you’re just another idiot with internet access.
He thinks you’re all stupid.
*Can I ask why a Union, who is supposed to act in the best interests of their members, strongly urged some of its members NOT to take up a new employment contract that would result in a significant pay rise for those that do as well as the ability to keep their existing benefits?
How he keeps a straight face is amazing. If you are so concerned about money, where are the BIU audited financial statements?
Does anyone still listen to this man?
I try to listen to this man but he talks so fast it is hard to understnd what he is saying.
I think the general public are sick and tired of the childish behaviour of our elected so called leaders.
Ya we were sick and tired, thats why we voted their @$$€$ out.
And you got exactly what you voted for.
LMAO
Ya, and he has 5000 workers who for de last 60 years fought for a living wage while de powers that be were lining their pockets through Legislated Policies.
The workers I come across are vexed due to the cost of living imposed on them by the PLP. Complaining now about the soon to be increases in taxation. Working 2 jobs to survive. Complaining the PLP have fooled them. Those are the workers supposed to be better off under the PLP/BIU.
Russian troll.
OJ doesn’t work…so he wouldn’t know.
He never created a single job in his life.
And he has no integrity.
This lot love trying to rewrite history don’t they.
Bunch of lying a holes.
They think their followers are stupid morons. That’s how they’re treating them.
He can say what he likes, this was all political – a campaign between unions, the PLP and the People’s campaign (aka the combined opposition) – to bring down the oba government.
Furbert is being extremely disengenous.
It’s simpler than that. He’s lying.
Thankfully I knew what was coming so I put my wellies on before opening this article up .
Hi Chris, Did the Premier DREB tell you say this? Are you also lying about the bus schedule finally being near completion after only SEVENTEEN YEARS???? What a joke this person is.
If your so concerned about COST! Why dont you voice your CONCERN on the rate our current DEBT is climbing!
Or the increased tax burden on all bermudians
Mr. Furbert said, “On February 10, the House of Parliament is due to debate the airport redevelopment deal, and as a result of that, we’ve had many calls from the public, many calls from our members about tomorrow, concerned about what happened on December 2.
“Today’s press conference is to let members know, those members who are interested and who are totally against the new airport redevelopment deal, and those members of the public who are also totally against the airport redevelopment deal – we’re also asking our sister unions and their members, if they’re against the airport redevelopment deal.”
when is he gonna release the BIU financials ? where has our dues gone?
Always trying to stir the pot ….even with what happened 2 years ago …What happened was simply a crowd who were breaking the law and when asked to disperse decided to engage with the police …and the police defended themselves it was really as simple as that …they keep on about pepper spraying but if they were law abiding citizens there would not have been any contact …the police were standing still the crowd was advancing you tell me who initiated the problem
I wish brother Chris would have the same vigour with Berkeley,court building,Heritage Wharf etc etc….
Its about the cost,what BS.
Spot on!!
Chris Trump…
Rubbish…everything you do is political.
49 buses cancelled again today!!! Why aren’t you doing your job and FIXING THE BUSES Chris????
Because he doesn’t care about ordinary people who catch buses. When it rains and they refuse to pick up trash they think people should ‘drive their trash to Tynes Bay’. They don’t even know that some people don’t have cars.
“We had made a public statement that if this was a PLP Government bringing this airport the way that OBA Government brought it, we would have had the same problems.”
Yeah, gonna call BS on that Chris.
the plp/biu have always been in bed together,in more ways than you’d believe,anyone that cannot see this needs glasses.
This man will get a PLP cabinet post before long his loyalty is second to none they will get him on the pension gravy train
I believe him. Why wouldn’t I?
BIU financials all up to snuff Mr. Furbert? Unreal that members don’t demand to see where their money is.
This guy must be after trump’s alternative facts record…
And did we forget the multi million performance bond that the PLP government ‘forgave’ the BIU back in 2009 after the Berkeley debacle? BIU didn’t seem too bothered about drawing from the public purse then, to save itself from financial ruin.
Furbert should audition for Saturday Night Live. He is in the wrong profession here.
LOL
This guy is comedy gold. Not political?!? It was totally political!
Don’t know what if more laughable. Bro Chris stumbling over his own incapacity to make sense, the blatant two faced lie he’s perpetuating or the idiocy of Onion Juice as he tries to defend this with his usual ignorance.