Focused On Living Wage, Healthcare & More
We are focused on delivering a living wage, affordable healthcare, diversifying our economy, decriminalization of small amounts of cannabis and addressing the high cost of staple items, MP Lawrence Scott said.
He was speaking in response to comments from Opposition Leader Craig Cannonier about the Government’s new Economic Development Department, with Mr Cannonier saying “Burtonomics has failed.”
Mr Scott said, “Bermudians are tired of rhetoric without rationality, complaining without solutions and sound bites over substance. As the government executes on the mandate it was given by the people, we recognize that the impact of our hard work, hasn’t reached everyone.
“We hear the cries of those who are still out of work, still struggling to make ends meet and still struggling to come first in jobs and opportunities in our own country. We recognize that more needs to be done to drive down the cost of living and to get more Bermudians into better paying jobs and more Bermudians into affordable housing
“This year, we are focused on delivering a living wage; something the Opposition opposes.
“This year we are focused on delivering affordable healthcare for Bermudians; something that the Opposition opposes.
“We are further focused on diversifying our economy, getting Bermudians prepared for the new jobs that will be created as the new hotel properties at St. Regis and Bermudian Beach Resort.
“We are focused on building on our decriminalization of small amounts of Cannabis with the development of a local cannabis industry.
“We are focused on addressing the high cost of staple items.
“Now is not the time for back and forth. Now is time to deliver on the hopes of everyone who wanted to see the gap between the two Bermudas shattered.”
Mr. Scott isn’t playing with a full deck. It’s simple mathematics, there are not enough people in Bermuda to support Bermuda.
He understands nothing of basic economics.
1, this is a lie: “This year, we are focused on delivering a living wage; something the Opposition opposes.
2. The St Regis is due to the OBA.
3. this is a lie: “This year we are focused on delivering affordable healthcare for Bermudians; something that the Opposition opposes.
as for the rest? When?
Is he supposed to be getting the bus schedule going
This reads just like the other similar and nonsense posts by the likes of MPs Famous and Hayward. “Focused” is clearly the new word learned by these backbenchers. Sesame Street is still relevant.
Focused is not stopping the falls in retail sales, real estate prices, population numbers and jobs. Bermudiana Beach depends on the sale of the units to be successful, and the high prices will make them a hard sell.
Development of a local cannabis industry? Is this the best the PLP have?
He complains and says: “Bermudians are tired of rhetoric without rationality, complaining without solutions and sound bites over substance.
Yet which party was it that created Two Bermudas and Bermnuda First and used them to divide and conquer!
What are you doing with the pay rise for training? Bet a lot of people would like a $2400 boost to pay the ever increasing cost of groceries. I cannot believe he has the nerve to put his name to this!
You have had two and a half years to do this!
We hear the cries of those who are still out of work, still struggling to make ends meet and still struggling to come first in jobs and opportunities in our own country. We recognize that more needs to be done to drive down the cost of living and to get more Bermudians into better paying jobs and more Bermudians into affordable housing
#burtonomics is dead, long live ?
Decriminalization of only small amounts of cannabis and proposing 8 year prison sentences for sick people who inhale unlicensed cannabis is the type of ignorant rhetoric without rationality that should make right thinking individuals sick to their stomach. Try catching up to the 21st century.
Hey! Scott – did you give your nice little pay rise to charity to help those struggling with the cost of living you talk about? or did you buy yourself something nice instead from Miles?
The OBA has, over and over, said the solutions are: Decrease the burden of Government on the private sector and reform immigration.
The private sector will flourish and create employment if Govt creates an environment for it succeed instead of treating it like the enemy. That’s the solution as opposed to populist rhetoric and snake oil pitches.
Seriously my fiveyear old could do really could do better than the PLP
PS what happened to that nice little increased pay packet Mr Scott? pay anyone’s grocery bills with it?
Thank you. A real necessity. This will be a terrific spark in the Bermudian’s funds. The minimum wage is not even at a great point, at this time.This will definitely enable those who live slightly below and well below the poverty line to have some relief. OBA never cared ONE darn about the real people of Bermuda. Their agenda was too fixed and rigid ,focusing on their own economic gain.
Thank you, Lawrence…connected to the people of this country!!
Loving the “AND MORE” too!!!
A lot of talk and no action. The government is failing Bermuda.
The PLP is putting forth smart and earnest efforts! (And deserve a degree of appreciation)
The desired results are likely impeded by our antiquated system and everything running on island time. In the face of globalization and the increasing pace of change these characteristics are weaknesses that together we ought to prepare for.
Nostalgia & Tradition are all well and good but at what cost exactly? Maybe creating historical zones if you will and let the rest of the island flourish with the times.
Ours is a peculiar unique pickle of a situation, and the real answers likely lay in seeking deeper change than lining OUR own pockets. How can we tackle global problems from here. Problems are opportunities.
Conceptual seeds
- Expand our territorial waters and stamp out long line fishing. Create a sustainable fisheries if it’s not to late
- Super cheap cabin tax in the winter and have ships year round
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Our borders are closed.
Retirees are leaving
Young Bermudians are not returning
Single mothers are moving to the UK
Senior Intl Execs are leaving as they have no right of abode in Bermuda long term.
We are sinking and the discussion is about a “living wage”.
I’m lost for words.
Open the damn borders or we’ll all sink together.
In the library there is a sign that says, ” Bermuda’s poverty line is between $55,000- 60,000 . That equates to $30.00 per hour .The living wage proposal is to increase wages to $18.00 per hr , still leaving people far below the poverty line . What is the problem we are trying to fix , because it only appears that the foreign workers will be laughing all the way to the bank. With free meals on the job, and low rents in company homes ( not everyone ), they still seem to make out alright . To fix the problem for Bermudians , it seems that a voucher system might work best for those on the lower end , than to attempt to make a blanket statement that all wages will rise to $18.00 .
Scott is being extremely misleading – to put it very mildly. There are many unproven, unfounded, accusations here.
Mr Scott, some words of advice – these things have a habit of coming back to bite you and do not throw stones in glass houses
You imagine and say a living wage and the you tax the bejeebers out of us!
No…I don’t buy that…
That is a bald face lie…
Small amounts require ratting on the source…not a particularly good idea.
Best just legalise it and realise vast amounts of money….besides…who are you to say we can or cannot do a thing…ooops…I forgot…”sugar tax”.
Dear Mr. Scott,
Please take a course on basic economics. You will learn that price controls do not work. In fact, they tend to have the opposite effect from the stated purpose. If you limit the amount of rent a landlord can charge, the landlord will have no real financial incentive to build more rental units, he or she can earn a better return on investment in other ways.
By artificially increasing wages by the use of a “living wage” you increase the financial burden on businesses, especially small local businesses, and people will find themselves out of work.
Earlier this week the Finance Minister admitted that the economic consequences of new and increased taxes had not or could not be a consideration.
The economic policy you are promoting caused the collapse of the USSR!
These fools have absolutely no clue. None at all.
We need more people in Bermuda. It is that simple. Stop chasing them away with idiotic socialist policies that will bankrupt this country.
Bermudians should invest on Education. That’s the only way for your population to get a high paying job. You cant fix the problem in this generation so stop all the politicking promises. Make ready the next generation
I agree that investing in education, and good quality education at that, is vitally important, but not everyone is suited to higher education. There will always be some people in society that are suited to manual labour. That is a good thing, because we will always need construction workers, waiters and waitresses, boat and car mechanics and the like.
Part of the problem is that in days gone by even manual labourers could make a good living in Bermuda. Those days are gone and many are struggling to get by.
I love the way they say they’re ‘focused on’ diversifying the economy, addressing the high cost of living, etc, yet they have no actual idea on how to do those things.