Video: OBA’s Craig Cannonier On Resignations

July 8, 2020

“The right thing has been done and the Premier needs to do what he has to do as far as his Cabinet is concerned,” OBA Leader Craig Cannonier said following the resignation of two Cabinet Ministers.

Wayne Caines and Zane DeSilva both resigned from the Cabinet after videos circulated showing them at a party not adhering to the Covid-19 regulations, and both the former Ministers have apologized for not wearing their masks during part of the event.

“We have a situation where Ministers were not doing as they preach,” Mr Cannonier said. “If anyone else had broken rules, there were heavy penalties for breaking these rules, there were fines if you were caught off the curfew.”

“Accountability is accountability, and that’s why I called for the resignations,” the OBA Leader said, referencing his statement made earlier this week prior to the resignations.

“For those who are going to try and say, well what about this and what about that in the past, the past has nothing to do with right now. We have the facts in front of us, we have the videos in front of us, and we have a license that was applied for in the name, using the charity Meals on Wheels,” he said.

Mr Cannonier also spoke about local economy, saying that “we need to come together and solve the issues of this Island economically.

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Comments (43)

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  1. Blackmagic says:

    Of course the economy was going down when PLP got in. In wake of the OBA’s mess yes of course. Spent all the money on America’s Cup, 14 million dollars went missing for years, Morgans Point was shambles millions of dollars gone to waste. Now this government has to foot that clean up, lets not talk about the horrible Airport deal, no money coming from that for the next 30 years. Everyone isn’t blind to the rehortic your trying to put in peoples heads. We do not forget boss.

    • Jack Archer says:

      In the wake of the OBAs mess. What world do you live in?

      • What says:

        Wow has that person been listening to? OBA were turning the economy in the right direction following terrible mismanagement of the country by the borrow spend borrow spend Borrow spend of a friends and family benefitting PLP who overheated the economy, caused inflation (things cost more) . Sad thing is the money that went to friends and family of the PLP could really have been used by the people of Bermuda today.

        PLP ran a very successful Trump playbook campaign of divisive, emotion stirring, misinformation and propaganda to get power back. You can spot the party faithful and people who benefit financially from PLP friends and family posts. It makes me sick.

        The AC was an incredible success financially for our economy. PLP ruined any chance of leveraging this further, because votes were more important than the well being of Bermudians.

      • Onion Juice says:

        The world of Bob racked up $800 Million in his short tenure, not to mention Morgans Point (and when asked if he would do it all over again, he said yes) which is alarming, and de disgraced Airport deal which we will be payong out of our ying yang for and we are not even a major Hub.
        Ya, that world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      • Onion Juice says:

        Tea kettle calling frying pan black.
        What a joke.

      • saud says:

        “What world do you live in?”

        A racist, homophobic and xenophobic world.

    • Dejavu says:

      Why are you plp supporters so delusional? Americans cup was a success, the golf tournament was not. The airport needed to be fixed but the plp said no it’s ok how it is lol. Then when it was finished they took the credit lol. Morgan’s point was greedy contractors that spent money without having anything to show investors not the fault of either government. Who is the biggest supporter of the plp the union lol. So stop making excuses for your friends and come with facts

      • Snobby says:

        How? The government workers were lied to and their money misused. The island was left in further debt due to wasted resources.

    • sandgrownan says:

      Of course, you know that none of that is true. Demonstrably untrue.

      Over the last 20 years, the only green shoots of recovery happened under the OBA. You may not like that, you may scream and moan about it, but the facts don’t care what you think. They are facts.

      If you want, we can look at the PLP’s record of fiscal imprudence and mismanagement. Do you want that? Berkeley? TCD? Port Royal? Cruise Ship Terminal? Want me to continue?

      • lol says:

        The only person screaming is you. You have 30 years more screaming because the UBP ….oba is not winning. Now sit down in that chair like the troll you are and blogggggg.

      • James says:

        Facts……Craig will save you dumb A#%. :)

        • Onion Juice says:

          Tea kettle calling frying pan black.
          What a joke.

          • saud says:

            Oj, the joke is you.

            the joke is that you’ve attempted to post a common saying, twice…and failed miserably both times.

            You’re a perfect example of the Dunning-Kruger effect.

      • Double S says:

        $400mn annual deficits in 2012 which was the same year the PLP oversaw the loss of 2,000 jobs (yes, in one year!). And he says he doesn’t forget. Hahahaha.

      • Lies of the oba says:

        What green shoots are you referring to when the debt the OBA created outnumbers any growth. Your not going to sit here and lie and pretend for the last three years our economic growth has been all OBA. You all keep listing those projects that went over under the PLP, but FAIL to mention that one project Morgan’s Point has cost us twice as much more than those FOUR PLP projects you mentioned combined. So keep lying and projecting the OBA failures onto the PLP and let’s see how you make out next election like you did last time around.

        • Sandgrownan says:

          Court building? Global hue? Playboy Mansion? Selling property ally higher than market value to the government? Explosion in debt? Explosion in civil service volume? Reduction in population? Morgan’s point ( go read USS Bermuda about how the PLP killed a deal); Club Med failure; decline decline decline debt debt debt

          And all you to respond with is Jetgate Craig and wharrr OBA blah blah.

          20 years of failure.

        • Double S says:

          The economic reports notes that the growth in teh last 3 years primarily emanates from capital formation which is directly linked to the airport and hotel developments.

          The same developments that you and your team fought against at every turn. Ironically without those projects our GDP would have contracted even further.

          Now that those have began t wind down the PLP economic growth registered in Q319 and Q419 (see recent GDP stats issued by Govt) is starting to show the economic incompetence of your beloved PLP.

          You all can rant and rave all you want, but the facts and figures most definitely have an anti-PLP bias.

        • Making Sense says:

          Yes, the debt that the OBA inherited was far more than anyone expected. Bob and the OBA borrowed at a low interest rate so as to be ahead of the interest rates that were anticipated to increase. The OBA needed to to be able cope with the fallout of the debt that they found. It also had to find ways to meet the payroll, and other obligations incurred under the PLP without redundancies, etc. and be able to address its own program of recovery.
          Then you have Morgan point debacle which started under the PLP and still to be continued. There is no clear roadmap produced by the PLP to finalize this project or to determine who was responsible for or reason why the project was halted. Morgan’s Point is the follow-up to the Southlands hotel plan approved by the PLP. Where do we go from here? Can the PLP finally finish this mess which they started?
          Then, what about the massive financial mess re the unaccounted for $500m+ that the Commission of Inquiry tried to find? I guess all the accusations and or suspicions are baseless and unwarranted. Or, as D. Burgess said , the CoI was a kangaroo court.
          Needless to say, the prerequisite for good governance is just being… Such principles as transparency, integrity, honesty, high morals, etc do not matter and are totally irrelevant.

      • Jack Archer says:

        the PLP has been in power for 18 of the last 22 years, what we see in the economy is all of thier doing.

      • Blackmagic says:

        You can go on all you want. But that’s exactly why OBA’s is a one term government. Everyone could see the BS…..

        • Toodle-oo says:

          Is that reason number 8794 or a ‘new one’ @ 8795 ?
          Has anyone included bad weather under their time in yet ? lol

        • Sandgrownan says:

          No. You were sold a lie by the Pastor and the Unions

    • Double S says:

      It is quite obvious you do forget, boss. I would gladly pull out the stats to rebut your argument in its entirety. But based on your comment above I imagine facts aren’t really your thing. G

    • Okurrr! says:

      Thank you! OBA tried to bankrupt the government so that PLP wouldn’t want it.

    • Making Sense says:

      The deceit, hypocrisy, fake news, ignorance, etc is sad at best! What airport deal are you referring to. Our new airport contract was put before nine(9) bodies all of which had extensive financial experience, far more than any body within the PLP or PC. Each of these entities gave the contract its seal of approval. The PLP has to date not published the report from the consultants or appraisers it engaged to vet the contract. It would be nice to have that report. I guess that that would be too transparent or honest. We might remove the OBA, Aecon, and the Canadian Gov’nt which one might say have conflicts of interest or are too closely tied to the project. Further, the OBA is the only government that I can recall which has given any opposition details of any contract it has undertaken prior to it going before the House. What is your financial expertise in contracts and finance?

    • Making Sense says:

      There is none so blind that does not wish to see. My response to these points you make are addressed by me in response to another blogger. If one studies and does more than listen and absorb the distorted versions of the issue, one will never be at a loss and be ignorant of the facts and truth behind every issue.
      One would do better by scrutising the governance of the PLP first before throwing stones at the OBA. You say nothing about the missing millions of money by the PLP.You say nothing of all the over-runs. You say nothing about how the PLP ran so many IB’s out of the country. You say nothing about the fact that the PLP shot down the OBA’s immigration proposals but to date has no other plan that can replace it. The PLP shot down the benefit of the AC and not until Zane went to Monaco did the OBA get the respect and acknowledgement that the AC had brought tremendous benefit to our sinking ship. Wake up! The financial problems we are experiencing are all the result of mis-Management by the PLP. It did not start with the UBP. And, while the OBA was there our economy was turning around. The deficit spending was being brought under control. Accountability was brought under control and there was more transparency.

  2. RIP says:

    Of all the people to talk about Accountability!! JETGATE

    The oba is beyond desperate and after he helps them lose the next election he will be booted out as leader a 2nd time.

    • sandgrownan says:

      Be honest. Let’s talk about the first JetGate. You know, the one involving DREB and real, public money.

      On Brown’s watch, the government signed Globalhue to handle the account from 2006-2011. Brown and Globalhue CEO Don Coleman are longtime friends. Coleman has given Brown a ride on his private jet. The contract was renewed without a competitive bid in 2009. During that period, the number of tourists arriving in Bermuda declined 35%.

      Globalhue had a counterintuitive media strategy, which involved spending $200,000 for ads on a gospel music TV channel that few watch, but only $45,000 in bridal magazines (where the honeymoon market is).

    • Saywhaat says:

      Facts!

    • Jack Archer says:

      it cost the taxpayer nothing, it did not involve hypocrisy such as zanes and caines’. I suppose you are one of the people who have signed the petition to bring them back to cabinet – sheer hypocrisy

    • Making Sense says:

      And I suppose that there is someone in the PLP ranks can measure up to him. You talk of the Jet ride as if it was a governmental matter. Again, the PLP wants to get into everybody’s business. And, if the PLP can’t it will vilify those involved and blow it up as a big political issue. The jet ride, I suppose, in your mind was a Governmental matter rather than an OBA internal one. Hence, since it was not, it was none of the PLP’s business. Suspicions of malfeasance, rum ours, and fake news are the order of the day and par for the course for the PLP and its followers.
      Where the PLP is concerned, malfeasance are the norm. Even so to vote them into power means that Bermudians, are contented with not good governance and policies; attitudes fueled by racial barbs and vitriol.

  3. PANGAEA says:

    How much longer are we to listen and read about political parties doing battle with one another over spilt milk.
    THIS HAS GOT TO STOP !
    WE ARE ONE BERMUDA !

    You do not need me to remind you that polititions were given our precious vote to manage Bermuda as THE GOVERNMENT not by political division as we have been experiancing for far too long, we require unity of Bermuda’s great minds.

    Mistakes cost money.
    Poor judgement cost money.
    Back biting destroys charector.
    Hate with in a nation will eventually destroy it.
    Greed takes from the poor.
    Degrading people get us nothing.
    Crime destroys our reputation.

    This is a race for survival over other countries who will look to destroy what we all have worked for.

    We need a common goal . What is it going to be ?

    ” Make lemmon juice out of lemmons.”
    “You can’t taste defeat unless you swallow it.”

    How about a Face Mask fashion competition !
    How about a new 6 FEET dance !
    Where is the music ?
    Where are the flags. ?
    Where are the children ?

    We have an airport due to open soon .
    Our new pride and joy requires a grand opening like no body has ever seen before .

    How about a Blue Angels air show .

    Who is going to pick up the challenge and plan this Event.

    Not a P.L.P or U.B.P. or an OBA airport it is a BERMUDA AIRPORT , our life blood.

    • Onion Juice says:

      Actually, its a Canadian Airport in Bermuda.
      It will be a Bermuda Airport after 30-35 years, and thats pending.
      Thanks Bob
      25-11

      • sandgrownan says:

        Such unashamed stupidity. It’s quite breathtaking actually.

      • saud says:

        Which country owns the hospital?

        OJ, if you didn’t lie so much, we wouldn’t think you were so stupid.

  4. Herbalist says:

    Everyone shows up at the Kentucky Derby on race horse and the OBA shows up riding a donkey the next election name UBP!

  5. Gauteng says:

    No better man than Craig to explain resignations…

  6. rotten onion says:

    Life is about choices and consequences.

  7. Dready says:

    Now you do the OBA a favor and resign!

  8. Davie Kerr says:

    Please correct me if I’m wrong, but I (and many other people) have been under the distinct impression that the PLP inherited a $50 million surplus when they came to power in ’98, and by the time they were outed again in 2012 they had managed to turn that into a $1.5 BILLION deficit, the interest on which alone was costing us about $250,000 per DAY. Say what you like about the old UBP, but at least they managed to keep our finances in the black.
    And I’m now waiting for someone to claim that my last sentence is racist!

  9. Ringmaster says:

    The biggest mistake the OBA did when taking office in 2012 and finding there was no money and the annual deficit was $400m was not reducing the civil service payroll by 50%. Instead Bob Richards borrowed around $800m to keep the payroll.
    There would have been uproar, but at least Bermuda would have a half chance of surviving this storm. Barbados took the tough approach at the same time and they are in a much better financial position today
    Since 2017 the PLP have spun they have a balanced budget, but only because they have not paid $50m annually into the sinking fund. Now they are not paying $60m into the Government pension scheme, a ploy that Paula Cox also took to try and reduce borrowing. The credit cards are maxed and yet the expenses are still continuing. The result will not be pretty.