PLP & OBA On Election Ads, Information, More

The OBA has condemned what they said was “the use of taxpayers’ money on political adverts,” while the PLP said they “believe it’s important for the Government to communicate it’s accomplishments to the people.”

These are the latest statements from the political parties, who are both in ‘election mode’ since the General Election was called a week ago.

OBA Statement:

The OBA said, “The use of taxpayers’ money on political adverts has today been condemned by the OBA Acting Chair Trevor Moniz as a betrayal of the people.”

Mr Moniz said, “The use of Government money for political ads before and, even more shockingly, after the writ is dropped – is sleazy and shameful.

“This behaviour shows a lack of integrity and is a misuse of Government funds.

“Para 1[ix] of Section A of the Ministerial Code of Conduct states, ‘Ministers must not use Ministerial resources for party political purposes. They must uphold the political impartiality of the Civil Service and should refrain from asking Civil Servants to act in any way which would bring them into conflict with the Civil Service Conditions of Employment and Code of Conduct’.

“It’s astonishing that the Premier tells us he is calling a general election to save money then goes on to spend the people’s money on these blatantly political adverts.

“Unfortunately, this is the kind of hypocrisy we have come to expect from the Premier,” Mr Moniz concluded.

While not implicitly stated, the OBA appear to be referring to a series of banners posted on the Government’s Facebook page which highlight ‘three years of successes’, as seen below.

PLP’s Response:

A spokesperson said, “The PLP would like to begin by extending our congratulations to OBA interim chair Trevor Moniz who appears to have come out of retirement to replace Simone Barton, who was universally acclaimed chair in October 2018. We wish Mr. Moniz well in his new role and wish Ms. Barton all the best in her future endeavours.

“The PLP believes it’s important for the Government to communicate it’s accomplishments to the people. We often hear from the Opposition that the Government is “not doing anything” and it is the responsibility of the Government to communicate how it is serving the people. That’s what leadership is all about.

“Recently, the Government has released helpful information like:

• Ten tips for going to restaurants and going to the gym during COVID

• Reminding the public about interest free home loans that are available for seniors

• Highlighted winners of Bermuda Arts Council grants

• Reminding all entrepreneurs about the tax holiday for all startup businesses

“In these times of COVID and the economic recovery, it is more important than ever before that people are aware of what the Government is doing and what resources are available to them.

“Even though we’re in election season, we are still focused like a laser beam on the economic recovery and making sure Bermudians know that resources are available to help.”

Update: A Government spokesperson said, “The mission of the Department of Communications is ‘to be the trusted source of communications for Bermuda.’ One of the department’s key objectives is to develop and implement strategic communications campaigns.

“Therefore, providing details and information of Government programmes, policies and services is at the core of the work they do; this includes highlighting government and employee successes. The project to identify the government successes and create the graphics began in June 2020.

“The project was sent to be approved in mid-July and finalized in August. The delay in posting was due to other priorities being addressed by the department, including developing guidance and providing regular updates on the coronavirus pandemic.”

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