Video: OBA Announce Cannonier & Pitcher

[Updated] The OBA is holding a press conference today [Sept 4] where they are expected to announce additional candidate[s] for the upcoming 2020 General Election, which will be held on October 1st, 2020. We will have additional coverage later on and in the meantime the live video is below.

Update 12.36pm: The OBA announced that Antoine Cannonier will run in Constituency 3 St David’s and Kimberlee Pitcher will run in Constituency 4 St George’s South. C3 is currently held by the PLP’s Lovitta Foggo and C4 is currently held by the PLP’s Tinee Furbert.

Update: The live broadcast has concluded and the 27-minute replay is below

Update 1.15pm: OBA Leader Craig Cannonier’s remarks:

Good day and thank you all for coming

St. David’s is close to my heart. It is where my family is from.

So today it gives me huge pleasure to announce that Antoine Cannonier has been chosen as a candidate for the OBA in Constituency 3 and Kimberlee Pitcher has been chosen as a candidate in Constituency 4.

You will see these are more new faces as we move the One Bermuda Alliance forward.

I sit before you today just before one of the most important days in our calendar – Labour Day.

The One Bermuda Alliance supports the labour movement and always has.

The great Dr EF Gordon was the father of our Pat Gordon-Pamplin.

Our party has members from all walks of life whose lives are better because of the labour movement.

My own family came from a working-class background in St David’s and Bailey’s Bay.

We have supported initiatives like a living wage through a bipartisan parliamentary committee.

When we were the Government, we supported labour by refusing to make redundancies even though we were facing huge pressure to do so to cut costs and help steer our economy in the right direction.

We negotiated 10% off prices on Wednesdays with the grocery stores.

Despite what some would have you believe, we increased Bermudian employment and introduced minimum expected standards in a number of working-class job categories to protect Bermudian workers.

We implemented the Jobs Board.

We created huge opportunities for Bermudian workers at the airport, the Loren, the St Regis, the Azure, and yes, the America’s Cup.

These projects supported – and will continue to support – Bermudians and their families, especially in the blue-collar sector.

With all that said I want to take this opportunity to say how grateful I and the OBA are for the shared sacrifice of our brothers and sisters during our time in Government.

It was their sacrifice that began the slow process of helping a sick economy begin to get better.

Thank you.

We appreciate and salute the work done by Leaders like Ottiwell Simmons who was instrumental in building a stronger Bermuda.

We believe that no matter the role a person plays in the workforce that it is important and vital to the sustaining of healthy families.

With that said, now is not the time to try and cut the pay of our frontline workers who risked their lives during Covid19; often without the proper safety equipment.

Now is the time to celebrate their sacrifice and show them support.

We will do better with social programmes, job initiatives and instilling confidence in our economy.

Remember the best social program is a job. We will do better. I wish all Bermudians a safe Labour Day.

In closing. Yesterday I addressed the situation regarding a former MP. I was highlighting the fact that after two years we are just dealing with it. No form of harassment is acceptable.

Antoine Cannonier’s remarks:

Good day Bermuda, good day One Bermuda Alliance colleagues and good day to the media,

I am Antoine Cannonier of the One Bermuda Alliance.

This is a new and exciting experience for me, and I want to thank the OBA and Mr Cannonier for selecting me as a candidate in constituency 3 – my home.

I have worked with Cable & Wireless as a Technical Operations Center technician, the Bermuda Police Service as a Constable and Network Coordinator having the responsibility of supporting 800 officers and support staff.

I received a commendation for my hard work and dedication to the service.

I left police and volunteered for the America’s Cup which was truly a blessing seeing an efficiently organized event up close.

Currently I work with TLC as a Cybersecurity consultant and conduct preparatory courses for CompTIA A+ and Sec+ as well as online background checks and Digital footprints

I have assisted as a Pastor and teacher in the Ministry for new converts and special courses for spiritual growth.

Al these experiences have helped prepare for what I believe I have been chosen to do: represent Bermuda for the OBA as a candidate for constituency 3.

I often take my children for drives to St. David’s and share all the stories about my youth – the picnics at Cashew City and Dennis’ Hideaway which sadly isn’t there anymore.

How we would swim to St. George’s as a shortcut. Fishing off the rocks and catching our lunch meat.

What a time as we roamed all over St. David’s.

I say these things because I remember when we were a friendly and loving community that looked out for each other.

Parents worked late and the neighbor would come over and make sure we ate, did our homework and were in our beds on time.

I also remember the respect we had. You couldn’t walk across Mrs. Smith’s house without saying ‘good afternoon’.

If you didn’t, you got corrected with some soreness and had to go and apologize.

It was an example of the age-old adage ‘it takes a village to raise a child’. W

What does this have to do with now?

We need to understand these are the things that were the treasure behind tourism and Bermuda’s reputation as a place to be.

Tourism wasn’t just the beaches and sights. It was mostly the people – Bermudians.

We have to get back to this model.

When was the last time you saw a lemonade stand on the corner of a yard where people would stop and buy from a child who was showing entrepreneurship?

When was the last time you saw a young man walking with a mower stopping at your door asking if you want your lawn cut?

Everything is commercialized now, and no one has time to stop to support a child because we are always racing to and fro.

We are just too busy. We can do better.

Let’s stop acting like gangs and more like family.

During lockdown, we got to act like family again. We got to stop and know our neighbours better.

Let’s not lose that. Let’s return to our better ways.

Join me and let’s make a better St. David’s and inspire a better Bermuda.

Kimberlee Pitcher’s remarks:

Good afternoon Bermuda, One Bermuda Alliance colleagues and members of the media,

Thank you Mr. Cannonier, for those kind words and for showing faith in me by selecting me as the candidate for Constituency 4.

I am humbled and also very excited.

A little about me.

I am a Nursing Assistant looking after our seniors and have a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.

I don’t need to tell you – Bermuda has her work cut out for her.

An aging population, high cost of living, financial debt and our children lost in gangs. In 2018 there was a total of 1,142 new referrals for concerns about child abuse.

Constituency # 4 is not without challenges, some challenges have been outstading for a long time.

There is reckless speeding along Wilkinson Avenue where the roads are narrow. Speeds needs to be controlled.

Residents are suffering from noise and smells from the jets at the private airport facility. Emily’s Bay lane appears to be falling into the sea.

I am honored to be a faithful member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in St. Davids and would like to recognize my church and their continued service with the food distribution to residents in my constituency.

The airport falls into my area.

It has provided much needed jobs for Bermudians and will continue to provide jobs for Bermudians once construction is complete. It is a facility we should we celebrating.

I have chosen to put my feet to the ground and my heart into the issues with a determination to help my fellow Bermudians.

Join me to help Bermuda stand to her feet.

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