PLP Release 2020 General Election Platform
The Progressive Labour Party [PLP] officially released their election platform entitled “Rebuilding Bermuda with Bermudians at Heart” at an event last night and have now released a PDF copy of the platform.
It states, “The Progressive Labour Party’s priority is now economic growth. Our goal is to focus on the investment and policies needed to spur economic growth essential in getting Bermudians back to work, restoring hope, sparking entrepreneurship and innovation, and building a more prosperous Bermuda that provides opportunity to all Bermudians while creating wealth for future generations.
“Our key recovery commitments are as follows:
- “Create the Bermuda National Digital Bank with ownership shares available to all Bermudians to invest and create wealth for future generations. The bank will allow for long-stalled industries like gaming to commence, creating jobs and economic growth, while connecting Bermuda’s residents and entrepreneurs to the global world of digital payments. This bank will ensure that more Bermudians can benefit from lower mortgage rates to reduce pressure on middle class families, while lower rates will increase the value of existing homes.
- “Reform banking laws to increase banking competition in Bermuda by introducing new classes of banks to Bermuda while reducing required startup capital for new banks. This will allow more banks to enter the local market, providing jobs in Bermuda. Banking reform will include harmonising the Bermuda base rate charged by local banks while working with local banks to provide security for mortgage loans to reduce interest rates charged on mortgages.
- “Transform the City of Hamilton into a livable city by fostering the development of apartment buildings in Hamilton that will enable young Bermudians to join the property ladder. First-time home owners will receive support from the Government to allow them to purchase these apartments with a 5% down payment.
- “Start a green energy revolution led by the Government that will increase the use of renewable energy in homes and businesses throughout the Island to reduce electricity bills and do our part in the battle against climate change. We will also introduce joint electricity ownership schemes to allow homeowners to receive grant money for panels and develop profit-sharing co-ops with energy investors.
- “Increase investment in the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation [BEDC] with the goal of starting dozens of new Bermudian-owned businesses every year. This will mean assisting entrepreneurs with start-up grants, financing assistance and business coaching, while supporting these new businesses with the power of public procurement. We will introduce technology to allow entrepreneurs to quickly incorporate businesses online and eliminate even more red tape and regulations than we have since first elected.
“At the end of the day, this election is about leadership and who we want to see Bermuda through this economic recovery while protecting us from a possible global second wave of the Coronavirus.
“The PLP is not done with our work yet. We are working to keep our promises. And, in addition to the above, we will phase out middle schools and introduce signature schools, implement a living wage, provide affordable accessible healthcare to all, and adjust our immigration policies to encourage the expansion of our economy.
“Ours is a progressive vision for Bermuda and we have a heart for the people. We humbly ask for your vote on October 1st to keep the strong leadership that works for all Bermudians. Thank you.”
The full PLP platform follows below [PDF here]:
For comprehensive coverage of the 2020 Bermuda General Election and past elections, you can find more information and statistics on the links below.
- All: Our coverage of the 2020 General Election here
- Candidates: List of the confirmed candidates here
- Constituencies: Data/past results of all 36 constituencies
- Timeline: Visual look at the 2020 election timeline here
- Official: The Government’s election website here
- Comprehensive: Our new BermudaElection.com website here
I wouldn’t put my money in any digital bank even if it was the last and only one on earth. Why is he pushing it so much?
Just follow the money! And like a child he is throwing his rattle out of the pram because reputable banks won’t support his vanity projects like gaming which will see money leave Bermudas shores and go to investors overseas (hotel owners)
This is a catastrophic time for Bermuda with a clueless leader at the helm! Sail on Bermuda Titanic!
The government is broke.
The tax payers are broke and leaving.
Where is all the money coming from?
Mission impossible.
I am still waiting on the P.L.P to announce how it intends to deal with the THIEVES we have amongst us, in the form of Employers who steal from it’s Employee’s, This is a an age old problem, where we see no companies being prosecuted before the courts.
We have hundreds, if not Thousands of files still in the Governments possession, of people who have become disadvantaged because of out right thieves of employers who have directly stolen not only from the employee, but also from the public purse, and we continually hear from time to time the outcry, and there are many employees who go through the right channels to have their former employers prosecuted by the Government, but to no avail.
This P.L.P Government has failed the working class who have been hit in this area, and they continually turn a blind eye, and need to be held accountable, starting with the Premier Mr. David Burt as the former Finance Minister and Premier and equally I say that the Present Minster of Finance should not allow this to continue under his remit.
I am sick and tired of their excuses, and it is time that they deal with this, because the problem will not go away, we want to see old cases revived and persons who are guilty of this crime, be brought to full prosecution before the Courts in 2021, P.L.P can not talk about being there for the workers as the Premier stated on Labor day, and blatantly ignore the situation of all these retched thieves among us known as employers.
The Government is being stolen from along with the employees and that is the public purse, so what more do the P.L.P need to address such issues.
I agree with you 100% so why is nothing done? A COI can be set up to look at alleged wrongdoings decades ago yet people are having their savings stolen today. No one cares, but it’s OK to pay a sitting MP thousands of dollars to uncover uncashed cheques in a desk drawer. Put him in charge of recovering the tens of millions of dollars stolen from employees. Is it because there are skeletons among the elite sectors that would cause embarrassment?
Dear Mr. Santucci,
You will hear about that right after you hear that the Government is taking aggressive action to recover the more than $10 million owed in unpaid taxes.
The problem is not the money, it is how well the person owing the money is connected.
I am sure this platform is well intentioned but what will happen to the 700 people that will be out of a job for 18 months as the So Hampton Princess goes under renovation.
Kinda hard to spin this one.
Ouch Bermuda
Dont see anywhere in there about that 800k they gave to that multi millionaire producer. Another 800k lost by THIS govt.
Lost? Somehow I think that is the wrong word but politically correct at least and we must measure our words now.
….”to be replaced by a PROGRESSIVE INCOME TAX”
DON’T GO THERE BURT, ITS GAME OVER.
This won’t happen as it will hit a large segment of their voter base. Imagine having rental income taxed. There will be demonstrations on the streets. Don’t expect IB execs to hang around especially when the realty is they can work from anywhere. Places like Cayman will be laughing all the way to the bank.
“This won’t happen as it will hit a large segment of their voter base.”
Do you not remember how the land tax hike they implemented was carefully crafted to have a minimal impact on ‘certain neighborhoods’?
They will make sure that any new or otherwise (massive) tax increase will be equally as carefully crafted. Remember , it’s all about payback and staying in ‘powa’.
Have you forgotten Burt’s ‘make ‘em squeal’ remark ?
Game over!!! Time for a change. PLP you have done so well with Covid, but otherwise you have only made it far worse for us. It has to stop. Bermuda is headed in a downward spiral and fast! And then you give out 800k to some loser??? WTF??? Please Bda, time to vote for helping our people, not voting just because if loyalty. Wouldn’t you want your kids to step up and make a change if you saw them being slowly strangled?????
Since the PLP haven’t really done a whole lot since being elected in 2017, shouldn’t this 2020 platform at least be identical to the 2017 platform?
Was listening to the radio the other day and a woman with an accent explained that the the plp did not need to produce a platform because their 5 years wasn’t up. According to her the last platform was still relevant and they had another two years to fulfill it? Someone else said we should have a referendum about the airport…I turned the radio off and went for a walk.
Shhh…we need to appear progressive and successful!
Shhh…we need to appear progressive and successful; like we have actually accomplished something…anything…