Simmons-Wade: ‘Airport Contract Is A Bad Deal’
“Notwithstanding my personal connection to the airport terminal, the reality is that this new airport contract is a bad deal for Bermudians,” Ianthia Simmons-Wade said.
Ms Simmons-Wade — the widow of the late L. Frederick Wade and the PLP MP Constituency 25 — said, “Yesterday I attended the opening of the new LF Wade airport terminal which was named in honour of my late husband.”
Ms Simmons-Wade at yesterday’s opening:
“Notwithstanding my personal connection to the airport terminal, the reality is that this new airport contract is a bad deal for Bermudians brokered by the OBA Government,” she added.
“The deal is structured so that Aecon makes money no matter what. In good times, they get the airport’s revenue and profits. In bad times, Bermudian taxpayers pick up the bill. At present, Bermudians have had to pay $21 million and counting to Aecon in minimum revenue guarantees. The sum paid in minimum revenue guarantees to date amounts to 10% of the total cost of the airport.
“Today, I am not thinking of the airport, instead, I reflect on those protestors who on December 2nd, 2016 marched to protect Bermudian interests. I recall the terror in the eyes of our seniors and also the people, united, locking arms to stand up against this bad deal.
“I remember vividly the trauma, the pain and the fear as protestors recounted their experiences having been senselessly pepper-sprayed.
“It is a travesty that the Bermudian people are left to hold the bag due to a bad airport deal brokered by the OBA Government. Yesterday was a harsh reminder of the bad Governance of the OBA, they failed the Bermudian people.”
Slideshow of the opening ceremony held yesterday:
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“Bad deal”…..WTF Seriously getting pretty tired of the same rhetoric. Regardless we had to pay for a new airport and the operating costs. The government didn’t have the available money to pay for a new airport. Even if they did it probably would have cost over $800 mill the way overruns happen in gov contracts.
The old airport is a disgrace. No wonder you are not allowed to take pictures inside cause people would be blasting the photos showing the poor condition of it. And the bigger question is what have you done to make a change for the better? This blame game is getting old and not helping anything.
Was their another option out there is my question…What was so “special” about CCC/Aecon? If the OBA would have laid out three different options to the people, my guess is that this project would not have been so muddy. And then blame the people for complaining….was the arrogance that has them where they are today. And the people holding the bag.
Kind of like how three different options were laid out to the people before the hospital contract was awarded? Or before the Grand Atlantic was built and then upgraded after standing empty for 9 years?
If we needed a new airport your supporters wouldn’t have left you with only 6 seats shut up OBAubperrr blogger . The airport was supposed to be free well guess what we tax payers keep paying like the 185 million Morgan never built hotel thanks OBA again.
Oh really. No problem you don’t have to use the new airport, just use the old one. It might be free to use soon. Bring ya rainsuit when she rains lol
“If we needed a new airport…”
We did!…so the rest of your spew is moot.
This lady is clueless. She based it on no facts, she didn’t even read the independent assessment of the airport deal by PWC.
If we had built an airport, it would have cost 500 million to the taxpayer already, all bad times would be picked up 100% by us.
She is out of her depth and severely misinformed. Pleas explain to us I S Wade, exactly what a new airport would have cost, how we would have paid for it, the total interest costs to date and the losses the taxpayer would be picking up.
Well what would you expect from a person shrouded in controversy. A person who has to tow the party line or find themself left on the curb. There was a blue ribbon panel who told us that this was the best deal considering our financial situation. That situation was very bad in case you forgot and guess who created that situation. I strongly believe that public buildings should not be named after politicians from either side of the divide.
Who is she to be talking this way? Just because the airport has her husbands name? They should rename the airport now for her disrespect!! Name it Burt international airport sounds much better.
Rename the airport and take it back to Bermuda Airport. It was political to name it the L F wade International Airport and now his wife is against it then take his name off. Rename it the Bob Richards International Airport and in 5 years time there will be demonstrations to rename it back.
This is what happens when politics takes over.
Why use any politician’s name? What’s wrong with Bermuda International Airport?
Because politicians like to pat themselves and others in their circle on the back a lot?
To be fair, politicians get things named after themselves a fair bit. The US has airports named after Kennedy and Reagan. Caribbean countries have airports named after politicians (although it’s usually Prime Ministers as opposed to party leaders). I don’t think it’s something to wail and rend one’s garments over though.
Political, perhaps. But there’s no turning back. Can’t be going on renaming facilities like this less than 20 years after it was named in the first place.
And definitely no political tit-for-tat in renaming it for *another* politician.
I Googled “Bermuda Airport Deal” and then I Googled “Bermuda Hospital Deal”. I’m not saying the airport deal is great but it sure helps having lots of information on it that’s easily available. Why does by the former opposition party make it seem like they had no knowledge what the deal entailed? Compared to the hospital deal, how would anybody know if it is good? The two articles I found state we still don’t know even though the current permeir stated the information would be shared. Oh well, I just hope Bermuda will prospire in the future.
Those Dec 2 protesters were also breaking the law by not letting the sitting Govt of the day to their jobs. If you have to criticise someone, criticise your party, the PLP
Hypocrites.
So, basically she has been told off for her comments about it being something bermudians should be proud of and told to toe the party line
More pathetic, fact less comments while completely ignoring the fact that the Premier is refusing the release the un-redacted hospital deal. I hope they change the name airport after these pathetic, sycophantic comments. So sick of this uninformed partisan crap from the very people who put the island $3Billiion in debt.
Hypocrite. If you felt that strongly stay the heck home. Bet when you get the Government green stamp for unnecessary travel on the tax payers dime you’ll be living it up in the VIP lounge.
then why did you even attend . Who told you to shut off the car*. FFS. With your govtts record of over sending for F of F it would have ballooned to 18 times as much. Don’t like it don’t use it
Ms Wade Simmons wouldn’t know a good deal from a pile of poo. The “proteators” who BLOCKED parliament were there as political pawns by the PLP. Shame on them all.
Doesn’t seem to be a balance between the words said and the actions taken. If you thought it was a bad deal or your thoughts were for the protestors surely your stance should have been a refusal to participate in the opening ceremony.
this statement is disgraceful. There she was yesterday saying the airport was something all of Bermuda should be proud of and now this.
She is a hypocrite. Loves the attention and being treated like she’s important, but wants whine about it at the same time.
Yep! the hypocrisy of the plp is astounding and obviously has no limits it appears! This statement from Ms. Simmons Wade only confirms what I have said from the very beginning.
Change the name of the airport to Bob Richards Int! Surely if they feel the way they say they do, why would you want your name attached to it?
This is all nothing more than the Bermudian entitlement syndrome speaking, we built an airport that was really needed, and now we think we shouldn’t have to pay for it just like every other country on the entire planet has too!
30 vs 6 STFU lolol. The oba is finished.
Lol is clearly detached from reality and will undoubtedly be first in line at the Koolaid station.
who got her to say this, let me guess the ones that didn’t attend
and your qualifications in economics are what
Well Ms. wade, you should have stayed home, and you also need to DEMAND that your late husband’s name be taken off the airport. You are hypocrite. That said, it looked like you had a good time.
This same lady that could not run Matilda Smith Rest Home smoothly, she has this comment. She should have them remove her late husbands name from the airport if she feels this way. Have no parts of it. And as pointed out she speaks good during the opening , then bad the next day.. ???
It certainly is true that we have paid ten percent of the total cost of building the airport in revenue guarantees before the airport even opened and who knows what the next couple of years will be like.
Yup that’s exactly what a contract is. Look at it like a mortgage you have to pay your monthly commitments even if you aren’t working/making money to pay for it. The airport was closed due to the pandemic and not making money to cover costs and payments. Even if the government took out a loan to build it they still would have to make monthly payments at whatever payment and interest rate they negotiated. But anyway the deal is done and move forward. Tired of the complaining and looking in the past. Like crying over spilt milk
Spilt milk? We are hemorrhaging milk. We have to also pay the electricity bill, do you realize how many tons of AC are needed to cool those 40ft ceilings in that massive atrium/greenhouse? Government could install a solar system on that expansive, empty, flat roof that should pay itself off in 10 years, but that should have been included in the deal.
I notice that all these name callers have no concern about the fact that we have paid such high fees already. Yes I agree that we needed a new airport but obviously no one read the fine print and the opposition supporters are ok with this. How much do you think that we will end up paying in the next 30 years? Maybe it doesn’t matter because it was their political party that made the bad decision. I don’t mind that there is a new airport, we needed a new one, but the truth is it is a bad deal, no matter who made it, especially as we will pay exorbitant fees every time there is a closure for whatever reason.
No one wanted anyone to get pepper sprayed. That was very wrong. But those protestors were breaking the law and so were those who organised that march. The law clearly states that if you obstruct a member of the Legislature you are breaking the law. And that is not democracy. I’m not saying that was their punishment at all but they were breaking the law.
Furthermore, for all the PLP noise made about how bad this airport deal is, I have YET to see the PLP offer an alternative to the deal that was made.
So Ms. Wade, what deal do you think Bermuda should have made for the airport? We’ll all be waiting.
Their plan cost 500million dollars at least.
Wow, what an ingrate! Surely you will now be requesting your late husband’s name be REMOVED from the airport immediately. Anything less and you prove just how much of a hypocrite you truly are. Unbelievable.
How disgraceful of her. Such a hypocrite. The airport is named in your late husbands name and you have the audacity to complain. Please change the name of the airport.
How much did Bro Burgess let his union off the bond they had on Berkeley? $20Million?
PLP have no right to complain about anything. They are killing this country.
Both Deals are probably bad n Questionable. But That’s what politician’s dooo. Spend money on ya children’s Credit Card ! Green team or Red team . Take the personalities Out.. n what do you get ? Cut yuh nose off to spite yuh face … Too Bad we can’t just have National Pride and it’s always us against them us… 2% versus the 98% then Race.,… We Obviously don’t know why they did what they did . But our Grand children We’ll be still paying when we’re dead .,..
We used to brag about being the 3rd Richest GDP to bad we weren’t the 3rd Smartest ……..
What a numpty. Disgrace how these trump/plp people react to facts and reality. She probably doesnt think that vaccines are good either. Time for you to stop spouting nonsense lady.
This has a certain humour to it. Beggars can’t be chooser’s. And who turned Bermudians into beggars and continues to do so?
The old airport better reflects the economic legacy of the PLP as this economic guru suggests.
Bermuda is another world.
So is the hospital, so was port royal, so was berkely, so was dockyard and the court house. Care to report on those.
Must of got pressure from her fellow PLP colleagues!
Seems like Trumpism is alive and well in Bermy! If you did not support it why turn open for the official opening.
Tacky and lacking class from Ms Simmons Wade.
You were invited because of your family legacy and you look to score cheap points.
A disgrace Burt wasn’t there. Surprising since he usually can’t wait to get on a plane.
The massive debt means Government are like poker players who wants to play at the top table under their house rules ….but haven’t got any money to play with because they have in the past… and will continue…….. to spend it on themselves.
They then bemoan ” a bad deal for Bermuda”. The pot and kettle.
Why do people believe this garbage? Its hilarious.
The old crumbling “3rd world” airport better reflects reality under the PLP.
And to have one of the freeloading hierarchy give opinion on the matter is truly priceless
Well her speech at the opening was nice, wonder what colleague of hers got to her after her speech for her to do an about face. If she has such vivid memories of the march and the fear people had when locked in arms then maybe she should have declined the invite to the opening. The POLITRICK monster rearing its head again
NOT one airline calls Bermuda International Airport anything else.
as for the Wades
(she is an unknown person outside of Bermuda)
Rename the airport!
Bermuda International Airport sounds good and non political.
The PLP had better shut down this Island and right now. They have lost control of covid ,what are they waiting for. Our hospital cannot handle an influx of covid patients !!! The AIRPORT is the least of our worries right now!!
“The PLP had better shut down this Island and right now. They have lost control of covid …”
Politicians do not (and cannot) control a virus. If you look at the ages of most of the 100 odd people who have recently contracted COVID-19, you will see that they are in their 20s and 30s. Roughly the ages of my children.
The problem is not the PLP Government (at least, not on this issue). The problem is people who will not take care of their own safety.
No one can legislate for or enforce intelligence or common sense.
Let me word it another way, the virus is out of control in the community . So even with the new restrictions imop its not enough to stop the increase in new cases. The PLP are doing a good job but as you say Government cannot control everything and everyone.
The Public at large must be more responsible with what they are doing.
We really cannot afford to shut down again so we must do better as an Island.
I pray that we do…
According to the people in the SkyPort videos on YouTube, it’s a great airport. It seems to be really popular. #thepeoplemarch
Bad deal? Compared to the Hospital $35,000,000 a year adjusted for inflation for 30 years…now that’s a bad deal…
Her comments are shameful, inaccurate, hypocritical and a few other adjectives I can think of!
They had1 toilet when I arrived yesterday OMG! 5 of us lined up it was really sad for the amount of money invested. 1 flight with probably less than 40 people. Now imagine when British arrives with their 250 people. I ask the health staff at the airport if there was another her reply was a big NO!
400 million dollar airport and 1 toilet for men LOL when you arrive lololol. The old airport had 3.
You can always buy one of the $25 burgers at the food concession instead.
Try a $30 dollar burger the obaubp is like a wart.
Expensive hospital only has 90 beds, what happen there plp..
Guess the extra toilets make up for it.
A relative of mine from Delaware who visits often remarked that he will miss that first blast of warm air that hits when you come off the plane. I told him not to get too bothered about it as I’m pretty sure those jetways will not be working inside of a year or at most two. My point being that it’s all a cheap slapped together cookie cutter project done on the cheap for a high price. This airport is a poorly conceived vanity project, poorly thought out with no unique signature whatsoever. Somebody undoubtedly got wined and dined for this to have gotten through.
You sound like an expert in airport design and construction. Why didn’t you submit a proposal?
Oh right, you know the square root of f*** all about airports.