OBA Leader: “I Flatly Refute Premier’s Claims’
[Updated] “I flatly refute Premier Burt’s claims that the One Bermuda Alliance is in agreement with the PLP’s agenda to implement personal income tax,” Opposition Leader Cole Simons said.
Premier’s Comments
Speaking at last night’s PLP Conference, Premier David Burt said, “I look forward to the work of the new Tax Reform Commission and I welcome the Opposition Leader’s endorsement of the need to have a fundamental change to our system of taxation.”
“When the leader of the One Bermuda Alliance joins the Leader of the Bermuda Progressive Labour Party in supporting the Fiscal Responsibility Panel’s recommendation for a tax on incomes, then clearly we are past talking about whether or not it is time.”
OBA Leader’s Comments
The Leader of the Opposition Cole Simons said, “I flatly refute Premier Burt’s claims that the One Bermuda Alliance is in agreement with the PLP’s agenda to implement personal income tax. On that issue, he stands alone. His claim of our allegiance is both misleading and divisive.
“In a statement that I released earlier this week, I stated at the current tax structure is unsustainable and is no longer the right model for Bermuda. I further stated that based on recommendations from the Fiscal Responsibility Panel, there will likely be an increase in the taxes we all currently pay i.e.: payroll tax, land tax, licensing fees, customs duties and foreign currency purchasing tax.
“To reiterate, the OBA is not in agreement with the Premier’s agenda to implement a personal income tax on Bermudians – period.”
Update | PLP Response
Update 11.24pm: PLP MP Jache Adams said, “The Bermuda Progressive Labour Party believes that our system of taxation is outdated and must be reformed. The Fiscal Responsibility Panel called for a fundamental overhaul of Bermuda’s tax system by saying Bermuda should, “broaden the tax base and move toward a more progressive tax structure on personal income that taxes earnings from assets as well as labour.”
“Two days ago Cole Simons said that he supported reforms to our existing tax system that he himself said is, ‘a structure which was crafted to serve the needs of Bermuda’s past.’ Just 2 days after agreeing with reform, Cole Simons is now running away from his statement because there are too many supporters of the OBA who do not like what the Fiscal Responsibility Panel has recommended, which will make Bermuda fairer and reduce income inequality.
“Nowhere in the Fiscal Responsibility Panel’s report does it advocate for an increase in payroll taxes, customs duties, or land taxes as the Opposition Leader has shockingly called for in his statement today. Those increases will only increase the cost of living in Bermuda. All Bermudians should ask themselves, why does the Opposition Leader want to raise taxes on everyday Bermudians, rather than providing tax relief to Bermudians who need it the most.
“The PLP supports tax relief for working and middle-class Bermudians, and we believe that the wealthy should pay just a little bit more. Mr Opposition Leader, do you agree?”
Say it isn’t so that once again, the premier and the plp government are once again caught in a big fat lie!!
the Bermuda electorate deserves all the pain coming their way because its them that elected those fiscal clowns back into office, and not only did they do that, they gave these clueless liars a bigger mandate!
I once again SMDH at the amount of ignorance there and I am so happy I left!
Cole Simons stated without qualification that he supported the Report. The Report calls for personal income tax. Based on this, Burt reasonably concludes that Cole Simons is in support of personal income tax. Cole Simons is now stating he does not support personal income. If there appears to be someone caught in a “big, fat lie”, in this scenario, it ain’t Burt!
Do you have a brain?
Why are you glad you to live in Florida?
As long as you continue to own a Business locally and have a bank account here you will feel the rod like the rest!
Once income tax is introduced all secrecy laws go out the window and we could be more in line to be completely integrated as a part of the UK .
Cole is a joke and later his party will toss him on the side when he fails to win the next election. What’s even more funny is the trolls that blog for the ubpoba know this.
Who you gonna believe? I have the koolaid and that guy got nothing! Go fight like like hell and I will be right there with you.
You may not agree idiot but your own supporters agree. Hopefully one day you will understand why every election you lose seats. May be you like the 6 seats you have.
Cole loves his six seat party.
“His claim of our allegiance is both misleading and divisive.”
Imagine that, a politician was talking and his words were “both misleading and divisive.”
once again the plp have been caught out lying.
btw
did I ever tell you about that double headed shark I caaught?
In general terms…believing that the current structure is outdated does not equate to the support of any specific course of action.
It only would mean that the structure has to be completely re-evaluated.
It is a sad day thinking about instituting personal income tax.
Many of us currently do not have enough money coming home.
Many retired people have to live off their rental income. Often the amount…combined with their pension isn’t alot. Now they will be looking at less.
The country needs more income…especially after the spending for the pandemic but surely we can look elsewhere..
Haven’t you figured it out yet?
The PLP Government are trying to drive certain people out of Bermuda whilst making it attractive to other people.
and so we continue with he said she said, rather than lets progress forward
You guys all worried about the he said she said and not the actual issue. More Taxes! No no no to more taxation! Absolutely not acceptable. Do not allow this to happen. These blanks have no idea how to balance a budget, That should not mean we the working people have to make up for their incompetence.
I don’t know about you, Bermyborn, but I am already making my retirement plans away from Bermuda. It is clear to me that I am not wanted in my own home.
If you were busy making plans to go you would go, instead you waste your time trying to help the oba lose more seats. lol
If that was aimed at me, RIP, you missed your mark. I have never been a supporter of any political party. But don’t let that stop a good bit of innuendo.
Cole Simons is the person not telling the truth because the panel did not suggest what he says is more domestic taxes.
Cut spending! Bermuda has the most efficient tax collection system in the world. The Americans would have none of this import duty/consumption taxation because it works too well. The PLP is not qualified to make drastic changes; they need to just enjoy their salaries and not destroy the goose… Income tax will lead to a larger civil service.
Time to rise up against this government. It will begin soon.
LET’S PLEASE PUT THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE HERE. THE FACT THAT THE OBA IS NOT IN FAVOUR OF TAXES SHOULD ALARM EVERYONE IN THIS COUNTRY!
Bermuda is $2,900,000,000.00 in debt. That translates to approximately $48,333.00 per every man, woman and child in this country. For a family of 4 that works out to be $193,333.00 for a family of 4. Are you angry yet?
We pay $168,000,000.00 PER YEAR or to make it more clear, $500,000.00 PER DAY to service that debt (the interest on that debt). That is an interest payment of your money of $2,800.00 per year for every man woman and child in this country, which works out to $11,200.00 per year for a family of 4. Are you angry yet? Don’t we think that money could go a LONG WAY in Bermuda?
I know about you, but I don’t have $11,200.00 in my family per year to THROW AWAY on interest payments and I am sure you don’t either. If we as a country, don’t start admitting to our failures, which includes the PLP for initially accumulating this incredible amount of debt AND the OBA’s continuance of this accumulation and failure to even discuss tackling this unacceptable level of debt and if we don’t start coming to some realisation that this debt is not going to magically disappear, our children will suffer immensely in the future.
WE MUST AS A COUNTRY UNITE AND START THE DISCUSSION ON HOW TO TACKLE THE DEBT. IN MY OPINION, A PERSONAL INCOME TAX SHOULD NOT BE OFF THE TABLE. If every worker (whether Bermudian or expat) in this country paid a 5% personal income tax and companies paid a nominal corporate tax of 1% we could probably pay off our debt within 7 years and then lower the tax rate after that to maybe 1% to improve our society.
I cannot sit back and watch people like Cole Simons try to make the Premier look foolish by trying to tackle a problem that belongs to ALL of us!!!! Get with it Cole. You are doing the people a real disservice!
What the Premier is doing is more than justifiable!!!