Petition For Premier “To Resign Immediately”
[Updated] An online petition has been launched calling on Premier David Burt “to resign immediately,” with the petition attaining over 650 signatures as of this writing.
The petition — which follows after a video showing people gathering at the opening of the St Regis hotel went viral – notes the Covid regulations and asserts that, “David Burt the Premier of Bermuda was in direct breach of these rules at the St Regis Hotel, St Georges, Bermuda on the date of 24 May 2021. Rules broken: No mask while standing and no physical distancing with other attendees.
“We are calling on David Burt to step down as he has demonstrated that he can not follow his own rules as clearly outlined by him and his government. We feel that this breach makes his position as premier of Bermuda untenable and we are calling for his resignation immediately.”
Screenshot from the petition website, the image they used is a screencap from the viral video
We asked for a response to the petition, and a Government spokesperson told Bernews, ““In a democracy every individual or group of persons have the right to express themselves and their views as they see fit. Bermuda’s affairs have been diligently and ably managed by the Premier, the Cabinet and all elected representatives, during a period unprecedented in Bermuda modern history.
“That success has been achieved by a union of leadership and dedicated citizens who have collectively brought Bermuda to a place where tourism can be renewed and our economy rebuilt. Saturday’s event is cause for celebration and all media coverage outside of Bermuda has described how extraordinary it is for a luxury property to open on time and on budget in the midst of a global pandemic. Demonstrating the technology that will allow a faster return to normality was an important part of Saturday’s event which enjoyed bipartisan support and attendance.
“With indoor dining now being enjoyed, hundreds of laid-off workers have been able to return to full-time employment. They can provide for their families, pay their bills and hold their heads high again as the weight of restrictions are lifted by the very technology that was used for the St. Regis large group exemption. Economic recovery is the Government’s focus and that work is evident across the Island and it will be the constant effort until we see the recovery needed for our people.”
Extract from the press conference earlier this week with the Premier responding to a question on the matter
Update 7.39pm: PLP Party Chair Dawn Simmons said, “Strong leadership is about making tough decisions.
“The PLP Government has had to make tough decisions in order to bring the coronavirus under control even in the face of intense pressure to do otherwise.
“The Premier spent 14 days isolated from his family, and understands first-hand the mental & emotional stress this pandemic has wrought on Bermuda’s families. The Premier is fully vaccinated & was following the rules. That is not a reason for resignation.
“The Progressive Labour Party Central Committee meets regularly and supports the leadership of this party and the dedicated efforts of our Ministers, MPs and Senators.
“We will continue to support our elected representatives as they execute the Government’s strategy to move our island Beyond the Pandemic.“
You can find more information on the links below and also on our dedicated website BermudaCovid.com, which is the most comprehensive resource and historic record available of Bermuda’s handling of the pandemic.
- All: Our coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic here
- Bermuda Stats: Chart of testing stats here
- Vaccinations: Data covering vaccinations here
- Live Updates: Continuous updates here.
Burt,you remind me of Donald Trump.
All the credit goes to the OBA for St. Regis. Bob Richards another job well done.. .
Remember when the project first started, the former opposition ( now Government) were the nay sayers about St Regis and the airport.
When will the PLP Government grow up and acknowledge the OBA for their vision for the country.
They said the same thing about mega yachts during A.C., now they trying to entice them.
#hypocrits
I for one support most of what Premier Burt has done. There was no *how to get thru a pandemic in a selfish society” guides that he could refer to. So for the most part I don’t know that anybody else could have done better considering there wasn’t any real reference point. It’s very easy to be an armchair quarterback.
However one of the things that has always been somewhat troubling to me is the fact that he doesn’t seem to acknowledge and embracing his past. He spent many years at Saltus but seems to conveniently leave that out. Is he afraid that his followers will think less of him because he or his parents wanted to give him other opportunities? It amazes and bothers me that as the leader this country he doesn’t seem to feel that he is strong enough to acknowledge his path getting there. Every parent and child should want a better education and better life? That is nothing to be embarrassed about. Anyway just pause with my mind that as a leader he is still not confident enough for himself to stand up for himself and say this was my past and I should not feel guilty about it. I hope that all the children Hope this country after me will have the same opportunities in our public schools. It is no surprise to anybody that our public schools are underperforming and overpriced. He should be pointing that out. He should be highlighting the fact that every private school on this island is on average over performing and doing so with a far lower per student cost when compared to our public schools.
Why do you support the person responsible for economically damaging Bermuda for at least one generation based upon flawed “pandemic” models? the person who made criminals out of law-abiding residents by official fiat?
“Why do you support the person responsible for economically damaging Bermuda for at least one generation …”
I would say that person was 4 Premiers ago
Are you serious, this is not the first pandemic that Bermuda has had. If the premier or any of the government officials had taken the time out to read our own history of how to handle a pandemic they would have never had to shut the island down period. Yellow fever is something every Bermudian school child learns about. It was in fact the last pandemic Bermuda faced. We handled it immediately by quarantine of the sick and isolation of the military. This is because back then they knew how a pandemic can leave a country open for attack because they read up on it. Moreover the local population faired better than other places because of how effective the quarantine was, which was at a government designated place and policed. Now we have paid out millions and millions of dollars and if we had put all of those monies into a proper quarantine facility we would be flourishing not recouping!!!
I don’t vote PLP, but Burt has done an amazing job as covid-19 didn’t come with instructions and Kim Wilson is a rockstar!
You must do stand-up comedy because you make me laugh! Burt destroyed the local economy with his draconian fiats. Do you remember that Wilson justified the 75% Sugar tax based upon using decades-old outdated BMI tables that she never questioned? The same Wilson who pushed incredibly erroneous doom and gloom, pandemic models for Burt to justify his fiats.
Waiting for Kim Wilson to tell us how the revenue from the sugar tax is used.
Oh come on. “I don’t have that information in front of me right now” has become a phrase Wilson will never live down. She reads out the same basic 3-minute monologue every single press conference and is incapable of going beyond that.
The one time she did attempt an answer, she managed let it slip out that she didn’t read an email because it was after 8.00pm. In the middle of a pandemic, the minister of health wouldn’t read emails about how many cases and deaths there were, because it was 8.00pm. She is a hopeless part-timer.
They want to replace Burt with Jinks. Jinks would cost the taxpayers less and share his secret to avoid covid because he never wore a mask.
By my whiskers! The natives are restless. My beard is above the common folk. Your petition is meaningless. I will be Premier for at least the next 20 years.
Well said … just Like a true dictator. Overzealous and arrogant.. he never shot marbles with the common folk so how could he truly represent them??
Politics is a game . Real governing doesn’t exist..
Safe key. Vaccinated or test negative and you get a safe key. Here is my issue. The staff working at these events do not have to be vaccinated or tested, so how can they be referred to as safe?????
The Premier said everyone was vaccinated at the event, how does he know? I thought my records were private? Not private if the Premier and his staff can check my records or yours? I am starting to question his honesty at this point.
The Premier talked about how this event represented how it’s going to look this summer. Okay, then wait like everyone else.
If cup match or county games use a safe key and we put thousands and thousands of fans into a small area but the vendors, gate officials, crown and anchor and food stall staff ….. do not need to be vaccinated or tested negative than these events will be super spreaders!!!!! Unless, there is no Covid risk anymore and if so, open everything, let people work and business owners save their dying businesses and stop with this safe key nonsense.
Finally, this 4 question situation at the press conferences is ridiculous. Ask a question, he doesn’t answer the question, so the reporter tries to clarify and basically asks the same question again to maybe get even half an answer and suddenly it’s two questions and still no answer!!!!!! Honestly, the sarcasm and arrogance of this man is unbelievable. Look I supported him a year ago; but I’m so annoyed by the time the press conference is over these days. Actually everyone I come into contact with is tearing apart what he says and the way he acts and that includes vaccinated and non vaccinated Bermudians from every demographic, political and religious affiliation.
The fact is he ignored his own rules and won’t admit it. If he had said, I’m sorry it did get a little out of hand for a minute and we shouldn’t have been standing up drinking, we should have been at tables but they hadn’t been set up ….. but we all quickly put on our masks abs departed the balcony…. I could have accepted that, but to justify breaking the rules for the greater good and there were speeches …..no sorry I don’t accept that explanation.
Medical records and conditions are different to ‘vaccination status’ according to some U.S. lawyers, It’s an ongoing debate apparently.
You are not sharing your medical condition information or status, which arguably under U.S. law may also only apply to or restrict the medical professions. You are stating whether you took a preventative substance/vaccine. You may still be positive or negative for Covid-19, potentially.
For many jobs, colleges, schools and entry to a hospital you need to prove you have certain vaccinations or are say: MRSA free or Covid-19 free. Vaccine status is not in these cases deemed non disclosable, though the recipient may be required to not divulge individual results to others/publicly.
He expects us to sit at home, be under curfew, pay fines. He told the police he wanted covid laws to be ‘strictly enforced’. And when ministers broke the law at Blu, he fired them.
He should resign. He is a gutless hypocrite.
It is very interesting that year ago approximately Zane DeSilva and Wayne Caines were not far off crucified while Burt here is shrugging it off and nobody is calling him on it. Where’s that publicity hound Commissioner of Police Stephen Corbishley on this one? And not that I’m any fan of Blu or MEF, but fair is fair, so let’s shut the St. Regis for two weeks too.
I have to shake my head at this petition. IMHO it is completely out of proportion. Bermuda politics has reached another new low.
is that the rattle I keep hearing? Don’t shake your head too hard.
Safekey? He’s hoping everyone is illiterate and doesn’t understand that even with the Safekey you can’t get up and walk around, must still wear a mask when arriving and going to the bathroom, etc. That’s how it currently reads.
You all think he’s going to give up rent-free Camden, his tax-payer-funded nanny(?), chef and house-keeper because he didn’t live life restricted like he mandated we all do? HA! The hypocrisy started a lot longer ago!! He’s living the good life on our dime and trying to make it sound like he knows what the average Joe is going through. LMAO! And the staunch supporters are still lapping it up hook, line and sinker!!
Burt’s champagne party with his millionaire friends was prior to the Safekey rules. His excuse is crap. He broke the law, just like the ministers who got fired last year.
The Government PLP have tried to help the people but this year no way. Last year we had plenty of financial support and also charities helping out when needed. No unemployment was given to me and even though I am a senior I depend on my part time salary to make ends meet. Last year I received unemployment and put in for my application no dice and no money.
Please help us we need a stimulus package like in the US…… Try to do something run a lottery and help the people in need……
Nice thought about the Stimulus package for every citizen. These politicians will never do it. They give money and vaccines to other countries but, cannot take proper care of their own. Many people just don’t see it. It is sickening. Just tax us more. Take, but do no help. GREAT to be Bermudians? I wish. Many other places out do us.
Other countries give free vaccines to, this is status quo.
But now charge people two weeks hotel stay because they don’t get the vaccine? Wrong! I got my Pfizer Vaccine, but NOBODY has the right to dictate over anyone else’s body. Now, I need money as a POOR Bermudian. Then , maybe I will start to talk better of these politicians.
” Try to do something run a lottery and help the people in need……”
try thinking before you vote, next time.
Bring back Direct Rule!
get rid of the plp,oba and shut down the house on the hill,turn it into a museum!
tired of these amateur politicians
Do as I say and not do as I do, emperor burt sitting on his throne lording over the peasants. Unbelievable!
“The Premier spent 14 days isolated from his family” says the PLP as an excuse. Question. Why did he have to quarantine for 14 days when he is vaccinated? Why did it take 6 tests to have a positive result? Where did he visit to get the exposure to result in the “positive” test? Was it a false positive? Why didn’t he get another test within 4 days as a vaccinated person? So many more gaps in the stories and create more questions, which of course will never get answered.
“Question. Why did he have to quarantine for 14 days when he is vaccinated?”
Because a vaccinated (and asymptomatic) person can still be a carrier.
“Why did it take 6 tests to have a positive result?”
Because the incubation period is currently believed to be 12 to 14 days.
“Where did he visit to get the exposure to result in the “positive” test?”
Why do you believe that the Premier does not have the same right to privacy that you and I enjoy?
“Was it a false positive? Why didn’t he get another test within 4 days as a vaccinated person?”
Why do you believe that the Premier does not have the same right to privacy that you and I enjoy?
You’d think with all that going on he would have tried a bit harder to avoid breaking covid laws two weekends ago, I guess a champagne party with millionaires is more important than sticking to the laws the rest of us are under. Not the first time, I remember the $200,000 publicly-funded champagne yacht weekend with models and ‘influencers ‘. He likes all that, evidently. Stuff the rest of us are prevented from doing by his covid laws.