Column: PLP’s Roban On OBA, Politics & More

[Written by Walter Roban]

Lately, the OBA has been on the attack, with press statements dripping with venom and filled with factual errors. We understand that this is simply a sign of their growing frustration as their policies continue to be viewed as anti-Bermudian, their candidates remain uninspiring, and the prospect of them taking power again is still viewed with horror by many Bermudians.

The OBA’s unswerving dedication to opening the immigration floodgates and slashing Bermudian Government jobs remains a threat to all of us who believe that Bermudians must come first in our own country.

Their record of freezing senior’s pensions while condescendingly telling them that “Money doesn’t grow on trees,” rings in the minds of those in their golden years who have benefited from the PLP raising pensions every year.

Their record of mismanagement of the Morgan’s Point project and the hundreds of millions of dollars they squandered through their incompetence rings in the minds of those who remember social programs and scholarships being cut while they diverted millions in tax cuts and benefits to billionaires.

• An economy where Bermudian jobs shrank while Non-Bermudian jobs flourished
• A Premier resigning in disgrace over the JetGate Scandal
• The pepper spraying of peacefully protesting seniors.

This is the OBA record. This is who the OBA is.

These are the reasons why the people of Bermuda were right to cast them out of power in a convincing fashion.

In the landscape of Bermudian politics, the winds of change are expected to bring new perspectives, fresh ideas, and a commitment to better the lives of our citizens. However, when it comes to the One Bermuda Alliance, it seems that change is a foreign concept. Despite being their seventh leader in just twelve years, the OBA has refused to deviate from their worn-out playbook, leaving the people of Bermuda to wonder: Why are they so out of touch?

The current leader of the OBA, Jarion Richardson, like his predecessors, has never:

• Apologise for any of the deplorable decisions made by the Party he leads
• Repudiated their “open the floodgates” approach to immigration
• Deviated from defending business interest over working Bermudians

Since losing power, The OBA opposed our efforts to build affordable housing, prevent healthcare cost increases, were critical of our cutting fuel taxes to help address rising BELCO costs and opposed our cutting payroll taxes for workers to the lowest level in history.

The OBA leadership merry-go-round, which has seen seven leaders in twelve years, has not brought about any substantial shifts in policy or vision. Instead, their latest leader has joined in with the continuous rehash of the same old discredited strategies that have failed Bermuda in the past and been thoroughly rejected by Bermudians.

The OBA’s time in power was marked by decisions and policies that did not serve the best interests of the Bermudian people. Yet rather than acknowledge their mistakes and seek to make amends, Jarion Richardson continues to spew the narrative that they were taking Bermuda in the right direction.

They may have changed the figurehead, but it all adds up to “meet the new boss, same as the old boss.” They might as well have just left Cole Simons there!
The OBA’s reluctance to apologise for their debacles suggests a party led by an individual who is out of touch with the realities of the present, unprepared for the demands of the future, and simply too risky to be trusted to stand up for Bermudians.

Jarion Richardson’s insistence on clinging to the same discredited, rejected anti-Bermudian policies and strategies of his predecessors demonstrates a lack of vision and an inability to stand on his own two feet and be his own man.

- Walter Roban, Const. 15 Pembroke East

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