OBA’s Pearman On Premier, Debt & More
“Bermuda’s issued debt is over $3 billion – close to $3.5 billion, and the vast majority of this debt was created by PLP Governments,” OBA MP Scott Pearman said.
Mr. Pearman said, “Bermuda’s issued debt is over $3 billion – close to $3.5 billion, and the vast majority of this debt was created by PLP Governments. Yet Premier Burt had the audacity to stand up in Parliament on Friday and try to blame Bermuda’s staggering $3 billion plus debt on the OBA’s four years in government.”
The MP said that when the OBA challenged the Premier on what he called a “falsity, Premier Burt simply made up some numbers, saying the OBA ‘doubled the debt’ from $1.2 billion to $2.4 billion. The Premier’s statement is false.”
Mr Pearman said, “In the House of Assembly, the OBA challenged the Premier, citing the debt contained in the Government’s own Budget Book – taking him to the actual page. However, the Premier simply repeated his false numbers again.
“Remember, this is our Finance Minister. If he is going to launch a political attack on the OBA, then he better make sure he’s on solid ground with his facts. The OBA did not become the Government until February 2013.
“The OBA inherited a PLP Budget for 2012/13 that increased Bermuda’s debt to $1.57 billion. That’s $370 million more than what the Premier told Parliament.
“This is Bermuda’s Finance Minister. He should have his math right. This is Bermuda’s Premier. He should stick to the facts.”
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Let’s say MP Pearman is correct. Then the OBA still increased the debt substantially. The OBA and some others automatically say that the PLP is responsible for all the debt. Yet they conveniently leave out the 2013-2017 years that the OBA was in power where they did borrow.
I’m not a OBA or PLP fan but even i noticed a clear sign of the economy improving during the 5 years of OBA as government which was a promising feeling for me and many others, this after the PLP severely damaged and continues to damage this Island.
Why do people like yourself refuse to remember that the largest amount of money the OBA borrowed was to make payroll for the government workers seeing the cupboard was bare when they were voted in ?
“This is Bermuda’s Finance Minister. He should have his math right. This is Bermuda’s Premier. He should stick to the facts.”
That is now what history demonstrates, Scott.