Latest News'Jackson vindicated in FutureCare controversy'By Shadow Minister of Health, Michael Dunkley, February 2, 2012There are really two parts of this sorry story that need addressing. The first is that the letter to FutureCare policy holders (see below), dated 17 January 2012, and signed by Mr. Collin J. Anderson, Director of the Government’s Health Insurance Department, vindicates completely all that our colleague Mrs. Louise Jackson has been saying about FutureCare since it was first announced. I don’t want to be sidetracked into a debate about whether the Minister, Zane DeSilva, called Mrs. Jackson a liar or not. Whatever he said, it is correct to say that he was angry about Mrs. Jackson’s remarks. He made an allegation to the House of Assembly and then on radio that she was spreading misinformation. “Her actions show that the Opposition is so desperate that they will mislead our seniors,” he said. The Opposition is not desperate. We would not mislead Bermuda’s seniors. In Mrs Jackson, we had a tenacious and well-informed colleague…better-informed, as it turns out, than Mr. DeSilva. We think that under the circumstances, Mr. DeSilva should make a complete and unreserved apology to the Mrs. Jackson. That would be the correct and the decent thing to do. We don’t mean to suggest that the Minister would himself have been cynical and irresponsible enough to deliberately mislead the House of Assembly, the radio audience and the rest of Bermuda about what Mrs. Jackson said. Perhaps the Minister was misled, whether by accident or design, we cannot say. But if this is the case, he ought to get to the bottom of it and make sure it doesn’t happen again, because Ministers just can’t afford to allow themselves to be kept in the dark on important matters, especially matters which are controversial, as this one is. The second part of this story concerns the deeply shocking admissions the Ministry of Health has made in its letter to its policy holders about FutureCare. First, and in a general sense, it amounts to an admission that the public, and specifically those who signed up for FutureCare were seriously misled about the benefit package, to the grave detriment of all those who gave up other insurance packages to switch. It amounts to an admission that they irresponsibly launched FutureCare – in the midst of the 2007 election – without having done their homework properly. At the time of the announcement, people in the private sector wondered how on earth the Government could afford to finance a scheme which offered such generous benefits. Now we know. Government couldn’t. Mr. Anderson, the director of the Health Insurance Department, admits that “We delayed implementation of this co-payment because we required time to complete other aspects of our system implementation prior to making this change.” The person in charge at the time was former Minister Walter Roban. It now seems clear that he and whoever advised him simply did not think the scheme through properly. Was an actuarial study done? Was there financial modeling? Was there a business plan? Was there an implementation plan? We don’t know the answer to those questions, but we do know that a grave doubt has now been created. For Minister DeSilva to preside over a sudden cut of benefits by 25%, a 25% that the insured will now have to come up with themselves in a co-paying arrangement, and then call it a “tweaking” of the system speaks volumes about the disconnect that exists between him and FutureCare’s target population, who are the elderly poor. He obviously has no earthly idea of the impact of such a “tweaking” on people who are working to a tight budget, especially at an economic time like this one. This raises a couple of key questions. Will care providers require that 25% up front to protect themselves? What will happen when the insured default on paying their portion of the co-pay? These are questions that must now be answered. Finally, I would make the point that in our system, the buck stops with Minister DeSilva. He’s in charge. He gets the credit when things go well, and if they don’t, he should get the blame. I wonder why a civil servant is being pushed out in front by being made to write a letter like this one. Now that it has become public, as it obviously would sooner or later, and a fuss is arising as a result of the Government’s serious shortcomings, who is going to be held accountable? Is it going to be a scapegoat civil servant? Or does the buck really stop where it should; with the Minister? A danger to Bermudian jobsBy Craig Cannonier, Opposition Leader, January 30, 2012 The Auditor General’s report on misuses of public money reflects poorly on Bermuda. It highlights two instances in which the system was manipulated to move public money into private hands, and reports the Deputy Premier ignoring the Premier’s directives to straighten things out at the BLDC. The reaction of the Government since the report’s release has only deepened our concerns, with
These reactions call into question the credibility and the unity of the government. What does this mean for Bermudians? Bermuda’s good reputation is essential if we are to remain attractive to local and overseas investors, whose plans and activities generate jobs. If people perceive the Government of Bermuda to be untrustworthy, they will not start a business, they will not build a hotel, they will not participate in the redevelopment of Hamilton’s waterfront – all things that create jobs and career opportunities for the people of this country. The behaviour exposed in the Auditor General’s report hurts Bermuda’s attractiveness to job-creating investment. It endangers our future, and that is something that every Bermudian should keep in mind.
Auditor General’s Report - What we would have done differentlyBy Craig Cannonier, Opposition Leader, January 29, 2012 We don’t believe the people of Bermuda are surprised to hear about the misuses of public money revealed by the Auditor General’s report. Over the years, we have seen enough to know that the system has been worked time and again for the benefit of friends and insiders. Government pledges to strengthen good governance have been more a smokescreen than a path to better governance. The OBA from the beginning has said it will reform government to make it more transparent and more accountable, so that people can have confidence the government is actually working for their benefit. But those reforms are really just one part of the equation. To really make reform work, to make it stick, you need people who believe in it. The reality is you can have all the rules you want, but if you’re not going to follow them, if you’re going to try to manipulate them, then Bermuda is never going to have a government they can trust. At the end of the day, good governance comes down to people and the trust you have in them, and that is the issue at the heart of this report. Here are a couple of examples of what an OBA Government would have done differently: Missed opportunities at the BLDC The public learned three days ago through the Auditor General about the misuse of public funds at the BLDC. The Premier learned about it more than a year ago. What does that say about her commitment to transparency? An OBA Government would have informed the public immediately. We would have stepped up to the microphone as soon as possible to report what was going on with a pledge to keep people informed going forward. This is what transparency and openness mean. This Premier did not do that. Despite talking many times about the need for transparency in government, she has been anything but transparent. Here was an opportunity to walk the walk but she did not. The Auditor also reported that the BLDC chairman and Deputy Chairman defied the Finance Minister’s orders to vacate their positions and that the Public Works Minister took no action to support that order. An OBA Government would not have tolerated such disrespect.
Public money funding private legal actions Premier Cox argues that her decision to use public money to pay the expenses for two ministers’ private legal action was done to protect the integrity of the government. If that was the case, then:
Seeking $4 million makes the action about enrichment; seeking $1 makes it about integrity. As it was, the Government only backed away from the financing the action when the Auditor General raised questions about it. But to back away does not make sense if the Premier truly believed the Government’s integrity was at stake. Her action suggests she thought her decision to fund her colleagues’ private action was wrong. An OBA Government would not have paid legal fees for a private action.
Auditor’s report calls into question Government’s ethical leadership
By Craig Cannonier, JP, MP, Leader, One Bermuda Alliance, January 26, 2012
We have some preliminary comments to make about the Auditor General’s Special Report on the Misuse of Public Funds.
This a deeply troubling report because it reveals elected and senior officials working the system to move public money into private hands, regardless of rules designed to prevent such abuses.
It also reveals the Government using its power to deny information to the Auditor General, prompting her to question whether it had “something to hide.”
This is the same government that has launched a PR campaign to persuade voters that it is wholly committed to good governance for Bermuda.
The Auditor General’s report raises major concerns about the Government’s ethical leadership.
The “misuses” of the people’s money, she said, raised questions about the ‘tone at the top” of government and whether “Government officials at the most senior level will do the right thing.”
The Auditor General, furthermore, concluded that her two investigations “indicate a complete disregard for the concept of good stewardship of public money. I continue to be amazed by… the lack of commitment to good governance.”
These are damning statements.
What should this mean to the people of Bermuda?
It indicates that Government priorities are not the people’s priorities. This is a Government, after all, that is laying off teachers, cutting back on social services, holding off on road repairs – while making a big deal about being careful with the people’s money and doing “more with less.”
Although the monies involved in these two investigations are not significant, the ‘misuses’ exposed by the Auditor General reveals a climate in which rules are disregarded and accountability to the people is not important. It reveals, in short, a government for insiders.
The Government’s reported attempts to thwart the Auditor General’s investigations and “cover-up” the misuse of the people’s money is particularly troubling.
We will have more to say on these special reports in the days to come.
Bob Richards, OBA candidate for Devonshire East, Constituency 11Remarks by OBA Leader Craig Cannonier on the roll-out of Mr. E.T. (Bob) Richards, OBA candidate for Devonshire East, Constituency 11, January 26, 2012 Good afternoon. Today we resume our candidate roll-outs. I am pleased to stand here with a man who has always called it like it is and who has always put Bermuda first, Mr. E.T. (Bob) Richards. Bob will be the One Bermuda Alliance candidate in Devonshire East, Constituency 11, which he has represented for the past four years. I have got to know Bob quite well over the past year and can say without reservation that he is a steady presence - honest, smart, hard-working and totally committed to building a better Bermuda. Also with us are two young ladies who said at our caucus meeting on Tuesday that they wanted to stand here today in support of Bob and the OBA. They are Feria Alpha and Alyssa Hayward – two Bermudian mothers who have been working citizens all their lives and who, in the past year, have seen workplace opportunities dry up. It’s appropriate that Feria and Alyssa are here because the government needs to be reminded that the economy is about people. It is the engine that makes Bermuda work and, like any engine, you want to make sure it keeps running smoothly so that people can live full and complete lives. It is a fact that the Government over the past five to seven years has failed to take care of that engine and that people from all walks of life are now paying the price for it. We see it in job losses. We see it in less money in our wallets to pay for daily needs. We see it in shop closures and the movement of companies to other jurisdictions. We see it in crushing debt payments that lead to cutbacks in public services, support for charities and teacher lay-offs. We see it in a government that now wants more of your money to pay for its excesses. The One Bermuda Alliance is prepared to fix this situation.
PLP argument offers dead end for Bermudian workers
By Craig Cannonier, Leader, One Bermuda Alliance, January 18, 2012
I’ve a few things to say about the PLP’s statement “Cannonier Parrots Old UBP Guest Worker Line” that was put up on their website today because it reveals how desperate their politics has become.
The first is the PLP practice of attacking me and my colleagues with anonymous statements. All OBA statements carry the name of the author because we think it is important that people know who’s doing the talking. But no one in the PLP is willing to own up to their daily attack statements. We expect our opponents to show a little more spine than that.
The second is the PLP effort to portray me as some sort of closet UBPer; me who told that party to “turn out the lights”. This little game is part of their re-election strategy to divert people’s attention from their poor record in office and to keep Bermudians in a political lockdown, thinking about the past and thinking in terms of “the enemy.” It’s so counterproductive to building a better Bermuda that they should be ashamed of themselves.
The third is their fondness for basing their attacks against me on… NOTHING. I dare the PLP to produce any statement I’ve made that says, as their anonymous writers write, that we would put “guest workers first.”
Fourth, if we want to get factual, let’s hear the PLP answer the following questions:
Finally, the PLP’s press statement suggests more guest workers are bad for Bermuda. We disagree. At the core of the economic problems facing Bermuda is the lack of bodies coming to Bermuda, whether as tourists or as guest workers. The collapse of our tourism industry has dried up sales and income for thousands who once earned their livelihood from a robust tourism industry; and the outflow of international business operations to other jurisdictions has meant the loss of expat workers and their families – all of whom contributed to our economy in the form of jobs and wages for Bermudian workers, retail sales for local shops, rents for landlords, higher tax earnings for the Government, support for charities, etc. And what is the upshot of this loss of bodies? It is joblessness and smaller paycheques for thousands of Bermudians and cutbacks in Government services that are supposed to be helping people in hard times.
If the PLP is going to base the re-election campaign on fewer expat workers being good for Bermuda, then bring it on. In today’s economy, less is not more, less is less – for you, your families and our future. On the basis of this PLP thinking, a vote for the PLP is a vote to destroy Bermuda’s economy and that should be a major concern for all Bermudians – PLP, OBA, even UBP.
The Good Governance ShamBy Trevor Moniz, Shadow Attorney General and Minister of Justice, January 17, 2012 The One Bermuda Alliance would be delighted if the Premier’s announcement of yesterday about good governance were to come true. The measures she outlined were baby steps in the business of tackling corruption and mismanagement in the Government of Bermuda, and they would be a move in the right direction if they come to pass. But we have concerns. First among these is the timing and sincerity of her announcement. The OBA has just sent a submission to the UK Government detailing our serious concerns about good governance standards in Bermuda, among other things. Since then, the PLP and its agents have been in attack mode, complaining loudly about us, trying to dominate the news. Against that background, Premier Cox countered yesterday with a hastily called press conference to re-announce her intention to strengthen governance. Don’t be fooled. The Bermuda Government continues to be wide open territory for those who are prepared to work the system for personal gain. The Premier’s own concerns about the need to ‘follow the money’ underscore the seriousness of the situation. Questions about where the money has gone have been attached to this Government for more than a decade. It was integral to the BHC scandal, where only one person was prosecuted and others, including Cabinet Ministers, got off despite engaging in “unethical but not illegal” behaviour. More or less the same is true of all other scandals that have attracted the attention of the Auditor General and the Police – the construction of the Berkeley Institute, Tourism, the Transport Control Testing Centre, the new Court building… I could go on. The latest example has been the extraordinary overturning of Planning building bans by one Cabinet Minister in favour of two of his colleagues. We were promised a review, but the new Minister of Planning seems to be letting that slide towards that never-never file we all know about so well with this Government. What has the PLP done to rein this kind of behavior in? The answer is almost nothing. They’ve produced legislation to outlaw civil servants’ non-compliance with Financial Instructions, something that has been outlawed as long as Financial Instructions have existed. The legislation did create a new Government department to do work with procurement matters, work that was done in-house by Government departments before. And they have also attacked almost every effort the Auditor General has made to rein them in, including putting the former Auditor General, Mr. Larry Dennis, in jail. Most recently, the new Auditor General, Ms Heather Matthews, has been stopped from doing her job by doing nothing to make sure the Public Accounts Committee meets in a timely fashion to consider her reports. I ask you, does this sound like a Government determined to get to grips with stopping corruption and promoting better governance?
Government at sea - on gangs, pot washers and good governanceBy Craig Cannonier, Opposition Leader Craig Cannonier, January 17, 2012
On Perinchief’s reconsideration of anti-gang legislation
National Security Minister Perinchief’s statement that he is prepared to reconsider anti-gang legislation is a flip flop on a flip flop.
Mr. Perinchief was for anti-gang legislation a year ago. He said he was going to bring legislation to Parliament then did not because of concerns expressed by Police and civil liberties advocates. Now he is for it.
That’s two 180 degree turns on one idea.
It was the same for Operation Ceasefire – at first against it, now for it.
This says to us that the Government does not know what to do about gangs in Bermuda and the threat they pose to Bermudian life.
It also says to us that the Government is in full re-election mode willing to say anything to create the sense of government action, even if it contradicts their positions from a few months ago.
Most importantly, Mr. Perinchief’s thinking indicates the Government still has no real anti-gang plan in place. Remember, this is three years after gang violence exploded across Bermuda. Since that time, more than 50 people have been shot, nearly 20 murdered. Just this month a man was gunned down in a Pembroke home by two assailants.
The OBA approach has been simple and straight forward all along:
Economy Minister’s step back on pot washers
Again, it’s our view that the Government is so desperate to be seen to be taking action on behalf of the people that they are rushing around without thinking about what they are actually doing.
The Minister’s plan to revisit her directives to get rid of expat cleaners is just a reflection of PLP politics getting ahead of clear thinking. It’s just one more example of how politics is getting in the way of the people’s business.
As we said yesterday, we support any effort to get Bermudians working, but you really have to be smart about how you go about achieving that. We want the Government to succeed in getting jobs for the jobless, but for goodness sake they’ve got to take care to get their ducks in a row first.
Premier’s good governance announcement
Announcements on good governance plans would have more credibility if the Premier took decisive action to resolve outstanding questions and issues that sit on her desk today.
Why hasn’t she ordered her Environment Minister to come forward with his review of Planning approvals given to Ministers DeSilva and Furbert? Why has she not insisted the Audit Committee get on with its business so the Auditor General’s special reports – now stymied for months behind closed doors – can be seen by the people of Bermuda?
Simply making announcements about good governance does not mean better governance for Bermuda. You have to put systems into place to ensure people in elected office behave themselves.
This is about protecting the public interest. But it’s been nearly 14 years since the Government promised the ‘sunshine of public scrutiny’ for government business.
People are getting wise to being played for suckers on good governance, and we suggest the Government stop playing politics and just get on with the people’s business.
You’ve got to back your words with action and on this crucial point the Government has not.
We also question the timing and sincerity of the Premier’s good governance press conference yesterday, coming as it did after publication last week of our submission to the UK Government on Overseas Territories, which listed our serious concerns about good governance standards in Bermuda, among other things. Since then, the PLP and its agents have been in attack mode, complaining loudly about our views on reforms that would better serve the people.
OBA seeks ‘new balance’ with UK to help Bermuda succeed in a turbulent world
By Craig Cannonier, JP, MP, Opposition Leader, January 12, 2012
The UK Government is drawing up a plan – a White Paper – to improve its working relationship with its Overseas Territories.
The work will focus on the shared constitutional responsibilities for the people of these territories, Bermuda included.
Specifically, the UK wants to produce a new framework that would make it possible for existing responsibilities to be carried out more effectively – all in the spirit of furthering the security and good governance of the Territories.
The OBA welcomes this review, but we’ve asked that the UK adjust its approach to work with us for constitutional improvements to strengthen how Bermuda goes about its business.
This is primarily about enhancing democratic governance and empowering people by
The OBA’s approach to these questions is based on our belief in
We believe Bermuda should exercise its powers to the maximum extent possible, with the UK retaining whatever powers it need to exercise its responsibilities.
With our submission on the White Paper, we are seeking to strike a new balance between the UK and Bermuda that enables us to navigate this turbulent world with values and systems in place that will protect and care for our people.
To get the consultative process moving forward, the UK Government asked questions about the state of Bermuda, such as our “main challenges”, and our governance, economic planning and public financial management.
These were very broad questions and our answers constitute something of a snapshot of Bermuda today. On that point, we say that there is lots of room for improvement to help Bermudians succeed in an increasingly challenging world.
To read the OBA White Paper submission, please click the following pdf document.
Richards hits back at PLP name-calling
By E.T. (Bob) Richards, Shadow Finance Minister, January 12, 2012
In the January 10 article on the PLP website, the children’s story of Chicken Little’s lie that “The sky is falling!” is misplaced because in economic terms, it’s already been raining rocks and boulders that have crushed many Bermudians’ livelihoods.
So don’t blame the guy who said it would happen, blame the guys who caused it to happen.
The problem with the PLP is that they want to shoot the messenger (in this case the forecaster) instead of acknowledging their own mistakes and fixing them.
Insofar as International Business is concerned, in an article in November of 2011 called “The Big Myth,” I wrote:
“In Stonebridge’s 2011 update, Bermuda’s trade with the US grew to $80 billion, a year over year increase of 25%. They observed that: ‘In spite of the global economic crisis and difficulties in U.S. financial markets, Bermuda-U.S. economic ties remained surprisingly strong.’ Stonebridge also noted that Bermuda’s insurance sector was relatively “independent” from the crises taking place in larger financial centres, and was “not correlated” with the global financial troubles.
So, contrary to the myth that many Bermudians believe, our business with America has been strong, not weak.”
The recently released information quoted on the PLP website only goes to reinforce what we already stated in that article and in Parliament, that international business has been strong.
What the PLP article conveniently omits is what everybody knows – that Bermuda has suffered massive job losses, income losses and opportunity losses that are not, in the main, imported from abroad, but instead have a MADE IN BERMUDA stamp all over them. Due to government policy, practice and attitudes, Bermuda companies have chosen to direct their demand for personnel OUTSIDE BERMUDA.
The inescapable facts are that fewer expatriate workers in Bermuda result in fewer jobs for Bermudians. That’s because these people are our customers whose spending in Bermuda creates Bermudian jobs. But government policy has been alienating Bermuda’s customers - a PLP blunder that has cost many Bermudians their jobs. The bloated size of government and out- of-control spending, resulting in over $1 billion in debt, is costing every tax-paying resident over $100 million per year - another PLP blunder.
That is why this is, the Great Bermuda Recession. The global recession is largely over and we are left suffering under the yoke of the Great Bermuda Recession.
So let’s stop this school yard name calling and act like responsible grown-ups. We have serious economic problems in this island. The OBA has long recognized and analyzed these problems. We can turn this economy around and we have the plans to do it.
Statements on voting, the integrity of our Planning laws and the Government’s recordForging a common destiny will end en bloc voting, December 28, 2011 Earlier this week, former UBP Leader Kim Swan triggered a community debate on race-based block voting in Bermuda. Specifically, he said: “Overt racial polarization or en bloc voting practices continue to retard social progress in Bermuda - yet the cries against it are few. I am calling on The Royal Gazette to lead the charge and decry racial polarization practiced during elections Bermuda. Come on Royal Gazette, let's start a campaign together like the "Right to Know" and stomp out this crippling social menace. When asked to comment, One Bermuda Alliance Leader Craig Cannonier said the following: We have no problem, and will never have a problem with the way people vote. People must vote for whichever party they believe will best protect and support their individual interests. Convincing people to vote for one party over another is what democratic politics is all about. It is our view that race-based voting is a party problem, not a people problem. For example, it is very possible that white people have not supported the PLP in the past because the PLP has never made them feel welcome. That, it seems to us, is the PLP challenge. The OBA is a new party that has not yet fought an election, so it is premature to describe who they will ultimately draw support from – regardless of what recent polls say. We are a party committed to getting this Island working again for everyone. Our message to all Bermuda is very straightforward: We will better protect you and your family going forward – through policies that promote jobs and economic growth, strong action to reduce violent crime, responsible management of the public purse and real education reform, not smoke and mirrors. Ultimately we want to create a Bermuda where people feel a common destiny and don’t believe their ‘group’ has to be in power to be safe or to thrive. We are, in other words, a party committed to serving all of Bermuda and we look forward to doing just that. *** Furbert-DeSilva Planning controversy needs to be concluded By Sen. Michael M Fahy, Shadow Minister for the Environment Several weeks ago the PLP Government said Environment Minister Mark Bean would review decisions made in November by his predecessor, Mr. Walter Roban, to approve two Planning applications in which Cabinet Ministers Zane DeSilva and Wayne Furbert had an interest. We are still waiting for Minister Bean’s decision on these applications. I said in the Senate that we hoped to hear the results of that review before Christmas, but no decision was announced. Perhaps the Government will be transparent enough to advise the public of the outcome of the review before the New Year. In the OBA's view, Minister Roban should have simply followed advice of the Independent Inspector to reject the applications. We trust Minister Bean will do exactly that. Our environment is a precious resource that, if properly managed, can benefit Bermuda through the ages. Ministerial decisions that poke holes in the Island’s Development Plan need to be stopped. The Planning laws need to be reviewed to prevent the kind of behaviour exhibited by Mr. Roban’s decisions from happening again.
Dunkley responds to Premier Earlier this week, the Premier defended her Government’s record against comments by OBA Senate Leader Michael Dunkley, who had this to say as a follow-up: The Premier is required to defend the record of her Government. Her party, after all, has been in control of Bermuda for 13 years and must be held accountable for where the Island is today. It is no surprise that she says the record is one of success. But we think people have a different view. Ask people today if they feel economically secure and my bet is they would say no. Ask them if they believe thousands of unemployed is acceptable and my bet is they would say no. Ask them if Bermuda is safer than it once was and my bet is they would say no. Ask them if the cost of Government debt at $190,000 a day (and growing) is a good thing and my bet is they would say no. Ask them if they believe their children are getting the education they need to succeed and my bet is they would say no. Ask them if Bermuda is heading in the right direction and my bet is they would say no. On the fundamentals – economic security, public safety and education – the record of the PLP Government is not one of success. Yes, the Premier can point to pockets of success, but the overall direction is not one of forward momentum. Does the Premier really think, with the exception of Government’s ‘friends’, that the gap between the haves and the have-nots has narrowed? The One Bermuda Alliance will turn around Bermuda’s situation with strong and deliberate action to grow the economy, reduce gang shootings and strengthen the classroom experience for our children. 2012 will be an election year and the people will decide if they have confidence in this Government or a new Government to get the Island back on track.
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