The Last Post
When I restarted this blog in November, I said that I didn't know how long I'd be back for. After giving it some thought over Christmas and New Year, I've decided that I'm done. I expected the electorate to send...
Politics, Local
Disbanding the UBP won't change anything
Anyone who believes the the re-branding, re-structuring or breakup of the UBP will have any impact on local politics is dreaming. If the UBP continues to exist in any form, with any name, the PLP will still be able to...
A troubling reappointment
Nelson Bascome should be considered innocent until proven guilty of the charges of theft that are still outstanding against him. Nevertheless, in February this year they (along with allegations of corruption that were subsequently dismissed) were considered sufficient grounds for...
A victory for ignorance
"Do you want a Government that will refuse to submit to public scrutiny?" Bermudians were asked yesterday. "Yes!" was the resounding answer. "Do you want a Government that will pass poorly thought-out, discriminatory legislation?" "Yes!" "Do you want a Government...
Why I hope the UBP will win
I can't vote in tomorrow's election. I won't be able to vote in the one after that, either. The earliest I'll be able to do so is 2013, once I have been married to my Bermudian wife for 10 years....
The protest vote
There has been a great deal of speculation about what the turnout will be in tomorrow's election. If you are apathetic about the choices offered by both political parties, by all means stay at home and don't vote. It's a...
Broken promises: Coda
I was surprised to read Education Minister Randy Horton's comment on the PLP's ability to keep its promises in today's Royal Gazette: "Not all promises that we make are able to be realised; if that was the case we would...
Broken promises #5: Air arrivals
In a speech in January 2005, Tourism Minister Ewart Brown promised to “increase air arrivals to 400,000 over the next 3 years”. In 2004, air arrivals stood at 271,600. In 2005, they fell slightly to 269,600. In 2006 they increased...
PLP's FutureCare to be paid for by tax increase
The PLP have revealed how they're going to pay for their proposal to improve health care for seniors: "During the working lives of Bermudians (20 to 64), employers and individuals will make contributions to the fund. The fund will be...
Wrong
In their latest post, the PLP blog is (surprise, surprise) attacking Michael Dunkley again. Unfortunately, one of their accusations is flat wrong: "Dunkley Never Condemned Vile, Racist Cartoons. UBP supporters compared the Premier to Hitler, Mussolini and Idi Amin. Michael...
The meaning of "attrition"
For the benefit of the PLP and some of their supporters, allow me to explain how the UBP can trim the civil service without firing a single civil servant. The UBP's manifesto pledge was to "reduce the size of the...
Clear as mud
The PLP have responded to my post pointing out their inconsistency on the issue of who will be eligible for free day care. In a statement on their website (which continues their impolite policy of refusing to link to any...
Jamahl Simmons' selective memory
In a new PLP YouTube video, PLP MP Jamahl Simmons asserts that the UBP are only interested in exploiting blacks: "When you have meetings where they're asking us, "How can we attract the black vote?" but is not willing to...
Inconsistent
The PLP can't get their story straight on who will qualify for the free child care promised in their election platform. "The PLP will provide free DayCare for all Bermudians. That's a big difference between us and the UBP. The...
The bullet
I was horrified to hear about the bullet and threatening letter sent to the Premier. It was an utterly despicable act and I hope that the police quickly find and prosecute the culprit. The UBP unequivocally condemned the threat, however...
The wrong tone
I'm glad to hear that Thaao Dill has admitted that he and Hott 107.5 are breaking broadcasting laws. I'm disappointed, however, that he seems to regard it as a legitimate act of civil disobedience. "We're in breach of a dumb...
Fiscally irresponsible
I find it amazing that not only has the PLP failed to say how they're going to pay for the freebies promised in their election manifesto, in some cases they're even breezily admitting to having no idea how much they'll...
The great PLP giveaway
Free buses! Free ferries! Free day care for Bermudian families! Free Bermuda College education for all Bermudians! 500 interest-free down payments for first-time Bermudian home owners! Tax concessions for businesses employing Bermudians! I sure hope the PLP's manifesto also explains...
Broken promises #4: Club Med
“In 2007, construction will begin on the new hotel in St. George’s,” said Premier Ewart Brown in May this year. There are still three weeks until the end of the year, but the comments made by Works and Engineering Minister...
Animal Farm
Several months ago, apropos of nothing, I decided to re-read George Orwell's Animal Farm. It was written as a satire on Soviet Communism, but an uninformed reader could be forgiven for thinking that it was actually intended as a satire...
About time
It seems that both the UBP and the PLP will be releasing their platforms on Monday 10 December, just one day before advance polling and one week before the main voting day. Better late than never, I suppose.
A response to Calvin Smith
Writing in today's Royal Gazette, Calvin Smith says: "...very few whites are prepared openly to support the Progressive Labour Party. However, a far greater number of black Bermudians are prepared to support the United Bermuda Party." Perhaps that's because the...
A response to Guilden Gilbert
In a letter to the Editor published in today's Bermuda Sun, Guilden Gilbert, Jr. criticises the UBP for waiting until the calling of an election to announce their Code of Conduct. In fact, the UBP have publicly mentioned their desire...
Topsy-turvy
Alex Scott's suggestion that disillusioned PLP supporters should still vote for the party because changes could be made after the election is topsy-turvy. "After the election, events are difficult to predict," said Mr. Scott. "I say to people: 'Don't abandon...
Dealing with criticism
So, it seems the PLP's blog will link to me, after all, as long as I'm saying something they want to hear. Three weeks ago, I contacted PLP chairman David Burt to ask if he would include this blog in...
Harold who?
Many voters still do not know who leaked the BHC dossier, despite former PLP supporter Harold Darrell's admission that it was him. A recent survey by Research.bm found that 47% of registered voters who were certain, likely or possibly going...
Now that's funny
In the wake of the UBP's embarrassingly bad fish cartoon, Denis Pitcher offers a hilarious script for the ad that they should have produced instead. It's funny, on-target, and cool. Well done, Denis.
Weird fishes
What the hell is this? It's not funny, or clever. It's mindless. And it's only episode 1? God help us. If this is the UBP's idea of humour we should all be grateful that the "outrageously funny" video satire of...
Incompetence, and worse
The PLP's claims to be competent managers of Bermuda's economy are looking mighty thin in the wake of the Bermuda Cement Company (BCC) fiasco. It's hard to imagine a better example of ineptitude than the Government's need to resort to...
Hubris
Nothing typifies the arrogance of the Premier like this picture of his car parked in a handicapped spot outside the Harbourfront restaurant. This isn't the first time that Dr. Brown's car has been caught parked illegally. A couple of years...
Whither the manifestos?
We're now over half way through the election campaign, with just two weeks until advance polling starts. Yet so far neither party has produced a manifesto. The UBP has produced their "Agenda for Change", which does outline some of the...
Government TV
Writing on Progressive Minds, 30strong argues that cost of CITV, the Government's new TV station, is justified because its programming is cultural, not partisan. His comments echo those of Premier Ewart Brown at the channel's launch, who said, "On this...
"The departure has already started"
While you're trying to decide whether former Premier Sir John Swan's recent warnings about international business are genuine or just scaremongering, keep in mind these comments made by a senior Bermudian reinsurance executive earlier this year: "The threat of departure...
Broken promises #3: Public access to information
In November 2003, then-Premier Alex Scott pledged that the PLP government would introduce freedom of information legislation. In July 2004, Mr. Scott said that Public Access To Information legislation would likely be tabled early in the next Parliament. That didn't...
Bias, fairness and objectivity
A recurrent theme of the PLP’s campaign is that the media has a pro-UBP bias. Is there any truth to this claim? Or is the PLP misrepresenting opinion as bias (whether deliberately or accidentally)? A thought-provoking discussion of the difference...
Keeping it clean
It’s difficult to believe that anyone could object to the UBP's plea to keep the election clean and focused on the issues. But object is precisely what the PLP and some of its supporters are doing. The argument seems to...
Credit where it’s due
The PLP is trying to take credit for bringing the allegations of racism at the hospital to light: “The PLP government established the Office of the Ombudsman which investigated the allegations at King Edward and brought them to light. Under...
If the shoe fits…
The PLP blog is complaining about the Royal Gazette again, this time for describing the Premier’s speech on Friday evening as an “insult-strewn tirade”. The Gazette ought to be more careful about editorialising in its news stories, particularly given its...
Why the Premier should address the BHC allegations
In his speech at the PLP banquet on Friday evening, Premier Ewart Brown spoke candidly about his refusal to answer any of the allegations in the leaked BHC dossier. He said that to do so would have set a “dangerous...
Back in the saddle again
They say that a week is a long time in politics, so perhaps it's unsurprising that the nine months that I’ve been on hiatus feel like an eternity. In that time, the Government has pushed forward a number of controversial...
Wayne Furbert’s leadership: Poll results
With Opposition Leader Wayne Furbert due to give a televised address on Thursday evening about the UBP’s recent travails, a significant majority of readers of this site feel that it’s time for him to step down. According to an unscientific...
Where are you, Mr. Furbert?
Does anyone know why Opposition Leader Wayne Furbert has been off the Island since the weekend, and won't return until the end of this week? With all the allegations still swirling around his party, and the questions being raised about...
How much control?
Just when the UBP probably thought things couldn’t get any worse, another senior member of the party resigns citing racism. However, as with Jamahl Simmons, some of the claims made by Gwyneth Rawlins seem self-contradictory. "Blacks who make it to...
Jamahl Simmons and the UBP
It’s difficult to know what to make of Jamahl Simmons’ tempestuous split from the UBP yesterday. All that’s clear is that Mr. Simmons and his supporters were the targets of a protracted campaign by a small group within the Pembroke...
Blogging for the PLP
While the popularity of blogging continues to grow, I remain baffled by the one-sided nature of Bermuda’s political blogosphere. None of the blogs that regularly discuss local politics could be described as being friendly to the PLP. That’s a problem....
Terror alert
Police have uncovered an al-Qaeda cell that was actively planning terrorist attacks in Bermuda, Immigration Minister Derrick Burgess said last nighti Mr. Burgess said that the conspirators were planning to crack jokes of dubious taste at several locations around the...
Most expensive and least effective
"Government has to consider all its citizens. Just about every house in Bermuda has a television." So says a Government spokesperson in today's Bermuda Sun, justifying the Government's decision to forge ahead with its plans for its own TV station....
An odd sort of role model
Julian Hall was on the radio news this morning, holding Premier Ewart Brown up as an example to Bermuda’s youth. Was it because Dr. Brown has shown that the colour of his skin is no barrier to wealth or high...
CURB comments on Brown-Gibbons dust-up
I asked Lynne Winfield, president of Citizens Uprooting Racism In Bermuda (CURB), whether she had any comment on the recent confrontation between the Premier and Grant Gibbons in the House of Assembly. I also asked whether she felt that such...
The leopard
Premier Ewart Brown's attack on UBP backbencher Grant Gibbons in the House of Assembly on Friday evening provided a timely reminder that despite his ability to dazzle, the Premier is a deeply flawed man whose tenure as Premier is likely...
Questioning Ewart Brown
The Government has received 14 expressions of interest from organisations interested in redeveloping the Club Med property, at least six of which are from “significant brands”. The announcement was made by Premier Ewart Brown at a town hall meeting in...
Open mike: In defence of Walton Brown
jake writes: Having read the recent article "Brown on Brown" by Christian Dunleavey on his Politics.bm site about Walton Brown I was forced to consider if we were talking about the same man. The explicit comment was on disclosure, but...
Open mike: Dinner with the Premier
As an adjunct to the Overseas Territories Consultative Council meet, the Premier of Bermuda, The Hon. Dr. Ewart Brown, was generous enough to host the fourth annual Premier’s Dinner for Bermudian students studying in the UK. The event was held...
Complicity
So let me get this straight. Former Premier Alex Scott is concerned that Premier Ewart Brown’s upcoming fundraiser for the PLP may create a perception of corruption, since it will allow people to “literally buy into Government”. Yet Mr. Scott...
On the ropes: Poll results
For the last couple of weeks I've been running a poll asking who you think would win the next election if it was held tomorrow. The results were as follows: Election Talk If a General Election was held tomorrow, who...
A black governor
I almost choked when I saw the headline in today’s Royal Gazette: “PLP seeking a black governor”. Reading the article, however, it’s unclear whether the PLP are asking for Baroness Amos or Baroness Scotland because they’re black, or whether they...
Pure Ewart Brown
There was a characteristic whiff of arrogance about Premier Ewart Brown’s suggestion that the location of his weekly meetings with the Governor should alternate between Government House and the Cabinet Office. The Governor is the representative of the Queen in...
2006 Throne Speech
The 2006 Throne Speech is now available on the Government portal here. I'll comment more when I've had chance to digest it.
On the ropes
There was an air of bravado about Opposition Leader Wayne Furbert in today’s Royal Gazette. Despite his claim to be eager for an electoral showdown with the PLP, Mr. Furbert seemed to be protesting too much. The UBP may have...
Premier Brown
Ewart Brown’s ascension to the leadership of both the PLP and the country has left me with mixed feelings. In many ways, I’m glad to see the back of Alex Scott. He was ineffective, frequently said things that made him...
The PLP leadership vote
8.55pm: According to KJAZ 98.1 FM the voting has not yet started: apparently they are arguing about whether Senators are allowed to vote or not. How long have they known that the vote was going to take place tonight? And...
PLP leadership contest: Poll results
Since Ewart Brown announced he would be challenging Alex Scott for the leadership of the PLP at this week's delegates' conference, I've been running two polls to see who you would prefer to see win. The results were as follows:...
Questioning the Premier
According to today's Royal Gazette, Youth On The Move held a meeting last night that "gave young Bermudians the opportunity to ask [Premier Alex Scott] questions on any topic they wished and receive an answer to their faces". How about...
CURB distances itself from Hodgson’s comments
CURB president Lynn Winfield has distanced the organisation from comments made by executive council member Eva Hodgson, who last week said that whites are not targeted by racism. In an email, she told me: “Dr. Hodgson has expressed her own...
Ten questions for Ewart Brown
According to today’s Bermuda Sun, Ewart Brown is expected to give interviews on his vision for Bermuda next week. Bermuda’s journalists are a mostly spineless lot. They usually shy away from asking politicians anything that might make them feel uncomfortable...
The PLP leadership contest
With all the talk of possible challengers for the leadership of the PLP, there’s one topic of conversation that’s conspicuous by its absence. It’s the same discussion that’s missing in most political debate in Bermuda: What would the candidates do...
"Pathetic"
Having become a new father on Monday, I didn’t intend to blog much for the next few weeks. But I am so disgusted by the comments made by Deputy Premier Ewart Brown to the African Diaspora Heritage Trail conference yesterday,...
Cutting off their nose
Last week, the Government was having some difficulty making the sustainable development documents available on its website. In order to ensure the public still had somewhere to get them from, the Department of e-Government asked if I would post them...
Open mike: The JEWEL initiative
The following submission was sent in by Jonathan Starling. With Hurricane Florence threatening, there is a need for grassroots self-reliance and social responsibility. I became a Regimental conscript in January 2003. I left the Regiment as a full Corporal in...
Sustainable development documents
The Government is having some trouble making the electronic copies of the documents that comprise the draft Sustainable Development Plan available on its website. So at the request of the Department of E-Government, I'm making them available here too. They...
Government starts blogging
The Government has launched its first blog. Titled “Charting Our Course: Sustaining Bermuda”, the blog has been established to help solicit public feedback on the draft sustainable development plan. Comments can be left on any of the posts on the...
Wayne Furbert's Labour Day speech
Opposition Leader Wayne Furbert has called on Bermudians to make more of an effort listen to each other. In a speech at today's Labour Day celebrations, Mr. Furbert said that Bermudians tend to pigeonhole one another, seeing people only in...
Musical chairs
There has been a Cabinet reshuffle, prompted by the resignation of Education Minister Terry Lister for personal reasons. Neletha Butterfield moves to Education; Randy Horton takes her place in the Environment Ministry; and backbencher Derrick Burgess gets Labour, Home Affairs...
Calvin Smith’s race card
I’m not going to comment on everything Calvin Smith says in his opinion piece titled “Is race trump card in our political discourse?” in today’s Royal Gazette (not available online). But there are a couple of specific points I’d like...
Government seeks feedback on website
The Government is running a short survey to elicit feedback on its website. There's a link to the survey on their homepage, or you can go to it directly here. With luck, this is the first step in the rejuvenation...
Neville Darrell's departure
I’m sorry to hear that ill health has prompted UBP MP and Shadow Education Minister Neville Darrell to announce that he will step down at the next election. However, I think the party will only benefit from having someone else...
Pest control
I don't understand how this is supposed to work when all the politicians have been let out first, though. Thanks to Somers for the photo.
Sustainable development meeting report
Charlotte Andrews reports on the second sustainable development meeting last night. Her account is longer than the Gazette's disappointingly short coverage of the event.
Rallying against violence
Hott 1075’s Stop the Violence Rally was held in Victoria Park at 12.30pm today. Particularly timely given the second quarter crime statistics that were released yesterday. It was a good, well-attended event. However, I thought it was a shame that...
The Worst Of Bermuda Awards 2006
Forget The Bermudian magazine's anodyne Best of Bermuda Awards. That orgy of self-congratulation makes me sick. Especially when I'm still not included in it. Bastards. Instead, sit back as I once agin take stock of all that is awful on...
Sustainable development meeting tonight
The first of five public meetings on the Draft Sustainability Development Strategy and Implementation Plan will be held at the Leopard's club in Hamilton this evening (Tuesday). The theme of tonight's meeting is "Building and maintaining an inclusive, strong economy"....
Upgrading the House
Bermuda's 191-year-old Sessions House needs large-scale repair work that means Parliament will have to move to another locationi "During the recent discussions on the salary increases for MPs, we realised that the Sessions House does not have all the facilities...
Public meetings calendar
Last Wednesday, there was a town hall meeting about Bermuda’s housing problem. Apparently few people turned up. Had I known about it, I would probably have gone. The day before, the UBP held a “consultative forum”. That was well-attended, however...
The UBP’s consultative forum
The UBP’s “consultative forum” at Francis Patton School last night wasn’t quite as consultative as the name would suggest. I rushed to get there for 7pm, the scheduled start time. I don’t know why I bothered. The meeting started on...
Open mike: The paradox of plenty
Tiger Bay writes: "Resource-rich countries, such as oil producers, often develop slower than less endowed countries. Quite simply, the wealth distorts good governance and decision making. At the same time, the domination of one resource or industry often marginalizes other...
Spendthrift of the Year
Transport and Tourism Minister Ewart Brown is furious after failing to clinch the top spot in the 2005/6 “Spendthrift of the Year” awardsi Home Affairs Minister Randy Horton won the coveted title by spending an average of $376 of public...
Government's role in tackling racism
What should be the extent of the Government’s responsibility to tackle racism? On Friday, Community Affairs Dale Butler rejected two proposals. First, he reaffirmed that the Government will not adopt the UBP’s code of conduct on race because it would...
Panic
Are the members of the Government completely insane? Not content to award themselves pay rises which are 1) massive, 2) to be introduced in one go instead of being phased in, 3) back-dated to April, and 4) likely to precipitate...
Shadow Cabinet approval ratings: Poll results
Over the last two weeks, I’ve been running a survey asking how satisfied you are with the way the members of the UBP Shadow Cabinet are handling their jobs. The results are shown in the graph and table below. The...
A second chance
I was surprised - but happy - to learn that Renee Webb will make a second attempt to have her sexual orientation discrimination bill passed into law in November. However, if she is to have any chance of success, several...
Unintended consequences
Looks like the Government's decision to give itself a massive pay rise (with no increase in accountability) has put it on a collision course with both the civil service and the police. Should be interesting to see which gives way...
Shadow Cabinet approval ratings
Earlier this year I ran a poll inviting you to rate the performance of each member of the Cabinet (the results can be found here). As I pointed out at the time, the regular opinion polls commissioned by the Royal...
Pay attention, Mr. Furbert
Today's Mid Ocean News reports Opposition Leader Wayne Furbert demanding that the Premier say whether he supported Renee Webb's bill to amend the Human Rights Act. "If you are going to show true leadership then you have to make a...
Sexual orientation test case imminent?
The claim that discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation is already covered in the Human Rights Act may soon be put to the test. According to Natasha Rosdol, one of the organisers of last Friday’s Lunch for Democracy protest:...
Burch, broadcasting and bias
Bermuda’s Broadcasting Commission has decided that Lt. Col. David Burch’s infamous “house niggers” comment was “in violation of the spirit” of the Broadcasting Act. Here’s the relevant section of the Act: 8 (1) No programme or other matter intended to...
Lunch at the House
Just a reminder of the pro-democracy rally that will be taking place at the House of Assembly at 12.15pm today, to protest the failure of MPs to debate Renee Webb's proposed addition of sexual orientation to the Human Rights Act...
Gay rights in an independent Bermuda?
An eagle-eyed reader has pointed out that the general hostility of members of the PLP to including sexual orientation in the Human Rights Act is at odds with the party’s own submission to the Bermuda Independence Commission. On page 11,...
Bullshittery
Despite being roundly condemned (here, here, here, here and here) for their failure to debate Renee Webb’s amendment to the Human Rights Act last week, Bermuda’s MPs continue to equivocate. Paula Cox: ”Some clear, objective and factual discussion and consultation...
Pro-democracy protest
Following the defeat of Renee Webb’s proposed amendment to the Human Rights Act last week, a rally is being organised to protest the lack of debate among MPs. An email that circulated yesterday suggested that the protest was a show...
Unhappy as Larry
They say that you should never ascribe to malice anything that can adequately be explained by incompetence. So in the case of the travails of Auditor General Larry Dennis, which is it? In recent days his department has been abruptly...
Open mike: Bermuda government website
A reader writes: "The recent e-business report from the Isle of Man highlighted the shortcomings of the Bermuda Government's online activities, particularly their website which is known for being incomplete and ponderously slow despite considerable investment. My personal gripe is...
Invertebrates
What the hell is this UBP bullshit? The Opposition said they did not speak to a private member's bill that would have outlawed discrimination against homosexuals at the House of Assembly yesterday because they were waiting for a Government Minister...
Human Rights Amendment Act debate
I've been informed that the debate of Renee Webb's amendment to the Human Rights Act is likely to begin shortly after 2pm this afternoon. If you're thinking of going along to watch, that's the time to get there. » The...
Voting on Renee Webb’s bill
Earlier today I tried to contact every UBP and PLP MP to find out how they will be voting on Renee Webb’s private member’s bill tomorrow. I don’t have email addresses for some, and others proved to be invalid. Many...
Recruiting whites into the PLP
In the final part of the Royal Gazette’s series ‘Whites in the PLP’, Premier Alex Scott said that, under his leadership, the PLP would not actively seek to recruit whites. Nevertheless, he apparently rejected the use of race as a...
iPoliticians
I wonder if Premier Alex Scott chatted with Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist about this during his trip to Washington last week: Veteran politicians more familiar with turntables and typewriters are enlisting twentysomething computer whiz kids to help them brave...
Whites in the PLP
The Royal Gazette deserves credit for running what's shaping up to be a fascinating series of articles on whites in the PLP. Today's introduction set the scene: When the Progressive Labour Party was formed in 1963 it was as a...
Disgusting, but not illegal
A lot of people are criticising the Human Rights Commission (HRC) for rejecting a complaint against Senator David Burch for using the term "house niggers" on his radio show last year. I defended the HRC's decision last December, when it...
Dragging its FOIt
It's amazing what you can achieve when you put your mind to it. A reader wrote to me today to point out that in the time it’s taken Bermuda to produce a discussion paper on freedom of information, the Cayman...
Politics of division
I was disappointed, but not at all surprised, by the PLP’s rejection of the UBP’s proposed racial code of conduct for elections. The current administration shamelessly exploited Bermuda’s racial divisions during the 2003 election, and senior members of the party...
A right to know
It's been a week since the Bermuda Sun revealed that Tourism Minister Ewart Brown stayed at a seven star hotel at the public’s expense during a recent trip to Dubai. Ever since, I have been trying to find out the...
Liar, liar, pants on fire
“Now, children, calm down and tell me what this is all about.” “Please, miss,” sniffed Wayne. “Yesterday he invited me to his birthday party, then…” “I did NOT,” interrupted Alex. “Alex, quiet!” said the headmistress. “Let Wayne finish.” Alex scowled...
Accountability, or the lack thereof
So it appears that this was only a minor lack of accountability, after all. This is what a serious lack of accountability looks like.
Missing words
Welcome to the first LiB "Missing Words" competition. Fans of the British TV show Have I Got News For You will be familiar with the drill. Each competition will feature a selection of headlines from the week's newspapers, with selected...
I'm okay, you're biased
An Op-Ed piece in the New York Times titled “I’m O.K., You’re Biased” by Daniel Gilbert provides insight into the finger-pointing and defensiveness that occur so often in the blogosphere. The writer cites reseach that concludes we suspect others of...
Pleasant questions
Yesterday's Royal Gazette featured a disappointing interview with Transport and Tourism Minister Dr. Ewart Brown. It eschewed difficult questions in favour of affording Dr. Brown another opportunity for self-promotion. What motivated his "back to the plantation" remark in the run-up...
Rolfe Commissiong's UBP
In an Opinion piece in today's Royal Gazette, Rolfe Commissiong criticises white Bermudians for voting almost exclusively for the UBP while praising black Bermudians for their willingness to "cross the political colour line". The implication is that Bermuda's blacks are...
Democratic reform: Poll results
Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been running a survey to determine support for a variety of political reforms. The results are shown in the graph and table below. The scores for each proposed reform were computed by awarding...
The UBP's new vision
I've just got back from tonight's UBP shindig at the Southampton Princess, at which Wayne Furbert made one of his first public speeches since becoming leader. Here's what he had to say. Some of the highlights: the UBP would create...
Pay increases for MPs
Perhaps I spoke too soon. It's beginning to seem as if the UBP's principled opposition to the proposed salary increases wasn't so principled after all. Or indeed, opposition. Writing in Friday's Royal Gazette, Opposition Leader Wayne Furbert said: "We as...
Kudos
Three cheers for Opposition leader Wayne Furbert, for not supporting the proposed pay hikes for MPs. Transport and Tourism Minister Dr. Ewart Brown, for acting quickly to prevent his Ministry's advertising company bringing in a foreign photographer for a local...
Over budget
SmokingGun and Tiger Bay pointed out these nuggets in today's Royal Gazette: The House also heard that the memorial for those lost at sea at Great Head Park, St. David’s, had cost Government $250,000 more than was budgeted for. and...
Fixed-term elections
Last Saturday night’s forum on Political Truths and Reconstruction raised several questions about the suitability of the Westminster system of Parliamentary Democracy for Bermuda. One of the topics arising was fixed-term elections. As I have written more than a few...
Political point-scoring
Is it just me, or does Patricia Gordon-Pamplin's complaint to the Human Rights Commission (HRC) about Senator David Burch's "house niggers" comments smack of political point-scoring? I'm as disgusted by what Senator Burch said as the next person, but shouldn't...
Political truths and reconstruction
On Saturday evening, around 60 people filled St. Paul’s Christian Education Centre to discuss how to make Bermuda’s political system more democratic. At the start of the evening, I was somewhat sceptical about the need for such change. By the...
Reshaping Bermudian politics
There has been much talk recently about the need to change Bermuda's political system, to dispel the widespread disillusionment with local politics. Now activist Khalid Wasi has organised a forum to discuss ways to make this happen. The forum is...
Open mike: Pension write-off
Tiger Bay is concerned by the confusion about how much of the debt of the civil service pension fund the Government has written off - and the failure of Finance Minister Paula Cox to clear things up: "Last year she...
Cabinet approval ratings: Poll results
For the last couple of weeks I’ve been running a survey asking how satisfied you are with the way the members of the Cabinet are handling their jobs. The results are shown in the graph and table below. The scores...
E. Michael Jones and Club Med
When former St. George’s mayor E. Michael Jones called a snap election last month, some people wondered why he’d do such a thing almost a year before the end of his term. Mr. Jones said it was to avoid a...
Do as I say, not as I do
I'm opposed to mandatory drug testing in the workplace, for reasons that I've stated before. I don't support testing for MPs for the same reasons. However for Minister of National Drug Control, Wayne Perinchief, to keep calling for the former...
Changing Bermuda
As a young Bermudian, I've grown very tired of watching the issue of racism take centre stage in dictating my future. It's an issue that is clearly tied to a past in which I had no part. It is truly...
Approval ratings for the Cabinet
Yesterday's Royal Gazette had the results of another of their bi-monthly opinion polls of the Premier. While these surveys are interesting, the Government is more than one individual. It's not much good having an outstanding Premier if most of the...
New Shadow Cabinet announced
Opposition leader Wayne Furbert has announced his new Shadow Cabinet. The new lineup is as follows: Education - Neville Darrell Environment - Cole Simons Finance - Patricia Gordon Pamplin (formerly held by Dr. Grant Gibbons) Housing - Senator Kim Swan...
Wayne Furbert replies
Here's the response of Opposition Leader Wayne Furbert to the letter than Denis Pitcher sent to him yesterday. Dear Mr. Pitcher, I am truly grateful for the opportunity to address the concerns raised by you. I have also been greatly...
An open letter to Wayne Furbert
Mr. Furbert, I would like to offer my congratulations on your recent appointment as leader of the UBP. As a young Bermudian who is quickly becoming politically active, I would hope that you could take a moment out of your...
The ABCs of politics
I was listening to Khalid Wasi on the radio last night, talking some more about his new political party, the All Bermuda Congress (ABC). By the end I had no better idea what the ABC stands for than I did...
The UBP's new leader
With the elevation of Wayne Furbert to the leadership of the UBP, the party has an opportunity to reinvent itself. However it's going to require strong, decisive leadership from Mr. Furbert and if mishandled may actually lend credence to the...
The St. George’s mayoral election
The upcoming mayoral election in St. George’s looks like being a two-horse race between incumbent E. Michael Jones and bank manager Mariea Caisey. In what appears to be a concerted effort to get rid of Mr. Jones, the other likely...
In defence of the HRC
The Human Rights Commission (HRC) has come in for some criticism in recent weeks. First, Tony Brannon was unhappy with their refusal to investigat