Official Hansard Report

2018/2020 SESSION of the

BERMUDA HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY

OFFICIAL HANSARD REPORT

4 March 2020 Sitting number 39 of the 2018/2020 Session (pages 3309–3392)

Hon. Dennis P. Lister, Jr., JP, MP Speaker

Disclaimer: The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for informational purposes only. The printed version remains the official record. Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3309

BERMUDA HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY

OFFICIAL HANSARD REPORT 4 MARCH 2020 10:02 AM Sitting Number 39 of the 2018/2020 Session

[Hon. Dennis P. Lister, Jr., Speaker, in the Chair] STATEMENTS BY MINISTERS AND JUNIOR MINISTERS PRAYERS The Speaker: There are none. [Prayers read by Mr. Clark Somner, Deputy Clerk] REPORTS OF COMMITTEES The Speaker: Good morning, Members.

The Speaker: There are none. [Gavel] QUESTION PERIOD CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES

[Minutes of 28 February 2020] The Speaker: They are carried.

Members, the Minutes of the 28th of The Speaker: The Deputy Clerk: Carried over? February have been circulated. Are there any objections, omissions or corrections? The Speaker: Yes. There are none. The Minutes will be confirmed as printed. CONGRATULATORY AND/OR

[Minutes of 28 February 2020 confirmed.] OBITUARY SPEECHES

The Speaker: The Minutes of the 2nd of March have The Speaker: Does any Member wish to rise this been deferred. morning to give congrats or condolences? We recognise the Deputy Speaker. MESSAGES FROM THE GOVERNOR Deputy Speaker, you have the floor.

The Speaker: There are none. Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE SPEAKER Mr. Speaker, this morning I would like for this House to send condolences to the family of Glenn OR MEMBER PRESIDING (known to a lot of people as “Dingback”) Simmons. Glenn Simmons was a trade unionist later in his life The Speaker: There are none. and a very dedicated one at that, Mr. Speaker.

MESSAGES FROM THE SENATE The Speaker: Yes.

The Speaker: There are none. Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: I would describe Glenn Simmons as a freedom fighter. If there was an PAPERS AND OTHER injustice and there had to be a demonstration on that COMMUNICATIONS TO THE HOUSE injustice, regardless of the union, Glenn Simmons would be amongst that crowd in his colourful attire, Mr. Speaker. He was one of those trade unionists who The Speaker: There are none. would go to the end at any length just to represent his PETITIONS people, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker: Yes. The Speaker: There are none this morning. Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: He was a bus operator. And, Mr. Speaker, those who travel on the bus Bermuda House of Assembly 3310 4 March 2020 Official Hansard Report that Glenn Simmons drove, they could be assured The Speaker: Before you saw him, yes. that if assistance was needed, he would do just that, whether it be the tourist who wanted to know where a Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch: Mr. Speaker, we went certain place is, Glenn would be there. He also oper- to the same high school, and he was from the west. ated a taxi. And, Mr. Speaker, he was a soccer player. But, Mr. Speaker, even though I think his entire life, In fact, Glenn used to get on my nerves when he even if you disagreed on a subject or a matter and played against my team— had a fulsome discussion, he never carried that away with him anywhere. The next time he saw you he was The Speaker: He played for the team from the West always the same, talking his same smack, generally, End. Mr. Speaker. I think I would definitely like to extend condolences to his family and to his Bermuda Indus- Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: —because he would trial Union family. He will be sorely missed as a figure run the whole 90 minutes. He played for a team up the in this community, not just from that perspective, but West End. as an ambassador for this country as well. A spirit bigger than life, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: Yes. The mighty Trojans, yes. You can I was recording last night about him. I said, get it out, the mighty Trojans. Yeah, he was bigger than life. He was louder than life too. Because you could always . . . there was— Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: The Trojans, as the Speaker has said. The Speaker: You knew when he was around.

The Speaker: Yes. Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch: You knew when he was around. Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: But he just ran the whole 90 minutes. And he would be a nuisance to de- The Speaker: Yes. fenders, Mr. Speaker. Glenn Simmons was one of the best golfers in this country and represented Bermuda Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch: I think it is a sad day overseas. I think it was in the Eisenhower [Trophy]. I for the whole country, Mr. Speaker, his passing. And I think it was captained by Brendan Bees Ingham. look forward to being able to pay the proper respects Glenn was a colourful gentleman. You know when there is a celebration of his life. Thank you. when, whether it be Labour Day March or any other march, you do not have to look far to see Glenn Sim- The Speaker: Member Simons, you have the floor. mons, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, we want to send condolences also to his wife, his daughters and son, Mr. N. H. Cole Simons: Yes. I would like to associate and the entire family. Glenn will certainly be sorely myself with the comments made in regard to Mr. missed by not only the trade union movement, but Simmons. As the Minister of Works and Engineering anyone who knew him. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. said, we went to Sandys together. He was a character there; he was a character in life and in public life. As The Speaker: Mr. Deputy, I am sure the House will the Minister said, you always heard him before you want to be associated with that as well. saw him. But he was a giving person, and he cared about people. Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: Yes, yes, Mr. Speaker. And I will give you an example, Mr. Speaker. I would like to associate the House with those re- We were not on the same team politically. But we al- marks. Thank you. ways had each other’s back. And I remember when we had the uprising on December 2nd. I was left, The Speaker: Thank you. parked my bike and I was going to do to come up into I recognise the Minister of Works. the Parliamentary Chamber when people were cir- Minister. cumventing the Parliament. He said, Cole! Don’t go up there. I’m looking out for you. I’m looking out for you, Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch: Mr. Speaker, good Cole. Do not go out there. I will cover your back. Lis- morning. ten to me, listen to me. And that is the type of guy he was. We were on different sides of the spectrum. But The Speaker: Good morning. if you were his friend, he would look out for you no matter what. And that is what I appreciated about him. Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch: I would like to be as- The last time I saw him I was on the tracks sociated with those condolences as well. I used to down at Bailey’s Bay. I was on my horse, and he was always say about Glenn Simmons that you would hear coming on his pushbike, pedalling. And I said, Man, him before you saw him. what you doing on a bike? I had never seen him bik- ing. Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3311

I asked, What are you doing down this way? cation. You cannot give enough congrats to that kind He said, I’m picking up my bike and I’m riding of dedication. All you can do is sit back in awe at the it. . . somewhere, he said. He said, Hang on a second. person and say, Well done. Well done! Thank you for I want to talk to you. your dedication to Bermuda, and thank you to his fam- I said, Well, sure. What do you want to talk to ily for allowing him to sacrifice himself for what he truly me about it? believed in, a better Bermuda. He said, You know, I’m disappointed in some of the things that my political colleagues are doing. The Speaker: Thank you. I said, Who? Glenn, you put them in and you have to deal with it. So you go and give them the ad- Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: I would also like to give vice that you need. If you are disappointed, go talk to congratulations to . . . I had the opportunity to go to them. You need not talk to me. He laughed, and we the Motown show up at Southampton Princess. I am laughed and laughed and laughed. not sure how many Members of Parliament have had But that is the way he was, and that is the the opportunity. But my goodness! The talent in Ber- relationship that we had. A political boundary does not muda! We have always talked about the musical tal- provide any barrier in regard to our friendship and re- ent in Bermuda. To see that Motown show being put lationship. And if that is the case for me, I am certain it on, and I cannot remember all of the names. I know applies to other people throughout the country. the Hinds, they were hugely a part of organising that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to send Just fantastic that we had a walk-through time on the condolences to his sister, Maureen, who was in my wonderful music that Motown presented to Bermuda. class; his wife and children and other family members. And I want to say to all of those who participated, from He will be sadly missed by our community. the young Michael Jackson 5 group that came out, yes, young fellows, right on up to those who emulated The Speaker: Thank you, Mr. Simons. Diana Ross and the likes. A fantastic job; I hope that Mr. Opposition Leader. they do a third one. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: Yes. Thank you, Mr. The Speaker: Thank you, Honourable Member. Speaker. I now recognise the Honourable Member I would certainly like to echo the sentiments Hayward. Honourable Member, you have the floor. and the condolences to the family of Glenn, whom I also had the opportunity of getting to know fairly well. Mr. Jason Hayward: Good morning, Mr. Speaker. We have heard a lot this morning maybe about his being a character. But I think what stands out most for The Speaker: Good morning. me was his concern about fellow Bermudians. There was never a time where I saw him . . . well, yes, I Mr. Jason Hayward: I would also like to be associat- usually did hear him before I saw him. But he would ed with the comments for the condolences to the usually be shouting out, Hey, buddy! How’s your wife? friends and family of my brother, Glenn Simmons. And I know that many around the table here or in this Glenn was what we considered to be a social justice room would know that he was always asking about warrior. He had a deep love for his community. Every family. What I did learn much about him was he was single time that we were called to some sort of indus- very dedicated. Outside of the character itself, this trial action or to stand up on behalf of the people of was a guy who really had a soul focused in on, We Bermuda, Glenn was there. He was not just there, but gotta do what’s right by the people. And that always he was an active participant in terms of maintaining stood out to me, outside of all of the playing that we order and decorum. He was always found in front of did. any march either directing traffic or facilitating where I can remember the first time that I spoke on people should go and where you should not go. Labour Day. And there was a fuss about whether or And while we consider him to be a chief lieu- not I should be speaking before the Premier or after tenant, he did not really need to be in the situation the Premier. And after speaking, he was the first one room. But once we formulated a plan, he would ask, to run up to me and said, Well, you spoke your mind, What’s the plan? And then he would be on the front didn’t you? line of executing it. I currently sit on the Board of the Bermuda [Laughter] Credit Union, where he was a member. He was an active member of the People’s Campaign. When I was Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: And I always appreciated President of the Trade Union Congress, Brother the fact that this was just a fellow Bermudian con- Glenn was a member there. I had the opportunity to cerned about the future and the present, I should say travel with Brother Glenn to the Caribbean Congress . . . and the future of where we are as a people. And of Labour, where he was elected to the executive of for that, you cannot pay enough for that kind of dedi- Bermuda House of Assembly 3312 4 March 2020 Official Hansard Report that body. And also, he was the first Vice President of even 5 foot 9. But he hit a ball as far as anybody I the Bermuda Industrial Union. knew in those days. With a two-iron, he could hit eve- Glenn at times was a joker, but he was a very rything a long way. And he took great pleasure in try- serious person. And he always had this phrase when ing to hit the ball a long way. But he was also a good he would begin to say something serious. And he golfer. As I said, he was a good athlete. And Glenn would say, Let me just say this, respectfully. And then would always say, Let’s go play golf. Let’s go play he would go into his deliberation. Glenn was also golf. And we played a lot as juniors. I never played known to drop a line where, if you are having a con- with him much in our maturing years because he liked versation, he would say, I can get Jordan down here, to play with Jordan. I guess he wanted to play for the you know. I have his number. I can call him right now. money. And so he would often say that. And he was a good footballer. He scored one But I was in a meeting with Glenn just over of the best goals I have ever seen up on the carpet in two weeks ago. And the man I saw was not the man an FA Cup Final in those days. He might have been whom I knew. And it just shows you how precious our playing for Vasco. He might have moved on from club time on earth actually is. He was an awesome gen- to club occasionally. But he was a well-respected tleman. And he will always be remembered in my good football player. And he scored his goal from well heart as a leader and a social justice warrior. Thank outside the penalty box on the right side of the field, you, Mr. Speaker. and it just curled into the top of the pigeonhole. And everyone said he was trying to make a cross, across The Speaker: Thank you, Mr. Hayward. the penalty spot. And he just clipped it and it went into I recognise the Honourable Member Dunkley. the top corner. But Glenn would never admit it. He You have the floor. would never admit it. But it was a beautiful goal. So to honourable colleagues . . . May he rest in peace. Hon. Michael H. Dunkley: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and good morning to colleagues. [Timer beeps] I would just like to follow on and be associated with the condolences to the family of Mr. Glenn Sim- The Speaker: Thank you, Mr. Dunkley. mons. And I had a little smile with the comments by Would any other Member like to speak? Honourable Member, Mr. Hayward, in regard to Glenn We recognise the Honourable Member and some of his sayings, because I remember hearing Atherden. You have the floor. those many times and often. And certainly, Let me just say this, respectfully . . . I knew what was coming. I Hon. Jeanne J. Atherden: Mr. Speaker, I would like knew there was a disagreement. But even though, as to be associated with the condolences sent to the my honourable colleague Cole Simons said, that he family of Glenn Simmons. I must say that as it relates was on the other side of the fence politically, he was to Glenn, the one place that I would say that he was always very respectful. pretty quiet was on the golf course, because I used to And I considered him a friend. I knew him a be Tournament Director up at Port Royal. And believe long time. And it is amazing how he always asked it or not, when Glenn was out there with his team, yes, how you were doing, how your family were doing, as he was out there trying to score and making sure that the Opposition Leader said. You know, he came to a his shots were going. But he could keep his team to- very rough ending of a life well lived. And I always gether. I always recognised that if you ever wanted considered him a man of strength, real strength in his someone to put a team together for a beneficiary convictions, real strength in his actions, strength in his tournament, et cetera, Glenn would be there. body too. And it is sad to see that a man of that char- And that was the one thing. He liked his golf, acter and strength came to an end with such pain and but he also liked to do things for people. And every suffering. time I would be somewhere in a tournament, I would But Glenn always did things in Glenn’s way. get there and I would see his group of people. And I And I will remember when my wife was struggling with used to say, Is anybody else going to win? They’re a challenge, the first time I saw him during that, first going to have to split your team up. Because he was thing he said to me, How’s your wife doing? He hardly competitive. He liked his mates. You know, by the knew my wife. But that was the first thing that he said time it was Frankie Furbert and two or three others, to me because he cared about people. No matter you knew that they were out there. But Glenn always where he was, where he sat, what he believed in, he enjoyed talking. And, you know, we would say hi. We cared about people genuinely. I knew that. knew that, obviously, we were on different sides of When I grew up with him, we started playing things. But to be able to talk about, you know, what golf together in the early 1970s at Port Royal. And was happening in life in general. And Glenn used to when I say that Glenn was a man of strength, as an play a lot with my husband when he first came to athlete he was a man of strength. He could hit a golf Bermuda. ball a long way, and he was, you know, maybe not Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3313

And so I am really saddened. I was away, and [Laughter] when I looked and heard it . . . I knew he had a health challenge. And you always hope that people will sud- Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: So my son said to denly get a cure, or that something will happen so that him, Well, don’t worry. My mom will call you. If she life would be lived for so much longer. So I was really said she’ll call you, she will call you. saddened when I heard that he had died. And I would That was the kind of insistence, because he like to say my condolences to his family and his wanted to look out for his friend who was going to be friends. coming to Bermuda. And he wanted to make sure that Thank you, Mr. Speaker. his friend was going to be well accommodated. That is the kind of person that Glenn was, to be concerned The Speaker: Thank you, Honourable Member. about everybody and to make sure to look out for Does any other Honourable Member wish to those people. speak? So while I did see and know him in the union We recognise the Honourable Member Gor- setting, my fondest memories were in a personal and don-Pamplin. You have the floor. family setting. So my heart goes out to him. I remember him bringing his daughter up to me one day. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: Thank you, Mr. Glenn was always at the ballpark cheering on his sis- Speaker. ters. But I remember him bringing his daughter up to Mr. Speaker, it was probably some 55 or so me. And I said to him, She’s absolutely gorgeous. She years ago when I was first introduced to Glenn as I must take after her mama. became an integral member of the Mouchette family And of course, we had a big joke about that. and Glenn’s mother, Aunt Pearl and Uncle Dingback He said, Now, now, now, Cousin. Now, Cousin. Aubrey. Aunt Pearl was sister to my mother-in-law, So those are the interactions and the sorts of Bernice Mouchette. So we had the opportunity to get things that I will miss. together at family times for a long, long time. Of So I would ask that a special condolences . . . course, after we grew a little older and went separate I join in the condolences to be sent to his wife Maxine, ways, we still had the opportunity to interact because I his daughters Mahogany and Glennnice, and his son, played softball with both of his sisters, Diane and Max. And I certainly wish that he would rest in peace. Donna, and his brothers Wesley and Llewellyn. You Thank you, Mr. Speaker. know, just to have us together as family was really something very special. The Speaker: Thank you, Honourable Member. Glenn loved family. But he also loved to We recognise the Honourable Member from clown. So there were times when we would go out to St. George’s. Mrs. Ming, you have the floor. picnics, family picnics and any family event, and he always was the centre of not just attention, but the Mrs. Renee Ming: Good morning, Mr. Speaker. person who brought the family together. His antics I would like to be associated with the com- were just absolutely priceless, and it was interesting. ments for Glenn Simmons as well. Mr. Speaker, if the My son and I were commiserating. We were discuss- man told me 10 times, he commented about some- ing last night. And he says, Mom, remember last thing in St. George’s 10 times. Most of the time it was year? As you know, I have a guest apartment, and he about my poorly playing cricket team and the fact that had some friends who would come down to Bermuda. we were not successful in our Cup Match bid. And he wanted to make sure that his friends who had contacted him earlier—he wanted to make sure that The Speaker: Well, everybody comments about how the friend was able to be accommodated at my place. poorly they play, yes. So he met me in the street, and he screamed out, Call me! Call me! And I did not have a chance to Mrs. Renee Ming: But he would be sure to remind me call him. By the time I got home that evening, my son about something about St. George’s. Because he got said to me, Mom! Glenn came by. He banged the door around a lot, he sometimes would send me messages down. He banged on my door upstairs, the whole nine about something in St. George’s that either needed to yards, screaming saying, you know, ‘Where’s your be fixed or improved, or a suggestion that he had. And mama? Where’s your mama?’ one day he sent the message and he told the person . . . well, the person said, Dingback’s here. Now, re- [Laughter] member my age, Mr. Speaker. So I am like, Who in the devil is Dingback? So the person at that time Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: And he said, could not even tell me the real name of who he was. Yeah, Mom will be home shortly. So it was about a week later when I saw him, and he He said, Well, I saw her. I told her to call me was like, You didn’t get my message? this afternoon. She hasn’t called me yet. And I said, You’re Dingback?

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And he was like, Yes. You don’t have to al- Mr. Famous, it looks like you would like to ways call me Mr. Simmons. contribute. I said, Well, I won’t be calling anybody “Ding- back”, but we can stick to Mr. Simmons. Because I Mr. Christopher Famous: Good morning, Mr. know my staying-in-my-lane thing. Speaker. But he will be fondly remembered. Hopefully, maybe when St. George’s wins Cup Match this year, The Speaker: Good morning. Mr. Speaker— Mr. Christopher Famous: Good morning, Bermuda. The Speaker: Tsk-tsk-tsk, not this year. Mr. Speaker, I am not sure if it was mentioned already, but I would like to give condolences to the Mrs. Renee Ming: —I can, you know, reassure him friends and family of Ms. Keita Wilson. She was Cam- that we came out of our slump. paign Manager for MP Tinee Furbert, and she was a PLP stalwart. She was a young lady who . . . every- The Speaker: Not this year. Nope. body wants to be associated. She was a young lady who helped everybody. She was a mother of two Mrs. Renee Ming: Okay? Mr. Speaker, I would also young sons, one who is in university. And I want eve- like to take this time to extend condolences to the ryone to please give MP Tinee Furbert support that family of Glennda Anderson, especially her daughters, she needs, because that was essentially her sister. Tiffany and Tamisha. And to— Mr. Speaker, I would like to also give condolences to the family of Ms. Anna Bento of Poinciana The Speaker: The Deputy would like to be associat- Estate. That falls under constituency 12, but falls un- ed. der Devonshire. Now, Mr. Speaker, I want to join everybody on Mrs. Renee Ming: Oh. I would like to associate the speaking about Mr. Dingback Simmons. What was not Deputy Speaker [sic] with those comments. mentioned was that he was actually a chairman of a Devonshire branch, constituency 13 to be precise. He The Speaker: Deputy Premier. was a chairman when we needed a chairperson. He was a chairman four years ago when we ran a bye- Mrs. Renee Ming: Deputy Leader. Oh, I am sorry. election, a successful bye-election under his guid- The Deputy Premier. (Sorry) And also to the family of ance. (Well, if anyone knows what his guidance Sharon Wales, from Cut Road, St. George’s. That was means, it means, Hey, do that here! Do that there! definitely a shock for us St. Georgians. But we asso- You ain’t seen this person! I ain’t seen you guys on ciate MP Tyrrell with those comments. We keep her my street!) We won. Four years ago we won that bye- and her family in our prayers during this difficult time. election. And on a happier note, Mr. Speaker, I would Four years ago this month he also led people like to congratulate the participants of the 8th annual to surround that House. And then four years ago on Bermuda Debate and Public Speaking Competition, December 2nd he led people in front of the gates of and in particular Ms. McKenzie-Kohl Tuckett, who that same House. So my point is that I concur with placed first in her category. I think that is a young lady everyone in here that in the highs and lows, Mr. Glenn whose name we hear often around this House. And I “Dingback” Simmons was a leader of our Bermudian think that— people. And he will be sorely missed. And for that, we must say, United we stand. The Speaker: You found the number. Yes. [Inaudible interjection] Mrs. Renee Ming: Yes. She is a Youth Parliament Member. Mr. Christopher Famous: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker: Yes. The Speaker: Thank you, Honourable Member. Does any other Honourable Member wish to Mrs. Renee Ming: And I look forward to what her fu- speak? ture holds. I would like to associate MP Lawrence We recognise the Minister of Finance. Minis- Scott with those comments as well, Mr. Speaker. ter, you have the floor. Thank you. Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Mr. Speaker, thank you The Speaker: Thank you, Honourable Member. for your indulgence. I would like to be associated with Does any other Honourable Member wish to the comments by colleagues for Glenn Simmons, speak? “Ding-back” as I know him from back in the days in Somer-set. Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3315

But I would like to shift gears slightly and offer The Speaker: You have the floor. some congratulations. Mr. Speaker, in my family, birthdays are very, very, very important affairs. And Mr. Sylvan D. Richards, Jr.: Yes, Mr. Speaker. today is the 16th birthday of my younger son. I normal- I would like to be associated with the condo- ly would not talk about this, because he would not lences to [the family of] Mr. Glenn “Dingback” Sim- want me to. But because they are living in New York mons. His contributions to Bermuda and the Labour now we do not get to do the normal thing that we do, Movement are well known. So I do extend my condo- which is gather all family together to have cake and lences to his family. ice cream and just have a happy birthday. So on this And I also want to take some time to be asso- occasion I would like to have the House send my son, ciated with the condolences that the House is sending John, his Happy 16th Birthday wishes, please. for Ms. Keita Wilson. I knew Keita from social circles. Thank you. My sister and Keita were good friends. We had good times together at parties. And the last time I saw her The Speaker: I hope he is tuned in listening even was actually about a month ago at a fundraiser for a though he is overseas. relative of mine who is suffering from cancer. And Keita was there. And we had a good chat, and we Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Well, I told him that I laughed. And you know, life is funny. Never in a mil- was going to do this. lion years would I have thought that that would have been the last time that I would lay eyes on Keita. A [Laughter] lovely young lady. And you know, she worked full-time in interna- The Speaker: Good. tional business, so I know her from her time working in Mr. Scott. Honourable Member, you have the the industry. And she will be a great, great miss. I floor. know that a lot of people, including MP Tinee Furbert, are devastated by her sudden passing, as are all of Hon. Michael J. Scott: Good morning, Mr. Speaker. her friends and family. So I just wish to take time to wish condolences to her two sons and her family. The Speaker: Good morning. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Hon. Michael J. Scott: I rise and associate myself The Speaker: Thank you, Honourable Member. with these important and fine condolences to a true Does any other Honourable Member wish to social justice champion, Mr. Simmons. And may I be contribute? associated with the father’s congratulations to his 16- None? Before we close out the condolences year-old just making his way in life. and congratulations, just let me add my comments to Mr. Speaker, on a further note, I ask that this the many comments that have already been ex- Honourable House send condolences to the family of pressed on the passing of Glenn “Dingback” Sim- Mr. Walter Kenneth “JU” Dill to his wife, Cheryllyn Dill. mons. I would like to associate Ms. Gordon-Pamplin. As a Somerset boy, I think I have known Glenn since primary school days. And he has always [Inaudible interjection] been, as described, a character, but always had leadership quality. The last occasion I had to see him was Hon. Michael J. Scott: Was that? Then I ask to be two weeks ago, actually. I visited his church. He was a associated with the condolences. I want to associate member of the Devonshire Seventh-day Adventist my colleague, Mr. Neville Tyrrell, who has a family Church. And I was there on that occasion because connection through his wife with Ju-Ju. Ju-Ju and one of my sons preached that day. But it was the last Cheryllyn, I certainly grew up and went to school with time I had to see him. And I am glad of the lasting Cheryl. And I know that at this time she would appre- memory I have, and he will be in the House of the ciate the condolences that are being offered as she Lord. And with that, I add my condolences to those goes through this sad time of the loss of her helpmate that have been expressed to the family. and life mate in Ju-Ju Dill. We will now move on. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. MATTERS OF PRIVILEGE The Speaker: Thank you, Mr. Scott. Mr. Richards, would you like to add a contri- The Speaker: There are none. bution? PERSONAL EXPLANATIONS Mr. Sylvan D. Richards, Jr.: Thank you, Mr. Speak- er. The Speaker: There are none.

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NOTICE OF MOTIONS FOR THE COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE ON MATTERS OF URGENT ESTIMATES OF REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE PUBLIC IMPORTANCE FOR THE YEAR 2020/21

The Chairman: Honourable Members, good morning. The Speaker: There are none. We are now in Committee of Supply for further consideration of the Estimates of Revenue and Expendi- INTRODUCTION OF BILLS ture for the year 2020/21. We are going to hear the Heads 83, 06, 07, 12, 25, 27 and 45. They are now all GOVERNMENT BILLS to be debated. I call on the Minister in charge to proceed. The Speaker: Minister. Minister, you have the floor.

FIRST READING MINISTRY OF NATIONAL SECURITY

MISCELLANEOUS TAXES AMENDMENT ACT 2020 Hon. Wayne Caines: Good morning, Madam Chair- man. I move the following heads: Ministry of National Mr. Curtis L. Dickinson: Mr. Speaker, I am introduc- Security Headquarters, Head 83; Defence, Head 7; ing the follow Bill for its first reading so that it may be the Police, Head 6; Customs, Head 12; Department of placed on the Order Paper for the next day of meet- Corrections, Head 25; Fire Services, Head 45, be now ing: Miscellaneous Taxes Amendment Act 2020. taken under consideration.

The Speaker: Thank you. HEAD 83—MINISTRY OF NATIONAL SECURITY HEADQUARTERS NOTICE OF MOTIONS Hon. Wayne Caines: Madam Chairman, Honourable The Speaker: There are none. Members, I am pleased to present the current accounts estimate for the Ministry of National Security ORDERS OF THE DAY Headquarters, Head 83, which can be found starting at pages B-277 to B-279 of the Estimates of Revenue

and Expenditure book. The Speaker: Members, and members of the general public who are listening in, we are here to continue the annual Budget Debate. And at this time we will Mission resume in Committee for the debate to proceed. And Madam Chairman, the mission is standard for this process, the Speaker is out of the Hon. Wayne Caines: of the Ministry of National Security Headquarters is House for the rest of the day until we finish Commit- Working together to keep you safe. tee. So we are going to ask the Minister to move us, Madam Chairman, the Ministry’s departmental and then the Deputy Speaker will come and chair the objectives are to finalise the strategic plan for the Min- Committee sessions. istry, execute comprehensive immigration reform, real-

locate and realign financial resources within the Minis- Mr. Curtis L. Dickinson: Mr. Speaker, I move that the try, launch Bermuda’s first Coast Guard, implement a House do now resume in Committee of Supply to Ministry-wide succession planning approach, formal- consider the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure ise and enhance collaboration and team environment for 2020/21. between the Ministry’s heads of departments and

build frameworks and legislation for the Disaster Risk The Speaker: Any objections? Reduction and Mitigation Unit and Cybersecurity Unit. No objection. Madam Chairman, the Ministry also facilitates Deputy Speaker. the delivery of the policing strategy of the Bermuda

Police Service and promotes the role of the Bermuda The Speaker: The Chair will be Ms. Susan Jackson. Regiment. You will lead the first session. Madam Chairman, there are several boards Thank you. and committees that fall under the Ministry’s remit,

including: House in Committee at 10:36 am • Parole Board; [Ms. Susan E. Jackson, Chairman] • Treatment of Offenders Board; • Police Complaints Authority;

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• War Veterans Commission; 2) Designed, developed and launched the • Board of Immigration; and summer 2019 and spring 2020 Work Placement and • Immigration Appeals Tribunal. Mentoring Initiative. Madam Chairman, the Ministry of National • Fifteen local companies offered the opportuni- Security Headquarters’ budget allocation is ty to host 14 student employees for a six- $2,372,000 for the year 2020/21, and it represents an week training programme. increase of $312,000, or a 15 per cent increase. This o 13 out of 14 students, or 93 per cent, increase is due to the net effect of the salary for the completed the programme; Permanent Secretary being reallocated to the Cabinet o 118 job coaching sessions delivered; Office, the reallocation of the Cybersecurity Officer o 11 out of 14, or 79 per cent, were of- from IDT to our Ministry, the addition of a budget for fered an additional two paid weeks; the Gang Violence Reduction programme and the o 7 out of 14, or 50 per cent, of the stu- Immigration Appeals Tribunal. The Ministry will also dents were hired in full-time or in part- be converting an existing administrator’s post to that time positions; of a management accountant. o 13 out of 14 students, or 93 per cent, of the parents reported that their chil- Expenditure Overview dren stayed clear of antisocial behaviour. Hon. Wayne Caines: In 2019, Bermuda was fortu- 3) The programme delivered and implement- nate not to have any fatalities due to gun violence. ed the Targeted Primary Prevention Programmes. The success was due to a result of the combined ef- • The programme is currently being delivered at forts between Bermuda Police Service, Gang Violence Victor Scott and Elliot Primary Schools. This Reduction Team [GRVT], and to our community as a includes 14 [experiential-based] sessions de- whole. livered to targeted students in Primary 5 and The budget for the Gang Violence Reduction 6. Team was $580,000. The Gang Violence Reduction • The sessions focus on building self- Team will continue to effectively provide community confidence, self-esteem, positive relationship- outreach; intervention and prevention services; and building skills, teamwork and resilience. The therapeutic programmes to at-risk individuals, families programme is designed to reduce risk factors, and schools involved and affected by violent crime in to enhance protective factors, to increase ac- Bermuda. ademic motivation and to increase develop- The team operates from a coordinated plan to mental factors in the young people. tackle gang violence and antisocial behaviour through The Gang Violence Reduction Team contin- a series of strategically designed prevention, interven- ues to provide [incident] management support for our tion and rehabilitation programmes and initiatives. community and schools with support in managing Madam Chairman, for 2019/20, the Gang Vio- gang-affiliated incidents. Providing immediate [upon lence Reduction Team successfully implemented the request] support when incidents occur, coordinating following pilot programmes: and leading multi-agency meetings to assess and dis- 1) Launched a 32-week Redemption Farm Ini- seminate information pertaining to gang-related inci- tiative with 10 participants. dents, holding mediations and negotiations and tri- • Trainees have received over 60 personal de- aging to services and support on a case-by-case ba- velopment, job training and life skills sessions, sis. completed over 70 farming sessions and re- The Gang Violence Reduction Team supports ceived individual case management sessions. the targeted intervention programmes at CedarBridge • The Gang Violence Reduction Team assisted Academy and the Berkeley Institute. In this school in over 25 crisis situations. These crisis situa- year, the Gang Violence Reduction Team will be part- tions include family situations, economic situa- nering with the Berkeley MILE Programme and tions, community situations and some signifi- launching the My Ambition Programme at Cedar- cant life events. The Gang Violence Reduc- Bridge Academy. tion Team also provides the young men non- The various support services to our high traditional case management support to train- schools include incident management support ser- ees in other certain circumstances within the vices to administration teams, restorative justice ses- programme. sions, student mediations, student referrals and daily • In March 2020, eight of trainees will transition student check-ins, individual case management ser- into a four-to-six-week work placement trial in vices and small group sessions. We are also working hotel, shipping, construction, plumbing and with the school teams to provide individual student, carpentry industries throughout the Island, parent and family support sessions. and two have enrolled in educational programmes. Bermuda House of Assembly 3318 4 March 2020 Official Hansard Report

Plans for 2020/21 • networks of emergency relief centres must be established; Hon. Wayne Caines: Plans for 2020/21 include the • establish a contingency plan for handling following: mass casualties; and 1. Complete a comprehensive review of the Re- • improve communications with other emergen- demption Farm pilot programme and a plan to cy organisations. make changes based off the recommendations of our professionals. Between July and Background Information September 2020 launch the next pilot programme with new trainees. Hon. Wayne Caines: Police Inspector Steve Cosham 2. Continue to manage, support [and train] the was seconded to the Ministry to hold the title of Na- three part-time community outreach workers tional Disaster Coordinator as of April 1st, 2015. to support our at-risk population. Under the direction of PS Marc Telemaque, 3. Launch the bullying app into the middle and now Cabinet Secretary, a paper for discussion was high schools. submitted on August 28, 2017, for the establishment 4. Continue to provide case management sup- of disaster management legislation and National Dis- port, mediations, negotiations and restorative aster Planning Office led by the National Disaster Co- circle groups in our schools and in the com- ordinator. This cabinet paper was discussed on Sep- munity. tember 19, 2017. 5. Continue to provide support to the high school A further Cabinet paper for decision was intervention programmes at CedarBridge submitted in January 2018 for the establishment of the Academy, Berkeley Institute and Success Disaster Risk Reduction and Mitigation Department. Academy. This paper was returned due to budget constraints, 6. Continue to deliver the targeted primary pre- and no new government positions were created. vention programmes in three targeted primary schools. Duties Performed 7. Develop and launch a safe house programme. 8. Continue to deliver the work placement and Hon. Wayne Caines: The National Disaster Coordi- mentoring initiatives. nator engages with stakeholders who own the re- Madam Chairman, the Disaster Risk Reduc- quired national disaster contingency plans. They co- tion and Mitigation Team [DRRM] will have a budget ordinate and stimulate the development, training, ex- of $95,000, down from the 2019/20 budget of ercising and updating of the required national disaster $173,000, or a difference of $78,000. The reduction is contingency plans. And they must have a good work- primarily due to the reallocation of funds required for ing knowledge of the national disaster contingency the management accountant post and consultant cost plans. They must be able to advise the Emergency for projects. Measures Organisation as [soon as] possible. They In the National Security and Defence Review must engage with all communities and develop and in 2014 by the Bermuda Government, the following update the various national disasters and contingency initiatives were recommended: plans. (I crave your indulgence, Madam.) • establish a National Disaster Planning [NDP] office; [Pause] • establish a National Disaster [Management] Policy; DISASTER RISK REDUCTION AND • establish a National Disaster Planning Office MITIGATION TEAM led by a National Disaster Coordinator; • update the emergency powers; Hon. Wayne Caines: Madam Chairman, the Disaster • update the EMO mandate and standing in- Risk Reduction and Mitigation Team will be engaged struction; in the following projects: • update the [Emergency] Powers Act 1963; 1. Cruise ships. The team will build on the prep- • review the Emergency Measures Organisation arations and exercises held in 2018 and will executive and second-tier structure; engage stakeholders to develop contingency • establish memoranda of understanding plans for cruise ships, starting with the regular (MOUs) with international agencies; cruise ships that visit Dockyard. Once com- • make provision for the special needs of sen- pleted this will expand to other ports. iors and vulnerable persons; 2. Chemical facilities. The team will work with SOL, RUBiS, prisons, residents and busi- • disaster preparedness information must be updated, and public education campaigns nesses in the Ferry Reach area to develop must be implemented; contingency plans for the fuels.

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3. A counterterrorism strategy. They will work Mandate with US entities engaging with Bermuda agencies to develop a meaningful counterter- Hon. Wayne Caines: Madam Chairman, under the rorism exercise at the airport in 2020. authority of the Defence Act 1965, the Royal Bermuda 4. Cybersecurity. They will develop a cybersecu- Regiment’s mandate is to be a military force maintain- rity strategy to make government and critical ing the necessary standards of manpower, training agencies that support Bermuda and make and equipment to enable it to perform its assigned sure that we have a more robust strategy for roles efficiently and effectively. The Regiment is con- dealing with cybersecurity threats. tinuously training to remain at a state of readiness in 5. Training. The Disaster Risk Reduction and order to accomplish its role, its missions and tasks for Mitigation Team will hold training workshops local and potentially overseas operations. to ensure that the executive and other agencies that support the Emergency Measures Mission and Roles Organisation understand their role and work cohesively. Hon. Wayne Caines: Madam Chairman, the Regi- 6. Emergency broadcast facility. They will up- ment has completed a five-year internal review study grade the emergency broadcast station on and has [started implementing] the first elements. It is 100.1FM from analogue to digital and ensure a living document, and it will be used as a baseline for that the radio station is robust should we ex- the newly appointed commanding officer as he sets perience a hurricane or another emergency. out to meet the vision and needs over the next five years. Capital Projects As stated earlier the Bermuda Regiment’s mission statement has been changed to, to protect Bermuda’s Hon. Wayne Caines: Madam Chairman, in the com- interests, and following the mission has seen a ing fiscal year, the Ministry will be bringing on board change over the past year, [including]: the remainder of the departments to the public safety • to recruit and retain an all-volunteer force, 31 communications system and it will be completed for all new recruits and retain a retention rate of testing. 75 per cent; Madam Chairman, this completes the presen- • further integration with the Emergency tation for Head 83. Measures Organisation in responding to hu- Madam Chairman, with your leave I would like manitarian aid and disaster relief (commonly to proceed to Head 6, Defence. called HADR) [operations]; • implement and force-generate a full-time pro- The Chairman: Yes. fessional inshore Coast Guard capability.

HEAD 6—DEFENCE Coast Guard

Hon. Wayne Caines: Madam Chairman, Head 6 Hon. Wayne Caines: In adherence to the Defence comprises the Defence Department, the Royal Ber- (Coast Guard) Amendment Act 2018, the Coast muda Regiment (or the RBR for short). Guard has been established in order to secure Ber- The Regiment’s role is to provide a capable muda’s territorial waters out to 12 nautical miles. and adaptable force across a spectrum of duties. The The Royal Bermuda Regiment is happy to report Royal Bermuda Regiment performs a number of irre- that in partnership with the Bermuda Police Service, placeable roles that facilitate stability on our Island. on Thursday, 6 February 2020, after 40 years of plan- The only organisation to have elements that are held ning and discussions they officially launched the Ber- at readiness in order to respond to natural and man- muda Coast Guard, which will be working as a joint made disasters (both on and off the Island), plus rou- unit until April 1, 2021, out of Watford House in Dock- tine, surge, and specialist support to the Bermuda Po- yard. lice and the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Services. The Over this next year they will be developing a full- only government department that does not incur overtime Coast Guard capability that can undertake the time expenses. following tasks once approved: The primary legislation affecting this Royal • meet the standards required to pass the IMO Bermuda Regiment is the Defence Act 1965, the Roy- III evaluation; al Bermuda Regiment Governor’s Orders 1993, His • provide a 24-hour search and rescue capacity Excellency’s Directive to the Commanding Officer coordinated by the Maritime Operations Cen- dated 21 September 2018, the Bermuda Volunteer tre; (Reserve Force) Act 1939 and the Royal Bermuda • enforcement of Bermuda’s inshore maritime Regiment Junior Leaders Act 2015. laws;

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• support HM Customs to interdict marine The Royal Bermuda Regiment currently have smuggling operations; 263 part-time soldiers enlisted, giving the total staff at • support the Department of Environment and 294. Although this number is below their required op- Natural Resources to enforce fisheries regula- erational strength [of 400], they have seen a steady tions; and increase over the last year. Their recruiting is taking • support the Department of Marine and Ports hold, and they have now implemented an auxiliary, to enforce maritime regulations and ensure which acts as a ready reserve of recently retired sol- maritime border and port security. diers with a limited service liability. The strength is 400, Madam Chairman. And the acting strength right Funding now is 294.

Hon. Wayne Caines: Madam Chairman, the total Output Measures and Objectives funding for Defence in this coming year is $7,959,000. This reflects an increase of $750,000, which is 10 per Hon. Wayne Caines: Madam Chairman, the Regi- cent more than the budget in 2019/20. All of this fund- ment successfully met the evaluation standards for ing and $746,000 of this money will be used to fund competency and currency in its two main outputs of nine new full-time members and the operations Force Protection, and Humanitarian Aid and Disaster [$1,496,000] of the newly launched Coast Guard, as Relief. you will see at page B-281. In February the Regiment had a successful Again, Madam Chairman, the funding of this recruit camp, with 31 volunteers participating, which increase will be used to staff and fund the newly cre- was better than the revised measure on page B-284. ated Coast Guard. The newly created Coast Guard There will be an additional recruit camp in July 2020. will be used for search and rescue, enforcement of The Regiment hosted five potential officers from the inshore maritime laws, to support HM Customs to in- Cayman Islands and has been requested to deliver terdict marine smuggling, to support the Department training to its initial 50 soldiers to the cost of the Cay- of Environmental and Natural Resources, to enforce man Islands. maritime fisheries and to support the Department of Further, the Turks and Caicos Islands have Marine and Ports to enforce maritime regulations and made a similar request for assistance establishing a to ensure maritime and border security in Bermuda. military unit based off of our Royal Bermuda Regi- ment. The Royal Bermuda Regiment has been identi- Capital Acquisition Funding fied as the centre of excellence for the UK Overseas Territories for its military capability. Hon. Wayne Caines: Madam Chairman, the Ministry In order to address the challenges of recruit- of National Security has approved $51,000 of capital ing, the Royal Bermuda Regiment has entered into a acquisition funding for Defence. This funding will allow partnership with the Bermuda Police Service for the the Bermuda Regiment to continue with its refurbish- operations of the Outward Bound school, which is at- ment of a 27-foot Boston whaler for the new Coast tended by over 800 students each year. This will allow Guard, with additional funding provided for the much- the unit to positively influence young people regarding needed replacement of the information technology military service so that when they reach the age of and law enforcement systems. Although the Royal majority they will make an informed decision. Bermuda Regiment did not receive the capital funding Preparatory training has been established for that was in the forecast requirement, they have been the three overseas training events, and the events are provided adequate funding to establish nine full-time as follows: Coast Guard officers. Additionally, they are leveraging • The newest non-commissioned officers will their relationships with the UK’s Ministry of Defence undergo a command and leadership training for procurement of equipment that are most competi- and evaluation at Camp Lejeune in May 2020. tive at UK rates and exploring acquisition of surplus • A Company will develop their Force Protec- equipment. tion, common core skills and Adventurous Training also at Camp Lejeune in May 2020. Personnel • A team of specialists will deliver Force Protec- tion and Public Order training to the Guianese Hon. Wayne Caines: Madam Chairman, the Bermuda Defence Forces and other Caribbean nations Regiment currently employee 31 full-time staff, of during Exercise Tradewinds in June 2020. whom all but three are military personnel. With the • Locally, the Royal Bermuda Regiment will start-up of the new Coast Guard they will now em- conduct externally certified chainsaw opera- ployee 39 full-time staff. The three civilian staff are tions, as well as working at heights, to miti- employed in the administration of recruitment, ac- gate the risk when they conduct post-disaster counting and grounds maintenance at the Warwick operations. Camp. Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3321

Major Achievements demonstrates that given the correct resources it can make meaningful transitions for Bermuda’s needs. Hon. Wayne Caines: Madam Chairman, the Royal Madam Chairman, with your leave I would like Bermuda Regiment is primarily a part-time organisa- to go to Head 7, the Bermuda Police Service. tion that conducts all the roles you would expect from a regular unit. This includes the following: HEAD 7—BERMUDA POLICE SERVICE • Provide an immediate response to the effects of Hurricanes Humberto and Jerry. Hon. Wayne Caines: The Bermuda Police Service • The Potential Junior Non-Commissioned Of- [BPS] has received a budget settlement for the finan- ficers (PJNCO) Cadre were examined at cial year 2020/21 of $61,802,000. In light of this budg- Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, in May 2019, et the Bermuda Police Service intends [to progress] its maintaining a high standard for young Bermu- 7 Ambitions Change Programme. This will build upon dian commanders. the historic achievement in 2019, where there were no • B Company [HADR] excelled at their training homicides in Bermuda (a position not seen for over 20 exercise at Tradewinds in June 2019, in St. years). Vincent and Grenadines, as part of a multi- The Bermuda Police Service has commenced national HADR exercise practicing the re- a comprehensive review and reorganisation of its op- gions’ response mechanism to natural disas- erational structures and provision of its services. This ters. This exercise proved Bermuda’s capacity will include the following: to operate in joint operations on land, sea and • an increase in community policing, extending air, focusing on regional cooperation in com- the parish constable scheme in number plex multi-national security operations. across the Island; • A Company (MACA) were evaluated at the • the increase in specialist resources to deal Lydd & Hythe training complex in Kent in the with complex crime including financial, cyber, UK in late September 2019. They received the corruption and vulnerability; Ministry of Defence certification for Internal • a new gang targeting team; Security operations. • an increase in CID officers deployed locally • The Royal Bermuda Regiment Boat Troop across parishes; conducted local operations in support to the • a new non-emergency service (an alternative Bermuda Police Service Maritime Section to dialling 911) to enable a bespoke response throughout the peak boating season. Addi- to calls for service and to enable a focus to- tionally, they will continue in training in local wards the increasingly complex crime profile, disaster mitigation exercises with regards to the vulnerability of victims and the needs of oil spills and other man-made or natural disas- local communities; and ters, which were used during the boat fire in • the BPS will also develop partnership ap- Dockyard earlier this year. proaches within the private sector to reduce • The Royal Bermuda Regiment provided secu- expenditure in policing public events (like Cup rity and marshalling for the International Tri- Match and Bermuda Day), thereby limiting athlon in April 2019 and other national events. and decreasing overtime expenditure. • The Royal Bermuda Regiment continues to work closely with the Bermuda Police Service, Notable Achievements by the BPS in 2019/20 including the Joint Service Explosive Ord- nance Disposal [JSEOD] and the Underwater Hon. Wayne Caines: Notable achievements by the Search and Rescue Team (or USRT) training. Bermuda Police Service in 2019/20 include the follow- • The Royal Bermuda Regiment is committed to ing: investing in its people, and they saw four • the prevention of homicides in 2019. Again, a graduates from its GED program this current position not seen in Bermuda in over 20 year. years; • the associated reductions in gun-related inci- Closing Remarks dents; • the recovery of three firearms known and Hon. Wayne Caines: Madam Chairman, the Royal proven to be used in previous shootings on Bermuda Regiment is essential to Bermuda’s land the Island; and sea defence and protecting the interests at home • a 50 per cent reduction in road deaths and re- and regionally. No other similar jurisdiction can boast ductions in serious injury collisions—a posi- an organisation that compares with the capability, tion significantly assisted by the Governments’ proud traditions, ethos, training and management road sobriety legislation; which can be found within Bermuda’s Regiment. The implementation of the Coast Guard, while nascent, Bermuda House of Assembly 3322 4 March 2020 Official Hansard Report

• a projected 8 per cent reduction in all crime and continues to develop specialist capabilities to tar- for 2019 compared to 2018; get serious crime and complex crime. • an increase in sexual assault reporting, a pos- The BPS’s overtime allotment requires that itive position given the number of historical in- the service rethink the management of public events cidents being disclosed, thereby indicating such as Cup Match or Bermuda Day. A new partner- confidence by victims to come forward; ship approach is being looked at within the private • the largest decrease in the category of burgla- sector to identify more affordable models to support ry, with residential burglaries seeing the big- public events to protect overtime spend managing the gest reductions of any other crime offence aspect of policing risk. compared to 2018; With the onset of the new Coast Guard, the • Reductions in motor vehicle (car and bike) BPS has been able to reduce a further $100,000 theft, with approximately 50 per cent recov- spend, as it has also reduced the allowances for Re- ered and an average three persons arrested serve officers by $120,000. However, the Reserve each month for this crime; officer numbers remain low, and therefore there is a • significant recovery of drugs imported to Ber- challenge in attracting more local people to join, which muda, including large amounts of marijuana, is of note as Reserve officers are critical to supporting cocaine, heroin and MDMA (which is ecstasy) policing efforts, as their costs are less. tablets (all with street values in the regions of The BPS telephone budget, or the mobile several millions of dollars); phone budget, was reduced by $150,000, and the • embedding parish constable schemes and the service will be performing a review of the cell phone newly introduced marine parish constable deployment with a view to decreasing the number of roles; cell phones to officers. The BPS consultant budget • the development of a new Vulnerable Persons was reduced by $284,000. This represents a reduced Unit to deal with hidden harm, including do- spend of over $500,000 in the past 12 months. How- mestic violence and child abuse (online and ever, it is noticed that the Bermuda Police Service will offline); still need to retain specialist consultants in order to support ongoing complex investigations where spe- • the development of a new Professional cialist capacity within the service is not available local- Standards and Anti-Corruption Unit, which ly to support. has already resulted in the BPS taking great To that end, in the 2019/20 financial year the steps to increase confidence in local commu- multi-year lease with BAS/Serco for the maintenance nities through high standards of integrity, with and monitoring of CCTVs deployed throughout the the model to be extended to the Departments year ended. At the end of the five-year lease, the BPS of Customs and Corrections; became the owners of all equipment purchased under • significant investigations taken forward with the agreement. It is now incumbent under the BPS to relation to complex and sensitive crimes, in- procure a vendor for the maintenance and monitoring cluding financial crime, sexual exploitation of the Island-wide CCTV. The termination of this lease and corruption; will realise a further reduction of $660,000 in costs. • the joint collaboration with the Royal Bermuda During the 2019/20 financial year, the Bermu- Regiment to deliver Bermuda’s Coast Guard da Government undertook the procurement of a radio capability; and infrastructure for a number of government entities. • to develop the BPS as the regional and Over- This initiative means that the BPS no longer has to seas Territory training centre for firearms and pay $1.3 million to vendors for the radios a year. That public order, the UK Foreign Officer citing is another $1.3 million in savings due to choosing a Bermuda as a centre of excellence in this ar- new radio vendor for this year. ea. There were other small reductions due to the BPS budget, but overall these were the critical factors New Current Account Funding Provided to the that helped the BPS realise a savings without causing Department and Its Intended Purposes any cuts to frontline police officer services.

Hon. Wayne Caines: Madam Chairman, there is no Existing and New Capital Projects to be additional funding provided to the Bermuda Police Completed and Implemented for Service for the 2020/21 [financial year]. The service the Fiscal Year will therefore operate with 410 officers. There is likelihood for recruitment in late 2020. There is a $4 million Hon. Wayne Caines: The Bermuda Police Service is reduction that will not affect operational services. In- committed to reducing spending on rents. To curve deed, the work being led by the Police Commissioner this spending, the BPS is endeavouring to revive its and his team seeks to build the Bermuda Police Ser- abandoned headquarters in Prospect. During the vice that invests greater numbers in the communities 2019/20 financial year, the BPS submitted plans to the Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3323

Department of Planning for construction works. In the The aforementioned work will build a new meantime, construction workers gutted the building BPS structure with a new and ambitious resource al- and repaired the damage to the roof and designed the location profile across the service, aligning resources office space. The Bermuda Government has given the against a revised (and better managed) demand pro- BPS an additional $250,000 for the 2020/21 financial file and investing in new functions or growth, increas- year. It is our plan to use these funds to upgrade the ing community policing resources, a greater number project. Based on the project and the cost of the up- of generic and specialist crime investigation capabili- grades, these are not sufficient funds to complete the ties (i.e., vulnerability, financial crime and anti- works in this financial year, but will allow the initial corruption), intelligence and tactical resources. work to commence. In addition, the BPS was given $150,000 in The Chairman: I will just remind the listening public replenishing its vehicle fleet and $150,000 to assist that we are now just listening to the heads for the Na- with the purchasing of additional hardware and soft- tional Defence. And we are covering all of the Ministry ware needed as a result of obsolescence, the IT soft- of National Security, which is Heads 83, 6, 7, 12, 25, ware becoming obsolete, and due to normal wear and 27 and 45. We are presently on Head 7, Police. tear. Hon. Wayne Caines: Madam Chairman, with your New Initiatives in the Department and Items Being leave I would like to move to Head 12, Customs. Implemented under Strategic Plans Thank you, Madam Chairman.

Hon. Wayne Caines: Madam Chairman, the strategic HEAD 12—CUSTOMS focus of the BPS is set towards preventing crime and other forms of harm to victims, with greater ability to Hon. Wayne Caines: Madam Chairman, the current use intelligence on how resources get organised and budget allocation for Customs will see an increase of deployed. $250,000 to $17.2 million. There will be a change in It is also recognised that there is an increas- airport arrivals shift patterns resulting in a cost sav- ing demand in directorates such as CID, as the ma- ings. And this was approved by staff and will see an jority of BPS resources are placed within uniformed improved quality of life for staff. Export Control initia- front-line response roles (240 officers, or 60 per cent tive will combat money laundering. Staff levels will of service), and this will be strategically rebalanced. remain static. We will see—we hope to see major The BPS will also create the opportunity to drug [and cash] seizures at the airport. utilise civilian posts more effectively to support operational policing. To progress this reorganisation, a Mission (page B-290) comprehensive review of demand is now being undertaken to assess the yearly average of calls for the Hon. Wayne Caines: Madam Chairman, the mission service types: emergency and risk-to-life and crime in of the Customs Department is Protecting Bermuda’s action; non-emergency call—crime reports and other border and [promoting] economic development. service issues; the workload profiles for officers and their specific departments. Strategic Plan Upon examination of the foregoing findings, new processes will be implemented in which demand Hon. Wayne Caines: The Bermuda Department of will be balanced and times and efforts will be man- Customs, they have worked a strategic plan. The stra- aged differently. The opportunity will be taken to use tegic plan sets out the goals and ambitions of this the THRIVE assessment, the process identifying year, and everything is dovetailing as a result and is in threat, harm, risk, intelligence, vulnerability, evidence line with the strategic plan. The Custom Department’s for calls for service to identify the relevant response. vision is to be a modern, effective and efficient cus- This will result in a different service as opposed to the toms administration offering professional service to all current process of each and every single call going to stakeholders, using international best practices, max- 911 and a police responding to all matters. This pro- imising revenue collection and protecting the borders cess change will be achieved by the delivery of a new of Bermuda. non-emergency contact number (where there is no To make this vision a reality, specific strategic risk to life or a crime is not in action). There is a great- goals have been set for Customs. er capacity of resolving matters via telephone and the provision of diary cars where the public will be seen Strategic Goal 1: Staffing, Stability and Training via appointment [within 24 hours]. Additionally, the BPS will seek ways to man- Hon. Wayne Caines: In order for Customs to carry age overtime allocation through alternative resourcing out its mission, the department will need to focus on models (like using private security companies) to sup- providing a stable work environment which is free port events such as Cup Match and Bermuda Day. from corruption and/or bribery. Maintaining the de- Bermuda House of Assembly 3324 4 March 2020 Official Hansard Report partment’s integrity as a respected law enforcement 2019. Customs staff communicated via the BPSU that arm of the government is vital to performing our en- they did not wish to renew the MOU. forcement functions. With the reduction in recent Amongst the reasons given for non-renewal years of staffing levels, the department is hard- [was that] the MOU involved working long shifts and pressed to maintain the level of service to the public it antisocial hours. It was suggested that the long shifts once enjoyed. The reduction has forced the depart- left staff physically and mentally drained and impeded ment to streamline some of its legacy processes by on the quality of life spent with their families. Conse- either eliminating them, providing a limited service quently, Customs management was tasked with window or amending legislation to allow for simplified providing an alternative that addressed staff concerns, procedures in some processes. but did not incur excessive overtime expenditures. We believe that our staff are our greatest as- The solution put forward by Customs management set and are an essential part of the department’s mis- involved merging two business units responsible for sion. While we strive to provide new or refresher train- this work at the airport and reorganising the staff into ing, our allocated funds have been reduced. This re- a three-shift pattern. Each shift would have a smaller duction in no way [prevents the needed training]. number of staff, but they would be required to work for shorter periods and fewer night shifts. Strategic Goal 2: Legislation and Operational This revised shift went into place on April 1st, 2019. After working the revised shift for some weeks, Hon. Wayne Caines: The department recognises its the staff raised some objections and some concerns responsibility to manage and monitor daily operations regarding the new shift arrangement. Senior man- to achieve our mandate of facilitating legitimate trade, agement of Customs have taken these concerns seri- assessing and collecting the government’s revenue ously; however, after a number of these discussions, and interdicting drugs and contraband. The ability to there continues to be some disagreement regarding operate in an environment free from obstacles and the interpretation of the Collective Bargaining Agree- barriers while complying with Customs Laws is the ment, and the matter is in a process for arbitration. ultimate goal. Hence the goal is to provide new legis- The increased budget allotment in business lation which will support the department’s operational unit 22080, Administration, is related to the Customs needs both present and future. Department’s role in combating money laundering and the terrorism financing. As you are aware, Madam Strategic Goal 3: Policy, Procedures and Future Chairman, in recent months the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) has reviewed Bermuda’s Hon. Wayne Caines: While the department’s policies effectiveness in this area, and we were all undoubted- and procedures are a vital portion of its foundation, ly heartened by its findings that we reported earlier the consistent revision of these documents will pro- this year. Bermuda received the highest rating of any vide a more positive work environment. jurisdiction, with 39 out of the 40 recommendations [being] compliant or largely compliant. The Customs General Summary (page B-290) Department played a major role in the success of the review and continues to play a vital role in fighting Hon. Wayne Caines: The Customs budget allocation against money laundering and terrorist financing. for 2020/21 is $17,195,000, which is $250,000 more While a successful review was important to than last year. At the business unit level, the numbers the achievement, we cannot afford to rest upon our are consistent, with three notable exceptions: laurels; criminals adapt to evade the laws. So we must 1. Business unit 22030, Airport Arrivals— adapt to enforce our laws. In this vein, we the Cus- Travellers budget allocation has increased by toms Department have a budget allocation which has $2,119,000; increased by $250,000 [to fund a new initiative— 2. Business unit 22040, Airport—Shift B budget Export Control]. allocation has decreased by $2,120,000; and The Customs Department is known for its 3. Business unit 22080, Administration—budget work in enforcing Bermuda’s laws with respect to im- allocation has increased by $251,000. ports; however, it also has an important role in moni- Madam Chairman, you will have no doubt toring the flow of funds and valuable assets out of noted that the first two of these changes for all intents Bermuda. To more effectively combat illicit imports, a and purposes cancel each other out, and this is no more holistic approach to the inflows and outflows in coincidence. During the fiscal year 2019/20, the Cus- Bermuda is required. It is only logical that the importa- toms Department had in place a memorandum of un- tions of firearms and illicit narcotics are paid for derstanding with Customs staff, as represented by the somehow; however, if we ignore that fact by focussing BPSU [Bermuda Public Service Union], pertaining to only on the interdiction of illicit imports instead of look- shift work carried out at the L. F. Wade International ing at the complete picture, we are unnecessarily limit- Airport. This MOU was scheduled to expire in March ing our option to combat the activities that harm our community. Additionally, the funding provided to Cus- Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3325

toms will help it develop a world-class system of ex- and preventing illicit crossings at our borders, transport control. To get to that point, though, will take a portation of cash, and the bearers of negotiable in- number of steps, including amending the legislation, struments. the development of policies and procedures, staff The JIU is also responsible for various other training, communication with the public, and the adap- passenger monitoring and a review of functions. The tation of IT systems and other infrastructure. liaison and cooperation functions with bodies such as Customs has also made significant strides in the Financial Intelligence Unit, the World Customs recent months towards receiving advance passenger Organization, the Caribbean Customs Law Enforce- notification information [PNR] from airlines in align- ment Council, UK Border Force, the Canada Border ment with international standards. PNR information is Services Agency; and US Customs and Border Pro- the generic name given to detailed records created by tection agency daily. the airlines flight and passenger books. Access to advance PNR information will assist Customs in ad- Subjective Analysis of Current Account Estimates dressing two objectives—of improved compliance with (page B-291) Bermuda’s laws and faster clearance of low-risk passengers. Currently, both Customs and the Department Hon. Wayne Caines: Madam Chairman, if I may di- of Immigration use [advance] passenger data [API] to rect your attention to page B-291, I would like to take help them with their respective border control strate- a few moments to outline and describe to you how gies. API is related to who the passenger is, for in- that additional budget allocation of $250,000 will be stance based on their passport. While API data is spent. You will note that the three object lines that will helpful to identify a specific person, often a person we see an increase are Repairs and Maintenance, already have information about, such as a name $100,000; Uniforms, $100,000; and Materials and which is on a watchlist— for Customs there is a grow- Supplies, $50,000. As I described earlier, these addi- ing need to have access to the more detailed PNR tional funds will be used to support the Export Control information in light of the threats of security world Initiative. Due to the time constraints in the prepara- over. tion of the budget, we will see these funds, and obvi- PNR data is extracted from a person’s book- ously the codes as described. ing and describes their journey where the person is intending to travel or where the person has been. Employee Numbers (Full-Time Equivalents) PNR data is typically used by border control agencies (page B-291) for risk assessment, to notice any suspicious trends, relationships and travel patterns. To lay the ground for Hon. Wayne Caines: The department has 237 ap- receiving PNR information, the Customs Department proved positions. At the time of preparing the budget has partnered with the World Customs Organization to estimates, the department had 192 members of staff. implement the Global Travel Assessment System The department does not anticipate recruiting staff to (GTAS). GTAS is a free-of-charge real-time passen- work in the fiscal 2020/21. ger screening system that allows customs administra- tors to use API and PNR data for risk-assessment Revenue purposes. The Government Information Technology De- Hon. Wayne Caines: In addition to its role in protect- partment has built a dedicated [virtual] server for the ing Bermuda’s borders, Customs plays a vital role in GTAS system, and Customs and IDT are in discus- the collecting of revenue. It should be noted that whilst sions with Collins Aerospace regarding an [ARINC] the Ministry of National Security assumes the ac- border management solution to meet Bermuda’s spe- countability of the Customs Department budget and cific border management requirements in addition to border-control functions, the revenue collection and supporting secure communications of data between reporting functions fall within the remit of the Ministry the airlines and Customs. of Finance. The Minister of Finance will therefore pre- The GTAS system and the submission of sent the substantive brief on the revenue collected by PNR information will shortly be entering a testing Customs. I would like to take a few moments to high- phase and is due to be fully operational by the end of light Customs’ achievements in this area. It is estimat- this month. Within Customs, this data analysis will be ed that the Customs Department will collect taxes in handled by JIU (Joint Intelligence Unit). [And this is excess of $238 million. To put that in perspective, for the intelligence hub of the Bermuda Customs Depart- every dollar that we spend on Customs, they collect ment. The JIU was created in 1992 and functions to $13.84. supply Customs, the Bermuda Police Service and other law enforcement agencies with intelligence.] It is Performance Measures (pages B-292 and B-293) staffed by the Customs and the Bermuda Police Ser- vice, who monitor inbound and outbound passengers Hon. Wayne Caines: Madam Chairman, the perfor- at all ports of entry. The JIU is tasked with detection mance measures that have been established for the Bermuda House of Assembly 3326 4 March 2020 Official Hansard Report department are shown on pages B–292 and B-293. I the Caribbean Technical Assistance Centre am pleased to provide the following results measured [CARTAC] provided advanced post clearance audit against the output measures: and risk management training to a select group of managers and Customs Officers. CARTAC provided Business Unit 22020—Airport Commercial Customs with a comprehensive report outlining a number of steps to be taken to build capacity in risk Hon. Wayne Caines: Since [June] 2016, the Airport management and to strengthen overall management Commercial Operations Section ceased to operate; of the department. The establishment of a risk man- therefore, there are no forecasts and targets. agement unit will comprise two or three officers who will initially work full-time on risk management activi- Business Unit 22030—Airport Arrivals, Travellers ties, with a focus on gathering and analysing information about trade, profiling significant companies, Hon. Wayne Caines: For the year 2018/19, the Air- monitoring their activity and assessing them for risk, port Section collected forced duty in the amount of and conducting research into specific areas. The ben- $77,705. It is forecasted that during 2019/20 forced efits of this initiative are to do more with the finite re- duty in the amount of $70,000 will be collected. The sources allocated to Customs by focussing on areas target for 2020/21 is $50,000. For the year 2018/19, that are of greatest concern. the Airport Section seized illicit items on 158 occasions. The forecast during 2019/20 is that this section Business Unit 22070—Hamilton Commercial Ops shall seize [illicit items on] 150 occasions. The target for 2020/21 is 100 seizures. Illicit Items seized, from Hon. Wayne Caines: During 2018/19, Hamilton drugs—cocaine, cannabis, MDMA (Ecstasy), heroin, Commercial Operations complied with the prescribed fentanyl—to guns and gun parts, mace (pepper quality service levels in 95 per cent of all 53,000 dec- spray), slingshots and brass knuckles; those were larations submitted. In 2019/20, it is forecasted that items that were seized this year. Commercial Operations will meet the quality service Recently, the media has reported several levels 90 per cent of the time and process 60,000 dec- large seizures of illicit drugs and the interception of larations. And similar levels are targeted for 2020/21. persons attempting to smuggle quantities of unde- In connection with my comments on the Investiga- clared cash [and negotiable instruments]. Drug sei- tions/Audit Section and the risk management initiative, zures, with a street value of just over $2 million, cash Commercial Operations intends to leverage this to seizures in various currencies of over $200,000, and work more efficiently and provide a better service to undeclared or undervalued goods have been inter- all of its stakeholders. The risk management initiative cepted and seized over the past few months. will allow Commercial Operations to create a pro- In one notable example in December last gramme of enhanced facilitation to manage the impor- year, several employees at an aviation service were tation and the implementation of a Trusted Trader caught by Customs in an attempt to smuggle a large Programme. Qualifying trusted traders, those import- quantity of a controlled drug into Bermuda via the Ex- ers deemed low risk and with a proven track record of ecutive Jet Facility at the L. F. Wade International Air- compliance with Bermuda’s Customs laws, should see port. The drug was imported on arrival in Bermuda on a simplification of the requirements by Customs. This a flight from the US. The smugglers tried to get the in turn will allow our officers to focus their efforts on drug through and entirely circumvent Customs control. areas of greater risk. Happily, the drug was discovered by a trainee Cus- toms officer acting on his own initiative and with no Business Unit 22090—Vessel Clearance prior intelligence given to him. Suspicious of the interactions between the passengers and the air service Hon. Wayne Caines: In 2018/19 Vessel Clearance agent, the colleague checked the interior of the at- prepared and issued invoices with the value of just tending air-side shuttle and found a number of suit- over $1 million, $162,000 to the Services to Ships, cases filled with drugs. The Bermuda Police Service is Container Fees and Light Dues. In 2019/20, it is fore- to be commended for their subsequent raid on the casted that they will have a value in excess of local residence, resulting in the arrest of two passen- $960,000. gers who arrived on the [aircraft]. The drugs seized The current Vessel Clearance Unit is prepar- have an estimated street value of just under $2 mil- ing to conduct its duties in connection with the upcom- lion. ing Newport-to-Bermuda race. As in previous years, this section is determined to contribute to its success- Business Unit 22050—Investigations/Audit es by providing round-the-clock coverage and ensuring that Bermuda’s laws are upheld during the exciting Hon. Wayne Caines: The Investigations/Audit Sec- activities to be held during the race. tion has played a leading role in the new initiative es- Also, with the cruise ship season starting in tablishing a risk management unit. In recent months, April, the vessel clearance team will be busy servicing Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3327

the arriving vessels. In addition to processing leaving major construction project for Bermuda, and the pro- and returning to the cruise ships, acting upon received ject will have an important impact on the economy and intelligence, the vessel clearance team inspects cab- social well-being of Bermuda for years to come. SET ins and storage compartments for concealed illicit worked closely with BELCO staff to ensure that every- items. thing imported into Bermuda was in order from a Cus- Following direction from the Ministry of Health, toms standpoint. They reviewed and examined all Customs officers at the cruise ship ports and other containers and non-containerised imports associated ports of entry are on the lookout for individuals who with this project. may have the coronavirus. Customs officers ask a I invite you . . . Madam Chairman, with your series of questions including whether the traveller has leave I would like to move to Head 25, Corrections. been at any at-risk countries within the last 21 days. Officers also observe the demeanour of the traveller, HEAD 25—CORRECTIONS and if they appear to be unwell—if they have a tem- perature or if they look sick in any overt or obvious Hon. Wayne Caines: Madam Chairman, it is my manner—if they appear to be sick in any way, they will pleasure to present Head 25, the Department of Cor- refer the traveller to the Port Health Officer. If the Port rections. The proposed budget for the general opera- Health Officer is not onsite, then the traveller will be tions of the department is reflected at $25,582,000. It provided with a mask and isolated from others while is the mission of Corrections as an operation of hu- arrangements are made for them to be transferred to manity, To protect the public and to provide rehabilita- hospital. tion services. It is impossible to speak of this department without considering the persons impacted by its Business Unit 22100—Interdiction service: • the staff, who are the greatest asset to the Hon. Wayne Caines: In 2018/19 the Interdiction Sec- department; tion made 284 seizures and had an 88 per cent suc- • the inmates, whose rehabilitation is entrusted cess rate. The interdiction section includes the Canine to the department; and Unit. During this financial year, the Customs Depart- • the community, whose safety we guard and ment decided to increase the Dog Detector Unit. Two whose family members are placed in our care. officers were selected to travel to Indiana for canine The Strategic Plan 2018–2020 has served as selection and drug dog detector handler training. The a guide to fulfil this mission. And some of the targets officers have become active in this work in January met for fiscal year 2019/20 within the specified goals and February 2020, increasing this unit from one ca- include the following: staff development and training; nine and one handler to three canines and three han- in 2019/20 over 2,684 staff training hours for the year; dlers. This has given the effectiveness of this unit an management team conducted training for new divi- incredible boost, as it allows them to deploy an inval- sional officers, principal officers and a senior nursing uable and unique resource. And it is usually needed officer; and over 121 officers trained in CPR and First and is a valuable resource. As part of the national an- Aid. ti-money laundering compliance, it is essential for There were programmes that were training Customs to obtain a currency detection dog to patrol with rehabilitation programmes for the upgrade of the our ports of exit and entry. During the upcoming finan- Computer Lab. There were programmes, the Life Mi- cial year, Customs will select another canine handler nus Violence for violent offenders. Introduction of and send this officer and canine overseas for training. Harmful Sexual Behaviour programme for sex offenders. The Life After Incarceration programmes [initiated Business Unit 22110—Seaport Enforcement Team in partnership with] the Women’s Resource Centre for the women at the Co-Educational Correctional Facili- Hon. Wayne Caines: In 2018/19 the Seaport En- ty. Two staff members were trained as facilitator train- forcement Team, or SET, inspected and reviewed ers in Thinking for a Change. Three staff members 94 per cent of import cargo manifests and used the were trained to become facilitators in National Centre Hamilton Docks Gantry X-ray scanner to scan 100 per Construction Education Research [certification cours- cent of containers imported into Bermuda. In 2019/20, es]. Forty inmates were certified in CPR and First Aid. it is forecasted that SET will meet these same high Five inmates were successful in obtaining their GED. standards. During this financial year, SET played the The Use of Force training was given to 133 major part in the detection and ultimate break-up of a members of staff. Staff were training Use of Force criminal conspiracy where fake importers were bring- trainers. There were CCTV upgrades to the farm and ing counterfeit products to Bermuda and breaking to Westgate. New CCTV was installed at the Co-Ed Bermuda’s laws in Bermuda with reference to trade- Correctional Facility. High-risk offender management marks and copyright. programme. Razor-wire fencing was [replaced] at the Additionally, SET was kept busy with the Westgate. BELCO North Power Station development. This was a Bermuda House of Assembly 3328 4 March 2020 Official Hansard Report

Operational Efficiency—reductions to pur- pole was shipped; awaiting the shipping of the second chase food and chickens at the Prison Farm. Co-Ed pole. has produced over 6,800 eggs to date. Over 9,000 “Boilers: The contractor is scheduled. The pounds of produce was produced by the farms and boiler systems will be on Island the fourth week in distributed to [the three facility kitchens.] March. Installation will follow immediately once on Physical Plant Upgrades—Madam Chairman, Island.” I am going to deviate from my notes, which is atypical, I have had the opportunity to speak directly for a second. Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to with the Minister of Works and Engineering. I asked go to the Westgate Correctional Facility. I went for an him specifically about those concerns. And he has official visit with the CEO of the Turks and Caicos. highlighted the up-to-date information of each one of When I arrived at the facility, I was stopped by the those concerns. We are working to address those. inmates. And when I got there, they demanded to see And so whilst I wanted to go through the information me, and they demanded to meet with me. And when I which was given to me in the update from the Ministry, got there, they took me into E-2 and E-3. And when I I also wanted to give a document that I received yes- went into the facility, they (who are listening now, terday, because, as the prison officers listen, as the Madam Chairman) showed me some of their con- prisoners listen, Madam Chairman, I wanted to reas- cerns. They showed me the mould in the facility. sure them that this is something that has my full atten- They showed me the leaks in the facility. They tion. I wanted to give an honest, transparent view that showed me a number of concerns that they had with we know that the prison has concerns with reference reference to a number of the issues that they had in to the physical plant. the facility. I was able to meet. I gave the prisoners The PS, the Permanent Secretary, has it as the undertaking that I will meet with the prison leader- his full priority. The Minister of Works and Engineering ship, that I will meet with the Permanent Secretary, has it as his full priority. And it has my full priority. that I will meet with the Minister responsible for Works There are budgetary concerns, but we accept that this and Engineering, that we will put together a plan, that process has not been fast enough. And we will rap the we will accelerate the plan, that the safety of the pris- knuckles of those who have not been working [fast] on officers is paramount, that the health of the prison enough. I went to the prison, Madam Chairman. It is officers is paramount, that the prisoners who are with- unacceptable for prisoners, for our inmates. It is unac- in our charge are important to us. We do believe that ceptable for the prison officers who have been work- they should be living in a mould-free facility, working ing in these conditions. I will say that from this floor. I in a mould-free facility. will say that without reservations. And we will work, I was able to speak yesterday with the Minis- and we must work to make it better. That is something ter of Works and Engineering. And he gave me a doc- that has to be said by the Minister. I will not read all of ument yesterday. And the document is as follows: the things that we have done without saying that the “Leaks in the kitchen and the pantry: Access things that I saw last week are not acceptable! was made to the ceiling last week and the area to al- Efficient and prudent management—provided low plumbers access to the area to fix the leak. for training and budget managers; completed an audit Plumbers are assessing the job to gather their materi- of materials and supplies; established a system of als and will make the repair tomorrow. monitoring to address those with excessive sick leave. “Repairs to the communal showers and janito- While working toward the goals of the strategic plan, rial closets: Materials are being prepared. Some of the the department is governed by the following legisla- items are not available on Island. We are attempting tion: to use universal fixes available on Island where possi- The Prison Act 1979, the Prison Rules 1980, ble. the Young Offenders Act 1950, the Senior Training “Replacement of water fountains: One out of School Rules 1951, the Prison Officers (Discipline, eight of the water fountains is working. Many have Etc.) Rules 1981 and [Sections of the Criminal Code been vandalised to the point where they are inopera- Act]. ble. Institutional fountains are specially being ordered Madam Chairman, there are 12 cost centres and are being sourced. within the Department of Corrections. However, I will “Faucet repairs in cells: Replacement faucets speak directly to the major cost centres. The current are being sourced. expenditure, which is found on page B-294 is estimat- “Awaiting two water pumps. One will replace ed to be $25,582,000, which represents an increase the inoperable pumps on the grey-water flushing sys- of $500,000 in the budget of this year. tem. The other will replace the potable water pump. The 2020/21 budget provides funding for 236 These are being purchased through Corrections, and full-time employees, shown on page B-295. In addition anticipating delivery later this month. to full-time employees, it will fund facilitators and “New 12-inch butterfly valves for the water teachers to the inmate programmes. At present there tanks have arrived. We are waiting the extension are 194 full-time staff with an authorised strength of poles before the valve installation commences. One 250. Over the past year we have experienced delays Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3329

in hiring civilian staff and nurses due to the current The highlights from the 2019/20 Budget in- processes. In addition, it has been difficult to achieve clude the following: the recruitment numbers for male officer candidates. The Animal Programme was very successful Cost centre 35000, Headquarters, represents and will continue in this budget year. Chickens were $4,393,000, or 17 per cent [of total budget]. Correc- introduced at the farm, and to date they produced tions Headquarters, under the general direction of the 6,800 eggs. The Farm Facility will continue all of the Commissioner, Assistant Commissioners and Pro- current initiatives and introduce the second phase of gramme Director, provides directives to a decentral- initiatives introduced last year including the Farm Co- ised organisation and is responsible for strategic operative—a therapeutic programme where animals planning. This budget will fund salaries and operating owned by local farmers will be tended to by the in- expenses for Corrections Headquarters. Strategic mates until such time that they have matured. The Planning has increased under the direction of the cur- inmates are gaining skills in animal care and farming. rent leadership regime. The senior staff are committed The facility currently has goats and chickens. to working with staff to restore morale through better The pre-release programme will continue. It is communication and improved working environments. designed to focus on improving the inmates’ employ- The Headquarters has operated at a deficit for ability, social and human relations skills in order to over two years due to the reassignment of the Com- facilitate a successful transition back into the commu- missioner. Although the Assistant Commissioner was nity. appointed to the acting position, some elements of Cost centre 35030, the Co-Ed Facility, repre- their position have not been transferred to those act- sents $2,694,000, or 11 per cent of the total budget, ing in the Assistant Commissioner position. Madam and will provide funding for 31 staff and operational Chairman, we believe that this will be rectified in the costs. This facility with a capacity of 56 cells has sep- first quarter of fiscal 2020. We believe that we will arate and distinct provisions to house 40 adult fe- have a confirmed person in the post of Commissioner. males and 16 young male offenders between the ages This has caused some ripple effect as persons as- of 16 to 21. In addition it houses the department’s res- suming more than their role of the job to meet the idential substance abuse treatment programme, The basic requirements of the department, and at times Right Living House. Educational and vocational pro- has impacted normal operations such as not complet- grammes are offered based on the needs of the in- ing vendor payments and other roles. mates and trainees, who are identified through the Madam Chairman, in addition to Corrections case management process. Headquarters, there are three correctional facilities, During the 2019/20 budget year, two inmates each one fulfilling the mandates specific to the popula- participated in the work release programme. A chick- tions they house. The cost centre 35020 of the Farm en programme has been established at the Co- Facility represents $3,288,000, or 13 per cent of the Educational Facility. The purpose is two-fold: (1) to be total budget. The Farm Facility is an adult male mini- utilised as therapy in that the inmates take care of the mum-security facility with a capacity to house 93 in- chickens; and (2) reduce and eliminate the need to mates. Inmates must have completed their core sen- purchase eggs from outside agencies. A small garden tence plan requirements to be classified as minimum has provided various herbs and peppers, which have (or low-risk) to be housed at this facility. been used in the facility’s kitchen. Inmates are also involved in work release During this budget year, inmates participated programmes, charity programmes and other ongoing in therapeutic yoga classes to assist them with coping projects within the facility. This year 15 inmates were with stress. The Women’s Resource Centre was con- enrolled in the work release programme, and 10 in- tracted to provide Life After Incarceration where inmates participated in the charity work programme. mates participate in group sessions which are aimed The plan for the upcoming fiscal year is to increase to assist them with reintegration back into the com- the number of inmates on work release and charity, munity and also provide them support upon release. with the charity work programme being geared more Both the yoga and Life After Incarceration will contin- to facilitating requests from government departments. ue into fiscal 2020/21. This will be done in an effort to provide cost savings to Other initiatives for the 2020/21 budget year the Bermuda Government as a whole. are to operationalise the computer lab, allowing for The Farm Facility garden has supplied all of vocational and educational distance-learning pro- the facilities with fruits and vegetables. Crops included grammes and offer graphic design classes to the in- beets, onions, lettuce, carrots, corn, kale, pumpkins, mates. In addition, the Co-Ed Facility will reintroduce mustard greens, collard greens, sweet potato, brocco- the mentoring programme for female inmates and li, rutabaga, turnips, Swiss chard, cauliflower and ba- carpentry for the male inmates. nanas. In total, the Farm Facility gardens reaped ap- Madam Chairman, cost centre 35060, West- proximately 9,000 pounds of produce, and this has gate Correctional Facility, represents $10,480,000, or contributed to a significant cost savings. 41 per cent of the total budget. The Westgate Correc- tional Facility is an adult male establishment with the Bermuda House of Assembly 3330 4 March 2020 Official Hansard Report capacity to house 208 prisoners, classified as maxi- Those serving life sentences now make up 26 per mum, medium and minimum security, as well as a cent of the total sentenced inmate population. Many of remand prison. The majority of the assessment and those serving life must complete at least 30 years of treatment programmes for male inmates take place at their sentence prior to parole eligibility. this facility. In addition, the Corrections Department has During this budget year, a number of inmates seen an increase in inmates with mental health issues participated in their core offending behaviour pro- such as depression, anxiety, panic disorders and oth- grammes, such as Thinking for a Change; Life Minus er trauma-related issues. There appears to be a grow- Violence, a violence reduction programme; Life Minus ing number of inmates presenting with neurosensory Violence Harmful Sexual Behaviour, which is a sexual conditions such as Autism and Asperger’s, and learn- offender programme; and Drug and Alcohol Treatment ing difficulties such ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperac- and Education. Additionally, educational and voca- tivity Disorder). We have instituted basic mental health tional courses were offered to inmates. training (Mental Health First Aid) for all staff to give The Westgate Correctional Facility will contin- them some help in managing these persons in a cor- ue the charity programme, which allows inmates to rectional environment, even though it may not be a give back to the community. The department partners suitable environment for many of these persons. with other government departments and community Staff shortages for shift coverage and in- organisations such as Parks, Works and Engineering, creased inmate visits to King Edward VII Memorial WEDCO and the Packwood Home, assisting with Hospital and Mid Atlantic Wellness Centre have been small projects. factors in creating overtime at the facility. Oftentimes While each of the facilities fulfils different these visits last days, and depending on the risk level mandates for inmates based on the classification lev- of the inmate, some may require 24-hour monitoring el, age or gender, they have shared some of the same by two officers. The $500,000 additional in the budget challenges in the past year. There are significant in- will be used to hire officers. frastructure problems with each facility due to ageing Madam Chairman, cost centre 35090, Thera- facilities and less-than-robust maintenance care. The peutic Community Centre, or the Right Living House Farm Facility was built in 1951, the Co-Educational [RLH], represents $1,287,000, or 5 per cent of the Facility was built in 1985 and the Westgate Correc- total budget. The therapeutic community centre, also tional Facility was built in 1994. Best practice states known as the Right Living House, is located at the Co- that a facility condition assessment should be con- Ed Facility and is a segregated residential substance ducted every 20 years. abuse programme with a capacity to house 18 resi- Mould, rusting doors, inoperable windows, dents. The programme was developed for adult male faulty plumbing and poor ventilation plague the facili- offenders with a history of substance abuse and asso- ties. The Westgate Correctional Facility has been ciated criminality. The goal of the therapeutic commu- without hot water for over two years. Replacement nity is to return residents to the broader community boilers were scheduled to be on the Island for instal- with an increased potential for a life free of drugs and ment on March 13th. During the past fiscal year, out- crimes, by providing them with the opportunity to real- side cleaning companies were brought in to clean ar- ise their potential for change, as well as the inherent eas unable to be addressed through a normal clean- potential for growth and health and success in every ing regime; however, the recognised results were person. short-lived due to the leaks and plumbing issues. Inmate services and programmes are de- These conditions result in an unsuitable working envi- signed to meet the needs of inmates with their individ- ronment for staff and unsuitable living conditions for ual case plans. The programme team is multi- inmates. disciplinary and provides various services and pro- There was one major inmate-targeted assault grammes including psychological, social and case on staff and two minor assaults this past year, result- management, health, educational, vocational, recrea- ing in staff injuries. tional and chaplaincy. Funding for inmate services is All facilities were impacted by labour disputes also necessary, and the programmes provide tools with the Prison Officers’ Association. The dispute in- and resources for offenders to assist them in returning creased the overtime budget as payouts had to be to society as positive, productive and contributing citi- made to the Bermuda Police Service for assistance zens. with security and escorts. The Right Living House It is recognised that currently there are not programme regime was changed due to staffing sufficient programmes running in the department to shortages, and many programmes such as GED, mo- meet the mandates of the increased lifer population tor mechanics and other programmes were suspend- and those serving long sentences. Maintaining quali- ed. fied vendors has been an increased challenge, and Whilst the overall population is not at capacity the budget does not allow the resources to find full- at 183 (sentenced and on remand), the make-up of time staff facilitators. the current offender population creates challenges. Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3331

Cost centre 35105, [Psychological Services] the total budget. Vocational Services functions as an represents $444,000, or 2 per cent of the budget. The integral part of the programmes and services afforded funding provides for salaries for three psychologists, to inmates and trainees. These services are designed who provide psychological services [to offenders at to assist inmates and trainees in pursuing vocational each of the] three facilities: Westgate Correctional interests. Funding for this allocated cost centre pro- Facility, Farm Facility [including Therapeutic Commu- vides for staffing and vocational programmes. nity Centre] and the Co-Ed Facility. It must be noted During the 2020/21 fiscal year, inmate [will] that currently the department has only one psycholo- enrol in various programmes at the facilities, which gist; however, despite recruiting challenges, [we will included yoga, life skills, sewing, art, motor mechanics try] to fill the other posts. at Westgate, as well as horticulture and carpentry at The psychologists complete various assess- the Farm Facility. A new partnership with Longtail ments on offenders, including assessments of crimi- School will result in computer coding and software nogenic need and emotional well-being. In addition to instruction. these assessments, the psychologists focus on the Vocational programmes and services will be provision of interventions. Interventions can include, offered in this fiscal year at Westgate, the Farm and but are not limited to, substance misuse programmes, Co-Educational facilities, based on the population, alcohol prevention, drug and alcohol treatment, vio- and includes carpentry, autobody/welding/mechanics lence reduction, Sexual Offender Programme and and classes that will lead to certification in the Nation- psychotherapy. Psychologists bring an evidence- al Centre for Construction Education and Research based approach to working with offenders and assist (NCCER) courses. Three staff members and one with more objective risk-focused decisions. The psy- vendor were trained to facilitate the NCCER core cur- chologists also support the Training and Recruitment riculum, which is anticipated to begin in April 2020 at team to better assess basic officer applicants, as well the Westgate Correctional Facility. as provide training to recruits and custody and pro- The Vocational Services, in conjunction with grammes staff. the Educational Services, have commenced upgrad- Cost centre 35106, [Social Services and Case ing the computer labs at all facilities, and an upgrade Management] represents $859,000, or 3 per cent of of the Westgate computer lab was completed in the the total budget. Funding provides for staffing of two 2019/20 budget. And it is anticipated the computer social workers and five case managers/assessment labs at the Co-Ed and Farm Facilities will be complet- officers and contracted specific providers. The deed in the 2020/21 fiscal year. The aim is to be able to partment’s two social workers who are members of offer distance-learning programmes as well as provid- the Multi-Disciplinary Team assist inmates and training access to online testing and workshops and ser- ees with offence-specific associated problems, and vices. help to address behavioural, social [and financial] Madam Chairman, [cost centre 35107,] Health problems. The social workers assist inmates in secur- Services, represents $1,476,000, or 6 per cent of the ing employment and housing [prior to] their release. budget. This funding will provide for staffing and Additionally, they facilitate family support and inter- health care services for the inmates. Health care ser- vention meetings. vices include, but are not limited to Madam Chairman, cost centre 35108, Educa- • physical examinations; tional Services, $252,000, or 1 per cent of the total • dental treatment; budget. The allocation provides for salaries and edu- • chronic disease; cational supplies. Educational Services provide edu- • physiotherapy; cational programmes at all correctional facilities to • mental health; those inmates who wish to pursue their general edu- • chiropody; cation, or GED programme, as those who wish to • HIV/AIDS counselling; strengthen basic numeracy [and literacy] skills. Edu- • nutritional consultations; cational Services are designed to enable inmates to • phlebotomy; achieve a higher level of education and activity who • wish to prepare themselves for a vocation. Approxi- drug detoxification; mately 38 inmates have been actively engaged in ed- • drug screening; ucational classes. During the fiscal year, four persons • suicide prevention; and achieved their GED. During this fiscal year, the Edu- • counselling. cation Department plan to introduce secured Internet Some of the targets for Health Services this to allow inmates access to additional educational and year are as follows: implement inmate health service technological programmes to assist those inmates handbook; increase inmate health education sessions who require an alternative style to educational learn- by 50 per cent (This was not achieved last year due to ing. staffing shortages); to continue the implementation of Madam Chairman, cost centre 35109, Voca- an electronic medical records system. tional Services, represents $319,000, or 1 per cent of Bermuda House of Assembly 3332 4 March 2020 Official Hansard Report

Madam Chairman, the department’s perfor- HEAD 45—BERMUDA FIRE AND mance measures are outlined. The average daily in- RESCUE SERVICE mate population forecasted for the fiscal year is 180, with 59 of the admissions being first-time offenders Hon. Wayne Caines: The mission of the Bermuda who received a custodial sentence. Fire and Rescue Service (BFRS) is, To serve and pro- Madam Chairman, despite the challenges tect; to provide adequate fire protection and emergen- faced by the Department of Corrections, staff remain cy medical services for all areas of these islands; to dedicated to seek ways to address them including extinguish fires; to protect life and property in case of working with union representatives and other stake- fire, road accident, or other calamity as defined by the holders and partners in order to achieve the mission Fire Service Act or subsequent regulations; provide statement and mandate. aircraft rescue firefighting at the L. F. Wade Interna- Security breaches remain a concern, and tional Airport. there have been breaches to the outer perimeter that To support this mission, there are six main objectives: have been intercepted by corrections staff. Recently, 1. implement Home Fire Service Programme; persons have been utilising drones to attempt security 2. implement the Fire Safety Act 2014; breaches. The department has been working with 3. continue re-certification in aircraft firefighting government and external agencies to address this for personnel attached to the Airport Opera- challenge. The physical plant deficiencies have im- tions Division; pacted both staff and inmate morale. These conditions 4. introduce core competency skills training pro- create an environment which is not conducive to re- gramme for all firefighters; habilitation. The department will continue to work with 5. continue leadership training courses for mid- government and partner agencies to bring the facilities dle managers; and into acceptable standards. 6. continue training courses for succession plan- Maintaining staffing levels due to resignations ning for senior managers. and retirements—the department has taken ad- Madam Chairman, the total funding for the vantage of the legislation which allows officers to de- Fire and Rescue Services for the coming year is fer their retirement, based on the needs of the de- $14,377,000, which reflects an increase of partment. $1,249,998. The Department of Corrections will undertake A $1.25 million increase is attributable to the the following initiatives for the 2020/21 budget year: recruitment for 12 new firefighters and the associated • Continue to conduct a legislative review so costs. The new recruits start in April 2020. that our legislation meets current standards; The responsibility for the Training Section is to • Recruitment to fill various vacant posts includ- create an educational scheme that will ensure EMT, ing civilian and custodial staff; structural certifications and leadership training cours- • Continue to implement the strategic plan; es are up to international standards. The budget on • Implementation of new shift cycles to allow page B-302 has a budget of $302,000, which is an the best use of our staffing and work regimes. increase of approximately $189,000. This section has This will assist our facilities in becoming more attributed to [the education of] the following: financially beneficial to our operating budget. • With the introduction of amended legislation to New Recruits the Criminal Code Amendment Act 2018 (Sex Offender Management), the department will Hon. Wayne Caines: The new recruits are training at work closely with other government depart- Airport Fire Emergency Services Training Institute in ments as part of an Offender Risk Manage- Toronto. Bermuda does not have a training facility, ment Team to ensure supervision, rehabilita- and the firefighters have to train and travel ($12,000) tion and monitoring of sex offenders during to Canada, to complete the courses ($65,500) in Can- and upon release from prison. ada. There is an anticipation of 12 firefighters at the It is the vision of the department that if these annual salaries, the total cost $842,442 a year, with a objectives are obtained, then the people of Bermuda, per diem of $37,000. The international standards for a staff, inmates and community members will appreciate firefighter have morphed into an arena [that prepares] that the Department of Corrections makes an effective the fireman psychologically ($7,000) to combat many contribution to public safety and the rehabilitation of traumatic events that they encounter in the field. They offenders. need fire retardant and durable uniforms, special- Madam Chairman, with your permission, I grade foot coverage for all terrain. Their kit costs would like to move Head 45, the Bermuda Fire and $12,000 per firefighter. Rescue Service. The firemen will have to be chaperoned by experienced officers from the Training Division to ensure that they are equipped to learn the EMT and structural segments. The specialised course will tax Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3333

their endurance and mould them for the rigours of the 904 for transports. Due to retired and resigned full- fire hazards and emergency and medical emergen- time employees, the budget has increased to accom- cies. Transportation and van hiring will be at $2,600. modate new staff from $639,000 in 2019/20 to This is required to get our firemen from one command $762,000 in 2020/21, which represents a 19.25 per station to another. This training is vital for the better- cent increase. ment, safety and care of our community towards our mission. And that is to serve and protect. Cost Centre 55060, Central Emergency Fire Service—$6,594,650 Other Training Hon. Wayne Caines: The Central Emergency Fire Hon. Wayne Caines: Some of our troops will be sent Service cost centre covers the provision of Fire and to Dallas, Texas. And they will be recertified in Aircraft Emergency Services from Hamilton, Eastern, and Rescue Firefighting. Emergency Medical Services Western Fire Stations. The stations respond to fire, Recertification. Continuing Education Units. Ad- road traffic accidents and hazardous material inci- vanced Emergency Medical Technicians. dents. With the consolidation, the cost centre now consists of a total of 56 personnel providing 24/7 Past Accomplishments in 2019/20 emergency coverage on a four-shift system. This will increase to approximately 73 personnel after the Hon. Wayne Caines: Succession planning sent by graduation of the next cohort of recruit firefighters. Divisional Officers Taylor and Denkins. Completion of The onboarding of new firefighters will have a signifi- the International Brigade Command Course. Mechan- cant effect on overtime that is currently being experi- ics—Mr. Honore completed the Rosenbauer Truck enced due to staff shortages. Maintenance training. Firefighters DeCouto and Bailey completed Watch Commander recertification in Texas. Cost Centre 55080, Other Services Central— Caribbean Chief’s Conference, CFO Burchall. Creat- $868,000 ing Collaborative Fire Department Plan for support after natural disasters. Human Resources, Mr. Mar- Hon. Wayne Caines: This contains vehicle repair shall—upgrade for all of the human resources certifi- services and maintenance personnel. The personnel cations. were consolidated under this cost centre as a result of Madam Chairman, the Ministry of National the review of administrative processes. Funding has Security has approved $1,145,004 of capital acquisi- been provided to increase the repair and maintenance tion funding for the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Ser- budget to ensure that the vehicles are fully serviced vice. This funding will allow the Bermuda Fire and and available for deployment. Rescue Service to continue with the acquisition and the build of the Turntable Ladder Truck that takes nine The Fleet months to build; the replacement of a water ladder tender, fire hoses nozzles, an ambulance (three Hon. Wayne Caines: The Bermuda Fire and Rescue months to build) and fire extinguishing materials Service operates and maintains 42 vehicles strategi- (foam). Final stage of procurement process for the cally deployed across the islands with three fire sta- breathing apparatus is under way; $669,000 has been tions. With the exception of a pumper truck which was budgeted. The apparatus is used for dangers such as acquired in 2017, the average age of our nation’s fire fires, confined smoked-filled places and hazardous trucks is 16 years old. Further, the oldest operational materials. Our department is in the process of select- vehicle in the fleet is 34 years old. Yes, Madam ing the product which provides the best value for gov- Chairman, the oldest of our fire trucks is 34 years old. ernment. Funding is also provided to acquire a life raft This is in contrast with a recommended end of service for water rescue capability at the L. F. Wade Interna- life for a fire truck—the recommended is 15 years old. tional Airport. How was this longevity accomplished? Firefighters are resilient by nature, they have Cost Centre 55190, Emergency Dispatch— a can-do ethos that is evidenced by the longevity of $762,000 our fleet to date. Over the years, they have provided the best value through regular care and regular Hon. Wayne Caines: The cost centre that provides maintenance of the vehicles. They are supported by a emergency dispatch coverage for 911 emergency small team of four service technicians. Two of the calls covering all parishes, the total complement of the technicians have undertaken specialist training at two 911 emergency calls is 14 personnel. of the vehicle manufacturing plants in the United Emergency calls made were 4,791 including States. In addition, they have undertaken bespoke 1,149 medical calls and 66 transports involving med- training, and the Fire Service receives periodic visits ics. Ten emergency calls were answered for KEMH by factory representatives, who share the best prac- [King Edward VII Memorial Hospital], 5,529 including tices with our staff. Bermuda House of Assembly 3334 4 March 2020 Official Hansard Report

What do we need to build resilience with our F. Wade International Airport operates as a Category fleet? The Strategic Leadership Team of the Fire Ser- 9 Airport. vices has determined that a consistent vehicle re- Promotions. There were two people promoted placement programme is required. With the average to the rank of crew commander, Mr. Bramwell and Mr. service life expectancy of 15 years, it is an Ideal situa- Bailey. The four firefighters promoted to the rank of tion that all vehicles should be replaced, but that is Sergeant in Operations Division were Mr. Mundy, Mr. unlikely. Instead, an incremental approach is a more Lowe, Mr. White and Mr. Robinson. realistic scenario. It is strongly recommended that all This cost centre has 17 personnel in total, a vehicles in the existing fleet be replaced at a rate of reduction in full-time employees of 100 per cent due to 1.5 vehicles per year for the next 15 years. If this ap- people retiring or to people resigning. The budget for proach is taken, all 20 vehicles will be replaced in 15 this section is $2,548,000, an increase of $336,000. years. This is attributed to manpower shortages to be filled What are the challenges of replacing the vehi- by new recruits and training recertifications. cles? The primary challenge of replacing vehicles is cost and construction time. The average replacement Manpower cost of a fire pumper vehicle is just south of $600,000. Again, Madam Chairman the average cost of an aver- Hon. Wayne Caines: Madam Chairman, the full-time age fire pumper vehicle is just south of $600,000. With complement of the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Ser- [a build time] of 250 days to build. These are specialist vices is expected to increase from 113 to 128 in vehicles that have to be made specifically to fit Ber- 2020/21. The new complement represents the posts muda’s roads. And we have a unique road network, to be filled by the new recruit course. and they have to be made to be fit for purpose for Madam Chairman, a review was conducted of Bermuda. the BFRS Payroll/Administrative practices in order to The Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service have streamline these processes. Due to the constant put together a contingency plan. Recently, questions movement of the firefighting personnel between the were asked about the operational readiness and relia- Central, Eastern and Western Divisions, it was found bility of the Fire Services fleet, following a well- to be more prudent to consolidate all the firefighter publicised residential fire in the City of Hamilton. salaries and overtime under the Central Emergency Questions were asked about the government ser- Services cost centre (55060). Examples of this are vices. Are we ready? And these questions are always demonstrated in the variances between the cost cen- welcomed. However, it should be noted that in this tres, Emergency Services Eastern, Emergency Ser- particular case of the incident in Hamilton, operational vices in the West, and Emergency Services. All to readiness was never compromised. The response come under a centralised cost centre. time to the fire was seven minutes. It should be reas- suring to know that the Fire Service prepares for every Capital Development Funding, Page C-7 eventuality and always has redundancies built into its operational planning. The Fire Service responds to Hon. Wayne Caines: Madam Chairman, In order to 100 per cent of calls for assistance. comply with the requirements of the MOU between the Bermuda Airport Authority and the Bermuda Fire Cost Centre 55170, General Administration— and Rescue Service, $350,000 of Capital Develop- $3,089,000 ment Funding has been provided for the remediation works at the Administration Building, Main Fire Hall Hon. Wayne Caines: Funding for the cost centre rep- Building and the Training Room/ garage building. resents the consolidation of the administrator’s sala- Madam Chairman, revenue forecasted for ries, insurance and uniforms from across the Bermuda 2020/21 is estimated at $400,000. Under the strategic Fire and Rescue Service. This involved an increase heading of implementing the Fire Safety Act 2014, from seven to twenty-one full-time employees and an [the BFRS] conducted 402 meetings, risk assess- increase in budget from $990,000 to $3,089,000 to ments, routine inspections and final occupancy in- reduce funds normally allocated to overtime. spections. The revenue generated from fire certificate applications during this period was $124,691. New fire Cost Centre 55200, Airport Fire Station— inspection software will increase the efficiency and $2,548,000 frequency of inspections, therefore increasing the revenue of the next fiscal period. Construction industry— Hon. Wayne Caines: The cost centre provides air- conducting 453 Fire and Life Safety construction doc- craft emergency rescue and firefighting services at the ument reviews. L. F. Wade International Airport, as prescribed by the Under the strategic heading of Home Fire Overseas Territories Aviation Requirements, part 140, Safety Visits: and the Bermuda Department of Civil Aviation. The L. the community received fire safety literature, inspection guidelines. The Fire Safety Awareness Week was Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3335

conducted at preschools to high schools. There were wish to volunteer their time and service to this country. home safety visits to help the elderly, and the hearing The future of the new volunteer service will see: Sup- and the sight impaired. Provided Firefighting and Res- porting the Bermuda Fire Department with an Island- cue Operations to the L. F. Wade International Airport wide service; conducting support with water supplies in accordance with Overseas Territories Regulations and foam, as well during major incidents; rendering mandated by the Bermuda Department of Civil Avia- refreshments and food supplies, along with the refill- tion for Cedar Aviation. ing air supplies for sustained firefighting or hazardous Revenue (PPRs), Prior Permission Request material incidents. generated from airport operation during this period Madam Chairman, the Dundonald Street fire was $188,300 for the Executive Jet Facility stand-by, and the Dockyard marine fire have shown that greater critical care med flight and for the air ambulance. emphasis needs to be placed upon community fire education. This can all be accomplished through our Supplementary Estimates 2018/19 Community Risk Reduction Programme. Fire safety and prevention visits, radio commercials and social Hon. Wayne Caines: The Bermuda Fire and Rescue media can be used to help us reach mariners, busi- Service has historically required supplementary funds nesses, insurance companies, private dwellings and in the aftermath of hurricanes or major incidents to schools. The Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service will, cover operational expenses such as overtime sala- however, endeavour to continue to provide emergen- ries/wages, gas/fuel, food supplies and emergency cy services at a high standard of operational efficien- supplies. cy. Madam Chairman, as this Honourable House The dedication of all personnel has been con- will be aware, the fiscal period 2020/21 will be a chal- firmed on a number of occasions by letters of appreci- lenge. In accordance with our main objectives, there ation from members of our community for the services was a need to implement a Home Fire Safety Pro- of our emergency operations, and the communities gramme. The fire service has met its mandate and have lauded our community service efforts. Thank initiated this programme. This will also allow for the you, Madam Chairman. volunteer firefighters to be trained in assisting the full- I would like to take this opportunity to thank time staff in delivering this programme. The future of Chief Fire Officer, R. Lloyd Burchall and the members the home safety visits will assist in meeting the needs of the Fire Service for their continued efforts on behalf of the new demographics in our country; reducing the of the people of Bermuda. community risk; enhancing fire safety; providing confi- Thank you, Madam Chairman. dence in the community with the fire service capability and response to emergencies. The Chairman: Thank you, Minister. That concludes the brief on National Security. Volunteers We will now take a recess and come back and continue the debate in the National Security Ministry. Hon. Wayne Caines: The St. George’s Volunteer Fire Minister. Service has been upgraded to the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Volunteer Fire Service. The volunteer fire ser- Hon. Wayne Caines: Madam Chairman, I move that vice has seen a period of decreasing numbers in re- we now adjourn for lunch. cent years. The Fire Chief saw a need to put an effort into increasing the numbers and to modernise the vol- The Chairman: Yes. We will now adjourn for lunch unteers. The first effort was to allow the area of re- and return at 2:00 pm. sponse to be increased not from only the eastern end but Island-wide. The second change was to have the Proceedings suspended at 12:33 pm role of the volunteers to expand to training and to operational responsibilities. They now will be trained to Proceedings resumed at 2:02 pm operate the high-volume pumper in order to supply high volumes of water when required at major fires. [Ms. Leah K. Scott, Chairman] The volunteers will be trained to operate other specialist trucks in order to support the efforts of the full-time COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY staff, especially during hurricanes. After engaging in an effort to recruit volun- ESTIMATES OF REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE teers, the number of volunteers which were on record FOR THE YEAR 2020/21 and training has increased from three in January 2020 to 26 volunteers who train every Tuesday night at the MINISTRY OF NATIONAL SECURITY Hamilton Fire Station. Our department sees a new volunteer service that is growing with enthusiasm and [Continuation thereof] gives Bermuda’s youth another choice should they Bermuda House of Assembly 3336 4 March 2020 Official Hansard Report

The Chairman: Honourable Members, we are now in opportunity for people from different walks of life to Committee of Supply for further consideration of the actually have to work together. Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the year As we go through some of the challenges that 2020/21, Heads 83, 6, 7, 12, 25 and 45 of National we are having in Bermuda today, it is important to Security are to be debated. note that this was something that was helpful in giving And we have three hours and four minutes that opportunity to people from different walks of life to remaining in this debate, Minister. actually have to work together as a team. And with that being said, can the Minister Hon. Wayne Caines: Good afternoon, Madam speak to if there is any way for us to continue to try to Chairman. bring that into the process of recruitment? I know it is We have finished our Heads and we would difficult because before there were people who would now like to open the opportunity to my colleagues in never have signed up to be in the Regiment who were the Opposition to ask us questions. in the Regiment. I know that there are several people, even within this House, who would have moved up the The Chairman: Okay. ranks within the Regiment, but if you asked them Does any other Member wish to speak? would they have signed up in the beginning, the an- I recognise the Honourable Member from swer probably would have been no. constituency 31, Ben Smith. You have the floor. So, now that we have the situation where we are not forcing people to be in, are we missing out on Mr. Ben Smith: Good afternoon, Madam Chairman. the opportunity to have people of that level in the Reg- iment? I know that the people that are in there now The Chairman: Good afternoon. are working hard, that they are trying to make the Regiment as productive as they possibly can with the Mr. Ben Smith: First, I would like to thank the Minister constraints that they have under this new system. for the information that he presented this morning. One of the things that I would specifically like Obviously, the Ministry of National Security is an ex- to ask is: With this recruitment that we are doing on an tremely important Ministry, it covers so many different ongoing basis, is there any focus on bringing female areas, specifically a lot of the service areas. The pro- membership into the Regiment? As you look world- tection of our citizens, the overall feeling of safety in wide, we have, you know, issues with making sure our country, is based off of a lot of the department that we are being fair across the board, but some- Heads that are in this particular Ministry. times there are challenges with keeping that level of The Minister did a really good job of laying out male/female in. So, I just wonder if the Minister can a lot of the challenges that are faced when you have a speak to if there is any specific focus into bringing fe- situation where the budget does not always allow for males into the Bermuda Regiment. covering all of the items that we would need, but it is Now, under 16080, still on page B-281, this is important that we highlight some of the areas where Marine Operations. So, obviously, this is a big high- there is potential weakness which we would want to lighted point because we have been talking for quite see more finances given to. some time about getting a Coast Guard into Bermuda With that I would like to start with Head 6, De- and what the potential impact of having a Coast fence. That will be on page B-280. Guard in Bermuda would be. In previous budgets we took money which was for overseas camps and put it The Chairman: Thank you. aside so that we could implement the Coast Guard, and it did not work out in previous years. So, now Mr. Ben Smith: I am actually going to start on page there has been money specifically put aside to have B-281 under 16005, Recruitment. the Coast Guard, but I have some specific questions The Minister mentioned that there was a total about what that is going to look like and that process, number of soldiers that would be necessary to have a as we implement this new programme. full complement in the Defence Department, but he So, in having a new Coast Guard system, the also mentioned that we actually have a number pres- first question I would like to ask the Minister is: How ently that is significantly lower than that number. We many boats are going to be necessary to have a have been through a transition over the last couple of Coast Guard? If we have boats presently, what is the years since we made the adjustment to not have con- age of the boats? If we have boats that are over a cer- scription, which, obviously, is going to have an impact. tain age, what is the expected lifespan of a boat that is And as we are going through the process of figuring used for this particular service? Are the boats tested out whether the recruitment each year is able to meet for seaworthiness? If the boats are tested for seawor- the demand, I will say that I was a Regiment soldier in thiness, how many of the boats that we presently have Bermuda. One of the things that is missing by not hav- have actually passed that test? ing the conscription portion is the overall interaction of So, as we go down this path of trying to bring Bermuda that was forced, but it actually opened up an in a Coast Guard, we have to start off with the tools Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3337 that allow them to actually perform the duties that we So, the Coast Guard, being on the water and policing are expecting of them. the water, obviously, will have some area to deal with The Minister spoke of the range of 12 miles in this. So what will the coordination look like between that is the coverage of the Coast Guard. Still, speak- them and the other departments to make sure that this ing to the fact that we are going to have the usage of is covered? And, once again, who is going to be in boats, do we have boats that are specific for inshore charge in those particular situations? and boats that will be used for safety in the area off of Presently, there have been some parts of the Bermuda out to 12 miles? Bermuda Regiment under the Boat Troop that have There are also incidents which will happen been helping and supporting the police. Is it possible outside of that range that may come under other de- to have some statistics on the ticketing that has hap- partments, but will there be coordination with the pened on the water, specifically, from this group so Coast Guard to potentially give them an opportunity to that we have an idea as we move towards having a work together for that area that is outside of the 12 Coast Guard and some of these responsibilities will be miles where the training that is being provided to our taken over, what it is that we can expect from the po- Coast Guard might come into the option of helping in licing of the water by the new Coast Guard? that area? As we bring in this Coast Guard . . . and I dis- The Coast Guard positions that are being cussed the fact that we would like to get some infor- brought in, there are nine positions, and the service is mation on how many boats and how old the boats are. going to be 24 hours, so are these positions being Is the Minister able to tell us who will be maintaining brought in full time or part time? And are they falling the boats? Is that something that is done presently by under the same line under where the rest of the Reg- the Boat Troop? Do we have all of the tools and the iment is, for which there is no overtime, so is it going specific people in place to make sure that we are to be a set rate for the people that are going to be in making our boats seaworthy so that not only is the the Coast Guard? If he could give some clarification Coast Guard able to perform the task that they are as to whether there is going to be any difference be- asked to do, but they are also doing it under the safety tween the Coast Guard and the rest of the Regiment for themselves, so that we are protecting the commu- when it comes to the contract that they will be signing nity as well as the people from the Regiment that we on to. are expecting to perform this service? Presently, a lot of the duties which are done Moving on to page B-282, I have a question for our marine policing are done by the police. So, by around Energy. Can the Minister please give us a bringing in the Coast Guard there is going to be some breakdown of what the energy cost is for this Head in crossover that is going to happen. Originally, I believe Defence? So, it is actually found on page B-282, it that the Coast Guard was going to take over these comes right under Insurance, there is a line for Ener- duties. Can the Minister give us some details of who is gy. Can he give us a breakdown of what that is? And going to be covering what area and who will be in let us know whether there has been any analysis of charge when that kind of conflict potentially happens, using renewable energy and trying to reduce the cost you know, when two people are showing up to a sce- of energy when it comes to this particular department. ne, who is in charge of it? The Minister has spoken about the change in You know, obviously, the police have one way the communications and, obviously, that was done of doing things, they have a different set of duties, overall because it is going to reduce the cost of deal- they are going to have certain standards that come ing with the communication system. If he could give under [the] police, and then the Regiment forces are us a little more specifics when it comes to the Regi- going to come under a different standard with a differ- ment and any positive impact this change might have ent set of rules. So, bringing arms into an incident, with the new equipment. boarding boats, if he can give us some clarification as Just quickly going back to the Marine Opera- to what that is going to look like and who will be in tions under 16080, if there is a major incident on the charge in those situations. water where there is fire, particularly, and you are When there is a situation where a boat poten- having multiple agencies on the water at the same tially has been identified where searches are going to time to deal with an incident, once again, if we could be needed to happen, who is going to be responsible have some clarification on who is going to be respon- for that? Is that a situation where the Regiment is just sible, who is in charge, because part of the issue is, going to be watching or will they be the ones actually you know, when you are going to have multiple chiefs, boarding the boat? Will they be the ones doing the you can run into some conflicts. So, if we could have searches? Could we get some idea, as we are going some clarification on who is going to be in charge in through this transition, what that will look like? that [situation], it would be helpful. The Minister also mentioned that there are On page B-283, when we are looking at the some parts of this that are dealt with by the Fisheries employee numbers, it has been noted publicly that we Department when we are dealing with the licensing are going through the transition of commanding officer and, obviously, people fishing in non-fishing zones. and this, obviously, happens on a routine basis. With Bermuda House of Assembly 3338 4 March 2020 Official Hansard Report the changes in recruitment into the defence, previous- Minister, do you want to address his ques- ly there would have been kind of steps where every- tions? You want to go . . . okay. one comes in as a private, different people are moved Member, do you want to go to the next Head? into different areas with different levels of training, and then you are going to move up through the ranks Mr. Ben Smith: I was looking for the answers before I based off of that training. move on so that potentially there are going to be more Can the Minister give us any indication on questions on this based off of the answers that I am whether those lines are in place for us to be progress- going to receive. ing people through the ranks that are going to allow us to continue to have Bermudians in those higher roles The Chairman: Okay. in the future? Because as you move people with expe- Minister? rience out on this kind of routine basis, sometimes it means that the people behind them have to have Hon. Wayne Caines: We should just prepare to an- been trained and prepared to take over that role. swer those all at the end when we have all of the But the starting point is going to be that we technical officers there. They are in the back. The actually have to have enough people to go through Regiment officer is not here to answer those ques- the process to be prepared and to be certified in the tions, so we are just going to ask to proceed and we level that it is going to take to take over that role. So, will answer all the questions and move all the Heads just making sure that we have people in that position in the end. so that we do not end up in a situation where, when this commanding officer moves on and you move The Chairman: Okay. someone else up that we do not leave the cupboard I see two Members standing. bare. So, just some clarification on what those steps I think I would like to recognise the Honoura- are so that we can make sure that we continue to ble Jeanne Atherden from constituency 19. have Bermudians in those roles. On page B-284, Performance Measures, just Hon. Jeanne J. Atherden: Right. a quick question looking at . . . under the business unit . . . it actually lists 16020, 16030, 16040, 16075 for The Chairman: You have the floor. Training and Support. The actual piece that I want to look at is, Percentage of soldiers who passed their Hon. Jeanne J. Atherden: I am following up on what military standard tests. So, in 2018/19 it was 50 per my colleague has asked in terms of page B-284. cent; and the revised forecast for 2019/20 was 65 per You are talking about the percentage of sol- cent. diers who passed their military standard test and I If the Minister can speak to the percentage of know that it was . . . originally it was 50 [per cent], we pass rate for the people participating in passing the hoped to get it up to 70 [per cent] and now it is fore- test, which, obviously, is going to mean that this is the cast down and targeted for 65 [per cent]. And I think, group of people that we will be training forward to try from the perspective of the additional things which the to move up the ranks, if the percentage of them that soldiers are supposed to do and the whole question of are not passing the test is still quite high, this is not recruiting and getting enough people, I just wondered boding well when our overall numbers have been re- if the Minister is able to indicate, you know, what duced so significantly. things are in place to get them at a higher level rather And I bring that specific point up because than just the 65 [per cent]. when you look at Training and Validation, the per- Originally you hoped to get 70 per cent pass- centage of soldiers who passed overseas courses is ing. We have acknowledged that it is only 65. I would 100 per cent. So, the training and standards that are have thought it would be quite important to get it to an being done locally we are having a hard time getting even higher standard. And I think what I would be in- everybody to pass, but I guess, the select few that are terested in, in terms of this outcome, [would be] is this being pushed off to overseas are passing. Maybe we an accumulation of each one of the things that they could come up with an idea of how we can make that have done in terms of 65 [per cent] or each one of [local] number a little higher because presently the those tests has a different pass rate and, therefore, target outcome is still 65 per cent. this is an accumulation of passing all of them? And with that, on this particular one, I will take Am I clear? Should I make it . . . my seat, and if anybody wants to ask questions on it or I would look for responses from the Minister on this [Inaudible interjection] particular Head. Hon. Jeanne J. Atherden: Yes, it is clear? Okay. The Chairman: Is there any other Member who would like to speak to this Head 6? The Chairman: Thank you, Member. No other Member. Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3339

Is there any other Member that would like to cruitment part becomes really important to make sure speak? that we are bringing people in. Member from constituency 31, you have the What you do not want to have is that any kind floor. of reduction ends up meaning that the recruitment of new officers does not happen or gets pushed down Mr. Ben Smith: So, before I move on to Head 7, Po- the line because there is going to be burnout, there lice, I would just like to say thank you to all the people are going to be issues within the police because of the within the Bermuda Regiment. A lot of times we do not high intensity of the job that they are having to do. So, really give a lot of praise to the Regiment until we that number—the big number that kind of shocked need them—when a hurricane happens and there is people—means that somewhere there is going to disaster and they are out immediately, out in the storm have to be some give and take when it comes to the cutting down trees and removing debris from the police. roads, or when a disaster happens outside of Bermu- One of the things that I would like to know is da and they go towards that area to make sure that that after the recruitment process is over and they they are helping our neighbours, and doing that on have actually become a police officer, is there a con- behalf of Bermuda. So, I would just like to make sure tinued set of courses available for police officers so that we thank them for their service and what they are that they can maintain, you know, policing at the level providing for Bermuda. of the world today? Because, obviously, things are changing and they are changing quickly. The kind of The Chairman: Thank you, Member. criminals that we have has changed. Obviously, we are going to have to keep up to date in what we are Mr. Ben Smith: So, moving onto Head 7 for Police. doing. So, just making sure that the training and de- Over the last several years there has been a velopment of these officers is continuous. significant change in what is expected from the Police And, what access are we giving them to because of the changes in our society. With the in- whatever tools they might need? You know, whether it crease in gangs and gang activity, obviously, the Min- is forensics, or whether it is dealing with gangs, or it is ister has come to the House on several occasions and how you deal with people on an ongoing basis, there spoken specifically to all of the challenges of dealing are different areas which are important so we make with gangs in Bermuda and all the different pro- sure that we are giving them the tools so that they can grammes that are being put in place to try to not only actually protect the country and, potentially, prevent deal with the kind of end result when we are dealing some of the crimes from happening. with a crime and the police are having to deal with And in the context of this training, if this train- them, but also the programmes to try to curb this ac- ing is happening, can the Minister let us know whether tivity from a younger age. most of that training can happen locally? Or is it But, specifically for the police, they are the something that has to happen overseas? Are we hav- ones who have to deal with this on an ongoing basis ing to . . . or is it a situation where potentially we can with gun incidents and violent crime, obviously taking train Bermudians to be able to come back and then on a lot of that extreme responsibility for the police. It give the training to everyone else so that you are is also important to note that some of the community keeping that momentum happening, but you are also policing initiatives are actually doing a really good job. doing it at a local level? That communication with the police and the communi- Is it possible for the Minister to let us know ty is helping to kind of break down some of the barri- what percentage of the Bermuda Police [Service] is ers. That opportunity for the population to see the po- actually female? lice in a different light is allowing for policing to take You are going to see a little bit of a trend here place in a different way and have people comfortable with me. I am just making sure overall that when we to come forward and speak to the police when inci- are making decisions about employment that we are dents happen is really important and it allows for doing it with equal opportunity across the board to some of the convictions to happen because people make sure that we are giving [the same] opportunities are speaking up. to female officers that we are giving to male officers So, starting on page B-286, 17190, Training that we are recruiting, and if there are challenges and and Development Department, is this the area where differences that have to be dealt with, that we are the recruiting of the next officers is going to come dealing with that to make sure that we are evening the from? Is this the group . . . is this the area that will be playing field between our male officers and female responsible for training the next set of recruits? officers. Obviously, I have spoken publicly that when Moving on to 17120, still on page B-286, this you look at the initial number and there is a $4 million is under Marine and Road Policing. reduction to the police, it is a shock when we actually are going through a lot of things presently in Bermuda The Chairman: What number [was that], Member? where you are going to need the police. So, the re- Bermuda House of Assembly 3340 4 March 2020 Official Hansard Report

Mr. Ben Smith: [Business unit] 17120. The Minister might have spoken to this . . . I am moving on to 17140, the Special Investigations The Chairman: Okay, thank you. Department. There seems to have been a significant drop in the Special Investigations Department. If the Mr. Ben Smith: Sorry, that is not the right one. Minister can speak to the specifics of that, was that Yes, 17120, correct, Marine Policing. So, with based off of investigating a specific case that was the introduction of the Coast Guard, obviously there is costing more money that now is not happening and potentially going to be an impact on the policing that is that is why we are now seeing the reduction? If he done by the Marine police. So, what impact is that could just give us information on what that is. having on the Marine police unit? Are those officers [Business unit] 17170, Intelligence Division, being moved to a different part of policing? Or are has there been any further discussion on drone tech- they still there because they are going to be support- nology for the Bermuda Police Service? Obviously, ing what is happening with the Coast Guard as we are the technology in drones has become very specific going through the transition? If the Minister could give and important across the globe and it allows for polic- us some details of what that impact is and what ing, specifically, at a level that you cannot always get changes, potentially, are going to happen within the with normal methods of trying to gain intelligence. Is Marine policing unit. this something that we are continuing to look at? And If the Minister can give us information on how is this something that potentially can help our police many boats the Marine policing unit has, how old they force? And there might be an initial outlay in cost, but are and what the lifespan is of the boats that the po- it actually may reduce costs later because the man lice have? Have those boats been tested for water hours change when you are using technology to actu- worthiness and have they passed the testing? ally get to the result. And once again, who is responsible for the So, under 17220, Reserve Police, the Minister maintenance of the Marine policing unit? Because if spoke specifically about the reduction in the number we are going to be having a crossover and there are of people that were participating in the reserve police going to be boats from the Coast Guard and boats force and some of the changes in the roles. Has there from the Marine policing, maybe there could be some been an analysis of the people who have left? Or any crossover on how we are going to deal with the kind of idea on what changes we have to make in or- maintenance of them. der to make sure that we are bringing more people Now, on 17130, Garage and Workshop, I into that particular area? Obviously, having them as gather that this is the area that is going to be respon- support to the police reduces some costs, but at the sible for the servicing of the police vehicles. I believe same time allows manpower to be moved in areas the Minister might have given us some information on where it actually can be used at a higher level for bet- the total [number of] cars and vehicles that are used ter reasons. by the police. But could he just kind of follow up and On page B-287, Salaries. I guess the question give us detail on how many vehicles there are? I that I want to ask is based off of a number that you guess my specific question is: When we are looking at hear a lot, that there are a large number of overtime the fleet overall, these are cars that are actually hav- hours that are spent [by] the police force. I guess the ing . . . vehicles that are being used daily—multiple question overall becomes . . . you have this balancing times a day—by potentially different people using act where you have a staffing number that says that those cars. And the wear and tear that happens when this is the number of staff that you are able to provide you are having to use a vehicle this way . . . has there in the budget, but then you have to use that same been any specific analysis about the cars that we are group of people past the amount of time that is normal purchasing to make sure that we are getting true val- in their job, which then adds an added cost of over- ue for money? time. Has an analysis been done which would provide Rather than just buy a car because it looks a details on, if we actually added two more staff we certain way are we focused on a car that is going to would cut down on that overtime number, which is be able to handle that wear and tear and be able to actually less expensive, and, at the same time, we are work for what we are going to use it for? I think most creating an environment which means that the officers people would agree that they have to have these ve- are actually getting more down time? hicles, but I think people are going to want to know They are getting . . . you know, having a high that the vehicle that they are buying is going to be stress job means that they are going to have mental something that is purposeful for what they are using it health issues, that they actually have to be taking care for. of themselves. And it is not just that; it is going to be The Minister spoke specifically that there is physical, there are all the other pieces, seeing your $150,000 that has been put aside for vehicles. Can he family . . . there is an understanding that in certain break down how many vehicles that potentially is go- fields within the overall National Security, there are ing to provide [and] at what cost? high levels in certain jobs when it comes to divorce rates, when it comes to sickness, because of the high Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3341

stress level. And when you add in doing extended of time. It is always unfortunate when you have the hours over an ongoing period, that is a recipe for more opportunity to speak to the fact that we did not have of that same unhealthy outcome. any murders last year and we seem to have moved in And with the overtime, is there also an option a direction where the gun incidents have gone down where officers are able to take time in lieu instead of and then we end up having this surge that happened. payment? And if that is the case, how is that lined up The result of that surge seemed to have been that the when you end up banking many hours of time that you police did a very public display, kind of being in areas cannot use? Obviously, if you are understaffed they where potentially there were incidents which seemed cannot take the time and then, eventually, you are to have an impact. Obviously, this was done along going to have to pay it at some point. with the conjunction of the Gang Task Force and Pas- So, moving on to Professional Services, which tor Bean, and there was a lot of coordination to kind of is also found on [page] B-287, can the Minister give us stop this kind of back and forth that was creating a lot a breakdown on what those professional services are of uncertainty in the Island and a lot of fear. and what the impact is of the changes in the budget My question is, when you have to have that when it comes, specifically, to that line item? kind of surge to push back, what is the cost of that? Is Repair and Maintenance, also on that page, that a different cost than what would be happening for the Minister talked about some of the changes in mov- normal policing? ing different departments and trying to fix up, I believe So, if that surge is going to increase the cost he said, the Prospect Building. Can the Minister give to the police budget, what does that look like if, after us some details on how many people, potentially, can that period of time, they are going to have to start to be moved once that project is complete? I know he cut back and then the gun incidents go up and now said that it is probably not going to happen within this they are going to have to do that surge again? If that year because there is not enough money in the budg- is the context and you have lowered the budget for et to actually complete the project, but would it be police, how do they cover that surge in cost to the possible for us to know, once that project is complete, budget the next time around? Somewhere something how many people can move to that area? And then, is going to have to give in order for them to be able to what the cost savings will be once they are able to cover all of the things that they need to do at a level move? that is going to work for the country. And under Energy, can the Minister give us a There also seems to be something that obvi- breakdown of where that Energy number comes from ously happens when you have complicated crime and, once again, has an analysis been done to find happen. You know, if there is gun violence, obviously out whether renewable energy can be used in order to the police officers who are attending to it, who are reduce the cost of our energy for this department? dealing with that case, are going to have to do very So, with the total number of officers (this is on specific things, but then they are going to have to go page B-288), is the Minister able to provide to us back and do admin attached to that. And then, if they whether the total number of officers that we presently are able to apprehend somebody and then go through have matches the number of officers that is actually that process, they are then going to have to take that requested? I ask this, once again, because, obviously, all the way through the court system. Well, all of that there could be an impact on the overtime number. It is is going to mean that those particular officers are also important to be able to figure out whether we spending more and more time dealing with that admin have the full coverage. side. We have some initiatives that have been When that happens, it is obviously going to brought in recently with sobriety checkpoints. I believe have a knock-on effect that somewhere you are going that the sobriety checkpoints are working for a lot of to have a shortage because your most experienced reasons. Potentially, this area has allowed the police . . . they are obviously going to try to send out the of- to focus on specific areas when it comes to drinking ficers that they know have all of the details that are and driving. Some of the feedback is that because we needed to deal with that kind of crime. If that person is are telling people when we are going to have it, it now spending extra time on the admin side, how do does not have the full impact that it would have if, on you balance that? an ongoing basis, people did not know where and So, if it is not a manpower issue, potentially, is when this was going to happen. That, potentially, there something that we can do to kind of offset the curbs the behaviour more than people just behaving admin that they are having to do so that those people badly most of the time and then changing their behav- can be on the front line? I do not fully know what the iour on just the weekends when we have sobriety real answer is to that, but if the Minister can give checkpoints. some details, specifically on what that looks like, be- So, going back to page B-286, 17010, Human cause as those officers are having to spend that extra Resources, I have a question regarding . . . the public time and have to pull themselves in multiple direc- will have been aware that there has been an increase tions, it goes back to my mental health position. in gun incidents in Bermuda over an extended period Right? When you are extra stressed-out and you are Bermuda House of Assembly 3342 4 March 2020 Official Hansard Report spending extra hours and you are dealing with it on ago, and we have yet to receive a response in respect this kind of intense basis, that is going to have an im- of those questions. pact on the lives of those officers. So, if we can get some details on that, because we need to make sure The Chairman: Yes? that the police unit in Bermuda is supported. Because most of us do not really think about the police until we Hon. Wayne Caines: The questions were asked by need them, and we want to make sure that they are the Deputy Speaker of the House with reference to— going to be there when we do need them. and please let me know if am not answering them cor- With that being said, I just want to make sure rectly—with reference to sick days, suspensions, peo- that when we reduce the budget, specifically for this ple that were on leave, people that were out on gar- group, even if it is supposed to be in a particular area dening leave, all the people that are on pay, specific that is not going to impact, we all know that if some- to your question, two weeks ago were asked by the thing comes up they are going to have to shift things Deputy Speaker of the House. around in order to cover what they now . . . what has Last week there were acts written and all the now become the priority. So, even though today it responses were turned in last week as written ques- looks like it can be covered, what does it look like tions that list categorically the [number] of people that down the road? And what are they actually going to were on leave, the amount of money that has been have to reduce in order to cover all the things that spent on leave, how many people on suspension, all they need to do? those questions were given as a written answer last And with that I will take my seat, see if there week and were submitted to the House in response to are any more questions, and hopefully some answers Parliamentary Questions. from the Minister. The Chairman: Thank you, Minister. The Chairman: Is there any other Member who would Member? Pat Gordon-Pamplin. like to speak to Head 7, Police? I recognise the Member from constituency 23, Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: Thank you, Mad- Pat Gordon-Pamplin. am Chairman. Madam Chairman, I think that . . . and I thank Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: Yes, thank you. the Minister for that, because I was unaware of what the responses were. I did know that there were some The Chairman: You have the floor. questions that had been asked and that responses had been provided on a written basis. So, we did not Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: Thank you, Mad- have the opportunity to really look at them at that point am Chairman. in time, through no fault of the Minister. It is just some- Madam Chairman, I am hoping that . . . I was thing that I think was overlooked. sort of in transit, and I am hoping the Minister has not But I believe that the Public Accounts Com- covered the specific question that I am going to refer mittee, as a separate entity and a committee of this to. If he has, he can just let me know. Honourable House, when questions are asked of the But I had a question in respect of the police department and the commissioner and whomever else budget on page B-287 under the Subjective Analysis was responsible to respond, they are expected to re- of Salaries. There is an estimate for 2020/21 of spond to the Public Accounts Committee. So, I will $47,312,000. Now, the question that I have here is: definitely have a look at the responses that came We have been advised within . . . you know I Chair the through to see whether we can utilise that information Public Accounts Committee. And one of the questions and work from them or make the determination as to that we have requested of the department is if they whether there is anything else that is needed in order could give us some indication in respect of the ex- to fulfil the queries that the Public Accounts Commit- tended leave that some officers have been able to tee are required to undertake to ensure that we have stay on the force and some of them, apparently, for all the answers. extended periods of time, not just like a short term, but they have been on an extended leave for an extended The Chairman: Member, I understand that they are period of time. contained in the minutes of February 28th. Obviously, when we are looking at the public money we need to ensure that those questions are Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: I will definitely answered so that if there are recommendations that have a look, because I do remember the Speaker . . . can be made to be able to create further efficiencies I think the questions were actually still on the Order then, obviously, you want to be in a position to do so. Paper and the Speaker did specifically ask whether And we have yet to receive the responses. These they had been responded to. And the Minister indicat- questions have gone out probably nearly two months ed that they had been. So, I am quite satisfied. I just was not aware of the nature of the questions that had Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3343

been asked. So, I will go back and do that necessary PAC. But I am just wondering what the procedure is research, and if there is more information that is reas far as the police are concerned. quired, I will certainly drill down on it. Also, is there any particular reason why sobri- But I think it is still important to point out that ety testing has been decreased? That was just a when the Public Accounts Committee asks for infor- question that came to mind. So, that takes me through mation, the Public Accounts Committee has the right my questions on the Police. But I also have some to receive that information, even though it is made questions in respect of the Regiment. available somewhere else. One of which comes from page B-284. When we look at Performance Measures under business The Chairman: Right. unit 16020, 16030, 16040 and 16075, Training and Support, item number three on page B-284 indicates Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: So, I think that is the Percentage of soldiers who passed their military just [an important point] to be made. standard tests. And that is a 65 per cent anticipated I also want to go to Defence, and that is on . . . I am not sure if somebody already asked that page B-284. No, let me just stay on Police first. And question? that is in respect of . . . and this is on page B-287 under Subjective Analysis on Salaries. Is there any [Inaudible interjection] methodology by which officers are incentivised other than just their regular salary, especially if they have a Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: Okay, all right, shortage of officers, they have got to double-up, they fine. I just wanted to make sure that the individual un- have got to do extra time, double-time? Apart from der A, B, C, D and E, that we have the percentages of just the fact that they may get paid overtime for doing each of those areas. Because it is fine to aggregate the work that they do, is there something that would [and say] that 65 [per cent] have passed, but we want encourage them to take up the opportunity, other than to make sure that we are getting at least a satisfactory just the money? passing percentage on each of the categories. I would But is there something that is human, some- like to see 100 per cent on some of these things, cer- thing that we feel, something that we know that these tainly with physical fitness and personal fitness tests officers are being looked at as a valuable part of our and annual fitness tests. It would be nice to have defence strategy to ensure that there is some incen- 100 per cent, but that is being unrealistic. tivisation that they may receive? The Chairman: Could I ask MP Rolfe Commissiong if [Inaudible interjection] he could come, please?

Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: This is Police; I Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: Also, there is one have gone back to Police. So, I am going to finish the other question that I have. Police first. What happens to retired weapons in the ser- And when there are officers on extended vice? I think it is important to find out because I think leave, who will make the determination, or who makes that we have had information fairly recently in respect that determination in terms of whether they are re- of weapons being made available (even though they tained on the payroll? may not have been operative weapons) and people, I think we have seen fairly recently there was individuals, being able to come into possession of a . . . somebody who was acting ultra vires their au- such weapons in their own private environment. And I thority and responsibility and it was serving, in the es- am just wondering what happens with respect to re- timation of the commissioner, to bring the service into tired weapons and how well secured they are? If the disrepute. And this, obviously, is an isolated case. I do Minister can talk us through that particular aspect, that not want for one second for anybody to think that we would be useful. think this is going on, on a wholesale basis. But the question begs: At that point in time, if somebody is [Mr. Rolfe Commissiong, Chairman] deemed to be acting outside of their authority and they are pulled on the carpet as a result, who is it that Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: And it looks like I makes that determination as to whether they are re- may have tread on some toes here, Mr. Chairman, tained on the payroll and whether their salary will con- thank you for engaging me in this question. tinue while they were being investigated? Or once And the other question I had was— they get . . . I am just trying to understand what the process is there. [Inaudible interjection] I was made to understand, under the Public Service Commission, what the process is in terms of Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: Decommissioned other officers that we have investigated under the weapons, yes, and how they are secured because, notwithstanding we may have weapons that are Bermuda House of Assembly 3344 4 March 2020 Official Hansard Report deemed to be put out of commission, some of them, people deciding to stay in longer and become career with the installation of an extra pin or with the installa- soldiers, et cetera. tion of something else could actually be reengaged as So, it is disappointing to see these numbers. a dangerous and effective weapon. So, I just did not know if the Minister could indicate Now, I do not know an awful lot about guns. I what is being done, what is being planned to try and am absolutely terrified of the things, so I do not know get that number up, because we all want the Regi- an awful lot about it. However— ment to be at the level and we all want good soldiers to be there to be protective of us. [Inaudible interjection] If I can then just switch over to Police, this is page B-289, the Performance Measures which are [Ms. Leah K. Scott, Chairman] there. There is a target outcome for 2020/21 and my question sort of relates to each one of the targets. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: Terrified. But with “Percentage change and community satisfaction with that said, I think I know enough and have seen the Bermuda Police Service,” you are anticipating a enough TV shows and enough movies that would let 3 per cent percentage change. But without knowing me know that this could, conceivably, be an issue. what target you had, it is hard to know whether you And we want to make sure that the security of our will meet it. And it is even harder for anybody to know, public is not compromised when these so-called you know, how far off you are in terms of, if you say weapons have been retired, and I think it is important you wanted everybody to think that the satisfaction is to know. 100 per cent and you only got 97 [per cent], then you I think that those are the questions that I have came within 3 per cent. But if you only want it to be for the moment and, if I have anymore, I will certainly 85 [per cent] and you came to 85 per cent, then it is come back and ask those at an appropriate point in up. time. So, each one of those things might have a Thank you, Madam Chairman. different percentage. Because if we say “percentage change in the public’s perception of safety about Ber- The Chairman: Thank you, Member. muda’s roads,” I think a lot of people would realise Is there any other Member who wishes to that they have a real concern, so maybe the safety speak to Head 7, Police? level is lower and a 3 per cent change would be fine. I recognise the Member from constituency 19, But maybe the percentage that you targeted for in Jeanne Atherden. You have the floor. terms of how fairly the police treat the citizens, maybe you want that to be 100 per cent or 90 per cent. Hon. Jeanne J. Atherden: Thank you. So, what I am saying to you is without know- And if the Minister will grant me the latitude ing the targeted satisfaction, those performance tar- since my colleague went back to Defence for a mi- gets, are not going to be— nute, if I can just go there and then come forward? This is on page B-284. There is an indication An Hon. Member: Meaningful. that the operational strength of the Regiment as a percentage against the establishment was forecast at Hon. Jeanne J. Atherden: Right. 85 per cent, it is down now to 75 [per cent], and it is Thank you, Mr. Minister. targeted to go forward at 75 [per cent]. I guess my concern is recognising that there is a real concern as The Chairman: Is there any other Member who wish- to whether the Regiment is going to be able to live up es to speak? to all of the requirements. What is being done to, if I recognise the Member from constituency 31, you will, to try and get more people into the Regi- the Shadow Minister of National Security, Ben Smith. ment? Because I think that was a real concern. You have the floor. And if you go down to the next page, the “Percentage of soldiers passed their period of manda- Mr. Ben Smith: Thank you, Madam Chairman. tory service,” it used to be 75 per cent. So you had Just finishing out on the Police, still on Head people who were in there, they had the knowledge, 7, I just have a question when it comes to the employ- they would stay around for a while and, if you will, be ee numbers. So, on page B-288, is the Minister able some of the officers and the other people to be the to provide to us the number of, I guess the average core. The revised forecast is down to 50 per cent, the number of, retirees per year just so that we can have target is up to 55 per cent. Is there anything being an understanding of how many people are leaving the done to try and get those up to larger numbers? And force each year so that we can determine whether we the reason I ask is because I know at one stage there are actually bringing in enough officers to match the was a suggestion that with some of the perks that you number that are leaving the force? Because, obvious- could get by being in the Regiment, that you might get ly, we want to make sure that the number is going to

Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3345

be sufficient to cover all the duties that the Police that is working within the facility now that prevents the [Service] has. inmates from having access to outside when it is not Before moving on to the next Head, I would something that is in a controlled environment? They like to take this opportunity to thank the Police [Ser- are, obviously, not supposed to have cell phones, but vice] for all that they do in keeping our community if they are having access to it, potentially having some safe, for the work that has happened when they are kind of system that prevents them from being able to investigating the crimes locally. A lot of the work that reach outside of the facility would be important. If they they do is not . . . it is a thankless job. They are going are not using a cell phone they are going to be using to be in neighbourhoods, a lot of time they are asking the public phone. So I believe that there are specific questions which make people uncomfortable, a lot of details around people having access to the phone call. the tasks that they are being asked to do are not go- Right? ing to be the popular jobs, but at the same time, we So, the phone calls are monitored. Can the know that their job is important and it is something Minister let us know whether that system is in place, that actually makes the country feel safe and allows operating, and whether the continued access to that us to be a productive society. information has been given to the police? So, thank you to everybody involved with po- Earlier, when the Minister was giving his in- licing in Bermuda. formation, he spoke specifically about a couple of things. And he read out some details about a meeting The Chairman: Thank you, Shadow Minister. that he had with the prisoners because he went to visit the facility at Westgate. I have a couple of questions Mr. Ben Smith: So, I am going to move on to Head specifically around what he said during . . . that kind of 25, the Department of Corrections. offset of the statement that he was giving. So, the first And I am just going to start with a question on thing is, it seemed to be a lot of the information that page B-294, 35000, Headquarters. I just wonder if the the prisoners gave was a surprise. And seeing first Minister can give us some details on exactly what that hand, the Minister was able to see some of the issues particular group does within prisons—where they are at the facility. located, what the rental is of the facility. This is for the So, my first question is: Did the prison officers Headquarters of prisons. And what that unit is respon- provide any of these questions at some other point? sible for overall in the prisons. Did the prison officers ask for help in certain areas of Now, moving on to 35050, Westgate Correc- the facility? And I will be specific to that. There was, tional, I have a couple of specific questions for the obviously, mention of having some cleaning when it Minister to start with. The Minister has the ability and comes to mould at the facility. We just had a school opportunity to request searches at the prison. Can the recently closed down because of some of the mould Minister tell us how many searches he has been able issues. So, has testing been done of the mould in the to order at the prison? Can the Minister list the items facility? And, if the testing has been done, what are that were potentially found during those searches? If the results of those tests? And have there been any an item was found on a certain prisoner, have there tests on the impact to the respiratory health of not just been follow-up searches of those prisoners? the officers, but also of the inmates, that are potential The reason I ask the questions is because effects of being in an environment over an extended there have been incidents where there were certain period of time, breathing in spores from the mould? items that were being used by prisoners, for instance, If the prison officers had requested details on cell phones that they were sending out messages and certain things that they felt needed to be changed, can talking to people. And it really sets a bad example that the Minister please let us know what the things were this is supposed to be a high-security facility and al- that the prison officers were asking for to be changed lowing this kind of device to be in there shows that the way that he has been able to now list what the there is some breakdown in the system that allows for prisoners were asking for? that to happen. I believe that at some point in 2019 the Minis- On top of that, there is quite a bit of drug use ter spoke to the fact that there was no hot water at the within the inmates. So, somehow, that is getting from facility, and promised the prison officers that the hot outside into the facility. Obviously, searching the in- water was going to be rectified by the summer of mates on an ongoing basis, searching their cells, let- 2019. And here we are in March of 2020 and there is ting them have . . . at least forcing them to change still no hot water. The Minister talked about all of the whatever system they are using because the routine issues that now have come to light with trying to get of searching them is happening on an ongoing basis Works and Engineering to bring certain things up to that is going to disrupt that activity. the level that is expected, and the Minister stated that, I spoke just now about the potential of people you know, the level has been . . . it is quite disgusting, using cell phones. So I am wondering if there is a sys- the level that they are having to deal with. tem in places that jams the cell phone signal. And if And we have to understand that although the there is a system, is it operating? Is that something prison is to incarcerate people who have broken laws, Bermuda House of Assembly 3346 4 March 2020 Official Hansard Report they are still people. They are still family members; going to have to deal with in the future, which then they are still sons and daughters. Right? So, the issue makes the situation worse. is we cannot simply say that we want to keep them at In the cases of people who have mental a sub-level and, on top of that, the people that are health issues, sometimes there are going to be issues there to make sure that they are staying within that that are going to happen where those particular kinds incarceration are also having to be in that same envi- of inmates are going to have to be restrained or there ronment. So, we have to understand that those people is going to have to be medicine given to them. Well, if are also being affected by it. this is supposed to be dealt with in a more medical And when you take that a step further, you setting and it is not, it is happening in the prison, what know, my understanding is that the plumbing issue is training has been given to the officers so that they are a real one. Most of us only have to deal with dipping going to be able to deal with the restraining? And who water when a hurricane happens and the power goes is going to be responsible for the changes that are out. Well, at the prison this seems to be something needed for this kind of inmate? If the number of in- that they are doing on an ongoing basis. Most of us mates is increasing that are in this particular area, get frustrated within a short amount of time when the then we need to be mindful that we should be increas- power is out and we are having to dip from a tank. If ing how we are going to deal with them. you had to do that on an ongoing basis in your job, The Minister stated that the person responsi- that would be a different situation. ble for doing the . . . I guess, the psychological per- So, the question is: Why is this particular spective within the prison . . . there is only one person, group being treated differently than other parts of and there is supposed to be three. The issue is that Bermuda? So, those officers, obviously, will have this has been the case now for several years and the some frustration with that work environment. answer seems to be that there is a problem with the Moving on to 35105, Psychological Services. recruiting, of getting people in. What is it about that The Minister spoke to the fact that there seems to be process that means that we are not getting somebody an increase in the number of inmates who need some to do the job? kind of attention from mental health [professionals]. And if we can identify what that problem is, My question is: Can he give us a number? So, out of then what are we doing to rectify it so that we can ac- the total prison population, how many of those in- tually fill those posts so that this particular area is be- mates actually have to have that kind of service? Be- ing dealt with? If the number of people that are in cause when you move in that direction, what is ex- need of these services is increasing and we still have pected of the prison officer is going to have to change. only one person, I would probably say that really the So, with that, how do they identify people who three number was probably okay when the number are going to be in the need of those services? Who is was lower, but if the number is increasing, the three responsible for identifying? Is that the prison officer? number should have moved, [but] instead, actually, What training have they been given so that they can we are [still] at one. identify this need? Once it has been identified, what So, how are we going to deal with this issue? kind of training has the prison officer been given for Because the prison officers are being expected to do them to deal with people who have these issues? more with less and, potentially, not trained to do the Because if we actually have inmates that things that they are being expected to do. should be in the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute and On the Educational Services at 35108, there they are actually in the prison, and the prison officers were several programmes that were identified in the are not actually trained to deal with those incidents, statement from the Minister. I go back to this point that but they are having to deal with it on an ongoing basis we have young people that are now being put in pris- because that is just the way the system is working . . . on and they are being put in prison for a really long you have to remember that somebody can be in pris- time. You know, you potentially are going in now for on for 5, 10, 20 years, but at some point they are go- 10, 20, 30 years, so a young 20-year-old could be get- ing to come back into the population. And if we have ting out at 50 years old. Well, each year that they are not done a really good job of trying to change whatev- in there the outside world is changing significantly. er it is, whatever they need, to come back and be a Right? The difference between what a phone looks proper member of society, if that is not happening, we like over the last 10 years has been drastic. are just pushing it down the road. So, it is not just the book education, it is mak- In the end it becomes worse, because now ing sure that we are giving this group the tools to con- they have been in an environment not getting the tinue to progress as they are going through this incar- treatment and dealing with the fact that there is no hot ceration so that we have a better chance of bringing water, that there is, you know, all of the mould and all them back into society when they are a 50-year-old of those other issues with them and they are incarcer- that has not been part of all of the changes that are ated. So, now they come out and they are bitter and going to happen while they are there. they are angry, and that is the person that we are now You know, a lot of people are feeling, maybe, safer because the length of incarceration has in- Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3347 creased, but we have to understand, at some point, all the other service industries because, remember, they of these people are going to come back into the coun- are locked in with the inmates. So they are spending try. And if we have not really done a good job of reha- long periods of time in that same confinement. And if bilitating them and giving them skills for them to come we do not have the overall numbers that are neces- back, this problem is only going to get worse because sary to run the prison, what happens is those same a lot of the issues are actually based on issues within people are being expected to work more time. the society. So, if they were not educated properly So, in certain industries you are going to have prior to going into prison, that situation is just worse. guidelines that are going to tell you . . . you know, if And the Minister spoke specifically to some of you are a pilot, if you are a stewardess on a plane, the challenges that they are finding with these in- they land and there is a certain amount of time that mates. These were probably real issues that these they have to be able to rest so that they then go on young people had that were causing them to be una- and do their job the next time because of the safety ble to perform in school, which then made them angry, and all the things that are needed for that industry. which then put them in a situation where they moved Well, in prisons is there a similar guideline in an unsavoury direction, not because they wanted which says that this is how many hours these prison to, but it is almost by necessity. Right? They cannot officers should be working, this is the amount of time join in because they have these deficiencies, they that they should have for rest? Those prison officers have these issues which are not being dealt with, and are then going to have to go home and, hopefully, now we have incarcerated them and we are still not spend some time with their families and kind of re- dealing with them. charge because they are going back to an environ- So, I understand it is difficult, but we have to ment that is very difficult. And it is an environment that somehow figure out how we are going to deal with all is not just difficult because of the people that they are of these issues that we are having within our prison having to deal with on a regular basis, but it is also the system. environment that they are in with, obviously, the Recreational Services, 35110, so, a lot of mould and no hot water and all the other pieces that I people will go, Well, recreation, what is the big deal? have already mentioned. But the truth is, when somebody is incarcerated over My question is: What impact does the need a long period of time, we actually have to do things to for continuous overtime have on the morale of the challenge them, to teach them how to work with each prison officers? What impact does it have on the other and not against each other. And a lot of those health of the prison officers? Because if they are not things, there is detail to it and how it is done. So, do getting the down time—the necessary sleep, the nec- we have somebody who is in place, a coordinator, essary opportunity to actually work on their mental who actually is going to coordinate that recreation? health away from the prison—then, the question is: Do Or, once again, is this something that is being we end up with longer sick time? Do we end up with left to just the regular officer who does not have train- people who actually have to be away from the job? ing in dealing with it and they are just doing the best Well, think about the impact of that. If they are that they can while they are being stretched to do all getting sick because of the respiratory issues with the these other things that they are being expected to do mould, or the stress level, and not having down time, in an environment where prisoners have changed? you have actually impacted the situation and made it Understanding that we now have the same separation worse because now others are going to have to pull that we are seeing out in Bermuda, where people up even more slack because we do not have enough cannot leave the west part of the Island or they cannot prison officers in the first place. come to town. That separation is still going to happen If the number of prison officers is supposed to in the prisons because those people are still not get- be 250 and we are at 180, that is a big difference. And ting along with each other. So, there are ways of figur- it means that on a regular basis people are going to ing out how you are going to get them to be able to have to continue to come back to work and they are work within a recreational environment that, potential- not going to be able to take that time off. So what then ly, can help to break down some of those barriers, but happens is, a lot of times they are taking the time that you are going to need an expert to do that. they are supposed to have . . . it is building up and it is So, can Minister let us know whether some- building up and they are not taking it. And they are body is in place to do that, whether there are thoughts getting unhealthy. And that impact is going to show up of putting somebody in to do that kind of initiative and, at some other point. if so, what will be the cost of bringing that in? Have we done an analysis or had some kind On page B-295 under Salaries, once again, of survey on the health of our prison officers—the my question is going to be about the overtime of the mental health, the physical health—what impact this prison service. The prison service, specifically the kind of job is having under this environment and how overtime issue, is something that we have to be mind- can we improve it? Not just with the improving of the ful of. If you have people who are working in a very facility, but also improving the support that it is going stressful environment—more so than maybe any of to take for this group. Bermuda House of Assembly 3348 4 March 2020 Official Hansard Report

So, in that same area there is a line for Train- Has there been an overall look at the facilities ing. So, as I was talking about earlier, having the to determine what changes need to be made, not just change in the inmate population means that there are in this budget, but in upcoming budgets, in order for more things that the prison officers are having to deal them to bring the level of the prison up so that not only with. In that context the training opportunities should our prison officers but also the prisoners can be at be increasing so that we can diversify the knowledge least accommodated at a minimal level rather than of these officers so that they can deal with all of the below normal life standards? changes within the prison population. If we are ex- My next question is under Energy. Can the pecting more of them, then we should be giving them Minister give us a breakdown of the energy costs? more opportunities to get improvement in the skills And is it possible for the Minister to let us know that they know to make them better in their job, which whether an analysis has been done to use renewable also is going to help the overall morale of the prison energy and the impact that renewable energy could officers. have on the overall reduction in the cost of power and Under Communications, is the Minister able to on our overall footprint? tell us whether the new communication system which With that, I will take my seat and others can has been implemented also covers the prison officers ask questions and, hopefully, the Minister will start to and whether there is a way that they could be part of answer. this change? Is the same positive impact that is given to the other services available for the prison officers to The Chairman: Thank you, Member. help them to do their job better? Is there any other Member who wishes to Still on page B-295 under Professional Ser- speak to Head 25, Department of Corrections? vices, with some of the incidents that have happened I recognise the Member from— to prison officers . . . so prison officers are being attacked in the prison. And we have also had a high- Hon. Michael J. Scott: Thirty-six, Madam Chairman. profile case where a prison officer was attacked outside of the prison. This is a different job environment The Chairman: —[constituency] 36. than what most people in Bermuda have to deal with. MP Michael Scott, you have the floor. So, if something traumatic happens to somebody in their work environment, there is usually going to be Hon. Michael J. Scott: Madam Chairman, under some kind of mechanism for them to be taken care of 2505, Inmate Services, which has been just discussed from a therapy standpoint so that they are able to go by Mr. Smith— back to their job. I believe that there was a role put in place for a wellness officer. The Chairman: What page, Member? I am sorry. Can the Minister speak to whether this position has been filled? And can the Minister speak to Hon. Michael J. Scott: [Page] B-294, Inmate Ser- whether he believes that this is an important role for vices. us to support our prison officers as they are doing I suppose all of the services from 35105. I more with less—working long hours, dealing with a suppose that a debate . . . and, as the Honourable work environment that is below standard for every- Member Smith has sought to make and put questions body else in Bermuda, and coming under attack in the to Minister Caines about the setting of a corrections prison and outside of the prison? Would it be im- setting, we always debate and engage in a debate in portant for us to have a role that is going to support contemplation of the continuing and the continuation our prison officers with a wellness officer? of this dehumanising setting. And we are talking about Next is Repair and Maintenance. The Minister men of age. spoke quite a bit about the changes that are being I heard the Honourable Member Mr. Smith re- implemented since he was able to have that meeting fer to the younger ages they are found at the Co-Ed with the prisoners. So, now there have been conver- facility; we are talking about women at the Co-Ed facil- sations with Works and Engineering about doing ity; we are talking about human beings in a constitu- some of the changes that need to be done in order to tionally different set of [circumstances] than we find is bring the maintenance level up in the prison. Is it pos- normal. They have no liberty. It is dehumanising. But sible for the Minister to let us know who is doing the [it is] wrapped in a bow of “Inmate Services” to try to ongoing maintenance at the prison? Is that somebody ensure that we are approaching some type of humani- that comes from Works and Engineering on an ongo- ty for persons in incarceration settings. ing basis? Is it the prisoners? Who is responsible for And I am asking and noting and underscoring, that? And is that being done at a level that allows for if I may, that I look forward to the day when prison us to maintain the prison on an ongoing basis or are reform addresses these issues. We are talking about we continuing to fall behind because it is not being largely black men and women. And the Output given the attention that it needs? Measures, if you look at them, I mean, we project 235 for 2019/20 inmates—men and women. The original Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3349

forecast was 221. And we will see them discharged, tions and prison facilities, having bumped into or col- Mr. Smith, my colleague, the number who are to be lided with the criminal justice system. discharged, projected in 2020 to be 230—all human So the numbers, as far as my memory can beings. take me— Now, the setting for inside is the Farm, West- gate and the Co-Ed Facility, all with this artificial at- The Chairman: Member, what particular line item are tempt at humanising with education and training and you on? ensuring that we reduce and keep to a reduced figure, craziness, people assaulting one another—and I have Hon. Michael J. Scott: I am still on [2505], Inmate had to deal with it as an attorney—or people assault- Services, and the Performance Measures on page B- ing the carers, the prison officers. So, that is the set- 296. ting at these three facilities in our country . . . and it is These projected numbers of inmates in our a worldwide phenomenon. The Kamala Harris cam- country in incarceration facilities have been at the 200 paign and the Cory Booker campaign have brought level. I have seen it. I remember when Commissioner important focus to it in the United States, but it is no Lamb was in charge. I used to look at them in budget less important here. debates with the same concerns. But my assessment Now, the feeder programmes are The Ordi- and analysis are maturing, and I think I want to under- nary [People] Society of Bermuda, the Brangman score the need for us to cease and desist from treat- Home, Observatory Cottage, the Psycho-Ed Pro- ing this particular line item in the budget as a matter gramme, [these] have been absorbing and sponging that we contemplate as going to continue, and that the up the really difficult collapse into real problem chil- best way that we can bring this kind of discussion and dren and young people and, in some cases, adults in point it in a different direction is with meaningful, as- our country. Again, these are the efforts to address sertive, and radical prison reform. And I look forward the members of our society who have issues in their to this kind of policymaking going forward. homes, have psycho-educational and psychological Thank you. and psycho-traumatic injuries and impacts on their lives. The Chairman: Thank you, Member, for your contri- And so, I am hoping my Members and fellow bution. colleagues in this House are understanding that it is Is there any other Member who wishes to fair to talk about prison reform earnestly. And I hope speak? that we begin to address it urgently, because to con- I recognise the Honourable Patricia Gordon- tinue in this House as policymakers to contemplate Pamplin from constituency 23. this revolving continuation of an incarceration setting—and it has been going on since Satan was a Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: Yes. Thank you, child, across the world and certainly in Bermuda—it is Madam Chairman. time we address it. Because we are producing per- Madam Chairman, I just had a quick question sons who are not going to be good fathers, and we in respect of page B-295 on the Subjective Analysis are producing mothers and single mothers, already for Expenditure under Insurance. And we note that the mothers, who finally ended up in the criminal justice 2019/20 estimate was both $500,000 original and re- system and down at the Co-Ed Facility out of despera- vised, and the 2020/21 has gone down to $200,000. tion. And having regard to the dehumanising debate And I am just wondering if the Minister would be good we had just last night at the motion to adjourn about enough to give us some kind of explanation in terms things that must not be said about humans, we must of why [there is] that 60 per cent decrease in that par- not be compared with insects or animals. ticular line item. We have an obligation, I know . . . and I know The other question was in Training. We went that the Minister Caines is sensitive to it, his budget is up from an original estimate of $51,000 up to directed at this whole question . . . and I am advocat- $112,000; which is an increase of 120 per cent, while ing that there be a line item soon, I pray, that deals the overall difference in the department was with the prison reform so that he does not, Minister $500,000. It is important to note that these are sort of, Caines or any future Minister of National Security, what I call, swings and roundabouts, so you had some former Minister of National Security, Mr. Dunkley, too significant numbers in the Salaries going up by . . . I know he had to grapple with it. So that we do not, $617,000 and other numbers going up, Professional in future years, have to be assigning continuous con- Services $187,000 and the like, but you also had off- siderable budgets at maintaining this ribbon and this setting decreases, which kind of brought the number wrapping up in ribbons a matter that can be ad- down to $500,000. dressed with better humanisation and a reduction of So, in the overall scheme of things in terms of numbers in the prison population and finding a new overall percentages, a 2 per cent differential may not way of dealing with reducing entrance into the correc- necessarily be significant. However, the individual numbers that make up that net 2 per cent need some Bermuda House of Assembly 3350 4 March 2020 Official Hansard Report further exploration. So, if the Minister can just advise If the Minister can give us some details on us in respect of the insurance number, the decrease whether that is the case and what is in place for it. of $300,000, and the increase in Training [of] $61,000 it would be appreciated. The Chairman: Thank you, Member. Thank you. Is there any other Member who wishes to speak to Head 25, Department of Corrections? The Chairman: Is there any other Member who wish- No other Member. es to speak to Head 25, Department of Corrections? Minister? Just one second, Member. Minister, we have an hour and 25 minutes left, Mr. Ben Smith: So— I believe, in this debate, and you do have several questions that have been asked. Would you like to The Chairman: I recognise the Shadow Minister of start to address some of those now or— National Security, Ben Smith, constituency 31.

Hon. Wayne Caines: No, we are just going to move Mr. Ben Smith: Madam Chairman, mindful of the all the Heads at the end. time, I am going to speak to Fire now. And then, I am Thank you. going to try to be as brief as possible because there have been a lot of questions that have been asked The Chairman: —all the way? All right. Thank you. and I want to give the Minister time to be able to give Is there any other Member that wishes to responses to those questions because, otherwise, we speak to Head 25? just asked a bunch of questions. I recognise the Shadow Minister of National So, on Head 45, Fire Services, 55150, Train- Security from constituency 31. ing, my immediate question is this (it is going to be, Mr. Ben Smith, you have the floor. once again, a numbers game; it has been that way when we looked through each of these Heads): So, if Mr. Ben Smith: Thank you, Madam Chairman. you have a certain number of people who are retiring On page B-295 I just have a couple of ques- each year, you are going to be reducing your overall tions for the Minister in the . . . there are multiple facili- number. What happens with Fire Service, Police, [is ties available within prisons and we have the employ- that] you end up with a group that has come in at the ee numbers. Is he able to provide us with the numbers same time. of the inmates within each of those facilities? And with that, is there an international standard that states what The Chairman: I am sorry, Member, what line item? the ratio of inmate to [prison officers] should be so that we can understand whether we are matching that Mr. Ben Smith: We are on page B-302 and it is number, whether we are below it or above it? 55150. Finally, I just have one other issue under the employee numbers. Worldwide there is an issue right The Chairman: Okay. Thank you, sorry. now—a pandemic—with coronavirus. The reason I bring that particular subject up is because the service Mr. Ben Smith: So, you end up with a situation where sector that we have when we are talking about pris- everybody came in in the same recruiting class. So, ons, for instance, if we have an issue where the num- they are all going to reach their retirement around the ber of prison officers that we have is below the num- same time, depending on whether they decide to stay ber of prison officers that we need—they are over- in or they are only going to do their minimum require- working by doing lots of hours, and we already have ment. prison officers that are on long leave for sickness— So, my question is: Are we bringing in enough what impact would that have on being able to keep recruits on an ongoing basis to match the number that our prisons secure if 10 prison officers ended up being is leaving? Because that issue means that we are go- sick if this virus does come to Bermuda at some ing to continue to compound our problem. If we have point? a number that is below what is necessary for the Fire This is not doom and gloom. It is really . . . we Service to be at their optimum level, and we are losing have to understand whether we are prepared for that people each year through retirement, how are we go- kind of thing. And what is the preparation from a pris- ing to then get our number to match? We are chasing on standpoint if somehow a prison officer has trav- something that we cannot actually catch up with. elled on vacation, gotten sick, and then taken that vi- With that Training what I am also looking at is rus into the prison and now in the contained environ- how do they move up the ranks? Because the issue ment we are going to have multiple people that are becomes, if you are not bringing in enough people in going to be sick because of it? Do we have a plan in the base, it is difficult to actually move people up the place for what that looks like? How we deal with it? ranks because, as you do that, you are removing some people from the group that you are going to Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3351

need to be on the trucks and, you know, doing specific The question becomes: When you are at jobs within Fire [Services]. So, as you go through that home with the coronavirus and you make that phone process, is the Minister able to explain to us what that call, the expectation of Bermuda is that the Fire Ser- process looks like? If somebody is going to become a vice is going to send their Bermudians into that house sergeant, moving up to being a sergeant, what is that to protect you. What is our plan for that? Do they have requirement? And then how are we filling in that role all of the equipment that they are going to need to below if we have not taken in a recruiting class? deal with that kind of issue? Presently, are we set up Because we . . . there is a process that it with a proper plan of how that is going to be dealt takes to actually get those recruits into the Fire Ser- with? Have we trained all of our Fire Service people vice and it takes an extended amount of time to do so that they can deal with it? that and it has to be budgeted for in advance. So, we We need to be fully prepared for the potential are playing catch-up and we are having people that of this virus to come to Bermuda so that we can take have to move up and it is not lining up. So, if the Min- care of our citizens and take care of the people that ister could speak to how we do that, and can the Min- are going to service our citizens. ister let us know whether there is a plan in place that With that, I will take my seat. looks overall at what that looks like? What are the positions that are available to- The Chairman: Thank you, Member. day? What are the positions that are going to become Is there any other Member that wishes to available when people retire? How are we going to speak to Head 45, Fire Services? move people into those areas? And then, how many No other Member. recruits are we going to need to fill the base again so Minister, would you like to address the ques- that we can move forward? tions? Also, in Training, I am just wondering whether there is any specific focus on trying to bring females Hon. Wayne Caines: Are there any more? into the Fire Service. Can the Minister let us know how many females we have in the Fire Service pres- The Chairman: No. ently, and if there is a focus to bring more females into the Fire Service? [Crosstalk] Moving on to 55100, Emergency Medical Ser- vices, can the Minister please provide details on the Hon. Wayne Caines: I just want to deal with the . . . ambulance service provided by the Fire Service? How Madam Chairman, I am just going to through the many ambulances does the Fire Service have pres- questions as they were asked. ently? Where is the ambulance located? What is the The question that was asked by the Shadow decision on which ambulance is selected to go to an Minister was: Is there any way for us to improve the incident? If an ambulance from the Fire Service is se- recruitment process in the absence of conscription? lected, can the Minister provide us details on what the The answer is: All legal residents are able to cost to a person who needs the ambulance is from the join the Bermuda Regiment, therefore reflecting a Fire Service? And then, is that the same as the price broader diversity than during the years of conscription. for an ambulance that comes from the hospital? In other words, the Shadow Minister was say- We have an ageing population. We have all ing that when he was in the army there were people heard it, multiple people in the House have said it. from all walks of life in the Bermuda Regiment. You Which means that a lot of the incidents that the Fire actually see the same thing now. But the difference is Service are actually dealing with are having to go to that you will see females. So, at this recruit camp, you houses because we have a population that, potential- have people that were there, there were people from ly, has medicine they need [but] cannot afford. They the Dominican Republic, there were Jamaican nation- are having to call in EMTs so that they can get kind of als, there were females, there were people from all minimum service because of the issues that they walks of life in the Bermuda Regiment. There was a have. Is the Minister able to give us details on how schoolteacher; there were a number of different peo- many of the calls that the Fire Service are attending to ple. Yes, you had five people that were from Cayman, are actually from our senior citizens in the Island? And but there was also a diverse array of Bermudians from have they seen a rise in the percentage of the calls different walks of life. that are actually for that particular group? During the days of conscription, you had men Before I take my seat, I am going to follow on from the ages of 18 to 32 who were in the conscripted with the same thing that I just said under prisons. So, pool of men. Now you have people that are not con- we have a situation, once again, where we have a scripted who are volunteering based on where they numbers issue. And that same coronavirus that we are in their life, wanting to commit to Bermuda. These are all hoping does not come to Bermuda . . . but we are people that are in Bermuda living. These are peo- have to be honest. The potential for it to come is high. ple that are in Bermuda that are coming up on a volunteer basis and oftentimes it does include women, Bermuda House of Assembly 3352 4 March 2020 Official Hansard Report and we are seeing a diverse pool of people that are The Chairman: Minister? coming in. The second question is: Are we— Hon. Wayne Caines: That is fact. The reality of it now is that with the stratification of our society it is highly Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: Just a point of probable that me returning . . . when I returned, Mad- clarification, Madam Chairman. am Chairman, I was a lawyer. I was just finishing law school and I came back home and I was conscripted The Chairman: Yes, I recognise the Honourable Pat into the army—with a very young family. I had a three- Gordon-Pamplin. year-old at the time. If given the opportunity now to return, as much as I was committed to Bermuda, if I POINT OF CLARIFICATION was not drafted at that time, the likelihood of me returning to the Bermuda Regiment would have been Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: Thank you. slim to nil. Because basically where I was— Just in respect to the Minister’s response that he has just given, we only have a 75 per cent against the 420 targeted outcomes. So, notwithstanding that [Inaudible interjection] people are eligible to go into the Bermuda Regiment, if we are only having a 75 per cent success rate, the Hon. Wayne Caines: Absolutely. But the reality of it is question is: Are we enticing people sufficiently in order that you cannot argue that fact. But the difference of it to make that step without conscription? is that we can catch people at a stage in their life where they can commit, where they can have diverse Hon. Wayne Caines: That was not the . . . my under- experiences. And there is opportunity there, if you standing of his question . . . I thought we were talking look at the calibre and the nature of people that are about diversity. This question was talking about diver- coming to the Regiment. I disagree and I agree. sity of conscription, i.e., getting a one . . . the question On this recruit camp there is a diverse type of centred around a particular type of person. In other Bermudian that is there. They are very young. What words, when we were in the Regiment, we had people the Regiment will do with the young men that are from all walks of life in Bermuda. The question was coming in at a very young age, they will learn a lot specifically dealing with, now will we still be able to get more leadership skills. They will have the opportunity that . . . because when we had conscription we were to be catapulted into different realms of leadership. getting a bit of everyone. It was done so randomly. And so, because the gentlemen are coming in at a The question was will we still get that random sam- young age they will have some different life experi- pling of Bermuda through this process. The answer ences and, we believe, that this generation . . . they we were saying is yes. do not stay in jobs for life, for long lifespans as we did The next question is: Are we missing out on and as the generations before us did. And we believe the opportunity to gain a more diverse population? It is that with the lessons that they learn in the Bermuda the exact same answer that I said before on diverse Regiment, they will indeed go on to better careers as population. a result thereof because of being in the Bermuda Reg- Is there any focus on getting— iment. The next thing that you learn about the con- Mr. Ben Smith: Point of clarification. scripted soldier is that the majority of conscripted soldiers would do their three years and two months and The Chairman: I recognise the Shadow Minister of they would leave the Bermuda Regiment. The soldier National Security. who volunteers . . . even though we are in the genesis MP Ben Smith, you have the floor. of this period, the statistics will show that when you are dealing with a volunteer soldier, the volunteer sol- POINT OF CLARIFICATION dier will do a long period of time. And so, you are seeing a different type of soldier with reference to the Mr. Ben Smith: I would agree with what the Minister amount of money that you will spend to recruit. is saying. I guess to be more specific on what I am saying is that during conscription there were people The Chairman: Mm-hmm. that were trying to run from conscription, people that would never be in the Regiment. And what I mean by Hon. Wayne Caines: If you do an overseas camp for that is that there are people that, moving on in life they a year, you are dealing with a soldier that is having would be in IB, they would be lawyers, they would be three years and two months. And if a second-year doctors, they would be in those kinds of roles. That is soldier goes away to the camp and he is doing all the the group that used to be rubbing shoulders with peo- training for HADR (Humanitarian [Assistance] and ple from all walks of life. That group, it might be harder Disaster Relief), and he goes away for a year. You for us to attract [people from] that group in now. have one year, you are training a soldier for one year Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3353

because the last year of service, so that is a number compromising operational effectiveness. In the inter- of money you are spending—$500,000 on an over- im, they will be working with the Marine and Ports to seas camp—and they are going to have that benefit of provide support when they require to deploy outside that soldier for one year. the 12 nautical miles. And now, with volunteer service, you will see What is the expected lifespan of the boats? the benefit to the country of having that soldier for a [The answer:] The lifespan varies depending on the long period of time. So, we have to look at what the usage and maintenance. actual benefit is, the value for the money, for the sol- Are the boats tested for seaworthiness? The dier. answer: . . . How many of the boats have passed Is there any focus on getting any more fe- seaworthiness tests? Answer: We will have to get that males into the Bermuda Regiment? I think that you answer. will see more numbers for the first time. But, Madam Considering the range of coverage of the Chairman, we had a drill instructor, I think it was, that Coast Guard, do we have boats which can reach that was a female this year—Colour Sergeant Shante Ar- range? [Answer:] The coverage of the Coast Guard is nold. This was the first time we saw a female on the 12 nautical miles. Yes, we do for inshore waters. square for Pace Stick, which was phenomenal. And However, new purchases are necessary for greater so, whilst that can be a focus going forward, we are offshore response. If we need to go to the offshore seeing an increased number of females that are rep- response, we will connect with Marine and Ports to resented in the Warwick camp. use those boats if we have to go for marine purposes The Commanding Officer of the Bermuda outside the 12 nautical miles. Regiment has said that he is seeing an ever- Is there an opportunity to partner with other increasing application by females. He, the Command- departments to assist the Coast Guard in reaching ing Officer designate, has said that he has a priority of longer range? [Answer:] Yes. recruiting female officers into the Bermuda Regiment. Are the positions being brought in full-time? Is The question with reference to Marine Opera- there any difference between the Coast Guard and tions: What will the implementation of the Coast the rest of the Royal Bermuda Regiment in terms of Guard look like? contract? Answer: The new hires are full-time without The answer: The Coast Guard is a platform overtime. There is no difference between the Royal for enforcing all of Bermuda’s maritime laws, thereby Bermuda Regiment, i.e., they have the same terms supporting other agencies that will hold these respon- and conditions of service. But let me say this, the sibilities. In an incident which requires expertise of Royal Bermuda Regiment had a boat troop. The Ber- another agency, the Coast Guard will transition from muda Police Service [Bermuda Police Service] had a the lead agency to the supporting agency. This has marine section. As it stands now, both of those units happened effectively in other national incidents and have been combined right now to make the Coast this will continue to be the policy of the Royal Bermu- Guard. In 12 months, we are going to combine those da Regiment and the joint agency framework. units to make the Coast Guard. We believe that the How many boats are necessary to meet the Coast Guard as it stands now will have nine full-time objectives of the Coast Guard? The answer: The cur- posts. But you will still have people who will be a part rent forecast is to [have] eight multi-[purpose] vessels, of that sub-unit which will be people who will form part two being larger in capability. The Coast Guard has of the sub-units that will be on a part-time basis. But eight vessels. All have been surveyed within the last the full-time entity will be nine full-time personnel. 12 months. Six are certified as seaworthy. The remaining two are being upgraded. The upgrades will be POINT OF CLARIFICATION primarily conducted by the Coast Guard officers and certified by an outside authority, as has happened Mr. Ben Smith: Point of clarification. So, speaking effectively for decades. This has been a successful specifically to what you just said, that was the crux of process for decades and also represents effective use my question. Because, obviously, the police officers of taxpayer money. have a different contract for how they get paid. The If we have boats presently, what are the age Regiment officers do not have overtime; a completely of the boats? The answer: The boats range in age different contract. When you bring them together and from 4 to 24 years, but the older ones have been hire nine, what is that going to look like? completely refurbished. As the Coast Guard develops its capability, it will purchase vessels which are fit for Hon. Wayne Caines: The actual rubric of this process purpose, exploring potential vendors and exploiting is being ironed out now. So we have an implementa- where surplus platforms may be available from other tion team that is working on the plan now. As we jurisdictions within the US and the UK. know, we have recently formed the Coast Guard. We In particular, the Coast Guard will ensure that have a team that is actually in the process of working the primary vessels for operation outside 12 miles will through the actual plans for this now. It is just past the be suitable and the best value for money without Bermuda House of Assembly 3354 4 March 2020 Official Hansard Report embryonic stages. We are looking at what the plans they will take primacy support in the operation if nec- are for actually developing this. essary by the Coast Guard. Many of the duties are currently being per- Employee numbers. What is the succession formed by the marine section of the police. Will the plan in place for the Royal Bermuda Regiment to en- Coast Guard take over these duties? Answer: As per sure that Bermudians take over the head roles? An- the Act, yes. It is the ambition of the Ministry for this to swer: Bermudians are the head roles. Currently, the fully transition to the Coast Guard by April 2021. The commanding officer designate is a Bermudian. Coast Guard will work with the Bermuda Police Ser- vice and other agencies to enable them to carry out [Inaudible interjections] their roles and their responsibility. Who is responsible when there are searches Hon. Wayne Caines: Currently, the commanding of- of vessels? Is it the Royal Bermuda Regiment? What ficer is a Bermudian. The two IC, the second in com- will that look like? Answer: At present, the Bermuda mand, is a Bermudian, the Regimental Sergeant Ma- Police Service is responsible. It will transition to the jor is a Bermudian. The adjutant is a Bermudian. The Coast Guard in line with the Coast Guard Act. As you director of music is a Bermudian. All soldiers are re- know, we have the PACE, Police and Criminal Evi- quired to pass developmental programmes to ensure dence Act and the Bermuda Police Service have been they are suitable for promotion. trained in gathering evidence and they have the rights In other words, there are persons who are in of arrest. There are specific things that they do. The the Bermuda Regiment that are non-Bermudian, but number of the Bermuda Regiment soldiers have been the majority of the key roles in the Bermuda Regiment trained and have become special constables. We be- are held by Bermudians. We have the Promotions lieve that the training . . . over the next year or so the Board and the Defence Board that are entities that are Coast Guard will have the requisite training and they responsible for promotions. The Bermuda Regiment is will be able to collect evidence in accordance with one of the organisations that to get to the next level, if PACE, the Police and Criminal Evidence Act. you are a private soldier, you must do what is known Who is taking charge of fisheries? Answer: as the corporals cadre, and the corporals cadre is the The Department of Environmental Protection is cur- entry level that you must take in order to go to the rently responsible. Similar to police matters, the Envi- next level. And to become a sergeant you must do an ronmental Protection will be supported by the Coast examination. These are merit-based exams that you Guard to enable them to conduct their duties. must pass in order to get to the next level. What will we expect in terms of policing on the If you look at this, more so than any other or- water with the new Coast Guard? Answer: More visi- ganisations in the uniformed services, there is an op- bility, a stronger stance in enforcement of laws per- portunity for you to be trained by Bermudians, to be taining to water safety and a provision for 24/7 search developed by Bermudians, and to come back and to and rescue capacity. This will allow us to meet the be in your area of expertise, giving that same training international maritime organisational inspection later back to people who are indeed Bermudians. this year. Who will be maintaining the boats? Do we [Inaudible interjection] have the tools and people in place to repair the boats? The answer is . . . I will have to come back to that. Hon. Wayne Caines: Yes, Ma’am. What are the energy costs? [Answer:] For the recent post of commanding officer, $180,000 is the cost of energy at [Warwick] Camp. four Bermudians and two spouses of Bermudians $50,000 for the new Coast Guard at Watford House. were considered. A Bermudian, Colonel Dez was se- The Bermuda Regiment spent $194,000 on fuel and lected. As you know, Major Ben Beasley was chosen propane gas. as the next CO, commanding officer, of the Bermuda Has there been any analysis done on using Regiment. He will take over in a matter of weeks. Ben renewable energy? [Answer:] Yes. Solar was explored is a Bermudian. He will matriculate from major to lieu- [with] the Ascendant Group and another vendor. It tenant colonel in a few weeks, and he will take over as remains a possibility, but initial costs prove to be pro- the next colonel of the Bermuda Regiment. hibitive. Performance measures, training and support. Is there any positive impact on the Royal The question: [What is] the percentage of soldiers Bermuda Regiment in terms of the new radio equip- who have passed the military test? Answer: With ment? [Answer:] The new equipment has not been standard recruits recently coming to the Regiment, we rolled out to the Regiment; however, it is expected to observe higher standards of physical fitness. A review yield a cost savings of $24,000. was conducted and the result was a higher standard If there is a fire on the water, who will be in was implemented. The data result was seeing a lower charge? The answer: The initial response may be the number of passes due to assessment being made Coast Guard. However, as soon as the Bermuda Fire more difficult. and Rescue Service can be brought into the matrix, Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3355

In other words, when you had volunteers, the Hon. Wayne Caines: I apologise, Mr. Chairman, for test was actually a really easy test. And you literally not being clear. I am saying it exists; I don’t have it. just had to show up. As you wanted people to pass the basic physical test, when you became a volunteer Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: Oh, okay. Regiment and you could be a little more choosy with the people that the Bermuda Regiment got, they actu- Hon. Wayne Caines: I am saying it exists; I don’t ally made the test more difficult. With the tests becom- have it. ing more difficult, we have seen the pass rates become a lot lower. Obviously, the Bermuda Regiment The Chairman: Continue on, Minister. would like to see people have higher standards. But the tests in the earlier phases I think have to be higher Hon. Wayne Caines: Question: What is the percent- and the standards continually have to be pushed. We age of soldiers who pass overseas training? [Answer:] are talking about personal weapons test, personal All soldiers are required to pass the prerequisites and fitness test, first-aid assessments, and rules of en- standards before attending overseas training. A higher gagement. standard is used before deploying on overseas opera- The question was . . . the Member from con- tions. stituency 23 asked could we have those numbers split Can the Minister advise what is being done to into categories. [Answer:] That is something that I get the pass rate increased from 70 per cent? [An- think that we will not be able to do in this exercise but swer:] The Royal Bermuda Regiment has increased it is something in future years that we can have it the entry standards. The first revised annual testing spread out to basic fitness test, weapons handling test includes rehabilitation [and] retraining modules for to get a better understanding of the type of soldier and those who do not pass. As a result, we see soldiers the level of the pass and fail rate that we can do in being returned to the necessary standards or being future years. discharged from service. What is the process for disposal of retired Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: Just a point of weapons? Answer: Ex-service weapons. There is a clarification. If the Minister could just explain— robust process for disposal and destruction of retired weapons. The Chairman: The Chair acknowledges— [Inaudible interjection] Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: Sorry. I beg your pardon, Mr. Chairman. Hon. Wayne Caines: The question was asked . . . there is a robust process for the disposal and the de- The Chairman: Mrs. Pat Gordon-Pamplin, you have struction of retired weapons. the floor. Clearly, Mr. Chairman—

POINT OF CLARIFICATION [Inaudible interjections]

Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: Thank you. Hon. Wayne Caines: Clearly, Mr. Chairman, this has If the Minister does not have the individual been asked for a specific reason. We can deal with component parts that go into it, how are we determin- that head-on. ing that 65 per cent has been the attained standard There are specific allegations that have been and it is to be the objective standard? made with reference to some weapons and the Ber- muda Regiment with a senior member of personnel. The Chairman: Minister. This matter is still under police investigation. Once this matter has been dealt with, this matter will be dealt Hon. Wayne Caines: I beg your pardon. I missed it. with in the public domain. There is nothing that the Bermuda Regiment The Chairman: Can you repeat that for the benefit of will not deal with head-on. This is an organisation that the Minister? deals with honour and integrity, and everyone who wears that uniform—from the private soldier right up Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: Yes. to the lieutenant colonel—will be held to account for If we don’t have the individual bits to say what their actions. comprises the whole, how are we satisfying ourselves The Bermuda Regiment has a plan and a pro- that the revised forecast of 65 per cent is the appro- cedure for dealing with weapons from the time you priate conglomerate number, as well as the projected have one in your hand, when it is given to you as a for 2021? private soldier, to the day that that weapon is decommissioned. Those procedures are outlined, they are clearly annexed, and everyone knows the procedure. Bermuda House of Assembly 3356 4 March 2020 Official Hansard Report

Anyone acting not in accordance with that plan, and provide specific skill sets or for a MASS [Marine Air the outlined procedures and the law is doing so and is Support Squadron] Enduring Operation. in breach of the law if they do anything contrary to the So, we look at the numbers, Mr. Chairman, procedures of the Bermuda Regiment and will have to and everyone remembers the days of the Bermuda be held [accountable] in law if they go contrary to the Regiment when we had 400 or 500 soldiers. Those law. days are over. The persons who want to harken to the days when we had 400 and 500 soldiers, and we had The Chairman: Member from constituency 23, you people all over the place in Bermuda going to key have the floor. points, those days are over. We have redefined through a plan in 2014; a Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: Thank you, Mr. Government recommissioned and wanted the Bermu- Chairman. da Regiment to look at what their purpose was. The Mr. Chairman, I just wanted to make sure that Bermuda Regiment clearly redefined what their pur- I understand. After decommissioning of a weapon, is pose was. Humanitarian assistance and disaster re- there something that says that they are held in a se- lief, and MACA (Military assistance to the civil authori- cure area? Or are they . . . I mean, I do not know ex- ties), we now look at those things. So we have clearly actly what is entailed in the decommissioning. But my defined roles. question is, If you say that this is . . . you had it from, The Bermuda Regiment has––they have rea- you know, Pat Gordon-Pamplin had the weapon from ligned their priorities. When they go on operation, they the time she entered the Regiment, she has now have key focus. So when we use soldiers, they are come out so therefore that weapon is decommis- being used in a totally different manner now. If we go sioned from her perspective. Is there something that on operation . . . and we saw it during the hurricane. happens, presumably it may be passed on to person We were able to be effective with the troops that we B and then they do it. have on the Island because we use them in a more If the weapon is now no longer serviceable by disciplined manner. They are being trained more ef- normal standards, is there some level of security that fectively. If there is a need we are bringing something is undertaken to ensure that this weapon is not rein tune, I think we have 297, and the number that we commissioned in a nefarious kind of way? are trying to achieve is 400. We are having another recruit camp in July. Hon. Wayne Caines: Mr. Chairman— The Bermuda Regiment is activating something called the Auxiliary. The Auxiliary is what I would call . . . so The Chairman: Yes, Minister. let’s call it the Auxiliary. But to give an example, it is what we would call a reserve unit. So the Auxiliary is Hon. Wayne Caines: I will feel comfortable to say that somebody like myself, Mr. Chairman, somebody who there is a secure process for doing so. I believe there has left the Army, who still has all his skills, who still is are certain matters of national security and I believe as fit as a butcher’s dog— this is one of them. I would feel safe to say that there is an outlined plan that the Bermuda Regiment has for [Inaudible interjections] securing weapons. The plan is outlined by the chief armourer and the regimental personnel and there is a Hon. Wayne Caines: —who is still as fit as a butch- specific plan that is outlined for securing decommis- er’s dog, and he has all of his military skills, knows all sioned weapons. his weapons-handling skills, and he would like to That programme is outlined to the regimental come back once or twice per month. personnel, specifically the chief armourer who is responsible for dealing with that. If anyone goes with An Hon. Member: And has grey hair. disharmony or is not in accordance with that plan, they should be held to account. There is an investiga- [Laughter] tion that is ongoing. When that investigation is made complete, we will be notified and decisions can be Hon. Wayne Caines: And will shave up nice and will made accordingly. put some “Miss Clairol” in his hair.

The Chairman: Thank you. Continue on, Minister. The Chairman: Order. Member, please do not bring the House into disrepute. Hon. Wayne Caines: What are we doing about re- taining soldiers? [Answer:] Retention is high. The [Laughter] training model has been redesigned to be more flexi- ble, to meet personal commitment, to meet the current Hon. Wayne Caines: He can come out and we be- personnel. The auxiliary has been implemented to lieve that the Auxiliary is an excellent opportunity to retain recently retired soldiers on a limited basis to take older soldiers who still have their skills and use Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3357

the Auxiliary a couple of weekends, one or two week- House. And if the numbers are low His Excellency is ends a year, and have an Auxiliary and create a ser- responsible for those numbers. vice. So what does that mean? That means that we The Chairman: Mm-hmm. have men and women who are not going to be able to commit a lot of time but we have an Auxiliary (my Hon. Wayne Caines: What we are looking at now is, words), we can use it as a reserve. That is something the challenge . . . they are saying that there is a chal- that we need to accelerate and bring forward. And I lenge with the numbers and so the commanding of- believe when we start in the next few months, when ficer is saying that we are about 100 soldiers beneath the Bermuda Regiment starts pushing the Auxiliary, strength. But the good news is that our soldiers are we will get the numbers up. skilled in diverse ways. So, pound for pound we have What are the key elements that the Bermuda a soldier who is a lot better trained than the average Regiment wants to do? [Answer:] The Bermuda Reg- soldier. So a Bermuda Regiment band person is able iment wants to make sure that we have a firm founda- to, not only able to be trained in humanitarian aid, he tion. The firm foundation is we redefined what the is also able to be trained in skill saw. He is able to do Bermuda Regiment looks like, the humanitarian and a number of things, so we believe that our soldiers disaster relief; military assistance to the civil authority. have a wide and varied use. And so we kind of redefined what our role is in the The Bermuda Police Service. Marine police. country. The police team remains the same, transferred to the We have done something different this year. joint Coast Guard. Eight vessels; six seaworthy, main- We have asked for more money and [with] the more tained primarily in-house; vehicles . . . $150,000 is not money that we have used we have changed it, Mr. for purchase of vehicles. It is for service costs and to Chairman, and we said we have created a Coast maintain vehicles. Serious investigations, not sure Guard, nine new posts. We are going to use it . . . we what the question is, however, our serious crime unit are surrounded by water. We are going to start to cre- deal with all serious violence, homicides, complex ate new jobs, new opportunities, to create a new crime. We are seeing an increase in financial crime, Coast Guard. So that is what we have to share with and historic abuse cases. people in our country. We have a new vision for what Drones. The question was asked, Do we have the military in Bermuda looks like, what National Se- the use of drones and do we see the Bermuda Police curity looks like. Service using drones? [Answer:] On Monday, we have the national drones lead from the UK, Scott Bateman. [Inaudible interjections] He will be in Bermuda to demonstrate a range of drone technology, options for the Bermuda Police The Chairman: Continue on, Minister. Thank you. Service and Government. Mr. Bateman has recently worked for the Turk & Caicos Islands who have pur- Hon. Wayne Caines: Is the Royal Bermuda Regiment chased a drone technology which will address multiple at appropriate strength? [Answer:] The Royal Bermu- service needs, missing persons, maritime incidences, da Regiment currently does not meet the traditional operation events, public demonstrations and surveil- number required for large and enduring national lance. emergencies, and it has been taking on risk versus What percentage of the BPS staff is female? the likelihood. However, the Royal Bermuda Regiment Answer: The BPS profile: 70 per cent male; 30 per training and the Bermuda Police Service and the UK cent female; 66 per cent Bermudian; 36 per cent non- service partners over the last few years means that Bermudian. person for person they are better trained and are Question: What impact is the Coast Guard more competent than in previous decades. having on officers in the marine section? What boats The Royal Bermuda Regiment is multi-skilling do the marine section police have? What is the age of their swords to provide an agile more adaptable force the boats? Have the boats passed seaworthiness that can be used for a variety of purposes. Sub-units tests? Have the boats passed the test? will have a limited defined capability. All soldiers may be required to respond to the incident normally not [Inaudible interjections] associated with this specific trade. Generally, the Bermuda Regiment is divesting in some ancillary roles The Chairman: Continue on, Minister. such as Bailey’s Bridge erection or reducing some time spent in conventional warfare such as cold war Hon. Wayne Caines: Those questions, Mr. Chairman, and in favour of multi-skilling. were answered in the Regiment part of this. Mr. Chairman, I need to be clear. The respon- Question: Provide the details on how many sibility for the Bermuda Regiment and where we are vehicles there are for the police. Has any analysis going actually lies with the Governor and Government been done on the vehicles that the Bermuda Police Service buy? One hundred and fifty thousand dollars Bermuda House of Assembly 3358 4 March 2020 Official Hansard Report has been set aside for vehicles. Can the Minister indi- In regard to the impact of overtime on the cate what number of vehicles and what they will buy budget, what can be done to reduce this? Answer: and what will they cost? Regarding the question of overtime, analysis can be done on overtime breakdowns. The majority of the [Pause] spending in this regard is on special events like Cup Match, Bermuda Day, which are one-off peaks. Rou- Hon. Wayne Caines: Just a second, Mr. Chairman. tine overtime does not take place in relation to staff numbers. Additionally, it is a critical incident such as The Chairman: Good. seen recently with the five shootings that significant And we are dealing with Heads under Nation- overtime was spent to mobilise the BPS. al Security. There are five hours allocated for this de- How much did the surge shooting cost? [An- bate. Minister Caines is on the floor. We are dealing swer:] $250,000. There were questions on serious with Heads 83, 6, 7, 12, 25, and 45. investigations . . . okay. We already [handled] this. And this debate will go through until five Does time in lieu still exist? Answer: Yes, but minutes past the hour of five o’clock. There are 40 it is down to the officer to elect this option. It cannot be minutes left. directed. This is governed by the Police (Conditions of While the Minister is checking his notes, are Service) Order [2002]. Additionally, this needs to be there any other Members who care to add any ques- taken at some point, and a significant accumulation of tions in the meantime? Okay. All right. leave with the BPS affects the ability to maintain op- Minister Caines has the floor. erational resource levels. A request was made for a breakdown in pro- Hon. Wayne Caines: Regarding the impact of the fessional service. Answer: The BPS consultant budget overtime on the budget. What can be done to reduce has been reduced by $284,000. This represents a this? Answer: Regarding the question of overtime, reduced spend of over $500,000 in the past 12 analysis can be done on overtime breakdowns. The months. However, it is noted that the BPS still needs majority of the spending in regard to overtime is spe- to retain specialist consultants in order to support on- cial events, Cup Match, Bermuda Day, which are on going complex investigations where the capacity and off peaks. Routine overtime does not take place in the search specialist capacity with the service are no relation to staff members. Additionally, a critical inci- longer available to support. Professional services in dent, such as seen recently with reference to the five the BPS budget are low. The previous budget for con- shootings, required significant overtime to mobilise to sultants was $827,000. Previously it was $1 million. get the Bermuda Police Service to respond. However, this has been reduced to $543,000 and the How much did the search cost to respond to BPS is operating below that figure. the shootings with reference to gang violence? An- The repair and maintenance question. How swer: Regarding the recent shootings, the cost was many people can be moved to HQ and what will the approximately $250,000 spent on Operation Nimbus. cost savings be? Answer: If achieved, the estimated cost savings will be $200,000 annually. Several Ber- [Pause] muda Police Service departments will be able to oc- cupy the space but current funding does not allow for Hon. Wayne Caines: Two seconds, please. the works to be carried out in the next financial year. What is the BPS doing in terms of the envi- The Chairman: National Security, Heads 83, 6, 7, 12, ronmental friendly energy use? [Answer:] Incandes- 25, and 45. Five hours were allocated for this debate. cent and fluorescent lights are being phased out and Minister Caines has the floor. LED introduced. Lights are often on timers. Roadside sobriety testing. Question: Why is Hon. Wayne Caines: [There has been] $150,000 set roadside sobriety testing not taking place as frequent- aside for vehicles. I was asked, Can I indicate the ly? [Answer:] Road sobriety checkpoints are regulated number of vehicles and what will I buy and what will by legislative requirements. There was a delay in the be the cost? Answer: $150,000 was not for vehicles, it latter part of 2019 as the testing devices had to be was for maintenance. sent off Island for service calibration, [which was] part I was asked, How will we get reserves? What of the contract with the manufacturer. are we doing to maintain reserves and to keep re- Officers suspended receiving pay. Answer: serve police officers? There is a natural fall in volun- Officers suspended . . . there is no choice but to place teering. However, we have an active group of volun- them in another role. However, it is important to note teers who provide significant hours of service. There that they remain innocent until due process is com- are plans to place new recruitment campaigns and pleted with the relevant findings. Despite this, the BPS incentives for reserves with reference to a bounty be- is now progressing special case hearings to acceler- ing offered. ate the decisions to dismiss officers where there is

Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3359

overwhelming evidence that exists to make a deci- Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: This was on both sion. the fire service, it was asked for, as well as the [Ber- Question: Are there salary incentives for po- muda] Police Service in terms of sending officers in to lice officers? Answer: There are no other financial sal- areas with the advent of this coronavirus. I am just ary incentives other than time in lieu. wondering whether PAPRs can be considered to Question: What are the performance make sure there is a safety element for those officers. measures? Answer: 85 per cent of the local population are satisfied with the service of the BPS. Fifty- The Chairman: Okay. Thank you. eight per cent are totally satisfied and 25 per cent sat- Honourable Member from constituency 31, isfied. Southampton, go ahead. Question on BPS retirees. Answer: There are approximately 14 retirees per year. However, many of Mr. Ben Smith: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. those are recruited back to the BPS under post-55- Just following along with two questions in Cor- year-old contracts, thereby achieving their retention of rections (before we start to get the answers from Cor- experience and reduced training costs. rections). One, there were two fentanyl overdoses that Once you get through recruit camp, are there happened in the prison. I am wondering if the Minis- additional courses police officers can take to stay cur- ter— rent with international policing standards? [Answer:] Officers constantly do upgrading courses under a myr- Hon. Wayne Caines: Mr. Chairman, with the greatest iad of areas of specialities. Officers from the ASP respect we deal with fact. There were no fentanyl course, officers do upgrade courses on a regular ba- overdoses anywhere in the facility. And so we have to sis. The average officer will do more than 10 to 11 be very careful when we use the words “fentanyl” and courses within his lifetime. If an officer is to go to a “overdoses” and things of that nature. There is nothing sergeant or any level, they are constantly evolving to substantiate any use of fentanyl and overdoses in with reference to courses, whether there is a CPR the facility. training, if there are specialist courses, whether they are in the marine section, whatever they are doing, The Chairman: Thank you, Minister. whether it is driving courses and there are . . . it is one Okay. Honourable Member, any further ques- entity that is constantly tested to ensure that the offic- tions under these Heads? ers are having their standards raised. Mr. Ben Smith: Yes, also in the Corrections, if the The Chairman: We are on National Security, Heads Minister can let us know whether the prison officers 83, 6, 7, 12, 25, and 45. There are five hours for this were actually in attendance with the meeting that he debate. We are moving into the last half hour of this had with the prisoners when he was there two weeks debate. Does any other Member have any other ques- ago during his visit. tions while the Minister is preparing these last tranch- es of questions? The Chairman: Minister, do you want to resume Minister, would you like to yield while one of your— the Shadow Ministers . . . could . . . Mrs. Pat Gordon-Pamplin, the Minister will Hon. Wayne Caines: First things first, there is no way yield whilst he gathers if you had any additional ques- I could be in the prison and meet with inmates without tions. officers present. The Chair acknowledges the Member from But let me be clear, over the last few years, constituency 23. You have the floor. over the last year there has been an impasse with our Ministry and the Prison Officers Association [POA] Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: This is just for fill, and this is clearly documented. In order for this coun- Mr. Chairman, but I do have one extra, one legitimate try to work well, we have to admit and understand that question and that is with respect to the health issue there is a situation that needs to be fixed. The Bermu- and the coronavirus that the honourable Shadow al- da Prison Officers Association have highlighted some luded to earlier in his questions. And that is, there are, challenges within the Department of Corrections. They as opposed to regular masks and the like, there is gave a number of issues with reference to problems such a thing called a PAPR which is a powered air that they were having in the Department of Correc- purifying respirator. I am just wondering whether some tions. A number of those problems have been tackled, of our frontline officers who might find themselves ex- but there are a number of other issues that have con- posed— tinuously been a work in progress. I would say, Mr. Chairman, a number of those The Chairman: Which one of the Head would that— issues just have not been fixed fast enough. And it has not been the fault of the leadership of the prison. We have a challenge often times with the budget. And Bermuda House of Assembly 3360 4 March 2020 Official Hansard Report we now have to look at things and tackle them head At the end of the day, I am here in front of my on. colleagues in this House to say that we have to push What I can you is that the leadership of the aggressively to continue to make the conditions in the Department of Corrections has highlighted some sig- prison better than . . . [they are] not acceptable for the nificant concerns. There are major issues which re- inmate population. They are not acceptable for the quire budgeting. We are dealing with ageing facilities men and women working in the Corrections. I am not and all of that, ageing facilities. And so when we talk afraid to say so and we must push to make it better. about wanting to go in and fix everything overnight, Question: What is the routine required with we were not able to do so. reference to the number of searches? [Answer:] At Last year we gave a planned, timed way to fix Westgate there are four searches of cells per unit, per a lot of the issues, and the timing in a lot of the issues shift, equating to 72 searches per day. Further, there were not agreed upon. A lot of the talks broke down are 20 special searches per week. Four shifts per day toward the end of the year and we were not able to is the search of an inmate’s cell only. The 20 special deal with this thing as effectively as we wanted to deal searches per week include a search of the inmate and with them. his cell. What we are seeing now is that we again How many mental health clients do we have have the issue of [obtaining] the boilers to heat the in all facilities? Answer: Co-ed facility, 3; Farm facility, water. Well, they have been on order and there was 5; Right Living House, 2; Westgate Correctional facili- some issues with the procurement process and the ty, 23. boilers were ordered last year. They are not here. Can you give the update of energy cost as of People deserve to get baths with hot water. You are 1st of January 2020? [Answer:] Energy cost totals for not going to . . . we understand what the Mandela all of our facilities, $455,427; propane gas, $40,000, [Rules] are. for a total of $493,700.33. Was I invited to the prison? I had been invited Why was there a change in health insurance? to the prison on more than one occasion. I went to the Answer: The money for insurance was transferred to prison two weeks ago. I saw it for myself. I have been inmate’s hospital. We do not have insurance for in- to the prison on a number of occasions. I went and I mates, so we have to pay the hospital out of pocket. did a tour of the prison. I gave my undertaking to the What training do corrections officers receive officers present, to the leadership of the prison that for mental health? Answer: Mental health, first aid, this is something that we have to accelerate. I met controlling and restraint training. with the Minister of Works and Engineering. As soon as I spoke with him, he got on it—not seven seconds [Crosstalk] later, he got on it immediately. What I saw after talking to him, this was something that his team was working The Chairman: Address the Chair. on. This was not something that he had to get on top of. He showed me the correspondence that this has Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: Thank you, Mr. constantly been a work in progress. Chairman. We have schools, we have buildings, we have a number of things in Bermuda, and we are working The Chairman: Clarification? through the process. What we have to understand is that this is indeed a plan. We had the opportunity Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: I just wanted clari- when the gentleman from the prison inspectorate ty. The Minister just indicated about health insurance, came to Bermuda. It was I who ordered the prison that we do not have health insurance for the inmates inspector to come to Bermuda, so we can see the and that they have to pay it out of pocket. The ques- standards that we were [having]. Did we give them a tion that I was asking was on page B-295 with respect couple of . . . February 11th, the head of the Prison to insurance. It was $500,000 from last year and it is Officers Association was given a copy of the report. It $200,000 for this year, it is down $300,000. was never hidden from them. My question was for an explanation as to why What do I believe? I believe that we have that significant decrease, that 60 per cent decrease. come to a time where the POA, the Ministry, we all The number of inmates remains pretty static during need to sheathe our swords and get to the table and the time so if it is health insurance, I am just curious try to work through these things. When I met with the as to the response. inmates, we have to work and continue to push toward rehabilitation. We have to get in those rooms. The Chairman: Thank you. We have to get back into the rooms and we have to We are dealing with Head 25 with that ques- figure this thing out and we have work through it. That tion. This debate will go through to 5:05, it is now . . . is the commitment that we will continue to have, that 4:45, so we have 20 minutes remaining. we have had all of this time. And that is something Minister Caines has the floor. that we have to work toward and continue to do so. Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3361

The Chair recognises the Honourable Mem- inmate hospitalisation when the numbers went out ber from constituency 19. Mrs. Atherden has the floor. officially.

Hon. Jeanne J. Atherden: On Head 12, Customs. [Inaudible interjections] The Minister had indicated that there was going to be a change in the airport arrival patterns which will ben- The Chairman: That was under Corrections, yes. efit the shifts. I wonder if he is able to give any sort of indication as to when that might be . . . having arrived Hon. Wayne Caines: Yes, sir. last night and seeing two airlines arrive at the same time, and the Customs officers all there trying to figure The Chairman: The $300,000, yes. out what they are going to do. It would be interesting Continue on, Minister. to know whether this is going to result in people not having to stay so long and having all the Customs of- Hon. Wayne Caines: Mr. Chairman, we are waiting ficers being there at the same time. for some more [answers] for Customs. We have not received the [answers] yet for the Customs Depart- The Chairman: Okay. And we are dealing with Na- ment. tional Security, Head 83, 6, 7, 12, 25, 45. The Minister is running down the aisle proving The Chairman: Okay. that he is fit to go in the Regiment under the Auxiliary Under National Security, Member from con- services. stituency 19, would you like to—

[Laughter and inaudible interjections] Hon. Jeanne J. Atherden: Just another question under Customs. There was an indication from the Minis- The Chairman: Continue on. ter that you had a new export control initiative. Is it possible to clarify that? Hon. Wayne Caines: The shift change with reference to Customs has already taken place. The Chairman: Minister Burch, you have the floor. At night there is the flight that comes in from Miami. There is a flight that comes in from New York. Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch: I know you do not There is a JetBlue flight that comes in. There is a flight want to hear from me. from New York, there is a flight from Miami, there is a flight from JetBlue. [And] oftentimes . . . if you had 50 [Crosstalk] officers at the airport with limited space there will be a bit of congestion at a point. The Chairman: We are dealing with National Securi- We had to make a decision. Do we want our ty. We have another 15 minutes remaining under this airport to be thriving? At times there is a bit of a bot- Head. Heads 83, 6, 7, 12, 25, 45. tleneck. The shift has taken place. The officers have Member from constituency 23, would you . . . been trained. We are dealing with a lot more ques- You have the floor. tions now. You are going to see . . . and we have to prepare people. You are going to see people waiting Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: Yes, thank Mr. longer now. We are asking more questions. And so Chairman. we have to realise that you are now in a season Mr. Chairman, in respect to Customs on page where our Customs officers are asking more ques- B-290, under programme 1201, and cost centre tions which will result in more delays. 22080, for administration. There is an increase here of When you come to the airport, we are asking $251,000, or 5 per cent. I am just wondering whether where you have been, where you have travelled to. the administration incorporates the computer utilisa- We are asking questions about your health. These tion and whether in fact . . . and we have had some few questions will add a minute or so on everyone’s difficulties over time in terms of the speed with which time. And this will cause a significant delay at the air- the system has permitted that department to process port. So as we go into the change as to what our travellers. world looks like now, that will have the effect of you I am just curious whether that is part of the being in the airport longer. And whilst that will be in- administration increase, whether we are looking at convenient for some, we cannot apologise because any higher efficiencies in the system that permits the we believe the safety of our greater community will be clearance of passengers as we see airport arrivals affected by us asking more questions because of the under 22030. We see that 22030 and 22040, it ap- health concerns of our community. pears that they have merged inasmuch as we used to With reference to the insurance that was have two shifts, and now we have the B shift and the asked by the Member from constituency 23, the an- normal . . . [220]40 and [220]30 seemed to have been swer: part of the monies had already been vired to the merged into just 4030 . . . I’m sorry, into [220]30. I just Bermuda House of Assembly 3362 4 March 2020 Official Hansard Report wondered whether the enhancements for the comput- not based on gender. It is based on aptitude. It is er system were taken into account here. It may not based on passing the exam. It is based on fitness. been but I am just curious. Question around the ambulance in the fire service. Answer: There is only one ambulance in the The Chairman: Minister, you have the floor. Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service which is located at the East End at Clearwater Station. Hon. Wayne Caines: The computer system at the Who decides whether the Bermuda Fire and airport on the arrivals when you come in and you go to Rescue Service goes on a call? [Answer:] When a . . . that is actually the Immigration system. That is 911 call is received, the location dictates the re- actually Immigration. sponse. For example, a call from the East End will But so that we . . . and we will do Immigration, cause the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service to re- we go through Immigration line by line next week and spond. we will talk about the eGate system that we have What is the cost of a Bermuda Fire and Res- been using with Immigration and what the investments cue Service response? Answer: The Bermuda Fire have been and will be of that system and what that and Rescue Service does not charge people. looks like with the new egress in coming to the airport. What is the most common telephone call for But when you come into the airport, that system is not the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service? Answer: The under Customs. It is indeed under Immigration. most common call is road traffic accident followed by diabetic issues. The Chairman: Minister. What is your plan for the coronavirus? [An- swer:] At present, training is taking place with presen- Hon. Wayne Caines: Sir. For my last tranche of ques- tations being conducted with all crews. FIT testing is tions, Mr. Chairman— being conducted for N95 masks. That is it for the Bermuda Fire and Rescue The Chairman: Yes. Service, Mr. Chairman.

Hon. Wayne Caines: As we wind quite quickly to the The Chairman: We will make an invitation. Does any four o’clock hour— other Member care to speak to these Heads? Member Atherden. An Hon. Member: Five o’clock. Hon. Jeanne J. Atherden: I have a question on the Hon. Wayne Caines: Five o’clock. Great Scott! whole range. If you go back to police, which is . . . Head 7. The Minister indicated that there was going to The Chairman: This debate goes to . . . 5:10? be a change in how the police dealt with things. I think he mentioned new emergency contact numbers and [Crosstalk] using private security services for events. Is it possible to sort of give an indication as to what impact this will The Clerk: [To] 5:04. have on the police budget itself, or how the police then will not have to use as much of their services? [Inaudible interjections] Hon. Wayne Caines: This is still in the genesis stage, The Chairman: To 5:04, I am reliably advised. it has [just] been rolled out. But let’s just whiteboard it. Right now when you have a Cup Match event, th Hon. Wayne Caines: It is 5:06 for an alpha [male,] or when you have May 24 , all of the services are Mr. Chairman. coming out. So you have to put everyone on duty at overtime, or at double time. And that means the entire The Chairman: Okay. service is out. Well, if you are using private and security . . . and literally they are at Cup Match or they are th Hon. Wayne Caines: Question: On persons retiring at May 24 , and they are doing traffic. They are doing from the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service [BFRS]. regular duties. [Answer:] Retirements are planned and projected in If you are able to at Cup Match, or at National advance. The Bermuda Fire [and Rescue] Service is Heroes Day, able to limit those and use private securi- minimally staffed. ty companies, you are actually paying a lot less. When Question: How are promotions done? Answer: you are looking at calls, if you have a challenge in Succession planning is the chief fire officer’s major your neighbourhood with a noisy kite, or if you have focus. an issue in your neighbourhood and you call 911, well, Question on females in the Bermuda Fire [and you do not necessarily have to call 911. You can be Rescue] Service. Answer: The recruitment process is given another number and you can arrange, because it is a nonessential emergency. Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3363

And let’s be clear on that. 911 would always The Chairman: Okay. We have four minutes remain- be for significant emergencies. But there is a time ing. where you can arrange a time for an officer to come to Member from constituency 31. your residence and they can deal with you on opportunities that deal with nonemergency calls. And that is Mr. Ben Smith: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have two a lot better way for you to manage the sets of circum- quick questions. One is under police. stances. And so, what you are saying is, we are look- So, as the Minister was just talking about all ing at for the last . . . so prior to us discussing the the different savings, he also said earlier that the budget, the pundits were saying, Well, listen, the po- surge by the police actually cost $250,000 over a lice budget has been cut. They have slashed and they short period of time. Once we go back to normal lev- have burned the police budget. els of policing, if that need for a surge happens again, And we are saying, Well, hold on for a sec- obviously, the $250,000 gets spent again. So the ond. We went through this thing systematically. We question becomes, if that is what is needed, how do looked at how we make savings. We made savings we fit that into the budget? through negotiating a new contract. We looked and Secondly, under Head 45, for Fire, my ques- we used a scalpel and then we started to save. And tion is specifically to the ambulance cost. Is the Minis- when we started to do certain things we saw the ter saying that if you take an ambulance which is run budget come down specifically. by the fire service, there is no charge on your insur- Well, the police service was operating at ance for going in that ambulance? around 425 [officers] for a very long time. We have been, for the last 18 months, operating at about 410 Hon. Wayne Caines: That is not a question. I will an- police officers. And when we look at what the focus swer the last question first. The Ministry of National has been, the focus has been on community policing. Security does not speak to costs and charges with Look at how the police commissioner is say- reference to ambulance uses, with the greatest re- ing that he wants to focus on a gang unit. Let’s focus spect. I could not speak to how a person is charged on looking at vulnerable people and domestic vio- for using those services. lence, and so the commissioner is saying, I don’t want to necessarily focus on the police officers being and [Crosstalk] doing things that are not beneficial for the community. I am going to take my team and I am going to look The Chairman: Address the Chair. and I am going to do some more investigations. I am Member, do you want to rephrase your ques- going to look at man management. I am going to look tion? at the hours we are spending in the field. I want to come back to you, Mr. Minister, and I want to give you POINT OF CLARIFICATION a better understanding of how we give this community better bang for the buck. I want to see how we can Mr. Ben Smith: A point of clarification. Earlier, when take this overtime and I want to see how we can bet- the Minister responded to my question the first time he ter police this community, making sure that we meet said there was no charge. So the reason I am asking the needs of this community. the question again is, if you take an ambulance run by So, the object is that we have a budget that the fire service, from St. George’s, is there not going has come down considerably, and that operational to be a charge on your insurance. Or if you do not policing will not be affected. Why? Because the cuts have insurance, is there not going to be a charge? that came from us looking at specific elements within Because it would make more sense for you to take . . . entities within the administration of the department that ambulance than the one that comes from KEMH, and doing and having contracts. The CCTV infrastruc- which definitely hits your insurance. ture was owned by a private entity. And at the end of the contract, that was brought in-house. The Chairman: All right. With three minutes to go . . . When it was bought in-house, there was hun- Member, [constituency 23] you have . . . dreds of thousands of dollars savings to the Bermuda Police Service. The negotiation for the radio, the Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: Thank you, Mr. handheld radio contract, [brought] over $1 million in Chairman. savings. So, when you start looking at those contracts Mr. Chairman, while the Minister is getting the with consultants and those things, you see there was responses that he is waiting for, I just had one really significant savings that have come back. And that quick question in respect of Customs, under Head 12. money was not put into something else. That was And this would be under business unit 22090, Vessel money which was put toward the Coast Guard and Clearance. This is on page B-293. other things within the Ministry. Initially there was an original forecast for preparing and issuing invoices to collect revenues from arriving vessels in excess of $900,000. Initially the Bermuda House of Assembly 3364 4 March 2020 Official Hansard Report forecast was $1.5 million, the revised forecast for mates of Revenue and Expenditure for the year 2019/20 has gone down to $960,000 and I am just 2020/21.] wondering . . . they have kind of targeted 2020/21 somewhere in the range of $960,000, being $1 million, The Chairman: That concludes the debate on Na- and I am just wondering what is that significant differ- tional Security. We will move into Transport, Heads ential in terms of that decrease in that particular line 30, 34, and 35. We call on the Minister for Transport item? and Tourism, the Honourable Zane De Silva. Minister, you have the floor. Would you like to The Chairman: With a minute and a half left, Minister, move those Heads? you have a minute and a half left at your discretion. MINISTRY OF TOURISM AND Hon. Wayne Caines: Speaking with the chief fire of- TRANSPORT ficer, he shared that the MOU for the fire service and the ambulance is with the hospital. They do not have Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. a revenue share with the hospital. When a person Mr. Chairman, I move that the following gets in . . . their job is to get to the scene. When a Heads, 30, Marine & Ports; 34, Transport Control De- person gets into the ambulance, and they take them partment; 35, Public Transportation be now taken un- to the scene [sic], whatever happens after that, that is der consideration. actually a matter for the Bermuda Hospitals Board and not for the fire service. The Chairman: It has been moved that Heads 30, 34, and 35 be taken under consideration. The Chairman: Okay. With your last minute. Any objections? No objections. Hon. Wayne Caines: Mr. Chairman, I would like to Minister, continue on. take the time to thank . . . as has been said by the Shadow Minister, I would like to thank all of the people Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. within our ministries who go to work every day in ar- Mr. Chairman, it gives me great pleasure to duous circumstances and work in behalf of the people present the budget for Heads 30, 34, and 35 of the of Bermuda. I would like to thank all of the people in Ministry of Tourism and Transport. While budget ap- all of our Ministries who work exceedingly hard. I propriation for the Ministry as a whole will total would like to thank all of the administrative staff who $88,308,337, the Transport section is estimated to have come to help us with this presentation today. We total $49,480,373. appreciate the hard work and the long hours they The departments which come under the Min- have put into making this presentation work. istry’s Transport division include: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. • Marine & Ports Services (M&P)–Head 30;

• Transport Control (TCD)–Head 34; The Chairman: Thank you, Minister. • Would you like to move the Heads? Public Transportation (DPT)–Head 35.

Hon. Wayne Caines: Mr. Chairman, I move Heads HEAD 30—DEPARTMENT OF MARINE & PORTS 83, 6, 7, 12, 25, 45 be approved as printed. SERVICES

I will begin with the De- The Chairman: It has been moved that Heads 83, 6, Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: 7, 12, 25 and 45 be approved as printed. partment of Marine & Ports Services, Mr. Chairman, Any errata? as found on pages B-204 through B-209 of the Esti- No errata. mates of Revenue and Expenditure for the year 2020/21.

Hon. Wayne Caines: No, no errata. Mission The Chairman: As printed. Are there any objections? Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: As stated on page B-204 of No objections. the Budget Book, the mission of the Department of [Gavel] Marine and Ports Services is the regulation and safe operations of Bermuda’s maritime affairs including marine border security, search and rescue and public Hon. Wayne Caines: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. transportation [Motion carried: The Ministry of National Security, Expenditure Overview Heads 83, 6, 7, 12, 25, and 45 stand part of the Esti- Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Mr. Chairman, the total current expenditure for the Department of Marine & Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3365

Ports, Head 30, is estimated to be $21,662,026 which Capital Expenditure represents an increase of $383,728, or approximately 1.8 per cent over the 2019/20 budget. The increase Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Capital acquisition ex- has been funded within the Ministry’s established penditure for the department, found on page C-13 of cash limit through the reduction of the World Triathlon the Budget Book, is set at $2,680,000. Set aside for Series grant. The additional funding is being primarily navigational aids is $250,000. The capital budget for put towards the following key areas: the Vessel Traffic Management Information Systems • salaries and wages up-lift due to cost of living is set at $350,000. A new capital allocation is provided adjustment; for ferries in the amount of $2,000,000, and repre- • security for cruise ship terminals, which has sents funds for the refit of a Serenity class ferry. Also, increased in line with the increase in cruise $8,000 is allocated to the purchase of new computer ship visits during the shoulder months; and equipment. • IMO Instruments Implementation Code Com- pliance, which will see an increase in Lloyds Manpower of London block fees with the implementation of a new safety management system for the Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: The department’s full-time department’s high-speed ferries. equivalents [FTEs], found on page B-206 of the The Department of Marine & Ports Services’ Budget Book, have increased from 159 to 161. De- expenditures are set out under the following three spite the additional FTEs, the manpower budget for business units and can be found on page B-204 of the the department remains the same as the additional Budget Book: posts were already fully funded. Currently, there are five fully funded, vacant positions which the depart- Programme 3006—West End (Dockyard) ment will seek to fill within the next six months. These • Navigational Aids, cost centre 40040– posts are currently vacant due to the normal course of $750,803; contract expirations, retirements and resignations. • Tug Service, cost centre 40140–$1,704,485; Compensation is estimated at $11,163,092 of • Tender Service, cost centre 40210–$397,018; the departmental budget. • Dockyard Maintenance, cost centre 40260– The department’s performance measures, $3,387,103. found on pages B-207 to B-209 of the Budget Book, remain positive in that the department continues meeting the targets set in line with international Programme 3007—Central (Hamilton) standards. Maintaining these levels continues to be • Ferry Services, cost centre 40090– challenging with the rapidly ageing fleet that requires $7,907,784; extra maintenance. Nonetheless, the department con- • Mooring and Boat Registration, cost centre tinues to work diligently to manage these processes 40150–$288,164; and and to ensure that the delivery of safe and reliable • Administration, cost centre 40220– services is maintained. $2,630,455. Mr. Chairman, the Department of Marine &

Port Services represents one of the most critical oper- Programme 3008—East End (Fort George) ational arms of the Government of Bermuda as it facil- • Maritime Safety and Security, cost centre itates the movement of vital shipping commerce in 40100–$2,638,300; and, and out of Bermuda’s ports. During the fiscal year • Pilot Service and Offshore Search and Res- 2019/20, there were a total of 1,010 international ship cue, cost centre 40180–$1,957,914. movements in Bermuda waters. The services the De- partment provides include: Pilot Boat (Search and Revenue Rescue); Tug Boat and Tender Services; Harbour Radio; Vessel Traffic; Radar and Surveillance. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Provided on page B-205 of Additionally, the department is responsible for the Budget Book. the coordination of International Search and Rescue Mr. Chairman, it is anticipated that in 2020/21, operations in this region of the Atlantic, and retains the Department of Marine & Ports Services will gener- oversight of overseas seaport security and marine ate approximately $6,107,000. This will be realised border control in compliance with international stand- primarily through fees charged for the provision of: ards. During the 2019/20 fiscal year, the department • Ferry services; responded to over 455 search and rescue cases as- • Tug services; sisting both ships and aircraft, locally and internation- • Boat haulage; ally. • Pilotage fees; Mr. Chairman, the Sea Express Ferry Ser- • Boat moorings; and vice—another service provided by the department— • Port dues. represents a comfortable and efficient means of public Bermuda House of Assembly 3366 4 March 2020 Official Hansard Report transport supporting the local commuter and visitor more fuel-efficient ferry on the Dockyard to Hamilton markets. The dedicated team from the Department of route, it is operating at an average of 55 per cent. The Marine & Ports continues to execute a well-thought- information indicates room for passenger growth on out transportation plan contributing to the success of both of those routes. transporting thousands of cruise ship passengers arriving at our Dockyard port, while at the same time Major Policy Changes providing regular ferry service for the commuting public in accordance with the established published Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Mr. Chairman, major policy schedules. changes will be implemented based on the United The Boats and Moorings section is located at Kingdom’s Maritime Coastguard Agency’s (MCA) gap the old Paget Post Office building and has a total of analysis undertaken ahead of the upcoming Interna- 4,645 boat registered moorings and a total of 14,800 tional Maritime Organization (IMO) Audit in September registered boats. In the upcoming year, this section 2020. These areas of change will include oil pollution will be closely monitoring the registration and use of control, ferry operations, off-shore search and rescue moorings to ensure that the principle of “one boat to and better control over the importation of dangerous one mooring” applies to all boat owners. So, if you goods through our ports, along with other areas identi- own one boat but have multiple moorings, please fied in the gap analysis. Bermuda has made great know that the Boats and Moorings section is clamping progress in tackling the identified issues highlighted in down. the MCA gap analysis, and is currently in the process Mr. Chairman, the 2020 cruise ship season of addressing the required legislative amendments to will see 193 cruise ship visits [to] Bermuda, calling at ensure better oversight of all port operations in Ber- the Royal Naval Dockyard, the port of Hamilton and muda. the port of St. George’s. The recent Red Ensign Group conference To address the lift needed, the department held in February of this year strongly suggests that continues to operate six high-speed catamaran fer- Category I shipping registries will most likely be audit- ries, three harbour ferries and one slow speed ferry. ed. Bermuda currently falls into this category and will Passenger load studies will continue in 2020/21 to most likely will be selected. ensure that more fuel-efficient ferries are deployed on selected routes in line with previous studies carried Plans for the Upcoming Year out. Additionally, Mr. Chairman, to accommodate Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Plans for the upcoming the longer cruise season, the department will provide year will include: a “supplemental” ferry service through November • continued training of departmental staff to in- 2020 to ensure that sufficient passenger lift is provid- ternational standards to ensure the depart- ed during this period. ment provides our customers with safe, relia- The Department of Marine & Ports continues ble and professional marine transportation to work towards the IMO Instrument Implementation and services; Code (III Code) review, addressing all gaps identified • continued progress with the department’s by the UK Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA) includ- succession planning to ensure highly tech- ing supporting legislation for both port and coastal nical posts within the department are filled by states ahead of the upcoming September 2020 Audit. qualified Bermudians; The department underwent a mock audit in • providing training for the tug captains and en- December 2019 which proved to be extremely helpful gineers ahead of the arrival our two new tugs; in preparing for the final audit. • undertaking a midlife re-fit of one of Bermu- da’s fast ferries in a selected shipyard on the Output Measures US East Coast; • renovation of Marine & Ports Hamilton work- Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Mr. Chairman, the target shop and then the relocation of the Dockyard outcomes for Marine & Ports Operations for 2020/21 workshops to the South Basin Dockyard; are to continue delivering the required marine services • undertaking much-needed repairs to our navi- in a timely and professional manner to ensure cus- gational aids and off-shore beacons; tomer satisfaction. This will include providing addition- • installation of a new user-friendly online boats al passenger lift on the Dockyard to Hamilton and the and moorings registration system that will also Dockyard to St. George’s routes to meet passenger assist in a quicker response to search and demands during the summer season and the shoulder rescue operations in and around Bermuda season. Passenger statistics collected on both routes waters; and finally continue to suggest the vessel on the Dockyard to St. • review of the costs and fines associated with George’s route is running at an average of 70 per cent the removal of abandoned boats. capacity, and with the deployment of the larger and

Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3367

Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Mr. Chairman, that con- business units: Examinations, Registrations, Road cludes the brief for the department of Marine & Ports Safety, Traffic Enforcement and Administration. Services, Head 30. The Examinations team is responsible for conducting all driving and riding tests to ensure that The Chairman: Yes. Continue on, Minister. applicants are proficient to operate vehicles on Ber- muda’s roads. The examiners also inspect all vehicles Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. that use public roads for roadworthiness, and write-off I will now move on to the Department of private cars prior to their disposal. Transport Control, Head 34. The Registrations Section is responsible for registering and licensing all vehicles, licensing all per- The Chairman: Continue. sons who operate vehicles, and collecting revenue for all transactions conducted within the department. HEAD 34—DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT The Road Safety Section is administered CONTROL through the road safety officer. The programme promotes road safety awareness through education, Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. training and public events, for example Project Ride. Mr. Chairman, the budget for Head 34, the The Road Safety Council advises the Minister regard- Transport Control Department (TCD), can be found on ing transport matters pertaining to road safety, and pages B-210 through B-213 of the Budget Book. devises strategies and programmes to address topical and unsafe motoring trends. Mission The Traffic Enforcement Section is responsible for the management and enforcement of road traf- Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: The TCD’s mission is: To fic laws, issuing moving violation and parking tickets Assure the Safety of All Roads Users. to offenders, issuing permits for the movement of oversized (40 foot) containers with heavy loads, unli- Introduction censed vehicles and occasional Sunday permits. This section also monitors the Electronic Vehicle Registra- Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Mr. Chairman, the tion (EVR) system and works alongside the Bermuda Transport Control Department administers the opera- Police Service to support its traffic enforcement ef- tion of all motor vehicles and road users on Bermu- forts. da’s roads. The department monitors and regulates Mr. Chairman, the officers in the Traffic Con- the sizes, functionality, physical condition and quantity trol Section also assist the Public Service Vehicles of all vehicles by carrying out five core functions. The Licensing Board by conducting investigations on their department: behalf and monitoring the use of Public Service and 1. oversees the management of the Vehicle Commercial Vehicles. Safety and Emissions Inspection Programme, The Traffic Enforcement Officers are deployed which has recently returned to the department on street patrols to ensure that all vehicles operating after having been outsourced for several on Bermuda’s roads comply with legislation. They are years; also responsible for ticketing abandoned vehicles and 2. administers the registration and licensing of all co-ordinating with sister departments to organise their vehicles; removal and disposal. 3. conducts practical riding and driving examina- The fifth business unit, Administration, is re- tions for all riders and drivers; sponsible for the overall operation and administration 4. regulates traffic by monitoring drivers and ve- of the Transport Control Department. This includes hicles; and lastly professional services for the management of the safe- 5. implements road safety initiatives. ty and emissions programme as well as external IT Periodically, the department inspects public support for the eTCD, the Driver and Vehicle Registra- garages, filling stations and rental mini-car and cycle tion System [DVRS], the Appointment Management liveries to ensure compliance with the conditions of System [AMS] and the EVR system. their respective permits. The TCD also issues special All systems are critical to ensuring optimum permits, such as, one-day permits, which allows a customer service. Customers have the ability to man- person to use an unlicensed motor vehicle, usually to age appointments online through the AMS, and the be repaired or to go to the TCD for inspection; and, department has partnered with insurance companies Sunday permits for commercial vehicles. for the “real time” electronic transfer of policy information to the TCD’s operating system. Department Overview Mr. Chairman, the Transport Control Depart- ment continues to implement and maintain an effec- Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Mr. Chairman, the tive and convenient vehicle examination and registra- Transport Control Department is separated into five tion programme which is exceptionally “user friendly.” Bermuda House of Assembly 3368 4 March 2020 Official Hansard Report

Interacting with today’s TCD is a far more pleasant Road Safety—Cost Centre 44090 experience than in the past. I think everybody would agree to that one, Mr. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Mr. Chairman, safety on Chairman. our roads remains a major concern. The budget for this section has been increased to $489,536. The sec- Expenditure Overview tion’s grants have been provided within page C-19 of the Budget Book. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Mr. Chairman, the Mr. Chairman, there were a total of 1,339 re- Transport Control Department’s budget allocation of ported collisions for the year in 2019. This was a slight $5,450,725, represents an increase of $75,725, or an increase over the previous year. The main causes of increase of approximately 1.4 per cent over the collisions remain following too closely and inattention, 2019/20 budget. The allocation for 2020/21 can be mainly due to distracted driving. Both of these two found on page B-210 of the Budget Book. poor driving habits are avoidable. Therefore, the main Under the General Summary of expenditure focus of Operation Caution’s campaign this year will per business units, you will find that the estimates for be to educate the motoring public on the proper fol- 2020/21 for each business unit do vary somewhat lowing or “hang-back” position and on how to stay fo- from the 2019/20 estimates. Although the core alloca- cused whilst driving and/or riding. This campaign will tion of funds has not changed significantly from the involve all forms of media advertisement. budget of 2019/20, monies have been re-allocated With funding continuing to be allocated to- from certain business units to others to better reflect wards bolstering the Project Ride and Operation Cau- the department’s changes in operational require- tion initiatives, the Road Safety Officer will be able to ments. enhance the already successful efforts to spread the Mr. Chairman, it should be noted that of the message of making smart motoring choices. $5,450,725 departmental budget, $3,410,825 is allocated to Salaries and Wages, and approximately Traffic Enforcement—Cost Centre 44110 $375,000 is allocated for professional services, including external IT support for the EVR, eTCD, DVRS and Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: The estimated budget for AMS operating systems, all of which are critical to en- the Traffic Control section will be $584,399. suring smooth daily operations and maintaining excellent customer service levels. Administration—Cost Centre 44210 The remaining funds are used for general operating expenses such as utilities, repairs and the up- Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Mr. Chairman, the estimat- keep of vehicles and equipment, printing and office ed budget for the Administration section will be supplies and boards and committee fees, including $2,223,708. This represents a decrease of $183,457. the Road Safety Council and Operation Caution. The decrease is partially due to the re-allocation of previous contract grant funding to the Examinations Examinations—Cost Centre 44000 business unit offset by the retention of monies for the maintenance and updating of the vehicle inspection Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Mr. Chairman, the Exami- equipment, including the upgrade and maintenance of nations Section’s estimated budget is $1,225,803. the EVR and CCTV equipment, as well as rent for the Rockaway and Southside satellite testing facilities. Registrations—Cost Centre 44040 Revenue Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Mr. Chairman, the requested budget for the Registration section is $927,278 for Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Found on page B-211. Mr. the fiscal year 2020/21. This is an increase of a little Chairman, It is anticipated that in 2020/21, the de- over $31,000, or about 3.4 per cent over the 2019/20 partment will collect $31,064,200 in revenue. This is budget, and represents the salary uplift, overtime, the an increase of approximately $75,900 over the prior filling of a much needed, formerly vacant post, offset year. This is due to an anticipated increase in the by a staff retirement. number of new commercial vehicle permits, the rein- Recruitment in this area is ongoing and critical statement of old and dormant permits and licensing to remaining compliant with Financial Instructions’ fees. mandate of the “segregation of duties” regarding both Capital Expenditures, there are none this the dispersal of funds and the reconciliation of reve- year, sir. nue collected. Maintaining customer service levels Manpower and minimizing waiting times are at the forefront of the department’s daily goals. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Found on page B-212. The 2020/21 estimates include funds for 48 full-time equivalents. Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3369

Plans for Upcoming Year Public Transportation, found on pages B-214 through B-217 of the Budget Book. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Mr. Chairman, the Transport Control Department will continue to review The Chairman: Continue on. and update the Motor Car Act 1951 and make recommendations for changes in consideration of vehicle Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. modernisation and road safety. The department will continue to conduct research to assist with decision- Mission making regarding the influx of new forms of transportation; for example, electric vehicles and electrically Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Mr. Chairman, the Depart- assisted pedal cycles. ment of Public Transportation’s Mission is: Moving Also, TCD is particularly concerned about the Bermuda with a quality public bus service. lack of availability of public service vehicles. These issues are well known, and are documented in the Expenditure Overview 2019 Transport Green Paper. The Green Paper identified three themes with respect to our transportation Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Mr. Chairman, the total services: (i) safety, (ii) reliability and (iii) the desire for current expenditure, page B-214 of the Budget Book, frictionless transportation experiences. The depart- is estimated to be $22,367,620. ment is working hard to develop viable solutions to The Department of Public Transportation has address the issues and concerns. The department will three business units: transportation, maintenance and focus its efforts on eliminating the unnecessary, long administration. The budget breakdown is as follows: waiting times for transportation suffered by locals and tourists alike. Transportation—Programme 3501 Mr. Chairman, the Bermuda Road Safety • Auxiliary Buses, cost centre 45000–$137,991; Council will work in conjunction with the Road Safety • Bus Operations, cost centre 45010– Officer to continue the implementation of “Operation $10,627,520. Caution.” The focus in 2020/21 will be increasing the educational component for school children at all levels Maintenance—Programme 3502 of learning by organising additional meetings and as- • Repair Services, cost centre 45090– sembly attendances. $5,624,428; The core message is “Plan your Drive; Drive • Inventory Management, cost centre 45115– your Plan.” $2,179,761. Mr. Chairman, in 2019/20 the department commenced an overhaul of the EVR system. That Administration—Programme 3503 upgrade has now been completed. The system, which • Administration, cost centre 45120– monitors unlicensed vehicles travelling on Bermuda’s $2,904,021; roads, has new cameras, antennae, wiring and soft- • Management Support, cost centre 45200– ware and enhanced protection from tampering and $893,900. vandalism. Also, the EVR software is now fully integrated with the DVRS which enhances the detection Transportation rate. The installation of all new equipment was com- Auxiliary Bus Services pleted in the latter part of 2019. In the upcoming year, TCD will be fully equipped with modern tools to detect Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: This section is responsible and ticket offenders. for coordinating all un-rostered work on the public bus Mr. Chairman, that concludes the brief on schedule and providing daily service updates. The Transport Control Department, Head 34. current expenditure for Auxiliary Bus Services, cost centre 45000, is estimated to be $137,991 for The Chairman: Yes, continue on, Minister. [Next is 2020/21. Please note, again this year, the department Head 35]. will not have enough buses to provide sightseeing tours. The private minibus fleet continues to service Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Yes, Mr. Chairman, that is this market. correct. Department of Public Transportation, Head 35 is next. The Chairman: Minister.

HEAD 35—DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Yes, sir. TRANSPORTATION The Chairman: I am minded on those tours that Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Mr. Chairman, I would like Glenn Simmons, who passed away yesterday, was to present the budget for Head 35, the Department of one of those bus operators who provided tremendous Bermuda House of Assembly 3370 4 March 2020 Official Hansard Report service to our visitors. I just wanted to make mention $2,904,021 for 2020/21 budget year, unchanged from of that as that has been a very valuable service, in 2019/20. memory of Mr. Glenn Simmons. Management Support Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Yes, well, thank you for that very timely reminder, Mr. Chairman. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: The Management Support If I can, I would like to take this opportunity to team is responsible for selling and processing bus and join you and wish the family, and that is, first, his im- ferry fares, and, providing administrative services for mediate family and his extended family at the De- accounts, procurement and human resources. The partment of Transportation and, again, his extended expenditure for Management Support is estimated to family at the Bermuda Industrial Union. Of course, be $893,900 for 2020/21. Glenn was a very good friend of mine. We went a long way back, as you know. Revenue

The Chairman: Amen. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Mr. Chairman, it is anticipated that in 2020/21, the Department of Public Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: And we will talk about that Transportation will generate $7,400,000. That can be more because you and I were doing something else found on page B-215 of the Budget Book. This will be this morning. And we will talk about that more on Fri- attained primarily from fees charged for the provision day, I am sure. of fare media, that is, bus tickets, passes and tokens.

Bus Operations Capital Expenditure

Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Mr. Chairman, the current Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Mr. Chairman, the capital scheduled public bus service operates 18 hours per acquisition estimate for the department, as seen on day, 7 day per week. The current account expenditure page C-13 of the Budget Book, totals $4,875,978. for Bus Operations, cost centre 45010, is estimated at This is primarily for the acquisition of new buses. A $10,627,520. total of eight buses were delivered in 2019. An RFP for new appropriately sized, accessible and low emis- Maintenance sions buses was issued in 2019 and the department is Repair Servicing finalising the procurement strategy for the continued replenishment of the aged bus fleet. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Mr. Chairman, the Depart- The capital budget also includes Phase 1 of ment of Public Transportation employs a team of pro- the Digital Fare Media system which will facilitate app- fessionals in Repair Servicing to repair and maintain based ticketing with smartphones and tap-and-go val- the fleet of public buses, support vehicles and equip- idation. The Digital Fare Media project aims to provide ment. The current expenditure for Repair Servicing, frictionless, convenient and secure access to public cost centre 45090, is estimated to be $5,624,428 for transportation. 2020/21, which is also unchanged from the previous year’s budget. The Chairman: Amen! I like that.

Inventory Management Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Yes, sir! The automated bus washer is past its useful Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Parts for vehicles and service life. This will be replaced with a modern sys- equipment are procured, stored, controlled and issued tem capable of washing the buses and large commer- by the Stores Section, which falls under Inventory cial vehicles. Management. The current expenditure for Inventory Management, cost centre 45115, is estimated to be Manpower $2,179,761 which is unchanged from the prior year’s budget. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Mr. Chairman, the total complement of full-time equivalents in the new Administration 2020/21 fiscal year is 232, as recorded on page B-216 of the Budget Book. This is unchanged from last year. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: The Administration section The breakdown of FTEs by each section is as is primarily responsible for developing department follows: strategy, policy and procedures, ensuring that the • The number of full-time equivalents for the people, processes and resources are available to de- cost centre 45000, Auxiliary Bus Services is liver a quality public bus service. The expenditure for two. Administration, cost centre 45120, is estimated to be Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3371

• Bus Operations, cost centre 45010, has 157 Asset Management full-time equivalents. • Cost centre 45090, Repair Servicing, has 50 Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: The department has re- full-time equivalents. established the position of Assistant Director Tech- • Inventory Management, cost centre 45115, nical to provide technical leadership and enhanced has been allocated four full-time equivalents. asset management. Continuing investment will be • The number of full-time equivalents for the made in the training, development and recruitment of cost centre 45120, Administration is five. technicians and trades responsible for fleet mainte- • And Management Support, cost centre 45200, nance. The department will establish a Work Planning has 14 full-time equivalents. function and retool the maintenance section to support the next generation of buses. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: These are all unchanged In addition, considerable improvements are from 2019/20. underway to facilities and infrastructure. For example, power washing at the Fort Langton depot; bathrooms, Major Policy Changes changing rooms and cafeteria renovations, and a new Operators’ facility at St George’s depot, are all on Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Mr. Chairman, the Depart- track to be completed this year. ment is focused on replenishing the bus fleet and Passenger Experience modernising the public bus service. Sightseeing and charter services remain suspended, as previously Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: The department aspires to noted, and the focus is on reliable delivery of the pub- be Bermuda’s preferred transportation solution. To lic bus schedule and school bus services. achieve this the department will focus on improving In 2019, with the support of Rocky Mountain the passenger experience, both in person and through Institute, the department completed an RFI and an technology. The Ambassador Training programme will RFP for the next generation of buses. The department continue in 2020 for all frontline representatives. The will introduce appropriately sized buses according to advancement of projects such as digital fare media the route demand. and real-time passenger information will improve ac- Smaller buses will be used on smaller routes, cess to the public bus service and provide for a “fric- resulting in less fuel and emissions, improved road tionless” travel experience. safety, less vehicle damage and lower operating cost. Mr. Chairman, that concludes the brief for the Features such as low-floors and buggy bays will im- Department of Public Transportation Services, Head prove accessibility on the buses, providing a better 35. passenger experience for all. Finally, Mr. Chairman, I would like to take this The department’s modernisation plans also opportunity to applaud the staff of all Departments of include the introduction of real-time passenger infor- Marine & Ports Services, Transport Control and Public mation, digital fare media and computer-aided dis- Transportation for their hard work and diligence. patch. Keeping Bermuda on the road, so to speak, is not without its challenges as we all know in these times, Plans for the Upcoming Year and I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the staff who provide us, the residents and our visi- Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Mr. Chairman, the depart- tors, with these public services. ment is committed to moving Bermuda with a quality Mr. Chairman, this concludes the brief on the public bus service. To achieve this, the department Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the year will implement initiatives which restore dependability, 2020/21 for Heads 30, 34 and 35 of the Ministry of improve the passenger experience and enhance op- Tourism and Transport. erations. The Chairman: Thank you, Minister. Bus Purchase and Refurbishment Would any Honourable Member like to speak to Heads 30, 34, and 35? Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: As I stated earlier, Mr. I recognise the Deputy Opposition Leader. Chairman, eight new buses were delivered in fiscal Ms. Scott, you have the floor. year 2019/20. The 16 buses procured in 2014 have been re- Ms. Leah K. Scott: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. furbished to address poor emissions and to upgrade the air conditioning. The Chairman: And this debate goes until 8:04. The RFP has identified the next generation of buses and a procurement plan is being developed. Ms. Leah K. Scott: I would first of all join the Minister in offering condolences to [the family of] Glenn “Ding- back” Simmons. I also offer condolences to my par- Bermuda House of Assembly 3372 4 March 2020 Official Hansard Report liamentary colleague, Pat Gordon-Pamplin, because 100 per cent? Notwithstanding that there be variables he is a relative of hers. that will not allow it to be 100 per cent. I would like to thank the Minister for his brief. I Under business unit, Maritime Safety and Se- will start with Marine & Ports. In just looking at the curity, 40100, there were three items which have been numbers, the numbers are fairly consistent. On page discontinued. One is engage non-government private B-204, under [programme] 3006, [cost centre] 40040, sector vessel used for non-life threatening marine in- Navigational Aids, I see that the estimate has gone cidences 25 per cent of the time; reduce the number from $740[,000] to $751[,000], and I am just wonder- of emergency satellite beacon false alerts from Ber- ing if that is replacement or increased cost of the aids. muda registered vessels and aircraft worldwide by And under [programme] 3006, [cost centre] 10 per cent; and decrease the period of to issue a reg- 40140, there is an increase in the tug service. I would istration for 406 megahertz beacon from 20 to 14 like to know what that increase represents. days. Those have all been discontinued and I would Again, [programme] 3007, [cost centre] like to know why they have been discontinued. 40090, Ferry Service, there is an increase from $7.7 Turning over to page B-208, the business unit, [million] to $7.9 [million] and there is also an increase Moorings and Boat Regulations, 40150, and there are in [cost centre] 40150, Mooring and Boat Registration . . . the removal of 500 illegal unregistered moorings from $277 [million] to $288 [million] by year end. The target outcome is 70 per cent. Is And the last one in Administration, 40220 to there anywhere that actually shows the goals that $2,631[,000]. have been achieved? There was a 10 per cent actual On page B-205, under Training, I would like to outcome in 2018/19. So, if there was only 10 per cent know the number of staff who are trained and what is in 2018/19, how are we going to get to 70 per cent in the actual training, the number and the level of staff 2020/21? that are being trained. There is a slight increase under Discontinued were 80 per cent of all moorings Repair and Maintenance. I would like to know what [that were] licensed with a 31st of May deadline. And that reflects. regularise all unlicensed in-water boats. And those Under Revenue Source, again on page B- have been discontinued. I would like to know why 205, 8181, Lighthouse Fees. They have obviously those have been discontinued. And what has replaced been transferred somewhere else and I do not know them, if anything? where they are. If I should know, I apologise for not Business unit, Pilotage Services Offshore, knowing. But I would just like to know why that is zero. 40180. Two items under that heading have been dis- And that is the same for 8877, on page B-205, where continued. One is the success on schedule berthing reimbursements have gone down to zero. I recognise and unberthing of ships, aim 100 per cent. The overall that they were gone in 2019/20. performance of the pilot service. Under Performance Measures, on page B- And finally, under business unit, Administra- 207, I guess the first question I have to ask—and it tion, 40220, three are discontinued. To ensure all ac- would be the same question throughout for all the per- counts payables are paid to meet monthly deadlines, formance measures—is why we do not just aspire to 100 per cent of required staff CPR first aid trained. 100 per cent. I do not understand why we aspire to And 100 per cent of required staff trained in fire safe- 99.5 or 95.0 or 75.0. Why is the goal not 100 [per ty. And again, these may have shifted over to other cent]? If we fall short that is fine; but if you are already departments or they may have been renamed some- starting out falling short then what impetus is there to thing else, but I would like to know the reason be- go any higher or to achieve them? cause they seem to be fairly important. So I would like to know under business unit In the budget for last year, there was . . . the Navigational Aids, 40040, there are four items that Dockyard to St. George’s route was running at an av- have been discontinued. Major lighthouses need to be erage [passenger capacity] of 70 per cent and the working 99.8 per cent of the time. Other lights, buoys Dockyard to Hamilton route was running at an aver- and beacons need to be working 99 per cent of the age [passenger capacity] of 50 per cent, and it was time. Availability of buoys on station need to be 97 per identified that there was room for passenger growth cent of the time. And overall performance level is re- on both of those routes. I would like to know whether quired to be 98.6 [per cent]. So I wonder if that has there has been any uplift in people traveling on both of been shifted to something else or incorporated into those routes and if so, what has it been? another indicator. And last years’ budget referred to a succes- The business unit, Ferry Service, 40090, per- sion plan in respect of highly technical posts within the centage of on-time scheduled and completed runs per department. And I would like to know what the ongo- month. The target outcome is 95 per cent. Why would ing status is of that succession plan and where the that not be 100 per cent? I get that boats may be out department is with that plan. Last years’ budget identi- of commission, or the weather, or there will be circum- fied that there had been a gap analysis performed in stances beyond control, but shouldn’t the goal be respect of things that we needed to have prepared for the 2020 audit, and identified was oil pollution control, Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3373

ferry operations, offshore search and rescue, and where else, or have positions been eliminated? And there were some other areas. Where are we in the then under . . . well, your grants and contributions just gap analysis and in being ready for the 2020 audit, increased. and what is the date of the 2002 audit? The Training budget has been reduced from Those are all the questions I have for Marine 100 to 97; I would like to know why. And then I noticed & Ports. Moving on to— under the Revenue Source, in the 2018/19 actual, four-wheel vehicles were 351. And in 2020/21 it has The Chairman: Head 34? gone down to 339. And there are several categories, items have decreased. Is this due to the emigration of Ms. Leah K. Scott: Head 34, Mr. Chairman. people from the Island? Is it due to people just not licensing vehicles? The Chairman: Transport Control. What is causing the decrease in these areas? So it is vehicles, four-wheel vehicles, exam fees for Ms. Leah K. Scott: Yes, Transport Control Depart- two-wheeled vehicles, exam fees for four-wheeled ment, Head 34. vehicles, commercial vehicles, driving permits and driver’s licence. I am not saying that it is necessarily The Chairman: You have the floor. an indicator of people leaving the Island. But is it something that is considered, or is that data aggre- Ms. Leah K. Scott: Thank you. gated? So I am going to start on page B-210, starting Has the Department of Transport Control with 3401, General, 44000, Examination . . . no, sorry, done an analysis of gas versus electric cars? I know I do not want to do Examination. I want to do 44090, that was one of the things that was in the Green Pa- Road Safety. per, looking at the number of cars—looking at gather- It was a goal of the department to have Pro- ing the data from the number of electric cars that are ject Ride in all schools from primary to senior schools. actually on the road. So I would like to know whether Has that been achieved and if not, what is the status or not that data is available and if so, where it is. of that? On page B-213, again this is the same ques- The Minister did speak to the status of the tion, that— EVR system. Has it been fully integrated with the DVRS system as was proposed in last years’ budget, [Inaudible interjections] and if not, where are we with that? And one of the things I would like to know is Ms. Leah K. Scott: Page B-213. whether or not any department is, in terms of Transport Control, actually aggregating data in terms The Chairman: B-213. of the accidents that occur because of texting and driving. I know that the Minister talked about people Ms. Leah K. Scott: B-213. My question is the same. driving too close behind and not having a proper car Why is the target not 100 per cent subject to any cir- length. But has there been any data assessed in . . . cumstances beyond, you know, control? The Minister aggregating data in terms of people texting and driv- did not mention . . . No, wait, sorry. That is for public ing? transportation. And in addition to the road safety initiatives, Now, Mr. Chairman, under . . . I am going to should that not be something that is considered, be- try to do this. cause a lot of people do text and drive? I see people, they are on bikes and they are texting and driving. Or The Chairman: You are still on Transport Control? they are driving with their knees so they can text with their phone. So, where are we with trying to—you Ms. Leah K. Scott: Yes. I am still on Transport Con- know, that should be an education initiative because trol. I am not sure where I would do this. there have been some serious accidents caused by people texting and driving. [Pause] There are, under 44040, Registration, the increase in the budget has gone from 810 to 927. I The Chairman: And for the listening public, we are would like to know why. I guess the 490 from 232 is doing Heads 30, 34 and 35 under the Ministry of the increase in the Road Safety budget. And on page Transport. There are three hours for this debate, B-211 under Wages— which concludes at 8:04.

The Chairman: Yes. Ms. Leah K. Scott: Right. So, Mr. Chairman, I am going to do this under 44210—sorry, page B-210, Ms. Leah K. Scott: It has gone from 572 to zero. And [heading] 3401, [cost unit] 44210, Administration. I want to know whether it has been shifted to some- Bermuda House of Assembly 3374 4 March 2020 Official Hansard Report

Some of the goals of the Transport Depart- Ms. Leah K. Scott: Sorry, cost centre 44210 under ment as identified in the White Paper were for taxi Administration. drivers to accept credit cards. At that point in time, 140 taxis were accepting credit cards. Do you have The Chairman: What page? data on the current number? And what is the end date for all taxi drivers to be accepting credit cards? Ms. Leah K. Scott: Oh, sorry, page B-210. One of the things that I think is very important and one of the issues that was raised by my parlia- The Chairman: B-210, yes. mentary colleague, Derrick Burgess, last year during the Budget [Debate] in respect of taxi drivers was ad- Ms. Leah K. Scott: [Heading] 3401. hering to the dress code. And it was one of the actions to be taken by Government in respect of minibus driv- The Chairman: Yes. ers. And they were supposed to have a dress code and regulations. And it was anticipated that this would Ms. Leah K. Scott: [Cost centre] 44210, Administra- occur by September 2019. And I would like to know tion. what the status of that initiative is. Took me off my thing. Took me right off my And, Mr. Chairman, again under 44210, Ad- thing, I tell you. ministration, the Ministry of Transport together with other ministries, Public Works, Marine and Ports, and [Laughter] BTA included, were renegotiating a cruise line contract to ask for a sponsorship to assist in the transport The Chairman: No, you have got to talk to the lines, infrastructure. What is the . . . I know that at that point the unit number— in time things were ongoing. I would like to know the status of those negotiations and where we are with [Crosstalk] that. One of the recommendations was also to Ms. Leah K. Scott: Yes, yes, yes. have . . . oh, I would do this under PTB [Public Trans- portation Board], so not that one. (Sorry.) The Chairman: Because you cannot just get up and One of the recommendations was that the start off. This is Budget Debate, not a general discus- ferries would accept people in wheelchairs and motor- sion. cycles. And it was anticipated that this would be implemented or be in place by March of 2020. So if I Ms. Leah K. Scott: Yes, Mr. Chairman. I got you. could get an update on that and where we are with Okay. I think that is all I have for Transport that, I think it is very important that our physically chal- Control. lenged people are able to have access to the same means of transportation that all of us have. The Chairman: Go ahead. I know that in the discussion of the debate about . . . what was it, tourism? I think the Minister has Ms. Leah K. Scott: Page B-214. addressed this, the question about the transport planning app that they are looking to put in place. And I The Chairman: Yes, got it. know that this project has started, and hopefully we can get something going with that soon. And I think Ms. Leah K. Scott: Head 35, Public Transportation. that is all that I have for the Department of TCD Under Administration, 3503, [cost centre] 45120, there [Transport Control Department]. was some consideration being given to having the Oh, sorry. There was, I think that the Minister possibility of a dedicated school bus system for our actually delayed this one. This was the implementa- children, which would probably assist with the bus tion of the special 20, the taxi permits for the 20 taxis runs. And I would like to know whether or not that is for the 88 vehicles that were not on the road. I know still something that is being considered. that this was deferred. I do not know whether the Min- The other thing is that last year we talked ister is looking at taking that up again. And I guess my about the Rocky Mountain Institute project and the concern in terms of the taxis is, you know, there have possibility of having electric buses. And I would like to been— know where we are with that project and whether or not it has been determined that our infrastructure can [Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr., Chairman] actually support electric buses and whether electric buses would actually be able to be utilised here, con- The Chairman: What line are you talking to on that sidering Bermuda’s terrain and— point? The Chairman: Actually, that will come under heading 3501, Transportation. Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3375

Ms. Leah K. Scott: Okay. Ms. Leah K. Scott: Right here, here. He is right.

The Chairman: If you want to question that. [Laughter]

Ms. Leah K. Scott: Okay. I will question that under The Chairman: When I am in the Chair that is the 3501, Transportation; thank you. way it goes.

[Laughter] [Laughter]

The Chairman: Yep. Continue. Ms. Leah K. Scott: That is right, that is right.

Ms. Leah K. Scott: So, yes, I would like to know The Chairman: That is the proper way. Yes. The re- where we are with that project and whether or not the vised can go over or under. Minister can provide us with an update on that one. On page B-215— Ms. Leah K. Scott: Yes.

The Chairman: Mm-hmm. The Chairman: All right.

Ms. Leah K. Scott: Under Insurance, I see the Insur- Ms. Leah K. Scott: So, page B-217— ance has gone from 160 to 200. And I would be inter- ested to know why there has been an increase. [Crosstalk]

The Chairman: There is no increase. The original Ms. Leah K. Scott: I was at the wrong line. was— The Chairman: That is subject to change. Ms. Leah K. Scott: The revised was— Ms. Leah K. Scott: Page B-217, under business unit The Chairman: The revised is . . . sometimes it is not 45120, Administration. The number of critical vacan- even complete. You have got to go from the original to cies has gone to zero. The target outcome is zero. the estimate. Does that mean that there is a full complement and so there is no need to fill those vacancies? Ms. Leah K. Scott: Yes. And I think that is the end of my questions. I do not have any . . . The Chairman: Revised is still, could be still in . . . st Because March 31 is not here yet. The Chairman: That’s it?

Ms. Leah K. Scott: Okay. Ms. Leah K. Scott: Yes.

The Chairman: So there is no increase in that. If you The Chairman: Okay. look to the side, there is no difference. Would any other Honourable Members like to speak? Ms. Leah K. Scott: Zero. You are right. Okay. The Chair recognises the Leader of the Op- position, Mr. Cannonier. [Inaudible interjection] Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: Yes. Thank you, Mr. Ms. Leah K. Scott: What, the 200? That is the esti- Chairman. mated. On page B-205 under Head 30, Marine and Ports. [Inaudible interjections] The Chairman: Yes. The Chairman: You have the original. The budget, the original budget for 2019, those are the figures we Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: Just taking a look, I was go from. If you look, if you compare them to the differ- just curious as to under 8181, Lighthouse Fees, there ence— is zero there. Is there any intent to get back to charg- ing fees for the lighthouse? It has always been— Ms. Leah K. Scott: It is 200. The Chairman: She just brought that question up. The Chairman: —that is the base right there. Not the revised figure. Bermuda House of Assembly 3376 4 March 2020 Official Hansard Report

Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: Oh, you asked the ques- The Chairman: Go ahead. tion already? Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: And you will not be able to The Chairman: Yes. get that unless I ask the full question. So if you take a look at the revised amount, so Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: Oh, okay. Thank you. it looks like we are back on pace to the actual amount All right. And then as we go down to 8185, from before. And then if you look at the estimate, Pilotage Fees. I am just curious. On the actual amount which is $1.58 million, again we are basically back at that came in for 2018/19, it was $1,084,000. And for where we kind of have been looking at historically the year forecasted of 2019/20, we forecasted like, what the actual number— looks like approximately $230,000-some less. But I was just wondering what the thinking might have been The Chairman: You want to know the difference, why when they were forecasting for that year 2019/20 as it is that high? to why they thought that this may have been that amount. That is quite a bit less. If you are only talking Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: Well, behind the numbers about a $1 million, we are talking $230,000 Pilotage is the thinking. So if you are thinking that you are go- Fees. I do not know how you calculate the pilotage ing to be $231,000, that is quite a bit. It would not be a fees— whole lot if we were talking about $2 million or $3 million. But if it is $1 million, which we historically have The Chairman: You are talking about a unit that we been getting in pilotage fees, why such a difference? are not discussing. Now, if you want to talk about And how do we calculate that pilotage fee? Is it based 2019/20, fine. But you are going back 2018/19. on . . . I do not know. Is it based on the number of trips that it takes? I am not sure. Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: What I am getting to . . . I have not finished the question yet. If you would let me [Inaudible interjections] finish the question. Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: We are on page B-205. The Chairman: Go ahead. The Chairman: [Heading] 8185. Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: What I am getting to is that— Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: Yes, eight-one-eight-five. So that is what I am trying to get at here and trying to The Chairman: Hang on. understand that, because if you look at the difference between the original amount and the estimate Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: Excuse me? I am saying amount, it is even more than $231,000. what I am getting to. The Chairman: It is $305,000. That is the difference. The Chairman: No, no. Hang on. Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: Yes. Yes, yes. Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: Pardon me? The Chairman: Yes. The Chairman: We let you finish the question first? Any further questions, anyone?

Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: Yes, I want to finish the Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: Oh. I will go through the question. other—

[Crosstalk] The Chairman: Continue.

The Chairman: Please do not take that attitude with Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: Sorry. me! The Chairman: That is all right. Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: I am not taking an attitude! Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: Also, on page B-209, un- The Chairman: Okay. Let us get it right. der Performance Measures, Head 30, it says regularise . . . let us see. Business unit 40150, it is second Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: I am trying to do a com- one. plete question so that you can get the fullness of what I am asking. The Chairman: Yes.

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Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: Then go down one, two, The Chairman: She asked about . . . in the aban- three. doned boats?

The Chairman: Hang on, Mr. Cannonier. Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: Yes. She did not say anything about the abandoned . . . I am asking, there are Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: Oh, sorry. a lot of abandoned boats, recognising that these boats are also not licensed—they are unlicensed—have we The Chairman: You said page B-209. Page B-209 come up with, have we been able to negotiate some has only got four . . . six. way of maybe getting rid of these boats that are out there that are ugly, sitting on the sides, splitting open Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: Page B-209? all up and down the Island?

The Chairman: Yes. An Hon. Member: About five of them down at Coot Pond. Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: Page B-208. Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: Yes. The Chairman: Page B-208? Okay. [Inaudible interjections] Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: Two-zero-eight. Yes, B- 208. The Chairman: Well, this is what she asked. Well, she was in that same line, remove illegal unregistered The Chairman: Yes. moorings.

Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: Page B-208 (my apolo- Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: No, that is the gies). Regularise all unlicensed in-water boats. It is moorings. discontinued. And I get that. But one of the parts that I guess I continue— Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: No, that is the moorings.

[Inaudible interjections] Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: That is the moorings. The Chairman: Business unit number. The Chairman: Yes, yes. Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: Business unit 40150. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: We are talking An Hon. Member: [That is] 40150? about the actual boats.

Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: Yes. The Chairman: But then the boats, regularised or I notice that we still, and it has been a chal- unlicensed boats, discontinued. lenge certainly for the department, I know because I know that the Public Works in the past has tried to Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: So I will move on. Again, help out in this area where you have so many boats over on page— that are unlicensed but sitting because of the hurricanes, maybe. They are washed up on the side or The Chairman: So, well, what? Do you want to know people have just left their boats because of fire, what- if they are discontinued? Because in here it has got ever it may be. discontinued regularised or unlicensed.

The Chairman: And your Deputy, she asked about Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: I was just trying to under- that, the Shadow? stand if we have made some agreement or come to some way of being able to deal with these abandoned Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: You asked about the boats that are all over the Island, which everyone abandoned boats]? keeps talking about on a regular basis. And with every hurricane there seem to be more being added to it. So The Chairman: Yes. Unregistered moorings by year it is a tough, tough situation because who pays for it? end? That type of thing. If we can move over to Head 35 under Public Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: She did not ask about Transportation on page B-215, going back to a similar, abandoned boats, though. if you go down to Revenue Source, we are looking at all the numbers here. And historically, you can see where we are pretty much on target on what it is that Bermuda House of Assembly 3378 4 March 2020 Official Hansard Report we receive as revenue from 8679, Passes. If you take page B-210 in respect of Traffic Control, and business a look at the estimate of $3,250,000, it is the same as unit 44110 under programme 3401. And the amount the original. But we do not know, that is about of estimate is $584,000, which is $46,000 less for the $516,000 difference between the actual in 2018/19 coming year than it was in the original budget for and for 2019/20 where we see in the revised amount. 2019/20. Are we likely to come in at the same $3,250,000 that The question that I have is I would presume we have estimated and the original amount for that under this Traffic Control would also be the issue 2019/20? And why is it so much different, half a mil- of removing abandoned vehicles from the street side. lion dollars? And I am just wondering if there is any indication as to what the progress is in terms of trying to get some of The Chairman: There is no difference in that figure. It these eyesores off of the road so that we do not have is the same from the original in 2019/20— these issues where we have got abandoned vehicles. A lot of abandoned vehicles are rat traps and create Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: Yes. health hazards in other areas. And I am just wondering what we are doing to try to ensure that we either The Chairman: It is $3,250,000 and the same thing dispatch traffic officers or somebody. for 2020/21. What is the process that is now in place? Or is there one central place that one could call to complain Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: Yes. That is what we are to say, This is an eyesore in my area, my neighbour- anticipating. hood, and I would like to have this vehicle removed. And is this a matter that is being addressed in any The Chairman: Right. active kind of way? That is that. I also would like to go to page B-215, and that Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: Behind the numbers is is on Public Transportation, Head 35. Page B-215, some thinking behind why we believe we are going to and it is in respect of the Revenue Summary. And I do $3 million. There is an increase for the original of am looking at revenue source for 8679, 8681 and 2019/20 from 2018/19. Then if we go to an increase 8683 for Tokens, Passes and Tickets. And in total, we from that, 2019/20 to 2020/21, they are saying about are anticipating that there is going to be $5,450,000 the same. on those three items, notwithstanding that, under What I am asking is why do we believe we are 8685, there is cash. So I have two questions here. going to come in the same when it looks as if we [Programme] 8685, with respect to cash, $1.2 million probably will not come in the same by the end of this which is anticipated that is being collected. That is fiscal year? It does not look like that if you take a look people literally getting on the buses, putting money in at the revised amounts. So there is a $516,000 differ- the—or getting on the ferries and physically—well, not ence. That is quite a bit. And there could be a simple so much the ferries. But people putting money in. answer; I am just curious. And I just wondered what—

The Chairman: I am also seeing $510,000. Yes. [Inaudible interjection]

[Inaudible interjections] Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: Ferries? They put cash in on ferries? Okay. Yes, I guess they must. So I The Chairman: Two-fifty, seven-forty. guess they would. But I guess the question is, What additional Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: No, I used the 2734. security measures do we have in place? Because that is a significant amount of money, of ready cash, un- The Chairman: Well, that is—we are not debating traceable. What additional security measures do we that here. have to ensure that this$1.2 million is actually safe? I know there was a time when buses which would col- Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: I am just saying that is how lect money, they go to the East End, it is the last run I came to this. from the city. They may have cash in their coffers. And they go— The Chairman: Yes, well, we are not debating that yet. [Inaudible interjection and laughter] Ms. Gordon-Pamplin. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: I am not even go- Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: Thank you, Mr. ing to repeat that, Minister. Chairman. That they will go to the depot at the far ends Mr. Chairman, my question is in respect of the of the Island. I think that if a bus is coming back on its Transport Control Department. And I am looking at last run and goes into the Palmetto Road depot, then Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3379

they have a slightly better chance of safety. But if they really realistic in terms of what people are likely to have got buses whose last run goes from town to St. use? George’s or town to Somerset, then those buses are set in an area that is not necessarily secure. So I am The Chairman: Right. just curious as to what we are doing to ensure that there is security of the physical cash that exists. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: And are we being Now I am going to go onto where it comes to fair to passengers in that respect? passes. Now, Mr. Chairman, and I think that I am well The other question that I have is on page B- within my right to discuss this under this head, and 213. And that is in respect of— that is with respect to the costs relating to passes. So we have . . . I am just wondering if we have had a look The Chairman: Page B-213? at revising the costs of daily passes. And I ask the question for this reason: If you get a 14-zone ticket Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: B-213, also and you have a bus pass, it costs you $19 for a one- Transport Control Department. day pass. Now, under normal circumstances, we see The Chairman: Yes. that if you pay on the bus, it will cost you five dollars for a 14-zone [tickey]. If you buy bus tickets, you can Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: And this is on get a book of 15 bus tickets, and those 15 bus tickets Output Measures for business unit 44000 for Exami- will cost you $37.50. That equates to $2.50 per ticket, nations. And the first item there, which they expect to per ride, for a 14-zone. So if you have a daily pass for achieve, is to provide a driving test appointment within $19, that would assume 7.6 rides of a 14-zone. Now, 10 business days of requested date. The target is everybody who has a daily pass is not going to get 90 per cent of requests. onto the bus and be on it from Somerset to St. Well, I am not sure if the Minister is aware that George’s or, you know, for 14-zones. at the moment the lag is almost a three-month wait if So it seems to me as an inordinate cost. And I you want a road test. You can go in and you can get a realise we have to raise revenue, and I am quite ap- same-day test if you want to go up through the cones preciative of that. But it seems to me [it is] an inordi- and back. And certainly I have no difficulty with that. nate cost to anticipate that somebody is going to But there are some people who are not quite as com- spend $19 for a daily pass when they can actually fortable doing that test. And they would prefer to book spend $37.50 for 15 tickets, and they will not use 7.6 the road test. But the booking is nearly three months tickets in the course of any given day. I think you in advance. And I am thinking that we are not only not might be aware, Mr. Chairman, that in some jurisdic- achieving that 90 per cent of requests, but we may be tions they have that hop-on hop-off bus capacity, and a long way away from it. So I am just wondering if we you are sort of jumping on, jumping off whenever you need to revamp either what the expectation is or if we want. But in our jurisdiction, that does not necessarily can get a better handle on where clients stand in re- obtain. You have to be specific. You are going from spect of getting road tests and getting them effective- point A, probably down to Dockyard if you are a visi- ly. tor, coming from Dockyard to town, coming from Dockyard to St. George’s or whatever. And you are The Chairman: Right. able to do that at a cost of $2.50 if you are buying a book of tickets. The Chairman: The other question that I have is . . . I And I am just a little concerned that we might will have to look for where that question is. I think my be doing ourselves a bit of a disservice in terms of the honourable colleague asked the other question that I costs that we have relating to those books of tickets. wanted to ask on Marine and Ports. And I just have to explain how I came to that theory. Running an Airbnb, I provide tickets for the guests The Chairman: Take your time. who come and then charge them at $2.50 for the numbers of tickets that they use. And I have said to Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: So I will not re- them, Don’t buy a three-day pass because you are peat that. But on some of the . . . oh, I know. I did going to spend $44 for a three-day pass. have a question, and that was . . . maybe I will wait for the answers, because my question was in respect of st The Chairman: What is your question? relicensing of all moorings within the 31 of May deadline. And this has gone from two tiers of some, 80 per Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: My question is, cent within a period of time, and then I guess the rest have we looked at revamping or revisiting the practi- of the other 20 per cent later on. And I am just won- cality of the charges that we have on three-day pass- dering. Now we are looking at the relicensing of all es or even the single-day pass, because they are not moorings within the May 31st deadline.

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This is almost similar, Mr. Chairman, in this Hon. Jeanne J. Atherden: Smoke, exactly. So my instance in terms of the relicensing, because we are question first of all is, Are they being tested, are the dealing now with revenue and loss of revenue. So if vehicles being tested for emissions? And are they people do not get their boats licensed at the appropri- passing or failing? And also, when the examinations ate time, this is a deficiency in the revenue stream are taking place, in terms of the random examinations, that we would have. And you will recall where we will they, if they discover individuals who have those used to have that situation where your cars used to emissions deficiencies, will some corrective measure have to be done by a certain period of time, by a cer- be taken for those individuals? tain date, and then it changed to birthdays, which made it a little bit more manageable and more effi- The Chairman: Thank you. cient. Any further questions? Ms. Gordon-Pamplin. The Chairman: Yes. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: Yes. Thank you. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: So I am just won- The way you put it, Mr. Chairman, it is like, Ms. Gor- dering. If we are not looking to try and ensure that ei- don-Pamplin, you know you have another question, ther the moorings are registered by the specific dead- right? Yes. I did say I had a couple more questions. line, if there is some . . . I mean, 90 per cent may be a And I have just been able to see them. good number to reach. And this is on page B-208, the And this is in respect of Public Transportation. relicensing of moorings and stuff within the May 31 And if I go to the Performance Measures on page B- deadline. 217, the Minister had indicated that there were no And that might be great. Ninety per cent is a sightseeing services. But I am not 100 per cent cer- reasonable number. And maybe it might be realistic. tain. I think it was probably under Bus Operations, on- But I guess the question that I have is, How are we time delivery of all scheduled services, I guess it going to account for the inevitable loss of revenue would come under. But he said scheduled services, when we do not have 100 per cent of moorings? Is there were no sightseeing services. And I wondered there an active way to take away moorings from peo- whether those services have been integrated with, on ple if they have not registered? Are the moorings a permanent basis, the minibus and how we can ac- deemed to be abandoned? I mean, what are we doing complish providing those services given the shortages to ensure that we maximise the revenue stream in that we have with the actual buses. That is question respect of this? number one. And I will wait for those answers to come back Question number two that I have is, on busi- because I do have one or two other questions. ness unit 45010, under Bus Operations, they have discontinued two— The Chairman: Are there any further speakers? The Chair recognises the Honourable Mem- The Chairman: Where are you reading from? ber, Ms. Atherden. You have the floor, Ms. Atherden. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: Page B-217 at the Hon. Jeanne J. Atherden: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. top of the page, business unit 45010, under Bus Op- My question relates to Head 34, the Transport erations, at the top of page B-217, Performance Control Department, on page B-210. I think the Minis- Measures. ter indicated that the vehicle emission testing has come in-house. The Chairman: That is right. My apologies. And I want just clarification that, as part of the emissions control testing, it is tested. But to find out Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: Yes. No worries. whether the test results in people passing or failing And the question is, to achieve a target of emissions control . . . the reason I am asking is be- fewer than three staff complaints per month, and that cause there is a second part on page B-213 which is has been discontinued. And it looks like it has been indicating that under the Examination Centre, which is discontinued for the year before and the year before. where the vehicle emissions testing will be, to conduct But I am wondering whether it is not time to reintro- a minimum of 10 random vehicle inspection audits per duce a kind of standard that says that we have to look week and to ensure corrective measures taken. And if at how our bus service is actually not just meeting the you have ever been behind a bike or a car that has needs of the traveling public, but doing so on a cour- lots of . . . I do not know [how] to describe it. But I teous basis. So I am just wondering whether we could mean the exhaust that is coming out of those cars— not do something about re-implementing something that says that they do not want a whole lot of staff The Chairman: Heavy smoke? complaints. And this would presumably be operator complaints as well.

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Under Administration on that same page, un- find a lot of those with regard to the performance are der business unit 45120, Administration, complete not at 100 per cent. customer service training for front-line staff. And I Somebody had asked about the credit cards think that we have seen . . . I am not certain whether it and taxis and how we are doing with that. It is my un- be front-line staff as determined to be bus operations derstanding that we have about 400 of the taxis that or whether this is just within the admin staff of the de- have the credit card capability at the moment. partment. But certainly we have had some public complaints fairly recently in terms of the approach that [Inaudible interjection] some drivers have taken towards students. And I know that there are requirements, that a student has Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: About 400 out of the 600. to show their pass or they have to be in uniform or So it is quite a lot. It is quite a lot. I would think that, whatever the case might be. But the question begs you know, the market will certainly dictate and push whether there is any flexibility in that area so that we those who are not on board, will push them that way. do not leave students stranded on the street side, be- Even though I know still some people tend to have cause I think that that is quite a critical issue. their views about credit cards. But we are looking at, And the last complaint that showed, I guess that is one of the things involved in the whole industry that would be . . . I do not know whether it is deemed that we are looking at with regard to Transport. And if to be a part of online delivery of scheduled services we have to make some changes with regard to legis- that a bus driver may feel as though he cannot deliver. lation, we will do so. If he has to stay and tell a child that you have got to Someone also, I think it was Honourable get off the bus or whatever it is. But I think that there Member Scott who asked about the minibus regula- comes a time when common sense has to prevail. tions and the dress code. This is very close to coming And we do not want to leave our children stranded on here. This is very close to coming here. I would cer- the street side. And I think that that is a very critical tainly think within the next month or so, probably be- and important part of the service that we provide. fore the season, we would like to get it done. As you So those are my extra questions that I had. and I both know . . . we all know in this House that we Thank you, Mr. Chairman. would like to see that. So that is coming soon. Someone, I think it might have been Honour- The Chairman: Thank you, Ms. Gordon-Pamplin. able Member Pat Gordon-Pamplin, asked about the Any further speakers? cruise line contract or— Minister. [Inaudible interjection] Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. That was a lot of questions, and I will do my best to try Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Oh, you did? Yes. The and tick every box that I can. cruise line contracts. I can tell you that NCL’s [Norwe- The Honourable Member, Shadow Minister gian Cruise Lines] has been extended. And they have Scott, had asked a few questions. One of them was, also . . . and I think you asked about the contribution Had we done analysis of gas versus electric buses? or the assistance with regard to infrastructure. We are You might know that I announced some time back . . . going to announce something very soon on that. We well, I did talk in my brief about Rocky Mountain. And want to make sure that they are here when the an- they were assisting us with regard to designing the nouncement is made. We have something similar with RFIs and then the RFPs. We put those out. We re- RCCL [Royal Caribbean Cruise Line] as well. And that ceived them back. And they are under . . . they are announcement will be made soon, too. looking at it now. We have a panel who are looking at There was a question about the 20 special the comparisons. And I looked at that very soon. But taxi permits. There was an announcement made last as per usual, I will keep you up to date as we make year. And you may or may not recall that . . . and my progress with that. people asked me, You sure you want to do it? And I And I think you had asked, and I think a cou- invited all the taxi drivers to a meeting. And we had ple of Members asked about the Performance about 350 taxi drivers pile into Warwick Workman’s Measures, and why not 100 per cent? I think it de- Club. And we had a very nice, frank conversation. pends on which one we are talking about. But I think I agreed at that time I would park them. I several of those are due to staffing and the lack of would park them. And you know, with the thought in staff. So, you know, we do not have . . . if we know we mind that, Listen. In the country we know we have are not going to have the staff levels, and you will cer- transportation issues. I think we have enough vehicles tainly know because a lot of the staff hiring was frozen in the country to take care of our visitors and our lo- under the OBA Government. And we are going to get cals. The challenge is we need them out there work- to a stage where we are slowly, slowly trying to put ing. So we had that conversation. And trust me. I have people back in place. So that is why I think you will spent many, many, many hours with the taxi association, dispatchers and everyone. I mean, I even met Bermuda House of Assembly 3382 4 March 2020 Official Hansard Report with those guys down in the East End who are trans- Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: And that was a question on porting people around too. the minibuses, you mean during tours? But we have had many meetings. And we are trying . . . we are very close to getting to a place Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: Yes, as well as where we can come here with something very, very the schools. solid, and I think, hopefully, this will put that matter to bed once and for all in our history. So we shall see. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Well, yes. Let us keep them separate for now. The minibuses are assisting [Inaudible interjection] the Government with regard to the children. With regard to tourists, Government has nothing to do with Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Well, the Honourable that. They arrange that themselves. We do not give Member Pat Gordon-Pamplin is asking if we are still any assistance. They do not charge us. We do not on 16 hours a day. Well, you know, [that is] what the pay them. That is something they work out with the legislation required. But that is part of the thing I am agencies and/or the cruise lines themselves. Or they also doing very quietly behind the scenes is tearing go up to Dockyard. They wait in line. I am sure you apart the Motor Car Act. Because there are a lot of have been up there. And people come out and say, things in there that just do not make sense. It just Look. I’d like to do a tour. So it has worked—I think it does not make sense. has worked in their favour. It gives people a little busi- And who wants . . . for me personally, I would ness. not want one person to be driving 16 hours a day es- Someone had asked about abandoned boats. pecially in the heat of summer. But if you look at the I think it might have been the Opposition Leader Can- legislation, if you get a taxi permit, you have to have nonier asked about abandoned boats. That has been three drivers registered to get a permit. So to have it an interesting situation, since in fact one of my col- on the road for 16 hours, well, you got three guys. leagues, Mr. Burgess, sent me a picture two days ago That is what is in legislation. Look at the Act. That is of five boats down in Coot Pond. The challenge we what is in the Act now. But the Act is being looked at, have with boats is that we cannot always identify and it is being looked at in a very serious and dedicat- whom they belong to, and it is expensive. It is very ed way. expensive. Someone had asked about dedicated school Now, Members will be aware that some of the buses for children. Yes, MP Scott, the Opposition changes I made just recently with the Motor Car Act, Deputy. We do have assistance from the minibuses at you know, some people said that the fee that we insti- the moment, who are helping with the children, you tuted, $1,500, to remove an abandoned car was kind know, getting to and from school. So hopefully in the of steep. Well, we have had to remove a boat long near future when we do get the . . . when the panel before my time, might have been before the previous finish their analysis of the RFPs that we received, you Government too. But it cost $30,000. It cost the tax- will see some big changes with regard to transporta- payers of this country to remove a boat—$30,000. tion of our children and also with the bus service in general. But that is coming. The Chairman: Wow.

Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: Just a point of Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Now, I can assure you to clarity if I may, Mr. Chairman. remove some of these boats, to get to them and the difficulty in sort of floating them and lifting them and [Mr. Neville S. Tyrrell, Chairman] picking them up and putting them on the barge, and then they have got to be trucked to the dump and The Chairman: I recognise Honourable Member Gor- what-have-you is expensive. And I can lay down a don-Pamplin. marker that I will certainly have a chat with the Direc- tor of Marine and Ports, and my PS, and the controller POINT OF CLARIFICATION was there too. I think he was part of that conversation. And the thing is I said, Well, listen. We need Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: Thank you, just a to increase the fines for removing boats. And if we find quick question in respect of the Minister’s answer that out who these people are, they are going to have to he has just given. pay. You cannot expect the taxpayers of the country Is it intended that the minibuses, either for the to spend thousands and thousands of dollars remov- use of schools or maybe even by the use that I men- ing boats. So those are the people who have boats, tioned earlier of integrating tours, is that intended to and their numbers are still on the register, I would be a permanent structure? Is that the thinking behind suggest that they had better get with it and get with it what will happen with using the minibuses? Is it in- quickly. Because the fine is not going to be low. They tended to be a permanent integration with the public might have to take a loan, go to the bank and take a transport system? loan and pay for that one. So that is . . . again, that is Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3383

something that is in train and something we have comes, How come they are on the road? That was the been looking at. first thing. And the second question was, When the Someone had asked about the abandoned people are out doing their spot-test examinations, are vehicles. You will be happy to know that there is a they doing bikes as well as cars to try and pick up process. You can call down to TCD, make the report. some of these? The officer will then find out who they are. They go out. They put a ticket on the car. They give them sev- Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Well, that is an easy an- en days in order to reply. If they do not reply, then we swer. If someone gets a bike or a car tested in May take action. and you are driving behind them in December, you And again, that was something that used to know, something could have happened to the vehicle cost us . . . who knows what it cost to remove them. during that time. Of course, they need their carburettor There were some vehicles in hard spots, again. They cleaned out or they need the muffler cleaned out. So could just cost a lot of money to move. But that is the unless you know that somebody got their car tested process. You will be happy to know that I have taken today and you are driving behind them tonight and it many. And I have got to take this opportunity to thank was smoking, this is a different story. But unless we the PS right down to the traffic officers, who have have that information, it is sort of . . . I cannot help been very, very vigilant in assisting me. you. And I tell people, If you have an abandoned Someone had asked about the loss of reve- car, send me a picture. Make sure you have got the nue relicensing, you know, and it does not reach car number and where it is located. And we have re- 100 per cent in the performance measures. And they moved in my time, in a year and a half almost, we had asked about, why have the fees for boats gone have moved a hell of a lot of cars—a lot of cars. And I down? Well, some people, as you will know, do not tell people, Look. Don’t be afraid to write me back in relicense their boat. They pull them up. And if they pull two or three weeks if the car is still there. And then I them up, they do not have to relicense. They do not just talk to my people, I say, Listen. Where are we? have to pay a fee. It is the same as if someone has a What are we doing? car. You may say, Well, look. Is it because we have But again those are costs that add up. And so many people emigrating? Not necessarily the case. not all the time . . . just on Friday I received an email Some people take their cars off the road. If they do from someone who had sent me a picture of a car not have them on the road, they do not pay a fee. And about three weeks ago and said, Look. I’m just letting if they do not pay the fee, revenue goes down. you know the car is still there. And I asked my tech- I think that is it for now. nical people, you know, what was the status? They said, Well, we did find out who the owner is. They said The Chairman: Are there any further speakers? they sold it to Joe Smith about eight months ago. I recognise the Deputy Opposition Leader. Well, now we are trying to find Joe Smith. And therein lies the challenge. Ms. Leah K. Scott: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have But the good thing is [that with] the cars [it the ultimate question for the Minister. tends] to be a little bit easier to locate the owners than What is the status of the bus schedules? the boats. But they are all in progress. Someone had asked about the vehicles being Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Well, that is an easy one. tested for emissions, and if they pass or fail, what are The status of the bus schedule will remain the same the corrective measures? When a vehicle is failed, until we get more buses. I am not going to talk about they recommend that, Look. If we fail you, you have to any boat race or anything like that tonight; I am going go get it fixed. Take it to your mechanic, get it fixed to leave that alone, right? and bring it back. And they will test it again. So that is the process. I am not sure if that question was . . . The Chairman: Any further speakers? Minister. The Chairman: I recognise the Honourable Member, Ms. Atherden. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Are we done then? Yes. Mr. Chairman, I move that Heads 30, 34 and Hon. Jeanne J. Atherden: Point of clarification for the 35 be approved as printed. Minister. POINT OF CLARIFICATION The Chairman: It has been moved that Heads 30, 34 and 35 be approved. Hon. Jeanne J. Atherden: If they pass or fail, then I Is there any objection to that motion? guess the question is, How is it that you can have cars No objection. and bikes on the road and you are behind them, and Agreed to. [because of] what is coming out of those cars you do not want to be behind them? Then the question be- Bermuda House of Assembly 3384 4 March 2020 Official Hansard Report

[Motion carried: The Ministry of Tourism and Transport Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Oh, okay. Just . . . Heads 30, 34 and 35 were approved and stand part of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the [Pause] year 2020/21.] The Deputy Speaker: No, you are right, Zane. I am Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. sorry. You are right. Absolutely you are right. My I move that the Committee rise and report apologies. progress and ask for leave to sit again. Order No. 2.

[Motion carried: The Committee of Supply agreed to An Hon. Member: Carried over. rise and report progress, and sought leave to sit again.] The Deputy Speaker: Carried over? I think we are doing the Land Valuation, is it, Minister? House resumed at 6:54 pm Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch: Yes, Mr. Deputy [Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr., Deputy Speaker, in the Speaker. I believe that is the only thing we are doing. Chair] Orders [No.] 2 and 3 are being carried over, and 5 and 6. REPORT OF COMMITTEE The Deputy Speaker: Yes. ESTIMATES OF REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE Continue. FOR THE YEAR 2020/21 BILL The Deputy Speaker: Any objection to the Heads 30, 34 and 35? Any objections to them being approved? SECOND READING No objection. Approved. LAND VALUATION AND TAX Minister, can you . . . AMENDMENT ACT 2020

Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Yes, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch: Thank you, Mr. Deputy I am introducing the following Bill for its first Speaker. reading so it may be placed— I move that the Bill entitled the Land Valuation and Tax Amendment Act 2020 be now read the sec- The Deputy Speaker: No, no. No. You have got to ond time. report, rise and report progress. Mr. Deputy Speaker, the Bill entitled the Land Valuation and Tax Amendment Act 2020 seeks to Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Yes. I got it, I got it, I got it. amend the Land Valuation and Tax Act 1967 to ex- Mr. Deputy Speaker, I move that the House pressly provide for a procedure for addressing the . . . disclosure of conflicts of interest by members of the Land Valuation Appeals Tribunal. Mr. Deputy Speak- The Deputy Speaker: Move that the Committee rise er, the valuation list sets out the annual rental values and report progress. for properties in Bermuda. As part of keeping the en- tries in the list accurate and up to date, it is regularly Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: I did say that when I fin- amended in respect of changes to properties such as ished. new builds, renovations, mergers and demolitions. Landowners then have a statutory right to The Deputy Speaker: What? challenge the proposed amendment to the list should they be aggrieved with the assessment. In instances Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: I said that when I finished. where the objection is not resolved with the Land Val- uation Department, the objection will proceed for hear- The Deputy Speaker: Not when I’ve been here. It is ing before the tribunal. right here. Mr. Deputy Speaker, the proposed amendment stipulates that where a member of the tribunal [Inaudible interjections] has any direct or indirect interest in any matter before it, they shall fully disclose their interest to the tribunal Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Oh. Okay. at the earliest opportunity and not take part in any or further discussion of the matter and have no vote in The Deputy Speaker: Yes. relation to the matter unless the tribunal has resolved that the interest does not give rise to a conflict of in- Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3385

terest. Mr. Deputy Speaker, this proposed amendment Clause 1 is the citation. This act may be cited is in keeping with Government’s objective to have as the Land Valuation and Tax Amendment Act 2020. members on all government tribunals disclose any Clause 2 amends section 21 of the Land Val- known conflicts of interest, thereby ensuring inde- uation and Tax Act 1967. Clause 2 amends section 21 pendent and impartial hearings. and inserts a new subsection (4A) and makes conse- Additionally, the Amendment will bring the quential amendments. Paragraph (a) [inserts] subsec- Land Valuation and Tax Act 1967 in line with similar tion (4A), which provides that if a member has a direct legislation such as the Development and Planning Act or indirect interest in any matter before the Tribunal, 1974 and the Bermuda Immigration and Protection that he shall fully disclose it at the earliest opportunity, Act 1956 in respect of the disclosure of conflicts of and that the member must not take part in any or any interest by members of a tribunal. further discussion, or vote on the matter unless the Mr. Deputy Speaker, with those introductory tribunal has resolved that there is no conflict of inter- remarks, I move that the Bill entitled the Land Valua- est. tion and Tax Amendment Act be committed. Paragraph (b) makes a consequential amendment to subsection (5). The Deputy Speaker: Is there any objection? And as an aside, Mr. Chairman, I would like to state that I do not think there have been any meetings Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: Yes. Thank you, Mr. Depu- of the Tribunal, certainly since we have been in Gov- ty Speaker. ernment, even though they have been appointed, and Certainly, this is a bit of a [housekeeping] mat- my information is that there has probably been, you ter in ensuring that we have as much transparency as can count on one hand, if that, the number of meet- possible. So there is no objection to this in any way or ings of the Tribunal in the last decade. form. The department seems to be able to negotiate I am not sure if there has been any conflict as whatever agreements they need with any aggrieved of yet concerning the Tribunal for Land Valuation and landlord. This is just bringing the Act in line with the Tax Amendment. But again, this is not something that other two which are already on the books. Thank you, we need to spend the night on. It is good housekeep- Mr. Chairman. ing. Thank you. The Chairman: The Minister has moved and ad- The Deputy Speaker: There are no objections to the dressed the clauses. Does any other Member care to second reading. speak?

An Hon. Member: Fix your microphone. Hon. L. Craig Cannonier: Yes, just a question. Clause 2, subsection (b) not to take part in any or any The Deputy Speaker: I move that the House do now further discussions. I was just curious with the Tribu- resolve itself into Committee of the whole for further nal, I am assuming it is three people or three groups consideration of the Bill. or something to that effect. What is the quorum, be- Mr. Swan, do you want to come forward? cause if one person comes off because of disclosure, do they have a quorum? House in Committee at 7:00 pm The Chairman: Thank you, Honourable Member. [Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan, Chairman] Minister.

COMMITTEE ON BILL Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch: Mr. Chairman, there are . . . I cannot remember the exact number, but LAND VALUATION AND TAX there are like six or seven people appointed, so only AMENDMENT ACT 2020 three of them actually meet on any particular issue. So, there is always going to be three people. The Chairman: Yes, we are in the Committee of the In other words, if one person is abroad, they whole [House] to consider the Land Valuation and Tax will go to the next person. But out of that panel of Amendment Act 2020 under the Minister for Public members, they will select three people, a Tribunal, to Works. hear any objections. Minister, you have the floor. The Chairman: Thank you, Minister. Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch: Mr. Chairman, I would Does any other Member care to speak to move both clauses, clauses 1 and 2. The Bill seeks to clauses 1 and 2? amend the Land Valuation and Tax Act 1967 to pro- Minister. vide a procedure for addressing a conflict of interest by a member of the Land Valuation Appeal Tribunal. Bermuda House of Assembly 3386 4 March 2020 Official Hansard Report

Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch: Mr. Chairman, then I BILL move that clause 1 and 2 be approved. THIRD READING The Chairman: It is so moved that clauses 1 and 2 be approved. Is there any objection? LAND VALUATION AND TAX No objection. AMENDMENT ACT 2020 Thank you, Minister. Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch: Mr. Deputy Speaker, I [Motion carried: Clauses 1 and 2 passed.] move that the Bill be now read a third time by its title only and passed. Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch: I move that the preamble be approved. The Deputy Speaker: No objections? It is now passed. The Chairman: It is so moved that the preamble be approved. [Motion carried: The Land Valuation and Tax Amend- No objections. ment Act 2020 was read a third time and passed.] Minister. The Deputy Speaker: Mr. Deputy Premier, I think that Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch: I move that the Bill be is the end of the order of business. reported to the House as printed. ADJOURNMENT The Chairman: It is so moved that the Bill be reported to the House as printed. No objections. Hon. Walter H. Roban: Yes, Mr. Deputy Speaker, I do move that we adjourn until Friday, March 6th at [Motion carried: The Land Valuation and Tax Amend- 10:00 a.m. ment Act 2020 was considered by a Committee of the whole House and passed without amendment.] The Deputy Speaker: The House stands adjourned . . . we have one speaker, Mr. Tyrrell. House resumed at 7:04 TONY BRANNON’S INSENSITIVE COMMENTS [Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr., Deputy Speaker, in the CONDEMNED Chair] Mr. Neville S. Tyrrell: Thank you very much, Mr. REPORT OF COMMITTEE Deputy Speaker. Mr. Deputy Speaker, I came to this House for the second time this week with a bit of a heavy heart. LAND VALUATION AND TAX On Monday when I was here, I was really in a bad AMENDMENT ACT 2020 place. And I think you would understand where I am coming from on that. The Deputy Speaker: Are there any objections to the motion? The Deputy Speaker: Mm-hmm. There appear to be none. Any . . . Premier? Deputy? No, I am sorry, Mr. Mr. Neville S. Tyrrell: So, I could not really bring Minister. myself to speak on that stupid comment made by Mr. Tony Brannon. However, Mr. Deputy Speaker, I am SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDER 21 compelled to speak today, having had feedback from some of my constituents. I will try not to be long, in Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch: Yes, Mr. Deputy fact, I will not be long— Speaker. I move that Standing Order 21 be suspended The Deputy Speaker: Yes. to enable me to move that the Bill entitled Land Valua- tion and Tax Amendment Act 2020 be now read the Mr. Neville S. Tyrrell: —and I will try to not rehash third time by its title only. much of what has already been said in condemning Mr. Brannon’s use of that messy term describing us The Deputy Speaker: Are there any objections? elected officials—Members of this Honourable There appear to be none. House—as cockroaches and all because, as he Approved. states, we are not giving his friend PRC. [Motion carried: Standing Order 21 suspended.] Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3387

Mr. Deputy Speaker, the sad thing is that Mr. Mr. Rolfe Commissiong: And so, I was in the dark as Brannon may have only intended to direct that com- to what had occurred here with the comments by Mr. ment to those of us who sit on this side of the House, Brannon. That only became more clear [to me] as the the PLP Government. What he failed to understand is weekend sort of ran its course by Saturday and Sun- that it splattered (and no pun intended) on all 36 day, when I finally took some time just to look at what Members of this Honourable House. And I am so glad was happening in the House, and I heard the com- that it was rebuked by both sides at the time on Mon- ments to some degree of my colleague the Minister day. Wayne Caines. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Mr. Brannon also needs But it was no surprise to me that Mr. Brannon to know that a putrid apology did not cut it either. It is had made these comments. Roughly about eight or not accepted, certainly by me and also the apparent nine years ago in response to either an Op-Ed I had support he is getting online is not helping him, really, written, or a Letter to the Editor of the Royal Gazette not at all. that touched on what I call racial justice issues, Mr. Mr. Deputy Speaker, many of my constituents Brannon responded by saying, I do not know why were incensed when hearing that vile comment and Rolfe Commissiong hates white people. After all, he is have insisted that I do speak to it in the House today. biracial. Those constituents who called me felt that some repe- That is what was said. I went to the Editor of tition of our rebuke of Mr. Brannon’s comment would the Royal Gazette, and I have got to say that surpris- help, first of all, to keep it front and centre in the minds ingly, the Editor, Bill Zuill, then banned him from of those persons who maybe in two weeks (you know, commenting on that site for a couple of years, I be- we are Bermudians, we tend to forget things in a short lieve. So, this comment was not too surprising at all. period of time) may even want to forgive him. Well, What we need to understand is that Tony Brannon is no. Not this time, Mr. Brannon, nor your colleagues not alone. who probably think like you. Let me read something, Mr. Deputy Speaker Mr. Deputy Speaker, I also support the call from Ms. Marisa Baron. [This] occurred shortly before made by my honourable colleague, Minister Jamahl the election similarly. At first it was denied, maybe it [Simmons] for people to boycott any business of Mr. was somebody, you know, messing with her computer Brannon. I am painfully aware, though, that such ac- or hacking it if you remember, and denial was the or- tion could affect those persons who actually work for der of the day, as we see with Mr. Bannon [sic] initial- him or are employed by him. ly—Mr. Brannon I should say. However, Mr. Deputy Speaker, as my mom would always remind me, there are consequences for An Hon. Member: Bannon was with Mr. Trump. our actions, whether they be good or bad. Mr. Bran- non needs to understand that this one was bad, and Mr. Rolfe Commissiong: Yes, okay, thank you. he has a price to pay for being so insensitive. So, she wrote, “1Well, not right now,” (in re- Mr. Deputy Speaker, as I said speaking to- sponding to someone.) “. . . you black people may night is a deliberate show of support in condemning think you run this island. Trust me, your stupidity is this foolish breach by Tony Brannon, and I would like laughable. Just because you went into the bushes and to remind him and those who think like him that he came out with your inbred children ‘to get the votes’ needs to accept that we have our differences. We does not mean you ‘run this country.’” have differences, and he needs to learn to keep his It goes on for another paragraph. I believe tongue, because he has really shown us who he is. that we could have given Marisa Baron, both of us, Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Mr. Deputy Speaker, you far more than me, at least 20 to 30 years. But these are the comments you The Deputy Speaker: Any further speakers? would think, frankly, were disseminated and were held The Chair recognises the Honourable Mem- quite dearly by persons in the 1940s and 1950s, white ber Rolfe Patton Commissiong. Bermudians. But this was written by someone—a younger TONY BRANNON’S INSENSITIVE COMMENTS white Bermudian woman—only three years ago or so. CONDEMNED And as someone alluded to now, right now, you have this furious pushback amongst people on blogs and Mr. Rolfe Commissiong: Thank you, Mr. Deputy commentary sections in support of Mr. Bannon [sic]! Speaker. I too, was unavailable the other night. Both An Hon. Member: Brannon. MP Tyrrell and myself were, and still are, dealing with the loss of two women very close to us, our mothers.

The Deputy Speaker: Mm-hmm.

1 Royal Gazette, 30 June 2017 Bermuda House of Assembly 3388 4 March 2020 Official Hansard Report

Mr. Rolfe Commissiong: Mr. Brannon! Same thing! those comments is a racist. Not where [someone Bannon is from Trump’s campaign and Brannon is in says], Well, I know it is a racist statement; but I am not Bermuda. The same mentality. racist. You know what is in my heart. What’s in your I am glad you brought that up, because there heart came out of your mouth, and it continues, and is a serious issue around this toxic white identity that has been for some time. He has expressed the view, has really exploded throughout the west, particularly Mr. Deputy Speaker, to go and talk to Lynne Winfield in what I call the Anglo-Saxon west, in the UK and in and the people at CURB. No, no, no, I am not going Trump’s America. Bermuda is no different. to, at this point, denigrate that. I think that is what A toxic white identity that revolves around should happen as a first step. their unearned privilege that goes back decades and is even in the modern era of Bermuda’s history. Tony [Inaudible interjections] Brannon epitomises that. I mean, look at the sort of contempt he showed for black Bermudians. Go back Mr. Rolfe Commissiong: Well, I prefaced by saying again to his comments even preceding, I don’t know that, or I alluded to that. Let him go and find the prop- why Mr. Commissiong hates white people. After all, he er path and deconstruct and detoxify again from that is biracial. His comments about the fall of Bermuda’s image he has in his mind and attitudes toward white tourism industry, putting that at the door of the BIU, supremacy and black inferiority. And the bottom line is the PLP I guess, inciting black Bermudians to actually (and I am going out on a limb here) . . . for so many of destroy our tourist industry. them you can talk about Trump and all the rest of This is the example of toxic white identity that them. This is being passed on from generation to gets more virulent the more they think their privilege is generation. Let me give you a story, Mr. Deputy being challenged, that the more they think their privi- Speaker to illustrate that. lege is being lost! Who do they stand up for? This in- My granddaughter (I referenced this in one of dividual, a policeman who had been here for 29 years my articles before the holiday) was going to a pre- or more, his friend, and because the policeman could school, four years old or so. She had befriended two not get a ruling, a decision in his favour for him to stay white sisters. The two white sisters and my grand- here another 29 years, Mr. Brannon, of course, point- daughter got on together famously. They were good ed the finger in the direction he usually does, toward friends. One day the two white sisters said to her, You black Bermudians who, in his mind, are still ruining know (they called her name—I am not going to call it Bermuda. It is interesting, because Mr. Brannon has here), our parents told us not to play with the black had no problem over the years earning a living playing children. music with black Bermudians, playing black music and That is what they told my granddaughter. Not on and on and on. So, this is really, really, really . . . I 50 years ago! This was about seven or eight years am not even going to say . . . of course, it is disap- ago. But guess what? They really liked my grand- pointing, but it is no surprise. daughter. These are good little kids, these two little It does serve a positive . . . a positive . . . how white girls, four years old! They wanted to maintain can I say it? It does serve a positive purpose—a pur- the friendship, the relationship with my granddaughter pose—because it can open the eyes of both black and to such an extent, they then said this. But you know white Bermudians, as it did, to what time it is in this (and they called her name), you are not black; you are country, and how we need to be careful and fight back brown. against this. And I am saying that this is a challenge By doing so, they were able to obey their par- for white Bermuda too! They have to stand up and ents whom they love without the expense of the rela- denounce this with us—their black Bermudian broth- tionship and friendship with my granddaughter. This is ers and sisters! in Bermuda—not 20, 30, 50 years ago. Not my daugh- At the risk of sounding too Kumbayah here, ter—my granddaughter! Where did they get that at whatever—Kumbayah-ish, like blackish and whitish four years old? From their parents. and mixed-ish, whatever—they, too, need to stand up But let me go a little deeper here. I never had and denounce this. They need to be white allies in the a chance to meet their parents. But let’s assume just battle for racial justice in this country just as we are! for the exercise, the parents were executives in a ma- They will follow the lead of Dr. Barbara Ball, Dorothy jor corporation in Bermuda, in IB. What chance does Thompson, David Allen, and in the modern era, the your daughter or your son who went to Harvard, Yale Zane De Silvas, the Hayward-Bells, and the Tina or wherever, Howard University—who comes back Nashes. and is going to be able to get a job there, to be able to I do hope . . . and do not get me wrong here. I rise and get equal benefits and opportunities, to hope that Mr. Brannon, although it is hard for me to achieve great heights within these companies—have say this—and I don’t want my people out there to take if these people are there having decision-making this the wrong way. I hope he is serious about finally powers at the executive level? Come on, now! after all these years dealing with his racist views on If they are having these types of attitudes and black Bermudians, his attitudes. Anyone that makes transmitting that to their daughters, what chance, if Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3389 they are at decision-making levels at major companies cent question from the white [mother] there, who hap- of Bermuda, is your child or my son going to have at pened to be the mother of one of the top doc- these companies? tor/surgeons at the hospital (I am not going to call her That too, plays a part on why there is still only name) . . . the view was that she went back and made one Patrick Tannock, one John Swan deep into the off to the then Canadian and English nurses who were post-modern era of Bermuda 70 to 80 years after there about why was that child . . . that child should World War II, 50 to 60 years after the civil rights not be there—he is not white! He may look white, but movement in Bermuda, why blacks are still a marginal he is not white, I saw his mother! They took me over presence in international business, in Bermuda’s cor- to the Middletown section— porate world, at the highest levels. Four years old. [Inaudible interjections]

[Hon. Dennis P. Lister, Jr., Speaker, in the Chair] An Hon. Member: And you cried, didn’t you?

Mr. Rolfe Commissiong: Mr. Speaker, my mother Mr. Rolfe Commissiong: That’s right and now I passed away, as we all know here. And I am deeply proudly represent Middletown. appreciative of the expressions of condolence and the But that is the Bermuda that I was born into, in great memories that were conveyed to me by yourself, 1957. Two years later, though, my mother, my father Mr. Speaker and everyone over the last few days. But and countless other Bermudians, both those in the I think I said something like that in one of the tributes Progressive group and those who were out there like that they were shadowed by racism from birth to the Kingsley Tweed and all the rest of them and the thou- grave, I think I said. But they were determined that sands of Bermudians brought down the walls of public this would not be bequeathed to their children. racial segregation in this country! That is what they I am going to close with this. I hope Mr. Bran- did! But the work is not finished! Mr. Bannon [sic] illus- non is listening. trates why it is not finished! The day I was born, Mr. Speaker, my mother, her firstborn child, after childbirth after about four An Hon. Member: Tony Brannon. hours, I guess recuperating, she got up and went to see her newborn son. (She affectionately called me Mr. Rolfe Commissiong: Tony Brannon graphically Rolfey at the time.) So, she found me and she was illustrates that the work, so much of it still [needs] to standing there admiring her newborn child, and next be done. He actually provides us with more evidence to her was a white woman, right next to her, who had for what they are still in denial about, that there are also given birth around the same time, Mr. Speaker. Two Bermudas. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The white woman said to my mother, Well, which one is yours? The Speaker: Thank you, Honourable Member. And my mother says, Oh, he is right there. Does any other Honourable Member wish to That is my boy right there. Thought no more of it, went contribute tonight? Mr. Famous. back. More recuperation time, she maybe laid [down] and slept for another few hours. She got up and came Mr. Christopher Famous: Mr. Speaker, I am possibly back to that same place. Rolfey was gone! Could not the closing bat tonight. find him! The Speaker: That sounds good. [Laughter and inaudible interjections] TONY BRANNON’S INSENSITIVE COMMENTS Mr. Rolfe Commissiong: Mr. Speaker, they had me CONDEMNED in the white Fairylands, Tucker’s Town section with the rest of the white babies! Mr. Christopher Famous: Mr. Speaker, I am going to say something. I am going to ask you because I can [Laughter and inaudible interjection only talk to the Chair. I am going to ask you if this is logical. Some guy says, I committed murder, but I am Mr. Rolfe Commissiong: As my learned colleague not a murderer. Does that sound logical? I stole some- here says, I had white privilege for a couple of hours. thing but I am not a thief. It was so quiet there, you know. The Speaker: Mm-hmm. [Laughter and desk thumping] Mr. Christopher Famous: I am a little bit pregnant Mr. Rolfe Commissiong: Oh, Lord! but I am not having a baby. That is not logical. My No, but all jokes aside, my mother said to this point is that Mr. Brannon—B-R-A-N-N-O-N—said, I day that the little . . . what she thought was an inno- said something racist, but I am not a racist. Bermuda House of Assembly 3390 4 March 2020 Official Hansard Report

Well, hold on bro! You said two things racist. America. These are the true narratives that are not You did not say one thing racist. It was not just . . . being told. So, what do we get in public? The PLP is maybe, maybe you were just upset about Portofino hurting the country because they do not want to give not being full. But then he went on to say his friend did IB workers work permits. Nothing, nothing like that. not get PRC, you cockroaches didn’t give him his . . . I Farthest thing from being the truth. am not going to elaborate on Mr. Brannon. You know why? Because the other day I was at work and some- SIZE OF THE CIVIL SERVICE body said, Hey, you gotta turn on the radio, bye. They are going in on Tony Brannon. Mr. Christopher Famous: Let me go on to another I said, Oh, yeah, my boys have got that cov- false narrative, Mr. Speaker: The civil service is grow- ered. ing. Nothing of that nature. There is, in fact, a hiring They said, No, the OBA is going in on him too. freeze. We heard today about shortages of workers in I said, The OBA is going in on Tony Brannon? different departments under National Security. How I am thinking maybe they will be the first ones getting could that be if we are just hiring people willy-nilly? up defending him. Well, let’s go to some facts. In the year 2016, Mr. Speaker, Monday was a proud night for there were 4,610 persons on the Government payroll. Bermuda because every MP that stood to their feet, Fast forward to 2019, there are 4,577 people on the condemned a racist. Not a racist comment, a racist. Government payroll. My maths, Berkeley-maths, says So, I am not going to dwell on that. Because we see that this means numbers have dropped. Any Berke- some of the people online, Well, you know, it was just leyites want to agree with me? taken out of context. Well, you know, you all are hy- persensitive. All of that! What that talks about is that [Inaudible interjections and laughter] Tony Brannon is not the problem. Tony Brannon is a symptom of the problem. He is a symptom of the false Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: Point of order, Mr. narratives in this country. I murdered somebody, but I Speaker. am not a murderer. False narrative. Mr. Christopher Famous: Oh, here we go. She is a INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS IN BERMUDA Berkeleyite.

Mr. Christopher Famous: Let me go on, Mr. Speak- POINT OF ORDER er. The other day I got a WhatsApp from somebody in [Misleading] the media saying, Hey, we want to speak to you about something. Hon. Patricia J. Gordon-Pamplin: Yes, I am a I am like, Speak to me about what? Liverpool? Berkeleyites, and I kind of add the same way the (I couldn’t resist.) Honourable Member added. I believe that he is inad- No, they said they wanted to ask me why vertently misleading the House. Bermudians hate IB. I think what was said in respect of the num- I am like, Bermudians hate IB? Bermudians bers was taken directly from the actual numbers that don’t hate IB. were presented in the Budget Book, and it is those He was like, Yeah, you have all these claims numbers by which we made the observation that the how IB is going downhill, and it is because Immigra- numbers had increased. And if you look at it, it was tion is not letting them in, and this, that and the other. showing in the Budget Reply, the numbers had actual- So, I was like, Oh, I see . . . this is a continua- ly increased. tion of the narrative that is out there by various differ- However, the Minister has come back and ent segments that this Government is anti-business, said that there is some misrepresentation of the num- that this Government is anti-progress. More important- bers and it is his intention to change the method by ly, you are trying to say it is the whole segment of which those numbers are shown. So, if we have the Bermuda that is anti-business. correct numbers, we are certainly able to look at what Well, here are some facts, Mr. Speaker. In the the numbers ought to be. year 2015, under the OBA there were 3,900 IB workers. In the year 2019, under the PLP there were 3,995 The Speaker: Thank you, Madam. workers in IB. Some might say, well, that is only 100 Honourable Member Famous? people. Well, here is the reality, Mr. Speaker. IB is going through mergers and acquisitions, so big com- Mr. Christopher Famous: Mr. Speaker, I carefully panies are buying small companies and people are never mentioned the OBA. I said, there is a narrative. losing their . . . being made what? Redundant. Not everything out there that is negative is from the Yes. Companies are going back to the US be- OBA, Honourable Member. There is a narrative in the cause Mr. Trump lowered the tax rate. So he made it community that this Government is willy-nilly growing more attractive for companies to redomicile back in the civil service. That claim was out there long before Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 4 March 2020 3391

your Budget Reply, respectfully speaking. So, I am clearing that up. Mr. Christopher Famous: He was deported! He was You see, Mr. Speaker, every one of those the first deportee! 4,577 persons, they contribute to this economy. We hear cries about, Oh, retail is dropping. Oh, we need [Laughter] more money circulating in the economy. Every one of those 4,577 persons purchases something. Every last Mr. Christopher Famous: The minute they saw the one. And I can guarantee 90 per cent of the money black tips on his ears, out you go, Bro! Our country stays in this country. has been scarred by immigration, but that is no ex- So, let’s look at it. If we bring in “X” amount of cuse for us not to progress. guest workers for whatever discipline, a large portion There are multiple forms of immigration. of that money is going outside of this country, never to There is the mixed status, there is Bermuda status, return. So let’s ask ourselves, let’s be honest with there is PRC, there are the belongers, there are work ourselves as a country: Our civil servants, the same permits, there are the processes. And each step of the ones we were up here saying there is a shortage and way we are going to explain these, because we want we need people to do this and we need people to do people on both sides of the aisle to have an equal that, if we went ahead and hired those people, then voice. I want Brother Ben to be able to stand up with they would complain. If we do not hire them, they are conviction every time he stands up and says that the complaining because there is a shortage. work that we have done is what is best for Bermuda. I want the Deputy Opposition Leader when she stands IMMIGRATION REFORM up, she can say with conviction what has been done is what is best for Bermuda. Mr. Christopher Famous: Mr. Speaker, let me touch The reality, Mr. Speaker, is that we have $2.6 on immigration very briefly. Again, false narratives: billion in debt. Our revenue comes from payroll. So, PLP hates white people. PLP hates IB. Here is the we need more workers, preferably Bermudian work- reality, Mr. Speaker. Four years ago, thousands of ers. But we are not just going to give away this coun- people surrounded your Honourable House up on the try. So, Mr. Speaker, I am going to take my seat and I hill which is under renovation. They surrounded it not say again, thank you to all Members of this House because they hate IB, not because they hate white who stood up against a racist. He did not just say people, not even because they hated the OBA. They something that was racist. Tony Brannon is a racist. surrounded that House because what was being pro- Thank you, Mr. Speaker. posed and how it was being proposed came across as a knee-jerk reaction to them losing yet another bye- The Speaker: Thank you, Honourable Member. election. I see no other Honourable Member moving So, the interpretation is that, Oh, we have just tonight, so we can all rise and go home. Have a good lost another bye-election. Let’s pull out the Benny: evening everyone and we will see you on Friday immigration. So, immediately people think immigration morning at 10:00 am. equals votes, immigration equals lost jobs for Bermu- dians, and our history is clear on that. No one can de- [Gavel] ny that. Well, here is the thing, Mr. Speaker. Under [At 7:38 pm, the House stood adjourned until the guidance of not one, but two Immigration Minis- 10:00 am, Friday, 6 March 2020.] ters, we have worked diligently. I am going to repeat it again. “We,” meaning myself, Honourable Renee Ming, Honourable Ben Smith, Honourable Leah Scott, have worked diligently to produce something that is balanced for this country. Not everyone is going to be happy. There are going to be those who say we have gone too far; there are going to be those who say we are not going far enough. Well, here is the reality, Mr. Speaker. Over the next few months, we have to . . . we will be talking internally to our people. We will be talking to people across this country. Because why, Mr. Speaker? Im- migration is such an issue that those who are left with scars from the 1960s and 1970s, all of us, the Rolfeys that were moved to the Middletown section—

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