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2020/2021 SESSION of the BERMUDA HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY OFFICIAL HANSARD REPORT 11 DECEMBER 2020 Virtual Sitting Sitting number 5 of the 2020/2021 Session (pages 241–382) 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 11 December 2020 241 BERMUDA HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY OFFICIAL HANSARD REPORT VIRTUAL SITTING 11 DECEMBER 2020 10:02 AM Sitting Number 5 of the 2020/2021 Session [Hon. Dennis P. Lister, Jr., Speaker, in the Chair] PAPERS AND OTHER COMMUNICATIONS TO THE HOUSE The Speaker: Good morning, Members. We now want to start the next session for to- The Speaker: There are some 11 papers this morn- day’s sitting, and Ms. Beale will lead us in prayer this ing. We are going to have our hands full with papers morning. this morning. The first is in the name of the Minister of National Security. PRAYERS Minister Ming, would you like to present your paper? Minister, we can see you, but we cannot hear [Prayers read by Ms. Kara Beale, Assistant Clerk] you. The Speaker: Thank you, Ms. Beale. The House is Hon. Renee Ming: Good morning, Mr. Speaker. now in session. The Speaker: Good morning. [Gavel] TREATMENT OF OFFENDERS BOARD (TOOB) CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES REPORT FOR 2018 [Minutes of 4 December 2020] TREATMENT OF OFFENDERS BOARD (TOOB) th The Speaker: The Minutes for the sitting from the 4 REPORT FOR 2019 of December have been circulated. Are there any omissions, corrections or Hon. Renee Ming: I have the honour to attach and amendments to be made? submit for the information of the Honourable House of There are none. The Minutes are confirmed Assembly the Treatment of Offenders Board (TOOB) as printed. Report for 2018, and the Treatment of Offenders Board (TOOB) Report for 2019. [Minutes of 4 December 2020 confirmed] The Speaker: Thank you, Minister Ming. The next MESSAGES FROM THE GOVERNOR paper is also . oh, you did both of them? The Speaker: There are none. Hon. Renee Ming: Yes, we combined them. Yes, we did. ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE SPEAKER OR MEMBER PRESIDING The Speaker: Good. Thank you. The next is in the name of the Minister of SESSIONAL SELECT COMMITTEES Health. Minister Wilson, you have about six of them. The Speaker: The announcement this morning is that You can do all six at the same time. the Standing and Sessional Select Committees have been assigned. PUBLIC HEALTH (COVID-19 EMERGENCY And they are circulated to you by the Share- POWERS) (NO. 3) AMENDMENT (NO. 3) Point. So, Members, you can go on and see the selec- REGULATIONS 2020 tion of the committees. MESSAGES FROM THE SENATE QUARANTINE (COVID-19) (NO. 3) AMENDMENT (NO. 6) ORDER 2020 The Speaker: There are none. Bermuda House of Assembly 242 11 December 2020 Official Hansard Report PUBLIC HEALTH (COVID-19 House of Assembly the Bermuda Land Development EMERGENCY POWERS) (NO. 3) AMENDMENT Company Audited Financial Statements and Report (NO. 2) REGULATIONS 2020 on Operations for the fiscal years ending 31 March 2012–2017; and the Bermuda Land Development QUARANTINE (COVID-19) (NO. 3) Company Audited Financial Statements and Report AMENDMENT (NO. 5) ORDER 2020 on Operations for the fiscal years ending 31 March 2018. PUBLIC HEALTH (COVID-19) EMERGENCY POWERS (NO. 3) The Speaker: Thank you, Minister. AMENDMENT REGULATIONS 2020 And the last report this morning is in the name of the Minister of Labour. PUBLIC HEALTH (COVID-19) Minister Hayward, would you like to do yours EMERGENCY (NO. 3) EXTENSION ORDER 2020 at this time? Hon. Kim N. Wilson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have Hon. Jason Hayward: Good morning, Mr. Speaker. the honour to attach and submit for the information of the Honourable House of Assembly the following: The Speaker: Good morning. • the Public Health (COVID-19 Emergency Powers) (No. 3) Amendment (No. 3) Regula- DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE tions 2020; ANNUAL REPORT 2018–2020 • the Quarantine (COVID-19) (No. 3) Amend- ment (No. 6) Order 2020; Hon. Jason Hayward: I have the honour to attach • the Public Health (COVID-19 Emergency and submit for the information of the Honourable Powers) (No. 3) Amendment (No. 2) Regula- House of Assembly the Department of Financial As- tions 2020; sistance Annual Report 2018–2020. • the Quarantine (COVID-19) (No. 3) Amend- ment (No. 5) Order 2020; The Speaker: Thank you. • the Public Health (COVID-19) Emergency That is the [last] of the Papers and Communi- Powers (No. 3) Amendment Regulations cations for this morning. 2020; and • the Public Health (COVID-19) Emergency PETITIONS (No. 3) Extension Order 2020. The Speaker: There are none. The Speaker: Thank you, Minister. The next paper this morning is in the name of STATEMENTS BY MINISTERS the Minister of Health [sic], the next two. AND JUNIOR MINISTERS Minister, of Works, rather . Minister of Works, would you like to do yours? The Speaker: There are eight Statements this morn- ing. The first is in the name of the Deputy Premier. Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch: Mr. Speaker. Deputy Premier, would you like to present your Statement? The Speaker: Yes. Hon. Walter H. Roban: Yes. Good morning, Mr. Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch: Good morning. Speaker. The Speaker: Good morning. The Speaker: Good morning. BERMUDA LAND DEVELOPMENT COMPANY Hon. Walter H. Roban: Good morning everyone and AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND REPORT good morning to the people of Bermuda. ON OPERATIONS FOR THE FISCAL YEARS ENDING 31 MARCH 2012–2017 BERMUDA OCEAN PROSPERITY PROGRAMME— PROGRESS ON IDENTIFYING OCEAN BERMUDA LAND DEVELOPMENT COMPANY RENEWABLE ENERGY SOLUTIONS AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND REPORT ON OPERATIONS FOR THE FISCAL YEARS Hon. Walter H. Roban: Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ENDING 31 MARCH 2018 update the Honourable House on the Bermuda Ocean Prosperity Programme (or commonly known as Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch: I would like to attach BOPP). and submit for the information of the Honourable Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 11 December 2020 243 Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members may be also confirm that at this time no decisions have been aware that in June 2019 the Government committed made on any new areas of protection or use. to developing an integrated Marine Spatial Plan for Mr. Speaker, I will now turn my attention to the entirety of the 200 nautical miles of Bermuda’s the efforts of the energy section of the BOPP review. exclusive economic zone (EEZ). This includes the Given our lack of available real estate in our 21 inshore and offshore areas. The completion date of square miles for large areas of commercial-scale re- this project is set for the end of March 2022. This pro- newable energy solutions, it is logical that we should ject is being undertaken in a partnership between the look at other opportunities in our expansive marine Government, the Waitt Institute and the Bermuda In- EEZ. As a result, we included in our memorandum of stitute of Ocean Science (also known to everyone as understanding with the Waitt Institute and BIOS a re- BIOS). On-the-ground management is being guided quirement for an offshore renewable energy assess- by a steering committee, which reports to me as the ment. There are subcommittees within the steering Minister of Home Affairs and which is made up of all committee; one such subcommittee is Economic De- of the relevant government departments and other velopment. stakeholder entities. In an effort to better understand the energy Mr. Speaker, the Marine Spatial Plan, similar sector’s needs and the possible trajectory of utility to the more familiar Bermuda Terrestrial Plan, will or- development, a report was commissioned under the ganise the use of Bermuda’s waters and reduce user direction of the Minister by the Waitt Foundation from conflict, balancing the demands for development with the Rocky Mountain Institute, who are already well the need to protect the environment and help us re- familiar with Bermuda and have been providing assis- sponsibly manage and improve the legislative, policy tance to the Department of Energy in the areas of ve- and operational framework for ocean industries, such hicle fleet electrification and solar PV development. as fishing and ocean renewable energy. As part of the The report identified that, since most renewable ener- plan, the Government has also committed to desig- gy technologies require space, they could not be situ- nate 20 per cent of Bermuda’s waters as fully protect- ated terrestrially (which, obviously, means on land). ed areas. This equates to 90,000 square kilometres of Therefore, turning to our nearshore and our exclusive the 465,000 square kilometres of ocean that Bermuda economic zone, there is great potential for renewable is responsible for managing. energy development. In addition to the spatial plan, the BOPP is The first, most feasible of these technologies developing a Blue Economy Strategy that looks to is offshore wind. While there is much precedent set for capitalise on the potential of our ocean space. Over mono-pile installations in the near shore—and those 18 industries of interest were identified. However, giv- are the wind turbines that are on piles that are em- en the 30-month [project] period, three of these were bedded in the seabed, which stand alone—there is seen as priorities for in-depth investigation—including growing potential set by commercial precedent for fisheries, ocean renewable energy and tourism. floating wind installations. Utility-scale wind presents a Mr. Speaker, we are currently nearing the strong economic case, having been commercially halfway mark in the project timeline and have begun proven in many other jurisdictions, but also presents a the consultation process with our stakeholders and strong technological case, with the resilience Bermu- the public.