2018/2020 SESSION of the BERMUDA HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY OFFICIAL HANSARD REPORT 24 July 2020 VIRTUAL SITTING Sitting number 53 of the 2018/2020 Session (pages 4545–4694) 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 24 July 2020 4545 BERMUDA HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY OFFICIAL HANSARD REPORT VIRTUAL SITTING 24 JULY 2020 10:04 AM Sitting Number 53 of the 2018/2020 Session [Hon. Dennis P. Lister, Jr., Speaker, in the Chair] The Speaker: We have three papers this morning. The first is in the name of the Premier. The Speaker: Good morning, Members. Today’s ses- Premier, would you like to put your [paper]? sion is about to start. We will have the prayer from Ms. Beale. TOURISM INVESTMENT Please give us our prayer. (ROSEWOOD BERMUDA) ORDER 2020 PRAYERS Hon. E. David Burt: Good morning, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to attach and [Prayers read by Ms. Kara Beale, Assistant Clerk] submit for the consideration of the Honourable House of Assembly the Tourism Investment (Rosewood The Speaker: Thank you, Ms. Beale. Bermuda) Order 2020, as made by the Minister re- sponsible for Tourism under section [3(1)] of the Tour- CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES ism Investment Act 2017, together with the written [Minutes of 17 July 2020] agreement of the Minister of Finance in exercise of the power conferred by section 5 of the Tourism In- vestment Act 2017. The Speaker: Members, the Minutes from July 17, 2020, have been circulated. Are there any omissions, corrections or amendments to be made? The Speaker: Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Premier. There are none. Minister of Education, would you like to do The Minutes are confirmed as printed. Thank your paper? you. [Pause] [Minutes of 17 July 2020 confirmed] The Speaker: Minister of Education? MESSAGES FROM THE GOVERNOR Is Minister Burch available? Minister Burch, if he is there? The Speaker: There are no messages from the Gov- Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch: I am, Mr. Speaker. ernor. The Speaker: Minister Burch, please proceed with ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE SPEAKER yours. Thank you. OR MEMBER PRESIDING OTTIWELL SIMMONS The Speaker: There was going to be an announce- ARBITRATION CENTRE PLAN ment on the ruling [this morning]. We found out we need to make an amendment to that. And so I will do Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch: Good morning, Mr. that later, with your indulgence. Speaker. I have the honour to attach and submit for the MESSAGES FROM THE SENATE information of the Honourable House of Assembly the Ottiwell Simmons Arbitration Centre Plan. The Speaker: There are no messages from the Sen- ate. The Speaker: Thank you, Minister. Is the Minister of Education available now? PAPERS AND OTHER Minister? COMMUNICATIONS TO THE HOUSE Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker, I understand that a few persons are having trouble with the link. But I am Bermuda House of Assembly 4546 24 July 2020 Official Hansard Report happy to lay the paper for him if you do not mind, Mr. tor dependence have predominantly rested on interna- Speaker. tional business. As a sector they have shouldered this burden well, and Bermuda enjoys its continued high The Speaker: I do not mind at all. Go right ahead. standard of living largely due to the economic contri- bution generated at varying levels by international BERMUDA COLLEGE AUDITED FINANCIAL business. STATEMENTS 2019 Tourism, Mr. Speaker, has become a mind- boggling formula of high costs, irrelevance in key Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. markets, stops-and-starts in development and an at- On behalf of the Minister of Education, I have rophy of outlook that prevents us from exploiting those the honour to attach and submit for the information of things we do well. To be clear, Mr. Speaker, this the Honourable House the Bermuda College Audited does not all rest at the feet of the Bermuda Tourism Financial Statements 2019, laid in accordance with Authority. I believe they have performed according to the Bermuda College Act. their existing capacity. Earlier this year the Bermuda Tourism Authority noted that 2019 was the second- The Speaker: Thank you. We will move on. best year in the past 13 years for leisure air arrivals and stated that between 2015 and 2019 leisure air PETITIONS arrivals jumped 37 per cent. 2019 was cited as “the third consecutive year of record-breaking total visitor The Speaker: There are none. arrivals,” a number that combines cruise, air and yacht travellers. STATEMENTS BY MINISTERS Mr. Speaker, those numbers were achieved AND JUNIOR MINISTERS against the backdrop of decreased air capacity and increased cruise arrivals. I do not propose to relitigate those numbers today; suffice it to say they tell a The Speaker: We have quite a few this morning, deeper story and, in fact, dictate much of the task that roughly 13 Statements this morning. And the first is in lies ahead. the name of the Premier. Mr. Speaker, it is my considered view that the Premier, would you like to present your Bermuda Tourism Authority as [an] organisation is Statement? top-heavy and does not yet embrace the ethos of this Government—that is to say, the creation of an equita- Lt. Col. Hon. David A. Burch: Mr. Speaker, you have ble redistribution of opportunity so that those who two [devices] signed-on, so there is an echo when you have been left out or left behind by Bermuda’s suc- speak. Turn off one— cess, predominantly Black entrepreneurs, will receive a chance to participate on equal terms. [Crosstalk] Mr. Speaker, we must change the conversa- tion around tourism. Bermuda is no longer the debu- The Speaker: Yes. It was the other camera that we tante at her first ball, and so the days of getting by on use for the Sergeant-at-Arms coming in. So we have natural beauty alone are over. To extend the meta- just corrected that. Thank you, Minister. phor even more, Mr. Speaker, our dance card will Premier, would you like to do your Statement? never be filled if we do not make ourselves more at- tractive and more relevant. The proof of how harsh [Pause] reality can be, especially when we try to ignore it, is seen in the numbers to which I referred a moment Hon. E. David Burt: Oh, sorry! My microphone was ago. Most Honourable Members are older than me, on mute, Mr. Speaker; that is not very helpful. but even I remember that the mantra of Bermuda’s glory days of tourism were to frown on cruise ships ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT and their passengers—hamburger tourists, as one AND TOURISM UPDATES Minister called them. Well, Mr. Speaker, having been so discerning in our past––it is fully evident of our de- Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker, Bermuda’s fortunes clining relevance that our 2018 and 2019 numbers of are dependent on the ability of the community to unite total visitors comprised approximately 65 per cent of in two main efforts: the renewal of this existing econ- cruise visitors. omy and the design of a new paradigm of economic As the Minister responsible for tourism, I am activity that strikes out from our traditions, creating an determined that we will not be caught out by trends equitable redistribution of opportunity and wealth. and changes in the market. Let me be clear, Mr. Mr. Speaker, the concept of twin pillars of Speaker: I do not wish to run the Bermuda Tourism Bermuda’s economy has become less a reality as our Authority, and I have no intention of being a mi- tax base, policy and legislative impetus and third sec- cromanaging minister consumed with the operations Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 24 July 2020 4547 of that organisation. However, my responsibility is to an example, Mr. Speaker, people will not leave New set policy and oversee its execution to the benefit of York for “Restaurant Weeks” in Bermuda. We must the people of Bermuda, and that is what I intend to do. offer something more compelling that differentiates us Mr. Speaker, a regrettable feature of life in and makes our Island relevant. Bermuda is the need for third-party validation of things Number two, Air Service Development. Mr. even though they are clear as day, especially when Speaker, with my colleague, the Honourable Member stated by a member of this Government. Therefore, for constituency 26, the Minister of Transport Neville lest Honourable Members consider that the comments Tyrrell, I intend to commit significant resources to fur- I make today are some nuanced spin or the work of ther the development of air service for Bermuda. I high-priced consultants, in June 2011, almost a dec- have received a detailed analysis done during the ade ago, Jon Crellin, the former General Manager of tenure of the former Minister of Tourism and the Fairmont Hamilton Princess, told the Royal Ga- Transport, the Honourable Member for constituency zette this as he ended his tenure: 29, Zane De Silva, and I can advise Honourable “Why do we always hear about Bermuda’s Members of this Honourable Chamber that there is heyday? It’s been gone and things have moved on. now a joined-up approach to air service development That was about 25 or 30 years ago, this is now and that will form the foundation of critical next steps in things are different, very different. Back then we growing air lift from key markets to Bermuda.