2018/2020 SESSION of the BERMUDA HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY OFFICIAL HANSARD REPORT 3 July 2020 VIRTUAL SITTING Sitting number 51 of the 2018/2020 Session (pages 4237–4408) 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 3 July 2020 4327 BERMUDA HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY OFFICIAL HANSARD REPORT VIRTUAL SITTING 3 JULY 2020 10:03 AM Sitting Number 51 of the 2018/2020 Session [Hon. Dennis P. Lister, Jr., Speaker, in the Chair] PAPERS AND OTHER COMMUNICATIONS TO THE HOUSE The Speaker: Good morning, Members. Welcome. We will now have the prayer to The Speaker: We have a number of papers and start us off this morning. Thank you Mr. Allen for an- communications this morning. The first is from the nouncing and getting us started. Minister of Health . the first three, in fact. Ms. Beale, would you like to do the prayer? Minister of Health, would you like to present your papers? PRAYERS PUBLIC HEALTH (COVID-19) [Prayers read by Mrs. Kara A. Beale, Assistant Clerk] EMERGENCY ORDER 2020 CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES PUBLIC HEALTH (COVID-19 [Minutes of 19 June 2020] EMERGENCY POWERS) REGULATIONS 2020 The Speaker: Good morning, Members. Welcome to PUBLIC HEALTH (COVID-19) today’s sitting. EMERGENCY EXTENSION ORDER 2020 The Minutes from the sitting of the 19th of June have been circulated. Are there any omissions, Hon. Kim N. Wilson: Yes, thank you. Good morning, corrections which are required? Mr. Speaker. There are none. Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to attach and The Minutes are confirmed as printed. submit for the information of the Honourable House of Assembly the Public Health (COVID-19) Emergency [Minutes of 19 June 2020 confirmed] Order 2020, as made by the Minister of Health under section 107A of the Public Health Act 1949. MESSAGES FROM THE GOVERNOR I have the honour to attach and submit for the information of the Honourable House of Assembly the The Speaker: There are none. Public Health (COVID-19 Emergency Powers) Regu- lations 2020, as made by the Minister of Health under ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE SPEAKER section 107A of the Public Health Act 1949. OR MEMBER PRESIDING And finally, Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to attach and submit for the information of the Honoura- ble House of Assembly the Public Health (COVID-19) OMBUDSMAN FOR BERMUDA Emergency Extension Order 2020, made by the Minis- ANNUAL REPORT 2019 ter of Health under section 107A of the Public Health Act 1949. The Speaker: I have the honour to announce that I Thank you. have received the Ombudsman of Bermuda’s Annual Report for 2019. This report has been submitted in The Speaker: Thank you, Minister. compliance with section 24(1) and (3) of the Om- The next paper this morning is in the name of budsman Act 2004. the Deputy Premier. And it will be circulated for all Members. Deputy Premier, would you like to present your paper? MESSAGES FROM THE SENATE Hon. Walter H. Roban: Yes, Mr. Speaker. The Speaker: There are no messages from the Sen- ate. The Speaker: Yes. Good morning. Bermuda House of Assembly 4328 3 July 2020 Official Hansard Report RIDDELL’S BAY (WARWICK PARISH) SPECIAL STATEMENTS BY MINISTERS DEVELOPMENT ORDER 2020 AND JUNIOR MINISTERS Mr. Speaker, I have the hon- Hon. Walter H. Roban: The Speaker: The first Statement this morning is that our to attach and submit for the consideration of the of the Deputy Premier. Honourable House of Assembly the Riddell’s Bay Deputy, would you like to present your State- (Warwick Parish) Special Development Order 2020, ment? proposed to be made by the Minister of Home Affairs, the Minister responsible for planning, in exercise of Hon. Walter H. Roban: Yes, Mr. Speaker. the power conferred by section 15(2)(a) of the Devel- opment and Planning Act 1974. The Speaker: Continue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. RIDDELL’S BAY (WARWICK PARISH) SPECIAL Thank you, Deputy. The Speaker: DEVELOPMENT ORDER 2020 The next paper this morning is in the name of the Minister of Finance. Hon. Walter H. Roban: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and Minister, would you like to present your paper good morning to Honourable Members. this morning? Mr. Speaker, earlier today I laid before the House the Special Development Order titled the Rid- Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Yes. Good morning, Mr. dell’s Bay (Warwick Parish) Special Development Or- Speaker. der 2020 (SDO). This SDO comes at a time when the Island is reeling from the unprecedented economic The Speaker: Good morning. downturn due to COVID-19. Mr. Speaker, in accordance with Section 15 of PUBLIC TREASURY the Development and Planning Act 1974, the Order (ADMINISTRATION AND PAYMENTS) will grant subdivision approval for the purposes of res- (TEMPORARY UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT) idential development and also to create new conser- AMENDMENT (NO. 2) REGULATIONS 2020 vation lands. Specifically, a total of 18 vacant lots will be approved, each to be developed with a detached CUSTOMS DUTY house; and additionally, two significantly sized vacant (BERMUDA TOURISM AUTHORITY) REMISSION conservation lots will be approved to be comprehen- AMENDMENT ORDER 2020 sively planted and restored, which will provide a num- ber of environmental and public benefits. Such bene- CUSTOMS TARIFF (APPROVED fits are to include the re-establishment of diverse na- ORGANISATION) AMENDMENT NOTICE 2020 tive and endemic ecosystems, as well as opportunities for passive recreational use. Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: Mr. Speaker, I have the Mr. Speaker, I am acutely aware of the devel- honour to attach and submit for the information of the oper’s enthusiasm to proceed with this project. And to Honourable House of Assembly the following Regula- this end, I am pleased to confirm that remediation and tions: Public Treasury (Administration and Payments) initial planting works have already begun on the site (Temporary Unemployment Benefit) Amendment (No. for the conservation areas. 2) Regulations 2020— Mr. Speaker, the preparation of this Order was preceded by the subdivision application process The Speaker: Yes. Do all three of them, Minister. by the Department of Planning. This project has un- dergone exhaustive environmental analysis and scru- Hon. Curtis L. Dickinson: The Customs Duty (Ber- tiny. The application submission included an Environ- muda Tourism Authority) Remission Amendment Or- mental Impact Statement and Conservation Manage- der 2020; and the Customs Tariff (Approved Organi- ment Plan. By virtue of the statutory objection process sation) Amendment Notice 2020. defined in the Development and Planning Act 1974, Thank you, Mr. Speaker. this application was afforded public scrutiny. The submission details were comprehensively reviewed by The Speaker: Thank you, Minister. technical officers of the Departments of Planning and Environment & Natural Resources, as well as non- PETITIONS government organisations and members of the com- munity. The Speaker: There are no petitions this morning. Mr. Speaker, to specify the details of the scheme, the developer proposes to convert approxi- mately 25 per cent (or 23 acres) of the total acreage of Riddell’s Bay to residential lots, while at the same Bermuda House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 3 July 2020 4329 time converting the remaining 75 per cent of the total Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Yes. Can you hear me, Mr. acreage, 64 acres, to publicly accessible conservation Speaker? areas. Mr. Speaker, the addition of 64 acres of con- servation land is a significant contributing element of The Speaker: Yes. We can hear you. Yes. the scheme. The two conservation lots are split into four categories including nature reserve, open space, Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: I am having some technical recreation and woodland. Notably, the overall size of difficulties as well. this conservation area exceeds the size of the majority of government nature reserves and/or national parks The Speaker: Okay. We can hear you. And we can on the Island. see . or, we do not see you in the camera, but we Mr. Speaker, the creation of such conserva- hear you. tion lands will be achieved by way of conditions ap- pended to the Order requiring the implementation of a Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Right. I am trying to turn conservation management plan, a plan which details the camera around. I just cannot figure out how to do the necessary restorative works and planting works, that right now. together with the financial plan for delivery and sub- sequent maintenance thereof. The Speaker: Okay. Mr. Speaker, against the backdrop of the cur- rent challenges being faced by our community, I am [Laughter] certainly proud to introduce such a scheme that rep- resents a significant ecological and social gain for the Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: It is showing through the Island. Further, this is one of the largest single luxury back. But I can continue with my Statement. developments proposed in some time. It has undoubt- edly tremendous potential to inject an estimated $75 The Speaker: Okay. Continue with your Statement, million capital investment into the economy; provide a and we will work with you until you get it solved. much-needed stimulus to various business sectors including construction and landscaping, real estate SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM IN PUBLIC and other retail and service industries; and most im- SCHOOLS—BERMUDA AND GLOBAL STUDIES portantly, provide jobs for Bermudians. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take the oppor- Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Okay. Mr. Speaker, every tunity at this time to thank the developers for under- so often there is a cry from members of our communi- taking such a significant venture to create a luxury ty for the introduction of Black Studies or African Stud- development while creating valuable conservation ies in our schools.