PLP PRESS CONFERENCE REMARKS – JUNE 9TH 2017
OPPOSITION LEADER E. DAVID BURT, JP, MP

With yesterday’s election call, the people can now make their voices heard on July 18th
The OBA called this election to avoid a no confidence vote in the house, so now they must face a no confidence vote by the whole country

The OBA has stood in front of the people and claimed success, all while failing Bermudians

The OBA has spent the last four and a half years working to divide our country and will spend the next 40 days trying to make us all forget about that.

But the people know better. They know that our families cannot withstand another four years of OBA broken promises and failed policies.

Under the OBA, we have lost more than 2,000 jobs.

Under the OBA, our national debt has doubled.

Under the OBA, the gap between the haves and have nots has increased.

Under the OBA, our schools have fallen into disrepair and our children and teachers are suffering.

What their leadership has taught us is that they will say and do anything to grow the divide between the Two Bermudas, because it suits them and their supporters.

But the PLP knows the Bermudian spirit survives their broken promises and lies.

The PLP has always been the party that has worked for the people and we will continue to work tirelessly for you.

A PLP government will promote Bermudian employment by empowering entrepreneurs with a new tax relief system through bipartisan reform.

The next PLP government will implement a fair immigration policy. We know that policies must recognise that the needs of local business are separate and distinct from the needs of international business and we must do everything we can to ensure the success of both. Pathways to Status is not the answer.

Crippling healthcare costs must be brought down for individuals and employers. The PLP is committed to creating incentives to expand competition in the local insurance sector to drive down costs. We must make it more affordable for employers to employ Bermudians. They want their businesses to grow, and so do we.

The PLP will fix our failing public school system by reversing the OBA’s education cuts. No longer will we allow our schools to be mould-infested and unfit for human occupancy. The asphalt has barely dried for Cabinet building renovations, but our Premier calls teachers “mischievous” when they dare to demand better for our students. This is the Two Bermudas. Under the OBA, West Pembroke School – in my constituency - has two working computers for the entire student body.

Under the PLP, we will ensure there is Wi-Fi throughout all public schools and that our students are equipped with the technology they need to advance in the 21st century.

This is our call to all Bermudians: if you are eligible to vote, then please register to do so. It is your right to vote – a right that was hard won.

Only since 1968 have all people had the right to vote. Only since 2003 under a PLP Government, have we had one man, one vote, each vote of equal value, and every Bermudian, regardless of who you vote for, should be proud to be part of the process.

Over the coming 40 days, The PLP team will continue to lay out why this team is the best team to govern Bermuda. My colleagues know that there is hope for Bermuda and that we as a country can do better than we are doing under the OBA. We can build a Bermuda where a senior doesn’t have to choose between her medication and her dinner. We can build a Bermuda where a student can have the resources at school to focus. We can build a Bermuda where a person working a full-time job on a fair wage can afford to live in the country he belongs to.

Two Bermudas exist, but we know that together, with a government that puts Bermudians first, we can break this division. We can bring our county together, we can make public education a priority, we can upgrade the skills of our young men and women, and we reduce the cost of living, and we can ensure out seniors live in dignity.

I’m proud to represent this great party with its rich history, I’m proud work with these great men and women, and I look forward to the next 40 days where we will share our plan for the country and give Bermudians a government that puts them first.