Opinion Article: Michael M. Fahy JP, International Business on a Knife Edge, 5 August 2010
Michael M. Fahy JP – Chairman Bermuda Democratic Alliance
Royal Gazette 5 August 2010
Over the past number of months, members of the Bermuda Democratic Alliance have been meeting with members of the International Business (IB) community to get a sense of how the industry, which is Bermuda's biggest employer and driver of our economy, views Bermuda as a jurisdiction. What we have heard is nothing short of disappointing. Sadly there has been a common thread through the commentary. Summarised below are the four main points which have consistently arisen in these conversations:
Silent exodus of jobs
As I have stated on a number of occasions, there is a consistent trickle of jobs leaving Bermuda to other jurisdictions. This was reflected in the 2009 employment briefs which showed that IB employment had declined by seven percent. For anyone in international business, all you need to do is look around. The guest workers tend to disappear first and as such most Bermudians don't see the true extent of the problem – hence the "silent exodus".
The Bermuda Democratic Alliance has much to be proud of concerning it's performance within the House of Assembly this past Friday.
First I must say "Well Done" to our MP's Donte Hunt, Mark Pettingill and Shawn Crockwell on their tireless efforts and dedication to representing the Bermuda Democratic Alliance concerning the recent Municipalities bill. Having experienced and shared your passion, then to watch you agonize over a bill that clearly caused many discomfort and even pain, it was good to have shared the time with you.
Over the last two days representatives of the Bermuda Democratic Alliance have met with both the Corporation of Hamilton and the Minister in charge of the Municipalities Bill, Minister Zane DeSilva, to try and find some common ground between the parties and to obtain a fuller understanding of the Bill. What is clear is that there is a lot of ambiguity created on both sides.
After much discussion within our caucus, I can say that my colleagues and I are prepared to support the Bill if the justifiable concerns of the Government are met as well as those concerns of the Corporation. We need some open dialogue and collaboration. We recommend that the Government temporarily withdraw the Bill until such talks occur and should no agreement be reached the Bill be re-tabled in November as is. We believe that common ground can be found given our discussions with the two parties.
Opinion Article: Scott Leitch, Some New Points Please?, 21 July 2010
Some new points, please!
July 14, 2010
Dear Sir,
I wish to respond to the almost carbon copied arguments made my Robert Davies. Over the last few weeks he has been making more vocal posts in both the Royal Gazette and the BDA's Facebook page. His self-appointed notion that he has the BDA "scrambling for answers" is, as he says, "hogwash". The BDA have given their answers, and Mr. Davies assumes that by writing the same questions in either entire capital letters, or in more locations, that the answers will change.
Opinion Article: Michael M. Fahy JP, BDA provides the option of not voting along racial lines, 21 July 2010
Michael M. Fahy JP – Chairman Bermuda Democratic Alliance
Bermuda Sun 21 July 2010
On 16th July 2010, the Premier’s race consultant, Rolfe Commission said as follows:
“If they (whites) continue to exhibit such behaviour (regarding voting on racial lines), they then have no right to lecture us (blacks) on the voting behaviour and political preferences of over two thirds of those black Bermudians voters who do vote for the PLP; while remaining silent on the fact that after more than four decades of modern electoral politics in Bermuda, virtually every white voter, who does vote, votes UBP, and has been doing so throughout this period. A fact that Messrs. Moniz, Dunkley, Gibbons and Fahy of the BDA, the most ardent proponents of this view, are apparently still not prepared to accept.”
I have to take issue with this remark from Mr. Commissiong. I have fully accepted and stated on record (before Mr Commission made the aforementioned comment) in a number of forums including radio that the way in which voting has happened in Bermuda since the formation of the PLP and UBP is wrong. I have said as recently as today (16 July) in a radio interview with the Captain on Mix 106 that seeing zero percent of whites voting PLP is wrong. I have also said it is wrong that over 90% of whites vote UBP. Perhaps Mr Commissiong just prefers not to hear what I have been saying on this. Perhaps I and my BDA colleagues that were once UBP have not been clear enough about why we left the UBP. If the BDA ends up simply being an all white party as Mr Commissiong insinuates, then the BDA will have failed to bring about a full alliance of support from across the racial divide and change the face of Bermuda politics. None of us in the BDA want to fail.
We pledge to provide the people of Bermuda with a Government that stands for:
• Equality of opportunity
• Social and economic justice
• Fiscal responsibility
• Security and safety
• Environmental sustainability
• Transparency, honesty and fairness in government for the benefit of all of Bermuda’s people
Contact Info Bermuda Democratic Alliance
P.O. BOX HM 1940
Hamilton HM HX
Bermuda
