Members
Parliament
Transparency

David A. Burch

2662
Speeches
473,714
Words Spoken
134
Sittings Active
24 Nov 2023 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
151 words
It is the best result for Government . I can tell you the disbelief that I had when I learned that, one, there was somebody who owned a piece of property that separated two golf courses; and, two, that we had given a lease to Hotelco that excluded that and it just didn’t make any sense to me. So, the …
24 Nov 2023 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
6 words
Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker .
24 Nov 2023 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
4 words
Mr. Deputy Speaker —
24 Nov 2023 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
36 words
Yes. There is a saying that the Opposition has its way . . . sorry, the Opposition has its say, but the Government has its way. You are familiar with that saying, Mr. Deputy Speaker ?
24 Nov 2023 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
41 words
I think that probably only you and I would be familiar with that saying. I don’t know whether it was coined by him, but he used it an awful lot during his time as the longest serving Premier in this country.
24 Nov 2023 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
40 words
That is right. Mr. Deputy Speaker, he used it. I wasn’t in Parliament, but I was in Youth Parliament and so I followed things at that time. I know he used it a lot when Dame Lois Browne- Evans —
24 Nov 2023 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
51 words
—and L. Frederick Wade were Opposition Leaders. Whenever they had anything to say, he said, You can have your say, but the Government has its way . Mr. Deputy Speaker, that is the premise under which I serve as a Minister, and I encourage my parliamentary colleagues to do the same.
24 Nov 2023 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
46 words
I am probably . . . I have served in every PLP Cabinet since the year 2000. So, I have seen the operation of all five of our PLP Premiers. I was in Montego Bay on 2 July 2003 when Bermuda became a member of CARICOM—
24 Nov 2023 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
58 words
—accompanying then Premier Jennifer Smith. Twenty years ago, Mr. Deputy Speaker . Many people would not know why it was Jamaica and why it was 2003 because we have certainly had that aim as an exercise when we first won the Government . The Prime Minister of Jamaica at the time was The Most Honourable P. J. Patterson.
24 Nov 2023 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
97 words
He took an interest in the then Bermuda Premier, the first PLP Premier, and helped to guide and lead that process. He wanted Bermuda to join CARICOM in Jamaica, and that is why it was Montego Bay in July of 2003. This week, Mr. Deputy Speaker, we have heard some of the same cries that were uttered 20 years ago …
24 Nov 2023 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
17 words
—while setting up businesses and a lot of those countries are making a whole lot of money.
24 Nov 2023 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
9 words
But we could not participate with our Caribbean colleagues.
24 Nov 2023 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
7 words
You haven’t put the clock on —
24 Nov 2023 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
39 words
Thank you. Mr. Deputy Speaker, so . . . we get treated like we have amnesia because during the five years between 2012 and 2017 . . . Do you remember who the Government was, Mr. Deputy Speaker ?
24 Nov 2023 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
12 words
So do I. Do you remember that their premiers went to CARICOM?
24 Nov 2023 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
18 words
Mr. Deputy Speaker, not that much, I know. But I know that then Premier Dunkley went to CARICOM.
24 Nov 2023 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
22 words
Mr. Deputy Speaker, we have heard this week, or two weeks ago, that we will only make it if we work together.
24 Nov 2023 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
105 words
And there’s an offer, Let’s work together. But the definition of that work together is unworkable, Mr. Deputy Speaker , because their work together means do as I say , because in every other utterance, everything we do is wrong. Everything we do is wrong! Now, we don’t even get the same benefit that a broken clock gets —it is …
24 Nov 2023 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
35 words
Every one of them have been vilified, have been accused of being corrupt, have been accused of being dishonest, have been accused of being incompetent, have [been] accused of not being able to manage anything.
24 Nov 2023 House of Assembly
Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly
10 words
And our history does not even support any of that.