Speeches by Dr. Douglas De Couto, JP, MP

11 Dec 2024 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

4 words

I have an objection,

11 Dec 2024 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

84 words

To the motion that the Bill do pass. Thank you, Madam President. The President: Would any other Senator like to speak? Senator Robinson. Sen. Dwayne Robinson: Madam President, I second that. Thank you. The President: We have three— Senator Tucker. Sen. Robin Tucker: Yes, thank you, Madam President. I object as well. The President: It appears we have three objections …

11 Dec 2024 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

4,522 words

Thank you, Madam President. First, I just want to send out my condolences to the family of Keith Tacklyn, who has recently passed away. I worked with Keith for many years at Renais-sance Reinsurance. He was a gentleman who always had a smile, was friendly. I really enjoyed chatting w ith him. Even though he may have had some various …

25 Sep 2024 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

48 words

Thank you, Madam President. And thank you for your considered ruling. Would you allow me to just make few statements of fact for the record with respect to the timing of the questions and the Government response? The President: You may , as long as it is brief.

25 Sep 2024 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

4,728 words

Yes. Just for the record the questions were submitted last Monday to provide ample time for any consideration and feedback that we might get to them. And my understanding is that the Government’s concern [over] the questions was made very late yesterday. So you can understand, Madam President, we did not have time to reconsider and adjust them as appropriate. …

25 Sep 2024 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

1,735 words

Thank you, Madam President. And thank you, Senator, for that brief. That was some good information in there. Those of us in the OBA who are knocking on doors and trying to win the support of people are inun-dated, as I am sure those in the PLP are, with comments and questions from seniors, former public servants, [and] former members …

25 Sep 2024 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

1,123 words

Thank you, Madam President. I would like to ask a clarifying question with regard to the Senator’s statement that the Pension Re-form Committee is still progressing the work of the Pub-lic Service Superannuation Fund, the public servant pension. My understanding, what I had heard, I w ould like her to confirm if I heard it correctly, is that a proposed …

25 Sep 2024 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

73 words

Thank you, Madam President. We were just talking about the pensions increases and that was a hot topic on people’s minds and on their wallets. And clearly as the temperature gets hotter, the BELCO bills get hotter. And so, this is also a very hot topic. Now, it is a little bit of a technical topic, and I am not …

25 Sep 2024 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

112 words

—and I picked through my BELCO bills to run some numbers. So, if you don’t mind, I might just try to provide a little more detail on some of the moving pieces of this because the fuel adjustment rates is a component of the Bill which includes the impact of the Government taxes on BELCO that this is reducing. But …

25 Sep 2024 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

6,392 words

Thank you, Madam President. So, the Bill is broken out in what we will call a variable part and a fixed part. So, first of all, everyone is paying $30- odd a month just for having your connection. Okay? That is the facilities charge. From July to August, that went up 13 per cent. It does not matter how much …

25 Sep 2024 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

2,080 words

Thank you, Madam President. Obviously, I would like to associate myself with the condolences to the Simmons family. I would also like to congratulate the Bermuda Robotics Team which is at the International Robotics Challenge over in Greece right now. So, I want to wish them a lot of luck. And I did have some sports -related ones, but I …

24 Jul 2024 Senate

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44 words

Thank you, Madam President, and thank you for the Statement. It referred to the review of the Cybersecurity Unit in late 2022. Would the Junior Minister be able to summarise the output of that review? QUESTION 2: BUILDING A SECURE AND SAFE COMMUNITY TOGETHER

24 Jul 2024 Senate

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699 words

And my second question would be, Given the cyber attack that happened in late 2023, was there a further review of the unit and the outcomes that could be shared with us? Thank you, Madam President. The President: Thank you, Senator De Couto. Would any other Senator care to ask questions on this Statement? Senator Tucker, you have the floor. …

24 Jul 2024 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

95 words

Thank you, Madam President. And you will be glad to see the increases for the seniors. I noted that in the Statement, for anybody receiving a contributory pension, aka social insurance (let me use that phrasing), the Statement did say that there would not be increases in the payment into the fund. Clearly from the prior actuarial review in 2020, …

24 Jul 2024 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

215 words

And (2) There was a reform announced last April that was supposed to happen during 2023; what is the status of that pension reform for social insurance? Thank you, Madam President. The President: Thank you, Senator De Couto. Would any other Senator care to ask questions on this Statement? Senator Dwayne Robinson, you have the floor. QUESTION 1: KEEPING OUR …

24 Jul 2024 Senate

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17 words

Madam President, may I ask a follow -up? The President: Senator De Couto, yes, you may. SUPPLEMENTARY

24 Jul 2024 Senate

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1,000 words

If the Senator has completed her answer . . . I was not sure. Does the Government have a date in mind for when it will release the intended reforms for social insurance and when it will release the actuarial review? Thank you. [Pause] The President: Senator John Wight, you have the floor. QUESTION 1: KEEPING OUR PROMISES TO BERMUDA’S …

24 Jul 2024 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

4,150 words

Thank you, Madam President, and thank you to the Junior Minister for the presentation. 594 24 July 2024 Official Hansard Report Bermuda Senate We in the OBA are supporting this Bill, but with some important reservations that I would like to discuss and seek clarification on. We recognise the importance of this Agency (i.e., the Corporate Income Tax Agency) being …

24 Jul 2024 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

2,787 words

Thank you, Madam President. I would like to associate myself with Senator Tucker’s comments regarding Sinclair Woolridge, his passing. I would also like to send condolences to the family of Sheila Nicholl, to her husband Steve, and their sons. Ms. Nicholl, there is quite a good writ e-up today on it. There is a lot to say, but for me …

24 Jul 2024 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

90 words

Thank you, Madam President. I will necessarily structure my remarks into two disjoint sections. So, I hope you will indulge me. Doom and gloom, Madam President, doom and gloom. Some-times things are what they are. The people are going through what they are going through. The experience that they are experiencing is what it is, and we must not hide …