Speeches by Dr. Douglas De Couto, JP, MP

13 Dec 2023 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

30 words

I will respectfully respect your ruling on that, Madam President. I disagree with the Minister. I do not think he answered the question. QUESTION 2: TRAVEL ITINERARY OF CABINET MINISTERS

13 Dec 2023 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

346 words

So, for each trip in Question 1, would the Honourable Minister please inform the Senate of the purpose and outcome, including key meetings and attendees ? Now, I would stipulate that that has been answered. But because I did not know the outcome of Question 1, I could not say ahead of time that that question would be answered. But …

13 Dec 2023 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

1,331 words

Perhaps the Minister could explain which Ministry it is and why they have not updated the travel calendar? I am sure the people, whose money is being spent on the travel, would appreciate to know. Thank you, Madam President. Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: The Ministry in question is the Ministry of Finance. And I cannot speak to why it …

13 Dec 2023 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

2,145 words

We are quite pleased to see it resolved on behalf of the Gibbons family, I think as many people were relieved to hear. I do have to say, though, I am surprised it took so long to resolve. We have seen how fast this Government can move when they want to, and I am thinking about things like in some …

13 Dec 2023 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

1,184 words

Thank you, Madam President, and thank you again to the Junior Minister. Let me say first that I am just going to declare an interest here. I do have an interest in property in Hamilton, although not within this EEZ. By the way, for the listening public, that is public information. You can find that on the parliament.bm website, but …

13 Dec 2023 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

1,732 words

Thank you, Madam President. It actually connects with Senator Wight’s comment. There will be businesses that will get a land tax break or a break on customs duty that are already, I would say, long- existing. From the street, you know, they seem like pretty big, successful businesses in the Bermudian context that I would not have naturally thought needed …

13 Dec 2023 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

1,667 words

Thank you, Madam President. Perhaps a bit more of a technical question, but let us say . . . this question, well . . . excuse me. Thank you to the Junior Minister also for the explanations. I apologise. And I also inadvertently did not appropriately call out her title earlier. So, for that I apologise to you, Minister. Let …

13 Dec 2023 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

6,656 words

Thank you, Madam President. As always at this time of year there have been many things to talk about. But I would just focus on one very specific thing. I just wanted to send best wishes to our young sailors competing in Brazil at the World Youth Sailing Championship, PJ Rodriguez and Chris-tian Ebbin. I believe they are having a …

13 Dec 2023 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

2,702 words

Thank you very much, Madam President. Much appreciated. This travel thing has got me in a tizzy, Madam President. I do a lot of it for work. I have been looking through the travel calendar, the items in the travel calendar. Of course, those are not the items that we talked about in the prior questions, just to be clear. …

13 Dec 2023 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

18 words

Point of order, Madam President. Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: Not one, Madam President— POINT OF ORDER [Misleading]

13 Dec 2023 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

459 words

[The Honourable Minister] is misleading the Senate. The Finance Minister’s travel was not included. Thank you, Madam President. Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: Madam President, of the ones that are there, the Senator will see that not one of the Progressive Labour Party Ministers who have travelled . . . he can go back to 2017, that is the beauty. …

29 Nov 2023 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

1,516 words

Thank you, Madam President, and I want to thank the Minister for bringing this Statement to us. I was certainly heartened to see a strengthening of the project management function. Clearly, anything that is going to improve the efficiency of the people’s money being spent is welcomed by the One Bermuda Alliance. I do have a question. On page 2 …

29 Nov 2023 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

7 words

Madam President. The President: Senator De Couto.

29 Nov 2023 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

15 words

If I may comment, to be frank I disagree with the Senator’s view on that.

29 Nov 2023 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

408 words

Sorry. Excuse me. I apologise. I disagree with the Minister’s view on that, and I happen to know that there is quite a large demand from the public for the answer to these questions, such as — Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Madam President, first of all, I do not even know which he is referring …

29 Nov 2023 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

17 words

Thank you, Madam President. I obviously cannot — Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: No. You cannot debate.

29 Nov 2023 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

29 words

—comment on that. But the Minister must understand that the Government’s re-fusal to confirm or deny about this — Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: Madam President, point of order.

29 Nov 2023 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

146 words

—would lead people to infer it must be. Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: Point of order, Madam President. The President: There is a point of order. What is your point of order, Minister? POINT OF ORDER Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: I have asked that you, Madam President, respectfully, rule on the Standing Order that I stated in regard to …

29 Nov 2023 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

69 words

Thank you for your indulgence, Madam President. I would note that the first question refers to any attacks over the prior three years. 44 29 November 2023 Official Hansard Report Bermuda Senate Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: Madam President. Madam President, he is going into the questions that I have respectfully asked that we go to Standing Order 65(4)(f). And …

29 Nov 2023 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

15 words

No, no. I — Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: That is wholly inappropriate, Madam President.