Members
Parliament
Transparency
Dr. Douglas De Couto, JP, MP

Dr. Douglas De Couto, JP, MP

1768
Speeches
616,883
Words Spoken
69
Sittings Active
27 Mar 2023 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
1,794 words
Thank you, Madam President. I would like to acknowledge that this is a difficult topic. There are some people who are concerned about the housing availability in Bermuda and what Airbnbs do for that. But, Madam President, if we look around at the country right now, we are down, we ar e missing hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of hotel …
27 Mar 2023 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
19 words
Point of order. Point of order, Madam President. The President: Senator De Couto, what is your point of order?
27 Mar 2023 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
1,197 words
What is this factual information regarding excessive profits that the Senator is referring to? The President: Senator De Couto, that is not a point of order. Minister Darrell, carry on. Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: I can tell you what is not a fact . Very shortly we are going to get another bill from Skyport to add to the …
27 Mar 2023 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
448 words
Thank you, Madam President. First off, I want to reiterate the One Bermuda Alliance’s support for the success of this hotel project which, despite what some people would have said a year ago, has always been our message as this is a Bermuda Senate critical component for our economy, for our jobs and for tourism. As you recall, Madam President, …
27 Mar 2023 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
50 words
Thank you, Madam President. ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT SENATE VISITORS The President: Before you do, can I just acknowledge the presence in the Gallery of the Minister of Tourism, Vance Campbell, and his Permanent Secretary, Mr. Lamb. Welcome, gentlemen. Carry on. [Fairmont Southampton Hotel Act 2023, second reading debate, continuing]
27 Mar 2023 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
176 words
Thank you, Madam President. So let me just recap the point I am trying to make here with some examples. I am explaining why we in the Opposition support providing this financial benefit to the developer, Gencom, through the concept of a rebate versus an upfront relief because it provides better risk management for the people of Bermuda. And I …
27 Mar 2023 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
16 words
Excuse me, Madam President. I would appreciate it if the Senator would— The President: Minister Darrell.
27 Mar 2023 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
476 words
So, Madam President, what I am saying is that these things I am about to say are not just my opinion. They have been shared with me by others. And they are also available in the public domain. And that is the fact . . . that is the view of many, including mys elf and many of my colleagues …
23 Mar 2023 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
156 words
Thank you, Madam Chairman. I did want to follow up on the questions of staffing. It is probably related. At page B -157, Head 22, I see that the total number of budgeted staff, full -time equivalents, is 290 which although only plus -five, or 2 per cent, from the last year’s budget is in fact 50- plus people. Frankly, …
23 Mar 2023 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
167 words
Hi, Madam Chairman. I would actually like to pick up Senator Wight’s question, and I am probably going to recast it in a way that I hope you will find permissible for this debate. I know that we have selected some heads, but I am sure that anything that is on the Ministry overview page would be well within debate. …
22 Mar 2023 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
240 words
Thank you, Madam President. I would like to echo my colleague’s point. I am very pleased to see this initiative. And also, looking at some of the names of the people involved, I can see some talented and experienced people will be there to lend their guidance. As you know, I am a firm believer in how can we stimulate …
22 Mar 2023 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
306 words
Thank you, Madam Chairman. Let me see what stories I can pull up. You know, my father used to always say, They can take your money. They can take your things. But they cannot take your education. And he was born in 1927, so that was his mind- set. And I know that Senator Darrell referred to Senator Wight’s green- …
22 Mar 2023 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
8 words
Point of order, Mr. Chairman. POINT OF ORDER
22 Mar 2023 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
21 words
I believe we may have already heard this part of the brief. Am I recollecting correctly? Sen. Leslie Robinson: Mr. Chairman.
22 Mar 2023 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
152 words
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will start with some questions that relate to the BEDC brief and, therefore, I guess we would access them via the capital grant item. My first question is, How much money has been spent to date on the vertical farming initiative, and with who and how has it been spent? My next question would be …
22 Mar 2023 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
76 words
How much money has been spent to date on that project, with whom or which business and for what purpose? I have a question on the FinTech unit. Now, that wasn’t called out as a line item but we were notified yesterday that this has now been moved f rom the Cabinet Office to Economic Development. I would like to …
22 Mar 2023 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
8 words
For the FinTech unit. Sen. Leslie Robinson: Okay.
22 Mar 2023 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
48 words
I switched to page B -193. There is a Digital Leadership line item 104100 under the revenues. It was $1.771 million in 2021/22. I would like to understand where that has disappeared to, because it has now gone down to zero. Sen. Leslie Robinson: Can you repeat that?
22 Mar 2023 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
39 words
Yes, at the top of page B-193, business unit 104100, there is a unit titled Digital Leadership and I presume safety and security, [it shows] $1.771 million was spent in 2021/22, and it is now— Sen. Leslie Robinson: Zero.
22 Mar 2023 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
12 words
Going forward it has been set to zero. Sen. Leslie Robinson: Okay.