Speeches by Dr. Douglas De Couto, JP, MP

21 Nov 2022 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

1,119 words

I was talking about accountability being the flip side of independence, Madam President, and that this Government on a regular basis evades, avoids, makes excuses and disregards accountability. And I am going to give a pretty big example. If you remember, at the beginning of this year, Madam President, we talk ed about the Fairmont Southampton Hotel Act. And one …

12 Oct 2022 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

155 words

Thank you, Madam President. I definitely applaud this initiative, and I would actually like to contrast [it to] the initiative we heard about last week, which was also referred to in the Statement, with freezing the price at the pump. We know that the price controls that the Government did with those gas prices then had to be fixed with …

12 Oct 2022 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

18 words

I would like to understand how long those renovations might take. The President: That is your second question.

12 Oct 2022 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

17 words

Oh, yes. The President: Yes. Carry on. QUESTION 3: BERMUDA HOUSING CORPORATION RESIDENTIAL RENTAL UNIT RENOVATION PROGRAMME

12 Oct 2022 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

1,151 words

And then my last question would be with respect to building affordable housing. We know that the Government, this PLP Gover nment, has done that in the past with the Grand Atla ntic, for example, which did not result in affordable housing that was taken up by anybody. And I would like to understand, What were the lessons learned so …

12 Oct 2022 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

23 words

Thank you, Madam President. I believe I have an outstanding question with respect to the — The President: This is your third question?

12 Oct 2022 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

7 words

Yes. The President: Would you repeat it?

12 Oct 2022 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

3,829 words

Yes. It was with respect to the building programme, to build affordable units for sale, if I said that correctly. And my question is, Given that the Government has done these initiativ es in the past and nobody has bought them at the prices that they were able to be sold for, what were the lessons learned that will make …

12 Oct 2022 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

149 words

Thank you, Madam President. I think we can all agree this is a vital and urgent problem for the Island, and in fact it is a similar problem around the world. I was reading about it with respect to the United States in the New York Times yesterday. So we definitely need this to be successful for everybody here in …

12 Oct 2022 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

17 words

May I have a suppl ementary? The President: You have a supplementary question? Yes, you may. SUPPLEMENTARY

12 Oct 2022 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

1,627 words

Based on the Junior Minister’s response, should we understand that things are progress ing, still progressing and on track accor ding to the timeline published last year? Thank you, Madam President. The President: Thank you. [Pause] Sen. Arianna Hodgson: Madam President. The President: Yes, Senator Hodgson. Sen. Arianna Hodgson: The short answer to Senator De Couto’s question is yes. We …

12 Oct 2022 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

708 words

Thank you, Madam President. I think this Bill is welcome. I understand when people have to fill out these payroll tax returns that it can be quite a lot of head- scratching and quite a lot of discussion as to the treatment of various items. And I am glad to see this clarification. I wish the Government could have gone …

12 Oct 2022 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

182 words

Thank you, Madam President. It was sections 2(b) and 3(d), so I think they are related to the health insurance and social insurance payments is my understanding. But I want to understand why there may be a delay there. It may be a technicality, but I just would appreciate understanding it. Thank you. Sen. Arianna Hodgson: Regarding the changes for …

12 Oct 2022 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

1,711 words

Thank you. That was enlightening. Sen. Arianna Hodgson: Regarding the general questions also asked by Senator Smith and Senator De Couto, the answer is that we will continue, again, to protect the workers. So we have had the convers a-tion, and I am sure the efforts are ongoing to best pr otect our workers within the hospitality field. The President: …

12 Oct 2022 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

694 words

Thank you, Madam President. In general, we do support and welcome this Bill. We fully support anything that will encourage homeownership, which is noted as one road to buil ding wealth, especially intergenerational wealth, and providing housing sec urity. So, I am very glad to see this and to note that it does seem to fix what in effect was …

12 Oct 2022 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

2,874 words

Thank you, Madam President. I do not think my questions were answered, my questions regarding timelines and resourcing to enable this to become effective for the Bermudian public. [Pause] The President: Senator Hodgson, are you able to obtain that answer now, or do you want more time and you can get it at the end of the session? Sen. Arianna …

12 Oct 2022 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

137 words

Thank you, Madam President. That was quite a wide- ranging brief. And I hope, Madam President, you will permit me the lat itude to address the many numerous topics which were covered by the Junior Minister’s brief with r espect to this legislation. But I am sure you will let me know if you disagree. The first thing I can …

12 Oct 2022 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

43 words

—and finally we are pleased to see— The President: Senator De Couto, do you accept a point of information? 684 12 October 2022 Official Hansard Report Bermuda Senate Sen. Dr. Douglas De Couto: No, I will not, Madam President. The President: Carry on.

12 Oct 2022 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

3,115 words

So it is nice to finally see the PLP Government agree with the OBA instead of trying to explain to the Bermudian public why the price increases that they have felt everywhere are not actually happening. So I thank you for that. I am in agreement with you on that. But I would [ask], Is this Government doing all that …

12 Oct 2022 Senate

Official Hansard Report - Senate

823 words

Thank you, Madam President. Along with my colleague, the direction of this Bill and the sentiment, I am certainly in agreement with. I must admit that I am puzzled procedurally. I feel like we have seen some questions . . . I do not know what it means for the Ministry to take something “under advisement” and possibly change the …