Members
Parliament
Transparency

Ernest Peets

588
Speeches
475,758
Words Spoken
44
Sittings Active
26 Jul 2021 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
233 words
Thank you, Madam President. The response to said question: The National Sports Centre Board of Trustees agreed to accept the Bermuda Senate HSBC financing and terms at its meeting dated May 20, 2021. The President: Thank you. Is there a response ? Supplementary questions for the Gover nment? SUPPLEMENTAR IES Sen. Ben Smith: Yes. Thank you and good morning, Madam …
26 Jul 2021 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
17 words
Is there a second supplementary question? The President: Senator Ben Smith, do you have a second supplementary?
26 Jul 2021 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
52 words
I will answer both. Sen. Ben Smith: Yes, Madam President. So my second supplementary will be, This being approved, was this the original contract that had been approved in 2018 that is now being approved in 2021? And if that is different, please explain why it did not go back to tender.
26 Jul 2021 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
197 words
Thank you, Senator, and thank you, Madam President. The reply to the first question, which was, Would the Minister be minded to table the minutes from May 20, or the minutes, I would imagine, surrounding this particular decision? I have made no such decision at this time. But I will certainly take that under advisement. And if needed or if …
26 Jul 2021 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
255 words
Yes, thank you. In response to Senator Jones’s supplementary question, I cannot speak for the overall practice for the civil service and for the Government. I can say in this particular circumstance, the contract was not put out for tender. The financing arrangements were vetted by the Ministry of Finance, and they were supported by the Attorney General’s Chambers, as …
26 Jul 2021 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
271 words
Madam President, I was taking some notes so I can better understand the Senator’s question. If I fail to answer the question a ppropriately, I certainly do apologise. I can try to repeat what I think I heard. The first question I think the Senator was r eferring to was whether or not the chairman was a pproved to sign …
26 Jul 2021 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
8 words
Thank you, Madam President. The President: Minister Peets.
26 Jul 2021 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
131 words
In response, the HSBC facility letter is signed by the National Sports Centre Chairman and the Minister of Finance on the basis of the board of trustees’ approval, dated the 20 th of May 2021, and approval from the Minister of Youth, Culture and Sport in accordance with section 10(3) of the National Sports Centre Trustees Act. The President: Thank …
26 Jul 2021 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
39 words
Thank you, Madam President. The supplementary question from the Senator on the floor is for the Minister to confirm whether or not the NSC Chair was a signator on the contract? Do I understand that correctly? The President: Yes.
26 Jul 2021 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
92 words
Yes. Bermuda Senate The NSC Chair was a signator on the contract for this particular project. The President: Thank you, Minister Peets. Do you have a supplementary, Senator Ben Smith? [No audible response] The President: Would any other Senator care to ask supplementary questions? Senator Robin Tucker, you have the floor. SUPPLEMENTARY Sen. Robin Tucker: Thank you, Madam President. My …
26 Jul 2021 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
182 words
Point of clarity. The President: Minister Peets. POINT OF CLARIFICATION Sen. the Ho n. Dr. Ernest Peets: I think there may have been a misunderstanding. The previous question by Senator Smith and the second question by the Senator do not seem to be the same question. And if I am misunderstanding, I certainly apologise and I cer-tainly want to make …
26 Jul 2021 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
138 words
Thank you, Madam President. There is a clerical problem as it relates to a particular date. There is a facility letter that was signed by the chairman on the 19 th. That date is act ually incorrect. That is a typographical error; it should have been the 20 th. The President: Thank you, Minister Peets. Do you have a supplementary, …
26 Jul 2021 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
306 words
Madam President, the management accounts for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2021, show a deficit of approximately $1.7 million. The management accounts for the most r ecent quarter ending the 30 th of June 2021 show a net loss of $20,000. The cost of electricity for the NSC would typically range somewhere between $45,000 and $50,000 per month. The …
26 Jul 2021 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
162 words
The interest for the loan, there has been a grant supplied by the Bermuda Government in the financing deal for the NSC project to account for the loan interest. The monies saved from BELCO regarding the monthly bill will go towards repaying the loan with HSBC. The President: Thank you, Minister Peets. Would any other Senator care to ask a …
26 Jul 2021 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
295 words
I do apologise. My microphone was turned off. Right now what we can share, and share with a great deal of confidence, is that this $3.2 million loan has a five- year term, with about six months of interest, which is being funded by a special grant, which I had mentioned earlier. And as I indicated earlier, the BELCO bills …
26 Jul 2021 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
99 words
Madam President, earlier in this parliamentary session, the Ministry pr esented the audited financials for the NSC. And as such, that information is in the public domain. At the moment I still do not have readily accessible to me the monthly estimates around revenue for the NSC, based on the previous question. The President: Thank you, Minister Peets. Would any …
26 Jul 2021 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
78 words
Yes, Madam Pres ident. The President: Senator Jones, you can ask your clarification question. POINT OF CLARIFICATION Sen. Marcus Jones: Thank you. Minister Peets, can you confirm or deny that 2016 is the [year of the] most recent audited financial statements that we have on record for the NSC? I know you were saying it is in the public domain. …
26 Jul 2021 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
167 words
Madam President, I do not have that information directly in front of me, but as I mentioned we did table the audited financials for Bermuda Senate the NSC in this recent parliamentary session. I would suggest anyone w ho is looking for specific information to access that publicly through their tablets. I can suggest to the Senator this morning r …
26 Jul 2021 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
244 words
Yes. We are certai nly very, very invested in this particular project. This project is absolutely necessary. The problem that we have of course is that the current BELCO usage for this particular facility, which is our primary sporting facility, is something that is not sustainable. As such, the NSC has worked extremely hard to get to this point, and …
26 Jul 2021 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
5,550 words
Sure. The bidding process for this project took place a number of years ago, perhaps over three years ago. That process was very, very extensive and very, very, very thorough. ASG was awarded the contract based on the fact that it was peer -reviewed and [deemed] to be the best project for the NSC. At this date and at this …