Speeches by N. H. Cole Simons

13 Mar 2019 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

29 words

The PLP started . . . if you read history, if you have been around here as long as I have, this issue has come up before. [Inaudible interjections]

13 Mar 2019 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

67 words

Mr. Speaker, as the former [spokesman] Renee Ming said, in 2003, the PLP Go vernment got rid of the St. George’s municipal tax. That was part of their plan to take more control of the Cor-poration of St. George’ s. Mr. Speaker, if I remember correctly, in 2010 the then Premier Dr. Ewart Brown, he was — Hon. Walter H. …

13 Mar 2019 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

6 words

I have not said anything yet.

13 Mar 2019 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

6 words

Mr. Speaker , Mr. Speaker —

13 Mar 2019 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

5 words

I hear the gentleman’s —

13 Mar 2019 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

36 words

—comment, but that was all part of an overall plan by the PLP Government at that time to make changes to municipalities. [Inaudible interjections] Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: Yes, we did. Yes, we did.

13 Mar 2019 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

24 words

He goes forward. In 2010, the PLP Government then went and had Premier Brown have discussions with his caucus about more aggressive Bills —

13 Mar 2019 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

23 words

And for them to think that this is just beginning is misleading the people of this cou ntry, Mr. Speaker . [Inaudible interjections]

13 Mar 2019 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

89 words

Mr. Speaker, I would like to continue. I have listened intently, again with the Minister saying what he could do, and I would like to repeat what he said. He said, you know, we want to build a mega yacht port, and we want a sustainable man-agement plan for the World Heritage Site. We want to update the amenities. We …

13 Mar 2019 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

5 words

We want more waterfront. [Laughter]

13 Mar 2019 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

3 words

Mr. Speaker —

13 Mar 2019 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

134 words

—with the mandate and the powers already in place by the existing Minister, it can be done, Mr. Speaker . It can be done. Mr. Speaker, in 2010 . . . sorry , 2015, we had the Municipalities Amendment (No. 2) Act and that Act amended the Municipalities Act 1923 . That Act, Mr. Speaker, gave the Minister the ability …

13 Mar 2019 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

21 words

So, whatever the Minister is trying to do now, he already has that ability with the existing legislation, Mr. Speaker .

13 Mar 2019 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

8 words

So, what is the problem, Mr. Speaker ?

13 Mar 2019 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

23 words

Mr. Speaker, that 2015 amendment provides the Minister with robust powers of oversight in respect of the municipalities, Mr. Speaker . [Inaudible interjections]

13 Mar 2019 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

3 words

Mr. Speaker —

13 Mar 2019 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

111 words

—you know, I do not deny that the Corporations have had their problems. But I do not see how and why these amendments t hat we are going to put in place now are going to improve the problems that we have because, quite frankly, if we were committed to addressing those problems, they would have been addressed, Mr. Speaker …

13 Mar 2019 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

32 words

They have always wanted the waterfront — POINT OF ORDER [Imputing improper motives ] Hon. Walter H. Roban: Point of order, Mr. Speaker . The Honourable Member is imputing improper m otives.

13 Mar 2019 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

32 words

Mr. Speaker, I shall continue. Mr. Speaker, we have the West End Deve lopment Corporation and the Bermuda Land Development Corporation. Hon. Zane J. S. De Silva: How is that working out?

13 Mar 2019 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

119 words

Mr. Speaker, and the legisl ation that we have in place basically is similar to those and the functioning and governance of those entities. So, again, Mr. Speaker, we need to be cognisant of what the real motivation is, Mr. Speaker . There has been talk about land grabs and more control but, Mr. Speaker, I think one of the …