Hamilton East and Paget West candidates announced for OBA

THURSDAY FEB. 9: Former BDA member Peter Barrett is to challenge Deputy Premier Derrick Burgess in the rock-solid PLP seat of Hamilton East.

Mr Barrett, a chartered accountant, was announced as the OBA candidate for the seat today, alongside Patricia Gordon Pamplin, who will defend the Paget West seat she held at the 2007 General Election.

Mr Barrett, a chartered accountant, said he backed an independent Tourism Authority to improve the tourist trade and an independent Contractor General to oversee the awarding of Government contracts.

He added that he also approved of the Boston-pioneered Operation Ceasefire being introduced to the island to cut down on violence.

Mr Barrett added: “All politics is personal – it’s about building trust and I look forward to meeting my constituents and building the kind of partnerships that are going to work for the good of all the people of Hamilton Parish.”

Ms Gordon Pamplin said she was honoured to once again be selected to fight the seat.

She added that the party, if elected, would "reset the moral compass and provide an environment free of the constant distractions that have stopped the current government from focusing on the people’s business."

Ms Gordon Pamplin said: “We will offer prudent use of public funds in providing the programmes that are so desperately needed to bring us back into a proper equilibrium, socially, educationally and racially and you will see open tendering processes to allow fairness in all public dealings.”

Party leader Craig Cannonier, who unveiled the two latest candidates at the OBA headquarters in Hamilton, said, “With Pat and Peter, we have two strong Bermudians who are committed to helping Bermuda work better for the people.”