PLP to OBA: "Stop inventing numbers"

SUNDAY, JAN. 20: On the same day that the OBA Chairman sent an unsolicited political email to Bermudians that contained fairy-tale numbers; Premier Cannonier released a statement from Government that repeats these same fictitious numbers. The PLP would like to correct the record, which is available for the OBA Chairman and the Hon. Premier to read on the Ministry of Finance website. The Hon. Premier and the OBA Chairman have said, “In 2010/11, the previous Government spent upwards of $100 million a year on consultants.” However the figures on the government website show that figure to be a fabrication. The correct figure from the year referenced is $50.7 Million. Furthermore that figure was reduced to $33 Million the following year.

Though we understand that the OBA is anxious to justify their awarding of lucrative consulting contracts, we would advise as their campaign promises guaranteed, that all decisions would be transparent, justifiable and absent of cronyism. As our Leader, the Hon. Marc Bean, has stated unequivocally, we will not object just to object. In the same vein, we ask that the OBA does not use inaccurate information to justify their actions. This for all Bermudians is a slippery slope. We ask the OBA, as the current government of Bermuda, to stand by their campaign promises and not use unfounded and spurious information to justify their actions. We, the Progressive Labour Party, stand by our Leader’s commitment to work with the current government when their agenda is in the best interest of all stakeholders in Bermuda. But we will not accept efforts that further an atmosphere that is not conducive to bipartisanship and acts to further polarize our country.