Premier spills the beans at brown bag lunch

Q. Do you agree with the decriminalisation of cannabis?

A. “We’re sleepy enough. I follow the lead of Jamaica that has more marijuana than most other things. Until they do something, I am prepared to sit and wait. It’s not an urgent issue, there are other things more important, especially as those who are going to smoke do it anyway apparently.”

Why don’t you develop something for us at Morgan’s Point?

“The idea of a (closed in) amphitheatre is on the books. The development is going to be more than you might think, but I can’t say too much more at the moment. Let’s just say it’s not going to be a Tucker’s Town. It’s going to be a resort but not a closed community.”

Are you a religious man? Have your religious beliefs changed before and during your time as Premier?

“I believe in the privacy of religion, I think it’s personal. I believe in the power of prayer. I have come to believe in prayer more than I thought because I am still here.”

Do you believe Bermuda’s real estate is affordable?

“I believe Bermuda’s real estate is affordable to some and unaffordable to others. That’s why government has subsidized housing.”

What advice would you give young people?

“There’s no reason to wait, just because you are young, you can still make plans. If you feel something, go for it. If you have a passion for politics, get involved and work your way inside the system.”

What advice would you give to your successor?

“I’m staying away from the whole issue of my successor. I’m following the advice given to me by P.J. Patterson (the former prime minister of Jamaica) who told me ‘The best thing to do is to move to the pavilion where you can watch the game but you’re not playing.’ I wish my successor all the best, even though I have no idea who it might me.”

What are you going to do now?

“I call it detox. I’m going to go away and travel. I am going to cruise, I will be doing some serious cruising. I am going on a cruise with my brothers and their spouses in the first week of November, then I go to Turks, then I cruise again.”

What would you like your legacy to be?

“Whatever you want it to be. I’d be happy if people said I was accessible, approachable and returned their calls, the rest of it speaks for itself.”

Just a handful of people took up Dr. Ewart Brown’s invitation to join him for an informal lunch at Camden yesterday.

Although numbers were lower than expected, the 15 or so people who were there couldn’t speak highly enough about the man who “has changed Bermuda”.

Edwin Armstrong Snr., who is retired, said he wished Dr. Brown would stay another term in power.

He said: “I like to show my support for the Premier, I am an avid fan of his work. He’s been very busy and has achieved a lot in his short time. I like his aggression and how he always finishes projects that he starts whatever people may say about him. He turns a deaf ear to criticisms. 

“I believe that if we elect someone we should let them do what we elected them to do.”

Robert Harvey, who is also retired, said he was pleased with everything Dr. Brown had done for the island. He said he had attended the brown bag lunch to “support the cause”.

Tea party

He added: “I appreciate the fact that he gets things done. I especially like what he has done for seniors with the travel and the seniors’ tea party.”

BTC worker Roger Lambert said he had “popped along” during his lunch break as he happened to be working in Hamilton. He had planned to present Dr. Brown with a photo album showing highlights of his “good deeds as Premier.”

But Dr. Brown was almost an hour late so Mr. Lambert ended up returning to work before he arrived.

Mr. Lambert said: “When I was out on the boat I took pictures of scenes around Bermuda where the Premier had made a difference.

“Things like the hotels, the new cruise ship berth at Dockyard and the ferries, I just wanted him to have the album as a memento.

“There are some areas where he could have done better, but he’s done very good for the island.”

Lucinda Worrell-Stowe, a life skills teacher at The Educational Centre, said she was one of Dr. Brown’s biggest fans.

She took along two students, a boy aged 16 and a girl aged 13, to “learn about their country.”

The students admitted they didn’t know much about the Premier or what he had done, but said they were happy to be there.