Senate the focus of SDO protest today

Environmental campaigners hope to broadcast amplified radio coverage of the debate to hundreds of Bermudians who are expected to maintain a vigil outside the Senate chamber throughout.

Participants in the ‘peaceful demonstration’ are being urged to wear green to show their support for the environment.

With several pressure groups, including the Bermuda Environmental and Sustainability Taskforce and the Citizens Uprooting Racism in Bermuda, encouraging their supporters to attend a large crowd is expected for the debate, which is likely to run long into the night.

Stuart Hayward of BEST urged the group’s supporters to behave civilly amid rumours of a rival demonstration.

“We have been informed that Tuckers Point plans to ferry paid employees of the hotel with placards to the Cabinet Building tomorrow.

“We have not been able to verify this, but in any case we are reminding our supporters that we have invited them to join in a peaceful demonstration and that they should not initiate nor be drawn in to any volatile situations.

“Our presence is solely to support informed debate and decisions by the members of the Senate, not to engage in any confrontational activities, verbal or otherwise.

“We would urge all people who plan to attend to conduct themselves responsibly and with civility.”

Tucker’s Point president Ed Trippe was unavailable for comment yesterday evening, but has given a series of interviews this week urging the public to support the SDO for the sake of tourism in Bermuda.

Mr. Trippe has said the environmental impact of the development would be relatively small and claims a no-vote would be a sign to investors that Bermuda is closed for business.

Mr. Hayward said he was not satisfied with those responses.

He warned that even discounting the 28-acre site around Mangrove Lake that Tucker’s Point had donated to the public, the SDO allowed for 32 acres to be built on.

“That still leaves 32 acres that are going to be transferred from protected conservation land to residential land. Whether they build on it immediately or not, the zoning is going to be gone. The SDO gives them or whoever owns the land in the future permission to build on it.”

Mr. Hayward also repeated calls for financial information about the hotel to be released to politicians. He said the Minister of Environment, Walter Roban, had handed over responsibility for the decision to the legislature but withheld important information.

He said the MPs who had voted for the SDO had done so without the relevant information.

“The Government is taking credit for having brought this SDO to the House of Assembly. They are claiming that as an indication of transparency.

“From a fundamental standpoint of natural justice if you hand someone a decision and you don’t give them the relevant information you prejudice that decision.”

The Ministry of Environment released a statement yesterday responding to the comments and calling for Mr. Hayward to retract them.

“The information which Mr. Hayward has demanded from the Government, including the financial records of Tucker’s Point, are simply not for the Government to provide. 

“What Mr. Hayward requests is neither the finances of Government nor any Government-related body or body funded by the taxpayers’ money — they are those of a privately-owned entity.

“A company’s finances are private. It would be similar to going into a doctor’s office and demanding the private files of its patients be released to the public.”

It added: “The Minister has exceeded his responsibility by tabling the Special Development Order for parliamentary scrutiny and public debate.”