HAMILTON, Bermuda, CMC – Premier David Burt has confirmed that two senior members of his Cabinet, including the Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs and Constitutional Reform, Kathy-Lynn Simmons, have stepped down from their positions.
The other minister to step down is Vance Campbell, the Minister of the Cabinet Office.
“Both Vance and Kathy have been valued members of the Cabinet, bringing their thoughtful advice and counsel to the complex issues that confront Bermuda, which we in the Government are responsible for addressing.
“Seven years after returning to Government and four years into this term, I fully understand and accept when individuals make decisions regarding their continued public service,” Burt said, adding, “This journey is not easy and takes a toll on not just the individual but on families as well.”
Premier Burt respects Campbell and Simmons’ decisions now and” cannot thank them enough for offering themselves for service and wish them both the very best for the future.”
Burt said he would announce later in the week about other changes to ministerial responsibilities.
Opposition Leader Jarion Richardson said that the “sudden” resignation of two Cabinet ministers added to a “growing anxiety in the community.
“We’ve already been told of multiple government Members of Parliament not returning to run in the next General Election, including the Deputy Premier and Minister of Public Works. The sudden loss of an attorney-general, even one mired in controversy, increases instability concerns.”
He said the position of Attorney-General is crucial in combating the rise in violent crime and abysmal road behavior.”
Richardson said Campbell, appointed Minister of the Cabinet Office less than a year ago, had served “such a short period” in the role.
“That said, while we in the Opposition strongly disagreed with some of his policies, he was always professional, considerate, and transparent. His departure from Cabinet will further weaken the already unstable, outgoing Government. “
Simmons became the Attorney-General, Minister of Legal Affairs, and Senate Leader in 2017 following the Progressive Labour Party (PLP) decisive electoral victory in July 2017.
She held her seat in 2020 when she faced off against Marc Bean, a former PLP leader, who ran for Sandys North under the Free Democratic Movement.
She is credited with helping bring child protective services in line with the Lanzarote Convention, an international gold standard for protecting children against sex-based crimes.
She enacted the Child Safeguarding (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 2019, which would see people who committed sex assaults against Bermudian children overseas face prosecution on the island.
She also extended the legal definition of a child to include anyone under the age of 18, removed a statute of limitations around sexual offenses, and allowed child witnesses in court trials to pre-record evidence.
Simmons created the Cannabis Licensing Act 2022, which would have established a licensing authority to give people permission to grow, harvest, and export the drug.
The legislation received considerable approval in the House of Assembly. Still, the Governor, Rena Lalgie, was instructed to refuse the Bill’s consent because it violated drug laws shared between Bermuda and the UK.
Ms Simmons went on to commission a US$50,000 report on Bermuda’s ability to self-govern, which found that the island suffered a “democratic deficiency” and middling self-governance capabilities.
Campbell ran for the constituency of Smith’s West for the PLP in 2012 but lost to the One Bermuda Alliance’s (OBA) Trevor Moniz. He was appointed to the Senate in 2017 and became the MP for Smith’s West in 2020 after running against Vic Ball of the OBA.
He was appointed Minister of Tourism in April 2022 and took control of the Cabinet Office during a ministerial shake-up in October of that year. Campbell assumed oversight of the Department of Planning during a shuffle of ministerial responsibilities last November but was no longer responsible for tourism.
The two government ministers’ departures follow the retirements of several ministers, including Lieutenant-Colonel David Burch, the Minister of Public Works, and Walter Roban, the Deputy Premier.
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