HAMILTON, Bermuda, CMC—Premier David Burt says the ruling Progressive Labour Party (PLP) will unveil its election platform on February 6. The platform will feature measures to help Bermudians address challenges stemming from the cost-of-living crisis.
“While the root causes of these prices are global, the solutions we put forward are local, tailored to the needs of Bermudian families,” Burt told a news conference.
Burt called the February 18 poll, 10 months ahead of the constitutional deadline, and he told reporters that the initiatives would include taking further action to address rising food costs by fostering competition and exploring new ways to deliver affordable options directly to Bermudians, even if it involves supplying the items themselves.
In addition, a new PLP administration will seek to reduce energy taxes by an additional 20 percent in the next budget, bringing the total reduction of government taxes on energy to 80 percent, which he described as “a significant reduction.”
Burt said that the PLP government will be establishing a senior daycare facility that will provide meals and activities, supporting the “sandwiched generation” as well as introducing a free primary care visit for all HIP insurance holders and a specialist visit for those on
“These measures will build on our progress and reflect our commitment because we believe in being clear in our plans and sharing what we’ve done and will do to continue building a fairer Bermuda for all,” Premier Burt told reporters.
The ruling PLP comfortably won the last two general elections in this British Overseas Territory, winning 30 out of the 36 seats in the 2020 snap poll at the height of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Burt, who has signaled this will be his final general election following a change in party leadership, is promising to continue economic development plans and policies to ease the burden on the most vulnerable should his party be re-elected.
The main opposition, One Bermuda Alliance (OBA), has so far named nine candidates for the polls. Opposition Leader Jarion Richardson told a news conference that the team is a “strong, cohesive, and committed group dedicated to the future of our country,” adding that they are “ready to govern on day one.”
However, the PLP has described the OBA’s latest candidate rollout as “yet another display of a party that is fundamentally out of touch, unprepared, and incapable of leading Bermuda forward.”
However, Richardson told reporters that an OBA government will first seek to “ascertain the state of the government’s finances, activities, and standards.
‘We are in a bad place right now because we were well aware that we were going to get audited financial statements going into the budget season, and as it stands right now, we don’t have any information, so we are looking forward to getting access to that as a matter of urgency”.
Richardson recalled that when the OBA government came to office in 2012, it found no funds to pay civil servants. “We want to be in a position to fulfill the commitments made as soon as possible,” he added.
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