Mailed brochures an example of Govt ‘electioneering’, says OBA MP

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A series of brochures, called ‘Let Us Build One Another, Together’, and mailed to residents this week have been described as Government “electioneering” by OBA MP Mark Pettingill.

But while he called on the ruling Progressive Labour Party to reimburse the public purse for the scheme, Premier Paula Cox said the brochures were just part of the Government’s commitment to transparency.

Speaking yesterday outside the House of Assembly, Mr Pettingill said a series of brochures had been arriving in Bermudian mailboxes this week.

Each brochure pictures a PLP Minister and gives information about the 2012/13 Budget, the Warwick West MP said, but he questioned why the brochures are being distributed now, three months after the Budget with a general election looming on the horizon.

“If they wanted to give the public information about the Budget, they should have done it three months ago,” Mr Pettingill said. “They are doing it just before an election that we all know was coming.

“This is an electioneering, campaign document that should be paid for by the Progressive Labour Party in their campaign to be Government again. The taxpayers should not be picking up the bill for a document like this.

“It’s the typical type of message that you expect to see in a campaign document. It’s outrageous. It’s typical of what the Government of the day has done, what they are about. They don’t care about fiscal responsibility. They don’t have fiscal responsibility, and they don’t have respect for the people’s money.

“The PLP should be reimbursing the taxpayers for this. The people of Bermuda shouldn’t be paying for it.”

Responding to the allegations, Mrs Cox said the distribution of the brochures, which she described as a “Citizen’s Budget,” was a part of the Open Budget Initiative, and promised in the December Pre-Budget Report.

“The distribution of these pamphlets started in March as they were made available at the Open Budget Town Hall Meetings,” she said.

“The publication and distribution of the Citizen’s Budget document this year, is in keeping with the government’s commitment to transparency and understanding in the budget process.”

A Government spokesman was asked for the cost of the brochures and why they had not been sent out closer to when the Budget was rolled out, but had not responded as of press time last night.

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