Claims by a government minister that Bermudians face discrimination in the workplace have been rubbished by the Opposition.

Jason Hayward, the Minister of Economy and Labour, said that the Government should carry out a “drill-down” to explore apparent wage disparities between Bermudians and non-Bermudians, Blacks and Whites, and men and women.

He added that the granting of status to non-Bermudians was not a policy that the Government would pursue.

Speaking during the motion to adjourn in the House of Assembly on Friday, Mr Hayward said: “The Government does not believe that the granting of status enables the level of economic sustainability that some are trying to suggest.

“We do understand that we have an ageing population and our aim is to grow the working population to better support our ageing population. We’ve put out a number of position papers stating that.

“When speaking with chief executives of companies within Bermuda or organisations which represent industry in Bermuda, they have never articulated that granting of Bermuda status is a fundamental desire of theirs or is critical for the continued operations of their business.

“So, if the Government doesn’t believe it’s an economic imperative, the business community hasn't called for it and doesn't believe that it factors in their sustainable operations, one is left to conclude that the only reason why the Opposition is calling for this matter of status is to serve a political motive or an economic motive, not a sustainability motive, but a political motive.

“And I’ll leave that point there.

“If we’re going to do a deep dive into the data in this country we should do a deep dive into economic inequality in Bermuda and the root causes of that — do a deep dive into pay disparities, do a deep dive into why Bermudians and non-Bermudians are being paid differently.”

Mr Hayward suggested that similar deep dives should be conducted on pay scales based on gender and race, and the hours that non-Bermudians work and the lack of benefits they receive.

“There are a lot of things we ought to be doing a deep dive into,” Mr Hayward said.

“Let’s do a deep dive into institutionalised racism, why Bermudians are good enough to get into middle management positions but not good enough to be in senior management positions.”

He also took aim at companies that rejected Bermudians because they were not “a cultural fit”, while employing foreigners.

He said that Bermudians felt they were “stifled and oppressed” in the workplace and had a lack of opportunity.

He said: “We will not move forward with proposals that give greater opportunities to non-Bermudians until Bermudians feel comfortable with the fact that they’re getting the same level of benefits.

Those concerns were dismissed by the One Bermuda Alliance last night.

Jarion Richardson, the leader of the Opposition, said: “Minister Hayward is wrong on the facts, wrong on the economics and dangerously wrong for Bermuda’s future.”

Defending his party’s position on status, Mr Richardson said: “Let’s be clear, status is not a political stunt — it’s an economic strategy grounded in the reality of Bermuda’s declining working population, rising costs and shrinking competitiveness.

“The only political motive here is the one minister Hayward is serving — protecting the Progressive Labour Party’s base by keeping this debate stuck in the past.

“We in the OBA are listening to the business community, something the minister seems unwilling to do. Just last week, I was told directly by a senior executive that critical job-maker roles were being located in Cayman instead of Bermuda because we refuse to offer long-term security. That’s not politics. That’s a country losing ground.

“Job makers are not faceless foreigners — they’re people who generate opportunity for Bermudians. They train our people. They invest their capital here. They send their children to our schools, donate to our charities and coach our youth. They aren’t threats to our identity — they’re the reason we can afford to protect it.

“The PLP’s logic, such as it is, collapses under scrutiny. On the one hand, they claim we have an ageing population and not enough workers. On the other, they slam the door on people who want to stay, contribute and build a life here. It’s incoherent and Bermudians are paying the price.

“Minister Hayward says chief executives don’t ask for status, but what responsible chief executive would waste time asking a government that’s repeatedly shown it won’t listen? That’s not proof of disinterest, it’s proof of disengagement. Bermuda should be competing for global talent, not making excuses to push them away.

“This government has no growth plan, only talking points and fear. That’s why they attack the Opposition for offering solutions because admitting the truth would mean admitting that their own economic model is failing.

“We believe in a confident Bermuda, a country that can manage immigration with fairness and foresight, a country that rewards contribution, not just connection, and a country that knows building a stronger economy means welcoming those who strengthen it.

“This isn’t about politics. It’s about survival.”