Dear Sir,

This is a reminder to the people of some of the significant government policymaking under past and present administrations which are lacking in updates and also some initiatives that are flat out failing:

2010: King Edward VII Memorial Hospital Acute Care Wing contract

Under a previous Progressive Labour Party government, the Bermuda Hospitals Board contracted with Paget Health Services for the design, construction and ongoing maintenance of the Acute Care Wing in 2010. Incredibly, the full details of the financial structure of this contract have never been publicly released, despite the facility being completed way back in 2014. We are all aware of our hospital’s present emergency/acute care capacity problems, which have reached crisis levels. We also know that as a result, the capacity throughout the entire hospital is being adversely affected. Now more than ever, the public deserve to know exactly what we committed to when the Government signed “our names” to a deal that concerns one of, if not, the most critical pieces of essential infrastructure on the island, which itself, is in a state of emergency. The government owes us transparency.

2010: Grand Atlantic Affordable Housing Development

Under a previous PLP government, this contentious housing project began without the support of the Bermuda Housing Corporation, which warned that the available real estate data did not support it. By way of a Cabinet directive, it went forward under several administrations and the long, disastrous construction project was finally completed this year, resulting in an unaffordable, 90-unit residential development, renamed Bermudiana Beach Residences, with an estimated cost of $150 million to the taxpayers. Our shadow minister of housing, Michael Fahy, was recently informed that only five of these units are being rented by Bermudians. It has been revealed also that the Ministry of Public Works and Environment estates department has leased eight units, yet the Ministry of Housing representative says it is not aware of the particulars of those tenants. What does the estates department need these eight residential units for and how much rent are they (we) paying to lease them?

2015: Bermuda Gaming Commission

The now ten-year-old Bermuda Gaming Commission began operations in 2015 under the One Bermuda Alliance government. Its function is to supervise, regulate and inspect the operations of casinos in Bermuda. Not one casino has opened during the past ten years. We know that this body of regulators has been paid at least $16 million since it was formed, funded by way of government grants, interest-free loans and a financial guarantee. Our Auditor-General shows that the last audited accounts for the BGC are for the year 2020. For what purpose has this government continued to retain and fund the BGC? Is it good use of our tax dollars?

2017: Promise to strengthen the powers of the Office of the Auditor-General

While it never actually became a policy, it was promised to be one, as detailed in the PLP’s 2017 election platform. A promise to give the Auditor-General teeth to “follow the money” on questionable public spending and void any contract entered into by the Government which has been found to be procured via corrupt practices. It was, in my opinion, one of the most valuable pledges of fiscal prudence that any political party has made and yet it fell off the PLP’s radar once it was elected. Not once over the past eight years of this administration’s tenure has this issue been even mentioned, let alone actioned. This is hollow electioneering at its finest. Good governance promise made, not kept.

2021: National Sports Centre solar panel contract

In May 2025, tourism minister Owen Darrell told us that the National Sports Centre’s solar project is partially complete. This capital project began in 2021, in the wake of the NSC being forced to take out a $3.2 million loan to fund it, after the contractor confirmed that it no longer had financing in place. The Government chose not to retender this contract and provided the loan guarantee, and the loan decision was made without the approval of the NSC Board of Trustees. This capital project is behind schedule and over budget, and it is worth noting that the Auditor-General’s website shows that the last audited financial statements for the trustees of the NSC are for 2017. When is the project expected to be completed? How much has the solar panel project cost the taxpayer to date?

2023: Government cyberattack

In September 2023, government data systems were ground to a halt by a cyberattack, suspected of originating in Russia, and experts said the signs pointed to a ransomware-type of incident. The original external investigative report was delivered to the Government by consultants two months later and was never made public, with the Government citing national security concerns. Now, two years later, a joint select committee is conducting its own separate inquiry with no fixed timeline for completion, but we are told it will be a public document. In short, no set goalposts, no information, still no transparency.

2025: Bermuda’s housing crisis

A new model of affordable homes for Bermudians is under way. Housing minister Zane DeSilva has recently told us that 11 container homes have been already ordered and are set to arrive in Bermuda early next year to provide housing for people in need. There are approximately 300 Bermudians on the Bermuda Housing Corporation’s waiting list. They will be located on either BHC or Bermuda Land Management Corporation sites. We now understand that there is no evidence of a planning application or approval for this project on the Department of Planning website. Why is taxpayer money being spent before going through the normal channels of planning department scrutiny? Also, shadow housing minister Michael Fahy questioned why Bermudians are going to be placed in this type of modular housing while there is a 90-unit residential development available on South Shore? The Grand Atlantic/Bermudiana Beach Residences project was a costly government policy failure, but it was paid for by Bermudians and intended to be for Bermudian housing. It is finally finished and ready for occupancy. Lower the rents, take the loss and make a big dent in our housing crisis immediately. Why not use it and call it a hard lesson learnt.

2025: Morgan’s Point

In September this year, Mr Fahey gave us some valuable background regarding the failure of the Caroline Bay development at Morgan’s Point. To summarise, the extent of this failure was because of the policymaking of several governments beginning in 2010, each of which clearly made contractual and financial commitments that were irresponsible and resulted in a great expense for a residential development which is in shambles at present. The cost to the taxpayer is at least $230 million. Morgan’s Point is being considered for redevelopment under the present PLP government and last year David Burt, the Premier, told us that financing arrangements were in process for a 100 per cent government-backed luxury mini village. This is undoubtedly a huge risk to the taxpayer and, given the Government’s disastrous track record on the funding of mixed-use real estate development, is clearly looking to be a repeat of the same irresponsible government policymaking we have seen in the past. In addition, the Premier has just announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with a private developer for a $400 million world-class healthcare facility — also to be located at the Morgan’s Point site. Mr Burt said: “This marks a significant step towards making Bermuda a world-class medical tourism destination”. He said there will be no government funding or loans, but he made no mention of financial guarantees ...

Hold on to your wallets, people.

BEVERLEY CONNELL

Pembroke