Ladies and gentlemen, fellow Bermudians, what follows is a summary of the track record of the United Bermuda Party/One Bermuda Alliance regarding immigration:

• In the lead-up to the 2007 election, the UBP, headed up by Michael Dunkley, then the Opposition leader, pledges to grant status to all permanent resident’s certificate holders. The UBP go on to lose that election

• During the 2012 election campaign, Dunkley, now the deputy leader of the OBA, states in a radio interview on the Everest Dacosta Show that the OBA would not be granting Bermudian status to PRC holders

• Pre-election, the OBA states that it would suspend term limits for two years and look to review the policy

• On January 31, 2013, the OBA attempts to grant children of guest workers the ability to seek employment

“ ... these young people, like our young people, were too young to spend summers overseas on their own, and regarded themselves as too old for summer day camp. But they were old enough to find a summer job in Bermuda” — Senator Michael Fahy

• February 2013: Senator Fahy, the Minister of Home Affairs, unilaterally abolishes term limits without any form of public consultation, opening the floodgates for expatriates to gain the right to long-term residency

“The ministry obtained some time ago legal advice that demonstrated unequivocally the law, as it currently exists, was sufficient to limit reasonable expectation of permanent residents. Term limits are not required in any way to do that. Period.”— Senator Fahy

The OBA then went on to deny that it had any intentions of giving status to PRC holders.

• February 13, 2013: Senator Fahy proposes to amend work permit policy to allow work permit-holders’ children who are under 19 to work during the summer without the requirement for a work permit, despite Bermuda’s youth reporting to have an unemployment rate of 39 per cent.

• February 19, 2013: Senator Fahy is forced to back down on this because of a public outcry

• March 1, 2013: MP Bob Richards states in the House of Assembly: “And if I have to make it easier for rich white people to own land in Bermuda, that is fine”

• December 4, 2013: Job Makers’ Act Amendment passes to make it easier (and cheaper) for persons to obtain PRC status

• January 14, 2014: Senator Fahy opens the public discussion on commercial immigration and selling immigration rights to the highest bidder

• March 22, 2014: OBA amends the Companies Act, granting exempt companies the right to acquire residential land

• July 23, 2014: Senator Fahy announces that the OBA will allow PRC holders to be granted status on the grounds that they have the “right” to seek citizenship

You see, ladies and gentlemen, fellow Bermudians, there has been a clear and concise OBA pattern of:

• Laying the foundation for work permit-holders to become long-term residents and then subsequently PRC holders

• Attempting, as far back as 2007, to give PRC holders status

• Attempting to give children of guest workers permission to work in Bermuda

• Creating a pathway for non-Bermudians to purchase increased amounts of property in Bermuda. This is inexcusable given that the Government estimates that 36 per cent (2,174 acres) of our 6,000 acres of residential-zoned property are owned by non-Bermudians.

In part two of my summation, you will see a continuing pattern of this behaviour by the OBA. You can then make a better judgment for yourselves.