Black economic empowerment must begin to transform Bermuda into a more stable and successful country, Government MPs from both sides of the political divide said yesterday.

The United Bermuda Party tabled a motion to develop a legislative scheme for economic empowerment yesterday in the House of Assembly last night - a move which Government Backbencher Renee Webb said should include the words “black” economic empowerment.

Opposition Leader Grant Gibbons took the floor of the House to exclaim that the law would be the first step in a broader programme of economic empowerment.

Even though it was not possible for the Opposition to put forward legislation that would bear money on the public purse, Dr. Gibbons said, the Opposition put forward the draft legislation “to address the fact that certain individuals were excluded from economic opportunities in Bermuda.”

“Historically the black community in Bermuda had a much more difficult problem and some legacy of slavery and segregation still exist,” Dr. Gibbons said. “Institutional racism is not solved.”

Their draft legislation would commit Government to a two-year plan, he said. The Opposition leader suggested Government allocate 20 percent of their $300 million budget, or $60 million dollars, towards small businesses.

Small businesses would not have assets of more than $1 million, for example, he said, explaining that a new Office of Economic Empowerment at the Ministry of Finance will manage the process.

The Office will conduct seminars to give small business owners the wherewithal to bid for Government contracts. “One of the most important things the Office will do is make sure Government pays their bills to small businesses on time,” he said. “In most economies, small businesses drive the whole economic process.”

Finance Minister Paula Cox said this take note motion was an interesting one as it highlighted the differences between the parties.

Ms Cox called the motion “a trifle patronising and condescending to small businesses. What we need to do if we're serious, then we have to move from rhetoric to reality”.

The “warm and fuzzy” Social Agenda already included economic empowerment announced by Premier Scott at the Throne Speech, she said.

The Small Business Development Corporation was already in place, with existing legislation from 1980, she said, even though she admitted they needed some updating.

“It seems to me as an outsider to your party looking in, you have still shirked from saying you want to deal with black economic empowerment,” she said. “We are not seeing black businesses represented in the Chamber of Commerce.”

Ms Cox said the draft legislation should include money being distributed away from not just the public purse, but also the private sector, adding: “It doesn't make sense getting independent if still locked in economic subjugation.”

Opposition Deputy Leader Wayne Furbert said in the last seven years “white businesses have got richer and richer” while except for a few, the “black community have got poorer and poorer”.

And he said it was no secret Opposition Ms Renee Webb left Cabinet because no one in Government was listening to her calls for black economic empowerment. “We all know you haven't done a thing,” he said. “We are a more deeply divided country, with more foreign workers than ever.”

He said the whole economy was based totally on international business. “Every white person is not rich and every black person is not poor!” he exclaimed. “We believe everyone who wants to achieve should be able to.”

He said it was time to redress the economic imbalance. “I'm not interested in the 40 thieves, I'm interested in 66,000 thieves,” he said. “In our history some people were economically empowered who were mostly our white brothers and sisters. It was wrong to empower only whites then and wrong to only empower blacks now. No, we are enlightened.”

In an impassioned speech, Government Backbencher Renee Webb said she very often felt like the “lone voice on the hill” talking about black economic empowerment. Ms Webb said she had been waiting for her Government to do something to bridge the economic gap between blacks and whites since they came to power in 1998, adding the motion should include the words “black” economic empowerment. “I remember when I said I wanted to have more people looking like me to own in this country,” she reflected. “I was attacked. Three people defended me: Alvin Williams, Eva Hodgson and Rolfe Commissiong.”

The Honourable Members David Dodwell and Grant Gibbons attacked her for making that statement she said. “You left out the word black,” she said. “It is not a four-letter word. I assume you are talking about blacks and if I can state it, we live in a racist society. It was founded on racism. We have to address it. Not even the current Government have addressed the issue.

“We are uncomfortable in addressing the situation. If I stand up and say it my whole party stayed away from me. All on this side of the House are either black or mixed, who don't address the issue of black economic empowerment.”

Ms Webb said if you look at the community large we have a black Government, black CEO's at The Bank of Bermuda/HSBC, BF&M and Argus and black Chairmans at the Bank of Butterfield and Telco. “But don't think for a minute blacks are all unified,” she said. “Our people don't even understand. Contemplate having my job.”

She pointed out that empowering black people meant targeting institutional forms of racism and bridging not only the economic but the social divides that exists between blacks and whites in Bermuda. Ms Webb said CURE had collected a set of statistics but not much had happened to change the reality of life for black people here.

Studies and statistics were necessary, but Ms Webb, questioned what had actually changed since they were gathered. “It's unfortunate, we as a black Government have not changed the situation, we have black CEOs up and down this country but this has not changed the situation,” she added.

“There is nothing more important at this time that needs to be done than addressing racial inequality and economic opportunity,” said Ms Webb, pointing out that she had been a long time advocate of legislation that specifically deals with the issue of black economic empowerment.

“This is why I joined the PLP, I thought it would happen. This is the seventh year, how long does this take? Some of my members get upset at me for saying this but I am simply speaking the truth.”

Ms Webb, who was the outspoken former Minister of Tourism and Telecommunications, said she had studied economic, international relations, and law with the hope of returning to Bermuda and changing the reality of life for black people.

She called on her Government to take steps legislatively and make economic empowerment a mainstream policy. “Government has to take a lead and make it happen. I could never get Government to put black economic empowerment as a mainstream policy of the PLP Government, its a fact we can not deny when you look at the results of what we have done as a Government.”

She used the Berkley school project as an example, pointing out that if Government wants its people to succeed when they undertake such projects, it should use a system to ensure they have the support and are not destined to fail.

Whites in Bermuda currently hold 68 percent of all managerial positions. “Look at how disproportionate the math is,” said Ms Webb. “Seventy percent of blacks are living at $25,000 - can you imagine in this day and age having to pay rent and survive on that amount of money every year.”

Rather than spending a lot of time over designing a legislative framework to ensure blacks had access to economic empowerment, Ms Webb said legislation from other countries such as South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States could help guide Bermuda battle entrenched inequality. She pointed out that the Government could adopt an Employment Equality Act similar to South Africa where blacks are assured equality in the workplace and equality of ownership.

“Ownership is the first priority, which has substantially increased the number of new black enterprises and black engineered enterprises, the Government supports initiatives in this country that will reduce inequality among the races.”

Government support of black owned businesses and services, according to Ms Webb, would lead more white owned companies to partner with blacks to level out the playing field.

Ms Webb said she had come under criticism from the community after stating publicly that the Government should design policies to help blacks become secure financially. “Not one person supported me publicly when I said more black people should own, I would be happy if there were more voices up here and if it has taken the Opposition to table this motion I say so be it.”

Ms Webb said getting blacks to change their mindset was also part of the process of getting the have nots of the community to aspire to improve their circumstances. “All people should benefit in this country, I don't believe in discrimination against anyone, but this legislation must be made to address who it is seeking to empower,” she said.

“This needs to be part of Government's mainstream agenda and should not be made into piecemeal. Blacks are in charge now so lets see what we can do so all our people can benefit.”