October 28, 2010: Paula Cox wins the leadership of the Progressive Labour Party by a landslide 124 votes against 39 for Terry Lister and two for Dale Butler. She pledges to restrain spending and make savings of at least $150 million in her first year, seek additional savings through a comprehensive evaluation of existing programmes, establish a “tax neutral” fiscal policy, cut capital projects to only those which are necessary and update the public on efforts to manage and reduce the public debt.October 29: Ms Cox is sworn in as Premier of Bermuda at Government House.November 1: The Premier unveils her 13-member Cabinet, retaining the Finance portfolio and creating several new ministries, including National Security, and Economy, Trade and Industry. The new line-up sees a return to the Cabinet of former Premier Jennifer Smith, who is appointed Education Minister, and Patrice Minors who is appointed to head up the Business Development and Tourism Ministry. A new Procurement Office, under the Finance Ministry, is announced. In the Senate, the Premier replaces Thaao Dill, Walton Brown and Marc Bean with former PLP chairman David Burt, community activist Cromwell Shakir and BIU executive secretary LaVerne Furbert.November 5: Ms Cox’s first Throne Speech promises “disciplined and effective” financial management throughout Government, a Civil Service review, expansion of economic empowerment zones and an overhaul of Immigration laws to make them fairer. A new Gang Task Force, an Equal Pay Act, more affordable health insurance and a host of environmental plans are among the Premier’s other promises for the year ahead.January 24, 2011: An independent poll reports almost 57 percent of the public approves of the Premier’s on-the-job performance, and 84 percent view her favourably.February 18: Ms Cox’s first Budget as Premier. Payroll tax is rolled back by two percentage points and spending is cut by $150 million by slashing current account spending by $90 million and capital expenditure by $60 million. She also announces a $12 million stimulus plan to assist small contractors. Reaction is mixed, with one union declaring itself happy, the City of Hamilton saying it would make life more difficult for the municipalities and the Opposition UBP declaring it an “election budget”.April 18: A Mindmaps poll finds ten percent of registered voters lost their job in the 12 months prior, with three-quarters of them unable to find work. Premier Cox declines to comment when asked for reactionApril 21: In her first televised speech to the nation, Ms Cox rejects demands by unions for a symbolic ministerial pay cut, dubbing such a move “an empty gesture”. The Bermuda Industrial Union had refused overtime cuts over the issue.April 26: While the Premier attends the Royal Wedding, several hundred civil servants march on Cabinet, calling for Government to do more to help families struggling during the recession. The Premier had asked for the march to be postponed until her return. The civil servants’ unions conditions for accepting a pay freeze included: no compulsory redundancies; a price freeze on essential products and services; that ministers consider cutting their salaries; consideration of a jobs pact; money-saving initiatives on both sides.May 18: The Bermuda Public Services Union agrees to accept a pay rise of just 1.25 percent. Ms Cox welcomes the decision.July 5: Government and BIU end their pay dispute with an agreement on a 1.65 pay rise and straight pay for overtime.July 21: Ms Cox promises to launch an investigation into the handling of the emissions testing programme, a project spearheaded by her predecessor Dr Ewart Brown, which ended up costing $10 million more than its original budget. The Premier’s promise was made in response to Public Accounts Committee report which found specific intent at the highest level of Dr Brown’s Tourism and Transport Ministry to give the initiative’s contract to Bermuda Emissions Control, a company partly owned by construction boss Dennis Correia, regardless of Financial Instructions.September 30: Ms Cox announces a six-month payroll tax holiday for retailers and a rise in duty on goods declared by returning residents from 25 percent to 35 percent.October 1: A Mindmaps poll finds 12 percent of residents have lost a job in the past 12 months. Blacks, men and people aged 45 to 54 are hardest hit, in their respective categories. The same survey finds that more than half of residents (53 percent) see the economy as the Country’s key issue.October 2: A Customs duty increase for goods purchased abroad is delayed until November, Premier Paula Cox announces. And Government is considering extending payroll tax relief to other sectors besides retail.