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Cox denies she misjudged economy in 2010

Premier Paula Cox

Premier Cox has insisted that she had not misjudged the economy when she described the economic climate a year ago as “post-recessionary”.At a press conference following the reading of the Speech from the Throne, it was pointed out to the Premier that the 2010 Throne Speech, her first, the economic climate was described as “post-recessionary”.Asked whether she had misjudged the economy, she said: “No, I think what you’re finding is because of the stimulus effects worldwide you’ve had some challenges.“Only a very flawed and, I suppose, superficial analysis would say that you could with predictive certainty assess the actual specifics and length and duration of the recession.“And even when you come out of the recession, you’re still going to have a loss of human capital because the environment, as we know it, has changed.”Asked whether the economy was post-recessionary then, the Premier characterised the discussion as semantic.“How long is a piece of string? I think I’m not going to do semantics with you?”Ms Cox’s use of the phrase “post-recessionary climate” was pounced upon by the United Bermuda Party, then the Official Opposition.“First, we see it as strangely detached from local realities,” said Kim Swan in his Reply to the Throne Speech. “Bermuda is not in a post-recessionary climate.“On the contrary, Mr Speaker, Bermuda is still in recession. The Government may not know it, but people do.”