Leader Jarion Richardson says change happens when people say “enough is enough”
“A vote for the OBA is a vote for a government that believes in you.” A direct statement that sits at the centre of a speech given by opposition leader Jarion Richardson at One Bermuda Alliance headquarters this morning.
He says that his party’s election platform is the answer to solving many of Bermuda’s problems, and that they’re seeking to build a country that prioritises respect, integrity, and opportunity for all.
Our Gary Foster-Skelton asked Mr. Richardson to speak to the specifics of those aforementioned solutions. “If you get in (to power), what would an OBA government do within the first one hundred days?” Reducing red tape and implementing absentee voting were two key issues that Mr. Richardson says his party will implement should they see success at the polls next week.
Mr. Foster-Skelton probed Mr. Richardson, and the One Bermuda Alliance’s, claims that the OBA works in service of the elite few and rewards the powerful, asking Mr. Richardson to list some of those connections.
Mr. Richardson listed the Fairmont Southampton / Gencom deal, the National Sports Centre energy deal, and the solar rebate project. When asked whether or not the One Bermuda Alliance’s stalled Morgan’s Point endeavour is of a similar nature, Mr. Richardson said that it is not comparable to the ruling Progressive Labour Party’s undertakings.
A member of local media asked if the OBA’s divisive ‘Pathways to Status’ initiative would see new life if they become the next government. Mr. Richardson answered plainly, “The party has no plans on pathways to status at this time.”
The PLP’s Jamahl Simmons responded to Jarion Richardson, saying the OBA is misrepresenting its record, and suggests that promises of renewal are merely a return to their old policies.
Mr Simmons says, “They imposed furlough days on public servants, cut essential social programs… sought to allow the children of guest workers to compete with Bermudian children for jobs.”
“In contrast, the [PLP] has consistently supported Bermudians by introducing a minimum wage, expanding access to affordable childcare… and boosting seniors’ pensions annually.”
