Governor’s Council will meet again on Tuesday, Opposition are not involved
Bermudians want a firmer response to ‘community terrorism’.
That’s what Premier David Burt has called the scourge of community violence and anti-social behavior.
The Governor’s Council, involving Governor Andrew Murdoch, the Premier, the National Security Minister and others, last week explored potential solutions such as specialist officers coming in from the UK, and new equipment to prevent the importation of firearms.
The council is set to meet again tomorrow.
Gary Foster Skelton asked the Premier about the activities of the Council, why the Opposition are not a part of it, and if he is confident it will bring real change, since the Governor is not constitutionally required to act on any of the solutions explored. (WATCH ABOVE)
Premier David Burt: “From the first meeting, I am reasonably confident, but we’ll have an update meeting on Tuesday and we’ll be able to see you, and I’m happy to speak at that time.”
GFS: “Why were no members of the Official Opposition included on the governor’s council?”
Premier David Burt: “You would have to refer to the Bermuda Constitution, which states who are members of the governor’s Council, and that does not include the Opposition. We are the Government. They are Opposition. They have role and we have a role. I know that the Shadow Minister of National Security has dialog with the Minister of National Security, and they can do so. But the reality is that there is Government and Opposition.”
While section 70 of the constitution does state who is required to sit on the Governor’s Council, it also leaves room for others to be asked to be involved, following consultation between the Governor and the Premier.
Considering the universality of the issue of community violence, we subsequently asked why the Premier hasn’t taken that opportunity to request a bipartisan approach – especially considering the current opposition leader has a background in Corrections, and his predecessor served as a police officer.
A Government response to our question today simply referred to the Premier’s Ministerial Statement regarding the Governor’s Council, and said there is nothing further to add.
In our interview, the Premier did acknowledge that this issue is something the parties could work on together – but he also says it goes beyond politics…
Premier David Burt: “I would certainly agree that it’s an ideal time for bipartisanship – not just for bipartisanship, but for community involvement. This is not just political. You would have heard inside of my statement when speaking about the Parental Responsibility Act. Everyone must play their part. So whether it’s government, whether it’s opposition, whether it’s helping agencies, whether it’s police, and we are making sure that from the perspective of the law enforcement side, which is under the responsibility of the Governor, the Government… are clear of what the people of this country want, and that is a firmer posture to deal with, as I call it, community terrorism that is taking place by a very small amount of people in this country who are disturbing the peace and tranquility of the majority.”
