Shadow Finance Minister David Burt said Bermudians had their job hopes dashed by a Throne Speech which “lacked in substance”.

“Bermudians looking for hope on jobs from the OBA have been sorely disappointed,” said Mr Burt in a statement released shortly after Governor George Fergusson read the One Bermuda Alliance’s speech today.

“Bermudians need jobs and there was nothing new in this speech to address the ongoing jobs crisis that is affecting Bermudians.”

The OBA has revealed MarketPlace, Lindo’s and Supermart will introduce ten percent discount days on Wednesdays as part of a food relief initiative.

But Mr Burt said: “While we support efforts to lower the cost of living, relief is needed across the board in energy and food at the wholesale and retail level; not just one day of the week in some supermarkets.

“The lack of substance for Bermudians contained in the speech is both shocking and disappointing.”

PLP Senate Leader Diallo Rabain added: “The OBA seem overwhelmed and unable to put together a plan to get Bermudians back to work.

“From the repetition of promises they didn’t keep last year, to the lack of a plan on jobs, Bermudians have been severely let down by the OBA.”

PLP Senator Marc Daniels said: “Bermudians can’t wait for the OBA as many are unemployed now. That’s why we have produced a plan to get Bermudians back to work and a new vision on a new way forward for Bermudians.

“Next week, our Leader will expand on that plan while providing leadership and hope to a people who sorely need it.”

Premier Craig Cannonier dismissed the criticism, saying that Government’s top priority was to get Bermudians back to work through economic growth.

He listed a catalogue of initiatives that had already helped Bermudians get jobs, but Government aware that “there’s so much more to do given the thousands who were without work when we took office last Christmas”.

“Today’s speech outlines many initiatives to breathe job-creating life back into the economy,” Mr Cannonier said.

“The Government will continue moving forward to rebuild the economy so that new jobs and opportunities spread across the community.

“I believe this Throne Speech really speaks to our core and that is social and economic equity for everyone. This is about incentivising us to invest in the country. This is about driving economic growth back to the country, to ensure that we get jobs first on the table and ensure that families can feed themselves and can pay their electricity.

“We have to be practical going forward. .This Government will be responsible, practical, and will move with aggression to ensure that we get investment in this country which allows all of us in this room to have the jobs that we have.”

The Premier said he was not surprised by the Opposition’s analysis, saying: “We didn’t expect anything different.

“Shocking? I think what’s shocking to all of us is the debt that were in. I think what’s shocking to us is the thousands of people who don’t have a job right know. I think what’s shocking is the number of people who have left this country. That’s what’s shocking.

“So we now need to look at resolution on how we fix these things rather than making comments like ‘shocking’ and the like.”