Dear Sylvan,

How are you doing mate? I wanted to take a few minutes to get back to you in regards to your op-ed in The Royal Gazette of March 2, 2016, titled “Opposition’s truth deficit is growing”.

In that op-ed you made a few claims, that on the surface could pass as the truth, yet when one peels away the onion tears come to our eyes.

First your claim that the One Bermuda Alliance announced immigration initiatives in their 2013 Throne Speech:

“The Pathways policy was not dreamt up overnight because of a by-election — it has been in the works for several years and was included in the 2013 Throne Speech. This Government is, therefore, fulfilling a Throne Speech promise.”

Sylvan, this is what the OBA actually announced in their 2013 Throne speech: “Pathways to Bermuda status for persons born in Bermuda or persons who have been adopted by Bermudian parents.”

Giving Bermudian status to children adopted by Bermudians is not the same as giving guest workers Permanent Resident Certificates, Sylvan.

Another particular claim was that no one knows how persons vote.

These were your exact words: “He [Christopher Famous] wants us to ignore that neither he nor the Government knows how people vote or in what constituencies long-term residents, who could potentially become eligible for status, live.”

Well let’s address the first part of your claim. This is what a poll commissioned by The Royal Gazette in January 2012 showed: “The latest political opinion poll, conducted by MindMaps …. revealed that 88 per cent of white voters would vote for the One Bermuda Alliance in the General Election, suggesting that the OBA has inherited the white vote.”

Then look at these poll results from yet another poll in The Royal Gazette in December 2015: “Among whites, 84 per cent said they would vote OBA, up from 77 per cent in May; 2 per cent said they would vote PLP, up from 1 per cent in May.”

Sylvan, you see the polls consistently say that at least 85 per cent of white voters vote UBP and now OBA. Oh, the polling was done by the same company that Minister Fahy points to when attempting to justify enacting any given policy.

Now, let’s address the second part of your claim that you have no idea where persons seeking status live. The ordinary Jane or Joe may buy into that theory. However, Sylvan, what you are not telling the public is that:

A: every person who applies for status has to submit their place of residence to the Department of Immigration

B: this would be the same department that Senator Michael Fahy is the minister of

C: more interestingly, he alongside of his junior minister are the ones who approve persons gaining status.

Any guess as to who is the junior minister? Let me help you out with that one buddy.

The Junior Minister of Home Affairs sits on the newly appointed Boundaries Commission, which has been tasked with deciding how electoral boundaries will be rearranged.

These boundaries will be rearranged according to an equal amount of voters.

Voters based on those eligible to vote and those who, after gaining Bermuda status, will be given the privilege to vote.

So, Sylvan, do you care to deny that as one of the Boundaries commissioners and Junior Minister of Home Affairs, you actually do have access to where each person seeking status actually lives?

So, tell us who has a growing truth deficit now?