Opposition Leader Kim Swan kicked off an impassioned debate this afternoon in the House of Assembly on the motion of no confidence, calling on MPs from both sides to end Dr. Ewart Brown’s “authoritarian, autocratic” leadership.

MPs were debating the motion put forward by the UBP that ‘this Honourable House has no confidence in the Government led by the Premier’.

Mr. Swan called the events of the last eight days, since Dr. Brown’s decision to allow four Guantanamo Bay detainees to resettle in Bermuda without telling his Cabinet, the Governor or UK authorities, an “international debacle”.

“The motion before us continues to be a very important and serious motion before this House,” he said. “ I remember as a schoolboy, having somewhat of a voice, that could project quite well and carry a little bit of a tune and we used to sing a wonderful song, ‘No Man is an Island’. In that regard let me say that indeed here today, part of the problem that we face here has been a result of a very few people acting on their own.

“It has plunged Bermuda into an international debacle that has damaged us internationally in many respects because we have not followed our constitution.”

Mr. Swan was greeted by jeers from across the floor when he claimed his motion was never intended to oppose the PLP Government itself but the leadership of the Premier.

“Before I refer to the constitution let me make it perfectly clear that it was not the intention of the Opposition or this motion to do any harm to the Government. It was our intention to address the leadership of the Honourable Premier, the style of which has caused the country great harm.”

Minister of Energy Terry Lister told the House that because the motion said there was no confidence in the Government, the focus should lie there.

He said in order for someone to lead the Country, he or she has to be able to withstand criticism.

As far as Government’s accomplishments, Mr. Lister spoke about tourism.

“So what about tourism? We are working really hard to get a hotel for St. George’s. The Minister of Tourism has a strategy. If you look hard enough you will see it is actually there and it works.”

The Minister spoke about the decline of tourists to the Island and said even though cruise ship visitors might spend less money, less money is better than no money.

“If I can’t get them on a bed I’ll get them on a boat he [Dr. Brown] said. I thank the Minister of Tourism”, he said.

He also spoke about gang violence on the Island.

“As the Government of this country, we are concerned and we want to bring about some change. This is a Government who are committed to its people.”

Former Premier Alex Scott delivered a passionate speech to the House of Assembly and said Premier Ewart Brown’s decision rocked all of Bermuda, not blacks or whites.

Mr. Scott told the House he ‘Googled’ Bermuda terrorism and the search engine asked him if he meant to write Bermuda tourism.

He said he couldn’t believe how many links popped up for Bermuda in relation to terrorism — more than 800,000 — something that a just over a week ago wouldn’t have happened. He said a search for Bermuda tourism generated three times as many links.

“We have been in tourism in Bermuda for how long? But terrorism now in one week or so is a third of the items that you can now associate if you are looking at Bermuda.”

Mr. Scott said the security issue was a huge problem with this situation.

“If you have worn the hat or cloak of Premier you have to be concerned about the security about everybody in Bermuda and I think folks have somewhat misplaced the importance.

“The thought has been that the four represent a security risk to us. It is not from them that we should be concerned about our security it is from those that want to get at them that we may have to be concerned about security.

“Our Police Service does not have the depth that it would take to do security clearance on these gentlemen. Again not them, but those who want to get at them.

“But they are deemed to be in the eyes of the Chinese, terrorists we are made to understand. Flip the coin. Anybody that the US deemed to be terrorists, they’re using the CIA to find them out. The UK are probably using MI5 to find out whatever they can.”

Mr. Scott said he had spoken to Dr. Brown about the situation.

“I made the point that if I were in his position and if I am in possession of these four and I am asked didn’t I think it is a foreign affairs matter, I too would have said I thought it was an immigration matter, a youth and sports matter and health matter and community and cultural affairs matter.

“I also said to the Premier he is more courageous than I or — and he filled in the blank.

“Foreign affairs are not to be picked up like you do the crossword puzzle in your daily paper. “

Mr. Scott spoke about the corruption that happened in Turks and Caicos and said: “Turks and Caicos accomplishments or failure, I would never want to see that happen here.”

He also said he disagreed with the Premier’s decision.

“We have done a humanitarian act for four men but I don’t know what we have done for the 70,000 that reside here.”

Mr. Scott said when he lost election in 2006, he should have walked away from politics and be watching this situation on TV or listening to it on the radio, but was convinced to stay because he cared about the country.

Mr. Scott appeared to suggest that the PLP’s stated aim of inpendence had been set back by this incidents because he felt Britain’s stance would have hardened.

He added: “Our image has taken a hit. We have been set back. We have done a humanitarian favour to four people but I do not know what we have done for the 70,000 who reside here.

“It is very uncomfortable standing here and reviewing and obliquely criticising both my leader and my party and in this case our Government, but this is not a normal state of affairs.”

He added: “We have 36 people here who care about this country. The Premier cares about this country. You can’t raise your hand, take that oath and walk away uncaringly about the responsibility you now have.”

To Dr. Brown, Mr Scott said: “Where are we going from here? Take us along with you. Tell is what is expected of us and what we can expect of you. We can’t take another hit like this. We really can’t because I don’t think we have felt the feel of it yet.”

He said the motion had to be brought to the House and stressed the issue wasn’t about party.

“This is not about PLP, this is about the Country. We have stumbled. We have really stumbled.

“We could turn to cabinet and say you stumbled but they weren’t in on this one. We should turn to the Governor and say you permitted this but he didn’t know about it. I believe this has gone to the hearts of many Bermudians.”

Mr. Scott said he hoped the Premier has learnt his lesson.

Shadow Finance Minister E.T. (Bob) Richards told the House of Assembly of the potential damage done to Bermuda’s international business reputation by the Premier’s detainee decision.

“They don’t like the wild card,” he said of the international business sector. “They don’t like surprises. The events of the past seven to ten days have caused an enormous amount of concern with international business insofar as it relates to the political risk associated with Bermuda.”

Mr. Richards said that the Premier’s decision to resettle the four Uighurs here without consultation could mean Bermuda has to “choose between China and the United States”.

He noted China’s rising economic power, adding that the recent recession had barely slowed down the country’s growth.

He described “a big connection” between Bermuda and China, with 50 percent of the companies on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange being based in Bermuda.

In response to a comment from PLP MP Walter Roban that “Bermuda has no relationship with China at all,” Mr. Richards reminded the House that HSBC stands for the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, noting that 75 percent of the bank’s pre-tax profits come from Hong Kong or mainland China.

“You still think we don’t have a relationship with China?” he asked. “What if China blacklists Bermuda because of these actions? That alone makes his action detrimental to Bermuda, and the Premier of this country is supposed to be acting in the best interest of Bermudians.”

He went on to describe the US “fear and loathing” of perceived terrorists and detainees post-9/11, saying he believes the Premier’s actions will deter American tourists from choosing Bermuda for their vacation.

To a few cheers from the gallery, he said: “This issue has the fingerprints of Independence all over it.”

PLP backbencher Wayne Perinchief started his speech by asking whether it was the Cabinet, Premier, Commissioner of Police, Governor, or Attorney General who acts as Bermuda’s “gatekeeper”.

“Who guards our constitution?” he asked. “I put these questions for a very salient reason, because all of those institutions were abrogated or breached in the latest action by our Premier, and I do specify Premier. I do not wish to malign the Honourable Dr. Ewart Brown in his person.”

Mr. Perinchief told the House that the Premier had “egregiously offended” those in office, and questioned what the appropriate response would be from Bermuda’s elected officials and appointed members.

“All some of us ask is that the Premier be subject to some consequences of his actions,” he said.

He called the actions of the Premier “high handed”, adding: “It does actually put us all in a position of saying, ‘of what value does the administration hold elected officials?’ Are we just a talk shop? Do we have any teeth or are we a toothless dog?”

To applause from the public gallery and murmurs of agreement from some Opposition MPs, he noted the role of Government: “We now make the laws — certainly we must uphold the laws.”

He spoke of “the dictum of collective responsibility”, and called the Government “liable vicariously through the actions of our Premier”.

“After all, he was the one who we as Government put into that position,” he said. “By that same Constitution we the members of this House have a responsibility to then say to the Governor, this person no longer is afforded the support of this honourable House.”

He called on the Government rather than the Opposition to carry out “corrective, rehabilitative action”.

“Though we may fuss and fight and sometimes disagree, we are charged with that responsibility,” he said.

He told the Government not to blame the Opposition for this recent controversy, saying: “We cannot blame anyone but ourselves in this instance. We must look in the mirror, see where the flaws are and correct them. As a team we have to pull back and exert some control and some direction over our team captain.”

Opposition MP Shawn Crockwell spoke to the House about the power of Bermuda’s constitution. Calling the Premier’s actions over the detainees a “blatant disregard” for the constitution’s authority, he said: “The constitution also restricts our powers. It provides a limit to what we are and what we can do.”

He called the Premier “very unpopular”, noting that his performance in approval polls have been the lowest of leaders since polls began.

He alluded to Deputy Premier Paula Cox’s relative popularity, saying: “We all know who is the natural successor — a certain Honourable Finance Minister.”

Mr. Crockwell took issue with recent talk of a high turnout among whites to protest marches held this week, calling it “spin”.

“The leader of that protest is a professed PLP member, yet we spin and we spin and we spin,” he said. “This country has become dizzy by the spin.”

He called the Premier’s recent actions “unilateral”, and closed with a question to PLP Cabinet ministers: “My question this afternoon to this Cabinet is, are you ratifying that behaviour today?”

PLP MP Michael Scott started his address to the House by letting his position on the motion of no confidence be known.

“This won’t happen,” he said. “Today is a debate in confidence in the Government and it will not result in the Government voting against itself.”

Mr. Scott called the relationship between the UK and its overseas territories “afflicted with tension”, and made a brief mention of recent controversy in theTurks and Caicos.

“The relationship is unhealthy; it is breaking down,” he said of Bermuda’s colonial ties to the UK. “The Foreign and Commonwealth Office better get accustomed to seeing more of this.”

While conceding the controversy “should’ve been avoided”, Mr. Scott defended the Premier’s actions as “not typical of his tenure since 2007”.

“By and large this appears to be a one-off action by this particular Premier on this particular front.”

He also questioned Mr. Richards’ portrayal of China’s importance to Bermuda, calling any relationship “speculative at this stage”.

“Let us not get a bloated view of ourselves,” he said. “We are a dot.”

He also found Mr. Richards’ discussion of tourists’ “fear and loating” to be a stretch of an argument.

“I find it in no way compelling,” he said, adding that while he’d seen three tourists’ opinions in the newspaper, “three tourists do not a summer make, or a summer season make.”

Wayne Furbert was clear from the start that, as an Independent MP, he was answerable mainly to his constituents in Hamilton Parish, and had sought their views before making a decision on how to vote.

He also expressed the importance of “internal controls”, saying that as a one-time auditor he has an understanding of the need for checks and balances.

“If we don’t have checks and balances in our systems, in the world, things go out of whack,” he said.

He also told the House he’d spoken to the Premier, and asked him why he made his controversial decision.

“He felt it was an immigration issue,” Mr. Furbert said. “Commonsense tells me it had to do with more than Immigration.”

Mr. Furbert said that while many of his Hamilton West constituents wanted the Premier to go, one thing was clear from his discussions: they wanted the PLP to remain in power.

“They want him to go, but not the PLP to fall,” he said. “I cannot support this particular motion based on the understanding of my own constituents.”

Mr. Furbert added that he had only made his decision the night before the vote.

He made some references to his Christianity and the notion of forgiveness, and said: “I forgive the Premier for what he did.”

Derrick Burgess, Minister of Works and Engineering, told the House although Government might have made an error, they made the right decision.

He quoted the story of the good Samaritan from the Bible and said Bermuda was being the good Samaritan to these men.

That’s what good people do. That’s what this Government does. We do good things, he said.

Mr. Burgess said Britain shouldn’t step in to give Bermuda spanks because of the error that was made.

They take care of the Isle of Man but did nothing for Bermuda. A relationship goes both ways. Yes we have to respect Britain, but Britain also has to respect us as one of their colonies.

When the US left Bermuda, Britain should have been negotiating the clean-up of the bases, not us. Britain is the landlord and they left us out in the deep blue sea.

Britain’s relationship goes both ways and, Mr. Speaker, it is the Premier’s duty to see that we have good relationships with countries particularly the USA.

Mr. Burgess continued: You need friends. I don’t care what you do. You need friends. This goes both ways Mr. Speaker. Britain must show that they love this country. That’s what they got to do. They must show that they have interests in this country.

The Minister said dealing with the stop list was a top priority right now so that Bermudians who had minor convictions from years ago would be allowed to travel to the US.

He also spoke about gang violence.

We have terrorists right on our streets. That’s what we should be marching about.

Shadow Health Minister Louise spoke about some the Government’s flaws such as closing the Indigent Clinic, the controversy around FutureCare for seniors and Dr. Brown’s visit to the Playboy Mansion.

If he is a true humanitarian then why did he close this clinic? The protesters accused him of failing to consult the public of the move. And guess what the answer was from our Premier the humanitarian. They wanted to know how the clinic’s patients would get treatment in the future. He said we consulted the people through their doctors. Doctor the honourable Ewart Brown said this.

She continued: The people want to be heard. I am wondering whether the Premier and the Government are listening.

It is a very important motion. Are you going to have a Premier who is a law to himself. Instead of defending the constitution, he breaks the constitution.

Junior Home Affairs Minister Walter Roban also spoke about the successes the PLP have had over the past 11 years.

The people have confidence in us and that’s why they have selected us for three consecutive elections.

This government has been busy because it has the confidence of the people. We have the confidence of the people of Bermuda.

PLP backbencher Zane DeSilva began and ended his speech with a question. How dare the UBP try and tell us how to choose our Premier? he said.

He said the debate in the House was really just a chance for both sides to air their views as there was no chance of the motion being approved.

Mr. DeSilva suggested that the motion was really an attempt to oust Government and questioned why unsubstantiated comments about the Premier — particularly ones he said had appeared in The Royal Gazette — were being raised.

He suggested that the reason there was constant criticism of the Department of Tourism’s contract with US contractor GlobalHue was because the owner of GlobalHue doesn’t look like me.

At that, Opposition leader Kim Swan leapt to his feet and said the member was impugning improper motives of him and that he repeatedly raised the GlobalHue issue because of the wasteful spending of public money. That has nothing to do with the pigmentation of someone’s skin, said Mr. Swan.

Mr. DeSilva defended the Premier and the Government’s approach to the media, which he said was only normal when they came in for so much flak.

What do you expect our Premier and our Government to do when over the last ten years there have been hundreds, literally hundreds, of stories, nefarious, unsubstantiated, horrible stories about our Premier and indeed our Ministers.

He added: Do you think this Government should send The Royal Gazette a box of chocolates every week?

He accused the Opposition of hypocrisy for constantly suggesting that greater ties needed forging with the US and then criticising Government when it did just that.

The decision that was made by our Premier last week, I have to believe that that has really solidified our relationship with our number one neighbour, said Mr. DeSilva.

He said those in charge sometimes had to make difficult decisions because the decisions were important ones. He said that the explanations given about the Uighurs’ arrival had satisfied people, including the Cabinet. I applaud the Premier, he said.

The PLP MP listed a string of achievements since his party came to power and said Bermuda was divided before Dr. Brown came along and probably still would be when he was no longer Premier.

He said the public had given the PLP a vote of confidence in the last three elections and would get the opportunity to have their say again at the next election.

Mr. DeSilva said he was amazed that Opposition MPs had depicted Tuesday’s march as non political, non racial and peaceful.

If this was a peaceful, non political, non racial demonstration why would we be called murderers? Why would I and my wife be called nigger lovers? Yes, I heard that. If this was a demonstration about protocol not being followed, people not being consulted, Cabinet Ministers not being told, secrecy, why did my wife and I feel like we were about to be lynched?

The only thing missing from that demonstration was a rope and a tree. I feared not only for my wife but I feared for our Premier and his wife. As they left the ground I thought we were really going to have a situation never before seen in Bermuda. It was scary.

He said he hoped it was a one-off because people were a little too hyped. To see something like that in Bermuda was absolutely appalling.

John Barritt, the Opposition’s legislative reform spokesman, said his party was not attempting to tell the other side how to elect its leader. The Opposition has a limited number of tools at its disposal, he said.

One of the most important motions that an opposition can bring is a vote of no confidence. The key words there are ‘the Government led by the Premier’.

He said the Constitution vested power in the Governor to appoint the Premier based on who he believed could command a majority in the House.

Mr. Barritt said he was not aware of any party using the vote of no confidence provision since 1968. I’m going to maintain that it can be done, in my view, he said. It’s entirely appropriate to bring that motion to the floor of the House.

He acknowledged that his party had only 13 members in the House but needed 18 votes to win the motion. We live in hope and we die in despair, he said.

I don’t think it’s misguided and why don’t I think it’s misguided? Because you’d have to be deaf, blind and dumb to think that all is well in Bermuda, to think that all is well with the PLP Government.

Mr. Barritt said the PLP members who had spoken had closed ranks and diligently read from a list of party accomplishments prepared for them.

He said the party was right to try to stymie the motion but that didn’t mean it could pretend nothing was wrong. All is not well, said Mr. Barritt.

He said wider concern in the community about the direction and leadership of the Government was exemplified by the decision on the Uighurs.

Mr. Barritt asked why the Premier gave wrong information to the House about the Police Commissioner’s assessment of the four former prisoners.

And he asked what was the rush, suggesting that the Pacific island of Palau was taking its time to negotiate a hefty financial settlement with the US in return for taking 13 Uighurs from Guantánamo Bay.

Mr. Barritt said even if the US demanded secrecy regarding the deal with Bermuda, the Island did not have to obey. I have as much difficulty taking orders from them [the US] as you do taking orders from Great Britain, he told Government MPs.

Cabinet Minister Dale Butler told the House that the Premier should have consulted the UK before his controversial decision, but admitted Dr. Brown was not the type to constantly seek permission.

It’s not part of his modus operandi, he said.

Mr. Butler praised this week’s rallies as democracy in action, and noted that he saw Bermudians at the protests rather than white people.

I’m not even surprised or upset or want to belabour the point that the group was mostly white. So what?

He read a selection of letters he received this week aloud in order to demonstrate the variety of viewpoints on the no confidence motion.

Mr. Butler then told the House that he’d initially joined the PLP as a 16-year-old because of his perception that the party was committed to working people — and to the law. He then launched into a condemnation of the Premier’s actions, calling his lack of consulation with Cabinet reprehensible.

As a Minister I am very disappointed I was not consulted, he said. I was absolutely stunned — I think we all were — when we were not informed.

He concluded his speech by asking for an apology from the Premier, and withdrawl of the motion should Dr. Brown comply.

The Premier should apologise to the House, his Cabinet, and the people of Bermuda, he said. Withdraw your motion; I would like to accept an apology.

* See tomorrow's Royal Gazette print and on-line versions for the full story of the vote and detailed coverage of the debate.