The Government has been called upon by Opposition MP Zane DeSilva to “prove me wrong” that the hotel development for St George’s would not be first in line for construction.

Mr DeSilva said he understood that “some residences will be built before the hotel goes up, just to raise a few pennies” — and challenged Kenneth Bascome, the One Bermuda Alliance MP for St George’s North, to set the record straight.

Mr Bascome did not respond while the House was in session, but told Mr DeSilva at the close of business that he had “never been proven wrong”.

Mr DeSilva rose in the Motion to Adjourn also to criticise the OBA’s gaming fees legislation, which he said had not passed intact through the Senate and which unspecified developers had signalled that “there will be certain developments that won’t take place unless it is changed”.

In addition, Mr DeSilva maintained that “tens of millions of dollars” had been held back from the public purse due to delays in adjudication and stamp duties for properties — telling the House that he knew of one land owner who had waited three years.

Calling on Michael Dunkley and finance minister Bob Richards to explain, Mr DeSilva vowed to bring the matter up repeatedly through the Budget debate until the matter was addressed.

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