London talks: Premier meets Governor-designate
Updating Governor-designate John Rankin on Bermuda life was the among tasks in London for Michael Dunkley, the Premier, during talks among Overseas Territory leaders.
Mr Rankin is to be sworn into office on December 5, Mr Dunkley told The Royal Gazette.
Yesterday’s last round of business included “broad discussions on economic development, and the UK acknowledged our openness and transparency on the airport development”, Mr Dunkley said — referring to the British Government’s issuance of an entrustment for the Canadian Government to proceed with the project.
The Premier, who returns home today, divulged little on Monday’s Throne Speech — but promised “a very ambitious agenda”.
“The fall session in Parliament is short and we have a lot of key legislation to tabled,” Mr Dunkley said, calling for a “change of tone” in local politics.
“The people of Bermuda don’t want to hear acrimony and dissent; they expect political debate to be done in a respectful and understanding way.”
After a difficult year for the One Bermuda Alliance, in which several members chastised the party for its public image and communications strategy — and former minister Shawn Crockwell quit to go independent — Mr Dunkley was asked about the current state of play within the OBA.
“Everybody has speculated, seeing the advertisements that we have been running, and they think an election is imminent,” Mr Dunkley said, noting the party’s recent series of ads in this newspaper — which focused on defending the proposal for LF Wade International Airport.
“There is an election that will take place next year; we still have work to do and improvements to make. Communication is key. However, against that, I think the people of Bermuda will recognise that we have seen significant progress over the four years since we were elected to the Government.
“Every day we look forward and we learn from any missteps we have made. I am proud of that progress — we live and learn. We have been the most open and transparent Government that Bermuda has ever had. Our record is one we can be proud of, but we can never rest on our laurels, because there are still people who have not moved forward as we would like to see.”
The OT joint ministerial council included meetings on climate change, where the Premier spread the word on the Hamilton Declaration on Collaboration for the Conservation of the Sargasso Sea. A meeting led by Crispin Blunt, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, provided “a good opportunity for all the OT leaders to speak with MPs in the House”.
Yesterday’s meetings were led by Baroness Anelay, the Minister for the Overseas Territories, ranging from infrastructure to good governance, anti-corruption, European Union negotiations and international trade.
Mr Dunkley said he once more presented Bermuda’s firm stance on anti-corruption and beneficial ownership. An anti-bribery convention from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development is to be extended to the island during the upcoming session of Parliament, along with the United Nations Convention Against Corruption.
The Falkland Island Government introduced a memorandum of understanding aimed at safeguarding children through the sharing of information between the territories and the British Government, which was supported by Bermuda.
And Brexit, the British Government’s decision to leave the European Union, loomed large in the talks. It was agreed to establish a joint ministerial council on the negotiations for early next year, before the evoking of Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union.
Mr Dunkley also met with Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, at a reception last night — where the former London mayor was presented with a set of Bermuda shorts.
UPDATE: More details on Premier’s trip
Bermuda’s racial inequalities came up for discussion when Michael Dunkley met with locals in the UK.
The Premier’s gathering at the Government’s London office included talks with attendee Kevin Minors, which drew widespread online attention back home.
Taking to Facebook, Mr Minors characterised the exchange as going “toe-to-toe” with Mr Dunkley, adding that it was “not pretty” as the Premier fielded his questions on affirmative action and racial disparity.
Mr Dunkley responded to the online post, contending that he had not seen it as such — adding that progress depended on “open dialogue in the best interest of all Bermudians without concealed intentions”.
Asked yesterday about the exchange, Mr Dunkley said he applauded Mr Minors for his passion for issues — “certainly on issues of race” — adding that he looked forward to further talks.
“I don’t get deterred when we have conversations like these,” he said.
“We had over 80 Bermudians who came, and I found it to be a very good and interesting session. We started with people mingling; after 45 minutes I gave some comments and then took questions, which lasted well over an hour.
“It was clear that some people had other engagements, but I stayed and had discussions with people. With Mr Minors I had a more detailed discussion that went on for probably ten minutes, with at least three other people who were there waiting to speak.
“I later saw the post on Facebook. There can be two opinions on a conversation between two people — while Mr Minors may have his view, I didn’t see it as being toe-to-toe. I offered straight answers and I would like to hear more. I thought it was very successful and I was surprised when I saw the post.”
Asked if there was room for more work in dealing with Bermuda’s racial legacy, Mr Dunkley said: “Of course. As I’ve said before, one of the first things we need to do is continue having these discussions, which are quite often uncomfortable for people, and I hope that we can continue to move forward without getting sidetracked, and make sure racial inequality is beaten down more and more.”
