SMALL PARLIAMENTS: BERMUDA
The Parliament building of Bermuda.
House of Assembly and presented the Premier and the Minister of Health with their petition and accompanying signatures. The government backed down and changed its mind. The Urgent Care Centre remains open. Constituents throughout the world
identify MPs in very personal ways. They refer to Parliamentarians as “my MP”, “my Senator”, etc. In a small island country like Bermuda where there are only 1100 + voters per constituency, constituents have no hesitation in personally approaching their Members of Parliament. Once Parliament makes a
decision that has a direct impact upon constituents’ lives, they let their elected members know exactly what they think. With the size of the constituencies, there is also no excuse for not knowing the needs of constituents. Or is there? The challenge here is that unlike
many larger Parliaments which provide constituency offices and staff for MPs, we do not have similar provisions in little Bermuda. Certainly, appropriately resourced offices would help Bermuda’s MPs to become more effective in the discharge of their responsibilities. Regrettably, given the current economic climate, this will not happen soon. Additionally, there is the challenge
the electorate on an on-going basis to ensure not only that we stay abreast of issues that affect our people, but also that their voices find expression in our work. The challenge here is that governments may have to pay a significant price for not listening carefully to the needs of constituents,
as Bermuda’s Governing Party, the OBA, recently learned. There was widespread objection in the community to the announced closure of the Lamb Foggo Urgent Care Centre which was built by the former PLP Government to ease congestion at our acute care hospital, King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.
34 | The Parliamentarian | 2014: Issue One
The government cited insufficient use of the clinic and loss of revenue as reasons for closure. Constituents, led by the Opposition MP in the area, solicited approximately 3,000 signatures requesting that the clinic remain open, (bear in mind that there are only 1100 constituents in the area). The objectors marched on the
of visiting constituents in their homes. MPs are expected to make calls on constituents. Otherwise, there is the commonly heard refrain: “I only see you when you need my vote!” Many a politician in Bermuda has lost his/ her seat because the voters were unhappy that the MPs did not visit them; a reason, we were informed, why our former Premier lost her seat in the 2012 General Election. In addition to representation by establishing policies and budgets that govern a country, Parliament oversees the actions and spending of the Executive. The Legislature seeks to ensure that programmes are carried out legally, effectively and for the purposes for which they are intended. Parliaments scrutinize government spending and activities to determine whether money has been spent appropriately and whether or
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72