Members
Parliament
Transparency
Dr. Douglas De Couto, JP, MP

Dr. Douglas De Couto, JP, MP

1768
Speeches
616,883
Words Spoken
69
Sittings Active
21 Mar 2024 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
1,456 words
We heard a lot of things in the brief, Madam President, about helping the pe ople of Bermuda. None of those things are in the Bill. This Bill is about how the Finance Minister may spend money that is in the legislation (and I will quote) the “Government Borrowing Sinking Fund, ”—not the excess borrowing fund —without any accountability or …
21 Mar 2024 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
2,440 words
So, Madam President, those are a few reasons. So let me recap, if you will allow me. This Bill is not required to achieve the policy and we have outlined a couple of ways in which the policy could be achieved. The OBA does not oppose the policy goals outlined in the statement. In fact, we have pledged to support …
21 Mar 2024 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
2,533 words
Point of order, Madam resident. She is misleading the Senate. And I have said multiple times [ that] we support the policy objectives. Thank you, Madam President . Sen. Leslie Robinson: Well, without supporting it, Madam President, without supporting this Bill, in fact that is what [they] would be doing. Thank you, Madam President. The President: Would any other Senator …
21 Mar 2024 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
63 words
Point of order, Madam President. It is not a money Bill. Thank you. Sen. Arianna Hodgson: Madam President. The President: Senator Hodgson, will you continue. Sen. Arianna Hodgson: Thank you, Madam President. I would like to move that the Bill entitled the Government Loans Amendment Act 2024 be now read a second time. The President: Is there any objection to …
21 Mar 2024 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
5 words
Yes. Yes, Madam President. [Laughter]
21 Mar 2024 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
1,683 words
I object. Sen. Robin Tucker: Yes, Madam President. We do have objections to the second reading. Thank you, Madam President. B ermuda Senate [Inaudible i nterjections] The President: If t here are t wo, we will have to hav e a vote. Sen. Arianna Hodgson: Ar e you sure, Mad am President? I’ll take it . I’ll take it. [Laughter] …
21 Mar 2024 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
284 words
Thank you, Madam President. And I do of course apologise, especially to the staff who have been working tirelessly . . . tirelessly. But this is the time and the venue to put certain things into the record, Madam President. We have spent this week working on behalf of the people of Bermuda to ask questions, to interrogate, to hold …
21 Mar 2024 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
101 words
Thank you, Madam President. And I am putting this into the record for the people of Bermuda. This is what that process is for. We— POINT OF ORDER Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Point of order, Madam President. Madam President, the Opposition, this is their debate. They give us heads that they want us to talk about and we give the brief …
21 Mar 2024 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
15 words
May I continue, Madam President? The President: Yes, you certainly may continue, Senator De Couto.
21 Mar 2024 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
40 words
I would say, Madam President, that we were certainly clear to be grateful with the Junior Ministers and Senators who provided ample time. Sen. Lindsay Simmons: Point of information, Madam President. The President: Do you accept a point of information?
21 Mar 2024 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
70 words
No, I do not. POINT OF ORDER Sen. Lindsay Simmons: I mean, point of order, Madam President, sorry. As I read in my brief, we gave the Opposition time to give us questions so that we could answer the questions that they wanted, fully. They chose not to. So that is poor planning, Madam President. You cannot put that on …
21 Mar 2024 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
30 words
Thank you, Madam President. Let me just quickly address that. It is hard to [ask] questions without briefs. So we can postulate al-ternative hypothesis about a different — [Inaudible interjections]
21 Mar 2024 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
168 words
Madam President, you could imagine a different process, but that is not the process that we have. It is a choice of the Government to read a whole brief. Many of the Junior Ministers we think did an excellent job on behalf of the people of Bermuda. We were able to ask great questions and they were able to (as …
21 Mar 2024 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
87 words
Of course, of course, Madam President. Well, let me return to my topic of political cynicism and failing to do the best thing for the people of Bermuda. Today we have seen a change. The Government has made many statements about the One Bermuda Alliance that are false. We come here on a regular basis. We state publicly what we …
21 Mar 2024 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
35 words
I do not accept. I do not accept. I do not accept. The Government likes to say, Oh, the OBA is against health care. [Inaudible interjections] The President: Do you have a [point of information]?
21 Mar 2024 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
140 words
I do not accept it, Madam President. They will say, and quite disingenuously, The OBA doesn’t support the people. But you know, Madam President, we have come to this Chamber many times and we have supported things that are in the interest of the people. And the record is there and people can see it. Now I have a theory, …
21 Mar 2024 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
12 words
I do not even know — The President: Senator De Couto, continue.
21 Mar 2024 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
107 words
You know, Madam President, I always welcome opportunity to clarify. The One Bermuda Alliance supports all Bermudians. We certainly support those who need it the most. Now, we have made a change today. And I am going to avoid too many details. But the result is that this Government, under its current leadership, the Honourable Premier, is going to be …
21 Mar 2024 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
40 words
Madam President, I will ask— The President: Minister Darrell, I have asked him to caution— [Inaudible interjections] Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: Retract that statement, please, Madam President — [Crosstalk] Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: —the Premier of this country.
21 Mar 2024 Senate
Official Hansard Report - Senate
120 words
I will put the question to the people of Bermuda, Do you trust the leadership of this country to take care of your money? And do you trust them to be honest with you about it? Because people come to us every day, Madam President, and they tell us why they do not trust this Government. Because they cannot answer …