Our Accomplishments | Bermuda Progressive Labour Party

The Progressive Labour Party was established on a long-held vision of transforming our country into a land of equal opportunity for all, based on principles of fairness, equity, accountability and full democratic participation. This has been our overarching philosophical framework from inception. Below is a summary of the accomplishments of our government as we pursue fulfilling the vision.

Election 2007 Progress Reports

• Making Housing Affordable for Every Bermudian
• Keeping Bermuda Moving Forward (Transportation)
• Tourism: More Arrivals, More Visitors
• Health Care: Creating a Healthier Bermuda
• Committed to Improving Education
• Committed to Quality of Life for Bermuda's Seniors

Making Housing Affordable for All

• The construction of affordable housing units at Loughlands, Perimeter Lane and Butterfield Lane
• Working families in new affordable homes at Loughlands in first phase; two additional phases on track
• Plans in place for more affordable homes at Grand Atlantic
• Homes for more police officers soon coming to former Harmony Club site
• Housed over 800 Bermudians through the Bermuda Housing Corporation
• Implemented geared-to-income housing to ensure affordability for over 300 families.
• Provided an affordable living facility for single men
• Emergency housing at Morgan's Point for families in need
• Established a Cross Ministry Initiative to provide comprehensive attention to individuals and families in need
• Providing a duty free allowance for developments designated as an affordable housing project

Improving Education and Helping Our Young People

• Reduced class sizes in Primary 1 - 3 to ensure individual attention to every student
• Built the new Berkeley Institute as a first class educational facility
• Introduced education awards for mature students and couples
• Increased funding amounts for all Government scholarships
• Free Bermuda College for all Bermudians; Enrollment up
• Government university scholarships now cover "full ride" for top academic performers
• Endorsed the plan to make Bermuda College a full service community college to better serve the needs of its students
• Increase the value of Teacher Training awards
• Pledged funding for cricket and football to aid in our youth development
• Introduced a specialized school for students with multi physical and health challenges, The Dame Marjorie Bean Academy
• Introduced School Support Rules to assist parents in fulfilling their responsibility to their children’s educational needs
• Established a partnership with the Institute of Talented Students to target and maximize the potential of our academically gifted.
• Established a partnership with the University of the West Indies allowing Bermudians to attend with an 80% tuition reduction
• Orchestrated a national literacy campaign
• Provided attendance officers for each public school
• Ensured that there are trained teachers at pre-schools
• Established the "Jump Start" programme to assist recent college graduates with work placement.

Providing Quality Health Care and Promoting Public Health

• New urgent care centre now open on the East End; Plans in place for a centre on the West End
• Phase One of FutureCare now available; Proved overwhelmingly popular with seniors who lined up to receive the programme
• Provided more training incentives and opportunities for nurses
• Established a unique healthcare partnership with the finest U.S. hospitals in the northeast
• Increased Hospital Insurance Plan (HIP) benefits
• Enacted anti-smoking legislation in public places
• Instituted an island wide health promotions strategy to improve overall health of our citizens
• The new Hospital Master Plan is now public and construction will begin shortly
• Established the Bermuda Health Council to oversee all aspects of Bermuda health care system.
• Independent living for Seniors - completed the Sylvia Richardson facility and residence at Rockaway
• Established the first Bermuda Health Council which is responsible for regulation, licensing, etc.
• Providing greater Health and Safety protection for workers in the work environment by amending the Health and Safety Act
• Established a pandemic plan

Encouraging Tourism

• Increased tourism arrivals to a peak in 2007
• Increased airline competition and decreased airfares
• Heritage Wharf constructed and open at Dockyard to keep Bermuda competitive in the cruise travel industry and stimulate new entrepreneurism at Dockyard
• Brought the PGA Grand Slam of Golf to Bermuda
• Stimulated new hotel construction - Newstead, Tucker's Point, Park Hyatt
• Introduced the Hotel Concessions Act 2000, providing tax incentives for the hotel sector, and igniting over $1 billion dollars in new investment.
• Created and executed a National Tourism Plan.
• Introduced new airlines to the Bermuda market from North America and Europe
• Executed an award winning adverting campaign that has refreshed Bermuda’s image as a premiere global destination
• Established a 'Tourism in Schools Programme' to reintroduce Tourism to our students and promote it as an industry of opportunity
• Began the tourism workforce initiative to re-energize our tourism workforce
• Put a Hospitality Learning Centre plan in place
• Established a Port Development Task Force to devise plans for the redevelopment of all our island's cruise ship ports
• Supported and executed plans to make Dockyard Bermuda's primary port for large cruise ships
• Reorganised Bermuda's overseas Tourism offices to more effectively market Bermuda to the world
• Partnered with international cruise lines to sponsor Bermudians training in the industry
• Set up the David Allen memorial scholarship to support Bermudians interested in hospitality
• Became a global leader for the African Diaspora Heritage Trail
• Commissioned the Sally Bassett Monument, a tourism heritage site
• Launched a study on gaming in partnership with the hotel industry

Combating Crime

• Completed a review of Bermuda’s Crime Justice System.
• Enacted bladed weapons legislation to combat violent crime
• Increased the size of the Service through local and overseas recruitment drives
• Worked with the Service to expand community policing
• Set up a Debt Action taskforce to go after delinquent taxpayers
• Established a financial crimes investigation unit

Caring for Our Seniors

• Increased pensions for Seniors
• Opened the Sylvia Richardson Care Facility, a state of the art elder care facility
• Established the National Office for Seniors and the Physically Challenged.
• Provided greater protection against abuse of Seniors
• Proposed substantial renovations to the Pembroke Rest Home and other public seniors facilities
• Independent living for Seniors - Constructed the Rockaway Seniors facility for over 100 Seniors
• Increase resources for in-home care for our Seniors
• Added an $1100 prescription drug benefit
• Tough new regulations for senior care facilities
• Providing dedicated counseling services for families facing elder care responsibilities
• Eliminated land tax for Seniors
• Eliminated passport renewal fees for Seniors.
• Eliminated vehicle licensing fees for Seniors.
• Passed the Health Amendment Act 2002 to provide access to automatic external defibrillators
• Proposed legislation to establish and Elder Care Abuse Registry
• Established mandatory licensing and standards for all Elder Care facilities
• Eliminated a long standing policy of discrimination against Bermuda's war veterans

Improving Transportation

• Introduced fast ferries to ease traffic congestion
• Improved Ferry Docks, introduced a Park and Ride system and minibus service to assist ferry commuters
• Introduced an online and more efficient Transport Control Center
• Constructed a new, more consumer friendly Transport Control Facility
• New vehicle testing facility to ensure our vehicles are safe
• Planning to introduce graduated licensing legislation
• Provided new mini buses to improve our bus network
• Provided new buses accessible for wheelchair passengers
• Free public transportation for all school students
• Developed a National Transportation Plan
• Allow private schools to rent private busing for it students to assist in relieving traffic congestion.
• Working with the Taxi industry to introduce a modern digital dispatch system
• Ensuring there is taxis on the roads to service physically challenged passengers
• Working with the Taxi industry to establish dedicated limousine service.
• Allow free bus transportation to members of the Bermuda Regiment
• Invested in new Buses to extend the long-term viability of the fleet
• Permitting shared rides in taxis from the Airport in peak hours
• Provided Bermuda with its first weather Doppler Radar system the latest technology for weather reporting
• Provide the legislative framework for a Bermudian Civil Air Transportation Industry
• Signed a joint agreement with the United States to establish pre-clearance of non-commerical aircraft, one of only three countries in the world to do so

Conserving Water and Protecting Our Environment

• Constructing Reverse Osmosis Plants throughout the island to assist in water usage
• Opened the Bermuda Recycling Plant for Tin, Aluminum and Glass
• New Bermuda Plan created
• Introduced the Environmental Awards Program
• Establish island wide recycling programme
• Established a new rehabilitation programme for the cahow
• Promoting recycling initiatives in all of our schools
• Forming environmentally friendly partnerships with local businesses
• Providing legislative protection for Bermuda's endemic wildlife and plants
• Established the Sustainable Development Roundtable to involved everyone in charting the environmental course of Bermuda
• Established the Department of Conservation Services to promote the conservation and sustainable use of Bermuda's natural resources
• Commissioned a thorough study of Bermuda's fishing industry

Expanding Parks and Recreation

• Established a Community Areas Programme (CAP) is identify and create community spaces in high density areas
• Developed the William Wilson Park and Harlem Heights Parks in the Community Areas Programs
• Providing funding to groups such as Buy Back Bermuda for the preservation of open spaces

Protecting the Children

• Daycare allowance programme launched and enrolled more than 425 families
• Amendments were made to the Children's Act so that Bermuda's legislation meets the standard of the UN convention on the Rights of the Child
• Strengthened the laws that ensure tougher penalties for drug activity in School Zones
• New procedures to improve and streamline the Financial Assistance to help families
• Modernized the Adoption Act, to protect the interest of our children

Improved Democracy and Better Governance

• The elimination of Annual Voter Registration thus ending the annual disenfranchisement of voters
• Established an independent office of the Parliamentary Registrar
• Establishment of the Office of the Ombudsman
• Published all major Government contract awards in the publicly available Official Gazette
• Signed a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty with the United States
• The establishment of Single Seat Constituencies to ensure a more equitable electoral process
• Expanding the powers of the Office of the Auditor General
• Commissioned a substantive review of the Civil Service.
• Established a Central Policy Unit to ensure government policymaking is efficient and effective.
• Introduced E-Government to All Government Departments
• Public Access to Information (PATI) legislation at the Cabinet level

An Economy that Works for Everyone

• Reform of the tax system to bring about greater equity in the distribution of the tax burden
• Established the non-partisan think tank, Bermuda First
• Signed Tax Information Exchange Agreements with 11 countries
• Eliminated death tax on primary homestead
• Created and expanded the Economic Empowerment Zone for North Hamilton
• Diversifying the sources of government revenue
• Re-aligned the tax base to link it more closely to the growth sectors of the economy
• More than 3,400 jobs have been created in our economy under the PLP Government
• Created the environment for sustained growth of the international business sector by over 50%
• Provided the Small Business Development Corporation with more capital and resources to support business expansion
• Provided the florists, tour boat operators, restaurants and the farming sectors with reasonable tax relief
• Unprecedented assistance for the hotel industry during tough economic times
• Provide more independence for the Bermuda Monetary Authority
• Provided tax relief for start-up small businesses
• Strengthening Consumer Protection legislation
• Improving the access to government contracts for small and medium businesses
• Established a certification system for all trained and experienced tradesmen
• Signed MOU with Province of Nova Scotia to benefit cross border business expansion for entrepreneurs in both jurisdictions
• Improved unemployment benefits
• Opened an office in London to protect Bermuda's interests
• Soon to open an office in Washington, DC to protect Bermuda's interests

Promotion of a Cultural Renaissance

• Renamed Bermuda International Airport to the L. F. Wade International Airport
• Renamed the Parliamentary Registrar Office after Valerie Scott, the first female Bermudian Registrar General
• Established National Heroes' Day
• Renamed Spice Valley School after respected Bermudian educator, Neville Tatem DBE
• Sponsored the promotion of Bermudian life, folklore and history internationally
• Sponsor the commemoration of four centuries of Bermuda history
• Published the first Stamp series commemorating Bermudian Educators
• Established a memorial for Bermudians lost at sea in St. David's
• Paid tribute to Bermuda's pilots by renaming a tug after the late pilot H. M. Stowe
• Supporting the Arts by providing the Masterworks foundation with a permanent home at Camden, the Premier's Official Residence.
• Renamed the Royal Naval Field after Somerset Cricket Legend Warren Simmons

Improving Telecommunications

• As a result of the Government's policy to promote beneficial competition, the cost of telecommunications to consumers has been reduced
• Providing the framework for Bermuda to have a profitable future in space telecommunications industry.
• Provied a framework for cell phone customers to keep their numbers when switching carriers
• Passed an E-Commerce Code of Conduct to establish standards for international electronic transactions
• Providing Computers with internet access to public facilities for free usage
• Established a programme to provide ours Seniors with rebuilt computers for free

Immigration Reform

• Established work permit term limits and enforcing the new policy sensitively
• Creation of Bermuda's first Employment Act to protect all employees
• Further development of the National Training Board
• Passed legislation to prohibit 'fronting' and protect Bermudian land ownership.
• Established immigration policy on 'marriages of convenience.'
• Provided a solution to the Long term residency issue.

Energy Independence

• Established a Ministry responsible for sustainable energy use
• Published a Green Paper on Energy made public (national plan coming soon)
• New duty relief on many energy efficient items