In her statement, she noted her connection to St. George's as well as the many activities she has sponsored in the constituency. Dame Jennifer:

I stand before you humbled at the opportunity to once again serve the people of St. George’s North.
I am an unapologetic St. Georgian - so it is with great joy that I accept the candidacy for this constituency.

Since my reelection in 2007, I have continued to work in the best interests of St. George’s in particular and children in general. Here in St. George’s that meant Christmas Hampers for the needy – the Annual Easter Egg Hunt - the Annual Future Leaders’ Awards (now in its 6th year), our Annual ‘Back to School’ Event, in concert with St. George’s Cricket Club and Constituencies 2 and 3 – and our Community Movie Night at the St. George’s Community Centre.

As Minister of Education, we have focused on teaching and learning in order to spread equity across the system by raising standards and offering help on site, at the schools.

In addition, thanks to the Ministry of Works, our roads have been paved, lights installed on Barry Road; and today - Coot Pond Road returned to two-way status.

She went on to talk about how the PLP accepted the challenge of the global economic crisis and helped protect jobs and the social safety net in Bermuda. Dame Jennifer:

As a Government we have confronted the worst global economic crisis since the great depression. It has been a tough battle, but we are winning the fight. We are making progress in terms of economic recovery and our spending has been invested in making this country better. We spent - not because we like roads or buildings – we spent to provide jobs, assure health and achieve success and stability for the people of this country.

Yes, there have been challenges but there have also been successes. We continue to relentlessly and aggressively tackle crime while addressing the long simmering conditions that helped to create a culture of criminality among some of our citizens.

Our work in this arena, like our work in education, is too important to be made the fodder of partisan politics.

As we look to the future and the next election. I want to thank you for the privilege of serving you. Thank you for placing your trust in me.

Dame Jennifer is a trailblazer and a strong and effective leader. And, she hasn't forgotten her community. She is from St. George's and she understands what the community through and through.

She knows that an economic crisis is not the time to engage in savage cuts that will mean lost jobs and lost opportunity for Bermudians. She believes in Bermudians and is committed to continuing the investment to ensure that all Bermudians can rise as far as talents will take them.

Premier Paula Cox notes that a new tyre contract will benefit Bermudian businesses and save taxpayers money:

I am pleased to announce that we have awarded the tyre contract valued at just over a million dollars to three vendors. I would like to introduce you to the managers of each company: Mr. Sheldon Robinson and Mrs. Kim Foggo of Discount Tyre & Wheel; Mr. Ashmead Ali of Affordable Tyre and Mr. Joe Ponte of Bermuda Tyre Company.

The three suppliers will be supplying tyres to the Bermuda Police Service, the Public Transport Board, the Bermuda Fire Service and Public Works which are also responsible for servicing the remaining Government vehicles.

While Discount Tyre & Wheel will be the sole supplier of the high performance “Good Year” tyres to the Public Transport Board for their buses, the remaining contract will be split between the three suppliers.

The award of this contract, which is valid until March 2013, will realise a savings of $170,000 while, at the same time, meeting the Government’s commitment to spread its purchasing power.

We've reformed contracting to make it fairer to Bermudians. And, now, Bermudian small business job creators are benefiting and Bermudian taxpayers are saving money. Premier Paula Cox notes that more Bermudian businesses are set to benefit from our reforms going forward:

This is only the beginning. The OPMP have started the review process for paper and other stationery; photocopiers; printers and scanners; cleaning contracts; mobile phones; uniforms; and travel. Within the next few months, a request for tender will be published for paper. The same process and rationale that was successful with the tyre contract will be used in the awarding of contracts for paper and other products and services.

If you are a Bermudian that owns a business looking for an opportunity, we hope you'll be our next success story! Premier Cox:

Businesses are encouraged to regularly check the Government Gazette in the Bermuda Sun for the publication of requests for tender. The OPMP will also be developing a website where they eventually will be able to publish the requests for tender and allow interested businesses to register so that they can be automatically notified of requests for tender in the categories where they may be eligible to submit a proposal...

We encourage companies to reach out to the Interim Director of Project Management and Procurement, who can be reached at phone no: 295-5151 ext.: 1316; or the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation. Their phone no: is 292-5570.

This reform is creating Bermudian jobs, helping Bermudian small businesses and saving Bermudian taxpayers money. It's a win-win-win for Bermuda!

Premier Paula Cox:

Happy Mothers Day!

It was once said that 'The best academy, is a mother's knee'. This is the comforting footnote of much of our motherly experiences in Bermuda as we reflect that the quality of life we have enjoyed has been a direct result of the love and commitment of our mothers and grandmothers who have cared and supported generations of children in need.

Mothers, today is your day.

As you accept the gifts of love from those you have touched take comfort in words I believe strike the drum beat of our endearing gratitude.

"Mother's hold their children's hands for a short while, but their hearts forever." Author unknown

On behalf of the Government and the Bermuda Progressive Labour Party, its Executive Committee and members, I wish to extend a very Happy Mothers Day today and pay special tribute to Mothers and Grandmothers.

Thank you for touching our hearts and above all, we love you and cherish you.

Minister Dame Jennifer Smith schooled Craig Cannonier on education reforms we delivered beginning four years ago. Dame Jennifer:

The Honourable Member, the Leader of the Opposition, is reported as saying (in reference to the Hopkins Report): “That was five years ago and yet only at the start of 2012 was the Government bringing Professor Hopkins recommendations before the House. The failure to move with urgency on education is not a one-off.”

Now, I’ll grant you Mr. Speaker that members should be able to talk about the government, politicise issues and generally take advantage of any missteps of their opponents. What they cannot do – Mr. Speaker – is ignore the facts in order to score cheap political points.

Mr. Speaker, that honourable member was speaking of the debate on the Joint Select Committee report on education reform which took place in February. If that honourable member had listened when Party Whip MP Lovitta Foggo spoke to her motion, he would have heard the Member talk about the progress that had been made in the five years since the Report.

His colleague, the Shadow Minister of Education, the honourable member Grant Gibbons, who was elected to this House in a Bye-Election on 14 July 1994, and was a member of government when the 1996 Education Act creating Middle Schools and Senior Schools was enacted, certainly could have told him about the amendments made to that very same Act which were debated and passed in this House on 8 August 2008.

A mere one year after the Report was submitted in 2007!

Mr. Speaker, last week, I said that we have a responsibility to lead and to inform. This week, I want to add that we also have a responsibility to inform ourselves.

Mr. Speaker, we’ve all heard the saying: ‘ignorance of the law is no excuse’. Legislation was passed in this House before that honourable member was elected and he has a responsibility to know about it.

Mr. Speaker, I wasn’t alive during slavery – but I know that it happened. I know that my ancestors were sold at auction, transported on slave ships and hunted down if they tried to escape.

Mr. Speaker, it was during the honourable Deputy Speaker’s (Member K. Randolph Horton’s) tenure as Minister of Education that the EDUCATION AMENDMENT ACT 2008 was debated and passed.

With its passage Government repealed the post of “Chief Education Officer”, created the post of "Commissioner of Education” and set out the functions of the Commissioner. In addition, the role of the Board of Education was expanded and the number of persons on the Board increased to make it representative of the various groups who have a stake in education.

The amendments also provided for accountability in the education system and for curriculum and performance standards that are benchmarked against international standards.

In addition, the amendment extended the school age from 16 years to 18 years.

Mr. Speaker, it was clause 8 of the 2008 amendment, that inserted provisions in the 1996 Act for School based accountability – Performance recognition – Identification of low performing schools and measures to be taken to improve their performance – Identification of students at risk and measures to address this – Development of academic standards – Development of curriculum standards – and Testing of students.

Craig Cannonier doesn't know what he's talking about. He is dangerously ill informed and he just isn't ready to lead. These are tough times, can we really afford to take the Craig Cannonier risk, Bermuda?