Today, Premier Ewart Brown held a press conference where he discussed a number of issues facing the island. He opened the event talking about one of the pillars of our economy - tourism. Premier Brown:

My Ministry’s initiatives to be addressed during this session with respect to tourism are to:

1. remove barriers that inhibit hotel development;
2. create joint public/private funding to attract more visitors to arrive by air;
3. create incentives that attract and retain cruise ship companies to serve Bermuda; and
4. make the cruise port more desirable.

You may recall that an objective of the Hotel Concessions Act of 2000 was to provide some tax relief to hoteliers who re-developed their properties. Another objective was to encourage training Bermudians and hiring local entertainment.

Proposed amendments to the Act recognize that we not only compete with other destinations for the visitor dollars but that we also compete for the hotel investment dollar.

To differentiate ourselves, we must make Bermuda more attractive for new hotel investors. For those that already have a stake in our community, we must continue to provide incentives to make it easier and more cost effective for them to upgrade their facilities to keep pace with or stay ahead of the competition.

Our proposed amendments to the Hotel Concessions Act are the result of collaborative talks with the Hotel Owners of Bermuda, who have identified barriers that cause the Act to be less effective today than when we introduced it.

Key to the success of tourism is that we attract more air visitors for Bermuda. We must increase our exposure in our key gateways through increased marketing. Therefore, hotels will be invited to partner with Government to create a mega-fund that will be used for joint marketing efforts.

We will also address the cruise ship sector.

The reality is that cruise lines get higher revenues at competing destinations. Their operating costs in Bermuda are higher than at competing destinations. These realities make it more difficult to attract cruise ships to Bermuda.

Let me give a concrete illustration. The Bermuda Government charges a Passengers Tax of $20.00 per day and a Cabin Tax of $14.00 per day per cabin. These fees make Bermuda one of the most costly cruise destinations in the world.

To become more competitive, the Government will propose amendments to the Miscellaneous Taxes Act during this legislative session.

Additionally, to add value to the cruise ship visitor’s stay, the Government will implement a programme that will allow retailers to open within the cruise terminal selling duty free and duty paid goods. Heritage Wharf at Dockyard will house the first of these establishments. We will introduce legislation to amend the Public Holidays Act to allow those retailers to remain open during holidays when cruise ships are in port.

This represents a comprehensive plan for tourism that focuses on developing Platinum Period infrastructure, developing air arrivals and boosting our cruise industry. The Premier also discussed Transport:

Let me turn now to transport. There are a few transport initiatives that we will pursue during this session.

The Ministry’s initiatives will enhance the management and administration of traffic offences. Specifically, we will address the demerit points system and the ticketing system so that fines do not remain outstanding for extended periods of time.

On another note, let me applaud those persons who, on the day Parliament re-convened, exercised their democratic right to protest in support of the timely provision of paratransit.

Just two weeks ago, the Ministry publicly confirmed receipt of the Paratransit Strategy. As we promised to do in the 2008 Throne Speech, the Government consulted with stakeholders to develop this strategy. I am pleased to announce today that an implementation plan is being prepared for submission to Cabinet for its review.

The Government intends to honour its commitment to provide public transportation for community members who have mobility challenges. We acknowledge and will respond to their right to get around the Island independently and with dignity using public transport.

Transit for the physically challenged and addressing the demerit system are key parts of the agenda. Premier Brown also discussed National Service:

In the Throne Speech of 2003, we said we would introduce a form of national service for youth. This idea is worth pursuing even more today than ever before. The aim of a programme of national service is to foster a transfer of knowledge, experience, skills and character from youth educated at post-secondary level to their school-age peers.

I have no intention of pre-empting the public consultation or legislative debate that must accompany this initiative. The vision, however, is that every young person will be required to give back to his and her community. We will require these young people to mentor through organized tutoring, through involvement in sports clubs and community organizations, through targeted volunteerism and other means of service.

This programme will complement service in the Bermuda Regiment and other areas. We will not draw from their numbers and we will include young women. The possibilities are endless.

Developing our young people and instilling a sense of service is critical to the development of our society. The Premier also discussed the issue of gaming:

You may recall that during the last legislative session, the House rejected proposed amendments to the Prohibition of Gaming Machines Act. The amendments were designed to allow certain cruise ships to open casinos during restricted hours while in port. At the time, many of my colleagues expressed an interest in having a much wider discussion on the issue of gaming.

The Throne Speech referred to gaming as a “vexed issue” and rightly so. A tremendous amount of commentary accompanies any discussion about gaming in Bermuda.

We will table a Green Paper that will set out the research commissioned by the Task Force on Gaming. There will be some clear indications of what is not suitable for Bermuda and what, provided it is supported, Bermuda could have. Additionally, the Paper will recommend consolidation of all laws that touch on gaming of any kind into one piece of legislation. This will permit far greater certainty and clarity in the law.

In my view, once we as a community are able to make an informed decision based on high quality, independent research, we can make a decision that represents what is best for all of us in Bermuda.

Studying the impact of gaming on Bermuda will provide MPs with the information they need to evaluate gaming. Visa help is also on the way.

During my tenure as Premier, I have carried on the good work of my immediate predecessors in fostering strong relations with the United States. Washington has come to know Bermuda as more than a friend. Washington sees us as a valued partner in an area of business critical to the United States and last September, we opened the first Bermuda government office in the U.S. capital. The present and former US Consuls General have been tremendous friends of Bermuda. Against the background of their desire to help us help our own citizens, the Government has determined that it is necessary to create an office devoted to assistance with securing waivers for entry into the United States.

Within the next month, I will be in a position to announce the person charged with management of this task. The person’s role will be to de-mystify the process for our citizens; and to encourage those who simply think the experience too burdensome and are unlikely to view their applications positively.

Reforming and enhancing our legislative process is also being discussed. Premier Brown:

Isolated calls for the reform of our Legislature seldom yield meaningful change. That we can do things better is unarguable. Within the confines of our Constitution and the Rules of the respective Houses, I believe that there is scope for real change. Just making a meeting open to the public is not enough. The public has a right to see efficient institutions at work.

I will be working with the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate on the terms of reference for an invitation to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association to convene in Bermuda to discuss the means by which to make our Committees more effective, refine the nature of our debates, and enhance the roles of backbenchers occupying specific roles within the Legislature.

We can learn from the experiences of other Westminster-based Assemblies and devise a model for Bermuda that holds fast to our traditions but inspires Bermudians to be confident that we are in touch with their expectations in this modern age.

The Premier and the PLP Government have a comprehensive and ambitious agenda planned for the next year and we look forward to continue to institute reforms and build the new Bermuda.