Good Morning,

In the recent Throne Speech, the Ministry of Social Development and Sports outlined a number of areas that we intend to examine in the coming year.

Today, I want to speak specifically about four Throne Speech initiatives that my Ministry will work on during this legislative session.

Loan Guarantees to Community and Sporting Clubs

"Government will provide loan guarantees to community and sporting clubs to upgrade their facilities, develop programmes to serve our youth, spur entrepreneurship and ensure greater community outreach in their parishes and neighbourhoods." - 2017 Throne Speech

As the Throne Speech notes, “Former governments have provided financial guarantees for wealthy sports competitions and tax exemptions for restaurants, nightclubs and retailers."

They have also provided loan guarantees for hotel construction and at-risk banks. This Government believes that one of the ways to better utilize the Government’s financial influence is to make an investment in our society by assisting community and sporting clubs to become self-sufficient.  We are looking at ways to achieve this initiative.

To this end, an initial meeting was held with several  community sports clubs on September 7th at the Warwick Workman’s Club.  The purpose of the meeting was to get early feedback from the clubs on what their needs might be in terms of facilities upgrading and youth programming.

I must stress that what the Government intends to do is to provide a loan guarantee, not a loan itself. Government is not a lending institution. We have not yet determined how much money will be made available via loan guarantees; this will depend upon what the needs are.

We have asked club representatives to provide information on what their needs are, so that we can assess the range of loan guarantees that may be necessary. The current business model of many clubs does typically allow them to make investments in facilities and in programs for our youth.  Clubs can contact the Ministry or me as the Minister directly, with their proposals.

Some clubs have expressed concerns about their ability to repay loans.  We will discuss these concerns, other factors and structure agreements accordingly.

There will likely be a cap on the size of the loan or loans for which Government will issue a guarantee, but this remains to be determined.

We believe the community as a whole will benefit from this initiative through the creation of jobs and possibly even new entrepreneurship opportunities. Additionally, this initiative can have a positive impact on youth development since improved facilities may allow for expansion of youth programming at the different clubs, and we will encourage that.

Reform of the Financial Assistance Programme

"The Financial Assistance Programme that serves some of the most vulnerable in our society is in need of reform as the current system does not effectively serve either the clients or the Government. The Government will undertake a review of the Financial Assistance Programme. This review will require able-bodied unemployed persons who are receiving assistance to upgrade their education and skills to facilitate their return to the workforce. Financial Assistance should encourage people to find work; therefore, people who take a part-time position will not find themselves penalised. This Government will reform Financial Assistance to reduce abuse, discourage dependency, and ensure that work pays." - 2017 Throne Speech

The Financial Assistance Programme began over 15 years ago with the enactment of the Financial Assistance Act 2001.

It was intended to ensure that individuals with insufficient financial resources have access to services in order to gain, maintain, or regain a minimum standard of living while encouraging personal and economic independence.

The Programme was also created to encourage the development of personal skills and resources so they didn’t have to rely on Financial Assistance.

The Financial Assistance Programme has proven to be a lifeline for many in our community.

Unfortunately, over time, there has developed an overreliance, some say even a culture of entitlement, amongst too many of those who receive financial assistance.

Some persons remain on financial assistance for long periods of time, and this is certainly not what the Programme was designed for.

At the same time, there is evidence that the way financial assistance is structured unfairly penalizes persons who have part-time jobs, since they find themselves unable to sustain their progress towards financial independence.

We will examine that situation carefully and seek to make adjustments to policy and legislation so as to encourage people to wean off financial assistance, not remain on it forever.

Therefore, Government will undertake an initiative to reform the Financial Assistance Programme, including both policy and legislation.

For example, we will look at requiring able-bodied unemployed persons who are receiving assistance to upgrade their education and skills to facilitate their return to the workforce.

 We will also reach out to Corporate Bermuda to encourage funding support, together with Government, so that able-bodied persons on financial assistance can get their GED and make themselves more job ready.

This will require a sincere collaborative effort between business and Government, since it is well recognized that the current expenditure of over $50 million that Government spends on financial assistance is unsustainable. That’s almost 1 million dollars per week.

Amendment of the Children Act 1998

"Government will amend the Children Act 1998 to enhance the existing protocol that assigns a Litigation Guardian to children whose custody, care, or control is before the Courts. The guardian will ensure the interests of the child are fairly represented in the Courts, and that any subsequent orders or findings are respected by all parties.  In addition, the Government will expand the duty to investigate under the Children Act 1998, giving the Director of Child and Family Services the ability to enter public or private schools rather than only the Department of Education. The Act will also be amended to indicate that case reporters are not required to receive consent from a parent or guardian to investigate, especially when the allegation involves a parent or guardian." - 2017 Throne Speech

Under the Children Act 1998, the Court has the power to appoint a litigation guardian if it deems it necessary to do so in order to safeguard the interest of children.

Further, the Act provides the Minister the ability to establish panels of persons from whom litigation guardians may be appointed. Government will review and enhance the use of litigation guardians in Bermuda.  

In a recent meeting with various charities that administer services to children hosted by the Attorney-General, it was indicated that a framework for a panel of litigations will be developed, and participants were encouraged to submit briefs to the Ministry expressing their views on how such a scheme should work in their view.

The Government will also consider the approach to administration of litigation guardians in other jurisdictions before determining a way forward.  

Government will also expand the duty of the Director of Child and Family Services to investigate cases of child abuse and neglect under the Act, since such cases can sometimes be masked or ignored, resulting in unnecessary harm to children.

Green Paper on Bermuda’s Drug Policies

"Despite the severity of Bermuda’s penalties for illicit drug use, they apparently fail to deter criminal behaviour. Given that the behaviour is driven by addiction, punishments tend to be ineffective. Consequently, the Government has a duty to seek ways to reduce drug abuse and increase rehabilitation. The Government will publish a Green Paper for consultation to review Bermuda’s drug policies to discuss options to reduce drug abuse"  - 2017 Throne Speech

Drug abuse remains a significant issue in today’s society.

The recent concern expressed over the possible arrival of fentanyl into Bermuda is but one example of why it is important to reformulate Government policy on drug prevention, abuse and treatment.

The Government believes that by preparing and publishing a Green Paper on Bermuda’s drug policies, the public will be encouraged to provide feedback on a range of topics.

The Department for National Drug Control will spearhead preparation of the Green Paper and will seek input from across Government and the public at large.

Thank you.