Minister for the Cabinet Office, the Hon. Walton Brown, JP, MP today stated, “The shadow minister of everything and former Premier of Bermuda is once again attempting to rewrite history and erase his record of failure.

“In 2017, when the OBA was defeated at the polls, the PLP came into office to find that the OBA had inadequate representation in place to defend our interests in the United States, many of our long established relationships had eroded, and we were spending money on an empty office that the OBA shut down without a plan.

“Proper diplomacy requires that you make friends before you need them, yet the shortsighted move by the OBA government left Bermuda with no political presence when the then new Congress and new President came into office. This was a particularly shortsighted move by the OBA with the Trump administration’s tax reform agenda that could impact dramatically on Bermuda.

“Former Premier Dunkley may criticize our decision to reestablish the DC office and ensure that Bermuda’s interests are consistently defended on Capitol Hill.  Yet we are confident that this decision, supported by our international business partners, is the correct decision for Bermuda.”

Minister Brown concluded, “No one likes to spend money without getting an outcome that tangibly benefits Bermuda. Being forced to pay rent on an empty office that was vacated and left empty under the OBA’s watch is far from ideal for Bermuda or the taxpayer.  Despite this, we have an obligation to resolve the situation and we are working to fulfill our pledge to have proper representation for Bermuda in Washington DC.”