By Rebecca Zuill From The Royal Gazette

The resolution of Bermuda’s immigration policy is “crucial” for the economy, Shadow Minister of Finance David Burt said yesterday.

“This is not an immigration issue, this is an economic issue,” he said.

“Getting it right for the long-term is crucial for sustainable economic growth.”

Mr Burt was speaking now that the dust has settled on a turbulent parliamentary period that ended in mid-March.

The Deputy Opposition Leader, then all of the Progressive Labour Party MPs, walked out of the House of Assembly in protest against House Speaker Randy Horton’s controversial decision not to allow debate on an amendment to a motion.

Opposition Leader Marc Bean and Mr Horton then had censure motions filed against them, which will be addressed when Parliament reconvenes next month.

But yesterday, Mr Burt’s focus was on comparisons drawn last month with the Cayman Islands, whose government has relaxed its immigration policy.

Those policies have been credited by some observers for subsequent economic growth in the British Overseas Dependent Territory.

“The real example for Cayman is their economy is growing, and that is because both sides of the political divide are united on the need for growth. We must return to growth, which will bring additional jobs, which is the No 1 need in Bermuda right now,” Mr Burt said.

“If immigration changes were enough, then the scrapping of term limits would have seen jobs increase, but that is not the case. This is deeper that just immigration; it must be considered in the context of and economic policy that grows our domestic economy and international business.”

He added that immigration policy is an emotive issue. “However, getting immigration correct is vital to our economic future,” Mr Burt said. “This is why it must be on a bipartisan basis to ensure that the changes made will last and [are] not subject to the variances of an election cycle.”

Mr Burt differentiated Bermuda’s position from that of Cayman Islands, saying the issue here is not increasing immigration.

“Cayman and Bermuda are two separate instances — our issues are with Bermudians leaving Bermuda, and less jobs based in Bermuda. We need to get our growth policy right, and a vital part of getting a growth policy right is having a sensible immigration policy that enjoys the support of both parties.

“Cayman’s example in this instance is that both of their parties agreed on an immigration and growth policy. That is what is required in Bermuda. The OBA, however, continues to reject the PLP’s approaches and pushes ahead with controversial changes which erode rather than enhance investor confidence.

“We need to move to a policy that supports growth in our economy. Our people need jobs, we require more investment and we need to grow our GDP. Immigration policy is not just about who comes, but it’s also about the proper balance that needs to be struck to ensure that Bermudians are treated fairly in their own country. That applies not only to labour, but also to land.”

The disadvantage of this approach is that not everyone will get what they want, he said.

However, he indicated that the PLP would support a policy developed in this way.

“Any mutually agreed policy should be made law,” he said. “The point of a mutual policy is that both parties support it.”

He would not say what, if any, proposals the PLP would be unable to support in developing a new policy.

“It’s less important to focus on deal-breakers and more important to focus on the matter that until the OBA recognises this is the correct approach, our economy will continue to be buffeted with uncertainty, which does not bode well for our future.”

Mr Burt said he would not get into specifics in regard to question of the granting of Bermuda status. “What I will say is that before the election, the OBA said they would not grant status to permanent resident’s certificate holders,” he said.

“Now, after the election, they have changed their mind. This is the type of policy reversal that raises the political temperature and dampens our investment environment.”

IMAGE: Shadow Finance Minister David Burt (File photo by Akil Simmons)

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