Mr. Speaker, in a Statement to this Honourable House on 11th March 2019, I advised Honourable members of this Government’s intention to advance amendments to the Premier and Opposition Leaders Personal Staffs Act 1983, to start the process of building capacity within Ministries by developing a private office function.

Honourable Members will recall my reference to the recommendations of the SAGE Commission and the 2011 Civil Service Review which recommended the creation of a ministerial private office to “relieve Permanent Secretaries of the day-to-day tasks associated with Ministers’ needs”.

Mr. Speaker, I am therefore pleased to advise this Honourable House and the public that I will today introduce the promised amendments to the Act, and reflecting the change we have made, the Act will now be known as the Premier, Ministers and Opposition Leader Personal Staffs Act 2019.

Mr. Speaker, in an era when phrases like ‘openness and transparency’ are used more as weapons than genuine encouragement of best practice, this Government has determined to de-mystify the appointments and terms of service of those men and women who bring to bear their talent and expertise in support of ministers and their policy objectives. The Act will see an end to the “gotcha” nature of Ministerial Appointments by requiring the annual publication of all such appointments with details of remuneration to be tabled in this Honourable House.

By codifying these appointments in terms that mirror the ministerial Code of Conduct, this Government is providing the initiative required to move our political discourse beyond the small politics that so often distract us from the very important issues of true significance to the people of Bermuda.

Mr. Speaker, Bermuda is a complex society with a delicate economy and is facing equally complex issues around economic diversification, social change and building a fairer society.  We must ensure that Ministers of this and future governments can call upon the expertise and support required to properly discharge their responsibilities as demanded by the modern era of public service.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.