Date: Tue 30-Jan-2001

COX DEFENDS RESIDENTS MEETINGS

BY MATTHEW TAYLOR

Home Affairs Minister Paula Cox last night defended the fiery public forums which Portuguese activists say have sent some long term residents packing. Robert Pires of the Coalition on Long Term Residents had claimed abuse directed at Portuguese during last year's meetings had sparked some families to leave. But Last night Ms Cox said: ``The Ministry is not aware of families leaving Bermuda because of things which may have been said at last year's public meetings which discussed the Green Paper on long-term residents.

``The Ministry was however, pleased with the large turnout at the public meetings in which Bermudians in particular, felt able to speak their minds about the concerns they had in extending privileges to long-term residents. She went on:

The article also quotes Mr. Robert Pires as referring to children born in Bermuda of non-Bermudian parents as ``born Bermudians''. ``The Ministry wishes to clarify that such children are not automatically``born Bermudians''.``Most non-Bermudian children who were born in Bermuda before August 1989 have, or may, become eligible to apply for Bermudian status, but until they acquire the grant of Bermuda status, they remain non-Bermudians.

Shadow Home Affairs Minister Michael Dunkley said the public forums had been mishandled from the start with stacked panels hand-picked to give the Government line. And he said the PLP was procrastinating on the issue of long term residents LTRs) because they had given no indication on when a White Paper would put forward solid proposals to change the law. He said: ``The PLP are probably not overly concerned by the reports of people leaving because if they leave the Island this helps resolve a difficult decision if they have less of them.

 ``The statement says a White Paper will come in due course -- that can mean anything. ``I don't think it is acceptable. We have had the Green Paper so it should take a short period of time to produce a white paper.'' He said the Government had been quick enough to push through constitutional change and he said the PLP was split over the LTRs with some radicals demanding no concessions be made.Mr. Dunkley was asked whether the UBP were to blame for the uncertainty facing the long term residents after the 1989 moratorium on status. He said: ``That's all well and good to keep throwing that up about what the UBP didn't do. ``I wasn't in the party but I am not going to use that as an excuse. The UBP were in a really difficult position.'' Paula Cox