The new Progressive Labour Party Cabinet will be sworn in later today under the leadership of Bermuda’s youngest Premier.
The Swearing In Ceremony will be held at Government House at 3pm this afternoon, as speculation mounts as to who will join the ranks of Mr Burt’s first Cabinet as Ministers, and just how many Ministries he has decided to have.
In his first speech as Premier after he was sworn in yesterday, Mr Burt vowed that the new PLP administration will work for “every single Bermudian in this country”.
Our aim is simple: to be a government for all of Bermuda, whether it be the haves or have-nots, whether it is Front Street or North Village,” he said.
Speaking before a host of family members, colleagues and friends, at one point, he became visibly emotional as he paused and noted with a shaky voice that his family will bury his brother-in-law on Monday.
Following a brief pause, he pledged “to the voters of this country” that the job ahead “is without question an awesome responsibility” that the PLP “will not take lightly”.
“Today, I take the oath of office as Premier of Bermuda. Tomorrow, we will swear in a government and get to work immediately. We will be a government that will put Bermudians first and make sure we work to advance the interests of every single Bermudian in this country,” he said.
“We will be a government that will govern with integrity and will work every day to improve the conditions for so many of us.
“Today the work begins. This is without question an honour but without question there is an incredible amount of work to be done.
“Know and understand that I will give everything I can, my team will give everything they can to live up to the trust that you have given us with the mandate you delivered yesterday.”
Whether or not he will choose to hold on to the Ministry of Finance will soon be known. But he has no shortage of MP’s to choose from to be Cabinet Ministers as a result of the PLP’s 24 – 12 landslide victory over the OBA.
It will also be interesting to see whether or not Colonel David Burch will be re-assigned as the new Minister of Home Affairs, and whether or not that Ministry will be linked with National Security. There’s also much speculation on the local social media circuit today on whether or not any new PLP MP’s will join the Cabinet, or whether senior MP’s Zane DeSilva and Derrick Burgess will be charged with Ministries as well.
In any case, we will all know soon just who the new Cabinet Ministers will be once the Swearing In Ceremony gets underway at 3pm.
