Statement from Jarion Richardson, OBA Candidate in Paget West.
The Burt administration must explain how it got private contact information for people who are being targeted by robocalls, according to Jarion Richardson.
“Out canvassing, I hear over and over one complaint – ‘I got a robocall from the PLP, but I’ve never given them my contact details, how can that happen?”
It is a question we should all be asking. How did David Burt’s PLP get our private information?
The One Bermuda Alliance has raised this issue before.
Two years ago, we highlighted the fact that voters’ contact details, filed with the office of the Parliamentary Registrar, had been shared with the Progressive Labour Party for election campaigns dating back to 2012.
We asked that a report that had been commissioned into this issue be publicly released. We are still waiting. Why?
As well as this election, people were receiving unsolicited robocalls in by-elections in 2018 in Warwick North East and Paget East. There have also been new reports of people getting calls who only registered to vote after the 2017 election.
We said in 2018 that it was our belief that the PLP, under the leadership of David Burt, obtained the private and confidential contact details, e-mail addresses and phone numbers of voters via access from Parliamentary Registrar’s office.
The same access was not given to the OBA and as a result, the Burt administration was given an unfair advantage, one that it continues to have today.
We have seen, over and over, that the Premier is not big on the democratic process.
He should insist that the report on how the PLP obtained this information is released and he should order an immediate suspension of its use by his Party.