Doing Nothing
At the UBP's Annual Gala Banquet on Saturday night ACE Chairman and CEO Brian Duperreault had this to say about the state of politics in Bermuda:
"When [we] try to resolve the Island's social issues... political expediency takes over. Honest analysis and discourse fall by the wayside. And nothing gets done.It drives me crazy."
On the subject of nothing getting done, I'm amazed that there hasn't been more of a fuss about the Government's cancellation of last Friday's session of the House of Assembly. The week before, MPs sat for the first time after a seven-week Easter break. And now they're taking more time off? For the PLP to say that they had nothing to discuss is absolutely mind-boggling. In the wake of the recent violence at Wellington Oval, where's the legislation making sports grounds increased penalty zones? Or increasing the penalty for the use of knives and machetes in attacks? Never mind everything else mentioned in last autumn's Throne Speech that still hasn't been addressed.
Even if the Government have nothing to say, that they can deny the Opposition the opportunity to question them on the issues of the day seems wrong. With all the controversy swirling around the Department of Education right now, the UBP must be bursting with questions they'd like to have answered. If a session of the House is to be cancelled, shouldn't the Opposition have to acquiesce?
In the meantime, nothing gets done. It drives me crazy.
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It's not a good thing when the island's leading businessman is left feeling this way. Our Government -- and this is not a comment solely directed towards the PLP, but rather towards the institution -- is not accountable or responsive.
We have a proliferation of business organisations designed to help communicate and work with the Government to better our community. But the Government is not listening.
Posted by Tiger Bay on 18.05.04 at 08:58
Phil, you should have by now realized that the job of politician has never been taken seriously by Bermudians. You should also have realized, that rarely if ever, do the right people for the job get selected.
Politicians in Bermuda (for the most part) view their job as a secondary source of income, and very often a way to improve their already considerable social status.
As a whole, they lack vision and motivation. To them, a voter is a statistic and not a citizen. Doing something 'for the people' is political expediency with varying levels of insincere compassion. They are driven by the desire to be reelected and by financial personal ambition.
In Bermuda politicians run away from the issues, because they are the issues that none of us can agree on. Striking an inefficient balance is far more important than standing up for one's true belief, when in fact honesty and integrity earns more votes than saying what people want to hear.
It's testament to the divisions that exist at every level in Bermuda that problems like those mentioned are never addressed in Bermuda by politicians. Politicians that worry to much about offending the opposing mindset to take action and stand up for their beliefs.
Food for thought I suppose...
Posted by BDA JOE on 18.05.04 at 20:11