Feedback, Mr. Editor, is welcome here and this week I turn to my mailbag. Following on from last week's column, a reader wanted to know why the United Bermuda Party, when it was Government, had not made the changes to the Governor's Council which I was now suggesting. Good question.

I don't know the answer for certain and I don't know if anyone even gave it a second thought back then. But I do know the world has marched since the UBP was in power and that the pace has accelerated over the last decade, particularly and most especially on matters of good governance. I gave the obvious example of the Cayman Islands, an overseas territory like us, and a rival jurisdiction in tourism and international finance, and developments there. They now have, for example:

¦ A Freedom of Information Law which is reasonably comprehensive and certainly retroactive in scope, and which was put in place pretty promptly over two years ago;

¦ Public Accounts Committee meetings open to press and public;

¦ A National Security Council whose representatives include the Opposition Leader and a couple of members of the public.

Bermuda has fallen behind where we once led the way. There is now only one way to restore that reputation and that is to bring ourselves in line with the Recommended Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures promoted by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, which were finalised, ironically, at a CPA conference held here in Bermuda, now almost five years ago.

There is precedent too, for constitutional change from the UBP-led era and for greater inclusion of the Opposition. The Boundaries Commission is one example. This body is made up of two appointees each from the Government and the Opposition along with two independent members appointed by the Governor. It is clear – and this is intended – that neither the Government nor the Opposition members will have their way except by agreement or the support of the independent members.

I also know this from experience, having sat on the last Commission when in the end we agreed on more than we disagreed, and on substantive matters like the number of MPs Bermuda should have and the positioning of boundaries for 36 new constituencies. The key to success – and it is a vital and important key – is the independence of the Governor's two appointees.

It is the composition of the Commission that assures from the outset that there will need to be consultation and dialogue between Government and Opposition and it is consultation and dialogue which can lead to consensus. This is always a good starting point where there is the potential for conflict from disagreement.

Incidentally, it was the then-Opposition Progressive Labour Party which pushed for the number of opposition representatives to be increased to two, from the original one, at the 1978 constitutional conference held at Warwick Camp. I have said it before, and I will say it again, and not because it may sound amusing, but because it's true: in politics, it seems we see more clearly in when we're out.

There is also one other obvious example of check and balance in the Bermuda Constitution Order of 1968: the Senate. There is some constraint on the Government of the day which knows that on all but financial legislation it may be restrained should the three independent Senators join with the three Opposition members to defeat the six who represent the Government – and defeats have happened in the past, under UBP and under PLP governments. Incidentally, the make-up of the Senate was also changed over the years: the 1968 Constitution Order originally provided for five appointees by the Governor, four by Government and two from the Opposition.

What we need to do is to continue to improve and build on what we have: get on with it and keep at it.

A constituent of mine made a statement by sending me a copy of an obituary which was reputed to have been printed recently in the London Times: The Death of Common Sense. This one has been making the rounds for some time now, but it nevertheless serves as a timely reminder of where a lot of us have gone wrong on the fundamentals. I won't reproduce the entire piece, but share those parts that hit home:

"Today we mourn the passing of Common Sense … He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as: Knowing when to come in out of the rain; why the early bird gets the worm; life isn't always fair; and maybe it was my fault.

"Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

"Common sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason."

Sound familiar? It ought to.

Meanwhile, an inquisitive but obviously provocative reader asked me to riddle him this: "If two political gangs on the Hill are part of the problem, how will a third help?" Another good question.

Managed to catch the premiere screening of "Invictus" on Friday for which I was a patron in support of the group Imagine Bermuda. It was compelling viewing. Morgan Freeman did a pretty good job of portraying Nelson Mandela and Clint Eastwood as director – he of spaghetti western and Dirty Harry fame no less – captured some the spirit which swept South Africa when their Springboks won the Rugby World Cup back in 1995. "Too bad life isn't more like the movies," one movie-goer was heard to say on the way out. I know what she means but, actually, in this case it was – and it can be – and that is a very powerful message.

A post in a Dale Butler Cabinet? It was news to me too, Mr. Editor. But welcome news. First, I appreciate the consideration, thank you Dale, but secondly, and more importantly, I embrace the direction in which a fellow member of the Legislature appears to be heading when holding out such possibilities publicly. The interests of the community are and always should be greater than the interests of its individual parts. I continue to go forward with an open mind and I remind myself, as I remind my colleagues from time to time, always be careful, what you wish for.

Hey, I appreciate the comments: write me at jbarrittibl.bm