This is the text of a speech given by United Bermuda Party leader Michael Dunkley to Sandys Rotary Club on Wednesday night.

Good evening ladies and gentlemen, thank you to the Rotary Club for the invitation to speak tonight. You've always been a very welcoming organisation, let's hope it is no different tonight!

I have appreciated your commitment to the welfare of Bermuda — a commitment that draws on friendship, community and a lively interest in the affairs of this great island.

It has been nearly three weeks since the election of 2007 was called, and I want to tell you how much my colleagues and I are enjoying the campaign. The reception on the streets, in churches and restaurants and, most importantly, on the doorsteps of people's homes has been very encouraging. It is a pleasure to meet and talk with people.

That for us is what this campaign is all about — the people; learning their concerns, their fears, their hopes and their dreams.

Getting to know what the people of Bermuda want has been mission one for us for a few years now. It's our starting point to giving them the effective, responsive government they need and want.

Nothing is more important. Good government for us begins with the people, but it also must stay with the people. In Bermuda today, we have not had that. The PLP have not stayed with the people. We hear the disappointment on doorsteps every day. In this environment, people are pleased to see us because we have become the alternative, the choice for better representation.

Another thing that makes this campaign so enjoyable is that we have a fantastic team of candidates — men and women from all walks of life who've stepped forward to commit themselves to public service. Every time I get in a room with them, every time I canvass with them, I am strengthened by their desire to build a better Bermuda, their optimism and their team spirit.

Our West End candidates are a prime example of what I'm talking about. They are:

Charlie Swan in Constituency 32, Southampton West, Alvin Wilson in Constituency 33, Sandys South; Sarah Burrows in Constituency 34, Sandys South Central, Donald Hassell in Constituency 35 Sandys North Central, and Ed Bailey in Constituency 36, Sandys North.

They are good people, coming together to help the people of their districts, to be their voice in Parliament, to make a difference.

Charlie Swan is a man widely respected on the island and one only needs to spend a few minutes with him to understand why.

Alvin Wilson is an entrepreneur, sharp-minded, strong and committed to helping the young people in his district.

Sarah Burrows is a Somerset girl born and bred, enthusiastic, engaging and totally committed to a healthier Bermuda.

Donald Hassell is another son of Somerset and who because of his business and friendliness probably knows more people in the West End than anyone else.

And finally lawyer Ed Bailey, the veteran of the group, who will once again carry the flag for party.

They are eight people, of our team on thirty six, who want to work for you. Good, honest, down-to-earth people, from different backgrounds, who represent the diversity of the UBP today and the island at large. Each has stepped forward for the people of their constituencies. It is a pleasure to walk with them, and to know that no matter how tough the going gets there are such capable people in our ranks.

Our opponents would never want the public to see that. They don't want people to see the UBP as it is today. For months now, they've been saying some pretty harsh things about us. They've called us 'evil'.

When the Premier announced the election, we heard we were party to 'The forces of darkness'. The next day he said we were 'morally bankrupt'.

People in my party urged me to respond, to hit back, but I had faith that people would reject the words and see the calculations behind them, calculations that have nothing to do with bringing people together and everything to do with divide and conquer.

You may notice that our opponents and their proxies spend a lot of time criticising us. They try to distract because they don't want the public to spend too much time thinking about their record in office — a record over nine years that will be remembered for unmet housing needs, declining graduation rates, neglected seniors, champagne, SDOs, the Bermuda Housing Corporation, gag orders and 'We had to mislead you.'

So they attack us relentlessly. They want to make the election about us, and so they spend a lot of time trying to tie the United Bermuda Party of today to the United Bermuda Party of yesterday.

That's fine by me, but we want to talk about the future. That's what the voters want to know about — whether they can expect safer streets, better education and a piece of the rock. But if the PLP wants to keep focusing on the past, I'll speak to it, but just for a moment and only in a way that it relates to today.

I joined the United Bermuda Party as a candidate in 1997 when I won a by-election. One year later we were defeated at the polls. In my view, we deserved to lose that vote. The party had lost its way. It was divided and bickering. It was unsure of itself. And so it was not difficult to accept and respect the judgment of the people. Because the decision was sound.

But here's the kicker: Being voted into Opposition was a good thing. It was good for the United Bermuda Party and it was a good for the country. In fact I would say it was one of the best things that ever happened to us.

It caused us to reassess who we were and what we meant to the country. It caused us to see again the importance of what we do.

It reminded us in the most profound way that representing the people — knowing their concerns, knowing their needs and doing something about it is the most important thing. It's a simple as that.

Politics should begin and end with the people. It's not about the politicians. It's not about ego and entourages. It's not about self before country.

Our years in Opposition have been both humbling and rewarding. Humbling for the sharp shock that we got fired by the people; rewarding because we've had to reapply for the job.

I feel confident today when I say that we have been reborn as a party, reborn in the sense that we have a vision to take this country forward. It's about bringing people together through opportunity and empowerment; it's about helping people who need help.

It's about building houses, educating our children and caring for our seniors. It's about being positive and confident, building spirit and being proud. It's about being Bermudian. Ultimately, it's about love of country.

And that's the beauty of having been in Opposition. It allowed us to learn what needed to be re-learned, to emerge closer to the people, closer to their needs. That closeness is reflected in our plans for a better Bermuda.

I will highlight a few to give you an idea of what we mean, beginning with working men and women. We know that many people are struggling; working two to three jobs just to be broke.

As the next government we will quickly ease cost of living pressures by eliminating payroll taxes for anyone earning $42,000 or less. That can mean more than $160 dollars in people's pockets each month.

We will commit 20 percent of all government contracts to small businesses. That's $70 million a year going to businesses that can use the work and money to hire workers and grow their business operations. We want to use our time in office to strengthen families through government programmes that among other things work with entities such as the Family Centre.

We will build 500 homes in five years for affordable rent to end the housing crisis. We will extend maternity leave provisions and provide day care support up to pre-school age. We will provide prescription glasses and dental care to seniors who cannot afford them.

As your government, we will make Bermuda safer. We will reopen the St. George's Police Station to restore order in the old town. We will open a Police station in Warwick, where the incidence of housebreaking is at its highest. We will hire enough new officers for a visible Police presence in every parish.

Finally, we will move mountains to empower our children.

In the classrooms, we will bring forward life choices classes to educate them about personal management, deportment and the consequences of poor life choices.

In secondary schools we will introduce disciplinary programmes to protect the learning environment and student receptiveness to teaching.

We will make sure no one is denied higher education because of financial constraints, by offering $15,000 in interest-free loans to college students and free tuition at Bermuda College for students who meet performance standards.

These are just the tip of our plans for a better Bermuda. It's about helping families in need, empowering young Bermudians to make the most of their opportunities and easing the cost of living in this high-priced economy.

Ladies and gentlemen, the choice before you in this election is real and it is serious. How we decide will tell us much about our island.

About whether we believe in open, honest government, or whether we believe it is important to hold public officials to the highest standards of conduct, or whether governments are accountable for their record.

I say it's time to call the PLP to account. They need a time out. They need to step away to remember why they were first elected. In saying that, I want to be clear that I don't believe there is anything fundamentally wrong with the PLP. Like us, it is a party of great tradition and history.

The two parties have been locked together for more than 40 years, on separate tracks but ultimately heading in the same direction. That will continue in the decades ahead and it will be a journey with its ups and downs for both sides.

But now it's time for the PLP to spend time in Opposition. It's time for their leadership to re-learn the point of government, which is to work for the people, to build houses and educate our children, to care for people who need care and to plan for the future.

In the meantime, we are ready. This island faces big challenges in the years ahead: Fixing our broken education system, housing our people, committing to a sustainable future, managing our increasingly brittle economy and ensuring that our people are trained and ready to succeed.

We have the team, the plans and the commitment for the job. Give us a chance. We've learned from our mistakes. We're ready to be your government. Give us a chance to work on behalf of the people. Give us the chance to move Bermuda forward. We will not let you down. On behalf of my colleagues, that is my pledge to you. We will deliver.