Dear Sir,

Perhaps the Progressive Labour Party needs to adhere to the mantra as first stated by Wayne Caines: there needs to be a step change.

Please look up the meaning of this political phase because its meaning is very relevant to more than just PLP supporters.

To Cabinet, there need to be step changes from complaining and/or even joining monopolies to breaking them in the interest of levelling the playing field. However, I realise that there is no courage at Cabinet.

This is because Cabinet is where the old colonial mindset is deeply rooted — very, very deeply ingrained. So why would Cabinet possess courage and/or ethical business practices — look at Wayne Furbert and Zane DeSilva.

And black Bermudians complain about the colonial mindset, yet your PLP Cabinet possesses, indulges and instructs the archaic, unethical practices over and over, beyond a shadow of doubt. Note that government policies will not work unless you do what is required at a legislative level: put primary legislation, regulations and the relevant regulator in place to break these monopolies.

However, we have seen what Kim Wilson, the health minister, did to the former health regulator in the interest of a former premier — the old colonial mindset.

The average Bermudian, and “average” means from consumers to business owners, ferociously complains about increases in taxes, yet business owners ferociously advocate for regulatory-free environments to conduct business, and that is where unscrupulous business practices breed and exploit in order to thrive.

Because there are no regulations in place to stop the price gouging and unfair business practices, such as employers who misuse their employees’ deductions.

How many successive administrations have we heard from about this age-old issue, and how many employees have been exploited simply because each administration has never applied real regulations against the practice?

Yet there are ways to manage and eradicate this problem once and for all, but as soon as the next hot-button issue emerges, this one will fall back into the woodwork — another forgotten problem.

And you may wonder, why am I no longer a PLP supporter?

This Cabinet is the embodiment of the old colonial mindset that refuses to break away from its shackles, and that truly oppresses the most vulnerable in society.

VALIRIE MARCIA AKINSTALL

London, England