political game with the Police Service. He is allowing shadow ministers to go too far in their criticism of the decision to appoint non-Bermudians to the two top posts and, over the weekend, he went much too far himself. If the Progressive Labour Party manages to cause chaos in the Police Service in order to score some political points, they will place all Bermudians in grave danger.

Mr. Frederick Wade appears now to suggest that writing with spray cans on the walls of the publicly supported Bermuda College was acceptable, if not great, at least all right. He even seems to suggest that this type of destructive protest was late in coming and he wonders why it took so long. The fact is that protesters are entitled to have their say but they are not entitled to damage public property. Mr. Wade knows that the spray can method of protest was wrong but he did not say that. What he is reported as saying appears to agree with the use of spray paint on public walls.

It has been clear in recent months that the Progressive Labour Party will stop at very little if it thinks it might gain a vote or two but, in fact, it is being careless with Bermuda. We believe the hierarchy of the PLP, and that must include all elected House members since they were all made Shadow Ministers, know the situation inside the Police Service. The PLP Leader has certainly beem fully briefed on problems in the Police Service and has chosen to ignore the facts of that briefing in order to make the most of an opportunity to politicise the Police.

It may well be that some of the younger members of the PLP shadow cabinet are after Mr. Wade's job and that he is vulnerable to their pressure to make more public statements and to get into dangerous areas which he would normally avoid. Clearly the PLP is now being confrontational over every issue, no matter how small and no matter what the cost to Bermuda.

Mr. Wade knows that the problems in the Police Service amount purely to questions of competence and the need for someone capable of forming Bermuda's Police into a modern unit. This is not a question of race nor is it a denial of Bermudianisation but it is the sensible way to proceed for now.

In recent years there has been every effort to have a Bermudian Commissioner.

Right now that is not possible, it should be possible but it is not possible.

Why is it not possible? Firstly, because Mr. Moniz's history makes him unacceptable, rightly or wrongly, to the PLP even though the PLP has found it convenient recently to ignore that fact. Secondly, because Mr. Perinchief's history, if his estranged wife's allegations are true, would make him unacceptable to the women of Bermuda.

It may be convenient for the PLP to ignore the complaints it would have expressed if Mr. Moniz had received a promotion and we think the whole party would have screamed. Yet it is not sensible for the PLP to ignore the women of Bermuda when talking about Mr. Perinchief. In this era, women rightly will not tolerate a suggestion of abuse or suggestions that domestic violence should be treated differently from other forms of violence.

What the PLP is suggesting is simply that we should put people in jobs, capable or not, simply because they are Bermudian. That is destructive of any organisation and it would be particularly destructive of the Police Service and dangerous for Bermuda and all law-abiding Bermudians.