What do taxi drivers, the Bermuda Union of Teachers, the United Bermuda Party, Prison officers, Prospect residents, Anchorage Road residents, the Governor, St. George's Prep parents and the Bermuda Cement Company have in common? They are all examples of people on the receiving end of a Government trapped in the mindset of an Opposition.

Some level of confrontation in political life is expected. Governing is a balancing act, a constant give and take. However the past five and a half years of leadership through confrontation has evolved into a defining trait of the PLP and has extended to their relations with the public, not just their political opponents.

It was easy in the early days to dismiss the lack of consultation and harsh tone as the missteps of an inexperienced government, rookie mistakes that they would out grow. Today, nine months into their second term, those at the helm have changed but the confrontational style has remained.

One of the most unexpected aspects of life under the PLP has been the heightened level of labour unrest, petitions and marches on Parliament. Many people, including myself, expected the election of a labour party to usher in an era of smoother industrial relations at a minimum. Labour seems locked in a perpetual battle with the Government, while elsewhere the often-mentioned 'stakeholders' are engaged in their own very public battles. Just what they might like to do with those stakes is another issue.

The PLP are governing as if they were still the Opposition. Counter-punching is what the PLP do best, perhaps too well, and it appears to be so deeply ingrained after 30 years in opposition that they've brought that culture from Alaska Hall to the Cabinet Office.

Several of the examples I cited earlier aren't surprising, others are. It's expected that political parties will have an adversarial relationship with each other, although it certainly doesn't have to be that way. Our Westminster system encourages this style of debate and both sides must plead guilty. The confrontation is intended to be one of ideas, around the issues, not ideology and personality as ours has become. Bermuda's elected leaders would be far more productive if they set aside old grudges and tired battles, focusing on the issues before us in a collaborative, non-combative atmosphere.

More worrying is the ongoing confrontation between the Government and the public, the latest chapter being the continued saga of the Transport Minister and the taxi industry. Most of the tension we've seen could have been easily avoided through a more open, respectful and consultative style of policy making. The combative tone was set early during the previous administration with the two sides becoming increasingly polarised, the comments less and less constructive and very personal.

This approach is also present in the framing of the current Independence debate, or lack thereof. Politicians normally try to inspire, building consensus through uplifting arguments. Particularly with a policy initiative of this magnitude, one would have expected the Premier to make the case as to why he believes Independence to be beneficial for Bermuda, setting a positive tone for a constructive debate.

Instead, Mr. Scott chose the alternative and more perilous route, deciding not to argue its merits, but to cynically fabricate a "crisis" creating confrontation with the UK, initially over the Chief Justice appointment and then over airport runway privileges. Suddenly the PLP are back where they are most comfortable, initiating a fight and assuming the role of the underdog.

This strategy is straight out of the PLP election play book of 2003. Former Premier Jennifer Smith, either unable or unwilling to inspire the electorate to vote for her ideas, pitted two segments of the community against each other, while professing to be running on her record for all Bermudians. The incumbent party ran as the underdog, even though the election was theirs to lose.

The narrowly won election of 2003, with a substantially reduced majority, should have demonstrated to the new Premier that the community is looking for positive leadership by an approachable government.

Unless the PLP can overcome the politics of opposition, we're in for a bumpy ride.

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For more of Christian Dunleavy's thoughts on Bermuda politics, go to his weblog, www.politics.bm