Dear Sir,

Thank you for your letters page, which allows the rank-and-file voter a small chance to contribute to the debate. I touch on a few points of interest; some general and one more personal.

With 36 Members of Parliament, and well under 40,000 on the electoral roll, each parish has approximately between 1,100 and 1,200 eligible voters. Looking at the last by-elections, we see that the Progressive Labour Party was most successful. But the sad thing is that it commanded less than 15 per cent of the total parish vote. That means 85 per cent of the total electorate either didn’t vote or cast their vote elsewhere. And the other contenders did even more poorly. So clearly something is wrong.

Playing around with the figures, and applying them to the upcoming election, it is clear to see that most parishes with more than two contestants will give the same result. A small but reliable PLP base, plus general apathy and multiple other candidates will equal a parliament of at least 30 PLP members.

So, if it is necessary for Bermuda to have a strong opposition, those not wanting a PLP government need to follow the maths. It is a pure science and doesn’t lie.

A parliament made up of independently thinking members is obviously in Bermuda’s best interest. And not necessarily 36. It is not important from what demographic they are drawn — a broad spectrum would give the best result. What is important is that they bring skills to the table. To act like a board of directors, all working for Bermuda Inc. But it is wishful thinking to believe that a winning team are going to change the rules to allow someone else to even have a chance to win. So, it is a bit of a dilemma.

A common theme in this election debate is what the PLP has done for seniors. Here I have an issue. Yes, the social security pension has indeed increased. And I thank the Government for that. But what about those seniors who are retired civil servants. We had no option but to contribute to our pension fund, and did so faithfully over the years. And our pensions have not only not increased over the past 13 years, but have actually gone down as health insurance rates went up.

Social security is funded from the whole population tax base. And that’s fine. But our pensions have been funded by ourselves, so it is our money that makes up the pension pot.

I have raised the question before in various quarters, but have never had an answer. So, in any debate we might have between our parliamentarians, I would like to see this issue raised, along with our multibillion-dollar national debt that has been run up over the past 27 years. What is there to show for it?

And a final wish. Everyone get out and vote. Don’t skip the polls and then moan afterwards.

JEFF PAYNE

Southampton

• Comments are closed on political content until February 19 to stem the flow of purposefully inflammatory and litigious comments during the General Election cycle. Users who introduce extreme partisan comments into other news content will be given a two-week timeout