“The forest was shrinking but the trees kept voting for the axe as its handle was made of wood and they thought it was one of them”— Anonymous

The role of the Opposition is to point out the mistakes and blunders of the ruling party and to propose better ideas for governance. The purpose, of course, is not only to see that good governance is executed for the benefit of us all, but to offer the electorate a better alternative for the next election cycle.

When there is good opposition that benefits the country, the governing party will be held accountable. Its policies will be adequately scrutinised, competitive ideas will be brought forward to assist with solving challenges and the Government will be questioned sufficiently — and they will be required to answer to us all.

Another important function of the Opposition is to take note of the policy agenda of the ruling government and ask the question: is this what the people who voted for the Progressive Labour Party want?

This role is to be taken very seriously and it is the focus of this opinion. It speaks to the art of governance and the Government’s reason for being in a democratic system. Good leadership taps into the collective aspirations of the people and steers those aspirations to fruition. I have expressed more in a previous opinion (“Strong opposition to PLP is needed”).

I have taken the last little while, especially, to carefully observe the policy agenda and the actions of the PLP to hone in on why Bermudians elected it to power and how it has served the electorate. I did so with the understanding that “actions speak louder than words” and that “by their fruits ye shall know them”.

This list is by no means exhaustive, but here are some highlights that I have observed:

• The PLP government has “reimbursed” private entities owned by a prominent member of its party with more than $700,000 of taxpayer dollars for healthcare fees decreased by the former One Bermuda Alliance government

• Increased the cost of healthcare by up to $180 per month, which will increase the cost of living for the most vulnerable members of the public, when it promised to reduce healthcare costs

• Threatened to reclaim farmland from a local black farmer, sending his small generational family business into a tailspin and then reversed it after evoking public outcry

• Imposed a tax on the Airbnb sector, which translates into more taxes for ordinary middle-class Bermudians renting their homes in a sluggish real estate market. The fine is up to $10,000 for failure to comply

• Imposed a tax on sugar that will increase the burden on the poor and middle class buying food that is already alarmingly expensive

• Introduced roadside sobriety testing, which will most certainly embroil young black men with the law and the criminal justice system

• Proposed to change the 60:40 rule to a 40:60 rule, which will allow foreigners to own and operate small and medium-size business, eroding the success of black business ownership that is already minimal at present

• Insulted Somerset Cricket Club from the podium of the House of Assembly and literally held them to ransom unless they did as the Cabinet wished, while the Cabinet gleefully took an oath to the Queen and accepts an annual salary of $200,000

• Partnered with large private — mostly international — businesses and other foreign/overseas entities to regulate blockchain technology, promising 30 or so jobs while risking the business reputation of Bermuda

• Recently reduced legal aid for people at the lower end of the economic ladder who cannot afford their own lawyer

If I am reading it right, the message that the PLP toted going into the 2017 election was that the OBA had a pro-white business agenda that discarded ordinary Bermudians. Hence, the PLP was going to govern differently for the common Bermudian.

As a member of the former OBA government, I reiterate that the primary agenda of our government was to grow the economy and to reverse the demise that the former PLP government created.

The country needed direct foreign investment, revenue growth, lower government expenses and to shore up the domestic business sector. That was the only way to deliver on the demand for employment and to turn around the economy. I would describe the OBA’s governance approach best as a “public-private partnership, pro-economic growth agenda”.

So at a glance, what are we to make of the “actions” of the PLP and what it says about its agenda?

The simple answer to the question is that the PLP will raise or save money without regard to its constituents. There is also the assumption that the PLP is doing what it was elected to do. However, I think ordinary Bermudians reading the preceding list would beg to differ.

Voters often go to the polls hoping that promises will be delivered upon. Sometimes we do not concern ourselves with the details of those promises. We may be hopeful that our government will put the people of our country first. We may take a chance on young leadership with fresh ideas.

Sometimes when things are going against our wishes and the material quality of our lives is decreasing, we may simply vote for change. However, in time, the PLP will discover that voters ultimately vote for quality-of-life improvement.

So the overall lesson I’m learning is that the PLP is a party that relies on spin to get elected and then governs with limited regard for its constituents. I’m also learning that black Bermudians will “suffer in silence” until our material quality of life diminishes. This, unfortunately, is a catastrophic combination for us.

After one year of the PLP government, we are left wondering when will they be “Putting Bermudians First”.

Vic Ball was a One Bermuda Alliance senator from November 2014 to July 2017