Government Throne Speeches over the years have always contained a degree of honey, mixed with some of the bitter medicine that is required to keep our Island in a reasonable state of economic health.

The speech has always led to feisty debate in Parliament over this or that initiative, which of course is how democracy works. However this year, there seems to be a higher degree of public concern over how well the Government and the Opposition is willing to work together, in digging Bermuda out of the current financial crisis.

There were a number of initiatives outlined in the Throne Speech aimed at breaking through the dismal clouds of frustration by so many over the job situation currently affecting just about every family.

While most Throne Speeches are usually packed with strong promises to improve conditions, most people reserve judgement as they wait to see whether action will quickly follow words, especially in dealing with the most crucial issues.

Our problems are quite complex, and no Government should be expected to provide solutions between one sun set, and the next sun rise. It is just not possible. However, the people do want action that indicates that the Government intends to act on matters that directly effect day to day living.

Fully aware of the crunch most families were experiencing in trying to keep food on the table during the current economic crisis, the OBA Government was able to secure agreement with three major stores to provide 10 percent off every Wednesday, beginning December 1st.

This might not seem like much to some, but at least it is step in the right direction in trying to bring a little relief for many.

The move itself shows what can happen with more cooperation and having it run for a year provides all parties involved time to assess how the additional discount is working.

What is truly troubling to many citizens who do not align themselves blindly to either political group, is that political wrestling matches obviously aimed at scoring political points, could cause confusion over priorities, leaving the people guessing as to what is really going on.

Most understand that the Opposition has the task of prying into any Government proposal, for what they may consider a potential problem. Nothing wrong with that. However during the

Opposition response to the Throne Speech, they should be careful not to come across as expert fault finders, with a fixation on having the Government fail. That would be counter productive.

The PLP had every opportunity during a 14 year period to win the hearts and souls of the electorate, but fell terribly short in building confidence and trust, and, as in most democracies, the people used the only power they had, the ballot box, to give someone else a chance to address major concerns.

That someone else was the One Bermuda Alliance, and as Government of the day, they deserve as much support as possible as Bermuda, in heavy debt, seeks to navigate an economic undertow.

The job situation has to be the priority, because the foundation of family life depends greatly on a degree of security, which comes from earning enough for food and shelter. Bermuda should not be brought to its knees before common sense and better cooperation finally takes centre stage for the good of the people.

The light of tourism needs to burn brighter, and everyone is hoping the newly formed Tourism Authority will prove effective in reviving an industry that for too long has not been as fruitful as we would like.

Of course, there may have been a number of reasons for the decline, including a world recession. The people want success here, because this industry has always been a source of creating jobs.

Politics at times can be extremely divisive, and if we are not careful, we could have a situation similar to events in Washington where Republicans object to almost anything proposed by the Obama administration, causing many to question the true objectives of the GOP when it comes to serving the people.

We can ill afford to have our differences stand in the way of helping Bermudians during these times. Without a new level of cooperation from all of our politicians, our future will remain a question mark.