The reconvening of Parliament is upon us, Bermuda. This is when the elected government lays out its agenda for the legislative year. I implore every resident of Bermuda to listen to this year’s Throne Speech with scrutiny.

In the upcoming year, we should be keeping track of the promises of the Progressive Labour Party government and hold it accountable. However, I doubt we will hear anything new from a premier looking to win back public favour and close ranks to deal with his fractured party support.

I also suggest Bermuda listen to the One Bermuda Alliance’s Reply to the Throne Speech.

Why am I asking you to pay attention to the reply of the party that is not in power? The answer is simple: we need an alternative course, Bermuda. The PLP has shown time and time again that its aim is to consolidate and maintain power, not to improve the lives of Bermudians.

Anyone who is not moving in line with that goal is removed and replaced with an able-bodied “yes” person who will carry out the Premier’s bidding.

I am not just talking. Look at the recent promotion to Cabinet of Owen Darrell, whose last job was taking orders directly from the Premier as his Chief of Staff.

David Burt was able to retain his leadership within his party ranks, but he has lost in the court of public appeal. Just because most of the PLP delegates have chosen the continued stagnation of Bermuda instead of the betterment of the country as a whole, it does not mean that fate is irreversible.

You, the electorate, will have the final say.

The One Bermuda Alliance is well aware that it is simply not enough to “not be the PLP”. Instead, Bermudians need to know who we are and what we stand for.

The OBA has been hard at work rebuilding its framework. For a long time we have let others tell our story for us. That time is over. We have taken the time to reconnect through consistent canvassing and community outreach.

We hear from parents concerned about their children’s education, future and safety. We hear sportsmen and women who call out for more support and funding to further support the cultivation of our world-class athletes.

The OBA has heard the entrepreneurs who want a more streamlined mechanism for doing business here, who want more people on the island to consume their products and services. We have heard the uniformed services, who are stretched beyond capacity and are operating in unsafe working environments.

The OBA hears our seniors, who are unable to continue to sustain themselves on a fixed income under massive Future Care bills and the rising cost of living. We hear our young people, who see no future for themselves in their own island, who are struggling to start living independently owing to the huge cost of living, with limited job prospects. We hear a tourism and hospitality industry that feels directionless and abandoned.

The OBA hears you; we are you, Bermuda.

The Reply to the Throne Speech will be the OBA’s first step into showcasing our internal work to the people of Bermuda. The work is ongoing but you can look forward to a reinvigorated OBA, with a passion for improving the lives of Bermudians.

We are aware that we haven’t shown enough of our progress, but that is about to change!

You will see the results of my and my colleagues’ long nights of work on behalf of Bermuda. Our leader will lay out the OBA’s vision for Bermuda and how we will revitalise our island home.

We stand ready to provide Bermuda with a viable alternative and to grow into an effective government-in-waiting. However, without you, Bermuda, we will not achieve much. I urge you to listen to the Reply to the Throne Speech, and if something resonates, help us make it happen!

“It’s a new day in the OBA” as our new chairman says, and we welcome you to the room.

• Dwayne Robinson is the deputy chair of the One Bermuda Alliance and the approved candidate for Southampton East Central (Constituency 30)