After listening to the September 15 by-election panel and participating in the youth debrief that followed, I was left stunned – not by the depth of insight, but by the sheer lack of it. The four candidates, given a platform to present their policy stances, seemed unprepared and incapable of addressing the brilliantly composed questions from Bermuda Youth Connect.

Their responses lacked clarity, depth, and most importantly, any sense of real, thought-out policy. The disconnect was obvious, and frankly, if this is the quality of candidates we have to look forward to in the upcoming General Election, then we are in serious trouble Bermuda.

How is it that the youth debrief was overwhelmingly perceived as a more knowledgeable, policy-oriented conversation than that among the candidates? That should raise eyebrows for all of us.

This virtual event only reinforced something I, and many others, have been urging for years: Bermuda needs to raise its expectations for political candidates. Passion and the desire to serve are commendable traits, but they are far from enough.

Far too often, candidates seem to view running for office as a symbolic gesture, where charisma or good intentions are seen as substitutes for knowledge and readiness.

It became starkly clear from this event that Bermuda’s political candidates are being set up to fail by their own parties. They are stepping out as candidates without any training, without a firm grasp of what it means to legislate, and without a clear understanding of how to convert broad ideals into workable policies.

A candidate’s understanding should include the following: a strong grasp of Bermuda’s political structure and history; a keen awareness of their party’s ideology and policy agenda; and a deep understanding of the struggles and needs of both their constituents and the wider Bermudian community. Anything less is unacceptable.

And the truth is, without this knowledge, how can we expect our politicians to effectively represent our needs and legislate or debate complex policy proposals? We simply cannot. And what I’m asking for – well-trained, policy-literate politicians – should not be an outlandish demand. It should be the standard.

MPs are legislators, not pontificators

During the panel, the candidates frequently cited “traditional family values”, the importance of education, and strong communities as solutions to Bermuda’s problems. While I agree to a certain extent, what was glaringly missing from the conversation was any discussion about how to legislate these values.

As MPs, their primary responsibility is to create, review, and pass laws that serve the Bermudian people. If these values are to be their solutions, then I expect to hear how they plan to turn those values into legislation. Otherwise, their words are little more than empty rhetoric.

Pontificating about values is not the role of an MP. That’s for our religious and community leaders to handle. MPs are elected to legislate – to turn ideals into actionable policy. I want candidates who understand that distinction, and who are prepared to take on the heavy responsibility of lawmaking.

It’s disheartening to hear politicians wax lyrical about the need for strong values without offering a single concrete plan on how they will use the powers of their office to make those values a legislative reality.

During the panel, Marc Bean was clearly the best performer, thanks to his years of political experience and the on-the-job training he received under the banner of the PLP.

But let me ask you this: should MPs, arguably holding one of the most pivotal jobs in Bermuda, be learning from scratch on the job? Or, like every other position of importance in our society, should MPs have a foundational understanding of good governance principles and the key issues before they even take office?

This issue of preparedness becomes even more stark when we consider those who seek cabinet positions. It has always baffled me that ministers in Bermuda are not required to have any prior knowledge or experience in the field they are tasked with overseeing. Think about that for a moment.

We expect people to become the top decision-makers in sectors like education and health – without requiring them to have even a basic understanding of those fields. What other job in society allows you to walk in with no prior experience and assume a leadership role as the boss and top decision-maker? I can’t think of one.

We do not vote for MPs so they can simply be mouthpieces for teams of expert civil servants. We elect them to represent our needs and govern the country with expertise and understanding.

To be clear, I’m not saying MPs need to be technical experts in every field. But they should at least understand the basics of our political systems, have a fundamental understanding of the areas they are overseeing, and have a genuine willingness to learn quickly and deeply. The cost of making mistakes on the job as an MP or Minister is simply too high for this not to be the bare minimum.

We deserve better, so we must demand better

At the core of this issue is a fundamental question about the quality of leadership we are electing. Bermuda cannot afford to have MPs or ministers who are not well-versed in the very systems they are tasked with overseeing. It’s simply too risky.

The mistakes they make on the job, the policies they fail to understand, the opportunities for progress that they miss – all of these have far-reaching consequences that we simply cannot afford.

Bermuda’s political parties need to do better in preparing their candidates for office. They need to invest in comprehensive training programmes that ensure future MPs understand the basics of good governance, the structure of our political system, and the real needs of their constituents. This goes beyond party loyalty or political strategy – it’s about ensuring that those we elect to lead are equipped with the tools, knowledge, and understanding necessary to govern effectively.

And we, the electorate, need to stop settling for political mediocrity. We have a collective responsibility to push our leaders towards excellence.

Events like the Bermuda Youth Connect panel are crucial because they allow us to engage directly with those seeking office, and they offer a platform for critical questions that demand real answers.

However, the frustration that many of us felt after the event – the disillusionment with the candidates’ inability to provide substantive responses – should serve as a wake-up call.

If Bermuda is to move forward, we must elevate the political conversation. This means moving beyond personal attacks, beyond vague references to values, and into the realm of concrete policy discussions.

It is my hope that events like these will continue to challenge our political institutions and their candidates to do better … to be better trained and prepared, do more research, and have more in-depth conversations with their constituents.

In sum, this by-election panel was a missed opportunity for candidates to demonstrate their preparedness and understanding of Bermuda’s political landscape.

It instead laid bare the uncomfortable reality that our standards are far too low. Bermuda’s future is too important to leave in the hands of unprepared leaders. It’s time we demand better.

The standard for our political candidates must be raised. We owe it to ourselves, and to future generations, to ensure that the people we elect are not only willing but also capable of governing effectively. Only then can we truly build a Bermuda that reflects the best of who we are and who we aspire to be.

• Taj Donville-Outerbridge is an award-winning Bermudian human rights activist, writer, and student studying at King’s College London. He also has a decade of involvement in Bermuda’s political system under his belt. He can be reached via Instagram @_king.taj_ and e-mail at tdonvilleouterbridge@yahoo.com