I ATTENDED the Famous For 15 Minutes Playwriting Festival this week.It was, I believe, the first time I'd attended any production by the Bermuda Musical & Dramatic Society (BMDS) in years and it was truly a splendid event, in all respects a great showcase of the enormous talent we have on this island.

My arrival at Daylesford Theatre was relatively late ? approximately five minutes before curtain rise ? and, anticipating that the parking lot would be full, I initially attempted to park in a marked bay in front of the premises. There was only one viable spot, its size suggested it was designed for two vehicles.

On this night however, it could only accommodate one. A Ministerial car took up the majority of the space.

My thoughts immediately went to Government's grandly named Sustainable Development Strategy & Implementation Plan. More specifically, I wondered how a Government that apparently doesn't buy into the notion of leading by example plans to encourage those who have not bought into the concept of sustainable development to support its vision for Bermuda's future.

Considerable manpower and funding has been allocated to the development of such a programme. Suggestions have been made that members of the public might be restricted in the use of their vehicles. Much emphasis has been placed on the ferry system, increasing routes and vessel speed, generally making water transport a more convenient option than in the past.

And yet, no thought appears to have been given to what Government can do to reduce traffic congestion. I have no idea how many Government cars are on the roads.

What I have noted in my travels, however, is that few drivers ? if any ? are encouraged to car pool, an observation more readily apparent with the larger cars granted to our Ministers.

I admit it's not something I've kept a running count on, but I would be pressed to list more than a handful of occasions when I have seen more than one body in a Mministerial car.

I frequently drive alone. Although I should be, I'm not critical on that point with regard to private vehicles. However with sustainable development as its mandate, I thought Government would be working diligently to ease congestion and cut taxpayer cost with regard to gas, general maintenance and of course, accidents incurred.

Worse, this attitude seems to extend to a myriad of areas, all of which fall under the banner of sustainable development.

By its very definition, sustainable development seeks to protect the future. As a process, it is an acknowledged means of developing land, businesses and communities to meet the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations. It has as its objective, to overcome environmental degradation while mindful of the need for economic development, social equity and justice.

Yet nothing substantial (let alone "sustainable") has been done to deal with our problems with public education - the foundation on which the next generation will stand. Last week's nightmare, where a child who ? in my opinion ? was a good candidate for expulsion, was allowed back into the system while his future at CedarBridge was debated, needn't have been addressed by public demonstrations had the matter been adequately handled by the Department of Education's administrators. Just as appalling is the fact the Department of Environment seems entirely without concern that a valued piece of our heritage in Somerset was desecrated.

The public has yet to see the draft plan on sustainable development. In February, Premier Alex Scott announced the Cabinet had received a draft copy and the new director of sustainable development, Erica Smith, said her goal was to deliver it to the public for consultation at the end of this month ? today.

Although unlikely, it is indeed my hope that all residents participate in the process.