For as long as I can remember, the Bermuda Progressive Labour Party has declared its interest in a Bermuda without colonial Governmental attachment and have on numerous, historically marked occasions, since 1963, informed the electorate of their qualified desire to actively pursue the possibility of Bermudians completely determining their own future.

It was fitting to me that the PLP, since the appointment of the Bermuda Independence Commission, respectfully reserved comment on the question of self-determination and joined their fellow Bermudians in registering written submissions to the Commission for their consideration. It did not then and has not now escaped my notice that the BIC continues to conduct their affairs, under the bright light of public scrutiny, with integrity, thoughtfulness and professionalism.

There were those, following the appointment of the BIC Commissioners, who had reservations about the composition, the potential absence of impartiality, and the leadership, direction and civil legal reference representatives charged with organising the group and preparing them to ask the difficult questions. As the process played out, these concerns were answered and the legitimacy of the process was established. Despite this, there remain those, irrespective of the presence of this credible intermediary body, who have chosen to completely separate themselves from the discussion and refuse to accept the legitimacy of this group, much less sit and discuss the difficult issues affecting our community in the spirit of willingness displayed by their fellow Bermudians of every race, social standing, academic or financial achievement. They have tirelessly worked to systematically disrupt the discussion with the main objective to retain, by any means necessary, the status quo and discourage any move by this Government to the contrary.

It is with appreciation that I wish to register my satisfaction with the Bermuda Independence Commission and to publicly thank the Commissioners for their acceptance of this awesome responsibility and the weight they have had to shoulder over the past months. As a community, we acknowledge the importance of their enquiries, here and abroad, to Government and leadership entities, on the depth of the independence question. We now see the value of their invitation to the United Nations and the UN?s enhancement of the local discussions led by the various forums held throughout the island. We now stand back and applaud the Commission on the impartial manner in which they have conducted their duties. We all can stand tall and be proud of the initial work that has been done by the BIC for the people of Bermuda. They have represented to the world our ability to conduct our public affairs at the highest levels and to consider all things with integrity and diplomacy.

It is important to note that the Bermuda Independence Commission reflects the diversity of our community and consists of Commissioners known in our wider Bermuda for their community service, professional and personal integrity and obvious political leanings. I suggests what continues to calm our collective constituency conscience, is, despite this constant, the Commissioners came into the process with open minds, considered the full weight of public sentiment for or against, judiciously guarded their mandate and have allowed themselves to be individually purged of preconceived dispositions and ventured to consider, publicly and privately, the whole issue of self-determination.

This has not been without challenges for us, as a community, nor for the BIC as participants and purveyors. This representative group has taught us that as a community, we must now do our part and become active participants. It is incumbent on us to absorb the information provided by the BIC, seek out additional information relative to our personal interest base and encourage those around us to do the same. What will be seen as contributory and promotes the better good of our Bermudian society is that in searching for the answers or even truly attempting to understand what our county?s quest for self-determination really means, we will, with regularity, catch glimpses of who we really are and see the commonality we all possess in this melting pot we call Bermuda. It is my hope that during the soul searching and the realisation of our interdependence, we will see ourselves thought the others eyes. We will, in time, become so uncomfortable with the restrictive safety zones we have hidden behind and finally emerge wanting to genuinely know each other. Stand up and help those around us and above all, rejoice in the triumphs of others.

Not all of us will test the altitude. Not all of us will want to move forward together or share with others the advantage we now possess. Some will never seek to engage in the renewal process but will do the direct opposite. They will attempt to find every reason not to talk, to seek out the commons solutions and will only be interested in goals that retain and maintain the economic, social and academic separation now present in Bermuda.

The Government that we have today encourages all in the community to press on and to recapture that unique way of being, that Bermuda we remember. Communities that thrived in the absence of affluence and found riches in its close knit neighbourhoods. Parents, relatives, neighbours and neighbourhood care-givers who watched over us all, enforced right and wrong and encouraged us to continue to contribute and live in a wider Bermuda that needed everyone to make it turn.

It is this familiarity that connects this Government with its community. A Government willing to understand the ills, works to reverse the negative trends and influences, provide the support to sustain the life we live and institutes policies to broaden prosperity.

We, together, despite the present challenges that seem to be overtaking us, can achieve this. The discussion we are now having on self-determination, is just the beginning on the road to change the local environment today and ultimately, usher in a better Bermuda. A Bermuda of social, economic, academic and corporate equality, black financial empowerment and a mutual respect among the races of our individual uniqueness and a full appreciation for the real problems existing today. We must work together to find the solutions. This will not be easy. We must work to heal the wounds created by the excesses of the past and right the wrongs not so easily willed away. This requires bold steps. Who helps who and who really does what, will greatly determine the outcome. We, as Bermudians, are the only ones who can make that change happen. The question, to us all is ... will we join together and make it a reality?

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