The war of words over the appointment of Trinidadian Roy Boyke as a consultant to the Minister of Tourism raises several important questions about how governments should communicate and the problems that continuously arise.

And the current Government in particular seems to have had endless problems with its public relations, in spite, or perhaps because, several of its to officials have been involved in the media throughout their careers.

Government has an Information Services Department which contains up to five Government spokesman at any one time.

But politicians seem to be continually tinkering with the department and trying different approaches to getting their messages out and responding to crises.

Several years ago, Premier Jennifer Smith hired a Canadian consultant at a cost of $200,000 to advise on GIS and Government information. Nothing much has ever been heard about what he did, what advice he gave or how much of it was heeded.

Now Tourism Minister David Allen has hired Mr. Boyke to help him get his message across. And there is no Government Minister who needs more help than Mr. Allen, whose stock has been in “a death spiral” since he moved from the Opposition to the Government benches.

But it again begs the question of how much a consultant can do to help. How do you get a positive message about tourism across when the numbers have been almost entirely negative.

Even the news in today’s newspaper that total arrivals are up for the first six months of the year contains the grey lining that air visitors are once again down.

Tourism’s reputation will only improve if the health of the industry does and only then will young Bermudians be convinced that it is a worthwhile industry to enter. That advice is free. It’s also common sense.

The bigger problem for Government and for their spokesmen is how far they should go without crossing the line from informing to propagandising. Government spokesmen are paid to put Government in the best possible light. But there is a difference between the Government and the governing party and Government spokesmen must bear this in mind. They are, after all paid by the public and as a practical point, they must always bear in mind that today’s Opposition could be tomorrow’s Government.

Mr. Boyke finds himself in a particularly invidious position since he did work for the Progressive Labour Party in the last General Election.

Now he is responsible for advising the Tourism Ministry of Tourism awareness and on-island communication. So far, he has said the right thing by stating that if he agreed to work for the PLP again, he would immediately resign the tourism consultancy.

That make sense, although a consultant who jumps from party to Government and back to party will always face questions about who his true master is.