"We must strive for harmony in our discourse and not disagree just for the sake of disagreement. The community is tired of that and wants a country prepared to have all hands on deck pulling in the same direction. That which divides us cannot be allowed to trump that which unites us." – Throne Speech 2010

For the record, Mr. Editor, I agree. These are words the entire community can embrace too – and do, I suspect. This isn't the first time we have heard them – and probably won't be the last either. But the challenge is turning these fine words into actions that demonstrate that commitment at work. I'm not saying it's easy, but there are ways in which Government can make a start.

They don't always have to be big steps either. Small ones count too. Let me give you an example. I believe an opportunity was missed last Friday on the very day those words were spoken when the House on the Hill had to elect a new Deputy Speaker.

Dame Jennifer Smith had to resign the post because she had accepted an appointment to Cabinet. I extend to her publicly what I did privately on Friday: my congratulations and commiserations on returning to that challenging but revolving door of portfolios, Education. As we all know, Dame Jennifer will have her hands full. She will as a result be missed as Deputy Speaker for all the work she had been doing behind the scenes to raise standards and benchmarks on the Hill, as reflected in her role as chairman of the House and Grounds Committee and with myself in re-working and re-writing the rules. This work, particularly the revision of the rules, hinted at the sort of bi-partisanship the Legislature needs and which Bermuda deserves – members on opposite sides working together whenever and wherever possible for a common purpose and for greater goals than party points.

I come then to my point: The Deputy Speaker does not have to be a Government member. On the contrary. There is no reason why the person couldn't come from the Opposition benches; in fact, there's a good reason why that appointment should. It would signal a collective wish to move in a new direction. It shows how the system can reach across the divide despite differences or disagreements. This too, was a theme trumpeted in the Throne Speech, and I quote:

"This Government will reach out to our community to create better working relationships. We must embrace the diversity that is Bermuda and turn that to our advantage."

Exactly, and there is nothing like leading on the Hill by example. Now for those of you who are wondering, this is not a case of sour grapes. I have nothing against Wayne Perinchief. He has done stints as Acting Speaker, and as a frequent chairman in committee, and has shown himself capable. No other name was put forward because we had made our inquiries, and put out our feelers, and we knew that the PLP caucus had decided to back one of their own for the post. Our group decided that there was therefore no need for division on the first day. They have the necessary votes.

Still, an opportunity was in my view lost by the PLP to show in a small but demonstrable way that it was no longer going to be business as usual on the Hill. We could have kick-started a new tradition that reflected that commitment.

But there may yet be other such opportunities. I hope. For instance, while this didn't rate a word in the Throne Speech, I am hoping that the PLP Government has not given up on the idea of reforming the Legislature. It was a featured item in last year's Speech and I thought they were serious. The promise then was for some sort of parliamentary conference under the auspices of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association – the heavyweights in this business – to help craft a more modernised Legislature. Read: Bring us up to par. Sadly, it never happened. But it still could if the political will is there on the Government benches to make it happen.

There is also the opportunity to start to make greater use of parliamentary committees on which members from all sides get to serve. I don't pretend to know what happened to the joint select committee on education. It got off to what looked like a promising start with public hearings, but then nothing. We now have one out there on crime which has begun its work and is about to hold public hearings. It is made up of members from all parties, including myself, and I am aware of a strong desire within the committee to not only work together but come up with insights and recommendations that reflect community effort.

Letting the public in through submissions and through hearings open to the press and public must also be a feature of the system. I am absolutely convinced that the Public Accounts Committee also has to step up its game and be given all the necessary resources and support it needs to get on with the job Bermuda desperately requires it to perform for greater and actual accountability for Government spending. The many reports from the Auditor General to this point have been both overwhelming and convincing on the point.

This is what I mean by the creation of meaningful opportunities on the Hill for members to work together. We need to work beyond just the superficial of meetings, joint statements and photo-ops. Nor should we only be about debate on Fridays and simply whether we agree or disagree. But this is exactly what is encouraged when speaking is the only opportunity to make any contribution – and, as you know well, clash always makes for better copy and bolder headlines.

But look, I'm not a dreamer either, Mr. Editor. I don't think this means voters are looking for us to make nice, nice all the time. If they do, it's an unreasonable expectation. There will always be disagreements in politics and there should always be challenges. The system works best when Ministers and policies and decisions are subject to scrutiny and put to the test. But there needs to be something more than just opportunities for disagreement and division; and that is the opportunity for clash and cooperation on the issues as well.

Comments? Write jbarritt@ibl.bm