New Opposition Leader Wayne Furbert last night called for a radical overhaul of Bermuda's political system.

In his first public speech since replacing Grant Gibbons, he said a Political Commission was needed to scrutinise the political process.

His platform also included:

Fixed General Election dates;

A referendum on Independence;

Parliamentary recalls;

Bipartisan Parliamentarian Committees

Mr. Furbert was speaking to Warwick constituents at a UBP Town Hall meeting, in which he declared he had a new vision for a new generation.

He said Bermuda's political situation was in need of a dramatic overhaul.

"This is a priority," he said. "In the past centralised, top-down Government was the norm throughout the whole world. The days of 'Father knows best' Government may be over. Yet the world and our people has advanced beyond this form of government, the way we conduct the people's business has not progressed with the times.

"Today our people are better educated, better informed, better equipped and willing and able to play a larger role in shaping of our country."

He added: "I believe that Bermuda right now needs a national vision. To achieve this vision we support fixed election dates, referendums for certain divisive issues such as gangs or Independence, Parliamentary recall by popular or citizen petition on politicians that are corrupt or unfit between general elections, bipartisan Parliamentarian committees that put the best and the brightest of the UBP and the (Progressive Labour Party) PLP working together to solve the challenges facing our Island.

"To do this we need to form a Political Commission that will look at the workings of our political process so that at the end of the day the people are served better and will always come out on top."

He said the masses of Bermuda could no longer be expected to sit on the side-lines and wait for a general election, or worse yet, social unrest for their voices and concerns to be heard and acted upon.

"More and more of Bermuda's critical issues will not be decided by Parliamentarians, our Senators, our Cabinet and even our Premier," he said. "The movement toward making fundamental decisions through direct voter participation either by referendum, or by petition is irrefutable. We must empower our people to shape the direction of our country. No political party has a monopoly on good ideas."

The Opposition Leader said he would create great opportunities for the best and the brightest of both the PLP and the UBP and focus on creating solutions rather than divisions.

A new approach was needed because the traditional ways of doing things was giving Bermudians diminishing returns, he said. "We need a common vision, goal and purpose," he said. "Someone once said leadership is the ability to translate vision into reality. Our country, our people are in desperate need of vision and in desperate need of action."

Mr. Furbert said Bermuda was sinking into a moral decay where a growing perception of corruption in high places coupled with Government's unwillingness to admit or accept responsibility demanded that honest, capable Bermudians took action.

"When we look at some of the prevailing conditions in Bermuda, the rise of health care costs, the rose in the cost of living, the overwhelming lack of affordable housing, the rapid decline in tourism, the pressing needs of our seniors, our people are crying out for a vision," he said. "Our people are crying out for action.

"The state we find ourselves in demands leadership that can see beyond now into a preferred future. Leadership that has the skill to turn vision into reality," he said.

He said his vision was a source of hope and a source of personal discipline.

"Vision sets you free of the limitations of what your eyes can see and allows you to actuate the liberty of what your heart can feel. Vision generates hope even in the midst of despair and provides endurance in tribulation," he said. "I can see a Bermuda where we live out Martin Luther King's dream where one day we will not be judged by the colour of our skin, but by the contents of our character."

He said he saw a Bermuda where international partners had necessary local skills to run operations, where seniors lived out their golden years in paradise and where housing was affordable. Pledging victory in the next election, he promised his supporters an end to divisiveness, cronyism, selfishness and irresponsibly.

"We will restore hope, ours is a new beginning and a new vision," he said. "Vision with action can change the world."