on long-term residents and the debate which has now begun on the role they play in Bermuda society.

If the debate is long overdue, it is also politically brave of Ms Cox to open it up.

As she noted in her speech at a forum on Thursday night, the easiest thing for her Government to have done would have been nothing. That would have pleased the party's most loyal supporters who have little sympathy for long term residents.

But Ms Cox has opened up the debate because it is the right thing to do.

To be sure, she has ruled out any blanket status grant, a position with which this newspaper disagrees, but the fact that she, on behalf of her Government, is prepared to open the debate and to listen to all sides is commendable.

One wonders if all of her Cabinet colleagues would have been so accessible and open; the evidence of the past 22 months suggests otherwise.

Ms Cox went a step further by having Opposition Leader Pamela Gordon on the platform as well in the full knowledge that Ms Gordon would put her party's point of view. That again deserves credit. It would have been easy to restrict the panels to one point of view and to only listen to views from the floor.

Not many politicians from either party would invite their opponents to speak.

More importantly, the statements from the floor show how difficult an issue this is.

It is a given that Bermudians must come first in their own country and that Bermuda is too small and too delicate to handle a mass grant of status.

But Bermuda also has a responsibility to people who have been on the Island for decades -- with or without an expectation of status. And as surprising as it may be to those who think the world revolves around this Island, a good many long term residents may not opt for status at all. That point was made well by Ms Gordon who noted previous take-up rates for status ranged from 40 to 50 percent.

Whether long-term residents end up with status or a working residents certificate, there will always be exceptions whose cases have merit; it is deciding how to handle those cases which any Green Paper has to decide.

Ms Cox called for a debate free from unnecessary "rancour and bitterness'' and added: "My greatest fear is that it becomes a xenophobic, race, nationality fight without talking about the issues.'' That message is as true for non-Bermudians who fail to understand the fears that Bermudians have of being overrun, as it is for the Bermudian who fails to see the benefits of allowing non-Bermudians to build lives and contribute to the community.

This is a debate about nationality and status in the broadest sense. But it is also a test of values. Does Bermuda want to be inward looking and xenophobic, or does it want to be welcoming and global in its outlook? Ms Cox has demonstrated her willingness to be open minded on the issue. The rest of the community should follow her example.