The Government is working on suggestions made in a comprehensive proposal for Bermuda’s future and will look further at others, MPs heard.

Wayne Furbert, the Cabinet Office minister, highlighted recommendations made by BermudaFirst in its Future State Report, which was released in September.

The Progressive Labour Party MP said during a debate in the House of Assembly last Friday that the advisory group’s three “critical areas of focus” were education, healthcare and immigration.

Other items related to diversification of the economy, hospitality and tourism, infrastructure and amendment of the 60:40 rule designed to guarantee majority Bermudian ownership of businesses.

Mr Furbert said: “The BermudaFirst group have done their work, it is now time for us to study the recommendations closer and take action.

“Some recommendations will be able to be done in short order, others will be medium and long-term, and some the Government will take a further look at.”

Trevor Moniz, of the One Bermuda Alliance, highlighted the advisory group’s opinion that tribalism was “the most troubling global trend” that could have “a devastating impact on the social fabric of our community”.

He said: “My concern about this is, very recently, when the Premier invited the public to attend the delegates conference of the PLP, in that speech ... he spoke of family, being those people who were members of the PLP, and he spoke of enemies.

“My submission is that is naked tribalism in a very basic form, it’s an us and them approach that the BermudaFirst group is specifically saying must be avoided in this community if we are going to swim rather than sink.”

Kim Wilson, the Minister of Health, said that BermudaFirst’s healthcare working group addressed five key themes, with about 35 recommendations.

She added: “Of those 35 recommendations, 23 of those, or 66 per cent of those, are fully supported by the ministry and in fact a large number of those recommendations are already being advanced by the ministry and were being advanced prior to the BermudaFirst report and are still being completed.”

Wayne Caines, the Minister of National Security, said the report supported the work already under way by Government and the immigration reform committee.

He said Government has joined forces with professional services firm KPMG to improve and streamline the work permit process to tackle complaints from businesses.

And the minister said work on comprehensive immigration reform continued, but more discussion was needed to ensure that Bermudians had confidence that their interests would be protected.

Mr Caines said: “The process of immigration, how immigration has been rolled out over a number of years has just been unfair.

“Bermudians have not been given a place of primacy in their own country for such a long period of time the very thought of other people being given further rights to Bermuda scares Bermudians to death.”

He added that Bermudians wanted to be in “a country where they matter” and where there were opportunities for them.

Ben Smith, the shadow minister of sports and social development, agreed and said a balance had to be struck between attracting talent to the island and ensuring real opportunities for Bermudians.

He said: “We have to take into consideration the scars people have, generations of Bermudians, because of decisions of the past.”

David Burt, the Premier, who commissioned the report, thanked the BermudaFirst group for its work and encouraged residents to read the document.

Kerry Judd, the BermudaFirst executive director, said after the debate that she was happy to hear the broad support for the report in the House.

She added: “Now it’s really about broadening the awareness of the report.”