Policies to benefit the community featured today at a panel dominated by political candidates.

A forum organised by the Non-profit Alliance of Bermuda heard their visions and strategies for the island’s pressing social issues.

The panel included Alexa Lightbourne, the Progressive Labour Party’s candidate for Devonshire North West (Constituency 14); John Seymour, the One Bermuda Alliance candidate for Pembroke East Central (Constituency 16); Omar Dill, the Free Democratic Movement candidate for Pembroke West Central (Constituency 18), and independent candidates Juanae Crockwell, contesting in Southampton West Central (Constituency 31), with Ci’re Bean, running in Sandys North (Constituency 36).

On the cost of living, Mr Bean said programmes to address the issue had proved ineffective.

He said: “There are a lot of things that are in place right now, but regardless of that, it is the execution of those policies.” He said he would revisit and prioritise their execution.

Ms Crockwell called for a revisit of the regulatory framework for policies as well as the extension of some, such as customs duty cuts on essential goods.

She also proposed the creation of a livable wage so that people were ”making enough to thrive”.

On affordable housing, she said incentives could go to developers committed to rent-control properties and landlords offering affordable rents.

Mr Seymour proposed financial literacy on housing, calling for education at the secondary school level.

He said: “I believe that is very important for our next generation to be financially literate.”

He also suggested policies for agriculture and fishing to cut food costs.

He added: “It would be good to especially give our farmers and our fishermen and those that produce our food the resources that they need and to remove a lot of the red tape that they are facing.”

Mr Dill said policies for housing and energy could be updated to ease the cost of living.

Ms Lightbourne said the PLP government had been setting the foundation to address cost-of-living challenges.

While the issue was “complex”, she said the party was committed to implementing new measures.

Ms Crockwell highlighted the need for an independent education authority, which Mr Seymour supported.

She also questioned the origin of data used in education reforms.

She added: “An independent education authority will transcend political shifts and changes and can be led by experts who have worked in education.”

Ms Crockwell said teachers should play a key role in providing “decision-making” guidance to the authority.

Mr Dill suggested the transformation of the Bermuda College to university status, noting that the University of the West Indies could play a role.

Mr Bean proposed a policy for vocational training to be made mandatory in schools, to equip students with requisite skills to be “work ready”.

Candidates highlighted the importance of charities, with each supporting the view that the non-profits could unify their mandates.

Ms Lightbourne rejected the notion that there were too many charities on the island, while Ms Crockwell said non-profits should have a representative in Parliament.

She added: “I would want to establish a formal non-profit advisory council where we have our non-profit experts and leaders actually guiding policies.”

• Comments are closed on political content from February 1 to February 19 to stem the flow of purposefully inflammatory and litigious comments during the General Election cycle. Users who introduce extreme partisan comments into other news content will be given a two-week timeout