The Progressive Labour Party made its final call to voters this morning, when it promised to continue work to build a fairer Bermuda for all.

At a press conference surrounded by PLP candidates, David Burt, the party leader and Premier, said the results of the General Election tomorrow would have lasting ramifications.

He urged voters to consider the party’s record.

“Tomorrow, Bermuda will make a choice,” Mr Burt said. “A choice that will shape our island’s future not just for the next few years, but for generations that follow.

“This PLP team wants a Bermuda where hard work moves you forward, not one that leaves you struggling. A Bermuda where Bermudian children, no matter their last name, no matter their background, have a fair shot at success.

“A Bermuda where our seniors can retire with dignity and a Bermuda where fairness is not just a word but a reality for every Bermudian.”

The PLP leader added that the world was in a “turbulent” state, and that the island needed a government that has proven its ability to manage the challenges that may still come.

“This team has demonstrated that when tested, we can respond to global crises,” he said.

“Now is not a time to put trust in persons that don’t have that experience. It’s not. This is real. This is about the next five years.

“We know we have a new administration in the US, we see what is happening around the world and it is vital that we have persons that can pick up the phone, call, make sure we do things that are in the best interests of Bermuda so that Bermuda can benefit.”

The Premier reiterated a promise made over the weekend that, if the PLP is voted back into power, it would work together with independent candidates and the Free Democratic Movement in the spirit of collaboration.

While the Emperial Group said the promise was “disingenuous”, Mr Burt said the PLP has always been committed to consultation.

“The reality is that we mean what we say,” he said. “Our party chair echoed the call that was made on Saturday night and I think Bermudians want us to make sure we embrace all ideas.

“This is something that is reflected inside of our platform. Some of the ideas that were given to us by our research and platform committee are ideas that you see in some of the independent candidates and some of the FDM stuff.”

While Mr Burt did not specifically mention the One Bermuda Alliance when pledging to work with the other groups over the weekend, he said today that the PLP has offered to work with the OBA while in power and would continue to do so.

“The OBA will be the political opposition.” he said. “That is our expectation. We will always work with the opposition, as we have over the last seven years.

“We have reached out to them on education reform, we have reached out to them on immigration reform.

“Sometimes they have said yes and sometimes they have said no, but we will be a government for all the people of this country, as we have been.”

Mr Burt said in the party’s 2017 platform the PLP promised to consult on matters of importance, and while not everyone has been happy with every result, the party had fulfilled that promise.

“We have seen numerous times where ministers have had consultation and have changed the plans that were originally put forward,” he said.

“We have tried to meet people half way, but at the end of the day the government has to make a decision and not everyone is going to agree with every decision that is made, but I think that our history has shown, from immigration reform to healthcare reform to education reform to matters related to fisheries, that we have consulted widely, that we tried to meet people in the middle and that is something that will continue.”

However, he said it was important for the government to press forward as actions needed to be taken to bring about the positive changes that the public want to see.

“The only way things can improve is if the government actually makes difficult decisions to bring that change in conditions,” Mr Burt said.

Asked about the possibility of a coalition government in the wake of the election, Mr Burt said: “Those are things we will deal with if they come, but what I know is that this team has worked hard and I hope that the voters will recognise that we have the best team, the best policies, the best record.”

He said voters should consider the total body of work that the party has done.

“You look at what we have done for senior’s pensions, for healthcare, for housing, for taxes, for making sure we deliver and make Bermuda more fair,” Mr Burt highlighted. “I think that is what people will be voting on.”

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