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Dear Sir,

I cannot resist commenting on your May 8 story "PLP: Ready to serve the people of Bermuda better."

The headline made me think that the PLP was finally acknowledging its terrible record in office - at least if you have had concerns about violent crime, lack of housing, seniors care and the education of our children.

But the story fell far short of the headline's promise. It was nothing short of empty boasting that made me think nothing has changed.

The first thing that stopped me was the statement that the PLP was less divided than in 2003 when, according to your reporter, "it did a great job of hiding it."

Well, from my perspective, they're still divided. Didn't I just read that the Education Minister was rejected by his own branch? And I think I'm correct in remembering that the person who replaced the Minister was described by a party insider as an "aberration." And didn't I just read Dr. Brown's advisor, Rolfe Commissiong, criticize PLP Premiers Scott and Smith for not doing anything to fix public education?

The second thing that stopped me was the reference that today's PLP, unlike 2003, does not have to shoulder baggage such as the Bermuda Housing Corporation scandal as it heads to the polls.

I beg to differ: This is still a government that has failed to build affordable housing. This is still a government that has presided over a catastrophic collapse of public education. This is still a government that has wasted - and lost count of - millions of taxpayer dollars. And this is still a government - all manipulations aside - that presided over the worst year-to-year performance in tourism since the start of mass tourism in the 1960s.

The boast that the PLP is not afraid of taking its record to the public should be a concern to all Bermudians. It says to me that they don't get it; that they think they've done a good job.

Finally, the PLP claim that their team is better from top to bottom - "ready to serve" and "superior" - made me chuckle. I invite the comparisons. I started to list all of the superior underperformances over the past nine years; all the education ministers - six since 1998 - and the ministers responsible for housing, and I put the paper down...

Come on Bermuda. We can do better as a country.

Let's hold the PLP to account for their record. As the Leader of the United Bermuda Party, I promise that we will give you a government that will deliver, finally.

Michael H. Dunkley,

Leader, UBP[[In-content Ad]]

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