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Governments are a lot like fishing trips - it's only a matter of time before something begins to stink.

Bermuda got worldwide coverage last week after the Premier's tantrum over the leaked documents relating to corruption at the BHC.

And this isn't the first time he's threatened to take his marbles and go home if he doesn't get his way: He told the delegates at the last PLP Conference that if they did not make him Premier he would leave Politics.

Too bad they didn't take him up on his offer. If the PLP hierarchy had shown this much concern over the actual misdeeds instead of merely at the failure of the cover up, we wouldn't be where we are now.

Of course, the Premier claims that he was exonerated by the police investigation, but as any lawyer will tell you, there is a big difference between being innocent and being not guilty. Besides, if the report actually puts him in the clear, I'd have thought he would want it released.

I recall that previous incarnations of this PLP Government acknowledged that the actions of some public officials involved in this case were "unethical but not illegal".

Call me "old fashioned", but I think the actions of Government officials should have higher standards than merely not being illegal. Of course a big reason their actions were not illegal is that the laws didn't exist to be broken - and they still aren't. I wonder why?

Look, if you believe that members of the PLP Government have not taken kickbacks, bribes or "gifts" you probably believe that the UBP did when they were in charge.

The point is you can't trust ANY of them so there needs to be laws put in place to protect us and our money. The fact that the PLP haven't done so, despite obvious abuses, speaks volumes. And now the Government has got a gag order in place to "protect the reputation of our elected officials". Give me a break!

That's like trying to protect the reputation of Paris Hilton! There's no point in closing the Hotel door when the heir-head has already been exposed.

I am reminded of a story about Winston Churchill: It seems that he once asked a female dinner companion "Would you sleep with me for 1 million pounds?" "Yes" she said. "Would you sleep with me for 10 pounds?" "No" came the reply, "what kind of woman do you think I am?"

"Madam," Churchill said, "We have already established what kind of woman you are. We are merely haggling over the price."

And now Nelson Bascome has been arrested for "theft and corruption". The timing was uncanny! Just when the BHC scandal is back in the news, the Minister who was in charge at the time is arrested on another matter. Legally he's innocent until proven guilty, but politically the coincidence is going to be hard to ignore.

Of course Colonel Burch thinks the real problem is that he doesn't have direct control over the Police. If that were the case, there's no way any Party Official would ever be investigated, let alone a sitting MP. And don't forget they wanted to appoint Supreme Court judges as well.

If they'd been allowed to get away with that you know that a guilty PLP member would get less jail time than Paris Hilton. If you believe otherwise, I know a guy in Nigeria who wants to give you $20 million. And you can bet that once Herr Oberst got control of the Police it would not be long before Minister Burgess would have a "Guest-apo" to carry out his "Final Solution to the Expat Problem".

First they'd have to wear an "X" on their sleeves and then ....

But getting back to Paris: I can't wait for the movie based on her "ordeal". The whole "hard time in a women's prison" genre has been ignored for too long and I think "Paris: In and Out and In Again" would be a big hit in the straight to the Internet market.[[In-content Ad]]

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