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Four years ago the issues relating to the BHC and questionable conduct were raised in a local newspaper.

At that time Dr. Ewart Brown made a comment, as a result of reports on the investigation, that the price the Corporation paid for one of his homes was 'fair' and that he would even 'pay the money back' if deemed appropriate. He subsequently went on to win his constituency by a fair margin and three years later was the Premier of the country. People either failed to pay attention to the conflict of interest or simply did not care. The Premier is quite masterful at spin and I guess tersely dismissing the allegation in that manner was a good approach and it worked.

Now it has come back to haunt him. Certainly, if he has been defamed by last week's newspaper report then he must instruct his lawyers to sue at which time all of the evidence relating to the BHC allegations can be reviewed by a judge and the Premier's good name can be cleared, or not. If he asked me, I would advise him to sue for libel. The fact of the matter is that where there is smoke there is usually fire and for Bermudians to now ignore the BHC issue is like driving past the Pembroke dump a few months back and convincing themselves that it's a cloudy day.

The Premier's campaign to turn the scandal into some sort of constitutional confrontation with the Governor is simply laughable though, to his credit, it does seem to be getting some play for now.

For the majority of the PLP who operate with integrity and expect the same of all members, I sincerely feel for them at this time. We all want to believe the best in people and when facts challenge that inclination, it is difficult to let go. But people eventually come around when the weight of fact wears away the fiction.

Right-minded people will at the very least have some questions.

Questions

Here are a few that members of the public have shared with me: Are Government ministers allowed to deal with the BHC? If a house is fixed up by the BHC and then bought by it, doesn't the cost of repairs come out of the sale price? Don't we have a section in the Criminal Code that deals with official corruption? (Yes, we do, it's Section 111 called 'Official Corruption' - see page five). Wasn't the Bermuda Housing Corporation set up to help people with genuine housing problems? Why is Government suddenly asking for control over the Police Service and its powers of investigation?

The BHC scandal cannot be ignored. It cannot be brushed under the rug. To do so - and this is a very real danger given the Brown regime's effort to turn it into a constitutional crisis - is to condone behaviour that should not be allowed to stand.

We have to stand for something better as a country. We have to demand something better of our government leaders. Values and principles must be their compass; otherwise we will drift. I believe the call for a Royal Commission is the right call.

It will give us an opportunity not just to know the facts of who did what to make what, but to establish beyond question the correct rules of behaviour for our public officials. If we don't, I fear we will be lost.

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