RESTORING GOOD GOVERNANCE: More Power to the people.

After multiple scandals, unprecedented mismanagement, undelivered promises, secrecy and supreme arrogance—many people have lowered their expectations of political leadership.

The United Bermuda Party believes it is essential to reverse the decline and restore people’s faith in the ability of government to deliver a better Bermuda for all.

The United Bermuda Party wants to offer a new, more positive direction.

We want to bring an end to feelings of hopelessness and send a clear message that Bermudians will be neither disrespected nor disregarded when it comes to decision-making.

We want to put people at the centre of decisionmaking in Bermuda. It is the people’s interests that must be upheld, not those of a select few.

The United Bermuda Party therefore commits to transforming the ways in which the island’s business is conducted. We will put more power in the hands of the people. We will make government more accountable, more transparent and more responsive.

To meet these goals, the next United Bermuda Party government will:

• Introduce Integrity in Public Office legislation to create an Integrity Commission that would
  • Set minimum standards for disclosure by parliamentarians of financial dealings; and
  • Define corrupt practices by parliamentarians and civil servants.
• Adopt a Code of Conduct for all parliamentary members.
• Enact mandatory random drug testing for all MPs and Senators
• Establish without delay a system of absentee ballots for any registered voter off-island at election time, and review the Parliamentary Election Act to ensure an accurate voter registration.
• Give people the right to petition the Legislature so that matters of concern to them can be set down for discussion and debate in the House of Assembly.
• Give people the right to initiate a referendum on any issue of national importance, such as independence, where 20% of registered voters request a national vote by way of a petition.
• Pursue with the United Kingdom Government constitutional reform to ensure that no major constitutional change can be made except by referendum, and that the results of any referendum will be binding.
• Pursue fixed-term elections.
• Guarantee public access to public information by implementing straight away a Freedom of Information Act.
• Uphold the right of public servants to speak out without fear through a Whistleblower’s Act.
• Guarantee equal access to government contracts by requiring open tendering in every department.
• Strengthen the independence of the criminal justice system and reduce the opportunity for political interference by restoring a nonpolitical attorney general.
• Strengthen the office and independence of the Auditor General and provide it with adequate resources to perform its constitutional mandate.
• Strengthen the bi-partisan membership and role of the Legislature’s Public Accounts Committee so that it might work more closely with the Office of the Auditor General as it seeks to monitor more effectively and regularly government spending along with the awarding and administration of government contracts.
• Establish a Commission for Parliamentary Reform to monitor and report on changes to improve governance in Bermuda and to provide for greater participation by the people of Bermuda in decision-making.