Almost every day Bermudians learn of some troubling new development which seems to leave a trail of questions with few answers, especially in the hunt for truth.

It is truly a testing time for the relatively new Government and the people of this Island, who are trying to read between the lines in a wide range of controversial matters.

Poor handling of some situations by various authorities could be a contributing factor in creating a lack of trust when it comes to keeping truth out front.

The average citizen does not have the time to dissect every aspect of a story, but most have a basic instinct that truth might not be the highest priority where image and political reputation could be at stake.

The ongoing rumblings between the Hamilton Corporation and Government leave many observers feeling that, once again, truth is perhaps the hardest element to bring to the surface.

The press has the dubious task of seeking facts to keep people informed, which can be challenging when conflicting statements become muddled in legal and technical jargon. What people really want to know is whether something is being handled with the outmost transparency, which is the only way to build public trust.

The issue of alleged contamination along the south shore through a sewage disposal process needs clarity and factual analysis in order for the people to understand fully whatever potential hazards exist, and if so, to what extent. This subject has been raised before in the interest of ensuring that sewage is not a health threat to anyone swimming along the south shore, and that includes residents as well as visitors.

The fact that a United States’ Consul in Bermuda expressed concern about a potential health hazard from sewage disposal off the south shore is troubling, since Bermuda takes such great pride in its shoreline beaches. While it may be even more disturbing to tourism officials, the matter needs close examination to determine the validity of such a claim, which should not be dismissed simply because such allegations hurt the Island’s image.

Bermuda has always enjoyed a good relationship with US Consuls in Bermuda, and it is doubtful that such warning would be issued without at least some evidence to indicate a need for concern. Nothing could be more harmful than having swimmers falling ill because of inattention in dealing with a potential threat.

Government has given its assurance that the beaches are safe for swimming, and played down such allegations. Is there a middle ground here where better information about the whole subject would benefit both sides? It seems closer communication on the matter would be a positive move.

The last thing Bermuda needs is some type of perceived cover-up at a time when support for every effort is required to boost our tourist industry and pave the way for more jobs. Surely we can learn from one of America’s leading carmakers when their top executives came under brutal fire last week over documents that revealed they knew about a faulty ignition but a decision not to correct the problem was based on cost. People died in incidents linked to that fault and, to date, no company heads rolled as a result. A number of congressmen were enraged that any company could place cost above lives. There was even talk of a cover-up culture within large corporations. Of course that is nothing new.

In some countries journalists have been killed for exposing wrong-doing by the powerful. Truth is not always welcomed, but without it there is no real freedom.

Bermuda will always have problems, but how we approach them could be the difference between building better relationships or keeping confrontation as an obstacle to collectively moving forward. Respecting truth is key in all our endeavours.