Political parties in jurisdictions globally are known to make decisions, at times, through poor judgement, resulting in serious damage to credibility and often further damage is caused if efforts to correct the problem fall short in restoring confidence when it comes to being transparent in dealing with a particular issue.

The current Jetgate scandal has the Opposition Progressive Labour Party in a take-no-prisoners mood, attacking the One Bermuda Alliance Government for what they allege is a cover-up of what really transpired when the Premier and some members of his Cabinet boarded a private jet to meet with a businessman in the United States who reportedly had expressed an interest in investing in Bermuda.

The mere fact that the jet was owned by the businessman in question opened a new can of worms, so to speak, apart from the fact that a non-Cabinet member and business associate of the Premier was also aboard. This raised more than a few questions over what was really behind this meeting. It seems alarming that the Premier’s advisers would allow such a venture knowing the process, while good intentioned, could be politically dangerous.

No science is needed to recall the damage suffered by the Opposition Progressive Labour Party when, as government, a former Premier arranged a jet flight in the middle of the night to bring four detainees from Guantánamo prison in Cuba.

All done, apparently, without the knowledge of the Governor and several members of his Cabinet. It sent the Island into an uproar that to this day has left a stain on their legacy of operating with transparency and accountability.

Many of their avid supporters at the time expressed utter dismay over the action and wondered what was really happening, especially since Bermuda is not independent, and such an international undertaking should have involved the British Government.

That story is yet to be fully disclosed.

The point here is that the One Bermuda Alliance should have learned an important lesson from that incident, and that is operating with full transparency would be expected from the public after what transpired in the former administration.

Reporters do not make the news, their job is to report incidents with the highest standard of professionalism to keep people informed.

In doing so they are often blamed for causing trouble for uncovering what some would prefer to be kept under the lid. In the political arena this is always an issue.

Now that the ‘Jetgate’ matter is to be investigated by the One Bermuda Alliance, it can only mean the matter is considered serious enough to warrant closer examination to clear the air and avoid irreparable damage to transparency and credibility.

It comes unfortunately at a time when the Island needs all of its intellectual resources to tackle a multitude of problems in a collective manner if real progress is to take place.

Too many political skirmishes create distractions that only hinder the ability to pool our strengths for the good of the Island and its people. Bermuda has a long way to go to step over the lines of divisiveness caused by a troubled social past.

However, avoiding the truth because it could hurt this or that person in the political arena will leave the public in limbo over proper standards expected of all of our leaders.

The people may at times appear to be asleep, but most of them have a good sense of when something seems wrong in matters of public interest. In other words, it is even more dangerous to take the public for granted.

That is true, no matter who is Government. It seems appropriate to highlight the Island-wide admiration of the late statesman John Barritt Sr who, throughout his career, was a vital thread in that old-fashioned Bermuda unity that we need so badly today if we are to truly move forward.