Dear Sir,

It is a sad day for Bermuda when a noisy and boisterous crowd prevent the business of the island from being conducted in our Parliament. Frankly, I was disgusted by their behaviour, but I also lay blame squarely at the very feet of the new leadership in the Progressive Labour Party, which actually preached for civil disobedience to occur.

This is not leadership, but, rather, bullying tactics.

In general, governments do not create business activity and employment, but rather should provide the regulatory environment that encourages private-sector investment.

The one area where governments can stimulate activity is the carrying-out of infrastructure projects. The PLP administration did just this, with projects such as the Berkeley Institute, the Dockyard wharf development and the new court and police building.

When you total the values of these projects — all of which cost almost twice as much as their original budgets — we are getting very close to the value of a new airport. When you add in the values of projects that the Government has supported by way of “guarantees”, such as the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital extension and BHC properties such as the Warwick Villas apartments, then we are getting to values that could build two airports.

Sadly, previous PLP administrations left Bermuda saddled with so much debt that the new One Bermuda Alliance government has no financial resources to initiate new infrastructure projects such as a new airport terminal.

The only method available is the deal put together by the finance minister. This deal is similar to a BOO project, short for “build, own, operate”, but he has negotiated in the best interests of Bermuda for a BO project — build and operate. In essence, a third party provides the financing of the project, builds it and operates it, while Bermuda remains the owner of the airport.

This is a good deal for Bermuda in the long run and helps to create economic activity and new long-term employment opportunities for our people, so how can the PLP and these other activist groups be against it?

I was tuned in to the Sherri J radio talk show after the protests of Friday, when the Reverend Nicholas Tweed and Bermuda Industrial Union president Chris Furbert were guests, and I was surprised by the statement Mr Tweed made and which Mr Furbert agreed to.

I quote: “This protest is less about the airport project than about the process.”

Wow, what a revelation that was and I wonder if all the protesters are aware that their leaders are not against the airport project, but, rather, upset at the process taken to get us there.

I may be missing something, but the present government has been most transparent about this major project and a heck of a lot more so than projects carried out by the PLP government. One should ask where were the protests when the previous administrations awarded major infrastructure works, in many cases against the advice from technical officers at the time, and which resulted in cost overruns twice over budget that helped to balloon Bermuda’s debt from $150 million in 1998 to $1.5 billion in 2012?

It has now become very clear that these protests are less about the rejection of a new airport terminal than about preventing the OBA government from gaining “wins” and “success” before the next election.

This is sad because the people who will benefit the most from this project are those same people the PLP supposedly care for: our workers and tradesmen, who will gain meaningful employment.

How hypocritical of the PLP and its support groups to create hysteria and mayhem when they should be encouraging the success of the project, which would benefit their constituents.

ALLAN D. MARSHALL