This is the full text of the televised message to the country delivered by Premier Alex Scott on July 22

Fellow Bermudians and friends of Bermuda,

Good Evening,

It has been almost three months since my last address to the country.

Tonight I would like to reflect on where we are and where we must go. It is also important that I update you on the progress of the Social Agenda and enlist your support on the critical issues facing our society today.

My purpose is to remind you of the reasons for hope for the future of our country, and to urge you to become an agent of positive change, because there is more cause for optimism in this country than for pessimism, more reasons for hope than reasons for despair.

But most of all I speak tonight in recognition of the ingenuity, perseverance and collective intelligence of the people of Bermuda.

I counted on it! I called upon it and you responded - as only Bermudians can and would respond.

I am referring of course to last week's fire at Belco, an event which precipitated a power crisis, and brought many lessons Home to all of us.

That solidified our sense of collective destiny.

We must pay tribute and offer our gratitude to those courageous firefighters who battled an inferno the likes of which we all hope never to see again.

Without them and their valiant and professional efforts to contain the spread of the fire, without their willingness to risk life and limb for the safety of us all, we would probably be reflecting on a real human and national tragedy.

So we are thankful that there has been no loss of life. And each and every one of our firefighters represents a reason for hope.

Likewise, each and every member of our Police Service represents a reason for hope.

They sprung into action to provide the extra security we needed at an uncertain time, working night and day for us and our visitors.

It would be remiss of me, of course, not to mention the tireless workers at BELCO.

If there were any in the community who felt they weren't an outstanding and courageous group of men and women, then they knew nothing of the Bermudian spirit.

But they know now.

These heroic individuals are our brothers and sisters, our cousins, aunts and uncles with names like Outerbridge, Simmons, Blakeney? These strong men and women are Mr. and Mrs. Bermuda. They are the best of Bermuda, and they are shaped by the national spirit we all should aspire to.

We must also thank the members of the media IN GENERAL who acquitted themselves exceedingly well in carrying out their duty to inform the public under what had to be trying conditions.

I specifically wish to mention the Bermuda Broadcasting Company, and the Royal Gazette which in those early, critical, hours after the fire, were able to go on air and into print and assist us in communicating with you ?.

Delivering the message we have come, all of us, to live by: "conservation, cooperation and patience".

Therefore, I say to all of. I'm so proud to be a Bermudian and I'm so proud to be your leader. you, too, have done Bermuda proud.

Your actions and willingness to rise to the occasion, when, as a community, we go through trying times, are reasons for hope.

I say thank you.

Finally, our concerted efforts to conserve power have paid off with far less avoided rotating power outages, and consequently we have been able to keep the City of Hamilton afloat.

This is clearly a time when you can look to your neighbours and thank them for responding to our call for, conservation, cooperation and patience.

The spirit of Cooporation is a reason for hope.

BELCO's independent inquiry may provide technical answers to the power outage, but the collective cooperation of the residents of this great country clearly demonstrates that we can and must be the authors of our fate.

Fellow Bermudians and Friends of Bermuda.

The fates dealt us what seem to be body blows, but in actual fact could be blessings in disguise.

Why do I say this?

Consider that we all woke up a week ago on Thursday morning faced with a power crisis that compounded our concerns about the shortage of water.

The early morning hours of Thursday, July 14, and the ongoing water shortage, provided us with a challenge and brought home most dramatically that our way of life cannot be taken for granted.

Now is the time to pause and reflect on our dependence on, and consumption of, electricity.

Now is the time to pause and reflect on our dependence on and our consumption of that all important and essential resource - water.

If the fates are telling us anything at all by these events, it is that we must consider carefully the way we live now and wish to live into the future.

These events are an unmistakable validation of the Government's Sustainable Development Project, an initiative which urges every resident to become involved in laying the foundation for the Bermuda we will be proud to hand over to our grandchildren.

The circumstances in which we found ourselves constitute a warning bell that we must be judicious and creative in the use of all the resources at our disposal.

Therefore, you will understand why in my Ministerial Statement to Parliament earlier this week I declared that, "The Governemt will be supporting the initiation of an investigation into the cause of the blackout and any measures required to avoid a repeat of a similar or more catastrophic event."

Consequently, it will be understood, and most probably expected that now I report to you that at the last Cabinet meeting the Attorney General (AG) was directed to look into the mechanics of Government conducting a full enquiry into the impact of the events of 14 July upon the country - and to see what might be done to move forward.

You will learn more of this once the AG reports back to Cabinet.

Fellow Bermudians and Friends of Bermuda.

Ours is a complex society facing complex challenges.

We continue to be disappointed by the behaviour of a few who, from time to time, insist on disrupting the normal peace and serenity we enjoy.

Is there anyone who can claim that they were not mortified by the events on the MV Bermudian earlier this month? While we were thankful that there was no loss of life, it could be said that Bermuda lost its innocence that night!

The unprecedented incident served as a reminder that our society remains at a crossroads.

We must act quickly, and resolutely, to resolve the contradictions and paradoxes of our development.

You would already be aware that your Government is taking stern action against those young, and not so young, people who for all intents and purposes appear to be a threat to our way of life.

But if anyone needs reminding, we have instituted mandatory prison sentences for people who carry weapons, or any object with a point or blade, or with the intent o f doing harm to a fellow Bermudian.

We view these measures as a last resort, for we have every confidence that by continuing to broaden opportunities for our young, the number of incidents involving senseless violence will diminish.

Further, I believe that drugs drive crime in Bermuda. To this end Government is contemplating a cross Ministry initiative - placing unparalleled emphasis on the trafficking, abuse and rehabilitation aspects of drugs in our society. We believe this will go a long way in addressing the criminal activity we are currently witnessing and experiencing in our country.

The Government has a responsibility to educate all comers, from all social backgrounds and income levels.

Many of our students face daunting social challenges. We must do more to improve our students' performances and we are.

Dozens of teachers right now are giving up their summer holidays to assist those students who are in need of extra help.

Substantial investments are being poured into technological enhancements which should give teachers' more time to focus on the individual learning styles of our students.

Many of our teachers go over and beyond the call of duty and each and every one of them is a reason for hope.

I remind you of the Social Agenda, my portfolio of governance. I am pleased to report that we are making steady progress with the dozens of initiatives that fall into seven categories - or "pillars" of the Social Agenda. I remind you of them once again:

"Youth Development;

Strong Community Spirit;

A Well Educated and Skilled Workforce;

Adequate Housing for All;

Economic Empowerment and Opportunity;

Improved Quality of Life; and lastly, but certainly not least - a Civil and Law Abiding Country.

Some of our initiatives - like the National Training Board's slew of programs -fit under more than one Social Agenda pillar.

It has been said before, but it is worth repeating now. The NTB caters to young people of diverse needs - from those vulnerable to falling prey to criminal and antisocial elements,

those seeking to complete their high school diploma, to those seeking a change in career or technical training.

Any parent concerned about the future of their children - or, for that matter, their neighbour's children - should pay a visit to the National Training Board.

Every young person feeling disillusioned or dejected and unsure of their role in this society should examine the offerings of the National Training Board.

Progress at the NTB, Bermuda's premier workforce development agency, has been rapid over the last few months.

Spurred by the focus of the Social Agenda, the National Training Board has developed five Social Policy based Training Projects.

And if you would question the effectiveness of these projects, ask some of their recent graduates.

Ask some of the 20 graduates of the Job Readiness and Employment Retention Training Program.

JUST Ask some of the 15 graduates of the Technical Career Preparation Seminar, developed jointly with the Training and Employment Services Department, which provides job entry training to the registered unemployed.

Or ask some of the 10 graduates of the JUST IN TIME Program, A JOINT PROGRAMME WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF COURT SERVICES WHICH PROVIDES TECHNICAL AND NON-TECHNICAL TRAINING TO OFFENDERS ON PROBATION AND PAROLE.

With each of these programs, the National Training Board assists with job placement and tracks participants' progress for three years following the training.

The National Training Board is a reason for Hope.

Government, of course, is not the only entity concerned with the success of our young people. Bermuda works best when we work together.

Look to Clare Mello, the Executive Director of YouthNet and that organisation's volunteer mentors if you want examples of individuals giving of their time and energy to provide guidance to some 300 of our young people in 14 different schools across the Island.

Or

look to Miguel Mejias, a 2005 graduate of CedarBridge Academy who has clocked over 600 volunteer hours at charitable and public service institutions in Bermuda.

Look to the 46 student athletes who were recently nominated for the Denton Hurdle Memorial Award for their sportsmanship, leadership qualities and perseverance.

These, and there are many others, are reasons for hope.

Fellow Bermudians and Friends of Bermuda.

The challenge of providing access to affordable housing for Bermudians is an ongoing one.

Your Government understands the problem and we are making every effort to fill that need.

You should be aware that we have added some 3,000 additional properties to the stock of housing under rent control.

The significance of this move by Government can be better understood and appreciated when I point out that the recent

'Housing Need Survey' has determined that The most disadvantaged Bermudians spend in excess of 60 percent of their monthly income on housing, with the majority looking to rent.

Results of the recent 'housing needs study' has determined that access to 330 affordable rental units would initially meet the needs of those most disadvantaged by Bermuda's housing situation.

You should also be aware of the Harbourside Village Project, and the housing lottery held to select 98 Bermudian families who will purchase well constructed, quality homes at prices far below the going market rate.

I cannot forget the expressions of pure joy when these winners were announced.

Every single one of them will be handed the keys to a brand new home.

Also, you should be aware that the 'Emergency Housing Units' have started to arrive in Bermuda.

Expect also to hear news of the final plans for locating them throughout the island - manufactured houses for those families facing housing emergencies.

In regard to housing there is further news.

Cabinet has just approved a cross Ministry Housing initiative, aimed at assisting families with children and, who are at risk of being without housing.

The Government Ministers involved will announce the details shortly.

Fellow Bermudians and Friends of Bermuda, I now want to turn to civil and political rights.

Achievements in this arena include the establishment of the Office of the Ombudsman, an independent non-political agency charged with investigating complaints against Government Departments.

We have just tabled proposed amendments to the Parliamentary Election Act which will pave the way to enabling those registered voters who may be off the Island at election time to exercise their right to vote.

Further, we have prepared watershed legislation which gives you the public the right to access government information.

As I have said before - this is the Government that has brought significant improvements to the quality of our democracy.

This is the Government that will continue to enhance that democracy and your civil and political rights.

Such unwavering commitments from your elected Government, are reasons for hope.

But perhaps the time has come to consider what more the ordinary citizen can do to improve the exercise of those rights.

What do I mean by this?

Recent public discourse has highlighted the need to evaluate the progress we've made in combating discrimination in our society.

I do not intend to get into the specifics of complaints that have made their way into the public arena.

However, I do wish to say this - while we have come a long way since the days of official and rampant institutional discrimination, there remains some work to be done.

But such progress as we desire will come only with continued vigilance, honesty and hard work.

Our cultural mix has been expanded to include people from across the globe.

I would hazard a guess that Bermuda has the most diverse range of cultures ever to inhabit a 21 square mile community.

A different kind of vigilance will be needed to accelerate the process of eliminating discrimination from our society, while ensuring that new forms are not created.

I speak of a vigilance which would entail white people speaking up for black people when their rights are being threatened and blacks speaking up for whites when their rights are threatened.

I speak of a vigilance which would entail Bermudians speaking up for the rights of non-Bermudians and non-Bermudians defending the rights of Bermudians.

Should we fail to exercise such vigilance we would in effect be relegating the civil rights struggle of yesteryear to a worn, outdated clich?.

We would, in effect, be dishonoring the very ancestors we rightly hold up as icons of the last century.

But should we succeed, should be succeed, we shall all be heroes and icons to our children and their children's children.

In short, I want you to imagine a future in which we stand up for each other as a matter of course.

Imagine a public discourse reinvigorated by the recognition that injustice to any one of us is a threat to all of us.

Imagine a future when we would have rid ourselves of the politics and special interests that seem to have become, how shall I put it, entrenched in the national psyche.

Such a future cannot be crafted without uncompromising honesty with ourselves and each other in dealing with the many social, political and economic issues facing us.

Honesty demands that we must all acknowledge the fact that the statistics collected by Government agencies over the years continue to paint a picture of economic inequity based along racial lines.

At the same time, honesty demands that we recognize that not all whites find Bermuda a living paradise, and not all blacks find it a living hell.

The truth comes in a more subtle package these days.

Your Government is doing its part to realize our national ambition of a just and equitable society for all.

Both The Social Agenda and the Sustainable Development Project together epitomize a national process which recognizes our dependence on each other, and which recognizes from the outset that we sink or float together.

I urge each and every resident to get involved in the Sustainable Development Project.

You would have received by now a consultation document and questionnaire from the Sustainable Development Project Team.

Examine and research the issues critical to our long term future and let us know your views.

Raise the critical questions, discuss them with friends and families and suggest answers.

What alternative technologies, to provide just one example,

should we adopt as a community in order to provide for our needs more efficiently?

What policies should be put in place now to ensure that traffic congestion does not make life a misery for our grandchildren?

How do we address the clearly unsustainable trend of consuming over half a billion gallons more water than we collect?

You would know that in years past, decisions about our collective future were made by a select minority that was a political and economic elite.

Today we are asking every Bermudian - white, black, rich or poor - to join in the process of charting a course to a sustainable Bermuda.

Let me be clear, this represents an unprecedented opportunity for ordinary people to participate in long term policy-making.

And the strategy and action plans which will emerge from our consultation with you will constitute a mandate, and change the future of this and future Governments and will charge upcoming Governments and other sectors of the community with specific duties well into the future.

There are those who have suggested that we have gone beyond the point of sustainability, and that the Project is doomed to fail.

They would dare to suggest that replacing our unsustainable trends with sustainable ones is an impossible task.

Thankfully, those critics are in the distinct minority.

Such critics would do well to listen to Bermuda College educator Craig Simmons who has quite rightly characterized the Sustainable Development Project as the pursuit of intergenerational justice.

Simply put, we face a moral imperative to pursue a sustainable future for the sake of our descendants.

We face a moral imperative to ensure that those yet unborn have clean air to breathe and clean water to drink.

We face a moral imperative to ensure that they do not have to contend with five year cycles of shortages in affordable housing.

We face a moral imperative to ensure that they, like us, can walk along natural pathways and pick cherries and loquats along the way.

And if we ignore those and many other moral imperatives, we condemn our own children and deny our own humanity.

I do not doubt that the task appears daunting to many.

But it is sacred.

And the ingenuity of the people of this country is my reason for hope.

Thank You and Good Night.