After much hype and foreshadowing, Government unveiled its Social Agenda in yesterday?s Throne Speech to kick off the start of the new Parliamentary session.

What Premier Alex Scott is calling ?phase two? on the Progressive Labour Party?s road to the New Bermuda is a slew of initiatives on housing, rehabilitation of offenders, seniors, health, crime, community and youth issues.

The Speech said everyone will be affected on this leg of the journey ? even reckless road users, the unemployed, mature students, school drop-outs and criminals. Internet access will become universally accessible free of charge through public facilities like Post Offices and libraries.

And Government wants Mr. and Mrs. Bermuda to join in the effort and is offering funding for approved community improvement programmes.

?The Government cannot be expected to be the sole agent for social change,? Governor Sir John Vereker said.

?Rather it requires a partnership involving the entire community. The Government will recognise and reward efforts made to improve Bermuda?s social environment.?

On affordable housing, the number one issue facing the country, Government is promising to set about, as a matter of priority, the provision of emergency housing.

Its ?multi-pronged? housing strategy also includes increasing the housing stock, renovating derelict houses and develop a database to track housing needs and availability.

Affordable housing schemes approved by the Housing Minister will attract duty relief for building materials in a bid to lower the final cost of homes.

Government is also planning to kill the death tax ? relieving a major financial burden for those who inherit a family homestead.

Newly released prisoners will be housed in community based housing where they will have direct access to support services to increase the odds of a successful transition back into society.

A national monitoring system will be established to maintain standards in senior care facilities and Government will conduct free of charge home assessments to help seniors and their family members make decisions on modifying their homes.

?New and improved wellness clinics? will be established across the Island so that seniors do not have to go too far for care.

Government also plans to amend financial assistance reguamend financial assistance regulations which penalise seniors for owning homes.

Another priority will be the publication of a National Youth Development Strategy ? a ?comprehensive national approach? youth issues focusing on developing leaders, ?enhanced family involvement? and ?strengthening? agencies involved with the youth.

Another programme ? the Academic Monitoring and Character Development Project ? will establish mentoring relationships between adults and students.

That social agenda project will also run during school vacations as part of the Life Skills Camps.

And students will improve their understanding of ?law and good order? when Government expands the role of Schools Resource Officers.

Government also plans to establish a Junior Police Cadet Programme in the Middle Schools in a bid to better relations between young people and the Police.

The general public?s interaction with Police will also be enhanced with the reintroduction of Police Consultative Committees ? forums for residents to tackle with the police their communities? ?negative elements?.

A young offenders strategy will be developed, and a national conference on youth, crime and drug issues will be held.

A major project announced yesterday was a new Community Areas programme. Based on the rehabilitation of the St. Monica?s area, this programme will enhance neighbourhoods through Government funding of community improvement projects.

Road traffic offences will be rated on a points system ? lose so many points and you get your licence suspended.

?Not only will this encourage safer and more courteous road use, but it will also remove the perception of unequal sentencing and make road users more responsible for their actions.?

In the penal system, an ?Uncommon Results Programme? ? a range of programs aimed at building self-esteem and skills ? will be established.

The National Drug Commission is losing its quasi-autonomous status by being incorporated into the Health Ministry.

On the education front mature students will be eligible for scholarships for further study and the National Training Board will offer job-entry training for former inmates.

Government will be embarking on an ?aggressive effort? to increase the number of hotel beds and ?diversify the types of hotels offered to our visitors?.

All new tourism properties will include hotel beds and Government will work with developers to bring back on stream ?offline? tourism properties.

Laws will be passed to stiffen penalties for drug related crime, broaden human rights protections to include mental illnesses, learning disabilities and obesity as disabilities and provide for an absentee ballot.

A child abuse register will be established to allow tracking and monitoring of convicted child abusers.

The launch of the social agenda was a ?watershed event?, the Premier said at a press conference yesterday.

?Governance, Government and Bermuda will be different because of the implementation of the Social Agenda initiatives heard in the Throne Speech today,? he said.

?In the future, the Bermudian electorate will accept nothing less from respective Governments of these fair isles than the measure of good governance, and representative government that we have introduced and launched (today).?

The Social Agenda will drive policy and law making for the long term, he continued.

Criticism that it had taken six years for the PLP to tackle social needs was so much ?poppycock? he said, because Government had been addressing social needs since November, 9, 1998 - ?D Day for progress in this country?.

Besides ushering in constitutional reforms, the PLP Government had taken a number of steps to ensure economic stability, Mr. Scott said.

?With those steps having been taken, we now move to phase two of our commitment to the New Bermuda: The Social Agenda.?