the Progressive Labour Party's sudden love affair with international companies resident in Bermuda.

These companies now rival tourism as a money producer for Bermudians. They have become the "second plank'' in Bermuda's economy which was once dangerously limited to tourism. There is little doubt today that these companies do not gain a great deal from being in Bermuda except good conditions and a pleasant and convenient place to live. Today, these companies are here because they want to be here and not because they have to be here.

For Bermuda they provide lucrative jobs, high rents and they contribute large sums to Bermuda's charities. They are generous and well-behaved. But, they can easily leave if they are hassled or taken for granted. Only an inept business chases away its customers.

For many years the PLP has given the impression that it looked on these companies as an intrusion imposed on Bermuda by the Government. The PLP has never appeared to be friendly toward international companies or to recognise the contribution these companies make to Bermuda.

Every time the PLP criticised the granting of work permits and every time it loudly advocated "Bermuda for Bermudians'' it made the international companies very nervous. These companies rely on trained staff to succeed. They have a very good record of employing Bermudians. Some are heavily Bermudianised but, to compete, they must be allowed to hire trained and key personnel with ease and with speed. We think these companies have seen the PLP as being unfriendly toward their work permits. There is a fear in many quarters that the PLP would like to chase non-Bermudians out of Bermuda, no matter what the cost to us all.

In recent weeks PLP delegations have been calling on international company managers to make the point that the PLP is not unfriendly. That point will have been difficult to achieve because it is a fact of life that very few businessmen are comfortable with labour politics. The PLP has made much of the fact that delegates have been received in a friendly way, as if that implied acceptance of their views. The truth is that no international company manager in his right mind would be rude to a politician.

However it is becoming clear that international businessmen have had some tough questions for the labour party visitors. Quite logically they have asked why the PLP has seemed unfriendly in the past. Apparently, the answer in private from the PLP politicians is that they don't mean what they say publicly. They explain that the PLP has had to make unfriendly noises for political purposes and to get votes. In other words, the PLP delegates have been saying, "Don't listen to want we say. We only say that for the voters.'' That stance would seem to be supported by accountant and PLP campaign leader Mr. Terry Lister. He told this newspaper last week that, "As opposed to what is usually heard, the PLP policy is to bring expats into the country.'' He said the PLP goal is 2,000 more exempted companies and a minimum of 8,000 work permits in place. There are now some 5,350 work permits in place.

Maybe this is just election talk. Maybe it is new PLP policy. Whatever this is, it is certainly confusing for the companies and the voters.

What we cannot understand is why the PLP cannot operate a political campaign without threatening Bermuda's livelihood. Both the international companies and the US bases provide enormous cash for all Bermuda. It is most unwise to tamper with them for political purposes. The PLP should know that but, apparently, it does not.