For the first time in the history of party politics, the issue of economic empowerment is being fully embraced by both parties as Bermuda heads toward another General Election.

While empowerment - political and economic - has been the Progressive Labour Party's (PLP) raison d'etre from its inception, the United Bermuda Party (UBP) is now firmly on the bandwagon.

And today both parties are stressing the importance of helping those who have in the past been left behind in their campaigns to win over hearts and minds for the July 24 election.

But they differ as to how it should be done.

For Community and Culture Minister Randolph Horton that philosophy is a basic tenet of the Progressive Labour Party (PLP) which permeates almost every Government policy. Mr. Horton, whose portfolio includes race reporting watchdog, the Commission for Unity and Racial Equality (CURE) said that blacks had made some progress in the workplace but much remained to be done.

The PLP can take full credit for amending CURE regulations requiring companies to report on the racial composition of their workplaces.

When in government the United Bermuda Party had drawn up a code of practice but stopped short of giving CURE any teeth.

“As far as I'm concerned it was amazing that the UBP came out of their denial that racism was affecting this community,” he said.

But he is under no delusions about the difficulty of ridding Bermuda of its institutional racism.

“I would be the first to say not enough has been achieved. We have seen small movement in terms of blacks in higher level positions in companies, but this has been marginal. What happens when you start to see even small improvements, people become complacent.”

The work of CURE has focused on education and training about racism, and a number of workshops have been offered to Bermuda workplaces.

While the PLP Government has popularised the phrase “economic empowerment”, the Opposition has been quick to point out that there is no clear policy as to how this is to be achieved. An Office of Economic Empowerment, they say, will address the issue of empowerment in a practical and unambiguous manner.

“We certainly are supportive - one of the things we have been criticised for creating opportunities for small businesses because it was felt that they weren't good enough to do the job,” said Mr. Horton.

“Small companies have benefited from this government. We are doing all that we can. In fact when we sit and make policy decisions in all areas of government we certainly have in mind the empowerment of people who have really had the door closed on them previously.”

For his part Mr. Horton would like to plough more resources into CURE so that allegations of discrimination can be investigated and he wants to move forward on proposals to change the law to require reporting on nationality and gender.

“I get a lot of men young black men complaining about what's happening to them in some of these companies,” he said.

“Some of it may not be founded but it is important for us to investigate where they are not making progress. The perception is that there are many young men still hitting a ceiling and we have to get to the bottom of that. I certainly would like to, as we move forward, I think it's going to be important for CURE to have the power to investigate areas where there is a perceived problem,” he continued.

“CURE has to have more resources and I'll be working very hard to ensure that as we move forward there is more resources. All of this has to be ongoing. In order to remove institutional racism you have to develop and change behaviour. As you know changing behaviour doesn't come overnight. We've had training with customs and the police but a lot more has to be done.”

He stressed the role of education saying that integration of the schools did not mean the end of racism in education.

“I have daughters that went to private schools and they perceived there was some racism taking place.”

Mr. Horton also stressed that diversity in the workplace did not necessarily mean that a group had moved away from racism.

“I think that the United Bermuda Party (UBP) with their use of predominantly black faces is presenting to the public a false sense of diversity. When I look at the quality of some of he candidates there's no question in my mind that they are there because they're black.”

Bermuda businesses must steer away from tokenism, he added.

“We don't want people put there just because they're black, what I'm talking about is people who are qualified to have the opportunity should have an equal opportunity. Certainly part of that is connected to the education system because we want to make sure Bermudians of all races are getting the kind of training they need.”

And Mr. Horton said he believed that Bermuda should have a four-year college. “I would like to see companies coming to Bermuda because of the quality of our workforce and not have to bring the amounts of people they are bringing in right now. I'm sure there are lots of people who would get their degrees if they didn't have to leave the Island to do so.”

Yet, the UBP has put forward some ideas in pursuit of the goal of levelling the playing field too.

Representing the UBP's apparently more sensitive approach to social justice, Opposition candidate Neville Darrell, who was the former executive officer of the Human Rights Commission, said the party would spearhead new legislation to include age as prohibited grounds of discrimination.

And he said the idea of an Office of Economic Empowerment, which would operate out of a new Ministry of Economic Development, would include dedicating a percentage of government contracts to small businesses, including those demonstrating competency but without previous government experience.

Other responsibilities would include training for small businesses in how to bid for government contracts, the creation of economic enterprise zones, particularly in North Hamilton, also the identification of angel investors for start-up businesses in need of capital and having the Small Business Development Corporation provide new services to their clients, including the brokering of venture capital financing.

The office would also ensure Government pays its bills to contractors within 30 days and review the tax structure on small businesses to ensure fairness and encourage economic growth.

Mr. Darrell said: “Its mission is to ensure that all Bermudians have an opportunity to participate in the future success of this island, particularly those who have been left out and left behind. It will play a key role in reducing the impact that prejudice and institutional racism have had, and continue to have, on our community.

“The New UBP believes that the key to Bermuda's future economic prosperity rests, in large measure, on broadening our economic base. We reject prejudice and discrimination in all its forms.”