At the ripe age of 64, Arnold Minors left Toronto where he has lived for the past 45 years to move back to Bermuda and become the mouthpiece for Premier Ewart Brown.

Mr. Minors will be the new Press Secretary replacing Glenn Jones starting October 1.

He sat down with this newspaper yesterday to discuss why he decided to come back home, his political affiliation and why he will be a good press secretary.

Asked why he decided to come back to Bermuda after 45 years off the Island, Mr. Minors said: "I'd been thinking for a while in what ways I could contribute what I learnt while I was away. I had been working in education, health and equity and justice. It was an interesting time so I thought I could see what I could do when I came back."

Speaking on his media experience, Mr. Minors said he has always been on the other side of the media such as being a person on the news and the chair of the board of Ryerson's radio station.

Mr. Minors grew up "round the pond" and attended Central School — now Victor Scott— Berkeley Institute and McGill University.

As far as challenges the job will bring, Mr. Minors said: "I build relationships very easily. I think this is mostly about ensuring that the Premier is recorded as best as possible. Obviously it is a very political environment. It's the kind of work that I like. So the challenges are the challenges that face anybody. What was true yesterday becomes untrue tomorrow and what was untrue today becomes true six days later."

Asked how he will do the job differently from current Press Secretary Glenn Jones, Mr. Minors said: "Probably the biggest difference is that I am a very old man. Because we have in some ways similar style and complimentary style, I am hoping we'll help get the message across to assist him.

"Glenn Jones has extraordinary experiences in television which allowed him to think about how things were portrayed in the media. There's no question there no way I can reproduce that nor can I try. But both of us have a commitment to helping the Premier to create a better Bermuda for Bermudians."

The Berkeley Institute graduate said even though he left Bermuda in 1964, he is still in tune with Bermuda and can relate to Bermudians.

"I think my having left and coming back particularly will help. I can look at it in some ways with perspective that may be different that in part because I can use what I know about what Bermuda used to be like and figure out what Bermuda is like now and use what happened in the past to inform myself and others about what we as a people can be."

On his political affiliations, Mr. Minors said: "I would say that the aims of the PLP which is to ensure that Bermuda has a standard of living that is one of the priorities for all Bermudians. To create a Bermuda where all Bermudians are on the same level playing field. It's an agenda of the PLP and it's an agenda that I share. I have never in my life been a part of a political party and I don't intend to start now."

But Mr. Minors said he isn't neutral.

"There's no question that I am not neutral. I support the broad mandate of the PLP. Obviously because of my personal principles, I don't support. I cannot and will not lie."

Mr. Minors explained why he decided to change careers so late in life.

"It's not so much that I decided on a career. The work interested me. It's something that I think I can do well. There have been a number of people who have been attempting for a post to have me come back because they wanted me to contribute to Bermuda because they say it's time.

He explained he had a conversation with Dr. Brown and then accepted the job.

Asked if it was fair to Bermudian journalists that a non-journalist now has the role of press secretary, Mr. Minors said: "To Bermudian journalists and non Bermudian journalists, I stand by my statement that the process has to be one that works. I would understand why many journalists would think it's not fair. That's the price that I am prepared to pay."

Asked about his relationship with Dr. Brown, Mr. Minors said he has known the Premier since he was about ten or 11 as they are about the same age.

"I would not consider him a friend. I certainly did not get this job because I am a close friend or anything like that."

On what he's looking forward to in the job, Mr. Minors said: "I am looking forward to building relationships with the news media and their various forms to help project accurate and fairly what this Government and the Premier are doing for Bermuda.

"I think that accurate and fairness are important roles of the media and I some times wish that these kinds of principles were held in high regard both by the public and journalists and that people could confidently expect to get accurate and fair reporting. It doesn't matter that it's critical but it does matter that it's accurate and fair. I am hopeful that I can make that happen with all media."

Speaking about dealing with the media, Mr. Minors said he will respond quickly to phone calls but journalists shouldn't think their query is at the top of his list of things to do.