its stand on law and order. The political party which first complained about "over-policing'' in Bermuda and advocated a reduction in Police and then howled about increasing crime has, once again, contradicted itself.

Now, in its reply to the throne speech, the PLP accuses Government of first bragging about a "steady and gratifying reduction in the overall level of crime'' and then pledging to "strengthen the Bermuda Police Service in manpower, training and equipment'' and to put more Police on the streets.

Are we to believe from this that now that crime is showing a decrease the PLP would, once again, advocate cuts in the Police Service? Is there no PLP understanding that if you have a decrease in crime that decrease has to be maintained? We are in the very earliest days of decreasing crime, a situation which could change at any time. Law and order cannot be bounced up and down at will. The essence of good policing is a fair and even approach.

Then too Bermuda has been cracking down on crime ever since Commissioner Colin Coxall arrived in Bermuda well over a year ago. Yet the PLP accused the Government of stealing the idea for a crackdown on crime from the American presidential election campaign. If anyone stole the idea, we could joke that perhaps the reverse is true.

The PLP then accuses the UBP of failing to address the root causes of crime, as if the UBP had not spent years reorganising the education system to prevent people "falling through the cracks''. The PLP Throne Speech reply says, "In the long run: It is cheaper to teach them than to convict them - to train them than to sustain them - to employ them than to import others.'' That is a statement of the obvious but it is true of course and it is exactly what the UBP has been working toward. The UBP has programmes in place for full employment of trained and qualified Bermudians by providing "next century'' skills; for combating the drugs, including alcohol, which disrupt so many lives; for a code of conduct which will stop classroom disruptions and allow everyone to learn, for an end to acts of violence which put everyone's livelihood at risk; for a revitalised tourism industry ... the list is endless.

The irony is that while the UBP Parliamentary group is in disarray and while the UBP is tearing itself and the Country apart by an increasing farce over McDonald's, the party's basic policies are strong and constructive. The best indication of that is the PLP reply to the Throne Speech which contains a good deal of political waffle but very little concrete complaint. The PLP was reduced to complaining about dumping asbestos in the sea, a problem which Government has gone to extraordinary lengths to solve, and Government "washing its hands'' of the national sports centre when, in fact, the trustees appointed by Government are producing a magnificent facility aimed at both competitive and recreational sport.

Bermuda must speak with a united voice against crime and drugs because either one can defeat us all. It is time for unity and it is time for the PLP to stop suggesting that it is acceptable to kick around the Police. A political party which thinks it can condone crime and drugs is not a political party which could govern.