Premier Pamela Gordon yesterday launched a thinly-veiled attack on the Opposition and warned that the only thing that mattered was results -- not "grand schemes which sound great.'' Ms Gordon said: "It is a lot easier to paint a pretty picture that it is to draw an achievable, buildable, affordable schematic series of social and economic initiatives and policies.

"In short, it is my view that tangible accomplishment is the primary task of leadership. It is the accomplishment that I value most as we go forward.'' Ms Gordon was speaking at a meeting of the Hamilton Lions as part of a series of talks on leadership perspectives.

She said: "Good leadership sets responsible goals, listens carefully to people's needs, makes clear plans and moves forward for everybody's benefit.

It does the right things for the right reasons.

"Indeed, as I see it, leadership has three components -- having a vision, having a plan and having the ability to manage steadily and fairly in both fair and foul weather.'' Ms Gordon added that many people "like to be pundits and fortune-tellers'' and that opinions and predictions were "healthy and essential.'' But she said: "From my limited experience as Premier, I can assure you there is a huge difference between fortune-telling and assuming leadership.'' Results are what matter "It is one thing to talk about one's dreams. It is quite another to meet the responsibility for making them come true for everyone.'' Ms Gordon added: "Accomplishment results from having a vision, a plan and the management ability to see it through.'' She pointed to the restructuring of the education system and said it was now a reality -- as a result of vision, the plan and management ability.

And she reminded her audience that Bermuda College was an earlier example of providing a new style of high-quality education -- and that it had proved successful.

Ms Gordon added that another aspect of leadership was to be "decisive and relentless'' in the fight against crime and drugs.

And she said: "Whether on the treatment side or the law enforcement side, I re-affirm my pledge to lead Bermuda in the battle against crime, drugs and addiction.

"The emphasis here is not on grand schemes that sound great but don't do the job. The emphasis is on measurable accomplishment.'' Ms Gordon added that perhaps the most important aspect of leadership for the future was leading by example and by taking personal responsibility.

She said: "In the days to come you will hear me calling for the creation of a higher standard of living for the average Bermudian. It is time for a new, broader prosperity.'' But she insisted Government could only create opportunity and that it was the individual's responsibility to seize it.

Ms Gordon added: "Government must remove the obstacles to ambition and success. It must encourage Bermuda's entrepreneurial spirit.'' But she said: "It is the individual who must then move forward and embrace the challenge.'' Ms Gordon -- who took questions from the audience -- was quizzed on a recent speech by new Senator ET (Bob) Richards which called for more opportunities to made available for the black community.

One man pointed out that the ideas in the speech were nothing new -- but that others had been "villified'' for making the same points.'' He added that Westgate Prison and other detention centres were crowded -- and that he saw the problem worsening.

Ms Gordon said that when people feel they do not have anything to hope for, they give up hope.

She added: "What Bermuda is experiencing right now is a result of that apathy.'' And she said the new education system would encourage a sense of worth, which was a good place to start.

But her questioner insisted the new education system would not help the "alienated and frustrated'' youngsters who had already finished with education.

Ms Gordon admitted "a sub-culture'' had been created in Bermuda -- but insisted that creating opportunities for entrepreneurs would help solve the problem of those who felt they had no stake in the system.

And she said: "If we give them an avenue of opportunity then they can decide how they want to get in.'' Ms Gordon added that many young people "don't know how to network....don't know how to work the system.'' She said: "We have to teach them -- once we do, I believe they will be up and running.''