New United Bermuda Party Sen. Charles Swan gave his maiden speech in the Upper House yesterday — promising to serve the people of the Island with dedication.

Sen. Swan, who was appointed to the Senate last month after running unsuccessfully for the Opposition in Southampton West during the December election, said he had great faith in Bermudians who had "come a long way on a small island in the middle of nowhere".

"The people of Bermuda, I think, deserve the best," he said. "They are the best and they deserve the best especially from their leaders. It's my intention to ensure that they will (get it)."

Sen. Swan, speaking during the debate on the Throne Speech, said his party would watch with interest how Government's plans for free day care for children up to the age of four would develop.

He said it was gratifying to see that many of the UBP's election promises on education had been taken up by Government and he urged it to use an independent board to administer academic testing in public schools.

Sen. Swan pointed out that there was no mention of technical education in the Throne Speech — despite the pressing need for improvement.

He said it was a myth that the demise of the Technical School in 1972 was when the Island began importing technical workers. He said his father's firm was one of the first to bring in staff from abroad as early as 1968.

"I'm a firm believer in the need for technical education," he said, adding that his party would have implemented it at middle school level and continued it up to Bermuda College.