WORKS & Engineering Minister Ashfield DeVent believes Bermuda is paying the price for decades of Bermuda United Party Government inattention to social and racial divisions.

Even after six years of PLP Government, he is certain that some of the major current concerns of Bermudians ? crime, education and housing ? can be fairly laid at the door of the now-Opposition. Shadow Minister Wayne Furbert countered that, in assessing responsibility for all of these matters, the Progressive Labour Party should "look at the man in the mirror".

"If you dug a hole for 33 years, do you think you could fill it up again in six?" asked Mr. DeVent, rhetorically. "What we are seeing now is a boiling over of a system that was just inequitable to far too many people.

"My direct responsibility is housing, and we are now dealing with a crisis which the UBP allowed to grow for many years. But they also did too little about substance abuse, and the associated crime and gang activity that goes along with the sale and distribution of drugs, of illegal substances, and I include alcohol as well."

Mr. DeVent is firmly of the view that too many people, particularly young black males, were denied the quality of education which could have been offered by a country which can boast of the third highest GDP per capita in the world.

"There are generations of them, and prison studies have shown that many of the inmates are at sub-education levels, and are unable to sustain themselves in a society where education is becoming more and more key.

"With housing, and with all of those social problems we are confronted with, I would encourage people to be patient. These are problems that have been festering for quite some time. I am not saying it's going to take us 33 years to put things right, it will be much sooner than that, but it will take some time to see results.

"It takes ten years to educate a child, so it will be some time before we see children educated under new systems begin to graduate, but in the meantime, we still have to deal with those who are ill-equipped to survive in this society. There's a generation out there who are facing extreme challenges."

Mr. DeVent does see hope for improvement, and does not share the pessimism of some commentators on the social situation who see Bermuda descending into some urban nightmare of drive-by shootings.

"I would like to think that's too pessimistic. That's a look into a future that I would not want to see. Of course, it is a possibility. These situations highlight the need for all of us, at all levels, to realise that it's only a collective effort that is going to deal with this, and there's no room for people saying, 'I don't want those people in my neighbourhood'.

"Effectively, we are one big neighbourhood."

He does not share his colleague Dale Butler's view that it may be necessary to privatise the entire educational system.

"I am a product of the public school system, and I think the vast majority of my colleagues are products of that system, so I have faith in the public school system, particularly under a PLP Government."

Mr. Furbert was adamant his party and the country were tired of the PLP looking for scapegoats.

"The PLP continues to attempt to blame the UBP for the PLP's own failed policies and inappropriate actions. They have been in government now for six years, and it's time they got on with the people's business.

"They have not. They blame the ills of society on the idea that the UBP did not move social programmes forward.

"In the 30 years that the UBP was in government, the PLP probably supported about 85 to 90 per cent of the legislation we brought forward. What about the ten to 15 per cent they didn't support?

"For example, they voted against legislation that would have allowed taxi drivers to charge double after midnight. They voted to allow a black entrepreneur to have a banking licence. If they supported those ideas at the time, why have they not brought them forward in six years?

"They have not moved their own programmes ahead. The UBP advanced strong social programmes: free education; better health care cover, and subsidy for young people and seniors; hundreds, possibly thousands of homes were built and improved over these years.

"People were allowed to buy Government houses, which created significant wealth for many Bermudians over the years. Proportionately, from a standing start, we built the most significant middle class in the world.

"Housing subsidy and financial assistance came about through the UBP. Free transportation for our seniors was introduced, and better pension plans. They talk about the education system, but almost all of the PLP people up in the House benefited from the old educational system, and have been quite successful.

"We introduced subsidies for single mothers to help with nursery fees. Those are just some of the social programmes we put forward. We had a strong fiscal policy and a strong social conscience. Did we get everything right? No, because times change, and the UBP was evolving over that period of time, while the PLP was still stuck in the Sixties, where some of them still are.

"Our 2003 platform had significant new social programmes: housing policy, reducing health care for seniors, clinics for seniors. What are the PLP doing for people? They were in training for 30 years, and should not be still trying to blame us after six years in government. That's ridiculous.

"Of course, there has been and still is some inequality in Bermuda, but we can't continue to make inequality the scapegoat for everything that happens. We have spoken out on the issue of crime, but the PLP has been silent.

"Where is the leadership coming from? For 30 years they blamed the UBP, and after six years in government, they continue to blame the UBP. What have they done in six years to improve the crime situation?

"Crime has worsened under the PLP Government. We have seen this epidemic of stealing from within the Government itself. I believe that because the Housing Corporation and other scandals have not been pursued by this Government, some people out there will think they can get away with anything, that they're untouchable.

"Children and young people, in particular, will follow the lead of those in positions of authority. Looking at what has been happening in some ministries and departments, people may think it's 'open season'. It's easy for the PLP to blame us, but they are only trying to shift their responsibility.

"Mr. DeVent needs to 'look at the man in the mirror', in the words of the song. It's time for the PLP to look in the mirror, and realise that they have political responsibility for the fate of the country."