Less than a handful of residents turned out for the last of a series of town hall meetings to discuss the 2012/13 National Budget at Victor Scott School on Tuesday night.

DCI head, Dwayne Caines, in closing out the meeting for the 'faithful few' noted that despite the low turnout the Government run CITV channel would still reach an estimated 19,000 households.

The meeting was the fourth in a series of town hall meetings designed to educate and engage the public about critical issues surrounding the budget for 2012/13.

Premier Paula Cox, in her final remarks reaffirmed the Government's commitment to look at community development, “not just in terms of legislation but how we can penetrate in terms of the community and help”.

On the issue of unemployment in Bermuda, the Premier said: “Minister Minors has so much under her remit, even when she spoke about the one-stop career centre the intent is even as you're providing a storefront location, it's still to provide an engine room for helping with those who are out of work.”

Ms Cox said the Government is looking at “how we can find a way to use clubs to build community services through the clubs”. And she referred to a number of programmes emanating from the Mincy Report.

“The Mincy Report was key, it talked about Job Core and it talked about career academies. Dame Jennifer when asked to see how career academies could be used, she did it a different way.

“She 'onionised' it and looked at what she could do with the private sector and the school leadership principle; and she came up with a career pathway. It is that concept of making sure that both in our school system, as well as in our post school system, in terms of the National Training Board.

“Success isn't a straight line, we don't all succeed by just walking and doing everything in the right place and the right time.

“Some of us take the right path, some of us take the left path but that doesn't mean that people are disposable or should be treated as expendable. That's inefficient even in terms of pure economic terms.

”What we're trying to do is to find ways for each one reach one and try to ensure that we build each other together, and that its seen and felt in a real way. Its part of the socialisation and the healing of the community.”

She was accompanied by Education Minister Dame Jennifer Smith, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Patrice Minors, Glenn Blakeney, the Minister of Youth, Families and Sports and Tourism Minister Wayne Furbert.

Counting in the panel with other government figures with the audience, the assembly hall at Victor Scott School had less than 30 people present.