Minister Jason Hayward's team described my comparison between attending the Hayward and Dickinson events as “unfair“. I respectfully disagree.

I fully recognise that the Progressive Labour Party's selection of its leader is an internal party matter and it was never my intention to intrude upon a private delegates' meeting. My only objective was to hear from a man seeking to become the next premier of Bermuda and to better understand his vision for leading our country.

When I attended the meet-and-greet at Francis Patton Primary School, I arrived with my white cane because I am blind. As Minister Hayward likely noticed when we shook hands, I was being guided into the venue. I accepted what I genuinely believed was a public invitation after hearing Minister Hayward's Facebook message addressed to "All Bermuda“. As a blind Bermudian, I could not read the printed flyer or see any restrictions it may have contained unless it had been provided in Braille or another accessible format. I relied on the spoken invitation, not the printed material.

Having lived in Hamilton Parish for more than 30 years — and burned in Devil’s Hole — I attended in good faith. I was not there as a political activist or to create controversy. I was there as an ordinary Bermudian, a taxpayer, a senior citizen and a voter who wanted to hear first-hand how a candidate for premier intends to address the economic, social, and financial challenges facing our Island.

If there was a misunderstanding, I sincerely apologise. But I believe the greater unfairness is not that I attended a meeting — it is that too many ordinary Bermudians still struggle to have their questions heard and answered. Those who ride the public buses, wait at bus stops, live on fixed incomes and work hard every day deserve to know how the next premier plans to improve their lives. That is the conversation I hoped to hear and that is the conversation this opinion piece is really about.

I cannot see but I can hear

The average Bermudian who rides the public buses sees a very different Bermuda from those travelling in government GP Cabinet vehicles. Every day, seniors wait in the heat for buses that may be late or cancelled. Schoolchildren depend on public transportation to get to class. Persons with disabilities face daily challenges simply getting from one place to another. Working families watch the cost of groceries, electricity, rent and fuel continue to climb while wondering how they will stretch their next pay cheque.

These are our voices which often go unheard

As an 80-year-old Bermudian, I worked for nearly 60 years, beginning at the age of 12. I paid taxes as an employee and later as an employer. I also served Bermuda for 44 years in the Bermuda Regiment. I have watched governments come and go but one thing has remained constant: ordinary Bermudians expect their government to spend their tax dollars wisely.

That is why many of us ask whether government priorities truly reflect the needs of the people.

Is it fair to discuss spending millions on a Caricom initiative while our roads remain filled with potholes?

Is it fair for the national debt to rise to $7 billion (on the books and guarantees) and to continue to grow while families struggle with the cost of living?

Is it fair that education continues to face uncertainty when our children's future depends upon stability and excellence?

Is it fair that our healthcare system continues to experience pressures while seniors worry about access to care and having to choose between groceries, medicine and electricity?

Is it fair that government celebrates economic successes funding millions of guarantees to Gencom including a $200 million guarantee while so many working Bermudians still cannot afford the basics of everyday life?

These are not partisan questions.

They are questions from taxpayers.

They are questions from bus riders and the supportive calls I have received across the political divide.

They are questions from pensioners.

They are questions from parents and grandparents who simply want a better future for the next generation.

Minister Hayward has now served in senior government leadership for almost a decade — as a Senator, Member of Parliament, Minister of Labour and now minister responsible for the economy. Having been part of the Government's leadership team throughout this period, Bermudians deserve to hear his own vision for addressing the country's biggest challenges. Not Premier Burt or Deputy Premier DeSilva — the public’s perception is that this group controls the government’s financial levers .

The public deserve clear answers to important questions:

• How will Bermuda's national debt be reduced?

• How will any future corporate income tax revenues projected at $715 million for 2026 be protected from waste and political favouritism?

• What is the long-term strategy to fix education?

• How will healthcare be strengthened?

• What concrete measures will reduce the cost of living?

• What safeguards will prevent conflicts of interest in government?

• How will public infrastructure, including our roads and transportation system, be improved?

No one expects simple solutions. There is no silver bullet.

What people do expect is honesty, accountability, fiscal discipline and leadership that places the interests of Bermuda above politics.

I have run for office before but this letter is not written on behalf of any political party. I have no permission from the OBA leadership because I write only for myself. Throughout my life I have supported people from across Bermuda's political spectrum. Some of my earliest mentors were founders of the Progressive Labour Party. My late friend Ottiwell Simmons once told me that he respected my willingness to speak my mind and put Bermuda before politics.

That remains my position today.

This has never been personal, Minister Hayward.

Like thousands of ordinary Bermudians — especially those who rely on public transportation , disenfranchised and working class — I simply want to hear your vision. Not slogans. Not campaign messaging. A practical plan for reducing the cost of living, managing the nation's finances responsibly, improving public services and ensuring that every taxpayer receives value for every dollar government spends.

That, to many of us, is what fairness really looks like.

• Clifton Lambert was a One Bermuda Alliance candidate for St George’s South (Constituency 4) in the 2025 General Election