Today, barring an election announcement, will mark Premier Dr. Ewart Brown's second throne Speech, but because he unseated Alex Scott just days before his first had to be delivered, he could be forgiven then for not promising much in the first one.

It is perhaps a testament to Dr. Brown's personality that it does not feel as if he has been Premier for only a year. One could be forgiven for feeling that with the continuous election speculation, the constitutional crisis and ongoing controversy over the Bermuda Housing Corporation documents, and the increasingly divisive nature of local politics make it seem much longer.

Nonetheless, and in the full awareness that anything this newspaper suggests will be rejected, not because of its lack of merit, but because of its source, here are some suggestions for how today's Throne Speech should read:

On education: "No issue is more critical in Bermuda right now than education and the schooling of Bermuda's children. In the next 12 months, the Government will scour the world for a rigorous curriculum with internationally recognised standards that will be the foundation for education in Bermuda.

"Once implemented, it will be in place for ten years. There will be a place in it for Bermuda studies where they are relevant, but ensuring our students have certifications that stand up to international scrutiny will be the test. We will publish the results of all schools. High performing schools will be rewarded. Schools that struggle will be helped. Teachers will be held to the highest standards. Those who underperform will be assisted by veteran mentor teachers, but if they cannot make the grade, they will be let go. Children cannot excel without the support of their parents. Parents who fail to ensure their children do their homework, get a good night's sleep and come to school ready to work will be given assistance first and will be asked to remove their children from school if they fail."

On crime: "The elected Government of Bermuda vows to work with the Governor and the Commissioner of Police to ensure that the people of Bermuda feel secure in their homes and in public. To that end, the Police will introduce a 'broken windows' policy in which minor offenders will be arrested and prosecuted, in the same way that New York City's crime rate was reduced under Rudolph Giuliani and New York Police Commissioner William Bratton."

On race relations and empowerment: "Bermuda must narrow the wealth gap between blacks and whites in Bermuda, and in doing so, bury the shameful legacy of slavery and segregation. We will do this by improving education, offering training and retraining for all Bermudians considering a change of career or looking for advancement, and enforcing the existing Immigration laws, human rights and employment laws. We will hold an intensive series of meetings with employers to find more and better ways to improve diversity throughout the workplace."

On housing: "Because Bermuda's strong economic growth is causing challenges for all residents to secure affordable housing, we will amend the Bermuda Development Plan and the City of Hamilton Plan to require that all buildings over four storeys will have a housing component."

On the community: "Bermuda has much to be proud of, but, as former Governor Sir John Vereker said before he departed last month, it is now time to enrich society. Government can and will lead the process of bringing the people of Bermuda together so all can enjoy the blessings that we have in such abundance."