These are excerpts from Independent MP<\p>Wayne Furbert's speech given at Temperance Hall in Hamilton Parish last night:

Almost 160 years ago our Hamilton Parish forefathers, the original trustees, Rev. A.J. Roberts, Benjamin Hill Sr. (who was my Great, Great, Great Grandfather), George Burgess, Daniel Bascome, Thomas Smith, Richard Augustus Burrows & Benjamin Hill Jr., built this building, known as The Temperance Hall.

They built it with hard work, sacrifice, self sufficiency and a vision to provide education for the betterment of our people. I am happy and feel privileged to be standing here this evening.

Many well known Bermudians attended Temperance Hall such as Cyril Packwood, Charles Lloyd Tucker, National Liberal Party Leader Gilbert Darrell, lawyer and politician Arthur Hodgson, educator Dr. Eva Hodgson and Archdeacon Dr. Arnold Hollis, to name a few.

Our forefathers' struggle and sacrifice have resulted in unprecedented improvement for many of our people in Hamilton Parish.

That struggle, that sacrifice, cannot and will not be wasted and allowed to fail.

Their commitment to Hamilton Parish, and to hard work, is some of the traits I have taken on.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love Hamilton Parish and its people, and will do all within my human possibility to make it a great place to live and grow up.

When I was younger I sang a song which has become my motto in life: "If I can help somebody as I pass along then my living would not be in vain." These words became my passion and were one of the reasons why I entered politics.

After hearing that my Great Uncle Earnest Furbert was the first black Hamilton Parish representative in Parliament and, upon his death, his brother Willis Benjamin Furbert, who was my Great Grandfather, followed, I knew at 14 years of age what was to be my destiny and purpose.

It was at that age I became involved with the United Bermuda Party and met great people like Dr. Stubbs and Gloria McPhee.

I joined the United Bermuda Party because I believed I could make a change for all Bermudians.

Believe it or not, the United Bermuda Party did serve this community well, particularly helping to make Bermuda part of the global economy and envy of many countries and, yes, the UBP was successful in putting forward progressive legislation and programmes. Hence, why we have free education, social assistance, free bus rides for seniors and the list can go on and on.

In spite of the UBP's success over the years it was evident to some of us, that it was losing support in the black community.

If someone was to ask me what some of the UBP's greatest failures were, I would have to say its failure to open up greater opportunities and to put forward legislation to create greater wealth in the black community.

The Party has never been able to break away from the stigma that it is a white party and many black Bermudian link the Party to the old days of segregation.

Above all the Party has never been able to capture the heart and soul of the black community.

I recall a meeting when The Honorable John Irving Pearman said, and I quote: "The UBP experiment had failed." I am sure he meant the failure of the UBP to attract more blacks.

Change had to take place. Report after report, focus group after focus group, identified that black voters largely perceived the UBP as old, white, and the establishment.

After battling months within the Party to cause change and discovering that secret meetings were held by those who did not want to change and after being told many times by leadership to leave the party, and recognising that leadership had no intention to change, I left for the good of my own sanity.

It was I and others who led the reform movement inside the UBP to create a more diverse leadership of fresh young professionals into the party. We had a great deal of support for reform and to create a renewed party, but I came up against a white wall of opposition so firmly rooted in the past and its commercial roots I could not break through that wall. So I went over it!

This was not an easy decision for me to leave after growing up in the Party at 14 and especially after rising to the highest positions both chairman and Party Leader.

I believe leaving was the right decision.

As you can see three MPs, a chairman a Senator, and a former candidate have followed, with possibly more to follow. What is so interesting is that even those who showed no interest in change are now talking about it.

The people in the UBP are people in our community they are literally our cousins, brothers, and sisters. They have been part of my experience and most of them are honest and caring people who are trying to make a difference.

Unfortunately, I have come to the conclusion; the UBP Party has a distorted view of the NEW Bermuda and an old way of thinking, which I cannot support.

At this moment in time, I believe my destiny is to be an independent agent of positive change during a time of trouble and confusion.

Whites and blacks have legitimate concerns, but retreating into old racial stereotypes will only distort, and not help the process of finding the solutions, to important problems and issues which need to solve with the co-operation of both blacks and whites.

I believe our positive hopes and dreams can be realised, but we must break loose the chains that have kept us in bondage.

Over the years both parties' political machinery were successful in painting each party a certain way. The PLP was a black party, the UBP a white party. The PLP was a socialist party and they could not run anything.

Both campaigns worked – many blacks and whites believing the rhetoric. It was so successful that we still have this division. Hence the sins of our forefathers have got us where we are today.

In the process we have destroyed some of the minds of our people as we have created a vision of separation not a vision of unity.

For far too long we have voted based on race.

It is time for each of us to look at ourselves to determine what role we can play to move our country forward. Although it will not be easy due to the pain that has been inflicted, but it is a pain that we can and must bear.

Although it will be a long march, it's a march we must make.

We will not solve the challenges of our time, unless we solve them together.

Although whites and blacks come from different backgrounds and have different stories, we each have red blood flowing through our veins and we hold common dreams.

Our common dream must be to make a better future for our children and our grandchildren.

I believe that there are solutions, but I also recognise that it will be painful for some.

Forgiveness has to be to the forefront.

We must judge by character and not by colour.

We must make a greater commitment to education to ensure that no one is denied access to higher learning due to limited resource.

We must commit to true racial reconciliation.

Whites need to reject white fear and just be honest.

Black businesses must be given greater opportunity to grow.

Black Bermudians must be trained and then given opportunity to manage operations.

Blacks need to stop assuming all whites are evil.

I am asking the white community to become involved in the PLP, join them, and help to make real change.

As President Obama said: "We have a choice in this country. We can accept a politics that breeds division, and conflict, and cynicism. Or, at this moment, we can come together and say: 'Not this time."

I stand here today, to be an agent of positive responsible change, and to bring whites and blacks together to help heal the rift.

Until it happens nationwide, I am asking Hamilton West to be that agent of change. Let us be the example that we want the rest of the country to be.

I am here to commit to my people and friends in Hamilton Parish and all Bermuda that we will not be left in confusion and fear.

Join me and others, who are determined to stand for a new vision of positive change towards a better future, for both blacks and whites. We can fix what is broken, and renew hope for suffering Bermudians.

I refuse to live in a self-fulfilling prophecy of doom and gloom, in bondage to the old slavery and plantation chains of political exploitation.

We can create our own destiny.

Look around you, what do you see? Many people are hurting and are confused, they do not know where to go. You can see it on their faces and in their eyes.

The economy is down, revenue in many small businesses has been affected, jobs and hours have been cut and household earnings have been affected.

Let me make it very clear, I do not believe in doom and gloom and that Bermuda is going to Hell, but let's deal with some truths:

We have turned our backs on what has made us great.

We have mistaken greed for success.

We have dropped integrity for unscrupulous professional behaviour.

We have dropped our values for anything goes,

We have dropped honesty and put it on the kitchen shelf.

Some children are ruling our homes and schools. Now their negative behaviour is having an impact on our nation. We have forgotten the scripture where it says train up a child in the way it should go, and substituted it with 'time out' in a corner.

We have substituted hard work with entitlement.

We have lost our vision; and where there is no vision our people will perish.

It is time to return to the values when the line between right and wrong wasn't hazy, and when a promise really was something people kept.

It is time to return to values and to a moral foundation based on love and forgiveness and it must begin with each of us.

It is time to be honest with young people and tell them that there is opportunity in Bermuda – regardless of race, creed, or social class.

However, if we want to cross the threshold of achievement it depends on one person, and as Michael Jackson said "look at the man in the mirror".

We need to tell our young men that people fought hard and suffered long so that they can have the best. Yet some of us would rather drop out of school.

No longer is a young girl embarrassed to be walking around pregnant, and some fathers are ducking out of their responsibility.

I believe some of us thought that by spending millions of dollars on school buildings we were going to improve grades.

We can improve the grades of our children – turn off the TV – demand good grades – parents go to PTA meetings – work with the school and teachers to make your child's classroom the best.

Take the side of the teacher, when they tell you your child is disrupting the class. Too many of our parents want to fight the teacher. Make your child respect their teachers. Stop blaming Government for your child not getting good grades.

Parents need to sit down with their children and oversee their homework, make sure they are well rested and fed the next morning and ready to learn.

We fought hard for civil rights and we need that same energy and movement devoted to the cause of educational excellence.

Stop waiting for the end of systemic racism or for Government to help your child.

Someone wrote "that a black child born today will be old or dead long before the end of racism or before a time when every public school is successfully reformed". We must reclaim the black heritage of making education the heart of the struggle for racial equality.

Crime in Bermuda is too high for my liking and as citizens we must demand that something be done.

Young men being killed is not making sense. Our prisons are full of our young men. It appears sometimes that it is a badge of honour to be walking from the jailhouse to the court house.

Prison appears to have become too easy and now the accepted way to manhood.

We need to make our prison tougher. Take away some privileges from the very beginning.

No visitation for a while. Our roads should be spotless and manicured because prisoners should be cleaning our streets.

We need to recruit officers from abroad experienced in drug interdiction, enforcement, and investigation capable of preparing complex case files for presentation in the Supreme Court.

Improve the security and interdiction controls at all ports of entry.

Introduce tougher laws for those who commit crime against our seniors and tourist.

Increase Police presence in neighborhoods.

I believe there is a direct correlation between those who commit crime and the failure of individuals to take personal responsibility and education.

We are spending $75,000 to $80,000 to take care of a prisoner – why not spend it on the front end to make sure they do not become a problem to society.

Conscription in the Bermuda Regiment has been and continues to be a debate within our community. I must say that I served the regiment, rising to the rank of corporal and enjoyed my time while I was there.

However, I am willing to concede that conscription should be done away with. We need to reduce the amount of service people and have a volunteer force. The incentive could be that they are trained to do special skills, patrol our waters and that the pay be raised significantly.

Here is my last point on the truth that hurts.

This message is particularly for the black community.

A young man was at school one day and noticed that many of his friends were being picked up by their parents driving expensive cars. He went home that evening and said mother why are we not rich? His mother replied because your father never desired it. That statement left an impression on this young man's live and from there he desired to be rich, he eventually became rich.

We have people coming from the Philippines, India, Nigeria and other places, some are opening up business and becoming successful.

We are already here and what are we doing?

We were born inside the gate of opportunity and we sometimes act like we are outside looking in.

Yes, I know that racism and discrimination exist and will probably be here for a while. But that should never be the reason not to dream and to push on.

If we ever encounter injustices and social wrongs, we must fight them tooth and nail, but we must never lose sight of the direction we are headed.

Dennis Kimbro said: "Ignorance is no longer an adequate excuse for failure, because virtually all limitations are self imposed."

Many of you may be wondering where I go from here.

While you are an Independent, what do you hope to accomplish, what new ideas and programmes do you hope to bring forward?

Those are good questions.

Most Bermudians want to live in a place of happiness, peace, prosperity, opportunity, and above all safety.

While I am sitting as an Independent I will work with all sides and support legislation that benefits Bermudians.

I plan to lay down the following take note motions in November and have them debated.

1. Set up a committee of the House to review current legislation and policies to do with residence having access to beaches.

2. Set up a committee of the House to look at legislation to do with political party campaign financing.

I will go back to Parliament and continue to fight for a better education system, health care for our seniors, and tougher legislation on crime and road traffic safety issues.

I am also looking at new policy developments

My new policy developments will be prepared for me by informal advisors taken from the community, businessmen, and educators.

Here are some of the major areas of policy I am looking at:

To create sustainable and quality jobs,

Applied educational reform

Strengthen local parish councils and building a Hamilton Parish Community Centre,

Improving ease of immigration entry for Bermudians returning home,

Working to refine affordable health care issues.

I recognise that unless there was a groundswell, it would not be practical to run as an Independent at the next election.

As some of you are aware I have been talking with people in Hamilton Parish to get some feedback from them on the direction I should take, and I will continue to do that.

I will need you to walk with me together in this new direction for the future.

A direction and commitment; to love what is good, to do what is right, to act with character, to work for racial reconciliation, and to build a sustainable economic and social future.