themselves if the Island is to restore its community spirit, leaders claimed last night.

At a round table discussion hosted by the Bermuda Leadership Forum last night it was claimed that standards of public conduct on the Island had fallen.

The four areas discussed were Parliamentary behaviour, the media, and conduct in sports and business.

The Island's senior statesman, Sir John Plowman, who is a former Senate leader said he believed that the problems were partly down to the massive technological changes in society, women leaving the home to join the workplace, the breakdown of families, and the presence of violence on television.

He said: "Today it is a normal thing for families to depend on two incomes.

That's not a criticism, because it's the only way that they can survive in today's society, but there is a void that has to be filled in some way. "We have to try to restore something that is like family life as it was or can adequately take its place.'' Sir John said in the past teaching was considered an honoured profession, but intelligent people are now opting to go into better paid jobs instead.

Public standards That had to be addressed he said.

Chief Executive Officer of the Bank of Bermuda, Henry Smith said it was incumbent on every business to not only have a code of conduct, but to make sure it was updated for today's society and respected by all members of staff.

He said employees should be invited to take ownership of codes and included in them should not only be guidance on how customers should be treated but colleagues also.

Cris Valdes Dapena, President of the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce, said everybody in the community could live by a general code of conduct.

She said everybody in Bermuda could play a role in improving behaviour and said: "All codes of conduct boil down to do unto others as you would have done unto you.'' And she said Bermuda should look to bring out the best in workers and its people by using carrots rather than sticks.

Vice President of Customer Relations and Sales at BF&M, Carol Bassett said it was important for managers to make every employee in their company feel important, and she said it was the frontline people such as receptionists and sales assistants who were largely responsible for making the customer happy.

At the meeting last night at the Southampton Princess Hotel -- which was attended by Government Ministers and MPs, Police Commissioner Jean Jaques Lemay and members of the business community and the public -- panelist Amanda Outerbridge that a Press complaints commission should be set up.

She said it would not only give members of the public an authority to go to register complaints but would also give the Press an opportunity to officially show that it was being fair.

But members of Parliament were also told that they had a role to play in setting good examples where conduct was concerned. And being disrespectful to each other during debates was unacceptable behaviour.

Sir John Plowman said: "You can't seriously discuss the issues of the day with people sniping at you all the time -- sometimes it's very offensive.'' And he said it was up to the Speaker of the House to keep people in line.

Members of the audience were able to submit questions to the panelists throughout the discussion and were asked to complete a questionnaire on the forum's success at the end. Moderator, Stuart Hayward said he believed it had been a success.

He said as a result, similar forums may be held and said: "We wanted to get people talking about the issue of public conduct and our standards of behaviour, and I think we have done that. Tonight there was a willingness from all sectors to do that and see improvements. Hopefully it will be carried from here tonight out into other places.''