depends on people putting the Island's best interest above their own, Sen.

Wendell Hollis said yesterday.

Speaking to Hamilton Rotarians, the new United Bermuda Party senator said Bermuda had developed at an unprecedented rate over the last 40 years, and had enjoyed unprecedented prosperity.

But at the same time it became complacent.

He recalled a conversation with a senior international company officer, who pointed out that international businesses and tourists have alternatives -- they can go elsewhere. But Bermudians have no alternatives, he said.

During a business downturn in the Bahamas, Sen. Hollis said, that country's Prime Minister Sir Lynden Pindling said of his people: "They can go back to fishing and farming. That's where they will be happiest anyway. That's their heritage.'' But Bermudians enjoy no such luxury, Sen. Hollis said. "We have burned our bridges.'' The Island's agricultural output is now negligible, and the problems with the fishing industry are well known.

To survive, he said, Bermudians will have to put their Island first, and substitute cooperation for confrontation. The three essential ingredients were trust, recognition and a common goal.

Different segments of Bermuda society must learn to trust each other -- and earn the trust of each other -- and recognise and fairly reward each other's contributions. And their common goal must be to do what is best for Bermuda.

"Above all else we must come to trust each other, and in order to do this we must come to understand that trust is not bought: Trust is earned.'' Labour confrontations could be resolved, he said, if both sides stopped putting themselves first and started putting Bermuda first instead.

Employers must realise that their successes "have been borne on the back of your labour force and have been due in no small part to the efforts of your employees.'' At the same time, he said, employees must recognise that in these economic times, many businesses have remained opened only with the help of bank overdrafts, and only to maintain jobs for their workers.

Sen. Hollis described himself as a great supporter of Bermudianisation. But Bermudians must recognise the valuable contribution made by non-Bermudians,, and if they put the Island first they should recognise that the Island benefits from their expertise.

The Island's environmental problems "would be far less of a problem if everyone put Bermuda first.'' In the past, he said, development tended to be "simple and discreet.'' But now, he said, people have been trying to develop their land to the maximum extent possible. "We must stop now and put Bermuda first.'' The new Bermuda Development Plan will come out shortly, he said, and he urged people to consider "what is in the best interests of Bermuda, and weigh up the affects that the plan will have on any of your personal interests against the affects that it will have for the preservation of Bermuda as a whole.'' "Put Bermuda first, for the long term best-interest of this Island,'' he said. "We owe it to our children, and those who come after us to put Bermuda first -- so there will be a Bermuda left for them.''