Opposition Senators yesterday called for a code of conduct to govern politicians and stamp out excesses.

Senator Kim Swan said politicians had recently awarded themselves a salary increase and now it was time for them to hold themselves to higher standards.

He said: “What is wrong with members of the legislature rejecting all forms of racial violence, racial harassment and unlawful racial discrimination? To me that makes good sense. What’s wrong with it?”

Sen. Swan said the PLP’s promise of governing under the sunshine of public scrutiny had been a hollow one and Bermuda was living in the dark ages.

Meanwhile he said parliaments in both the Commonwealth and North America were showing the way. He said the US had an ethics committee and he called on politicians on both sides to come together and work out a way forward.

His colleague Gina Spence-Farmer said young people were appalled by the behaviour of politicians who they viewed as gangsters with threats and derogatory and poisonous comments and a code could help people get things in perspective.

“People are looking for all of us on both sides to work together.”