They are the topics barely touched upon in the election manifestos, if mentioned at all; the issues that everyone has a private opinion on but which Bermuda's savvy politicians know could lose them too many votes if they declare a public stance.

The Royal Gazette asked every single party candidate in the forthcoming General Election five questions which we felt readers would want to hear their prospective MPs opinion on.

We wanted to be able to share with the public their personal views on Independence, conscription, human rights, the granting of a Special Development Order for Southlands and claims of high-level corruption at Bermuda Housing Corporation.

Only one election candidate – the United Bermuda Party's Louise Jackson, the incumbent in Pembroke South West – came back with her own answers. The rest of her party chose to give a collective response.

The Progressive Labour Party came back with nothing. Just one of the party's 36 candidates e-mailed a response to the questions. Jane Correia, who is running in Smith's South, replied: "Thank you very much for leaving me out of this poll." PLP chairman David Burt told us on Tuesday not to expect answers from any other candidate.

The questions we sent to all 72 party candidates at their official party e-mail addresses on November 20 were:

¦ Do you support independence for Bermuda?

¦ Do you support conscription for the Bermuda Regiment?

¦ Do you wish to see the words 'sexual orientation' added to the Human Rights Act?

¦ Would you have approved the Southlands development in Warwick?

¦ Would you support an independent inquiry into the Bermuda Housing Corporation scandal?

No one in the United Bermuda Party was prepared to say whether they wished to see Bermuda gain Independence or remain a British Overseas Territory. The party line was: "We believe that the issue of Independence should be decided by the people of Bermuda through a referendum.

"As the next Government, we will give people the right to initiate a referendum on any issue of national importance, including Independence, where 20 percent of registered voters request a national vote by way of a petition."

Mrs. Jackson said: "Independence should be decided by a referendum. Any position as important as this should give the people the right to have a petition leading to a referendum."

UBP MPs also didn't want to speak out for or against the draft. "We hear the concerns of people who think the Bermuda Regiment should be voluntary and we hear those who extol the benefits of the Regiment as a conscripted body," was its answer to question two.

"We will carry out a broad review of the Bermuda Regiment, including its operations and conscription policy to ensure it is meeting the current social and security needs of our community. We will also compare how other countries address the need for military security and examine options to give young Bermudians more choices in how they fulfil their national service and the training they receive."

Mrs. Jackson, while not saying yes or no, appeared to have come down on one side of the fence. "Young Bermudians should have the right to volunteer for the Regiment," she wrote.

Candidates' personal views on the topic which MPs from both sides shied away from in the House of Assembly last year remain unknown. Question three referred to a bill to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation which was thrown out of the House of Assembly in the summer of 2006 after members failed to debate it.

The issue is still getting the silent treatment 18 months on. The UBP's stance now is: "We believe it is a matter for a conscience vote in Parliament." Mrs. Jackson said: "We believe it is a matter for each individual to decide how to vote on this matter."

An unequivocal answer was finally achieved for question four – the UBP said "no" it would not have approved a luxury hotel on green space in Warwick.

The controversial granting of an SDO for the Southlands development prompted an outcry from conservationists earlier this year and an alternative location – Morgan's Point – is now being mooted.

The UBP said: "We believe undeveloped sites, such as Southlands, should be preserved where possible. We would focus new hotel development on existing partially developed or brownfield sites."

Mrs. Jackson wrote: "Southlands must be preserved. New hotels must be developed on existing developed property."

The party's response to the BHC question proved no surprise – UBP leader Michael Dunkley called for a Royal Commission into the corruption scandal in June. "We have already called for an independent commission of inquiry into the BHC scandal and that position has not changed," said the party. Mrs. Jackson concurred. "Yes, we have called for an inquiry many times," she said.

¦ The questions were forwarded to independent Pembroke Central candidate Harold Darrell but a response was not received. It was not possible to contact independent Pembroke West Central candidate Roger Russell.