Helping the youth find productive ways to spend their time has been Gerald Fubler's mission in life since the early 1990s. The former PLP supporter takes on Finance Minister Eugene Cox in the only Sandys district not expected to be a cakewalk for the Progressive Labour Party (PLP).

“I love it,” Mr. Fubler said of his campaign so far. “It's something that I want to do. I've been doing this for years for young people and this gives me the opportunity to do more - not just for young people but for everybody. I got started reading about it in the newspapers - how they were attacking each other, killing each other.”

Mr. Fubler is a former security officer who currently works as a mason. But his claim to fame is as a long time advocate for Sandys youth. He counts among his accomplishments a successful lobbying effort which persuaded the then UBP Government to open up a youth centre at Daniel's Head and has widespread respect for his work among the youth in the West End.

“A group of people came to me in 1990 and they had found I had been an umpire and they asked me to help form a team,” he explained. “I told them to bring 13 children they brought me 53. They trained every day including Sunday.”

The group became known as Paget Youth Group. “One of them said if I don't do something for the small people they would be on the wall smoking weed,” Mr. Fubler recalled.

“A little bit of common sense is number one,” the candidate said when asked what his answers were.

“Approach the issues head on. I'm saying its alright to talk about the violence and the children on the street but we have to confront these guys. We've got to go to them. If you come with an agenda that's of interest to them you can move these guys off the streets.”

Can't all this be done without being in parliament? “True but who has the resources? I do not have the resources. That's the problem. And no one wants to make that sacrifice.”

Asked his views on Independence, he replied: “I have my opinion on it but I ain't getting into that one.”

Mr. Fubler, who has been canvassing the area for two months, rates his chances against Mr. Cox as “even”.

“I'm new on the block and I seem to be getting some positive energy. I thought I would be chased away but I'm not. It's like everybody is in love with me or something man, I don't know what it is. I'm being very honest. People respect me - I don't know why but they do.”