As part of a series profiling new MPs, political reporter Ayo Johnson interviews the United Bermuda Party's Shadow Minister for Cultural Affairs Louise Jackson.

Louise Jackson is gearing up to take her advocacy for seniors to the House of Assembly.

The first-time MP says that the Island's elderly are being marginalised and that seniors' issues should have a stronger profile in Cabinet allocations.

“Seniors don't actually have a place per se in anyone's portfolio. This is something I'd like to address,” she said this week. “It could even be a portfolio in itself.”

Mrs. Jackson, 72, said that she had come across seniors living a “hand-to-mouth” existence in “deplorable” conditions.

She said she was extremely concerned about meagre pensions and the high cost of prescription drugs and healthcare, and will take up the fight to have pension increases paid retroactively.

She handily won the vote to represent Pembroke South West, or district 20, in the July 24 General Election.

A long-time proponent of the importance of the arts, the founder of the Jackson School of Dance was appointed Shadow Minister for Cultural Affairs and seniors issues by Opposition Leader Grant Gibbons shortly after the historic poll.

“My passion, of course, is dance but I have a great love for all of the arts,” she said. She is enthusiastic about the plethora of high quality arts organisations such as the National Gallery and Masterworks Foundation and lauded the establishment of the National Dance Foundation as the “biggest thing that has happened” in dance in the last 50 years.

She's also happy that Bermudians have embraced the gombey tradition - having written a book on gombeys.

“I think I've made Bermuda sensitive to, or aware, of what a rich culture we have under our noses here,” she said. “And I must say I'm very pleased at how the country has embraced the gombey tradition and it's now one of our national treasures. That's given me a really good feeling. I applaud the gombey groups who are preserving their tradition.”

Government has a definite role to play in the development of the arts, and it should start with the schools, she said.

“We used to have the arts - music, visual arts. Within physical education they had dance - all were part of the school curriculum. Children had dance once a week, they had music once a week. I think you'll find that some schools don't have music teachers at all. You have children that can go through school and have very few classes related to the arts.”

She added that money should also be poured in to support young people who are discovered to have exceptional artistic talent.The Arts Council had a “minuscule” budget for arts scholarships.

“What I am saying is that Government could certainly aid those children who need special education in the arts. There should be somewhere to go.”

And what kind of performance should the public expect from Mrs. Jackson in the House?

“I'd like to hear and to respond and present my thoughts and ideas in the House in a dignified, respectful and honest way,” she told The Royal Gazette.

“I don't want to discuss how debates were handled in the past. I just hope that this House which I'll be a part of will give listeners a feeling that Parliament is sincerely trying to solve the problems of this country in a very honest, thinking, fair way.”