Premier Alex Scott called on all ordinary Bermudians to help build a sustainable future and to support Government?s social agenda.

In his first national speech in three months, Mr. Scott spoke to residents to update them on the progress of the social agenda and to enlist ?critical? support for the issues facing the country today.

Friday?s televised speech touched on the need for greater national pride, the challenge of securing affordable housing for all Bermudians and on education and environmental issues.

Mr. Scott told ordinary citizens they had a ?moral imperative? to build a better society for future generations.

Pointing out that such a task is daunting and will require greater cohesiveness within the community, Mr. Scott began by complimenting Islanders on their co-operation during last week?s power outage following the Belco blaze. ?I speak tonight in recognition of the ingenuity, perseverance and collective intelligence of the people of Bermuda.

?I counted on it! I called upon it and you responded ? as only Bermudians can and would respond,? he said.

Mr. Scott thanked the Police Service and the Fire service for their efforts during the power outage and the extra security they provided last week as well as to the Belco workers who worked ?tirelessly? during the power outage.

He asked all residents to conserve electricity and water, and promised Bermuda the Government would carry out a full inquiry into the impact of the events of July 14 to see what could be done to move forward.

Mr. Scott said anyone who attempts to threaten public safety by carrying weapons or trafficking drugs would face stiffer penalties under the law, and that more must be done to educate young people facing considerable social challenges.

?I believe that drugs drive crime in Bermuda. To this end the Government is contemplating a cross ministry initiative pacing unparalleled emphasis on trafficking, abuse, and rehabilitation aspects of drugs in our society. We believe this will go a long way in addressing the criminal activity we are currently witnessing and experiencing in this country.?

Pointing out that a significant number of people in the community were making a difference to enhance the lives of the Island?s young people, Mr. Scott called on young people who feel displaced and disillusioned to pay a visit to examine what the National Training Board has to offer.

When it comes to housing, Mr. Scott said ?your Government understands the problem and we are making every effort to fill that need?.

He said 3,000 additional properties were now added to the stock of housing under rent control, and results of the recent Housing Survey indicate that the ?most disadvantaged? Bermudians spend in excess of 60 percent of their monthly income on housing, with the majority looking to rent.

?Also, you should be aware that the Emergency Housing Units have started to arrive in Bermuda. Expect to hear the news of the final plans for locating them throughout the Island ? manufactured homes for those families facing housing emergencies,? said Mr. Scott.

According to Mr. Scott, Cabinet has just approved a Cross Ministry Housing initiative aimed to assist families with children, with more details to be announced shortly.

Mr. Scott pointed out that proposed amendments have been tabled to the Parliamentary Election Act which allows people to vote during an election if they are off the Island, and a watershed legislation had just come into effect giving the public greater access to information through PATI.

Discrimination and racism were also topics of his speech, and Mr. Scott said greater effort needed to be made to eradicate discrimination in the workplace and more efforts must be made to ensure all Bermudians have opportunity, quality of life, and a future where everyone stands up for one another when their rights are threatened.

?Today we are asking every Bermudian ? white, black, rich or poor ? to join in the process of chartering a course to a sustainable Bermuda. Let me be clear, this represents an unprecedented opportunity for ordinary people to participate in long term policy making,? said Mr. Scott. ?Simply put we face a moral imperative to pursue a sustainable future for the sake of our descendants. If we ignore these and many other moral imperatives we condemn our own children and deny our own humanity.?