Bermuda does not have the laws to allow positive discrimination Independent Senator Walwyn Hughes said yesterday.

He said some statements from politicians were calling for affirmative action when there was no legislation in place to back it up.

He said: “Some of the things being asked to be done in the name of race are not allowed under the Human Rights Act.

“Countries who practice that have affirmative action legislation in place.”

Bermuda's history did not give good examples of race relations but the Island had to move on said Sen Hughes.

He said: “We seem to be entrenched in the last three to four years. We seem to be in a rut.”

“Both Government and Opposition need to provide more encouragement rather than have a stand off. Every time you pick up a newspaper everything challenged is challenged on the basis of race.”

Government Senator Calvin Smith said some people were treating race as a trivial matter.

He said all Bermudians had historically wanted to advance economically while keeping their racial ties, but for blacks these two goals had brought conflict because to get employed they had to join organisations dominated by whites.

He said it was wrong for the UBP to brag about being liberal just because blacks had joined it.

He said even white people were benefiting from the reduction in the power of the elite groups in society under the PLP.

He said for the Opposition to trumpet about how liberal they are is “like the Mafia saying we're good people because we don't shoot them any more.”

UBP Senate leader Kim Swan said racial polarisation was Bermuda's Achilles heel and he urged Sen. Smith to join in breaking down that divide, not fuel it.

He said the UBP recognised there was institutionalised racism and was determined to tackle it while Government had squandered opportunities since November 1998 to deal with it.

Government Senator Michael Scott the UBP was only beginning to show an interest in racial issues.

He said: “It isn't said often enough or pursued with any vigour. The reason we have economic disparity is because that issue has not been addressed.

He said Rene Webb's comments on economic empowerment had not been about taking wealth away from whites, simply making opportunities greater for black people. He said all economic disparities had to be removed including that of gender.

At that point Sen. Swan pointed out that the UBP had raised the issue of gender, presumably in reference to their call to add gender to race reporting statistics collected by the Commission for Unity and Racial Equality.

Sen. Scott said inequalities in race were continually raised by the public and Government was not using it as a political football.

And Sen. Scott wanted to know why blacks in the UBP were shouting so loudly to protect someone else's interests.

Senator Victoria Pearman said it was the Opposition, not the Government, who used race for political gain by parading faces of African descent at rallies to promote the interests of people of European descent.

She said the example of David Allen and Dr. Barbara Ball showed whites were welcome in the PLP.

Independent Senator Jeanette Cannonier said racism was present on both sides in Bermuda.

She said: “We are not solving the problem if we continue to rake up the past.”

Ms Cannonier said she didn't have a problem with sharing economic prosperity but it was important how it was done.

She said: “It's in the best interests of Bermuda not to award contracts on the basis of race.”

UBP Senator Neville Darrell said the parties needed to get beyond the polemics and come up with practical solutions on addressing economic imbalance so all individuals could participate.