Many in St. David?s are still expecting and hoping that their community will one day be recognised as the Island?s tenth parish, according to MP Suzann Holshouser.

Reflecting on her first year as an MP, Ms Holshouser said her biggest disappointment and frustration was that the Cultural Affairs Minister did not address her motion to have St. David?s recognised as a parish.

?You?d be surprised how many people to this day don?t realise that there was an answer and that answer was to go nowhere,? she said. ?People are still asking when is St. David?s going to be recognised as the tenth parish.?

Ms Holshouser?s motion was the first to be discussed during the parliamentary year.

And despite its failure she continues to wave the flag for ?the parish? of St. David. ?It already is recognised as being different. St. David?s is unique because of its location and the only access to that part of the Island is by bridge,? she explained. ?The culture is unique because they needed to survive by themselves, for themselves... the dialect is unique simply because they were so isolated.?

She said she was saddened by the fact that Polly Lambe, a St. David?s resident who recently died at the age of 90, would not be around to see her wish realised. The issue should not have been seen as a political one but as a sentimental gesture for a community that is considered a world onto itself. ?That?s what we are looking for ? that acknowledgement, that pride ? in a nutshell.?

Ms Holshouser?s comments came during an interview on her first year as an MP.

She said one of the outcomes of her advocacy of parish-hood was that St. David?s gets a mention at almost every House of Assembly sitting. Asked her impressions of House debates she said that unlike many of her colleagues, she does not believe in heckling someone while they are on their feet.

?I believe I?m there to offer objective criticism and heckling has never achieved anything,? she said. ?My aim is to achieve the best for Bermuda and how I go about achieving that is not through heckling.?

Ms Holshouser said she much prefers one on one conversations with relevant Ministers in resolving issues faced by her constituency, and gets more done behind the scenes.

But she stressed that the Opposition played a valuable role in parliament. ?Some people feel that the Opposition spends too much time objecting. However, that is our responsibility ? to look behind every stone and to turn every page and have all our questions answered. And sometimes that?s not happening ? and that in itself is causing frustration,? she said. ?If the people of Bermuda get an Opposition that was silent, would they be happy with that? Would they think we are doing our job??

Ms Holshouser said one of her big surprises when she entered parliament was that Ministers were heavily reliant on prepared statements drawn up by civil servants. ?I would like to see more of them ad-libbing, speaking on their feet rather than reading from a book.?

And she has developed a strong respect for ruling party whip Ottiwell Simmons ? someone she did not like when she was a teenager.

And Ms Holshouser recalled an interview she gave just after last year?s General Election in which she won the St. David?s seat. ?I said my intent was not to lower my standards or my ethics. The reporter said ?good luck and I?ll see you on the other end?. I believe that I?ve held true to my values and that is what I?m proud of because I don?t want to disrespect the people of St. David?s by demeaning any issue.?

She meets with her constituents monthly and advocates their wishes even if she disagrees with them.

?It?s imperative that I speak on behalf of my constituency. I might think differently but it shouldn?t go my way ? I should be able to fight for what they want. I don?t think politicians have made that a practice because it?s certainly easier to fight for my own personal beliefs.?

But she called on her constituents to be more directly involved in issues affecting the community and make their presence felt. ?I would like to remind the community that I do not stand in front of them, I stand beside them. What that means is one person is never strong enough to fight the battle, but I would implore the community to be visible when there are issues in front of them,? she said.

?It shouldn?t be one voice, it should be a chorus and we strongly feel in St. David?s we would get more achieved as a community if we held hands together and stand in a line.?