Opposition MP John Barritt yesterday conceded the United Bermuda Party got itself into trouble when it was in power by leaving people in the dark over key issues.

Mr. Barritt, a backbencher and Minister while the UBP was in Government, said party leaders held discussions about Independence behind closed doors and failed to let people know they were giving financial support to the team building Westgate prison in the 1990s.

He said controversy could have been avoided in both instances if only the UBP had been more open about its actions.

Mr. Barritt echoed former Premier Alex Scott's call for public access to information (PATI) legislation in Bermuda to encourage greater transparency and help ensure today's leaders do not repeat the mistakes of the past.

"You tend to see these issues more closely when you sit on the Opposition," said Mr. Barritt, a longtime campaigner for good governance and transparency.

On transparency — or the lack of it — during the UBP's reign, he said: "I would probably confess I was blind to it initially. You come into the game fresh.

"On the Government benches, there's a strong tendency to try to hold onto information. It gives you a feeling that you are more in control and people aren't able to explore any deficits or deficiencies. Looking back now, I would say that may have been a view I took, although the more I became involved I thought you are better to share information than hold it. That gives people an opportunity to see the problems you are wrestling with and gives them the chance to come up with solutions."

He said the public only became aware Independence was on the UBP's agenda after former Premier Sir John Swan and party members close to him had already held private discussions about it.

"We had a referendum for Independence. It had not been a campaign issue. People were clamouring to know more about why it was suddenly an issue," he said. Asked if it would have been better to let people know from the beginning, he replied: "It might have been. People get suspicious."

Mr. Barritt said the UBP "still gets caned" for a decision made when contractors building Westgate ran into financial difficulty.

He said Government faced two options: to quit the site and bring in another contractor; or to provide financial assistance to the contractor. The cheapest and therefore most viable option, he said, was to give funding to the contractor. However, the public was kept in the dark again.

"People didn't find out about it until after the fact," he said. "Then they said the UBP was only helping its friends. That's how it gets you into trouble."

The Royal Gazette's A Right To Know: Giving People Power campaign is calling for the Progressive Labour Party to restore PATI to the top of its agenda and for Premier Ewart Brown to include a commitment in next month's Throne Speech to table a PATI bill in the House of Assembly this year.

Mr. Scott, who has stressed PATI is not an anti-government exercise, has said he will pursue a private members bill if this campaign receives enough public support. Mr. Barritt said: "I'm really pleased to hear what former Premier Alex Scott said. You need people who have had experience as he has had as an Opposition Senator, Opposition Member of the House, Cabinet Minister, Premier and now as a senior backbencher. You could say he's a wise old head.

"To have him say what he did in the newspaper and stress the importance of moving this forward — we need more of that. It doesn't mean he's any less committed to the PLP. It's about being committed to improving this system and leaving a better one when we go."

What are your thoughts on freedom of information? Have you been successful or unsuccessful trying to get information you believe you have a right to know? E-mail arighttoknow@royalgazette.bm, write a letter to the editor or call us on 278-0155 or 278-8359 to share your stories or let us know what you think of the campaign.

For more on the A Right To Know campaign see www.theroyalgazette.com