was forced to resign from the House of Commons. In an attempt to save his career, he told the House of Commons that he had not had an affair with a tart who was also involved with a Soviet naval officer. He lied and was forced to resign not because of the affair but because he misled the House of Commons.

The people have a right to expect that their Parliament will not be lied to.

Parliament has a right to expect that it will not be misled by members.

Mr. Stuart Hayward, Independent MP for Pembroke West Central, has a history of exaggerated public statement which may be designed for political gain. As an example, he embarrassed Bermuda by making grossly exaggerated statements about how filthy we are as a Country to the very important travel magazine, Conde Nast Traveller.

True, politicians often engage in political rhetoric which is clearly exaggerated and that is why so many of them are "taken with a grain of salt''. But campaign rhetoric is very different from misleading Parliament.

Most parents have grave concerns that the child abuse about which they read might be inflicted on their children. It is a concern which is magnified in an age in which both parents work and must commit their small children to the care of others. Parents worry, and they should. But they do not need to be worried unnecessarily.

Mr. Stuart Hayward deeply increased their worry recently when he told the House of Assembly that he had reported child abuse at day care centres to the Ministry of Health and Social Services and his reports had been ignored.

Because, of course, he could not identify the centres, he left all centres in question and exposed all parents to concern.

It is doubly irresponsible behaviour when it comes from the man in Bermudian politics who poses as the honest broker .. . the man in the middle who tells it like it is ... the "green candidate'' who really cares. Maybe he cares for the environment but he does not care for Bermuda's parents.

We have to conclude that Mr. Hayward is not a concerned man. We believe he knew he was unlikely to be elected as a PLP candidate in Pembroke West Central so he ran for the House of Assembly by campaigning as a "green'' in Pembroke West Central.

It may be that since he has no support in the House of Assembly and is unable to achieve much, he is forced to try too hard to make an impression. That is all we can think of that might be used to excuse his remarks on day care centres.

When the Minister of Health and Social Services, the Hon. Quinton Edness, who was deeply concerned about Mr. Hayward's remarks, showed the remarks were groundless, all Mr. Hayward could say was that he was "a bit over-exuberant''. He should, of course, have apologised to the parents, the day care centres, the House of Assembly and the Ministry of Health and Social Services.

It seems to us that Mr. Hayward, far from being the honest broker, is reckless at the Country's expense.