Employment have now presented their overdue and much awaited reports which Bermuda had expected before last October's election. It seems to us rather odd that the reports were presented at the same time and over a holiday period which meant that each detracted from the impact of the other. Top professional volunteers worked for two years on these reports only to have them released in a self-defeating way. It was almost as if someone wanted to minimise their exposure. However, that does not minimise the importance of the reports and should not detract from the contribution each report can make to the future of Bermuda.

Before the Premier set up these commissions, there seemed to be general thinking in Bermuda that something constructive had to be done. It was important to look for solutions for Bermuda and these reports are constructive. They do present a platform on which Government could build.

Those who had hoped that the reports might come up with dynamic new ideas for Bermuda's future will be disappointed. These reports deal with some changes in the present design rather than a new design. While the reports are not innovative, they do solidify thinking particularly in the area of employment and they do gather together a picture of where Bermuda is and where it might go. Such reports conducted outside the political arena can be very beneficial to politicians who often need help to distance themselves from their constituency concerns.

It is not a bad thing for a Country to take a hard look at what is happening even if it is rather unique to do so. We think it is entirely to the Premier's credit that he had the courage to commission a close look at Bermuda. Very often politicians are content to work on the theory that what the people do not know does not hurt them.

One of the major contributions of the Task Force on Employment is the focus it places on the bases closures and the consequent impact on Bermuda's economy.

We do not believe that Bermudians are facing the reality of these closures with regard to jobs, rents and retail sales.

The other major impact areas are the often discussed problems of labour relations and employment in hotels which are so closely related. There is a strong call for labour reform which was predictable from a Task Force On Employment. It has been clear for many years that continued labour uncertainty in the hotels would inevitably debilitate the hotels. There is also a prediction from the same task force that unskilled workers face an uncertain future unless the hotels which employ them return to profitability. The real problem, as this newspaper sees it, is the uncertainty of Bermudians over whether or not they want to go on serving in hotels and whether or not they accept the unprofitability of the hotels.

Government now has a chance to make some progress if it acts on these reports.

However we suspect that the reports were released in such an odd way because, as usually happens with reports, they are destined for someone's bottom drawer.