The following is the full text of Opposition Leader Mr. Frederick Wade's Reply to the Throne Speech delivered yesterday.

Mr. Speaker, this year's Throne Speech comes at very critical time in the history of Bermuda. As a country we are faced with problems which have impacted on the very foundation of our existence.

Socially, economically and politically we are in the process of "reaping the whirlwind'' for the past neglect of our most precious possession, our young people; for our unabashed commitment to materialism; and for fostering a political philosophy based on race, position, and personal advantage, ratherthan on merit.

Our country is now plagued with problems which once we never dreamed we would face. The increasing use of guns in the commission of crimes. The escalation in the use and abuse of illegal drugs and alcohol. Rising incidents of family violence and child abuse. The flight to private education caused by the uncertainty and failure of public education. The growing class of welfare recipients in the face of a declining economy and the economic pressure placed on senior citizens, single parents and the disadvantaged. All of this is taking place within the context of a local tourist economy that faces vigorous world competition, while the ever present and dangerous conflict between Bermudians and non-Bermudians over jobs in a shrinking economy continues unabated.

Mr. Speaker, added to the social and economic problems we face are the important questions of the closure of the foreign bases and Independence for Bermuda. Both of these issues require a coming together of the people of Bermuda to chart a course that is beneficial for each and every Bermudian.

Mr. Speaker, instead of cooperation and participation, the UBP Government has embarked on a course of exclusion and are proceeding without the benefit of the wisdom of a majority of Bermudians who must play a major role in both of these areas if we are to proceed in peace and harmony.

Mr. Speaker, with regard to the closure of the foreign bases in Bermuda, my Party has been effectively excluded from all of the decision making. While we have two members, on two of the many committees we learn about the major decisions in The Royal Gazette or through the news media.

We have offered our good offices as we represent nearly half of the voting public of Bermuda. However, our offer is rebuffed by the Premier as he reminds us that the UBP won the election and they intend to govern without our inclusion.

Mr. Speaker, we are taking very careful notes of the events as they unfold, regarding the granting of contracts and the decision made by those responsible. Mr. C.E. Cox will have more to say about the handling of the whole area of the Closure of the Bases in Bermuda and their future use.

The whole question of Independence is one which demands very clear leadership and clear thinking. Through a great deal of political activity we have persuaded the Government to produce a Green Paper setting forth the pros and cons of Independence. Our next task must be to ensure that the UBP Government produces a White Paper setting forth the Government policy on Independence. It is imperative that Government provide clear leadership in this area before any poll of public sentiment is taken, whether by a referendum or through an election.

Mr. Speaker, the people of Bermuda expect its Government to provide clear direction on this momentous issue. Independence is the most far reaching step that this country, or any country, can take. It is ludicrous for Government to attempt to lead from behind, by saying: "we have no view, but whatever you say we will do.'' All Bermudians must insist on a clear and unequivocal position on Independence from the UBP Government.

EDUCATION Mr. Speaker, the very lack of direction evident in Government's handling of the Independence issue is also evident in their handling of Education.

We are seeing a crisis amongst our young people. They are crying out for help and direction ... and we fail to hear their plea. We failed them at the earliest ages when they were in need of healthy, happy, stable home lives, we failed them when they needed intervention to make them ready to learn. We have even failed to make a place for them when they return from school, but our biggest failure has been in education where we diagnosed the problem seven years ago ... and are still discussing the medication.

The Bermuda Progressive Labour Party would like to say right up front that we welcome the introduction of a new Education Act.

We have been anxiously awaiting its introduction since Government first promised it some years ago. We hope that the new Act will provide the details that have so far been missing concerning the shape and scope of Government's planned Education Reform.

In its 1993 Throne Speech, the then freshly-elected UBP Government made a statement with which we in the Opposition agreed; that statement was: "If our young people are to seize the opportunities of the future, then our Education system must improve significantly.'' We have paid close attention to Government's implementation of the various recommendations made by the original Education Planning Team and we believe that the original Planning Team would have a hard time recognising the proposals they produced in the Report that set the Educational Reform ball rolling. If Government have "set out a clear programme'', as they profess in this year's Throne Speech, then one has to wonder why neither parents nor teachers seem to know what that "clear programme'' is. In fact, it is the mystery, the uncertainty, and lack of information on the most crucial areas of concern (curriculum and assessment) that has caused parents to flock to our private schools in unprecedented numbers.

Mr. Speaker, Government has said that it is "committed to upgrading both the quality of teaching and administration''. If Government is equally committed to upgrading both the quality of teaching and administration they would, by now, have carried out the Education Planning Team's recommendations concerning the administration of both the Department and the Ministry of Education.

Indeed, the Throne Speech is typically vague on just how Government plans to achieve this upgrading.

We remember that this year's Budget only partially restored the funds for teachers' sabbaticals and included no provision to reimburse teachers for attending professional conferences and seminars. Surely, Government's commitment to upgrading the quality of teaching cannot be limited to in-house, in-service training! Mr. Speaker, Government must learn that it can't have it both ways. It cannot tell us that Education must be restructured because the current system does not serve the needs of either students or society; while at the same time telling us what a wonderful job the current system is doing. Which is it? Is the current system failing a majority of our students as Government's own Education Planning Team revealed...or, as the Throne Speech says is the current system doing a great job "as evidenced by the quality of the Bermuda College's graduates''.

Mr. Speaker, we in the PLP were most intrigued by this last statement. Why would Government chose to use "the quality of the Bermuda College's graduates'' as evidence of the high quality of students coming out of the educational system? Apart from the fact that Bermuda College graduates include students from the private school system, such "evidence'' completely ignores those students who come out of the educational system with BSSC certificates that cannot gain them entry into the Bermuda College; as well as those students who drop out of the educational system altogether. Then again, perhaps Government is not proud of these students; nor should we be proud of an educational system that continues to create such students.

Mr. Speaker, in households up and down this island, the issue of discipline is being discussed. There are parents who are concerned about the welfare of their children, teachers who are concerned about the amount of time spent dealing with discipline issues, students who have their learning interrupted by instances of indiscipline. The issue may be topical now, but it is not new! Government have been talking about a Code of Discipline almost as long as they have been promising a new Education Act. In fact, the previous Minister of Education actually produced one! Of course, at that time it was understood that violence begets violence and so Government determined that corporal punishment would no longer be part of Bermuda's disciplinary code. Well, there is a new Minister, a new (draft) Code of Discipline, and apparently, a new outlook on corporal punishment. We in the Progressive Labour Party were not invited to give our views on this Code, so we shall wait to see if it goes the way of its predecessors or is actually introduced as promised, next year.

Mr. Speaker, there have always been certain businesses who have expressed their community minded spirit through work with schools. In the past, however, only a few, certain, schools benefited from such partnerships. In an effort to see ALL schools benefit from a relationship with business, the PLP has advocated businesses adopting schools, businesses having their staff mentor students and businesses agreeing to provide summer and holiday jobs for students. This might be an appropriate time to make mention of the $1 million gift given to the Bermuda College for the development of science by Corange Ltd. A gift that will have a tangible effect on both students and staff and that will further enhance the reputation of the College. We applaud Corange for their support and hope that others will follow their example.

Government's Throne Speech applauds the setting up of an education business partnership committee; however, we on this side of the House will be encouraged when we see more than just the creation of yet another "Committee''. For instance, what programmes has the Education Business Partnership Committee instituted? How will current students be helped by this partnership? What is the benefit to schools? How many public schools are involved? All of them? Some of them? None of them? No, Mr. Speaker, we are not encouraged by yet another Committee...we are encouraged by actions, by programmes, by specific initiatives with measurable effects.

Mr. Speaker, it is a measure of the blessings that this country has received that so many of our young people continue to excel in so many areas both nationally and internationally. It is also a measure of how much we fail in our commitment to them when we see the many other young people who have not been exposed to such opportunities. Not all primary schools have art and r music teachers, not all secondary schools have dance or drama teachers and certainly, not all parents can afford private music, dance, drama or art lessons. Not all of those who are gifted athletically get the guidance and direction they need to develop the self discipline necessary to succeed beyond these shores.

So, while we are proud of the achievements of all our young people, in academics, in the arts, and in sports, we are not satisfied that we, as a country, are doing all that we can to support them in these endeavours.

CRIME The escalation of crime in Bermuda demands more than a knee jerk response. It demands a far reaching in-depth look at our country to determine those factors which lead our young people to crime, drug abuse and disaffection with the greater society.

Mr. Speaker, in our view there is a direct correlation between the increase in substance abuse and the increase in crime. Government committed to ending substance abuse through the formulation of the National Drugs Commission. To date, Mr. Speaker, millions of dollars have been spent. However, the National Drug Commission is yet to put programmes and initiative on the streets thus helping the addicts.

At our recently held Annual Delegates Conference, the delegates recommended that the Party set up an internal committee to study crime and its relationship to illegal drug abuse and alcohol use among our young people. The Party's committee will investigate and report on the root causes of crime in our community. We are now in the process of setting up that committee and defining its short-term and long-term goals.

Out of the same discussion came a resolution to call on Parliament to set up a Royal Commission on Crime. It is expected that this Commission would study the root causes of crime and make recommendations. We believe that such a commission would complement the Tumin Report on Criminal Justice, the Archibald Report on Illegal Drugs and Alcohol and be a follow-up for the Pitt Commission Report. As a consequence, it is our intention to seek Government's cooperation and propose that we work out the terms of reference and details of such a commission together.

Mr. Speaker, the impact of the recession on the availability of jobs and Government's policy on Bermudianisation is having an important impact on quality of life of Bermudian residents.

We are aware that the recession has caused structural unemployment in Bermuda for the first time in many years. The elderly, single parent families and the average Bermudian has seen their quality of life further and further depressed as they are less able to meet their obligations.

The Government promises to continue the job assistance programme started by Public Works during the recession. Mr. Speaker, it is our understanding that on 1st January 1994 most of those jobs disappeared as the Government abandoned the programme. We raised the alarm and warned against cutting this programme.

Now it seems Government intends to reactivate it.

Mr. Speaker, how many jobs does Government intend to create through this device? We note that Government also promises to provide new jobs in construction. Mr. Speaker, we want to know how many jobs are needed and details of plans to make adequate provisions for their creation.

No longer can we tolerate the vague promise "that the Government will continue its efforts to create more jobs especially in the hard pressed construction industry''.

If they continue at their past rate of job creation the ranks of the welfare class will continue to grow and place an increasingly heavy burden on the entire community.

Mr. Speaker, we note that Government intends to use this programme as a part of the rehabilitation process for prisoners. We can only hope that there will be sufficient jobs created to assist those law abiding citizens who want to work and are unable to find permanent jobs.

We believe that there is scope in our community in both the public and private sectors to provide the necessary employment for Bermudians.

Mr. Speaker, during the past year our Shadow Minister of Labour, Home Affairs and Immigration, Mr. Alex Scott MP has become the person whom Bermudians from all sectors of the community turn to seek help in matters of immigration and employment.

Government's performance since the presentation of the Governor's last speech from the throne -- has seen very little improved, changed, or accomplished by the Minister and Ministry of Immigration and Labour.

The PLP continues to maintain that Bermudians must come first in the Ministry of Immigration and Labour's ordering of their priorities; because, in our view, employment opportunities for Bermudians are closely linked with Government's immigration, education and training policies.

However, with the employment areer opportunities opening up with the transition of the US Base to the Bermuda Government, the PLP insists that Government through its Immigration Department and its "applied Immigration policies ensures that the training and the hiring of capable Bermudians is the most desirable route for employers to take''.

The PLP maintains that changing times and conditions require changing strategies; to this end, on Labour Day, we called for a "Labour Summit''; an occasion where all in the labour movement would meet to reason together and take stock of their accomplishments and their losses, strengths and weaknesses and to council together about ways in which they might better serve (in these changing times) their membership and the community.

The much heralded and long awaited "Report of the Premier's Task Force on Employment'' makes a startling