The first is to tell the public what its legislative and policy blueprint for the year is.

The second is to show what the philosophical underpinnings for the plan are.

Friday's Throne Speech, the third delivered by the Progressive Labour Party Government and certainly the longest, did the former but only touched on the latter.

In terms of philosophy, the Government argues that it aims to create a modern, fair and inclusive society of opportunity for all in which "new structures, new partnerships and new ways of connecting'' underscore its commitment to serve the people with improved elder care, child care and health care and better jobs, better education and better opportunities.

To achieve this, the Government admits, "old policies and patterns are being eliminated and the tremendous changes that a new Government with new policies and a new focus brings may be unsettling to some''.

What is most remarkable about a speech which goes into minute detail on what Government has achieved and intends to do next, is what's missing.

Recommendations from the Civil Service Review, which significantly change the way the Civil Service does it business, are being implemented. But the public -- which pays the Civil Service -- does not have the faintest idea what they are, in spite of the Speech's declaration that the changes are "transparent''.

Change can be unsettling when it has not been considered or explained publicly. That's the case with Constitutional reform, where Government has now promised a single meeting to "further explain the process surrounding constitutional reform to allow for single seat constituencies'', meaning that the public will be told how single seats will be put in place, not why it's a better approach than any of the alternatives.

This is not to say that the Speech has nothing to commend it. There is much that is worthwhile.

The alternative sentencing strategy will be implemented as will the drug treatment court.

Also promised is the much needed new Police And Criminal Evidence Bill.

Performance standards in the schools and certification for teachers are also to be welcomed.

Another long overdue step forward is the appointment of a coordinator to vet concession applications for hotels and to act as a one-stop contact for hotel developers. Whether this will free Tourism Minister David Allen "to focus on restoring the lustre to Bermuda's tourism product'' remains to be seen.

There's more. Mandatory seat-belts, a revamp of the Bermuda Regiment, housing policy changes are all discussed in varying detail.

In many ways this is an ambitious programme and much that is promised will not be completed by this time next year, just as there are holdovers from last year's speech.

Government has enjoyed some achievements and it is right to trumpet them; when it ignores the more contentious parts of its programme and says little or nothing about them, it hurts itself.