Members of the Constituency Boundaries Commission praised the Parliamentary Register and Geographic Information System software for helping to make changes to the electoral map as accurate as possible.

Dame Jennifer Smith and Opposition MP Bob Richards, who were both members of the commission, told the House of Assembly the software combined data from a variety of sources; making it easier to determine the number of eligible voters in Bermuda's 36 constituencies. Dame Jennifer, a Government MP, told the House the software was so detailed that only 1,100 eligible voters were unaccounted for out of approximately 47,000 voters.

She added that they discovered some constituency had 20 percent more voters than the mean while others were ten percent under. The Boundaries Commission, which comes under the Bermuda Constitution, decided that changes were needed.

"We wanted to ensure that the constituencies had the same numbers of voters in them," she said. "In keeping with the practice adopted in 2002, the Commission accepted a redistricting and reappointment system whereby small polygon units of electors was used to create constituencies."

She said that divisions were created based on the centre lines of roads and thoroughfares, using major roads as constituency boundaries wherever practical.

She added that without the help of the Parliamentary Registrar Kenneth Scott and Assistant Registrar Tenia Woolridge as well as former Cabinet Secretary Marc Telemaque.

Fellow Commission member Bob Richards also extended his thanks and added that the GIS software was so impressive it helped him overcome initial doubts. When the process began Mr Richards said he believed outdated data, from the 2000 census, would impede a fair drawing up of boundaries.

"I put my name to this, and that means something," he said. "With the data presented by the GIS software they were able to give you a map of houses and tell you how many people live in each house. The data came from the parliamentary registry but also from immigration and land valuation.

"I was vociferous about the quality of data in the early stages but as I came to understand the work that had been done I realised we were on a winning wicket."

Veteran PLP MP Walter Lister said he remembered when Premier Cox's father, the late Finance Minister Eugene Cox, stood in the House in the 1960s when the first electoral boundaries were being drawn up.

He added that he was proud that the PLP brought "one person, one vote of equal value" to Bermuda in 1998 and that the latest changes moved the process forward. "We are talking about the people of Bermuda today, no one has said white voters or black voters. Back then [in the 1960s] we talked about Devonshire North and Devonshire South but there was no talk about east and west. Why, because the UBP couldn't be sure they could get seat in east and west. It changed when you went to Warwick, then there was an east and a west.

"Today we are talking about the people of Bermuda, not black, not white. I never thought I would see this. I am very happy to see this report and that it was Premier Cox who brought it."

Opposition leader Kim Swan said he was still concerned about the fairness of elections and questioned why his party, who won 47 percent of the popular vote in the 2007 election, received only 35 percent of the seats in Parliament. Currently the UBP has 25 percent of the seats in the House due to defections. Mr. Swan said: "When you have a party with 45 percent of the vote and 35 percent of the seats that is not parity and it is an imbalance that we have in our system. How does that seem fair?"

Bermuda Democratic Alliance MP Shawn Crockwell said he was pleased it was a bipartisan committee that made the boundary commission decisions. "The official submission of the PLP was that we should not alter the boundaries," he said. "But all of the members of the commission unanimously decided we should."

He added that he hoped there would be more bipartisanship on major issues facing Bermuda.

Opposition MP John Barritt was a member of the first Boundaries Commission and said he remembered it being a long process but that he too enjoyed the bipartisan nature and worked with the late Dame Louise Browne Evans on the matter.

He said he believed the public should have had the opportunity to look at the Commission's report before it was tabled and added that this was the first step towards election reform. "There are issues with people who don't register or people who register in home they no longer live in," he said. "In the last election the Parliamentary Register said there were as many as 2,000 people registered in the wrong constituency."

Mr Barritt said he supported the Boundaries Commission report but that it was only half of the equation. He said he hoped a full debate on the Parliamentary Election Act would be done "post haste".

Government MP Dale Butler urged the people of Bermuda to ensure they were registered in the correct constituency and commended the Parliamentary Registry for its regular mailing and media campaigns.

Education Minister Walter Roban praised the Boundaries Commission's efforts and told the House of Assembly it created "a canvas to reshape, redraw and redefine" the electoral boundaries. Mr Roban said: "This Commission is one of the wonderful features of the constitution. This is the one feature I think we all can agree on and has worked well for this country."

While he admitted the commission was not perfect, he said the technology and professional skills available were "world class".

Attorney General and Justice Minister Michael Scott said the Commission's role was to configure lines throughout the Island. These would "create an equal amount of people electorates as possible so when the time comes to vote one a party it will be as equal and fair as it possibly can be," he explained.

He said race nor parish could not be used as a means for determining boundaries, but pointed out that race featured in the "constitutional language".

Opposition MP Patricia Gordon Pamplin criticised comments from Mr Scott that the commission had no mandate to try and achieve balance and equality. Without these objectives she said: "I can think of a lot better ways (the Commission) can spend their time.

"Let us not fool ourselves with the purpose and I would certainly hope members would be appreciative of the fact.

"In order to have equality you have to have this exercise and to suggest this exercise is a non-equity is just a non-starter it makes absolutely no sense.

But Ms Gordon Pamplin, like many other MPs, was in support of the Boundary Commission and said: "The work they have done is sterling and their contributions have been invaluable.

"I believe the ultimate result is one that will be valuable as it relates to the next general election."