Premier Ewart Brown addressed Bermuda on its economic outlook Monday night, but the Island may not have been listening.

After walking for more than an hour around the City of Hamilton and after asking more than 40 people whether they saw his televised speech, only four people said they had watched it while two read the full transcript in this newspaper Tuesday morning.

Many on the street said they were working or helping their children with homework – or simply did not know about the address when they were asked.

For those who had watched the address the overwhelming sentiment was that the Premier gave a fair warning, but could have offered more substance and more cost-cutting measures.

Darron Fleming, who works for Sea Express and read the speech in this paper said: "It's a fair warning since the financial trouble in the rest of the world. We should expect financial hard times."

However a 32-year-old Bermudian male who did not wish to be identified, said: "It came across as obviously reassuring the people, but the timing, with everything in the papers, it just seemed more of him reassuring himself rather than the people."

In the 12-minute address to the country, which was aired on VSB, ZBM and CITV at 8 p.m. on Monday night, Dr. Brown acknowledged Bermuda's economy was in for hard times.

And he said tourism and insurance would suffer from the international finance crisis, however Government was committed to delivering social programmes such as free student transport, free child care to those making less than $70,000 and free Bermuda College tuition to students pursuing a Bachelor's degree for the first time.

Dr. Brown indicated that the Government would also phase in capital projects to ensure employment while they would place a six-month moratorium on non-essential Government travel.

The Ministers and the Premier will also have to travel by coach class for any flight under three hours – upgrades with frequent flyer miles will be allowed.

Dueane Dill, an insurance executive, who read the speech in this paper yesterday said: "I didn't think there was much new in it.

"I read it and unfortunately it just washed over me; nothing that made me excited or upset."

A 25-year-old Bermudian male took aim at the announcement of coach travel saying: "When he made the comment about Government officials taking coach (I thought) they should have been taking coach rather than spending people's money on first class tickets before.

"I would like to see the day I am in coach and he (the Premier) is in coach."

However one 39-year-old female administrative assistant said: "I think it was helpful because people are not too sure right now. I just would expect more, but I guess I will just have to wait and see if it materialises."

A Bermudian man in his 30s said: "It was a little more of what we have seen on the US since a few weeks ago. There could have been more on cost-cutting. Measures like Government taking coach classes — it's not the most important issue."