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Fleming: Social issues need more attention

Claudette Fleming

Only half-marks were awarded to the Throne Speech from seniors advocate Claudette Fleming.She said Government’s agenda for the coming year “embodied a status quo, conservative ideology with a great deal of emphasis on private sector business”.More needed to be done for social issues, said Ms Fleming, director of Age Concern.“I think the new Government can do a lot better in assuring the Bermudian public that it can do more than balance a budget,” she said.She gave the speech five marks out of ten for its attention to social justice.“We look forward to seeing evidence of a greater social conscience in the days to come,” she added.She described Government’s pledge to boost “operational efficiencies” in the Department of Social Insurance as “a good move”.However, when asked for her response to Government’s plan to add age discrimination to the Human Rights Act, Ms Fleming replied: “If I said ‘yawn’ would that be rude? When is it actually going to happen?”