Mark PettingillMark Pettingill joined the United Bermuda Party once they had lost the 1998 election. “I had my career, and it was starting to take flight. The PLP came into power and the UBP leader, Pam Gordon, asked me to be in the Senate. I was 33 on the day!”He became a mover and shaker in the upheaval that followed, with the Bermuda Democratic Alliance, and then OBA starting in his kitchen. “I was there, as well as Darius Tucker and others. There was no secret plan,” he said. “We wanted to see significant change — it wasn’t happening and after a couple of years, that came to a head.“It was an awful time for me — there were a lot of allegations and criticisms. It wasn’t pleasant,” he said.“It’s all come to right now because things have developed. Now exists a party that has people from all walks of life, all political backgrounds, across the divide — you couldn’t ask for more there. They are people who have an interest in putting Bermuda first. Some were UBP, some were PLP and some weren’t involved at all.”He said the OBA is an “entirely different structure — with different people in different key positions.” And he believes that people should feel they can move from one party to another. “There should be transition in politics — the whole idea that I support the PLP for life, for example — politics is not family and it’s not a football team! I have no qualms in moving away from certain allegiances or sides. The whole idea of putting party before country — well, no one is going to intimidate you when you get behind the curtain of the voting booth,” he said.Mr Pettingill is a father of three children who is a yoga enthusiast and a keen reader, among the things he enjoys doing. He went to school at Gilbert Institute and Warwick Academy before going to Mount Allison University where he was awarded both a BA and B.Ed. He went from Nova Scotia to London where he went to law school at Gray’s Inn. He’s been a Crown Counsel, a defence attorney and an acting magistrate, and today he is prominent defence lawyer who practices from Charter Chambers Bermuda Ltd. As an MP, he currently represents Warwick West and is the shadow minister of Public Works.Dale ButlerDale Butler has been an Member of Parliament since the Progressive Labour Party first took power in 1998. He is legendary for his high energy levels and ‘can do’ approach. He admitted he is working on about three hours of sleep a night at the moment, and he is one of those rare people who can do it. ”I canvas the day after I am elected, and I will continue to do that,” he said.When single seat constituencies were introduced he ran in Warwick North East and has represented it ever since. As the Government’s Minister for Community Affairs and Sports, and then as Minister for Culture and Social Rehabilitation, Mr Butler was responsible for countless initiatives including National Heroes Day, the 2004 Carifta Games, the 2005 20/20 Cricket Competition, Mirrors, Bermuda Heartbeats Historical Lectures and the renaming of Portuguese Rock. Additionally, Mr Butler has been responsible for the Charles Bean Memorial Lecture, the Rubber Tree Festival and the Variety Artists Hall of Fame. He is a prolific author and has also produced four videos.The boundary changes for constituency 25 have been significant, losing in the constituency a section of Ord Road, and moving in among other places Mizzentop, Hinson’s Island, Marshall’s Island and Gamma Island. With the higher income demographics those changes represent, even for a candidate who enjoys the cross-over appeal of Mr Butler, it does make the job of fighting this constituency under the PLP banner a more difficult one.He resigned from Cabinet when Premier Ewart Brown brought in four Uighurs under a cloak of secrecy, in response to the outrage of his constituents. He cites this decision to demonstrate that he puts his constituents first. “I listened carefully to my constituents over the Uighurs and I resigned, so I have been responsive,” he said. Even though he says he is personally in favour of gambling, citing free choice, he voted against its legalisation because of the concerns of his constituents.The politician sees himself in Cabinet in a new Government. “I feel I’ll win in that seat, and be back in Cabinet and continue to serve Bermudians,” he said. He doesn’t yet know what Ministry he might be tapped for, but reiterated a long-held desire to be the Minister of Education. “Education is going to be a priority,” and he recalled that Opposition leader L. Frederick Wade when the PLP narrowly missed forming the Government in 1996, had asked him if he would take on education should the PLP have won. “It would have been a lot easier then than now,” he said a little ruefully.Today, Mr Butler lives in Hamilton, and also works hard in his own neighbourhood. He has established a community centre there. “I have a day job and the Little Venice has been very good to me,” he said. None the less, he said he was in his office yesterday morning at 7am. He is director responsible for training at the MEF group.Mr Butler went to the Central School and then to The Berkeley Institute. He went on to the United Kingdom where he attended the University of Sussex, then Indiana University and Miami University. His degrees include an M.A., a M.Ed and a B.Ed.He enjoys reading and plays squash. He is married to Marrah Tijamo and has two grown-up sons.