Date: Fri 17-Nov-2000

PLP must get back to its roots

By Matthew Taylor

The Progressive Labour Party should be true to its labour roots and give long-term residents status according to one campaigner. Robert Pires of the Coalition for Long-Term Residents claims the majority of those applying for rights are working class and not the high-earning ex-patriates which have drawn the fire of locals at public meetings on the long- term residency situation. Today the House of Assembly will debate Government proposals on increasing the rights of long-term residents -- but the Coalition For Long-Term Residents wants full status to be granted.

Last night Mr. Pires said: ``As a labour party the PLP should deal constructively with working class people.``The great majority are labourers, with the Portuguese they are cropping hedges and mowing lawns and cleaning people's houses.``98 percent of the Portuguese and 99 percent of the Jamaicans are working class. ``At the long-term residency meetings the resentment wasn't towards those people, it was towards the highly paid expats coming in. ``But those people tend to be more transient, they tend to come and go but that's not to say some could not be eligible for consideration in respect to long-term residency. ``They have sufficient wherewithal they can pick up and go elsewhere. ``But those with Bermudian children who have lived here for 30 or 40 years don't have that option. ``You expect as a labour government to deal more considerately with those people. To not grant them citizenship is to deny them political rights. To not grant the right of owning property is to preclude them from achieving sufficient economic security to retire near their Bermudian families. ``And to not allow them to own businesses is to deny them the most basic of<

human economic freedoms.''

``It's about giving them the right to live out their life with their children and grandchildren. It's not about black and white, it's a moral and compassionate issue.'' Mr. Pires attacked the way the Green Paper was drawn up and the subsequent meetings on the issue were handled. He said: ``We are shocked it was done without any information, they haven't got the concensus. ``77 percent of those who applied for Working Residents Certificates two

years ago were over 50 so they were unlikely to have further children.''

Mr. Pires pointed out that of the 1,400 residents who were eligible only 551 applied. ``And the children they do have are already Bermudian so for the Government to raise in the Green Paper that there will be whole new lines of Bermudians is baloney -- they are already Bermudian. ``That applies to the issue of scare resources -- they are already here. ``The Government weren't objective in handling this issue, they were undermining the granting of rights.'' Government MP Dale Butler said Mr. Pires had made some good points, adding that the Green Paper would help address the concerns of long-term residents. He said: ``It's a discussion document, the options are still on the table.'' He said the option of status, ruled out at the moment, could show up at a later stage.

Mr. Butler said long-term residents had been treated like indentured slaves but said Mr. Pires and Opposition MP Trevor Moniz had not taken an interest in the issue when he had raised the alarm in 1976 when he returned to the country from overseas studies. Mr. Butler said: ``That's when the country should have done something about it but there was a lack of direction from the Government at the time. ``These workers were sackable or they would give their guaranteed support. ``There were people who had been here for five years and had children aged three, I asked what would happen in ten years' time. ``The Government's response was that Bermudianisation would help replace them. But the education system wasn't in place to do that.''

Mr. Moniz said: ``I hope the Government will take on board the submissions of the broader public and of the bishops of the Anglican, Roman Catholic and AME churches who urged them to do the right thing. `There was the poll by Walton Brown which said the majority are in favour of those people having status.'' Mr. Moniz said he was still optimistic Government would go for full status even though they have already publicly ruled it out at this stage. He said: ``Hope blooms eternally in the human heart. I hope people say let's put aside the political agenda and do the right thing.''

Coalition member and West Indian Association Vice President Foster Burke said the Green Paper was more like a White Paper because status had already been ruled out. He said: ``We want the Government to take the morale high ground like they did in the election. It's a moral issue.'' He said it would be a travesty if people who had spent the best part of their lives in Bermuda were denied their full rights.