Former Tourism Minister Renee Webb yesterday backed the privatisation of the Tourism Department as “an excellent step in the right direction”.Throwing her support behind Tourism Minister Shawn Crockwell’s announcement of the switch to a Tourism Authority, the former Progressive Labour Party MP added: “Deliver or be fired is not the mindset within Government — as SAGE is no doubt discovering.”Ms Webb hailed the move as “exactly what is needed if we are to change the downward spiral of tourism in Bermuda”.“Any professional who saw how the Department has been run would understand, and support the move,” Ms Webb told The Royal Gazette.Giving professionals the reins of the industry would allow the hiring of “the best and the brightest who are capable of getting tourism back to being an economic force”, she said.“If they fail, they can be replaced as any other private sector business would do.”Shadow Minister Wayne Furbert said on Wednesday that “credible allegations” of job cuts were “disturbing”, in the face of One Bermuda Alliance assurances that no cuts would be made to the civil service.While Mr Crockwell insisted no jobs would be lost in the transition, calling the allegations “totally false and malicious”, Government last night remained tight-lipped on details of the changeover.A Ministry spokesman said it would be inappropriate to comment while Department staff were in talks with the Bermuda Public Services Union.“Details of the transition will be explained once the legislation is tabled and debated in the House of Assembly in September,” he said.