As a young man in sport, Zane DeSilva was a goalkeeper with Somerset Eagles. He wasn’t the best; he wasn’t the worst, either. But this week, in football parlance, you could say he simply threw one in.

How did the tourism minister think it would go over with the Bermuda public that he has just spent the best part of $4,000 in taxpayer funds to take an incognito tour of his own country?

What a public-relations clanger!

It is not so much that the name “Zane DeSilva” to many is like a red rag to a bull, and for obvious reasons, but the timing ... the timing ... could not be any worse.

At a time when businesses are closing.

At a time when those that are not closing are on redundancy watch.

At a time when heavily taxed families are scrambling to make ends meet.

At a time when schools and schoolteachers are short of supplies.

At a time when the Eliza DoLittle Society is without food, ostensibly because it cannot afford a generator.

At a time when there is a right old moan in progress about a 3 per cent voluntary gratuities “tax”.

The entire episode smacks of privilege, abuse of power, tone-deafness and very little discovery that could not be otherwise gleaned from using the data that is accessible by the already heavily funded and extremely well-paid people of the Bermuda Tourism Authority.

You really could not make this up.

The minister plans to explain himself and deliver his findings to his peers at a future date. What he may find is that this future may be upon him sooner than it takes to shout “Blackjack”.

Having thrown one into his own net, he has given the Opposition an open goal to shoot at during the motion to adjourn tonight, and we hardly believe the likes of Leah Scott, his tourism shadow, or Leader of the Opposition Craig Cannonier will pass on it.