The department was effectively non-operational from the end of last month when Government suddenly ordered it to relocate to smaller offices.

As a result of the 11th-hour move, department staff spent their working days shifting furniture and unpacking boxes, costing the taxpayer thousands of dollars in lost man-hours.

Yesterday Auditor General Larry Dennis confirmed that his office was non-operational for two weeks after the move, and is only now beginning to get back to audit work. He added that full service will not be resumed for another four weeks.

The United Bermuda Party's Grant Gibbons said that up to $300,000 of taxpayers' money had effectively been wasted because of the last-minute shuffle.

Dr. Gibbons focused his attack on Works & Engineering Minister David Burch, who ordered the move to take place. But he also rounded on Premier Alex Scott for failing to make his Government accountable.

"According to this year's Budget Statement, the cost of operating the Auditor General's Department works out to roughly $200,000 per month ? $2.36 million for 2006/07," Dr. Gibbons said.

"For the office to be disrupted and effectively non-productive for four to six weeks as the Auditor General has stated, means that Sen. Burch, through his actions, has effectively wasted some $200,000 to $300,000 of taxpayers money.

"Sen. Burch has also further set back the important process of auditing Government departments and the production of audited financial statements. Bermuda doesn't need Cabinet Ministers who act impulsively without proper thought for their actions. We see enough of this kind of behaviour every day in the courts.

"For Sen. Burch to act as he did in moving the Auditor General's office without thought for the consequences displays very poor judgment. And if he did understand the consequences, then clearly he should be fired for deliberately undermining and disrupting the Office of the Auditor General.

"Amongst other instances of poor judgment, Sen. Burch also deliberately undermined the selection process and credibility of the new Commanding Officer of the Regiment ? an institution whose integrity he was responsible for protecting as a former Commanding Officer.

"In doing so he clearly went against the direction and endorsement of his own Cabinet colleague, Mr. Horton, under whose ministerial responsibility the Regiment falls. And it is therefore the Premier's responsibility to sort out this very clear violation of collective responsibility.

"No government can call itself accountable unless it holds itself accountable and there can be no confidence in the Premier unless he does his job and holds his Cabinet colleagues accountable for their actions.

"Unfortunately, there have been numerous instances in the last few years where PLP Ministers should have been held accountable by this Premier and they were not ? a pattern which sends a clear message to the community that PLP Ministers can do as they please without any consequences. There is no better time for the Premier to demonstrate that he holds his Ministers accountable ? as promised ? and that he places the interests of his fellow citizens above issues of personal ego and pride. The Premier needs to fire Minister Burch now."

In a report in yesterday's , Sen. Burch confirmed that he had met with the Premier earlier in the week, but refused to elaborate on what was discussed.

"I'm still a Minister," was the only comment he would make to the newspaper.

Yesterday Department of Communications and Information director Beverle Lottimore did not respond to questions about the meeting from the