Opposition Senate Leader Kim Swan yesterday attacked Progressive Labour Party politicians for slinging racial slurs at the United Bermuda Party when they were living and then lauding them when they die.

Speaking after Senators from all sides had paid tribute to United Bermuda Party activist and desegregation pioneer Dr. Stanley Ratteray (see story below), Sen. Swan attacked Government Sen. Calvin Smith for saying to UBP Senators: "You used to be black once."

The statement was made months ago but Sen. Swan said the issue was still live as various people including Sen. Smith were still arguing about it in the letters page of this paper.

Sen. Smith had said he made the comment in response to the refusal of the UBP Senators to support legislation designed to increase financial assistance to the poor and disadvantaged.

But Sen. Swan said it had occurred in a debate on global positioning systems (GPS) in taxis.

"Why does Sen. Smith feel it necessary to defame and malign members character or integrity in that way," asked Sen. Swan.

He said Sen. Smith was using it as a political manoeuvre. He said the likes of Dr. Ratteray had been forced to endure this type of politically-motivated abuse during their lives.

"I hope we don't have to wait until one character is funeralised before the Sen. Calvin Smiths of this world stand up and say I know he was a good man. Maliciously maligning people like me and my family won't do Bermuda any good."

Sen. Smith said the island was already polarised and he pointed to figures from the 2000 census which showed that despite being the majority, blacks were not getting a fair share of the top positions.

He said: "That is something which gets black people upset."

He said despite the PLP's election, institutionalised racism was still rife.

"Even though we are in power we can't do a whole lot about it."

He said Government had given out millions of dollars in assistance to hotels but now everyone was getting "extremely upset that we might be helping the company at Berkeley that is black".

He said he wouldn't stop talking about these issues, even if it did hurt Sen. Swan's feelings.

Sen. Leonard Santucci (UBP) said it was racist to say that people who had different political affiliations had changed their racial classification.

He called for a higher standard of debate and objected to other racial slurs such as saying opponents had a "plantation mentality".

He said: "I believe it's spoken out of ignorance or stupidity."