Shadow Minister of Community Affairs Mr. Reginald Burrows stressed that the economy is uncertain because of unemployment in the United States and the uncertainty over visitors in July and August.

Mr. Burrows said: "In the past we have had overemployment and people have had two or three jobs who were able to purchase house. Now they have only one job and are finding they have difficulty in paying.'' The Bermudian Parliament is void of corruption, he said, something you rarely see anywhere else in the world.

He said: "Formerly well kept verges have not been cut for a long time, the garbage is only collected once a week and the Police service has been cut.

Bermudian people deserve a lot of credit for their tolerance of the cuts in service that have been made.'' Transport Minister the Hon. Ralph Marshall agreed with Mr. Burrows over the lack of corruption. He added: "There are not many jurisdictions in the world where the private sector is not accusing the government of corruption.'' Mr.

Marshall said that creating jobs in the recession was obvious and not a PLP idea.

Concerning the training of Bermudian's as air traffic controllers if the US Navy leaves the airport, Mr. Marshall said: "there is no need to train air traffic controllers if the US Navy has not moved out. If they do move we can get them to stay on a while and train Bermudians, but what is the point in training them if they are not going to be used.'' Mr. Marshall said civil service had been put in place by the UBP Government over the last 30 years, and they are now mainly Bermudian.

Shadow Education Minister Ms Jennifer Smith said many young people were unaware of or felt unable to take advantage of economic opportunities, and that was a sign "our education process has not served its purpose.

"It's not enough just to create an opportunity and say that it's there,'' Ms Smith said. "Let's find a method by which they can share in it.'' The sun was rising as Opposition Whip Mr. Stanley Lowe said the speeches had been witty, humorous, and dramatic, sprinkled with gusto and feeling.

"Members believe in it because they love Bermuda and they want to make a contribution to Bermuda,'' Mr. Lowe said.

But despite all his good intentions, Mr. Darrell who moved the motion ended up "with a dog's breakfast'' at the end, he said.

Mr. Darrell's motion was meaningless. It should have said "we deplore the state of the economy,'' or "there's been a wonderful recovery,'' Mr. Lowe said. But at least the motion was "a wonderful opportunity for all members of this House to join in a little bit of campaigning.'' Some Government members used "scaremongering,'' saying exempt companies would leave if the PLP was elected. But the party believed tourism and international business would "always be two of the pillars of our economy.'' Government had not done all that it could to speed recovery. Taxes had taken more dollars out of the economy.

More needed to be done to facilitate training. "We're quick to say we can't get a Bermudian to do that job, simply because that Bermudian, Mr. Speaker, hasn't had the opportunity, hasn't been exposed to it.'' The record in the public sector was good, but the private sector also had to be pushed, he said.

Blacks did not get a fair shake in promotions, and "that, Mr. Speaker, is a real irritant.'' Government did deserve credit for not ringing up a large debt, Mr. Lowe said.

Community, Culture and Information Minister the Hon. Leonard Gibbons said he was proud to be part of the Premier's team "that has managed Bermuda through this recession.

Between January and March, 99 small businesses got advice at the Small Business Development Corporation and 166 people attended workshops and seminars organised by Consumer Affairs. Waiter training courses were held for 40 people, and Government worked with the Salvation Army in feeding the homeless.

"We on this side of the House take it very seriously that Bermudians should be first,'' Mr. Gibbons said.

In 1968, Bermuda and Bahamas were on a level, but now the Bahamas was $1 billion in debt and "Bermuda has a balanced budget.'' He thanked Mr. Darrell for his motion but said: "I am concerned when the president of Bermuda Container Lines, which owns the largest container ship serving Bermuda, which is not registered in Bermuda and employs no Bermudians, brings forward this motion.'' Shadow Youth and Sport Minister Mr. Dennis Lister said he stepped out for air during the debate and spoke with young Bermudian male professionals voicing their frustrations in trying to get ahead.

Government had not supported training for Bermudians because it provided an excuse for importing workers on permits, he said. "Young people must feel they have a stake in the economy.'' Mr. Lister continued: "We cannot sit here and say that the economy is well when our young people are feeling that kind of frustration.

"It's up to the Government to use their powers to try and start addressing these kinds of issues.'' Mr. Lister said Mr. Darrell's motion was too wide-ranging and was not focussed on any particular goal.

Government MP Mr. Philip Smith remarked that tourism is definitely on the rebound spotting more visitors in the streets of Hamilton than last year.

Mr. Smith wondered why the PLP and especially Mr. Hall had spent so much time speaking about the Government's mismanagement of the economy.

He said: "This Government is more involved in the economy than any other country in the world by promoting both international trade and tourism.'' The education system came under the St. George's North MP's scrutiny as he stressed its importance to train youngsters. He was particularly keen to promote accountancy and secretarial work.

Mr. Smith found it incredible that only between five and seven percent of teachers thought that tourism was important. He said: "That is one of the reasons why youngsters are not going into the tourist industry.

"Another reason is that they are discouraged by the labour problems associated with that industry. Strikes and confrontations in the hotels undermine the industry.'' Mr. Smith also called on controls on buses competing with taxis stating that the Government had an obligation to the taxi drivers.

Shadow Minister of Labour and Home Affairs Mrs. Lois Browne Evans said the motion had been stretched as far as it could and would probably prove to be a swan song for many members.

The Government benefited from post-war prosperity and the beauty and location of the Island to develop tourism, Mrs. Browne Evans said.

And it retained power through an unfair system in which votes were not equal, due to the population distribution within the Island's constituencies. The UBP cried for the foreign hoteliers, never the workers, she said. In a democratic society, everyone had the right to withhold labour, but workers' strike threats were blamed for hurting tourism.

The test of the UBP's economic management would be the voters. "There has been a list and a catalogue of things that have gone wrong under their management.'' The PLP believed in forward planning, but the UBP's approach was "ad hoc.'' The UBP could govern the rich, but "ought not to govern a country in which there are poor or middle-class people.'' The Hon. Harry Soares (UBP) said things were expensive in Bermuda, but everything was relative. "What other Island of comparable size has a higher standard of living?'' he asked. "That's the acid test.'' Mrs. Browne Evans talked of gerrymandered seats in Bermuda, but the PLP only received 34 percent of the vote in the last election, Mr. Soares said.

Mathematically, that entitled the party to 13 seats, but the PLP had 15, "more than their fair share already.'' The UBP had foresight, while the PLP only had economic hindsight, he said. Mr.

Darrell complained Government had not cut staff in the recession, he noted.

But while demand dropped for private companies in an economic downturn, demands on Government increased.

"Everything looks easy for the man who doesn't have to do it -- the man on the sidelines,'' Mr. Soares said. "My friend in the NLP falls into that category.'' During the long debate, Mr. Morton "took the cake'' when he said the UBP members were born into wealth and power, he said. "What you are seeing are people who at a young age saw an opportunity...'' "Come on -- the system worked for you,'' shouted Mr. Wade. "I made it work for me,'' Premier the Hon. Sir John Swan shouted back. The UBP believed Government was there to help people do things for themselves, while the PLP "would control every facet of the economy,'' Mr. Soares said. But "central planning does not work.'' "Ah, nonsense,'' shouted Mrs. Browne Evans.

International companies did not fear the UBP, but a "tax and spend PLP Government.

"Many of them are flocking to Government and saying they want legislation to allow them to get out of this country, because they're afraid of the PLP.'' "More bogeyman stuff,'' said Mrs. Browne Evans.

Mr. Ottiwell Simmons (PLP) had not originally intended to speak but he was on his feet for more than 30 minutes.

Mr. Simmons said: "What appears to have started as Mr. Darrell's motion became a bit of a hayride for the Government thinking they are going off on a picnic.

"They thought it would give them a monopoly stating what they had done over the country. This hayride has backfired. The horse ate the hay.'' The BIU President said that the Government had refused to accept responsibility for the recession but instead passed the blame on to the Opposition and the union.

Mr. Simmons attacked Mr. Smith for saying blacks blamed all their problems on everyone else.

The MP said he always asked black members why they joined the UBP instead of the PLP.

"Because you might kick us out, like you did the honourable member who put the motion,'' Mr. Pearman shouted.

Mr. Simmons said the answer he heard was that they wanted to work from the inside and "black people have got to be where the power is.'' But, "I haven't yet seen black power as I know black power to be,'' Mr.

Simmons said. "As far as black people are concerned, they have got a dishonourable discharge from the race -- they're now coloured folk.'' Blacks were held as slaves, but "every time we try to value our pride or advance ourselves, we are labelled as racists, or as troublemakers,'' he said.

The UBP thrived on divisions in the community, and while everyone should be working together to pull out of the recession "we're like the food chain in the jungle -- what we've started to do is feast off the workers.'' The world was emerging from a recession and the UBP had nothing to do with it, he said.

Mr. Simmons then engaged in a lengthy dispute over whether he could refer to a labour dispute involving the trucking division of the Bermuda Industrial Union.

The debate will be continued in tomorrow's newspaper.

RECORD SPEECH -- Mr. Julian Hall MP filibustered for three and a half hours on Friday night and Saturday morning. Former clerk of the House Mr. John Gilbert said Mr. Hall's speech broke a two and a half-hour record set by former MP Mr.

Austin Thomas.