Former Environment Minister Arthur Hodgson launched a scathing attack in Parliament on Government's leadership style saying it had fallen into the trap of the United Bermuda Party of excluding opponents.

And the Opposition United Bermuda Party claimed the Progressive Labour Party has become an "imperial" government, thriving on secrecy, which refuses to tolerate opposing opinions.

Though he did not name Premier Jennifer Smith, Mr. Hodgson said Bermuda needed statesmanship, not leadership, and called on the UBP to come up with alternative solutions to the Island's problems. Mr. Hodgson, sacked by Ms Smith after challenging her for the leadership of the Progressive Labour Party, blamed Bermuda's political system for the continued secrecy of governments.

But, speaking in the House of Assembly on Wednesday, he said the Government, and all MPs, will be called to account for how they behaved in office. Mentioning how former labour leader Dr E.F. Gordon had his mortgage withdrawn when he was campaigning, Mr. Hodgson said: "That kind of thing doesn't disappear overnight.

"It becomes ingrained in society so that even those opposed to that kind of behaviour believe they have to become a part of that. The oppression of the poor by the poor is like driving rain leaving nothing behind."

He referred to those who had just acquired power as like the "nouveau riche", adding: "When you have lived through that kind of society and have an appreciation of justice and equity, you want a different kind of society. This is where it come to the question of leadership.

"This is where we come to a distinction between the politician and the statesman. The politician finds out where people are and gets in front. The statesman finds the truth and hopes people will follow. This is the time for statesmen and we all have a responsibility for which we will all have to give an account. It may not be at the next election, but rest assured we will will at the end of the day give an account as to how we performed in public office."

He said while some could legitimately say the PLP had only been in power just over three years and haven't had time, the UBP could not because of their legacy of division and discrimination.

He called on every member of parliament, church official and judge to take responsibility for leadership in Bermuda. He said the PLP through its constant campaigning had forced the UBP to adopt every major piece of social legislation it introduced. He told UBP MPs: "You have facts. Go out and advocate a course of action for Bermuda that will show us that we are a better country."

Responding to a heckler from the Opposition benches, Mr. Hodgson said: "The honourable (UBP) member says we won't listen. We didn't think you listened, but they are forced to listen. Every government is forced to listen.

"They don't listen immediately. An elephant takes a very long time to deliver a baby, and like every species, eventually a new day comes. You can't stop them. You can bring about revolution. All the revolutions in eastern Europe were led by men who were out of government.

"At the end of the day, we have to come to a place where we are talking about a vision for Bermuda, where Bermudians are working together, where we can live arm in arm, black and white, rich and poor, the haves and the have-nots, we can make a new Bermuda and be an example to the world."

Opposition Whip Maxwell Burgess said it was time for the PLP to stop blaming the system for its own failure to deliver its election promises.

"You can't have it both ways," said Mr. Burgess who said the PLP were better in opposition than in government. "If the PLP believes this is true, they should return to the role that they know best of pushing and prodding for what is best. They have proved being in charge is something they are not used to. They are good followers, bad leaders.

"You can't take charge and blame the system if you can't get to grips that it is my responsibility."

Mr. Burgess said the Premier's pre-Cup Match report to the House in which she said she wanted to reignite hope, proved that the PLP had failed the people. He said Mr. Hodgson's speech sounded as if he was trying to "cleanse his conscience" for failing to stop the Premier's leadership style.

Shadow Legislative Affairs Minister John Barritt said Premier Smith had refused to publish a raft of reports and failed to consult even her own backbenchers - like Mr. Hodgson - on some key initiatives such as constitutional reform and Caricom. After four years in power, the PLP's style was "secrecy and stealth" and complete intolerance of opposing opinion both in the House of Assembly and in Bermuda, claimed Mr. Barritt.

"The message is snub, snub, and ignore. It is not just members of this House, it is the community. The message is: `Be reasonable and do it my way, and if you don't do it my way, it's the high way'."

Mr. Barritt added: "Lot's of people, not just in the UBP, are familiar with that message and know the pattern. And there are members of the PLP who have suffered at the hands of that."

The Premier had said she had no plans for constitutional change, yet six months later presented a fait accompli to slash the number of seats in the House of Assembly, Mr. Barritt continued, adding there was no sign of the asbestos report into Government MP Arthur Pitcher's removal of the material from Southside two years ago; details of the Bermuda Housing Corporation scandal were unknown because the report has not been released due to possible criminal prosecutions; and the public was kept in the dark on progress at Berkeley School.

He said Government should have had a joint committee of the House to look at Caricom if it thought it was in the country's best interest, but instead to kept it to a Cabinet committee and taxi drivers, teachers, fishermen, even Bermuda Industrial Union members had been ignored by the Government. "Why do we leave people out in the cold like this? Why do we treat people this way?" he asked. "Is it because they are stupid? No. It is because they have minds and voices to express how they feel. Are other opinions and views truly valued by the government of the day?

"It appears there is no room for genuine discord. If the UBP had a record of this - it was called arrogance - the PLP has taken it down to another level. One can only describe this style of Government as an imperial style these last four years. The irony is the government said it was going to be transparent and operate in the sunshine of public scrutiny."