Calling the media racist because of concerns over recent Government contracts was "way off base'', according to Opposition MP Michael Dunkley.

Mr. Dunkley spoke out following comments made by PLP MP Dale Butler on the controversy over the awarding of two Government contracts.

"Maybe Mr. Butler is trying to gain sympathy by playing the racism card,'' he said.

"Often the racism card is played when people don't have an answer to a question.'' Intense criticism and speculation surfaced when the Government granted the $3 million airport security contract to Guardwell Security Services.

The electronic media broadcast charges of nepotism, and The Royal Gazette followed up with several stories in its attempt to find out who the company's owners were.

Speculation was further fuelled when the company's administrators refused to release the identity of the company's owners, as required by law until threatened with legal action. It later emerged that former UBP cabinet minister John Irving Pearman was one of the company's major shareholders.

Days later construction company BermudaTech, crying foul over the tendering process for the $70 million Berkeley contract, made public its concerns.

Mr. Butler and other PLP MPs were incensed at what they saw as an unusual amount of interest in a Government tendering process that had not changed much since the days of UBP rule.

And Mr. Butler said that race had to have played a part.

Works and Engineering Minister Alex Scott said there was "prejudice in some sectors of the media''.

But Mr. Dunkley, making it clear that he was defending the media specifically in this issue, said that elected officials should expect scrutiny from the media.

"Not to say that racism hasn't played a part in the past... But in this case I can't see why it has any bearing.'' He added that Mr. Butler's contention that such scrutiny did not occur under UBP rule was evidence that his memory was failing. "I can remember lots of projects where there was a barrage of questions from the media,'' he said. As an example, he pointed to the furore that erupted when a project to conduct extensive renovations at the airport suffered delays and budget overruns as well as allegations that the minister in charge was a financial beneficiary.

He said that Sydney Stallard, a former minister of transport was also the subject of scrutiny when the bus garage was moved from Foot of the Lane to Palmetto Road.

"My point is that this has happened in the past and, hopefully, they will do it in the future,'' said Mr. Dunkley. "There's nothing wrong with the media looking into any government business.'' Mr. Dunkley said that his concern over the Berkeley contract centred around whether the winning bid was offering value for money and whether the project will be completed in a timely manner and conform to high standards of quality.

"It seems to me when the media says something we like, nobody says anything.

When they say something we don't like we all jump up and down. We have to appreciate they are doing a job.'' Michael Dunkley