Home Affairs Minister Quinton Edness is to consult a top lawyer after being branded a liar by the Opposition whip.

Mr. Edness will meet his lawyer, Richard Hector, later this week to discuss possible legal action against Walter Lister.

But he told The Royal Gazette he would "let the matter drop'' if Mr. Lister apologised.

And he accused the Opposition of "not acting like grown-ups'' after they walked out of Parliament on Friday night.

Mr. Lister, Progressive Labour Party whip, accused the Minister of lying to the House of Assembly as the session was finishing.

Parliament was closing down for the Christmas holiday when the Opposition walked out in protest that one of their motions would not be debated.

Minutes after the PLP benches were cleared, Mr. Lister told a newspaper reporter: "Quinton Edness lied to this House when he said he informed me that we would not be meeting next week.

"You have got a job to do when you write your story.'' But Mr. Edness said last night: "It is Mr. Lister who is misleading the public.

"I told him and the Government whip told him that if we could get through our business then the House would rise for Christmas.

"He may not have told his leader but I told him on Friday morning before the House started that we had cleared up all the business and the House would go down that day.'' Parliament was plunged into chaos at 10.35 p.m. on Friday when the PLP left the chamber in protest.

Renee Webb wanted to debate her motion to send a letter to the UK Government claiming it was unconstitutional to prevent Bermudians with dual citizenship from sitting in the House or Senate. But Mr. Edness stood up and said Government had not been given advance notice that the motion would be discussed.

He offered to have the matter carried over but the Opposition objected, lost the vote and the motion was scrapped from the order paper.

The confusion came at the end of a ten-hour debate on the Green Paper on long-term residents.

Mr. Edness, MP for Warwick West, added: "What the PLP did was totally irresponsible.

"We had actually been given less than five hours' notice that the motion on the order paper would be taken up.

"It's the rule of all Westminster Parliaments then when you are proposing a substantive motion, you must give sufficient notice that it will be discussed at a particular time.

"They were playing games and expecting to surprise us. When they couldn't do that they walked out and that's where the irresponsibility comes in. They should have stayed in the House and acted like grown-ups.'' Mr. Edness said he would see Mr. Hector before deciding whether or not to take Mr. Lister to court.

He added: "I certainly can sue him and win. He spoke outside the chamber of the House, which isn't a privileged position.

"The question is whether I waste my time dealing with him. I don't like this business of calling people liars.

"But if Mr. Lister is prepared to apologise then I'm quite prepared to drop the whole matter.

"I don't mind what form the apology is in but it's got to be unequivocal.'' Mr. Lister would not comment when contacted by The Royal Gazette yesterday.

Shadow Home Affairs Minister Alex Scott is already demanding an apology from Premier Pamela Gordon in a separate "liar'' row.

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