Premier Ewart Brown has been challenged in an international broadcast about his perceived failure to embrace Bermuda's white community.

In a post-election interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), a journalist told the Premier his policies to help black Bermudians play catch-up "clearly sends a signal to the white community and makes them feel uncomfortable in some respects".

Dr.Brown claimed such discomfort was a risk that had to be taken as part of Bermuda's healing process, but the BBC interviewer argued it could make the problem worse. The Premier failed to find favour with Chamber of Commerce boss Philip Barnett last night by stating Bermuda's business community did not need any economic reassurance because it is probably 90 percent controlled by white Bermudians.

Mr. Barnett reiterated his growing concern that rival jurisdictions are preparing to take advantage of any moves that make Bermuda a less attractive option to international businesses.

Dr. Brown's race relations consultant Rolfe Commissiong defended the Premier's stance yesterday, repeating his belief that the onus is on whites to end Bermuda's racial divide.

United Bermuda Party members argued empowerment policies should help all disadvantaged groups, not just blacks.

The BBC interview, thought to have taken place on Wednesday, featured a tense exchange in which the reporter interrupted the Premier on several occasions to question his logic.

When Dr. Brown said whites' discomfort brought on by his move to single out black businesses for help was a necessary risk, the interviewer cut in saying:"But you see, you see Premier, the first thing you are doing is reaching out to your black electorate. You haven't said anything as yet about reaching out to the white part of your population and that."

The Premier replied:"That's because you didn't raise it."

Pressed again on how we would reassure whites, Dr. Brown said:"Well, we've reassured all of our people. And the white population of Bermuda really doesn't need a great deal of reassurance.

"The economy of Bermuda in the private sector is probably 90 percent controlled by white Bermudians so they don't really need any economic reassurance."

Reacting yesterday, Mr. Barnett said:"The Premier's a very measured man, incredibly intelligent. I hope he sees what's good for Bermuda as a whole instead of getting too wrapped up in insular issues that have the threat of taking our eyes off the ball.

"The world doesn't see Bermuda as a white or black country. We compete on a global level and we need to start looking at that side of things.

"It's important to talk (about race) but identifying certain segments of our population to right past injustices needs to be very carefully thought out.We need to take forward the country as a whole.

"If we start getting too caught up on insular issues, we will get overtaken. Different jurisdictions are gunning for us. Our model has been very successful right across the board. They are looking to Bermuda to see if they can steal some of our best practices."

Mr. Barnett said countries such as Caymans and Ireland posed a threat, while he had been peppered with questions from business bosses in Aruba, which wants to adopt a similar model to Bermuda.

Explaining what could make some companies leave, he added:"We could potentially have what could be seen as overprotective immigration policies. We are potentially telling individuals: 'You have got to go now.'"

Mr. Commissiong said the reporter's hostile tone led him to suspect he had been speaking to the UBP before interviewing the Premier.

On the suggestion that the PLP should do more to embrace whites, he said:"I don't know we can do much more than we have. I think that some of that smacks of condescension.

"The inconvenient truth is that white Bermudians need to examine their approach to the political process. Clearly Zane DeSilva, Jane Correia, Edgar Wilkinson and Wendell Hollis have shown that the water is fine. We didn't have to make any extraordinary efforts for their votes."

Stating the onus was on whites, he said:"I think the white community needs to look at itself in the mirror. Even if we had ten to 12 percent of Bermuda's white community voting for the PLP, that in itself would end the racial polarisation of politics in Bermuda.

"We would hope by 2007 that the white community would join with us in this anti-racist movement."

New Opposition MP for Pembroke West and UBPchairman Shawn Crockwell said:"The Premier has a responsibility to govern on behalf of all Bermudians, irrespective of race. Every leader has a responsibility to ensure their policies are beneficial to everyone."

He said the Portuguese and some whites also needed to be helped.

Acting Opposition leader Patricia Gordon-Pamplin said:"The Premier has made the assumption that all black people are disadvantaged and all whites are privileged. There must be a real effort to bridge the racial divide, not the superficial approach that his Government has taken.

"They had nine months of the Big Conversation, only to undo any progress within the last two weeks of the election. That was clearly the intent, as the dropping of the writ was accompanied by the Premier's statement that the election would be nasty."

Political commentator Stuart Hayward accused the Premier of failing to answer the reporter's questions properly.

"One question was, in essence, what concrete steps is the Premier going to take to unite the people," said Mr. Hayward.

"That would have been an ideal opportunity for the Premier to lay out his plans for community healing.

"His choice, instead, to highlight compensation for black-owned businesses displays at best a misunderstanding of what leads to healing or at worst an intent to promote getting even over getting together.

"It certainly didn't answer the question. Healing is definitely needed, and Statesmanship would have the Premier speak words and take actions that were unmistakably reparative.

"The Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers said its response is contained in an advertisement in today's Royal Gazette, which says in part:"Now is a time for healing and looking to the future.... We must reflect upon the commonalities that bind us and our shared need to work toward 'One Bermuda' to which we are committed."