Those were the battle lines yesterday as MPs debated new broadcasting regulations for radio and television late into the night.

Government said the new rules would protect Bermudians from slander and help assure decency on local radio and TV programmes.

The Opposition, which described the Broadcasting Commissioners as United Bermuda Party "hacks,'' said Government was stifling free speech and criticism in the run-up to a general election.

Despite Progressive Labour Party protests, the House approved second and third readings of The Broadcasting Commissioners Amendment Act 1993, as well as The Sound Broadcasting Service Regulations 1993 and the Television Broadcasting Service Amendment Regulations 1993.

With Management and Technology Minister the Hon. Michael Winfield in the Senate, it was up to Finance Minister the Hon. David Saul to steer the changes through the House.

Amendments to the 40-year-old Broadcasting Commissioners Act give more powers to the commissioners, including powers to regulate and prohibit advertising and fundraising, and classify programmes in a similar way that movies are rated.

The new regulations require callers to TV and radio stations to give their names, addresses, and telephone numbers before going on air. There must be a seven-second delay between when callers' words are spoken and broadcast.

Stations must record all broadcasts and store them for 30 days. Only charities may appeal for funds on air. All tobacco advertising would be banned, and alcohol advertising restricted further.

It was the changes affecting phone-in talk shows that riled the Opposition most.

Opposition MP Mr. David Allen said he was reminded of the censorship in George Orwell's novel 1984. "Big Brother is very much with us in these oppressive regulations,'' he said. "This is a cold-blooded, calculated move to clamp down on free speech on the eve of an election.'' But Government backbencher the Hon. John Stubbs said they were necessary controls on the public airways that would protect both broadcasters and the public. "The greatest threat to freedom of speech is the abuse of that freedom,'' he said.

The PLP questioned the independence of the commissioners, who are appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Minister. But if the PLP was not consulted, a party policy of refusing to sit on Government boards was to blame, Health and Social Services Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness said.

Mr. Edness said he was a victim of the "sickness of people trying to say things about other people,'' having been "the subject of a systematic poison pen and poison verbal attack for the last several weeks''.

"I have been told: `We're going to get you. We're going to come up to Warwick West and get you.'' Also yesterday, Independent MP Mr. Stuart Hayward was forced to withdraw a remark after Speaker of the House the Hon. David Wilkinson ruled it inferred improper motives among another member.

Mr. Hayward withdrew his comment that voters had been intimidated by a sitting MP.

By his own remark, Mr. Hayward "has given us the very best example of why you need to have these kinds of controls in broadcasting,'' veteran broadcaster Mr. Edness told the House. Otherwise, anyone "can say something to damage the character of another person like that''.