Premier Ewart Brown yesterday blamed the Opposition for making him miss the Tourism Budget debate this Friday.

Dr. Brown said he informed the United Bermuda Party weeks ago of the dates he would be available but was told last Wednesday that his ministry would be debated while he was off the Island.

The Premier, who is also Tourism Minister, heads to Dominica later this week to attend the Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Caricom Heads of Government.

"Since receiving the debate schedule, Mr. Speaker I have implored the Leader of the Opposition to change the date for the proposed debate on those Heads," Dr. Brown said yesterday in Parliament. "The Leader of the Opposition has refused to accommodate my request and as such I am forced to entrust the conduct of the debate on those Heads to a ministerial colleague.

"Mr. Speaker, I wish to make it clear to this Honourable House and to the people of Bermuda. I wish to lead my own debate. I have been the Minister responsible for Tourism through good times and bad. I have never shirked bad news and never shied from good news. The Opposition's refusal to grant this simple request makes the Shadow Minister's admonition that we must all work together ring exceptionally hollow."

However the UBP defended their position, insisting that the Premier had his priorities wrong.

"So ingrained is his wanderlust a habit that cost taxpayers $30,000 a month last year that he thinks it more important to fly to a Caricom conference than participate in the debate of his own Tourism Ministry.

"The Premier blames the Opposition for being uncooperative in not shifting the Budget debate to accommodate his travel schedule. But we say to the Premier take a good hard look in the mirror. You are the Premier of this Country. Parliament is debating your Government's Budget, which sets out its spending plans for the year. It is the most important document put forward by a government in any given year. It is the nub of the people's business."

Dr. Brown maintained that the Opposition should have shown more flexibility with its arrangements.

He said at a press conference yesterday: "I was shocked because the 17 years that I have been in politics, we never would fail to be flexible because it's a matter of convention," he said.

"I made numerous appeals. I went to the Opposition directly and indirectly. Apparently it's some kind of strategy to say that I'm a Premier who doesn't care for my debate. They select the music, we just dance. They set the pace and we follow."

The UBP's House leader Cole Simons said the move showed the Premier cares more about Caricom than his own Country.

"The point here is that the People's business comes first. The Parliament is fully engaged in it. If anyone wants to opt out, that's their choice. Nobody is forcing the Premier to attend a conference that will have little bearing on Bermuda."

On the top of the agenda at the Caricom Inter-Sessional Meeting are Haiti and the Carribean region's response to the global economic crisis. Twelve heads of government have confirmed that they will attend the conference being held in Roseau, Dominica's capital and largest city.