The controversy over the cost of renovations to Clifton, the future home of Premiers, is unsurprising.

Works Minister Sen. David Burch announced last week that the cost of the renovations was more than $1 million, and it was likely to increase to $1.5 million by the time all the work and fitting out was completed.

This is a sizeable amount by any reckoning, particularly when one considers that the basic structure of the home was already in place, and the land already belonged to Government.

Even in Bermuda's current overheated construction market, that's a lot of money for a renovation even if rewiring and new plumbing were required. There are a number of reasons for the controversy.

The first is that former Works Minister Ashfield DeVent, when questioned in the House by Opposition MPs who believed at the time that the cost of the works was close to $500,000, denied all, and said that the cost was only $60,500, and that the Opposition's claims were greatly exaggerated.

Now it turns out that not only were the United Bermuda Party's estimates not exaggerated, they were gross under-estimates. Mr. DeVent, it would appear, misled the House, and should be made to explain the difference between the two sums.

Sen. Burch must have known that when he presented the true figures, there would be a firestorm of criticism. Whether by accident or design, this newspaper was not invited to the tour of Clifton that he arranged last week, but was given his statement later.

In it, Sen. Burch attempted to justify the expenditure by claiming the cost of renovations to former United Bermuda Party Premier Dame Pamela Gordon's home was $400,000. This claim has been denied by Dame Pamela's sister, UBP MP Patricia Gordon Pamplin, who said they were $200,000.

Just where Sen. Burch got his figure from is not clear. But it is true that when Dame Pamela became Premier, she had to move from her Victoria Street family home because it was judged to be a security risk and the home she moved to in Warwick was upgraded for security reasons.

Similarly, Dame Jennifer Smith moved from her family home in St. George's to The Laurels in Devonshire and this too was upgraded, although Sen. Burch did not provide figures for the improvements, which then-Works Minister Alex Scott said were in the tens of thousands of dollars.

Nonetheless, Sen. Burch's motives in bringing up Dame Pamela's home were clearly a diversionary tactic, along the usual Government lines of "the UBP did it too". And as usual, the response to that is "two wrongs don't make a right".

This newspaper is not opposed to the Premier being provided with a Government home. In Dame Jennifer's case, it seemed clear that it would be difficult for her to carry out her duties from her St. George's home.

And the days when Premiers from Sir Henry Tucker to Sir John Swan and David Saul were wealthy enough to have large enough homes of their own are clearly over.

But it's a far cry from providing a home for the Premier to providing an official residence, particularly when the Premier already has Camden to hand for official functions.

And it goes without saying that at a time when people throughout the Island are being stretched to breaking point to obtain any kind of affordable housing, the Government's claim that Clifton will be the "people's house" is nothing less than insulting.

It's been claimed that much of the money being spent went on the security hut needed to protect the Premier. But in the Government's own budgeting, some $275,000 was spent on "exterior works", presumably including this remarkably expensive hut.

Another $240,000 will go on furnishings, which presumably have nothing to do with security.

Sadly, this episode fits into what has become the Government's usual modus operandi. First it denies the suspicions, then it admits the truth (with the usual "they did it too" response") and dares anyone to object, and third, it declares that it is being done to assure the dignity of the elected official and that, somehow, it is for the people's own good.