The Opposition Senate Leader has called for a review of the status of parliamentarians.

But according to a long-serving parliamentarian, full-time politicians are unrealistic and impractical -- even though leaders rack up full-time hours and their part-time jobs.

PLP Senate leader Milton Scott's call came during the Upper House's final session for the year.

"We should stop selling ourselves short,'' he said.

Sen. Scott said parliamentarians should become full-time workers instead of part-time ones.

Fellow PLP Sen. Neletha Butterfield supported her colleague's call for full-time politicians.

Sen. Butterfield said much was asked and required of MPs and senators like attending functions, reading and researching legislation and communicating with the public.

"It is a demanding job,'' Sen. Butterfield said. "You think you are a walking office.'' But the Health and Social Services Minister Clarence Terceira, a 13-year veteran of the House of Assembly, yesterday said he thought it was unlikely and unpractical for parliamentarians to become full-time workers.

Dr. Terceira said if parliamentarians became full-time workers, then they would have to be paid better.

But he pointed out that the Island could not afford to, nor would want to, pay it's politicians the amount needed to attract people to serve their Country.

"Unless the pay is attractive you are not going to get enough good calibre people going into politics full time,'' Dr. Terceira said. "With part time at least they can enter politics and pursue their careers. A lot of people don't want to give up their careers.'' However, he did concede that there was more to being a politician than the public realised.

And he admitted that since 1988 he has been working full-time at his part-time political job.

"Before 1988 I worked three-days in my practice and I devoted four-days to parliament,'' he recalled. "I often worked 10-to-12 hours on weekends going over Cabinet papers and reports.

"Going into the Ministry does not make for a nine-to-five day, for example you may arrive at 10 a.m. and stay until 7 p.m.,'' he added. "And a lot of your days are taken up with meetings.'' HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY HOA