Veteran Progressive Labour Party backbencher Stanley Morton kicked off the motion to adjourn in the House of Assembly on Friday by offering up what sounded like an apology for the Government's performance to date.

He claimed that, through ignorance, some sections of the public were unaware of the difficulties that the current administration faced when it was swept into office some seven months ago.

"I would like to draw to the House's attention the community's concerns -- and there are several concerns that they do have,'' Mr. Morton said.

"Perhaps some is built out of ignorance, but we need to get some things straight -- the perceptions of the present Government.

"There are some people who understand that the Government has been alive for only a short time and there's a lot of work to be done. There's a lot of cleaning up to be done and a lot of re-orientation to be done for a greater understanding of our concepts, of what we mean by a new Bermuda.

"It's something that they need to get a greater understanding of -- what we had to go through before the Government had taken over from the other party.

"Perhaps they should have set aside some time and maybe hired a neutral entity to investigate what has been done. It's the same as one going through an annual audit. Before one takes over a company they would like to see the reports and perhaps they would have a greater understanding of what went on before them -- but we have had to come and grapple with all that.

"It's a question of reorientation and enlightening civil servants and other people who work with Government before we get results.'' When badgered by the Opposition benches to be more specific, the Pembroke East Central MP said: "They are the ones that left us the mess. Administrative problems, things need clearing up. If they give us time they will get a true feeling of what we are doing. These new ministers have been working assiduously to get the system in order and try their best to help everyone.'' Mr. Morton then went on to claim that while there were many worthwhile organisations tackling the problem of drug abuse, more needed to be done to tackle the problem of alcohol addiction.

"These are problems that exist in the whole community and I'm sure a problem for one is a problem for all,'' he said.

"We place an emphasis on heroin and cocaine. Drug use in this colony is a serious problem and it affects every man, woman and child and something must be done about it. But alcohol does as much damage.

"When you kill someone driving we should be considering that we take people off the road for ten years for drink-driving. We have to do something about the problem, not just cocaine but alcohol.

"I would suggest that we, as honourable members, should start setting an example by our own activities. We have to do something about this problem, even if we start with ourselves.'' Attorney General Dame Lois Brown-Evans then rose to dismiss question marks raised in a letter in yesterday's Mid-Ocean News about her Bermudian status.

She said while her father was born in Nevis, her mother and herself were born in Devonshire.

And she explained that her first child was born in the US out of necessity -- there being no gynaecologists on the Island when she went into labour.

PLP MP Walter Lister , of Sandys South, then rose to launch yet another attack on the media.

But this time it was not just The Royal Gazette that came under fire.

Mr. Lister criticised VSB for claiming that there was "a drought'' of legislation in the House of Assembly, inferring, he claimed, that the new Government was not getting on with the people's business.

He also claimed that a recent news article quoted Shadow Finance Minister Grant Gibbons frequently -- without a reply from Finance Minister Eugene Cox .

"All these innuendoes are being put out there and people in the community don't know what the facts are,'' Mr. Lister said.

"People are concerned about not getting both sides of the case. People are beginning to question the validity of these messages in the media.'' But United Bermuda Party Legislative Affairs spokesman and Devonshire South MP John Barritt leapt to the defence of the media.

Mr. Barritt, a former editor of The Bermuda Sun, argued that few politicians were happy with the way they were portrayed in the Press.

"As someone who worked in the news media it's never easy to please the people you report on,'' he said.

"I am not saying there's no room for improvement. It seems that, whatever we want to say, the entire statement isn't carried -- they decide what is newsworthy. ZBM and VSB might do a story and as a result the Gazette will look for a different angle.

"If we're not going to have freedom of the Press, the alternative is to have control.'' Government backbencher Delaey Robinson , of St. George's North, praised what he saw as a new approach in the Island's family court, spearheaded by magistrate Carlisle Greaves.

Mr. Robinson argued that the court "had gone a long way'' in recognising that both parents played an important role in bringing up children.