PREMIER Alex Scott's silence on a range of controversial subjects shows a lack of leadership, according to Opposition Leader Wayne Furbert.

And yesterday Mr. Furbert renewed his call for the Premier to reveal "where he stands" on a number of issues.

Mr. Furbert spoke out after the Broadcasting Commission ruled that Government Minister David Burch "broke the spirit of the law" when he referred to a United Bermuda Party supporter as a "house nigger" during a radio broadcast last year.

The ruling was one of several controversies to put the outspoken Minister in the media spotlight in recent days. He also called for the Governor to be recalled following the appointment of a new Commanding Officer of the Bermuda Regiment. Sen. Burch disapproved of the promotion, saying that the best candidate had lost out because of personal and political reasons.

And Sen. Burch also demanded an audit to be carried out at the office of the Auditor General, although he later withdrew the call and apologised.

Yesterday Mr. Furbert called on the Premier to publicly rebuke Sen. Burch, and claimed his failure to do so would be seen as a show of support.

And he also called on Mr. Scott to show leadership by declaring whether or not he had supported Government backbencher Ren?e Webb's bill to amend the Human Rights Act. The amendment, which sought to outlaw discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, was thrown out two weeks ago after MPs from both sides failed to debate the issue.

"Where does the Premier stand on these issues?" Mr. Furbert told the.

"If you are going to show true leadership then you have to make a stand one way or the other. My position is clear and I always try and be on the record and tell people where I stand. But from the Premier all we get is complete silence."

Mr. Furbert pointed out that Public Safety Minister Randolph Horton later dismissed Sen. Burch's claim that the best man to lead the Regiment had been overlooked ? but that the Premier had since failed to support either Minister on the matter.

"Where's the collective responsibility of Cabinet?" he said.

"You have a difference of opinion between two Ministers so who does the Premier support? Does he support Minister Horton or Minister Burch, because so far he hasn't responded to either. The Premier needs to come to the wicket. He should also condemn what the Minister said on the radio and give him his walking ticket."

Mr. Furbert said that Government's recent failure to adopt a UBP proposal banning racial slurs showed the ruling party would play the race card at the next General Election as a means of getting people "whipped up".

"After the last election we asked the Premier to set up a committee on racial slurs," he said.

"It took three years for them to get back to us, just to tell us they didn't support it ? but they couldn't give us an explanation. Why not? Again, it's just complete silence. Where is the leadership?"

Last week the e-mailed Premier Scott and Government's Director of Communications and Information Beverle Lottimore, asking whether Mr. Scott supported or opposed Ms Webb's bill and for what reasons. This week we sent a second e-mail repeating that question and also asking the Premier if he condemned or condoned Sen. Burch's use of the term "house nigger" and if he supported his Minister's call for the Governor to be recalled.

As of Press time last night, no response to our questions had been received.