Government Sen. David Burch insisted yesterday.

He went on the offensive after Opposition Senate Leader Maxwell Burgess accused Government of forcing through amendments to electoral law because "they had something up their sleeves''.

And Sen. Burgess predicted that the Progressive Labour Party could be planning a snap referendum on the UK White Paper rewrite of relations with its colonies -- which includes an offer of full citizenship.

Sen. Burgess said Government clearly wanted to push through a rushed job before annual registration next January.

He claimed: "I think Government has something up their sleeves and they need the widest possible register for what they have up their sleeves.'' And he speculated the speed of the legislation had something to do with the UK's White Paper offer on UK citizenship.

Sen. Burgess said: "I'm all in favour of the widest possible number of voters -- what I'm not for is the tinkering with democracy here, the tinkering with democracy there.'' He added after the morning session that the PLP had remained largely silent on the UK White Paper -- which includes an offer of full British passports, but with a warning that financial regulation and human rights law would have to toughen up.

Sen. Burgess said: "They haven't said that much about the White Paper. But if they get this through, they will be saying a lot.

"They're keeping their heads down on this at the moment -- until they get this through.'' But Sen. Burch dismissed the claims and insisted the PLP had stuck to the agenda it was elected on last November -- which included an end to annual registration and other electoral changes.

He said: "People know what our position is -- we have called for this as long as we've been in Opposition.

But he added: "You can't just wake up one morning and say `we're going to do this'.'' "We have to look at other jurisdictions and what we're allowed to do within the law,'' Sen. Burch explained.

"There are also the implications of the Boundaries Commission and their role -- there's a whole host of things to consider.'' Sen. Burch added he did not know how Sen. Burgess had managed to "drag in'' the White Paper and its implications for the Island into a debate on changes to the voting system.

Earlier, Sen. Burch told the Senate that the amendment -- which also allows for "rolling registration'' across the year and longer polling hours -- was the first of a series designed to cut down on red tape associated with voting.

"There's no mystery. There's no hidden agenda,'' he said. "It's all in the five-year plan.''