General following a heated debate in the House of Assembly.

And a move to eventually raise the salaries for all Ministers may also be in the future.

During debate last night, Premier Jennifer Smith defended Government's decision to pay the Attorney General $124,281.09.

Government appointed Minister for Legislative Affairs Lois Browne-Evans to the new political post in April.

Mrs. Browne-Evans will now surrender her Ministerial office.

Yesterday Ms Smith pointed out Government made its intention known to the public in its throne speech and during the Budget Debate.

"The public accept this and the public are comfortable with this,'' said Ms Smith.

The Premier also responded to Opposition suggestions that Government was failing in its pledge to offer transparent leadership and was in fact using the AG salary increase to pave the way for later Ministerial increases.

Ms Smith countered that the issue of salary increases would not be raised until Government had stemmed the "haemmoraghing'' of the Island's finances left behind by the former Government.

The Opposition however was relentless in calls for Government to justify why the veteran MP should be paid almost three times as much as any other MP.

The calls came as Finance Minister Eugene Cox moved to have the AG's post included in the Legislature and then moved to have a salary of $91,544.09 affixed to it.

Shadow Finance Minister Grant Gibbons said he wished Mr. Cox had given more reason for the amount and questioned whether the salary was an attempt to financially reward Mrs. Browne Evans for her service to the party and to the country.

"We on this side of the house believe there should be rewards for long service, but -- and it's a big but -- the taxpayer should not have to pay for it,'' Dr. Gibbons said.

The statement brought Premier Jennifer Smith to her feet on a point of order.

"Mr. Speaker, the honourable member is suggesting that the Government is paying off a member of the House.'' Dr. Gibbons noted that the salary scale for an officer of the Legislature should be in line with other officers and charged that the Government are "confusing the civil service salary scale with the salary scale of the Legislature''.

Dr. Gibbons also pointed out that the salary suggested is close to three times as much as is paid to the Ministers of Education and Labour and Home Affairs and close to twice as much as the Finance Minister and the Premier.

He suggested that a more acceptable acknowledgement for the taxpayer of Mrs.

Browne Evans' service would be to give her the title of Dame.

He pointed out that from the taxpayer's perspective almost twice the amount will have to be paid out for the same work -- $113,000 for the new post of Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the $91,000 for the Attorney General in comparison to the $125,000 that was paid for the same service.

But PLP MP Arthur Hodgson explained the difference in salary comes as the position requires the postholder to offer his or her professional advice. He pointed out that no other member of the Legislature is called upon in this regard.

He also claimed that if the Government were seeking solely to reward Mrs.

Browne Evans for her long service, that they would have no problem claiming such. He reminded members of the House that there is precedence for such in British history and suggested that anyone who wanted to raise the matter of reparations should bring it to the House for debate.

Mr. Hodgson also revealed that he and the Finance Minister actually wanted the salary for the new AG post to be higher.

Opposition MP Irwin Adderley waded into the fray, saying the new AG's salary established a precedent which would be "the thin edge of the wedge'' for future salary hikes.

And he said Government had been in "arrogant'' in failing to explain to the public why the Attorney General's post deserved such a salary.

Opposition MP Michael Dunkley also accused Government of lacking "the fortitude to bring forward a proper bill''.

But Telecommunications Minister Renee Webb said although the dignity of the office warranted the salary, it would still save the country money.

Earlier Environment Minister Hodgson said: "The amount that is being paid to the present Attorney General is less than the amount paid to the previous Attorney General.

"It is far, far less than is being paid to some lawyers in town.'' And Ms Webb pointed out previous Attorney Generals from overseas had been given housing allowances and "other perks''. And she said Government would eventually begin discussions into the raising of salaries for all Ministers.