Opposition Leader Pamela Gordon as long on words -- but short on action.

And she said: "It was a disappointment. It was very long. It was all over the place and it didn't have any focus.'' Ms Gordon added: "The central focus issues of the election -- the people-orientated issues -- were placed so far back, it was a great disappointment.

"Housing was about three-quarters into the speech, yet it was such a major issue.'' And she added: "When you look at safety and crime in Bermuda, I don't believe there was any real mention of that.'' The PLP did promise more than 50 houses for lower income families by next summer.

But Ms Gordon said the United Bermuda Party had pledged that 100 new homes for those on restricted incomes would have been completed by this year if the party had won last year's election.

She added: "When you get bus-scrubbing equipment and five new buses listed before housing, you can see where this Government's priorities lie.'' Ms Gordon said -- unlike a manifesto -- a Throne Speech had a timetable of a year.

And she claimed: "Already, the PLP have failed from last year because there were commitments they made in their first Throne Speech and didn't get done -- and now we've got new promises and still some of the old ones.

"It's only if the country does significantly better will the country be deemed a success -- and that's our job to review.'' Ms Gordon added that Government had also remained silent over probes into offshore financial jurisdictions by bodies like the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

She said: "We have the OECD breathing down our necks talking about tax and where Bermuda will fit or whether we are a jurisdiction which will have to worry. There was no comfort for the people in this Throne Speech.'' And she added Bermuda was still waiting for a proper briefing on Government's stance on the UK White Paper on the rewrite of relations between Britain and its overseas territories.

Ms Gordon said Premier Jennifer Smith had only last week attended the first meeting of the Overseas Territories Consultative Council at the Foreign Office in London -- but there was no mention of that, either.

And she added: "When you look at the Throne Speech from last year, there were many things left undone -- they should have reiterated them this year.'' Ms Gordon predicted: "In order to accomplish this array of ideals, it will cost a lot more money than the Government has planned for.

"If you look at their programme, something is going to be short-changed -- and I certainly hope it won't be housing.'' The Opposition Leader was backed by UBP Legislative Affairs spokesman John Barritt, who also questioned why a new Green Paper -- a discussion paper -- was to be prepared on giving long-term residents a better deal when the UBP had already done that in the last administration.

Mr. Barritt said: "It's been promised and promised and promised -- we don't know why we're back to a Green Paper.

"Some might say this is a convenient way to stave off dealing with the problem.

"I agree with the Opposition leader that this Throne Speech will be remembered more for what's not in it rather than what's in it.'' And he asked: "I wonder if they're living in the same country as me? "The country's crying out for a lot more than that.'' Mr. Barritt added: "They have an obligation as the Government of the day, having attended this Overseas Territories conference.

"But we haven't heard a dicky bird as to what was discussed or proposed -- is it any wonder people have suspicious minds and wonder what's going on? "I'm surprised there wasn't at least a Ministerial statement.'' Pamela Gordon