The Bermudian taxpayer has been "shafted" with the deal to grant the Stonington lease to Coco Reef Resorts, claimed the Opposition United Bermuda Party during Friday's motion to adjourn.

The disputed deal was the UBP's first order of business as the final sitting of the year drew to a close.

Opposition MPs also made much of Ren?e Webb's resignation as a Minister of Cabinet and the Premier's subsequent explanation to the public.

The two issues kept legislators at loggerheads for much of the motion ? a discord strangely punctuated by the traditional exchange of Cup Match goodwill gestures on the last sitting before the big holiday.

Government, responding to Opposition members' brandishing newspaper reports, highlighted instances of media incompetence, warned against over-reliance on the fourth estate to score political points in the House of Assembly, and suggested that not much had changed since the old days of heavily biased reporting in favour of the UBP.

Shadow Works Minister fired Friday evening's first salvo on the Coco Reef deal, saying it was clear that something was not right given this newspaper's reports of Coco Reef owner John Jefferis' links with, and financial support of, the ruling party. Government had basically handed Mr. Jefferis a "gold mine" while "the taxpayer gets the shaft," in a deal ended up radically different from what was offered to other parties, she said.

"It all begs the question what is the sweetheart deal here?" Ms Gordon-Pamplin said.

"And when the person involved is dancing and partying with the PLP, I don't have to go too far to see what is going on here."

Government should have gone back to the other bidders to say the terms were different, she continued.

"That would have been the decent thing to do. The matter has been indecent." She went on to accuse the government of failing the people by not negotiating in good faith.

"At the end of the day, they have been sold down the river," Ms Gordon-Pamplin said. "We've been sold under the Causeway, we've been sold up North Shore, and down South Shore, so that some wonderful supporter gets a sweetheart deal that says ' thank you.'"

Premier demanded she withdraw the statement or provide some evidence.

"The Premier has to say to us 'this is not so,'" Ms Gordon-Pamplin said, adding that he had documentation that would prove her charges.

"I now insist that she withdraw it," Mr. Scott said. "She says I have all the proof. Unless she can prove I have the proof... She has to withdraw it."

Ms Gordon-Pamplin eventually withdrew the statement but then turned to Ms Webb's resignation and told her colleagues that her gender had never been taken into consideration in evaluating her contribution to the Opposition party.

"I don't apologise for being a female either," she said.

But she was warned by House Speaker Stanley Lowe to be careful about matters she did not know to be factual.

And Mr. Scott objected again when Ms Gordon-Pamplin brought up the public head to head between himself and Ms Webb after she had resigned.

Saying she was referring to a television interview in which Mr. Scott himself had appeared, Ms Gordon-Pamplin said much to Ms Webb's amusement "Was there an impostor?"

"Thank God I sit on this side of the House. I've never felt that my opinion was not important, was not respected and that I was not validated."

Later on in the debate ruling party backbencher announced to the august chamber that Ms Gordon-Pamplin was "the maidservant of her master" drawing a howl of protest from the Opposition benches.

He relished the moment for a while before agreeing to withdraw the statement.

But he went on to argue that there was nothing wrong with someone celebrating with the PLP.

"Is that a crime to leave the PLP headquarters ?" he asked.

To which Ms Gordon-Pamplin interjected "he left with a lease in his back pocket."

Mr. Burgess continued : "They say we are a black party, but when white people join they are crucified... And for him (Mr. Jefferis) to donate to our party, is that a crime ? Our party has nothing in its Constitution to say only certain people can donate to the party."