Opposition Senate Leader Kim Swan declared himself ?fuming? yesterday after his party was denied the opportunity to scrutinise a last-minute resolution on politicians? pay in the Upper House.

And he suggested that the United Bermuda Party (UBP) might lobby Governor Sir John Vereker not to give his assent to the controversial salary plan because the way it had been introduced was ?riddled with mistakes?.

The revised resolution to stagger the pay rises over two years, which was passed in the House of Assembly last Friday, was listed on the Order of Business for the Senate yesterday.

But when the item was reached on the agenda it was not discussed. Sen. Swan tried to raise it but was rebuffed by Senate President Alf Oughton. He tackled the topic again during the motion to adjourn, telling senators: ?I rise with a heavy heart to speak about one of the motions that was adjourned today.?

He said senators should have been given the opportunity to debate the new resolution because it was ?different in content and different in intent? than the earlier resolution to introduce the pay rise in one swoop.

The original resolution was rubberstamped by the Senate two weeks ago after Sen. Oughton ruled that the Upper House could only discuss and not vote on the pay rises plan.

?If there is a reasonable explanation as to why this (the revised resolution) was removed from the order paper then we should be consulted and we were not,? said Sen. Swan.

?It should have at least been debated. The Government laughs at due process.?

Outside the Upper House, Sen. Swan said: ?It can?t be right. I?m fuming. There was no explanation. This whole process has been riddled with mistakes.?

He said he would take advice from his party chief on whether the UBP could make representations to the Governor not to approve the resolution. ?It?s not over yet,? he said. UBP leader Wayne Furbert could not be contacted for comment yesterday.

Sen. Oughton told after the session that the item should not have appeared on the agenda.

?It doesn?t have to come down here,? he said. ?Even if it had been on there today, as it was we wouldn?t have dealt with it today. We don?t deal with things the same day they get on there.?

He had earlier told the Senate that the introduction of the pay rises had been mismanaged. ?I don?t think the Government has done a very good job in trying to put this thing forward,? he said. ?It gives the impression it?s just been bundled along.?

He said the Government should have only introduced a cost-of-living rise this year and taken next year to ?get the whole thing in order?.

Opposition Senator Bob Richards said politicians? right to ask questions and receive answers on behalf of the electorate was part of the democratic process. ?I don?t think the people of Bermuda deserve this treatment,? he said.

Independent Senator Walwyn Hughes described the way the rises were introduced as ?flawed?, adding ?I don?t think we have been well served by this process at all.?

Attorney General Larry Mussenden, the Government Senate Leader, accused the Opposition of coming to the Senate to ?rant and rave?.

?The resolution has already been passed and approved in another place,? he said. ?The Opposition can?t have it their way. They are not going to have it their way at all.?

The new resolution will see Premier Alex Scott paid $111,143 from April 1, 2006 to March 31, 2007 and $150,000 a year thereafter. Full-time ministers will get $89,428 for the first year and $100,000 from next April.