Ms Lottimore has misread Wednesday?s editorial if she thinks it irrevocably opposed the idea of questioning the public about issues of public concern and how Government should tackle them.

In fact, the editorial said that this was probably OK ? as long as it was made public.

What the editorial did raise concerns over was if the information was not made public and then was used by the political leadership of the Government.

The concerns about cost ? apart from the fact that none of this research seems to have been budgeted for ? were raised in that context, because this kind of research is not cheap.

Ms Lottimore did not know earlier this week if the information would be made public and she shed no more light on that question today.

Nor she did she say how much the research would cost.

Apparently, the public, whom she believes are so poorly served by the media, don?t need to know the answers to those questions.

Ms Lottimore does not address the editorial?s real concern; that taxpayer money and Civil Service resources should not be used to poll, or conduct focus groups, on how people feel about a political leader.

If there is no understanding of this fundamental principle of the Westminster system by either Premier Alex Scott or Ms Lottimore, then, quite frankly, I despair.

Ms Lottimore says no one has been questioned about the performance of political parties, but three participants in the focus groups have confirmed that they were asked about the performance ?of the party?, and I don?t think they were talking about the cocktail variety.

Ms Lottimore has written at length about how the media spins and skews the news about Government.

If she feels that way, she knows very well that my door is always open and I would be more than happy to discuss any specific concerns she has.

However, considering that just last week we devoted two pages of the newspaper to reprinting ? at his request ? Tourism Minister Ewart Brown?s entire speech on the plans for the 2005 tourism season, I am bemused by her vehemence on this point.

Ms Lottimore has devoted a good deal of space to not answering the questions raised by the editorial and by our coverage.

When she wants to answer those questions, we will, as usual, provide the space for her to do so.