THAT'S it then, Mr. Editor, the House on the Hill is down for the holidays and we'll all be home for Christmas ? and in pretty good time too. It was shortly before 11 o'clock in the evening last Friday when the Premier ? aka the Man in charge ? rose to tell us he was adjourning the House for ten weeks.

That's right, Mr. Editor, for ten whole weeks ? and we won't be back until Friday, February 18 which is just about the time the Government presents its annual Budget. What a nice break ? for the Government.

Makes you wonder what all the rush was about, Mr. Editor, meeting three times in seven days to get done by the 10th. Government hasn't left us a great deal to do when we do return in the New Year. They tabled one additional motion last Friday to add to the three they already have on the order paper.

Health Minister Patrice Minors wants us to take note of amended Financial Assistance regulations, which were gazetted, i.e. published the same day, and become effective on January 1 in any event. Those other three are also ? take note of this ? take note motions as well.

Public Affairs and Safety Minister Randy Horton wants us to discuss an annual report of the Police Complaints Authority which isn't really an annual report (it covers the period October 2002 to May 2003) and which, by the time it is taken up, will be almost two years out of date.

The most recent Minister (he without portfolio), Walter Lister, wants us to take up the 2004 Annual Report of the West End Development Corporation: he was the former chairman. Think he's looking to cement any relationships?

Meanwhile, Premier Alex Scott has his motion on that Auditor General's Report into the affairs of the Bermuda Housing Corporation dated May 2002 which he finally, only tabled last week, but decided not to take up before Christmas ? which was no real surprise to us, Mr. Editor. Given its contents, the surprise will be that he takes it up at all. Stay tuned.

The only piece of legislation on the order paper is that tabled last Friday by the Opposition: an amendment to the Court of Appeal Act which proposes to give the prosecution the same rights of appeal as defence counsel from decisions in the Supreme Court.

The UBP also has two other motions:

One deploring the Stonington Beach Hotel lease which was granted to the Coco Reef Resorts Limited, and

The other asking the House on the Hill to consider the merits of a legislative scheme of economic empowerment through Government contracts.

If you're interested though, you'll have to wait another ten weeks until the House on the Hill reopens. It's Christmas, Mr. Editor, and there is no business like no business . . . when the show doesn't go on.

Flick my BIC

AS in show business, there's nothing like a big finish. However, last Friday wasn't so much big as it was long.

The tone was set right from the outset with eight statements from seven Ministers ? double duty for the Minister of Transpourism Dr. Ewart Brown ? which included the announcement of the establishment of the Premier's Independence Commission, a kind of flick of the BIC, if you remember those commercials, Mr. Editor. Almost lost in the avalanche of Ministerial pronouncements were:

The return of the annual Ag Show ? or Exhibition as it is now tagged. Minister Neletha Butterfield was promising it will be bigger and better than ever with the theme "Come Grow With Us".

The promise of new Telecommunications Minister Michael Scott ? you'll remember that he took over from Ren?e ? to crack down on kiddie porn over the Internet. While he acknowledged the heightened urgency for a legislative initiative, the Minister told us that it won't be until January that yet another committee will be set up and charged with coming up with options.

One hour down and some real excitement broke out ? a fire drill ? and somehow we knew it was going to be that kind of a day as we dutifully traipsed down and then back up the Hill.

D?j? vu all over again

THINGS started to warm up on the first item up for discussion: a Customs Tariff Amendment which would give duty relief to the Bermuda Housing Corporation and Bermuda Homes for People Limited on goods and materials required for the construction of new homes.

Housing Minister Ashfield DeVent told us that the expected exemptions ? which could run anywhere from $5 million to $8 million in revenue which Government won't be collecting, not to mention the estimated $30 million value of the land ? actually represented: "A new thought."

"A change," he said, "as to how things have been done and will be done in this country." Sound familiar, Mr. Editor?

Well, the idea is not new. Opposition Leader and Finance spokesman Dr. Grant Gibbons pointed out the proposal was in the UBP 2003 election platform. Still others of us pointed out how we had heard it all before . . . from the PLP . . . and seen what had happened at the Bermuda Housing Corporation (the Auditor's Report we haven't yet been able to discuss in the House on the Hill and its scathing criticism of how hundreds of thousands of dollars were mismanaged there), not to mention the millions of extra dollars that have been spent and are being spent and likely will be spent to build a senior secondary school at Berkeley, and not to overlook the very good deal Coco Reef managed to secure when Government went Coco loco and practically gave away the shop at Stonington.

That's as hot as it got though. Government didn't like it when they were reminded that that was their track record on noble and laudable initiatives. The Minister in charge, Paula Cox, thought UBP members were engaging in "schizophrenic sabre-rattling" as the Opposition sought to tie down more closely the terms on which the tax breaks would be given. There were instead the usual assurances from the Minister and her colleagues who reminded us of their good intentions.

Of course, Mr. Editor, and the road to you-know-where is paved with good intentions.

More or less more or less

NEW Land Tax rates went through without so much as a whimper. It was difficult to assess their impact ? without knowing what the new ARVs will look like. The new list doesn't get published until December 31.

Finance Minister Paula Cox has obviously seen it. Ms Cox said the new rates were selected to ensure that land owners will be paying roughly the same in the new year under the new ARVs: in fact, at one stage, the Finance Minister was heard to say that 76 per cent of home owners can expect to be paying less.

Seniors who live in their own homes won't be paying anything at all: Jeez, Louise, your message is getting through. The rest of us though have to wait until after Christmas to find out what's in store for us: More? or less? How much more or less? Calculators will be whirring in the New Year.

Just for you, not us

A BIG deal was made by Government of Government's decision to extend rent control to just about 3,000 more (potential) rental units in Bermuda. Minister responsible, Ashfield DeVent, said the move was another plank in their Social Agenda.

He told us how the provisions of the Act regulated rents and gave tenants security of tenure. To hear the Minister sell it, this latest move was going to work wonders. But what he didn't tell us is why the Act doesn't apply to units owned by the Bermuda Government whether through Wedco or the Bermuda Housing Corporation ? and an Opposition amendment to make the Act apply was rejected.

Go figure.

'Tis the Season, I suppose

OVERTIME not overdrive followed on amendments to the Employment Act. Minister Randy Horton got vocal support from union MPs, Derrick Burgess and George Scott, and numerical support from his colleagues, to make overtime mandatory after 40 hours for non-managerial and non-professional employees.

It was late in the evening and the Government and Opposition agreed to disagree on the efficacy of this move ? and without too much rancour either (and yes, for those of you who have been following closely, we did have supper in).

But despite the late hour we were not done.

Minister Horton also had amendments to the Maritime Marriages Act to extend the hours for weddings at sea on Bermuda registered ships and to give the second in command the right to perform the ceremony in addition to the ship's captain.

It sailed through, easily. In fact, Opposition Leader Dr. Gibbons complimented Mr. Horton on the passion with which he had delivered his brief on the legislation.

"In the circumstances, we have no choice but to support the Love Boat amendment," he said in what will stand as one of the shortest Opposition replies on record.

"Aye, aye," went the vote on a steady roll call.

"What a wonderful day this has been," declared a delighted Minister Horton ? obviously pleased at the passage of his Bill. "I wish there were more people in the gallery to see how we can and do work together."

The public gallery was, in fact, empty. But the thought was in keeping with the Christmas spirit ? which is probably one more reason why we don't have Christmas all the year around.

In the words of Tiny (not Big) Tim: "God bless us every one" ? and have a happy and safe holiday.