As he praised Government for some of its achievements, Shadow Minister of Health and Family Services Michael Dunkley used the Budget debate on Monday to accuse the ruling party of "candy-coating" some of its failures within the Ministry of Health.

"I would be inept in my duties if I was not critical," Mr. Dunkley said. "Only now do we hear something from the Minister on the health care industry.

"We could have had four and one half years of failures ... this Smith Government is trying to candy-coat it."

Mr. Dunkley made these comments after Health Minister Nelson Bascome announced several initiatives his Ministry was undertaking. These are to include an upgraded morgue and a new laundry at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital as well as the opening of a women's centre and the establishment of a renal and oncology clinic. And, Mr. Dunkley said, the reason housing had been removed from Health Minister Bascome's portfolio was because of failure. A failure, he said, no one would admit to.

"The Honourable Premier had no choice but to take if from the Minister whom she needed to support her. Mr. Speaker, the truth hurts."

The Opposition MP also said: "Last year when we did the Budget, housing was a big issue. The failure of the Government and the Ministry need to deal with these issues of housing."

But before Mr. Dunkley could continue with his speech, he was stopped by committee chairman Wayne Perinchief.

"If you would speak on the Head and avoid housing until Wednesday," Mr. Perinchief said. But Mr. Dunkley was determined to get his point across. "I keep on going because it was in our Budget before," he said. "We have the duty and obligation to see where it has gone. I can understand the Government being touchy about that because it's a failure.

"So you just move things and don't talk about it? I'll take your guidance. I'll talk about it on Wednesday," he told Mr. Perinchief.