Emotions rode high in the House of Assembly last night as Shadow Telecommunications Minister Allan Marshall kicked out after arguing with Speaker Stanley Lowe.

Mr. Marshall's speedy exit came after relations were already tense in the House on the heels of several high-pitched speeches from Tourism Minister Renee Webb and Youth & Sport Minister Randy Horton on public safety in Bermuda.

Then Government backbencher Delaey Robinson rose to speak on the matter of questions put to Telecommunications Minister Renee Webb by a member of the Opposition on her ministry's use of outside consultants.

And Ms Webb challenged Shadow Tourism Minister David Dodwell to close his hotel - the Reefs in Southampton - and get out of the tourism business if he really believes Bermuda is no longer a safe place to visit. And Ms Webb added that if the Opposition agreed with Mr. Dodwell's view perhaps they should all leave the Island.

Ms Webb made her comments in response to statements by Mr. Dodwell and the UBP's Jamahl Simmons that Bermuda's people are "living in fear" with a "sense of lawlessness" on the Island thanks to the Government's complacency regarding crime.

Without naming Mr. Marshall, Mr. Robinson referred to the situation where Mr. Marshall first put the question to Ms Webb about Government's consultants on November 27. Mr. Marshall had expected a reply in Parliament on December 6, but was disappointed.

Then Ms Webb went public with the department's use of consultants in an article in The Royal Gazette yesterday, saying Government had spent $3.9 million on consultants since the Progressive Labour party took power but $2.7 million of that was paid to people already employed at the handover from Mr. Marshall's United Bermuda Party.

Mr. Marshall said in the article he was shocked the Minister had ignored Parliament to go public on the issue through the press.

He said he would reply to Ms Webb after he had seen the answers himself. And, also in the article, Ms Webb said she had spoken in the media because Mr. Marshall was refusing to ask the question in Parliament but was insisting on a written response which she predicted he would then selectively leak to the media.

In the House of Assembly on Wednesday night, as Mr. Robinson referred to the issue Mr. Marshall leapt to his feet demanding from Speaker Stanley Lowe that Mr. Robinson either substantiate his comments or withdraw them.

Mr. Lowe - who had already threatened to send MP's from the House earlier - told Mr. Marshall to take his seat. When Mr. Marshall argued, Mr. Lowe ordered him to leave the House.

"This is a charade," said Mr. Marshall as he left.

"I am not being alarmist, I am being concerned," said Mr. Dodwell to the House. "If we do not check crime everything else we do will be wasted."

Mr. Dodwell said it used to be that safety and security were among the top five reasons why people chose to travel to a destination. Now, he said, safety was the number one factor, for both business and pleasure trips. And with the current "sense of lawlessness" in Bermuda our opportunity to take advantage of Bermuda's reputation as a safe place is dwindling, he said.

"From a tourism viewpoint the world is watching, the world is talking, the world is smaller," he said. "You can't blame the Opposition or The Royal Gazette for speaking out (about safety issues in Bermuda). What we hear about Bermuda is not good and we are not going to market our way out."

Citing a travel advisory against Bermuda on the US State Department website, Mr. Dodwell said: "But the Government doesn't want to hear it... instead we'll hear about a new marketing campaign and millions of dollars."

Nightlife and entertainment are needed to help make the tourism industry a success, he added. However: "You can't even drive along Front Street at night on a Friday or Saturday... and in the summer the cruise ships will be docking right there.

"We used to say this Government is soft on crime, now we say it is silent because the Premier doesn't want to hear about it tonight, the Minister (of Home Affairs Terry Lister) doesn't want to debate it... The Government is in charge, we're not - it's about accountability. When you're in, you're in; when you're out, you're out - all we can do is make suggestions. This country lost a golden opportunity to talk about this today."

And the UBP's Jahmell Simmons agreed with his party member, saying: "(Government) have bowed to the criminal when they should have brought the criminal to his knees... When people feel they cannot get justice from the system but they will get justice from the streets - that is not the Bermuda I want.

"This is not the Bermuda most Bermudians envisioned in 1998... yes, it's a New Bermuda. We've never had this before."

However, "I wonder where I'm living," said Tourism Minister Renee Webb, adding: "In Nigeria, (or) in Queens, (or) in some gun-ridden ghetto?"

Ignoring members of the Opposition who were replying in the affirmative, Ms Webb continued: "Bermuda is still an extremely safe place."

Saying she thought Mr. Dodwell of all people would want to say Bermuda is safe, Ms Webb said since apparently he did not: "Why don't you just close down your hotel and get out of the tourism business?

"Don't make it sound like Bermuda is a crime-ridden place because it is not." It is not necessary to act as though Bermuda is some ghetto in New York with shootings and attacks every day, she continued. "We're not burying our heads in the sand... don't make it sound like the sky is falling. Let's be honest about where we live.

"We all have to be a part of the solution here," she said, to the agreement of both members of the Government and Opposition. "Let's make a commitment as a country. We are going to do whatever it is we can to individually and collectively address the malaise in our community."