Grant Gibbons yesterday criticised Government for "its lack of respect and trust for the public it serves", in his first Reply to the Throne Speech since becoming Leader of the Opposition United Bermuda Party.

Last week's Throne Speech was uninspiring, reactive and lacked vision, he said. "It is housekeeping not home improvement. It's tinkering not restructuring."

Dr. Gibbons said Government continued to withhold information on such matters as the Berkeley construction contract, asbestos at Southside and pyramid schemes.

"This isn't personal information the people are asking for; this is public information," he said.

Referring to the attacks on the United States, Dr. Gibbons said that Bermuda needs reassurance and that theThrone Speech had failed to deliver.

"A wet blanket of uncertainty and concern has settled over the Island, and, regrettably, this Throne Speech provides little to relieve our anxiety. The PLP Government has failed to offer a comprehensive, integrated and substantial plan that addresses the needs of both individuals and businesses impacted by recent events."

He said it was wrong to blame economic woes on the attacks on the United States. The UBP, he said, had warned in its last Budget Reply that the US economy was slowing. And economic indicators last year should have been enough warning.

"Why did the PLP Government ignore these warning signs? Why did the PLP Government introduce a budget that contained over $74 million of additional spending that required a dramatic increase in taxes and over $50 million of new debt?"

Tax relief measures for small businesses were "modest" and "insufficient," Dr Gibbons continued.

"We hope the list of job losses and store closings does not have to get any longer before the PLP Government takes this situation seriously."

Reminding the House that the last recession lasted for three years, he called on Government to "share the pain and tighten its own belt" and establish "quantifiable goals" for spending cuts.

"The $4.4 million government travel budget and the $112 million capital expenditure budget are good places to start. Projects addressing immediate needs, such as housing or education, should proceed. Others should be deferred or eliminated."

Turning his attention to tourism, Dr. Gibbons said that the current tourism minister was "directly accountable for the accelerating decline of tourism." There had been plenty of enthusiasm but no results, he added.

"Our hotels are almost empty. Our taxis sit idle. Our restaurants serve fewer meals. Our shops remain quiet. And our hospitality workers go home with smaller paycheques - if they have a job. In response to this extraordinary situation, the PLP Government promised in the Throne Speech to revise legislation governing time-share operations."

He said Government should stop micromanaging tourism, spend more money on the product and less on marketing and develop an air service strategy and a cruise ship strategy limiting cruise ships to five.

"We are struck that this PLP Government is truly living in another world.

"In the PLP world, apparently no one is out of work, no one needs retraining, no one seeks affordable housing, no one has trouble paying medical bills, no one worries about their children's future and no one worries that their life savings are losing value. The laundry list of legislation has ignored all these issues."

He said: "The PLP Government will say three years is not enough time to build their New Bermuda. We say three years is enough time to establish a track record. More and more an undeniable record of secrecy, threats, defensiveness, inaccessibility and disdain for public opinion overshadows the people's business."