Sparks flew in the House of Assembly yesterday as legislators continued their debate of Government's Social Agenda programme.

An angry Finance Minister rose to counter Pat Gordon-Pamplin's attempt to deride Government claims to have a Social Agenda only for to say that the Minister was "getting her knickers in a twist".

That prompted an immediate demand for her to withdraw such unparliamentary language ? which Ms Gordon-Pamplin promptly did.

Telecommunications Minister started the ball rolling with a speech which praised Premier Alex Scott for crafting the Social Agenda and pursuing a vision of the Progressive Labour Party since its inception.

Mr. Scott said that the Throne Speech "commends itself in its simplicity and its content".

"We've been brought to a point in our history where the vision has met with and come to grips with the environment in Bermuda where we've progressed into one of the world's smallest microstates which is the envy of the world," the Minister said.

He said some had been left behind over the years as Bermuda pursued the "capitalist game" and set about developing international business and tourism.

"By its nature the participants in the capitalist game were a narrow range of class," he said.

Mr. Scott said the PLP had always advocated for those who were left behind and criticism which questioned its commitment to a social agenda now was "falling on deaf ears".

Referring to a host of senior citizens in the public gallery, the Minister said that our elders understood the Island's history and had observed the PLP advocate "on their behalf and on behalf of our children, and on behalf of our budding entrepreneurs".

He urged Bermudians "not to be misled by those who seek to kill this vision.

"Premier Alex Scott had been intimately involved, in his roles as consultant and Chairman of the party, in shaping the Social Agenda over the years.

"It doesn't surprise me that at this point in time he has acted boldly to craft a Social Agenda."

He said the agenda had been well crafted and highly implementable. Turning to his own Ministry he urged Bermudians to prepare themselves for a coming "wave of technology" by upgrading skills in Information Technology and computers.

"We want to have Bermudians in place who are entrepreneurs who are supporting the bricks and mortar companies in Bermuda," Mr. Scott said.

"Every sector of the economy will depend for their survival on technology. There therefore will be a wealth of opportunities going forward."

Government was assisting by transforming itself into an e-government so the public can transact business such as vehicle registration and tax payments electronically, he continued.

And seniors were soon to have access to the Internet, and trainers to help them use them free of charge.

Mr. Scott added that the full use of technology was being brought to bear on the affordable housing crisis with the establishment of a database which would help monitor housing needs and locate available housing.

Ms Gordon-Pamplin, the Shadow Minister for Works and Engineering, then took the floor to say while Mr.Scott was able to see "wonderful things" in the Throne Speech, all she could see was "38,000 words and a pretty cover".

On the proposal to give seniors free Internet access, she said "they would rather be able to have access to meals, they would rather have access to medication.They would rather be able to have access to doctor's visits and access to more affordable rents ? not to see that their rents are being doubled. That would be a good social agenda."

She said the PLP's efforts to bolster community spirit amounted to "superficial" gestures of erecting statutes of people. But, she said, a "far deeper sentiment" had to be embraced in order to have community spirit.

Black members of the UBP had endured insults during election campaigns from the other side, and that kind of conduct from political leaders widened the divisions in the community.

"It's that spirit of divisiveness that is constantly put forth by the government that is causing this community to be poles apart than it has ever been in the history of this country."

Ms Gordon-Pamplin then claimed that the Throne Speech had "failed to ignite a social agenda" and that despite years in Opposition the ruling party was not ready to deliver when it got to power.

She described the Throne Speech as a "social report from a social committee that is paid for by the social purse."

After Ms Gordon-Pamplin withdrew her comment about Ms Cox having her "knickers in a twist", she then suggested that Government should have apologised to the taxi drivers for not implementing rate increases when promised.

Ruling party backbencher objected saying that the taxi drivers "brought it on themselves" because the rate increases had been offered as part of a "package deal" in the GPS bill.

"There was no package deal and if there was a package deal it was concocted in the mind of that member," she retorted.

And turning to seniors conferences promised in the Throne Speech, Ms Gordon-Pamplin said that the recent "Silver Revolution" conference organised by her party was attended by civil servants who had been told not to answer questions. One civil servant when asked a question responded by telling the questioner to come to his office.

Seniors had special needs and challenges, she said,and should not be expected to go to government offices each time they had a question. She also criticised the emergency housing programme as one which breaks up families, and contributed to social decline by not allowing teenage children to stay in emergency housing with their mothers.

On Government's promise to encourage Bermudians to get back into the tourist industry, she asked what had Government done for poorly treated workers at Coco Reefs.

And Ms Gordon-Pamplin questioned why there was a reported overtime ban at Works and Engineering Department.

Opposition Health spokesman said Government's new talk of a social agenda was a political ploy by a desperate Government looking for a survival strategy.

He went on to ridicule the PLP's vague promises on prefab housing which did not include details of where they would be put, when and how many.

Mr. Dunkley questioned why the promised housing information management system would only deal with derelict properties according to the wording of the Throne Speech.

He said the pledge to identify vacant and derelict property was nothing new and simply common sense.

Mr. Dunkley, who has in the past questioned the effectiveness of National Drug Commission, criticised Government's plan to bring the quango under the umbrella of the Department of Health.

He said it would be wrong to politicise because it could turn people off seeking help.

Government's plan to help with modifications to help seniors keep living at home was odd considering there were still three parish rest homes shut, including Devonshire Parish rest home after damage caused by Hurricane Fabian, said Mr. Dunkley.

"It was a good rest home, now it is closed because it cannot get the funds to make renovations, that's the problem.

Shadow Works and Engineering Ministerquestioned why there was not a word on the Berkeley project.

"There is no mention of the fiasco created by Government."And she questioned why Government was now saying the contract for the project, which is millions over-budget, had been awarded to help social empowerment when originally Government had claimed the school contract had gone to the best bidder.

"Government needs to come clean."

She attacked Government for cancelling a mini-bus service in St. David's while simultaneously saying more would be set up around the island.

Mr. Dunkley said that Government needs to give regular updates on the formation of a Health Care Council and called for an update on Governments plans to conduct a study on the homeless.

He said that they need to continue to implement the recommendations of health care reports and called for the full text of the Curron Report to be released publicly.

He charged that Government and the Hospitals Board have been silent on the issue of a doctor at King Edward Memorial VII Hospital, who reportedly has a drug addiction.

He said the Hospital should be careful where it recruited doctors from.

He also said Government should have a means of ensuing that doctors are checked regularly suggesting that they be regularly accredited.

Mr. Dunkley also put forward the importance of a central repository of patient/patent information and said that in this age of information technology, Government should address it as a priority.

He reiterated Louise Jackson's contention that the retirement age should be raised to 70 and said that Government needed to look at the affordability of insurance to seniors. He also said that seniors clinics proposed by Government should offer medical care in the form of basic triage. He said this would cut costs as it would mean seniors who normally go to the emergency ward of the hospital would be able to be treated in these clinics, instead. He said Government needed to move "forthwith" in getting public nursing homes operative.

Mr. Dunkley also raised the idea that insurance companies give incentives to people who stay healthy and keep their medical costs low. He said this would encourage people to live a more healthy lifestyle.

He said that the disabled should be included in Government's "social agenda" and that "ways to improve the lifestyle of the disabled" needed to be looked at.

Mr. Dunkley said he was "astounded" at news that recyclables would be moved from the recycling centre in Devon Springs and dumped in Castle Harbour at the airport dump. He said that Government had promised a new plant in the last Budget but that nothing had happened. He said workers at the current plant should be given a gold medal for working under such bad conditions pointing out that a fence broken from Hurricane Fabian still has not been fixed.

He said the fence is a small job that could easily be fixed and go a long way to alleviating the current problem. And he strong urged the Government " Don't dump it down the airport and break the law."

Mr. Dunkley also took aim at Government for doing nothing to reduce the waiting time at Customs for returning residents. he said that on a recent flight back from Boston, the time he spent in getting home was equal to the time he spent on the ground here at the airport.

He suggested that Customs take people's forms and send them a bill for their overseas purchases, rather than have them line up to pay. He said when he posed the idea to the Collector of Customs he was told that this method was tried but it was found that people would not pay. delivered a passionate speech on how she felt the Government was letting the country down by not embarking on a programme to empower the black people of the country. She explained that the party has always had a social agenda, but that in order not to create a welfare state it was important to give people an opportunity to own and be real stakeholders in the economy.

Her speech was enthusiastically welcomed by the Opposition, who suggested at times that she switch sides to get such an agenda going.

Ms Webb said it was the moral responsibility of the Government to have an "economic agenda" in the same way that they have embarked on their "social agenda" and she warned that the failure of them to do so would cost them the next election. She said she was disappointed that they have not made economic empowerment of blacks a mainstream strategy.

The said he was "delighted" with Ms Webb's speech. He acknowledged that there is a racial divide which hurts blacks more than whites and said that while blacks can talk about it with more passion, he can hear them.

He described the Throne Speech as "pretty pedestrian" saying that there were no surprises or "anything that would make you do cartwheels". He charged that the speech contained no plans of how things were going to be done and that the people of Bermuda are asking the question "What have you done for me lately?"

And he questioned the Government's ability to deliver on their promises. He noted how they had said they would stabilise the economy then pointed out the high inflation rate (the highest in 14 years) coupled with a pay rise of four percent for civil servants.

Mr. Barritt said that between 50 and 60 cents of every dollar goes to pay the civil service and warned that Government might be creating a bureaucracy that has outlived its usefulness.

"When the bureaucracy you've created cannot give you what you need, it needs examining," he said.

Mr. Barritt also warned the Government that our economic situation is not completely in our control and suggested that a back-up plan should be in place if in the US laws are brought which would hinder international business here.

"What are we doing to prepare our people," he asked insisting that he is not scaremongering but "being realistic".

Scrutinising the Throne Speech which talks about the "haves and the have-nots" Mr. Barritt said he would add another class of residents ? the "have-a-lots". He said that Government should be looking at who this group of people are and how they are affecting the statistics seen in the CURE report.

He said Bermudians of both races are facing the same issues and that today more so than at any time previously, Blacks and whites have more issues in common.

"Government does a disservice if they ignore that," he said.

He said that the increased wealth sits in the hands of the non Bermudian segment of the workforce who have grown significantly. He said by ignoring this Government would be "deluding yourself as to who needs help and how".

Mr. Barritt said it was time too for Government to look at where money moves on the Island. Whether to investments overseas and if the dividends come back to our economy.

"You do have to monitor the economy and you have to do it constantly," he said." You cannot have a five year economic plan then a five year social agenda."

Mr. Barritt also chastised the Government for not amending legislation which would bring Government properties under rent control. He pointed out that by not doing so seniors in homes of the Bermuda Housing Trust have not had the same protection that other tenants in the country do.

" It would have been a simple amendment and would not have to go to the AG's Chambers," he said. " And that legislation gives tenants more protection."

Prodded by the Premier Mr. Barritt also referred to the last Throne Speech pointing out several initiatives that have not been implemented, including increased fines for speeding, a cat bill and legislation to help with asbestos abatement, commercial crime and The Police Complaints Authority.

He also noted that missing form the Throne Speech is anything on the issue of Independence.said that Independence will not be mentioned in the Throne Speech until the Premier has had an opportunity to consult fully with the population.

He said that the outline social agenda supports the economic empowerment that Ms Webb so vociferously advocated and pledged to the public "Mr. & Mrs. Bermuda your Government will continue to work for you."

He condemned the Opposition for querying the Berkley contract and for questioning Government on their plans.

"How dare you attack the conscious of the people who voted for us," he said. "Where's your plan" get on board and help."