An attack on the independence of non-party senators is an assault on democracy, Opposition leader Pamela Gordon said yesterday.

Ms Gordon claimed: "What we have is a Government where this new Bermuda is not a democracy, but totalitarianism.

"They're looking at a dictatorship. If anyone questions what they want to do, they try to remove them.'' And she challenged the ruling Progressive Labour Party to say whether Government Senate leader Milton Scott was voicing party policy or if he had hit out off his own bat.

But last night Sen. Scott told The Royal Gazette : "I have no further comment to make. Goodnight.'' And he slammed down the phone.

Ms Gordon fired a broadside after Sen. Scott launched a blitz on the Upper House's three Independent senators, claiming they were voting as a bloc with the Opposition United Bermuda Party to stymie legislation.

And he said he hoped to see "new faces'' in the Senate when it resumed in October.

Sen. Scott lashed out on the last sitting of the session on Wednesday, a week after the Independents voted with the Opposition to block an Act which aimed to allow middle managers to join the same union as workers.

Gordon slams Government law, removing an exemption from control for houses built after mid-1983 and would have blocked a controversial Act to allow funeral limousines, if Independent Sen. Jeanette Cannonier had not accidentally voted with Government.

Ms Gordon pointed out Sen. Scott had nominated an Independent as Senate President.

She said: "I find these comments from the Government leader in Senate extremely disturbing because, first and foremost, what he's now doing as a representative of Government is questioning the validity of our Constitution.

"The purpose of Independent senators is to ensure that the voice of reason is able to prevail.

"What they are supposed to do is bring to the Parliamentary process an examination of the validity of legislation and the soundness of particular pieces of legislation.

"And if any piece of legislation is not in the best interests of the community, then the place to voice that is the Senate.'' Ms Gordon added: "For Sen. Scott to question the validity of the three Independent senators when he himself nominated Alf Oughton for President of the Senate is extremely questionable.

"And in a situation where senators used their independent voices, it's shocking because what he has done is put into question the integrity of these three Members.'' Ms Gordon said all three Independents -- Sen. Oughton, Walwyn Hughes and Sen.

Cannonier -- had made major contributions in industry or the public service and had never indicated party affiliations.

Ms Gordon said PLP rule had started with Premier Jennifer Smith warning the business world that if they ignored the public holiday to mark the election victory, they did so "at their peril''.

And Ms Gordon added: "The Premier has already used `at your peril' with the business community at the start of the session and now, at the end of it, picking on Independent senators -- it's `at your peril' again.

"It's really time for the community to say that this sort of behaviour is not acceptable.'' Government Information Services was last night unable to establish whether Sen. Scott was voicing official Government policy.