which transfers responsibility for all Base lands to the Transport Ministry and allows Airport contracts under $1 million to be carried out without having to go before Parliament.

The bill was read a second time but due to PLP objections the third reading was put over to Wednesday.

The Opposition expressed its dissatisfaction that the bill had been rushed to the Senate just days after being passed in the House of Assembly. It was the second major piece of legislation to come before them yesterday and they would have liked more time to prepare, they complained.

Government Transport spokesman Sen. Larry Scott said passage of the bill would enhance efficient management of the Airport as Bermuda takes over management of it from the US military.

Eliminating the need for Airport contracts of less than $1 million -- and many are anticipated -- to go before the House and the Senate was vital for the smooth operation of the Airport especially in the event of some kind of breakdown which left the Minister with only a short period to fix the problem.

Sen. Neletha Butterfield (PLP), unhappy the bill had come before the Senate on such short notice, said Parliament must look after the affairs of the Country carefully, not hastily.

Turning to the bill, she said: "We have already seen many costly blunders at the Airport. Spending $1 million without Parliament's approval needs a reject.'' Sen. Butterfield, noting Airport contractor Serco's recent job advertisements, voiced suspicions about whether Bermudians would be hired to staff the Airport wherever possible.

Sen. Terry Lister (PLP) said if he were Government he would have spent longer trumpeting the three major bills it had tabled this session instead of rushing them through Parliament. The Commission on Competitiveness report, CURE and now the Airport Bill would affect Bermuda into the year 2,000 and beyond, he said.

He found it "offensive'' the Senate had only the last three (work) days to deal with the bills.

He questioned the transferal, "for some strange reason'', of responsibility for all Base lands, which would include McDonald's and the beaches, to the Transport Ministry.

Sen. Lister said that allowing the Transport Minister to approve contracts up to $1 million without approval of the legislature was "just out of control'', and he objected to Government trying to "push it through''.

But Government Senate Leader the Hon. Gerald Simons said the urgency was due to real need, not "Government arrogance''.

"We're trying to get things done expeditiously, and we're following due process,'' he said.

Government was willing to sit "next week'' to debate the bill if the Opposition wished, he said.

As Senate moved into committee, Sen. Lister questioned why all the Base lands had to be put under control of the Transport Minister, when they would be used for many things other than the Airport.

Eventually, Sen. Larry Scott told him the lands would just be in the control of the Transport Minister "in the first instance'', until it was known how much of the lands were needed for the Airport.

Once he received that answer, Sen. Lister said he was happy with it, but he described Sen. Scott's earlier responses as "nonsense''.

"We haven't had the time to really look at this properly, as you haven't,'' Sen. Lister said.

Senate President the Hon. Albert Jackson asked whether Government had considered making the Transport Minister's job a full-time one with full-time pay.

"It really looks as though the Minister will not only have a tremendous amount of responsibility, but will be held directly responsible...for any number of very, very important services,'' Sen. Jackson said.

Concern over the workload of the Transport Minister "It would seem to be an oversight if special consideration isn't given to that particular officer of the legislature, the Minister of Transport, in terms of a remuneration and/or provisions for full-time activity in relation to the Airport and its functions.'' Sen. Simons said that at present, only the Premier and the Finance Minister were paid more than other members of Cabinet. While the Transport Minister's responsibilities were increasing significantly, so was his administrative support.

Sen. Jackson said with the "tremendous burden of responsibility'' the Minister would receive through the bill, he could see no sign that he would be relieved of other large responsibilities, like public transport, the ferry docks, and road traffic.

Sen. Milton Scott (PLP) raised more objections to the $1-million contract provision. "We're setting a dangerous precedent when we put in various pieces of legislation the right for the Minister to appropriate funds without approval of the legislature.

"This is something that we could not support.'' Sen. Larry Scott said it was important in an operation like the Airport for the Minister to be able to act quickly. And, "$1 million in the over-all scheme of running an Airport operation is not a lot of money,'' he said.

Sen. Simons noted that the Transport Minister would first have to get approval from the Minister of Finance.

"The great fear in the granting of contracts by Governments the world over...is of jobs for the boys, kickbacks, and abuse of the power of a Government Minister,'' Sen. Simons said. In his many years in the legislature, he had heard many Opposition accusations against Government, some justified, "but I have not heard charges levelled at the UBP Government of the abuse of power in granting of contracts'', he said.

Sen. Lister said he could not understand why the Airport had run perfectly well under the 1949 bill without the $1 million provision, but now could not.

Sen. Larry Scott said that was because Government had not been responsible for air operations previously, since they were handled by the US Navy.

Sen. Alf Oughton (Ind) said that with the concerns expressed about the Transport Minister's increased duties, the last thing he wanted to do was "tie his hands'' by restricting his power to grant contracts.

"I know in private corporate practice, I don't think you'd expect a managing director of a large corporation to have to run cap in hand to a board of directors for approval,'' Sen. Oughton said.

"He still has the axe of the Minister of Finance hanging over his head to keep him in his tracks.'' The bill passed second reading by a 7-3 vote with the Government and Independent Senators present in favour and the Opposition Senators opposed.

Independent Sen. Norma Astwood was absent.

Sen. Larry Scott then moved third reading, but because there were three PLP objections, third reading debate was delayed until Wednesday.

"We have three objections, so the bill will be held over until the next day of meeting,'' Sen. Jackson said. "According to the rules of the Senate, the Senate cannot proceed any further with the bill at this meeting.''