Progressive Labour Party's stance on drugs.

Shadow Human Affairs Minister Miss Renee Webb described the editorial as "arrant nonsense.'' "The daily should be taken to court for libel,'' she told the House of Assembly during the Budget debate.

The editorial had stated the political impact on the problem of drugs had damaged Bermuda.

"People involved in the drug world in Bermuda virtually received both implied permission and encouragement from the Progressive Labour Party to continue their deadly trade.'' The editorial continued: "When the PLP refused on political grounds to co-operate with Dr. David Archibald and to contribute to his study of drugs they created a public perception in some areas of Bermuda that it was all right to be involved with drugs because the PLP did not mind.

"That, and the subsequent, politically-motivated disputes over membership of the National Drugs Commission, were the most damaging things done to Bermuda's fight against drugs in many, many years.'' Yesterday Miss Webb said nobody on the Opposition PLP benches supported drugs, and it was scandalous to suggest otherwise.

The paper was guilty of a "blatant lie,'' and its comments amounted to a slur on black people, since virtually all PLP MPs were black.

Miss Webb accused The Royal Gazette of constantly promoting negative images of black people and the PLP.

Her attack brought cheers and applause from Opposition members, including her colleague Shadow Youth and Sport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown , who in an aside denounced the paper as "racist.'' Miss Webb continued by fiercely defending the PLP over the Archibald report.

She said the PLP believed Archibald was producing "just another report'' and Government was wasting funds.

It was believed Government would not get anything out of the report's recommendations.

Health Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness later approached The Royal Gazette and accused Miss Webb of misleading the House of Assembly and Bermuda.

He said the PLP had refused to co-operate with Archibald, and instead promised to produce their own report.

But this report failed to materialise.

"We heard that the Opposition did produce a report but it was so bad they were embarrassed to publish it,'' said Mr. Edness.

Mr. Edness said the PLP only had itself to blame if it created a public perception that it was not willing to co-operate on tackling drugs.

The Opposition's critical stance over the hiring of two British Policemen also fuelled the impression the party would rather make political issues out of attempts to combat crime.

"The party is being hoisted on its own petard.''