for an extra $100 million of spending requests in the near future.

Mr. Gibbons said the only way that kind of expenditure could be paid was by new money coming in or taxes, adding he feared what would be in the next budget. But he admitted his figures were based on anecdotes and not fact adding, if true, it would represent four times the previous over-spending.

"Expenditure increased by 7.5 percent this year, and I wonder if this is going to be predictive of future years,'' he said.

But Finance Minister Eugene Cox hit back, saying the most important thing he had said was that he had no hard evidence.

He said the Government had to spend money, partly because there were projects started and promised under the UBP that they had to follow through.

The Minister then angered the Opposition, saying his Government was spending money on developing their human resources, charging that the UBP were "merely interested in filling their own pockets''.

He then accused Shadow Home Affairs Minister Michael Dunkley of backing legislation that would benefit his own business.

Smith's South MP C.V. (Jim) Woolridge (UBP) stepped in and said the legislation was actually to help dairy farmers.

Mr. Cox was then forced to withdraw his earlier remark, but said: "I will withdraw it, but it was true at the time''.

The afternoon session started with Tourism Minister David Allen , who said Bermuda must keep its uniqueness in order to attract tourists.

He said: "One of the most wonderful things about Bermuda is that you can leave the greyness, hustle and bustle and sameness of New York and come to a place where you find some of the friendliest people in the world, unique architecture. But without billboards and fast food franchises -- that is worth paying for.'' Mr. Allen added new awards and career opportunities were being created to encourage young Bermudians into the hospitality industry, and to reward existing ones.

New legislation, including a new cruise line policy, hotel licensing and timeshare Acts were in the pipeline, he said.

And he said Bermuda would be in attendance at the RIMS insurance conference and World Economic Forum in Dallas next year.

Mr. Gibbons said he believed that the indications from the Progressive Labour Party's first year, were that they "weren't quite ready to take over''.

He said there were concerns that the Government were more concerned with the trappings of power than other aspects of administration -- singling out the Chief of Staff, who he said "supervised nobody''.

Mr. Cox, replying to Mr. Gibbons' plea to go public with news of Bermuda's standing with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, said he did not want to jeopardise their position by speaking about developments.

Mr. Cox said the Island was being adjudicated by the OECD at present, and thus he did not want to talk publicly and ruin the moves.

"We have to be careful what we say about these things, wrong words in the wrong place means people judge us wrongly,'' he said.

"I am certain you will be happy about the OECD if you knew what I know.''