Opposition leader Pamela Gordon yesterday stormed out of the House of Assembly after being ordered to apologise by Speaker Stanley Lowe.

The clash came after Ms Gordon launched a blistering attack on a report to the House on a trip to Jamaica by Premier Jennifer Smith.

She branded her opposite number "a social princess'' who thought her "personal diary'' was a substitute for informing MPs and the public on Government business.

And she said Ms Smith should stop "treating this Country like it was her own personal fiefdom''.

Ms Gordon was accused of "jealousy'' by Health and Social Services Minister Nelson Bascome, who called Ms Gordon the "dethroned princess''.

But Ms Gordon -- who demanded an apology for being accused of improper motives -- replied: "It has nothing to do with jealousy. It's everything to do with being concerned. The Honourable Member is impugning improper motives.'' However Mr. Lowe ruled that Mr. Bascome had not crossed the line.

And Ms Gordon said: "Then we recognise the degree of justice we will receive in this House.'' Mr. Lowe hit back: "That's against the rules of this House. That demands an apology.'' But Ms Gordon did not rise from her seat and minutes later left the chamber.

The row broke out after Ms Smith delivered a statement on her trip to Jamaica to watch the Bermuda Regiment on manoeuvres.

She -- in addition to detailing Regiment activities and praising their commitment, as well as charity work carried out in a home for the elderly -- said she had met Jamaican Prime Minister P.J. Patterson "for discussions on a variety of bilateral topics'', although she did not elaborate.

Ms Gordon criticised the lack of business in the House, where no debates were scheduled yesterday.

She said: "We meet for what we believe to be form rather than substance.'' And she added that "we have been trying to find out for months'' when Parliament was due to rise for Easter.

Ms Gordon said: "Look at the statements -- if I didn't know better, I would say these come from the diary of a social princess rather than the leader of this Country.'' She added that she accepted the Premier might want to keep a personal diary but insisted it was irrelevant compared to important matters like a row over new race reporting rules for the workplace, which was blocked by Senate.

And she blasted the Premier, a St. George's MP, for comments to a group of parents who delivered a petition protesting at the cutting of a Primary One class at St. George's Preparatory School.

Opposition leader in heated exchange Ms Gordon said the Premier told the parents she had been off the Island and did not know what was going on and that "a sledgehammer'' was not needed to make points with the administration.

She said Government had used a sledgehammer to force through the Commission for Unity and Racial Equality legislation on race reporting at work.

Ms Gordon said: "It was only the foresight of another place which was able to bring the Government the opportunity to step back and do what they should have done in the first place -- which was to listen.

"Government had failed to fulfil promises on taxes, low-income housing and other initiatives,'' she continued.

And she said: "It comes to a point when the social calendar is not enough.

There comes a point when you have to inform the people of this Country.'' Ms Gordon claimed that the people of Bermuda learnt more about moves on Constitutional matters and probes into offshore jurisdictions from Great Britain than it did from its own Government.

She said: "This is not substance. This is form and the people of this Country deserve better.'' But Mr. Bascome said he could recall several times when the UBP had not brought legislation forward.

And he added that any discussion of racism always brought problems in its wake.

He said: "There is always someone there who tries to put a stumbling block in the way.

"Power and control are never relinquished. We have to take it by fighting and battling to make sure that the rights of individuals are listened to.''