stormy debate in the House of Assembly on Friday.

Opposition ministers launched a barrage of complaints against handing the building and running of the stadium in Prospect over to a board of trustees.

But Government defended the trustees' role in the building of a facility for youth and sport.

The National Sports Centre Trustees Amendment Act was introduced by Minister of Delegated Affairs the Hon Sir John Sharpe and was passed by 17 votes to 10.

Sir John said that the bill was simply to amend the original bill which did not allow for trustees to use money for capital projects rather than just maintenance.

Referring to an earlier debate on the introduction of an Airport Authority, Shadow Minister of Youth and Sport Mr. Dennis Lister said: "It seems to be Giveaway Day. Now you want to give away the running of the National Stadium.

"My position is that the overall appointment of trustees and forming of a quango is just taking another role away from the Government.

"It is a proven fact that this project has been going on for so long because of the Government's mismanagement. They are now looking for a scapegoat and looking for the responsibility to go on to someone else.

"It is up to the Government to pull up their socks, take the bull by the horns and correct their mismanagement and give this Country the kind of National Stadium it deserves.'' Mr. Nelson Bascome (PLP) said that he had been to other countries and seen facilities for sports.

Mr. Bascome said that he had been to small islands like Barbados with impressive stadiums compared to Bermuda.

He added: "We constantly hear that these countries are not as prosperous as Bermuda but they have these stadiums with covered seating and all kinds of amenities.'' National Liberal Party Leader Mr. Gilbert Darrell said the whole process of building a National Stadium was too complicated because the trustees would have to report back to two different ministers.

Deputy Opposition Leader Mr. Walter Roberts believed the building of a stadium could help with Bermuda's moves towards independence.

But he said: "I do not really think the Government has a strong commitment to a National Stadium. As a colony Bermuda cannot be a republic. We have no national flag. We have no national anthem. So to call it a national stadium would be a misnomer.

"We thought the building of the stadium would be the start of all the nationalism that is needed in this Island. We felt it would be a stadium that would generate the national pride for which we endeavour.'' Mr. Roberts stated that the original idea was for a complex that could house basketball, football and squash among other sports. But he said the PLP had always complained about the location on the hill at Prospect.

Adding to this point Shadow Minister of Community Affairs Mr. Reginald Burrows said records could never be broken on the hill because of the winds there.

But Mr. Burrows said: "It seems like Government are now embarrassed with the progress made and now want to farm this particular portion of the Ministry off to a trusteeship.

"One of the biggest problems of this particular Ministry is that in 25 years it has had close to 20 ministers.

"For some people $8 million is not a lot of money but the average person must wonder where that money went. I cannot visualise how anyone spent $8 million up there.'' Opposition Leader Mr. Frederick Wade said the Minister of Youth and Sport portfolio was simply a short-term job to pick up prizes and appear in the newspaper and on television.

Mr. Wade said: "We have not had any long-range planning in that Ministry because of the way the Government treats it.'' Describing the Prospect area as a mishmash of uses he demanded to know how the Government would rationalise building the stadium complex and two schools in the area.

Mr. Wade said: "To hand over the National Stadium to private individuals is another example of Government's disrespect for our youth.'' He hit out at the fact that Brian Wellman was forced to train abroad and said with the proper facilities Olympic boxing bronze medallist Clarence Hill could have been successful.

Mr. Wade said: "Instead we read about Clarence Hill every week in the courts.

His life has gone down the drain. There is no career in Bermuda for his talent.'' The Hon. John Stubbs (UBP) blasted the way the day's debate had gone was not in a proper dignified fashion but was more like the Tower of Babel.

Dr. Stubbs said a National Stadium was far from the top of the list of priorities for the Government. He did not believe in a "star centre mentality.'' Mr. Julian Hall (PLP) called for a stadium which would match other countries by offering seating proportionate to the size of population.

But he hit out at having a board of trustees to control the stadium. Mr. Hall said: "The people of this country need to see the rationale of bill that clearly seeks to give, to a private body, the power to carry out works on public property at the expense of the taxpayer.

"What we have is the successive appointment of one UBP crony after the other onto these quangos which always end up making them richer.'' Mr. Hall then took part in a furious row over his personal business dealings with Minister of Finance the Hon. David Saul . Mr. Hall attacked the UBP for trying to make out that PLP members could not manage their own businesses while, he said, Government was guilty of mismanagement.

Dr. Saul said that building a sports centre close to schools was a good idea because the schools could share the facilities.

He said: "I find it somewhat interesting that the Opposition say that when you set up a quango they say `you give it away to the private sector.' That is baloney.'' Dr. Saul stressed that the board of trustees would be accountable to the Minister and to the House of Assembly.

He said: "They say that a quango is giving away the crown jewels of the Country but they know it is not true.

"There is a grand plan for the National Stadium but we cannot just snap our fingers to build it.

"We do not want a Country, like many islands, which gives you all the trappings of a metropolis but with a national debt you cannot pay for generations.'' Minister of Labour and Home Affairs the Hon. Irving Pearman added: "The United Bermuda Party is using the best expertise available in this country to provide the best possible services at the best possible prices.

"Earlier today the PLP said that the Island was too small for this Airport authority but then it wants a stadium that has got to be bigger and better.

"We would need to find that money at the expense and the fight against drugs.'' Mr. Eugene Blakeney (PLP) said the bill should read The Bermuda Sports Centre Trustees Amendment Act.

It was wrong to call it a national Act when Bermuda was not a nation.

Mr. Blakeney said the public should not be misled over the meaning of a quango.

"The road from quango is privatisation,'' he said.

Mr. Blakeney expressed disbelief a rich Island like Bermuda could not build a stadium to be proud of.

Even Latin American countries, with poor economies, had stadiums to boast about.

"At least they have something for their young people, and to make their sportsmen feel good.'' He asked Government: "Why do you get trustees to borrow when you can borrow yourselves.'' Mr. Blakeney suggested Government could run the stadium itself, and just use the trustees to receive gifts.

The Hon. Harry Soares said it was not just the oil crisis which impoverished many economically weak countries.

It was poor management and financial understanding, and inadequate cash to fund grand ideas like building stadiums.

The Opposition seemed to feel you could have your cake and eat it too, he said. That was a "tax and spend'' Progressive Labour Party mentality.

Mr. Soares pointed out the hospital was run effectively by a board of trustees.

And one advantage of a quango was it allowed people to "buy into'' an enterprise and have a stake. That way they would be far more committed to it.

Shadow Labour Minister Mrs. Lois Browne Evans accused Government of abrogating its responsibility by setting up quangos.

If Government was tired of governing it should resign and allow the Opposition to take over.

Mrs. Browne Evans mocked the UBP Ministers, saying they compared unfavourably to overseas politicians.

"Small Ministers in a small pond,'' she scoffed.

Mrs. Browne Evans attacked Dr. Saul for his constant references to Bermuda Inc.

It showed Government's desire to see everything in business terms, not human ones.

Sir David Gibbons failed as Premier because he lost the human touch, despite his business successes, said Mrs. Browne Evans.

Government, now, was giving away the Country to semi-autonomous groups which, in time, would grow more and more powerful.

Works Minister the Hon. Ann Cartwright DeCouto dismissed much of the Opposition's remarks as "drivel''.

The Bill was simply aimed at allowing the sports centre trustees to receive gifts.

Mrs. Cartwright DeCouto said organisations run by trustees had a very good track record -- the hospital, the Housing Corporation, and Ocean View Golf Course.

"The trustees of the sports centre are another example of great service to this Country.'' Shadow Education Minister Ms Jennifer Smith voiced concern that young people would lose out by giving power to trustees.

The complex should be a building for the young to practice and train, a place of encouragement for them.

Ms Smith feared the trustees would prevent concerts being held at the centre.

"Government has so far failed to complete the complex and wasted money while reneging on their responsibilities,'' she said.

Ms Smith said boards did not reflect Bermuda's racial make-up.

Premier the Hon. Sir John Swan said the arguments over the centre had highlighted the philosophical differences between the UBP and the PLP.

The UBP believed in inviting people to become partners with Government, as in quangos. "We are a business based party with a social conscience,'' he said.

The UBP was a party of managing change for a better future of Bermuda.

It believed in a "participatory process'' which let the community play a role.

The UBP did not want to run everything itself -- as the PLP would seek to do.

"The new Bermuda is about sharing, embracing and feeling part of the process,'' Sir John said.

Environment Minister the Hon. Gerald Simons said the PLP seemed to want Government to do everything directly.

But Government simply wanted to ensure that things were done well.

And it believed quangos were the most effective way of achieving that.

Mr. Simons said other countries had got into serious financial difficulties by overstretching themselves with grandiose schemes, such as national stadiums.

These countries had had to go cap in hand to the International Monetary Fund or the World Bank.

The UBP was not averse to borrowing money, but only prudently and when it could repay it.

Mrs. Grace Bell (UBP) derided Opposition claims Government was "giving away'' the sports centre.

The idea of a quango was to allow the community to get involved.

"We want to see successful operations that don't have to be bolstered up by the public purse. This is voluntariness at its highest level.'' Shadow Transport Minister Mr. Walter Lister opened by mocking Government for appearing undecided whether Bermuda was in recession.

This did not suggest a Government in charge, or with business acumen.

He then ridiculed Sir John for always describing Bermuda as a leading light.

If that was so, why did he go to Washington to see President Clinton, rather than the other way round.

Mr. Lister went on to accuse Government of trying to "negate'' its responsibilities by "palming'' them off to special interest groups.

He said it was wrong for people to feel they could only succeed in business by joining the UBP.

Mr. Lister said he considered himself a businessman, who had made his way despite the UBP.

Sir John Sharpe said the UBP was willing to work with other partnerships in Government. He said: "The Government is looking for the help and co-operation of the private sector. The PLP says lets put our hands in the taxpayers' pockets.

"The repetitive theme of the Opposition has been the absolutely absurd suggestion that Government is giving away responsibilities. Nothing could be further from the truth.

"If they would look at the original bill they would see that the trustees are effectively just a working body for the Ministry.

"The Government is giving away some of its work but at no cost to the taxpayer and without a loss of any responsibility.'' The Hon. Sir John Sharpe Mr. Dennis Lister The Hon. Gerald Simons.