percent over two years.

The raise will increase Senators' basic salaries from $16,000 to $18,176 this year and to $20,466 in 1996.

Government Senators who are Parliamentary Secretaries will receive an additional $6,816 this year compared to $6,000 last year and a will receive $7,675 in 1996.

Government Senate Leader the Hon. Gerald Simons said few subjects proved more difficult for parliamentarians to debate because of the inherent conflict of interest.

In the House of Assembly, he said, a variety of views were expressed on the issue.

He said the Finance Minister made the correct decision in staggering the pay rises over two years. He also approved the decision to make increases effective from April this year and not retroactive.

Sen. Simons added that part timers spend a significant amount of time -- up to four days a week -- in their role as parliamentarians.

Senate Opposition Leader Sen. Milton Scott said politicians had to spend money on clothes for functions they were expected to attend.

Many of them, he said, had spouses who were loathe to wear the same outfit at three consecutive functions.

He added the job was not part-time because parliamentarians are at the "beck and call of the public, 24 hours a day, seven days a week''.

"The salary we are paid is basically an honorarium for what we do,'' he said.

And Parliamentarians, he said, should recognise their worth.

He also noted that the Premier deserved a larger salary than the Governor.

Sen. Lawrence Scott (UBP) also supported the hike.

He said older politicians, who had provided service over many years to the country, deserved decent salaries. An example, he said, was the former Leader of the Opposition, Mrs. Lois Browne Evans .

Legislators should be "kinder to themselves'' thereby making the decision easier, he added.

Sen. Terry Lister (PLP) argued the decision to suspend pay increases for the past seven years, was a mistake. Instead, it made it harder to make the public comfortable with the 27.7 percent increase.

Compared with other bodies the raise was very small, he said. Only hotel workers had received less than 27 percent over the same period.

He added that the Premier should earn more than his Permanent Secretaries.

But he stressed that the Progressive Labour Party did not advocate that Ministers earn equivalent salaries to Permanent Secretaries.

Sen. Lynda Milligan-Whyte (UBP) agreed the increase was justified in light of legislators' responsibilites.

"We're not in it for the money for sure,'' she said. "If you are motivated to make money in Bermuda there are many other opportunities to make it.'' The bill also raise MPs salaries from $24,000 this year to $30,699 by 1996.