Delaey Robinson for "capitalising'' on public reaction to an insulting advertisement about him.

"It's political opportunism,'' Mr. Moniz said. "Not only were Mr. Robinson and the PLP beneficiaries of the way that ad backfired but now he's making every effort to gain political capital by taking the position he's taking.'' "I could understand if it was a week ago,'' the UBP MP for Smith's South added. "But it was over a year ago. It's history. He has to start moving forward.'' In the House of Assembly on Friday, Mr. Moniz was the only Opposition MP to respond to Mr. Robinson's comments about the effects of the advertisement which was placed in The Royal Gazette during last year's run up to the General Election.

The ad pictured the Progressive Labour Party MP for St. George's North in the middle of a bullseye underneath the title: "Jennifer's choice for Finance Minister'' and asked "Do you want this man to broaden the tax base?'' Last week, the man who placed the advertisement, Colin (Dusty) Hind, tried to "make amends'' for the insult caused. But Mr. Robinson refused to accept, saying that the apology did not mean much without the "substance'' of the names of those "Friends of Pam'' who commissioned the advertisement, which Mr. Hind refused to give in the name of "professional ethics''.

Mr. Robinson called those responsible "cowards'' for not coming forward and he also referred to the general feeling of racism "against blacks and all things black'' in Bermuda.

Mr. Moniz responded by saying that the PLP MP's remarks reminded him of the "McCarthyist'' communist witch hunts in the United States during the 1950s.

"He doesn't want an apology, he just wants Mr. Hind to name names,'' he said.

Mr. Moniz said he felt that Mr. Robinson was "grounding Mr. Hind's face into the dirt'' for revenge and to serve his party's political ends.

He added: "That advertisement was certainly extremely ill-advised and naive.

Not only did it damage the UBP, but it helped the PLP immensely. Mr. Robinson and his party rode to the election on the crest of the wave of the backlash it created.'' Mr. Moniz said he believed Mr. Robinson "chose to refuse to accept Mr. Hind's apology because he was just trying to reap up and embarrass everyone involved even more''.

"This is an unhealthy approach to politics and in the wrong spirit. He's using a kind of victimology to gain widespread sympathy from the people of Bermuda,'' he said.

"There was a widespread perception that there were racial overtones. It doesn't matter what the intentions of the people who placed it were. The only thing that matters is how it was received by the people.'' Mr. Moniz's opinion was that Mr. Robinson was making more of this than there needed to be.

"I think his hair-style actually looks good and I only wish I have as much hair as him when I'm his age,'' he said.

"Prejudice exists,'' Mr. Moniz admitted, "but you have to fight it and move on as best you can.'' Mr. Moniz said he also felt that last week's failed reconciliation between Mr.

Hind and Mr. Robinson was an "embarrassment'' for the National Association for Reconciliation who orchestrated the meeting.

"It was turned into a total fiasco and no doubt will discourage people from ever doing that kind of thing again,'' he said.

"Race is obviously a very sensitive issue in Bermuda because of the legacy of our racist past,'' Mr. Moniz added. "Hopefully, however, we can put this behind us and move forward in a true spirit of reconciliation.'' Delaey Robinson Trevor Moniz TOURISM TOU