John Swan said yesterday.

"The glass ceiling can be the ceiling of the mind,'' Sir John said in the House of Assembly during the second day of debate on the report of the Commission on Competitiveness.

"If it's gone and we don't know it's gone, because we don't take advantage of it, then it's still there.'' Sir John said "euphemisms'' like "glass ceiling'' and "institutional racism'' can be used to "allow people to justify why they're not going where they're going.'' Sir John's comments came under immediate fire from Opposition Leader Mr.

Frederick Wade.

"I think the Premier is just talking a lot of ... nonsense,'' Mr. Wade said outside the House. "The glass ceiling is as real as day follows night in Bermuda. It's not somebody's mental blockage. It exists.'' It was Sir John who applied the term "glass ceiling'' to institutional racism in Bermuda, Mr. Wade said.

"It's certainly going to require the efforts of a Government accepting that it exists to get rid of it.'' The Premier said measures to fight racism and discrimination that would soon be introduced by Human Affairs Minister the Hon. Jerome Dill were important, but "first of all it's a state of mind'' that is needed in building a new Bermuda.

Taking advantage of new opportunities in a changing world would only happen "when people are ready for it,'' he said.

"We need to get the message across that this Island is no longer the Bermuda it was five years ago.'' Referring to Club Med and the Bermudiana, Sir John noted that two hotels had closed in recent years. He then added that there were also "two hotels that could close.'' He did not name the hotels, but owners of Marriott's Castle Harbour Resort have recently threatened to shut the doors.

Sir John said more MPs and business people needed to visit schools and students needed to visit businesses to create a new attitude on the Island.

(See Page 4 for full House report.) MR. FREDERICK WADE -- `A lot of nonsense.' SIR JOHN -- `A ceiling of the mind.'