the Senate constantly criticise this newspaper for not being straightforward in its reporting of the PLP. But the PLP does not practice what it preaches.

Last Wednesday evening shortly after 11 p.m., during speeches in the House of Assembly on the motion to adjourn, Mr. Walter Lister rose to praise PLP leader Mr. Federick Wade. Mr. Lister said Mr. Wade was courageous in remarks he had made at City Hall during City of Hamilton anniversary celebrations. Mr. Lister said Mr. Wade was a "breath of fresh air'' because he suggested broadening the Hamilton franchise and holding Corporation meetings in public.

Mr. Lister was not straightforward enough to point out to the House that Mr.

Wade's remarks directly reflected last Tuesday's editorial in this newspaper.

Yet, last Wednesday was a day when this newspaper was constantly attacked in the House and the Senate by the PLP. The PLP claims that this newspaper does nothing but follow the Government. Typically, Mr. Lister did not give The Royal Gazette credit for its Corporation of Hamilton stand or make clear that what Mr. Wade said at City Hall was almost word for word what this newspaper had said in its editorial. In fact, what Mr. Wade said was very, very close to the wording of The Royal Gazette editorial.

During the same sitting of the House of Assembly, the Shadow Minister for the Environment, Mr. Julian Hall, said he was surprised by a Royal Gazette headline about the National Trust's concern over clean air regulations. Mr.

Hall tried hard to imply that The Royal Gazette has never opposed the Government over the environment. That could not be further from the facts.

This newspaper has a long and well recognised history of defending Bermuda's environment. In 1977 the Editor of this newspaper was honoured by the Bermuda National Trust for his "spirited editorials defending Bermuda's natural and man-made environment''.

These are only two instances of PLP misinformation and they are used to indicate how the PLP has decided to campaign against the media. We think they can only indicate how bankrupt the PLP is when it comes to real issues and how inept they are at opposing with facts. The PLP prefers to give the impression that this newspaper "knee-jerks'' the Government line but as we pointed out yesterday, this newspaper was once reluctantly forced by the PLP's long period of disarray to assume the role of the Opposition.

We think the PLP has so little understanding of how to be a good Opposition and so little to criticise in the way the Government has functioned in recent difficult and tough economic years, that it has decided to run an election campaign against The Royal Gazette . Our only concern is that too often politicians behave as Mr. Lister and Mr. Hall have behaved, they say what is convenient at the moment and ignore reality and history and the facts. Sadly for Bermuda that seems to be the way it is today.