Opposition Senator Suzann Roberts Holshouser has urged Government to buy cheaper cars for Cabinet Ministers and spend less on foreign travel to help save taxpayers' cash.

She complained in the Upper Chamber on Monday about public spending on the official GP fleet running into hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The Ministry of Works and Engineering has spent almost $500,000 on nine new GP cars since July 2008: one BMW costing $188,000, three Toyota Camrys at $70,000 each and five $20,000 Kias.

"This is the people's money," said the Opposition Senator. "When it comes to expenditures that are not necessary is where I have an issue. Who am I to say they are unnecessary?

"You can go out and buy a car and it doesn't have to be an expensive one. It can be the bottom of the rung, especially when we are in this financial situation."

Sen. Roberts Holshouser, speaking during the Senate Budget debate, claimed official overseas travel expenses were too high.

Referring to a trip by Premier Ewart Brown to the US capital, she said: "To spend over $7,000 on ground transportation in Washington is unheard of."

And of Dr. Brown's hotel bill for London and Copenhagen, which came to $3,862 per night, she asked: "Is that the whole floor? You can get a penthouse for less than that. It's the people's money. It's the throwing away of that money that is causing me concern."

Government Senator Walton Brown said it had been established that expenses for the "entire entourage" accompanying the Premier on foreign trips were put onto his credit card.

Sen. Roberts Holshouser asked: "Who paid off that credit card?" She said it caused concern when "monies are misappropriated".

Independent Senator Walwyn Hughes spoke about the extra money allocated for tourism in this year's Budget. "We have to hope that it ignites that industry and gets it going," he said.

Sen. Hughes said travel was one of the first things people stopped spending on during a recession. At that point, Shadow Tourism Minister Michael Dunkley interjected: "Not for the Premier."

Sen. Brown talked about the money allocated for consultants in this year's Budget, which he said was $27 million, not the $100 million claimed by the Opposition.

He said Government needed to hire them because it couldn't get the expertise it needed on the Island.

"I can guarantee that in almost every case the consultants that have been hired by this Government have delivered exceptional service at exceptional value," he said.

Sen. Brown said the worldwide economic crisis had seen violent anger towards foreign workers in many countries, including Australia, Russia and India.

Referring to the "cacophony of sound" on talk radio about guest workers here, he said he hoped Bermuda would not fall prey to similar xenophobia.

Sen. Brown said overseas workers were invited to the Island and should not be blamed for hardship being suffered by locals.

Independent Senator Joan Dillas-Wright praised Government for resuming paying into its sinking fund and said the issue of how much public debt a country should have was subject to one's ideology and economic philosophy.

PLP Senator Thaao Dill delivered a speech on the need for taxation to ensure the personal wealth of citizens is protected. "Ownership isn't an ethereal notion, it isn't an abstract idea," he said. "That protection is provided by Government, which can only do so by generating taxes."

Government is banking on the economy recovering this year and there will be a problem if it is wrong, said Opposition Senator Jeanne Atherden.

"We would suggest a freeze on civil servant hiring.

"The Opposition also want to see whistle-blower legislation and a Contractor General, as that's the other side of controlling costs, to make sure the budgets we put here are achieved."

She said the UBP also want to see a stronger role for the Public Accounts Committee and a Code of Conduct for MPs.

Government Senate Leader David Burch praised Finance Minister Paula Cox's Budget and defended Government's spending.

"This economic turmoil, no one could have seen the depth of job losses and business losses in countries around the world.

"I'm always amazed at how special we think we are in this country and how we think we are exempt from every rule which affects the planet. But this economy may bring into focus we are not as special as we think we are."

Referring to Opposition criticism of Government spending, he said: "In Opposition you criticise. But the UBP is being insensitive to the social needs of people in this Country.

"There is no way we could govern like the UBP and be true to our own calling. So have we spent? Yes, we've spent: $26.9 million on new ferries and docks around the Island infrastructure; millions on repaving L.F. Wade International Airport; millions on state-of-the-art air-conditioned buses; millions on free day care; millions on homes for Bermudians; millions on FutureCare.

"Some of the people who have criticised FutureCare should be ashamed of themselves," he said.

"We have seen some insurance companies in this country cast seniors aside.

"So have we spent? Yes, we've spent, and we will continue to do so, keeping our promise to the people of this Country who asked us to do it differently, and to treat Court Street in the same way as Front Street.

"New ferries, a new cruise pier in Dockyard, a new bus terminal in Hamilton, a new Police Station and Courts, more houses."

Sen. Burch said $34 million of the Ministry of Works and Engineering capital expenditure budget was "earmarked for completion of the Police and Court building and Tynes Bay".

Referring to his previous role in the Ministry of Works and Engineering, he said: "I somewhat blame myself for the constant carping over the Police Station.

"I wish I had followed my first mind to say to the Canadian architects before it was first built, that your ten-year-old plans and ten-year-old costs should be thrown out of the window, because what we have now is an unrealistic and untruthful comparison of what it is costing all those years ago and what it is costing now."

He added: "Those carping on now are not being entirely truthful.

"It almost makes you in Government not want to put a figure on things so that it isn't in the public domain and is stuck there.

Senate President Carol Ann Bassett then appealed for unity, saying the economic downturn was "an opportunity for us as a community to come together".

She welcomed additional funding for the Bermuda Police Service. Commenting on the recent gun violence, Sen. Bassett said: "I'm glad to see we're supporting the Bermuda Police Service with additional funds because the safety of the public is paramount.

"You can have all the money in the world but if your son is lying on the ground and his lifeblood is flowing out of him, money doesn't mean a thing."