Premier Ewart Brown admitted yesterday he gave the Opposition just half a minute to talk on the Cabinet Office budget in Parliament because it wouldn't reschedule a debate on Tourism spending. Dr. Brown, who is also Tourism Minister, told a press conference: "I think they learned the lesson — 30 seconds worth."

The Premier told the House of Assembly on March 8 that he would miss last Friday's Tourism budget debate because he was off to Dominica for the Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Caricom heads of government.

He blamed the United Bermuda Party for his absence, saying he informed the Opposition weeks ago of the dates he would be available but his request for flexibility was refused.

He said yesterday: "I did have the appointment to go to the heads of government meeting at Caricom and that was known months ahead of time.

"It was only when the Opposition, for some strange reason, decided not to be flexible that we went into the other mode, which was 'if you don't want to be flexible, then we will speak your language'."

He added that there had been no attempt to investigate why the Opposition refused his request, which led to Works and Engineering Minister Derrick Burgess delivering the Tourism budget brief to MPs.

"I have been in the House for 17 years," Dr. Brown said. "I have never seen a lack of flexibility with respect to ministerial requests for adjustments but I understand how they feel. I know how the Opposition feels about me."

Opposition leader Kim Swan said last night: "In a pique, the Premier allowed 30 seconds for the Opposition to speak during the Cabinet Office budget debate — in our view putting personal animosity ahead of the people's business.

"Dr. Brown has always used bully tactics to get his own way and on this occasion Her Majesty's Opposition made him choose between a trip overseas and the people's business here at home."

Referring to the $265,000 cost of Dr. Brown's overseas trips during a recent nine-month period, Mr. Swan said: "This was a point of principle for us because his travel habit — costing Bermuda $30,000 a month — is a major concern and because of the dubious value of his many ventures abroad."

The UBP leader said the Premier's scheduling challenge was "self-created given that he had months to figure out his own travel plans".

"We believe he had no intention of allowing much time to scrutinise the planned 16 percent increase in the budget of the Cabinet Office, where overspending on major projects has run rampant and which is the home to a posse of consultants who claim hundreds of thousands of dollars from the public purse."

Mr. Swan added: "This is the time the country needs its Premier focused exclusively on the challenges and not his profile overseas. That was why we held the line on this issue.

"Now the Premier is making us pay for it by shutting down debate on ways to improve and strengthen the Island's performance. That's the Government leader we've got."