Senators approved a bill yesterday to move National Heroes' Day from October to June after public protests.

The switch begins this year, meaning a public holiday on June 15 similar to when the Queen's birthday was celebrated and no holiday on October 12,

Opposition Senators welcomed the U-turn but questioned how Government could have got the holiday so wrong in the first place.

United Bermuda Party Senator Michael Fahy said: "We support the change, my concern is this wasn't done properly the first time.

"We find ourselves in the Senate and the only bill we are debating is changing a holiday.

"We are going through a crime wave, we have economic issues but there is no real substantive legislation on the order paper. It seems a waste of time."

And his colleague Sen. Dunkley said his party had suggested June be chosen for the new holiday, brought in last year. "Why didn't Government listen at the time, perhaps the reason why is because the UBP supported June.

"That is something we need to move away from. We need people to cross over traditional party lines, it was in the best interests of the people."

However Progressive Labour Party Senators said the switch showed Government was capable of listening and responding to criticism.

Sen. Walton Brown denied October had been picked because the Opposition had wanted June.

He said: "Government makes a lot of decisions, sometimes these decisions are not made in the best way the first time around."

And he added: "There are some who believe the only work Government has is passing legislation."

But he said Government was primarily there to govern well.

And Junior Transport Minister Marc Bean said: "I am extremely pleased to be part of a Government that has the humility to make decisions to the mutual benefit of the Country.

"We put up our hands to say we made a mistake. We didn't parade around saying we are infallible."

Moving the holiday to October had upset Comet racers, who traditionally used the June holiday for comet races between Somerset and St. George's, and the fitted dinghy races in Somerset.