Public Accounts Committee chairman Bob Richards has called an emergency meeting to assess Auditor General Larry Dennis' critical special report.

The Shadow Finance Minister said Parliament's watchdog, which checks whether public money is being spent properly, will meet on Monday.

His United Bermuda Party colleague Patricia Gordon-Pamplin will attend, and he said he hoped the other three members, Progressive Labour Party backbenchers Zane DeSilva, Patrice Minors and Walter Lister, would also show up.

"It's absolutely essential we do our part. Whether some members turn up or not, I'm not going to let that stop me from convening a meeting," said Mr. Richards.

The Opposition also said it wanted PAC meetings to be held in public, following the example set by the Joint Select Committee on Education.

The Royal Gazette has asked House of Assembly Speaker Stanley Lowe, chairman of the Rules and Privileges Committee, for permission to attend on Monday.

Meanwhile UBP Leader Kim Swan revealed he telephoned Governor Sir Richard Gozney on Thursday to suggest setting up a Commission of Inquiry into Mr. Dennis' findings, which included $6.5 million being spent on the controversial Police/court building in Hamilton without verifying amounts to receipted invoices.

Sir Richard responded by telling this newspaper: "The Auditor General's Special Report is addressed to Bermuda's elected representatives and it is for them to debate, whether in plenary or Committee, and to form views and any recommendations for actions. So I am not looking to any separate or outside body."

Premier Ewart Brown, who has asked the Governor on several occasions to pressure Mr. Dennis into resigning because he believes he has politicised his office, yesterday said he would not do so again.

"I'm not going to make any more requests. I think the Governor is clear where we stand," said Dr. Brown.

He told this newspaper he had spoken to Sir Richard about the kind of person he would like to see replace Mr. Dennis when he retires this summer.

Dr. Brown said: "I believe there's always going to be healthy tension between a government and an auditor. That's why I have said we would like the new Auditor General to be tough and brutally honest with us."