By Raymond Hainey Premier Jennifer Smith spent more than $40,000 on furnishings for her new official residence in just one shop, The Royal Gazette can reveal.

And the final bill for the Paget home is likely to be as high as $120,000.

The Premier is understood to have gone on a spending spree in recent weeks -- including a trip to furniture store Creative Interiors.

Ms Smith did not return a call from The Royal Gazette yesterday.

And staff at Creative Interiors were staying tight-lipped over their top customer.

A spokeswoman for the firm said: "As an official of the company, I'm not at liberty to discuss that.'' But Works and Engineering Minister Alex Scott defended the expenditure on the house.

He said around $55-60,000 had been allocated for things like repairs, painting and security.

And he added that furnishings and fittings would "probably be somewhere in the same neighbourhood''.

But he stressed: "Ms Smith may leave the property -- but the furniture won't.

That remains.

"I know the Ministry's position is that the furnishing and the preparation of the residence for the Premier is, in the immediate sense, for Jennifer Smith.

"But at any given moment in the years to come, it could be for a future Premier or for another Government purpose.'' Mr. Scott added: "I don't know if she bought the best -- if she bought the best, I think that's appropriate. It's for the Premier's office.'' And he said: "Ms Smith had nothing to do with the budget drawn up by the Ministry and stayed within that budget.'' And he added that his own staff had pointed out that quality furniture would last for years -- a better deal in the long run than cheaper options.

Mr. Scott said that all the work on The Laurels -- which included renovations, furnishing, and security systems -- had come in on budget.

He added: "It's really very unfair and I'm intentionally defensive of the Premier because she wanted it done in the most cost-effective way.'' The news came after The Royal Gazette exclusively revealed that Ms Smith had moved into the former home of Bermuda's Attorneys General, The Laurels in Paget.

The upmarket home -- complete with extensive grounds and water views -- became vacant after AG Elliott Mottley quit his job early.

Ms Smith ordered a probe into a $60,000 a year Warwick house rented in the private sector by former Premier Pamela Gordon just after the PLP won the November election.

The then-Premier's residence deal was approved by both sides of the house in the last Budget.

Ms Gordon's house, however, which also required security work and modification, was paid for with a $5,000-a-month rental allowance, ordered by Cabinet for Ms Gordon after fears over potential security problems at her North Hamilton home.

Ms Gordon said the house was not leased by Government, but by her and that she intended to keep it on after her party lost the election.

Mr. Mottley left Bermuda just before Rebecca Middleton murder accused Justis Smith walked free from court and four months before his scheduled leaving date.

And that left the house vacant as Government searched for a suitable offical residence for the Premier.

But Mr. Mottley -- who brought his own furniture from Barbados at Government expense -- sent it all back to his homeland when he decided to resign his post.

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