Government's plans for the year ahead were lacking in provisions for tourism, affordable housing, healthcare and seniors, members of the Senate claimed yesterday.

Both Independent and Opposition United Bermuda Party Senators spoke at length on this year's Throne Speech, and while praising Government's objective of including all members of the community, they said there were few plans to improve key issues.

Independent , who is newly appointed to the Upper House, said she appreciated the positive tone and inclusiveness of the Throne Speech, but said it was lacking in other areas.

She said there was nothing to help those seniors still living in their own homes who struggled to afford medication, and there was also no concrete plans to provide affordable housing.

"I would have liked to have seen a specific goal set for this ? something that we can measure success by," said Ms Bassett, referring to housing. For example, she said she would have liked to have seen Government promise to provide a certain number of cheaper homes by the end of next year, and she would have liked to have seen some provisions to help seniors financially.

And said the Throne Speech was the most inclusive document to be produced yet by the Progressive Labour Party in its last six openings of Parliament.

However, he said: "This document is pretty light when it comes to setting out legislative initiatives. There is more talk about carrying out reviews or considering what might be done."

And he said he counted 17 commitments to new pieces of legislation, which was ten less than last year. However, he said it was better to put forward fewer and ensure they got done, rather than suggest more and do less. But Sen. Hughes said tourism was given little coverage in the Throne Speech, despite Minister Renee Webb admitting it was in crisis, and he said he believed something was "drastically wrong" with the industry.

He said during his travels around the US and Europe this summer, he saw no advertisements in travel agencies for Bermuda and said he believed the Island needed to raise its profile.

He added: "We never hear of Bermuda. We may as well be on the moon."

Likewise, he said there was nothing on housing, or health.

Sen. Hughes said he believed Bermuda needed a housing tsar solely to deal with the issue, and he praised former Housing Minister David Burch for being so high profile. Talking about housing, he said: "There is no great solution around the corner, it seems here. That's a bit disappointing."

But said the Throne Speech was a "balanced set of objectives for the Government to achieve".

And he said far from key issues not being given prominence, housing, education, health and tourism would all be high on the PLP agenda in the next year.

He said: "In our second term, we shall, as the Government, respond to the continued need for housing with ambitious and innovative housing programmes to construct affordable homes and emergency housing for our people.

"Seniors continuing residential and health care needs will continue to be confronted and addressed by the Government ? a key initiative in this area is the plan for restructuring and upgrading of Bermuda's former rest homes in the eastern, central and western parishes."

He said tourism had been thoroughly analysed, education would continue to advance and crime had also been highlighted as a major concern.

And Sen. Scott said small businesses and individual entrepreneurs were also to be assisted.

Opposition Leader in the said the Throne Speech, read on Hallowe'en, was full of tricks and treats.

He said one of his major concerns was the apparent lack of plans for tourism, and he called on Government once again to set up a Tourism Authority and to take the responsibility out of the hands of politicians. He said: "We have seen tourism ministers come and go and tourism ministers micro-managing to no end. Micro-managing does not work in tourism.

"We can't collectively as a people allow tourism to just continue to dwindle away. The answer for tourism will be found in industry partners and stakeholders. People who work in the industry have a different perspective than people in Government.

"Ministerial meddling is preventing us going forward."

However, new said the Throne Speech had provided the "bones" to Government's plans for the next year and it was the community that would provide the substance as they would be given a say and responsibility in what went forward. And he said Government, in its second term, now wanted to empower Bermudians to take charge of the country and take responsibility.