Government plans to set up an office in Washington within the next three months to help forge links with the new US presidential team.

Premier Ewart Brown told the House of Assembly the move will mean "we're in a position to communicate efficiently with the Obama administration."

A similar office was opened in London a month ago, with Dr. Brown saying at the time that it would give the Island better connections with the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office and MPs.

He gave no further information about the Washington plans, which he referred to as he spoke about the budget for 2009/10 which was unveiled last week, and the reply to it given by the Opposition yesterday.

Dr. Brown took the opportunity to defend Government's relationship with international businesses in Bermuda. He claimed this "has never been healthier than it is today".

However, he warned: "If the relationship between the Government of the day and any business sector is one where that sector drives the Government then we should give that sector the keys. No sector – no sector in this country has the right or the privilege of running this Government."

Dr. Brown took issue with a statement from the Opposition in the reply to the budget which said: "This Government's behaviour gives us no comfort that it understands that damage can be wrought by angry, ill-informed or inflammatory words."

The Premier denied this was the case.

"It's not inflammatory and they shouldn't become alarmed if I say something in disagreement with international business. That's where it's man-to-man. That's how we do business."

Dr. Brown also took exception to a remark in the reply to the budget where the Opposition said that spending $9 million less on Policing than in 2007/08 reflects "the diminishing commitment by the Government to public safety".

The Premier refuted this, telling the House it was "spin" from the United Bermuda Party as Police numbers are up and the Minister for Public Safety is working very hard.

The Opposition had asked how a cut in Police funding could be justified "particularly against the bloated and ever-growing budget for consultants".

Dr. Brown said that a country of just 65,000 people like Bermuda cannot be expected to have home-grown experts in highly specialised fields.

"If Bermuda produced one brain surgeon per one hundred years that's about average," he noted, pointing out it would not be right to get a Bermudian non-specialist to engage in neurosurgery nonetheless.

"When you don't have the expertise you must seek it."

Returning to the theme of new US President Barack Obama, Dr. Brown borrowed one of his famous phrases when talking up the tourism outlook despite the gloomy economic climate.

He said Bermuda is not powerless when it comes to this industry, pointing out that the United Bermuda Party's former Minister of Tourism David Dodwell is reportedly investing more than $50 million in new development at The Reefs resort in Southampton.

"That means he is investing, and he has the audacity of hope," said Dr. Brown.