tourism continued yesterday in the Senate, when UBP Senator Maxwell Burgess accused Tourism Minister David Allen of spending "money like a drunken sailor''.

During the motion to adjourn, Sen. Burgess said he was concerned about Mr.

Allen's track record, and demanded to know how many air arrivals were expected this year.

Referring to Government's attempts to buy the Pitts Bay Road mansion, Sen.

Burgess said it was "not acceptable for the Minister to spend money like a drunken sailor'' and then expect the private sector to pick up the tab.

And Sen. Burgess said he was "shamed and embarrassed'' that a man like billionaire John Deuss would be "left out to dry while Government scurried around trying to decide whether it knew about (the letter) or not''.

Referring to Tourism spending, Sen. Burgess said: "$5.7 million would've had Club Med open today.'' But Government Senator Calvin Smith said it would take a lot of money to turn tourism around following "the 20-year disaster'' under the previous Government.

And PLP Senator Michael Scott said listening to Sen. Burgess' argument "was like being savaged by a dead sheep'' because it was so ineffectual.

He noted that reticence to disclose Mr. Deuss' identity was "for a good reason'' because it was important he have anonymity while the process was taking place.

But Opposition Senator Kim Swan said: "What we see here is the less-than-forthrightness of the Government -- Government need not hide behind a veil of secrecy.'' And he said Government should be working with the private sector to get money "to bring about hotel bedrooms instead of office rooms''.

Government Senate Leader Milton Scott said the PLP was taking "a different philosophical approach'' than the previous Government in regards to tourism.

And although he said he was accustomed to "the cut and thrust of political debate'', Sen. Scott said, as a Country, "we've taken it to an all-time low''.

But Opposition Senator Mark Pettingill accused some members of Government as having a lack of transparency, and stated: "If Frederick Wade was Premier, he'd still be down at the barber shop talking to the man on the street.''