TV programme on the Government's first 100 days breached political broadcasting regulations.

The good news is that the system works. Commission chairman Tim Marshall, appointed by the Government after successfully winning a ruling allowing political discussion on talk radio before the General Election, showed that he is an independent voice who can rule both for and against the Progressive Labour Party.

It does seem clear that the broadcast did breach regulations, as it discussed the "PLP Government'' and came dangerously close to offences in its reference to the Opposition.

There have also been concerns raised about the neutrality of an accompanying, publicly funded document on the first 100 days which was circulated in this newspaper and in the Bermuda Sun last week.

The document's title was printed in "PLP green'' on the cover and a photograph inside showed Home Affairs Minister Paula Cox and Attorney General Lois Browne Evans and her son Donald Evans outside the Devonshire North polling station at the last Election wearing PLP buttons; dubious inclusions for a supposedly neutral document.

Some may see these transgressions as comparatively minor and hardly worthy of censure and it does seem possible that they were honest mistakes.

But rules are made to be followed and it is important that they are followed carefully and to the letter, because transgressions now could set a precedent for much greater breaches of regulations later.

It can also be argued that the Government has a right, or even a responsibility, to inform the public of its progress and its future plans.

But it has to be careful to make the distinction between what it does as a Government -- representing all the people -- and what it does as a party which, like any other, wants to put its best foot forward to please the voters.

What is most disturbing about this incident is not the content but the cavalier attitude of Premier Jennifer Smith when she first heard the United Bermuda Party had protested the broadcast.

Ms Smith said then that anyone who had time to pursue Opposition complaints "when you look at what they did in the past, you have more time than I have''.

She added the broadcast and the 100 days document were legal "otherwise we would not have done it''.

In apologising for the error, Mrs. Browne Evans said yesterday that "this was an unfortunate case where the production company, Government Information Services and Government itself inadvertently overlooked the Directions''.

Ms Smith's initial refusal to consider the allegations, followed by Mrs.

Browne Evans' attribution of at least some of the blame to civil servants and a production company is unfortunate.

When Harry Truman was President of the United States, he had a sign on his desk which said "the buck stops here''. The Government would do well to recognise that when mistakes are made, the buck stops with it.