Premier Ewart Brown yesterday insisted it was in the best interests of the country to kick devastated Bermudians out of the New York tourism office.

Responding to uproar from long-serving Bermudians set to be replaced by Americans, the Premier and Tourism Minister told the House of Assembly: "Compassionately disrupting the lives of a few, in a plan to better serve the masses, is what good political leadership is all about."

Up to 20 Bermudians — some of whom have given 30 years' service to the Department of Tourism — are being made redundant with five weeks' notice after Cabinet agreed to outsource sales to US firm Sales Focus.

Workers say Government — which they claim has ignored their questions about their future for months — has shown "utter disregard for their employees" and the move will split families, giving people precious little time to find a new home on the Island, new jobs and new schools for their children.

Opposition Leader Kim Swan is among the critics of the move, describing it as "a slap in the face to the spirit, character and professionalism of Bermudians and their unique flair for selling the Island they love".

Mr. Swan and Shadow Labour Minister Michael Dunkley both questioned how Americans would be able to sell Bermuda as effectively as Bermudians with a combined 200 years experience with the Department of Tourism.

And Opposition MP Patricia Gordon-Pamplin told the House of Assembly last night it was ironic that the axe had fallen on staff just weeks after the Government issued its Dignity in the Workplace initiative for civil servants.

She said it was no wonder tourism staff had staged a sick out in protest. "If they weren't sick before they definitely were sick today," she said during the motion to adjourn. "Shame, shame, shame on the Government!" she added to foot stomping from her fellow party members.

Earlier, Dr. Brown said in a Ministerial statement: "As you very well know, our Tourism Budget was cut $5 million in this fiscal year. Part of what we must do to achieve better results with fewer resources is reduce the number of full-time employees working in North America as part of the Bermuda Tourism sales team.

"Make no mistake, this was an agonising decision. Let me say plainly and clearly that the people on our North America Sales Team who are being shifted are nothing short of dedicated hard-working employees who love Bermuda. And I hope Bermuda loves them for their effort. Some of them were on the job for decades.

"But the problem is that the sales model for Bermuda Tourism was also decades old. An outdated sales model, created when the level of our competition was not as high as it is today. We are a Government not afraid to make change if it is in the best interest of the country."

On the future of the newly jobless staff, he said: "Some of these employees are talented sales people and we have encouraged them to apply for jobs with the new firm tapped to lead our new sales effort. I hope some of them will compete for those jobs and win. That's the way it works in a global marketplace."

However, Permanent Secretary of Tourism Cherie Whitter has already warned staff Sales Focus — which is planning to send Americans to Bermuda for training — reserves the right to make its own employment decision.

Dr. Brown went on: "For those Bermudians returning home, we will find alternative jobs for them in the Civil Service. I expect some of those jobs will put them right back into the Department of Tourism. Where there is talent, we are anxious to retain it.

"Additionally, in an effort to support employees as the restructure plan takes shape, each member of the sales and sales support teams will be met with individually to assess their needs in finding alternative work. This will take place on July 21. Each displaced worker who wants to continue working in the Civil Service will be given that opportunity — redundancy is not the desired end game.

"Disrupting people's lives in this way is not fun or politically expedient — far from it. But compassionately disrupting the lives of a few, in a plan to better serve the masses, is what good political leadership is all about."

Mr. Swan, who is also Shadow Tourism Minister, said in a statement: "This is an anti-Bermudian decision. It is deeply disrespectful of the people who have toiled overseas in the name of Bermuda, some for decades. Who can sell Bermuda better than Bermudians?

"Government appears to be in the process of obliterating Bermuda's physical presence overseas, in favour of contracts to US-based companies. We believe the people have a right to know who decided and when they decided on this course of action. There is a long history of Bermudians selling Bermuda successfully in overseas markets and we want to know who decided that our homegrown talent was no longer good enough.

"We are concerned that there is too much meddling, too much micromanaging in the performance of the North American offices. We recall not too long ago announcements about a new incentive-based sales programme for overseas offices. Now we learn it was thrown out the window without ever being implemented.

"There is also a callousness to the way this outsourcing decision was managed. The unhappiness and injustice felt by the professionals in the New York office speaks to the ruthless manner in which it was enacted. Since when did the Government of Bermuda become a brutal employer?"

Sen. Dunkley told The Royal Gazette: "I find it very difficult to believe that a Bermudian can't sell Bermuda as well as an American.

"They are supposed to be a labour government, but this has been done by a backdoor approach. There was no mention of it in the Budget debate, which is when you might think the Premier would mention it."