Renee Webb has been given a dressing down by former Premier Pamela Gordon -- for wearing trousers in the House of Assembly.

Ms Webb, the Telecommunications Minister, wore black slacks during last Friday's Parliamentary session.

Then she revealed new Speaker Stanley Lowe was about to break with House tradition and allow women to wear pants.

The change, to be voted on by the Rules and Privileges Committee in the New Year, would also mean male MPs could wear Bermuda shorts.

But Ms Gordon entered the controversy last night by attacking Ms Webb for pre-empting the rule changes.

The Opposition Leader said: "I think it's disturbing that Renee Webb chose to change the rule on her own -- before the rules had been properly changed.

"You cannot be a lawmaker and a law-breaker and decide which rules you want to honour and respect and which you choose not to honour and respect.

"In our community, we live by example so people see that you have got a Government minister prepared to break rules without going through the proper steps to have that rule changed.

"I don't have a problem if the Rules and Privileges Committee decide women can wear slacks and men can wear shorts.

"But only after it's declared should people dress accordingly. There is a check and balance in place which is being ignored.'' Ms Gordon also said she was a traditionalist and was not in favour of the break with tradition.

But Ms Webb defended herself, insisting she was breaking House protocol rather than a rule.

She added: "The former Premier should learn what the rules of the House actually are.

"There's no rule that says women can't wear pants in the House. It's a tradition rather than a rule.''