HAD politicians undergone race sensitivity training recommended more than six months ago, Telecommunications & Tourism Minister Ren?e Webb's recent racially provocative comments might never have been publicly aired, CURE chairman Norma Nielsen said yesterday.

According to Mrs. Nielsen, one of 14 resolutions stemming from a series of public workshops organised by the Commission for Unity & Racial Equality (CURE), was to have Members of Parliament undergo sensitivity training on racial issues as a means of setting an example to the public.

The idea received strong support from Minister of Sports & Community Affairs Randy Horton who promised to present the proposal to the Speaker of the House and the Senate President as a means of introducing training for politicians.

No MP has undertaken the suggested training to date. However, Mrs. Nielsen said yesterday the recent round of mud-slinging might have been avoided if they had.

"I think it's unfortunate the comments that have gone back and forth from both sides of the House of Assembly," she said. "One good thing (about all of this) is that it means Bermuda has come forward to the point where we can now talk about it, although spewing hatred is probably not the best way.

"But it does get people talking and it gets the problem out there. It's not for me to comment on whether it was a responsible or irresponsible comment, but I would say if Members of Parliament had gone through the sensitivity training recommended in the resolutions, we wouldn't have these problems."

The public diatribe on race began last week when Ms Webb, speaking on the floor of the House of Assembly, said she wanted "people like her" to succeed on the island and that Government - since coming into power in November, 1998 - had attempted to redistribute wealth by offering contracts to companies owned by Bermudians.

As reported in , Ms Webb said that black "empowerment" should be mainstream Government policy and other institutions, such as the banks, should also be looking at empowering blacks. And she accused the Opposition United Bermuda Party and others of institutionalised racism, after questions were raised concerning the performance bond of the $70 million Berkeley Institute site. Ms Webb said the questions were asked only because the general contractors were black.

"(Blacks) do not have economic ownership of our country," she stated. "That was my goal (when I entered politics) and I don't apologise for it. I never said that white people should not own anything, but I said more people like me should be a part of the ownership of this country."

The Minister went on to admit that she asked members of her Ministry to look for companies that were owned by "people like her" when they were looking for contractors, adding: "It's sad for me that we don't have blacks that own companies that I can support."

Ms Webb's comments were described as misleading by the Opposition and president of the Bermuda Employers' Council, Eddie Saints, has since written a letter to Premier Jennifer Smith asking for clarification of Government hiring practices after being deluged with a number of concerns by businesses.

While refusing to comment on the matter itself, CURE executive officer David Northcott said incidents as such showed there was a need to readdress those resolutions proposed by his group in the lead-up to the United Nation's International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

"The workshops held produced a number of resolutions," he said. "Contained in (the resolutions) are thoughts and strategies that came out of the community as ways of dealing with racial discrimination in one way or another."

Added Mrs. Nielsen: "I know (Minister Horton) himself committed Government to undertaking sensitivity training for members of the House. He publicly stated some time ago that it was something he endorsed and wanted to see happen soon. However, (incidences such as these serve as) evidence that people have been hurt over the years and there are problems because of that."

A call to Mr. Horton for comment was not returned by press time.