Sustainable development may not have appeared in Premier Ewart Brown?s first Throne Speech, but it was a mistake to think that meant it was off his Government?s agenda, Bermudian students in London heard.

Speaking during an open question-and-answer forum at the fourth Annual Premier?s Dinner for Bermudian students in the UK, Dr. Brown also reiterated his Government?s reactionary policy regarding the sexual orientation amendment to the Human Rights Act.

He also voiced concern about what he perceived as a ?hostile media? in Bermuda, saying ? to applause ? that he looked forward to the day when another daily newspaper appeared on the Bermudian scene to offer some ?balance?.

Noting that he had had a weekend to write the Throne Speech, Dr. Brown said his Government had rid itself of some of the labels of the previous Cabinet ? such as the term ?Social Agenda?.

?I always thought that was what a Government was for,? he said.

However he said the decision to take sustainable development out of the speech did not mean Government had ceased to make it a priority.

Sustainable development is an ?automatic issue that any progressive government must engage in. It means developing for the future,? he said. ?I see that as automatic. We have to do that.?

However he criticised members of the Government-appointed Sustainable Development Round Table for going to the press with disagreements they had with the Government.

Saying that had taken the Government by surprise, he emphasised that disagreement itself was not a problem.

But the Government had appointed the roundtable and the expectation was if there was disagreement it would be expressed internally not played out in the press, he added.

There will be new sustainable development appointments, he said ? ?but I don?t believe you should appoint people who don?t understand the agenda?.

One student at the Friday night event, questioned Dr. Brown on a lack of debate in Parliament regarding the sexual orientation amendment to the Human Rights Act.

To applause, the student said ? in contradiction to Dr. Brown?s clearly stated desire to bring young people back to Bermuda ? many felt uncomfortable and unwelcome on the Island due to their sexual orientation.

However Dr. Brown said he had seen many people including people in Government who have achieved success regardless of their sexual orientation.

?I don?t think there is a sufficiently demonstrated problem in that area,? he said.

Adding that he was ?strongly opposed? to discrimination of any kind, he added there are currently avenues available regarding discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, though he did not specify what those avenues were.

?However, like any other issue, it?s open,? he said.

As for the ?non-debate? referred to by students, he claimed the PLP had been ready for a debate in Parliament.

But he said: ?The Opposition wanted the PLP to speak and be the entertainment for the evening. We spotted that. So there was no debate.?

When asked what his view of ideal Government-media relations were, Dr. Brown said Government should be accessible and responsive to the media.

He said in Bermuda the Government was, for the most part, working in a ?hostile media environment?.

Some of Bermuda?s media was ?not very concerned with objectivity, but with building an image that suits their political preference,? he stated. ?We will do the best we can with the media we have.

?I have told Ministers to be as open as they can ? but if the media becomes destructive, they will stop talking to them for a while.?