Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown yesterday defended his department's costly beach party and blasted The Royal Gazette for the tone of a front page report, saying the headline "bordered on mischief-making".

Dr. Brown spoke out after it was revealed that the Transport Ministry forked out $35,000 for a party at Clearwater Beach for airport workers on Wednesday.

Reporters were set to leave a press conference held by the Road Safety Council yesterday afternoon when Dr. Brown said that he had a brief statement to make.

"It is most unfortunate that this expression of gratitude was seen by The Royal Gazette was a waste of money," the Transport Minister said.

"I did think that today's headline bordered on mischief-making," he said. "I usually don't use the media to talk about the media, but I have to say this."

The Transport Minister said that he felt that the article implied that $35,000 was too much to spend on Government workers.

"According to the article it could not be ascertained (if Dr. Brown had broken any Government financial law), so why write it? It's the kind of journalism we could do without."

When questioned if he thought it was an exorbitant amount for a party, he replied: "It was not just for a party. It was for gifts and mementoes for the airport staff to be proud to be a part of the number nine airport in the world."

Dr. Brown praised airport staff who he said deserved the party, adding that the country spends millions of dollars on people who do not come to Bermuda, so he did not feel that $35,000 was too much.

"We are the first to criticise Bermudians when they don't do the job. When they do it right, $35,000 is nothing," he said.

Later Dr. Brown said: "Charity begins at home and as one who expresses concern about the quality if Bermudian life, I'm thrilled when I see Bermudians doing right."

Dr. Brown added that if there was another cause to celebrate the accomplishments of workers then he would do so.

But last night Opposition Leader Dr. Grant Gibbons said that the money used by the Ministry could have gone to something "more appropriate".

Dr. Gibbons said: "This is the sort of thing we've come to expect from the PLP Government. The party started for them in 1998 and it hasn't stopped."

However, Dr. Gibbons did want to drive the point across that the employees should be recognised for their hard work: "I want to drive that the staff and their efforts deserve recognition and reward but I believe there are far more appropriate ways of spending $35,000 of the tax payers money then on a beach party for 1,000 people - that's clearly excess," he said.

"The beach party also raises another interesting question - is $35,000 all that was spent? Does that include the wages of staff paid in salary while the staff were not working and why were 1,000 people given so much in what is actually and election year? It makes you wonder."

Shadow Transport Minister Erwin Adderley said: "I don't have a problem with giving a party to the tune of $35,000 as long as he paid for it. I would be absolutely appalled if that was at Government's expense."

He said that there were already programs within Government to reward superior performance.

And he recalled that when he was the Director of Planning the tradition was for staff to pay for their own meals at the annual Christmas party, while the Director, the Minister and the Permanent Secretary picked up the bar tab.

"As far as I am concerned it breaches rules because there is no entertainment budget," he continued.

But he cautioned that the Auditor General was the best person to answer that question. Mr. Adderley had raised similar concerns two years ago when Marine and Ports staff were given frontline seats on a boat to watch the Christmas Boat Parade.

"I was of the opinion that that was wrong," he said. "If you are now telling me that the same member spent $35,000 rewarding the staff for doing their job, I have no problem as long as he spent his own money. But I am not aware of any personal emoluments that allows a Minister to use Government funds to reward civil servants for doing their job other than awards for exemplary service. Who decides when civil servants get rewarded?"

But Auditor General Larry Denis said that as long as the Minister had the money in the budget to pay for the party and Parliament approves the spending "there is no problem". Extra spending is often approved by Parliament after the fact. Mr. Denis said he heard never heard of Parliament rejecting a request for supplementary funds.

"Personally I think sometimes our civil servants do need a thank you for doing a good job."