The Governor, Sir John Vereker, delivered the guest address last night to the coiffed and cuff-linked at the annual Speaker's Dinner at the Fairmont Southampton Princess Hotel.

Between the laughs, he did touch on some meaty subjects, including the necessity of national audits, the importance of the Westminster system of government and military draft.

Telling those gathered how much at home he feels in Bermuda, Sir John said that the accountability of the Bermuda Government is like his in Britain.

"Reports from our National Audit Office, for instance," he said, "almost invariably provoke officials into apoplexy, Ministers into denial and the Opposition into opportunism. Sounds familiar? But how much better to live and work within such a system than without it."

And the Governor also had first hand praise for the Westminster system in an area which often makes it seem bureaucratic.

"I remain a strong advocate of the Westminster second chamber. Time and again I have seen it reject or improve badly thought through Bills, and make a harassed government, acting under the kind of short term political pressure which seldom produces good laws, think again."

And Sir John singled out local participation in the debate on the Boundaries Commission Report as exemplary.

"I would not want to give the impression though, that it is always for Bermuda to follow London. The debate in your House, Mr. Speaker, on the report of the Boundaries Commission was of an entirely different quality from many that I have witnessed in the House of Commons, where it is not unusual for only two or three percent of the more than 600 members to be present, at least until the vote is called.

"The seriousness of that debate made my own task much more straightforward in transmitting the report to the Secretary of State. I was delighted that we were able to tell you, Madam Premier, earlier this week, that he is minded to approve the recommendations of the Commission and to recommend to the Queen an Order in Council accordingly, the terms of which are published in The Royal Gazette today."

While he did not touch much on local politics the Governor did express concern on the lack of soldiers in the Bermuda Regiment.

"... year after year, we have to invoke the provisions of the Defence Act and supplement voluntary enlistment with compulsory military service, and that even so the numbers enlisted are barely adequate for the task," he said.

"Bermuda needs a trained and disciplined force to help the Police maintain the security of this remote and vulnerable Island. Those who serve in it are serving the whole community, and deserve the community's respect. Those who avoid doing so are not even serving themselves, and do not deserve anyone's respect."

But while he was critical of Regiment dissenters, Sir John said the average Bermudian had a lot to offer and was a good source of general information.