Health Minister Patrice Minors has defended her decision to attend a prayer meeting in Washington which cost the taxpayer more than $1,700.

Mrs. Minors attended the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington in February, where US President George W. Bush gave a ten-minute keynote speech to members of the US Congress and leaders of more than 160 countries.

In yesterday?s Shadow Health Minister Michael Dunkley questioned her purpose in attending the meeting, saying while it was important for Ministers to make overseas contacts, whether they can do so at such events is questionable. ?For all I know, they hear an important speaker speak for a few minutes, have breakfast then go on their way ? in the Ministry of Health, I would rather see the $1,700 spent in other ways,? he said.

But yesterday Mrs. Minors hit back saying:?Given the discussions, included successful strategies on providing food for the hungry, shelter for the homeless, education for the teachable, and hope for the hopeless in African, European and Caribbean countries, the taxpayer received excellent value for money.?

Instead of asking if it was ?appropriate for the taxpayer to fund a trip to a Christian event?, she said, a better question would have been, ?should the taxpayer fund a trip to this event??

Saying he did not recall the UBP Government ever spending money on ?something like that?, Mr. Dunkley said: ?It is part of the same trend of this Government to travel but no propensity to look at the type of travelling, and it is disappointing ... Bermuda is a very strongly religious community but you have to draw the line somewhere. And what is the benefit of this event??

Responding to Mr. Dunkley?s comments, Mrs. Minors said they were ?prejudiced?, and assumed only non-Christian government leaders need to meet to discuss matters of the world.

She said: ?The facts are I was invited in my capacity as Minister, I accepted the invitation as Minister, I attended in the capacity as Minister and sole Government representative (Opposition member Wayne Furbert was also in attendance),? she said. ?I reported without hesitation to the House (of Assembly) that my attendance was at the cost of $1,718.35 to the Government purse.

?So it is obvious that I believe it was appropriate that, as Minister, the tax-payer pay my attendance to the 52nd National Prayer Breakfast.

?In addition, I do not hide the fact that I am a Christian and attribute my political accomplishments as being of God?s will. There are many other Government and world leaders who believe as I do.

?The invitation presented the opportunity to engage in dialogue with them and for this I am thankful and most appreciative.?