he leads a series of commissions dealing with the recession and efforts to involve more of the community in decision-making.

He is chairing committees on employment and competitiveness, leading Government talks with the owners of businesses, hotels and cruise lines and playing a leading role in appointments to the interim national drugs authority.

All these areas could arguably be left in the hands of his Ministers, but observers say Sir John is taking charge to ensure the initiatives do not get bogged down.

In a recent interview, Sir John denied he was taking an unusually wide role or that his chairmanship of the committees showed a lack of confidence in his Ministers.

"It is not that unusual,'' he said. "The Premier often chairs committees and these are Cabinet committees which are dealing with issues of national concern, especially when they cut across different Ministries.

"The drugs task force, the competitiveness commission and the task force on employment are all trying to co-opt the system and get the maximum out of it.

"We are also meeting with the Bermuda International Business Association, the cruise lines and the hoteliers. This is a consensus process.'' Asked if the talks with cruise owners and hotel owners were duties Tourism Minister the Hon. C.V. (Jim) Woolridge should be leading, he said: "His job is in the marketing of tourism.

"The cruise ship policy is a legally binding document on Government which cuts across the Government spectrum, including transport and the private sector.'' UBP officials said Sir John is taking a leading role in efforts to boost tourism and international business in recognition that the recession is a national issue which affects a variety of areas.

Senate Opposition Leader Alex Scott said he believed Sir John's activity indicated an election was in the offing.

"The UBP tends to use the Premiership as the US uses the Presidential office -- although we do not have such a role -- believing that as his popularity goes, so goes the party,'' he said.

"Therefore they want to show the Premier putting his mark on more things.'' But National Liberal Party Leader Mr. Gilbert Darrell MP said Sir John should be taking a greater role in Government because of the difficult times facing the Island.

"He seems to be getting active and I would think he is doing right on that,'' said Mr. Darrell. "He is the leader and these commissions are not normal parliamentary procedures, so I would condone it.'' Less charitably, Independent MP Mr. Harry Viera said Sir John's increased involvement should have taken place earlier.

"This is what he should have been doing anyway, isn't it,'' he asked.

A senior UBP official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Sir John's involvement in the highly detailed committee work was based on the need to coordinate different Ministries and to ensure the committees' work reflected full participation from the community.

"The task force on employment's steering committee combines different people and the same will be true for the Competitiveness commission when it is announced,'' the source said.

"He is chairing both those commissions because when he see something which is a national issue, he takes charge. A good example is the cruise ship policy.

He took it over and he got a great deal done.

"He is requiring appropriate action from Ministers on issues and he is much less tolerant of any form of procrastination.

"There is a lot going on with new initiatives and things happening. He was a step removed before but now he is getting very detail and action oriented.'' Asked if Sir John was undercutting Ministers' responsibilities in different areas, such as tourism, the official said: "What has happened with the cruise ships and in the talks with the hotel owners is broader than the single perspective of tourism.

"It requires multiple inputs and the Premier saw the need to moderate the process.'' Shadow Tourism Minister Mr. David Allen said Sir John's greater involvement was "no more apparent than in tourism.'' He said Tourism Minister the Hon. C.V. (Jim) Woolridge had had clashes with the business community over the cruise ship policy which may have led to Sir John taking a greater role with the cruise owners.

"It is our understanding that some months ago, responsibility for the cruise ship policy was taken by the Premier, although formally the Tourism Minister signs the agreements,'' he said.

UBP executive officer Mr. Joe Gibbons said the Premier's role had changed to some degree from a number of years ago when Ministers were left to get on with their portfolios.

"It does represent a slight change of course,'' he said. "Why it is happening is because he and the party believe the recession is taking a very real toll in the community and as Premier and party leader he must respond to it and see that Bermuda weathers the recession. The buck ultimately stops with him.'' "And you always have to go back to the five pillars of Government, especially building a Bermudian consensus,'' he added. "Seeking a broad-based consensus is very much a part of the process and it has been shown with the employment task force, the education planning team, the national drug strategy and will be shown with the competition commission.''