yesterday.

But Finance Minister Eugene Cox hit back that he had had to bring millions in supplementary estimates to the House during his time in Government dating back to previous United Bermuda Party administrations.

The clash came as MPs debated a $5 million-plus supplementary estimate, the fourth of the financial year due to end next week.

Acting Shadow Finance Minister David Dodwell said that -- while the ruling Progressive Labour Party had criticised the former Government for spending extra cash before it was approved by the House -- Government was now following the same practice.

He said: "The Auditor is now criticising the Government for the same thing.

"There is a hypocrisy here -- it's good it's brought forward before it's spent and we hear it's already been spent. We're seeing some hypocrisy in this process.'' And Mr. Dodwell said UBP Governments had "always balanced the Budget'' but said the current Government showed potential for "a Budget imbalance and deficit spending''.

He added: "When we were in Government, we were careful with spending -- what we have now is a Government which appears to be intoxicated with spending and being Government, with its new cars, travel or roadshows or whatever.'' On extra spending in personnel services, Shadow Development and Opportunity Minister Allan Marshall said the annual budget for the department had risen by 15 percent over the last two financial years.

He said: "We're not talking about chump change here, we're talking about significant amounts of money.'' But Development and Opportunity Minister Terry Lister -- a top accountant before quitting his job -- said his Government had inherited a $160 million debt from the previous one.

He said: "The Opposition party ought to be ashamed of themselves coming here and talking like this. It's hypocrisy.'' Shadow Youth and Sport Minister Patricia Gordon Pamplin pointed out that Government had budgeted for 36 trainee posts, but funded 47.

She said that Government should have anticipated the demand and set aside enough cash in the first place.

But Telecommunications Minister Renee Webb said that, in life and in Government, "from time to time, situations arise''.

And she asked if it was fair to ask young Bermudians to wait a year for experience because there were no funds in the current Budget to pay for their training.

But Opposition leader Pamela Gordon said that the PLP had promised to do better -- and had not.

She added: "We allow for oversights, we allow for additions.'' Ms Gordon added: "Government must be responsible to these people who are being gouged.'' And she added: "We will not take the criticism that we're against Bermudians being trained -- however, we do believe there is a responsibility as an Opposition and Government that Government is held accountable when they're planning to hire and train Bermudians. There is a provision in the Budget to allow that.'' Opposition Legislative Affairs spokesman John Barritt pointed out that the Auditor's report contained a response from the Ministry of Finance that there was scope for spending cash before seeking approval.

He said: "I'm not going to attack this Government for doing what we did under a rule which permitted it.'' He added it was "preferable'' if supplementaries were brought to MPs before the money was spent.

But he said: "There was a $15 million surplus after the last Budget prepared by the now-Opposition -- that's what the people of this Country are interested in.'' And he predicted a $12 million-plus swing to other side of the line under the PLP.

Mr. Barritt said: "We've moved from the black to the red -- that's what the people of this Country need to know -- the bottom line. We've moved from the black to the red and it's getting worse not better.''