A holiday to celebrate the PLP's election victory looks like "a costly exercise in vanity'' likely to cost the Country millions of dollars, Acting Opposition leader Grant Gibbons said yesterday.

And he predicted the total cost of the January 4 day off could be as high as $10 million.

And he said: "There is a cost for this lost day -- we must realise, as most of us do, that someone has to pay for a lost day.

"That someone is the taxpayer.'' Dr. Gibbons came off the ropes punching in the reply to the Throne Speech after the UBP was knocked out at the polls earlier this month.

And he hit out at the one-off holiday after he delivered the UBP's first-ever Opposition statement on the new Government's plans for the year.

Dr. Gibbons, also Shadow Finance Minister, said it cost around $1 million a day to operate Government alone.

He added: "When you consider the essential services must also continue, time-and-a-half and double time which must be paid -- and I haven't even thought about the hospitals -- the $1 million figure I've discussed is pretty low.

He added: "That money could be spent on old age pensions, it could be spent on care for the elderly, it could be spent on more Police officers in our community.

"One begins to wonder if this has been thought through thoroughly.'' And Dr. Gibbons said: "Unless this particular day can be justified, it looks like a costly exercise in vanity.'' He added that if private sector costs were added in, the figure could be five to ten times the $1 million cost to Government.

He predicted the extra long weekend caused by the day off would also hit the retail sector hard.

Dr. Gibbons quoted the PLP election manifesto, which pledged to "consult with business and make business its partners.'' But he said the holiday decision had been made without consultation with representatives of business on the Island.

And he said the Opposition would follow up with questions to Finance Minister Eugene Cox to get an accurate accounting of the cost of the extra day off.

Mr. Cox, however, defended the holiday -- and pointed out Premier Jennifer Smith had pledged a celebration day in her party's first hours of Government.

He added: "We certainly support it and I think the people of the Country support it.'' Mr. Cox said that the day was chosen to cause the least disruption, a decision backed by the Chamber of Commerce later, and to include in the celebrations youngsters who study abroad -- students who had been "denied the chance'' to vote in the General Election because of its timing.

And he added: "When you look at the Christmas holidays, Cup Match holidays and so on, I would dare any retailer to try and tell me they've lost money.

"The cost benefits must be in some cases more favourable than unfavourable.'' And he added: "What we are trying to do is celebrate a historic occasion which demonstrates that Bermuda has matured into being a true democracy -- if that isn't a holiday occasion, Dr. Gibbons should have a poll done.''