Throne Speech, describing it as "low-key'' with several important issues missing.

He was joined by Opposition Senators who launched into the Progressive Labour Party for what they said were broken promises on what the people had been anticipating.

Sen. Hughes said the Government had maybe realised that change takes time and that was reflected in a more modest speech than last year.

But he said there was no mention of the White Paper on overseas territories or the problems facing the Police, or the new National Pension Scheme, which is due to begin in the New Year.

And of some of the things included in the document, such as five new buses, they had a better place in a budget speech, he said.

Sen. Hughes applauded the steps being taken in education, calling on schools and parents to do more to encourage and nurture children.

"In Bermuda, where there is so much demand for educated people in the workplace, I am sure the public is looking to the Government to spearhead the battle against poor literacy,'' he said.

The tourism section seemed to be a repeat of things said previously, he said, and added that he hoped that the current Public Service Commission review would not recommend a radical review for the civil service.

Opposition Sen. Mark Pettingill said now the excitement about the new Government had died down, there were many disillusioned people.

He reeled off a list of disputes in their first year, with the Police, teachers, Customs staff, docks workers and taxi operators all angry.

"You told people you would fix it, these people are voicing their disillusionment with this Government because they don't see anything being done about these problems,'' Sen. Pettingill said.

But Government Sen. David Burch hit back, saying that many of the disputes went back to when the United Bermuda Party was in power.

Sen. Pettingill said it was now time to look forward, not back.

He slammed the speech as "wishy-washy'', describing the country as a ship that was "wandering aimlessly''.

PLP Senator Patrice Parris argued that the Government was going forward and, carrying on the maritime theme, added "our focus is on the passengers, we are listening to the passengers''.

She commended the news of legislation to outlaw gambling machines and progress with the National Sports Stadium.

Senate President Alf Oughton stressed the importance of tackling some of the issues facing healthcare.

He asked if a progress report about the hospital could be produced, and called for a new chief executive to be installed to steady the ship.

"They were going great guns with Sheila Manderson (former King Edward VII chief executive) when all of a sudden the bottom dropped out of place,'' he said.

"They need to get that cleared up and get back on track with a new CEO. It is a good hospital, offering first class services. When something goes wrong that is what gets the headlines.'' Mr. Oughton added that healthcare costs were constantly rising for pensioners, adding that the price of prescriptions had forced some old people to go without.

UBP Sen. Kim Swan asked why there was no mention of the White Paper and lamented the Government's silence on the issue of Independence.

He said the UBP and the Friends for a Better Bermuda were the only people who had raised awareness of the subject.

On the subject of tourism, Sen. Swan said Government should be careful about attacking his party in the international arena because Bermuda had a good image overseas and it should be trying to build on this -- not tear it down.

He added that tourism was an important plank of the Island's economy and as sustainable development was an important subject in Bermuda, international business should not be allowed to exceed it in terms of employment.

The emphasis should be on the tourism product, continued Sen. Swan, to keep tourism in a position where it was a major player in the economy.

"The answer is in the restructuring of the product,'' he said.

Turning to advertising he warned: "In my experience, bad advertising spreads a lot faster than any paid advertising can.'' And the Department's disparaging advertising campaign, which compared Bermuda to other destinations it deemed unfavourable, was unfortunate in this sense, said the Senator.

He urged Government to give serious consideration to the formation of a Bermuda Tourism Authority -- an organisation tourism partners had created under the former United Bermuda Party Government.

"There are many good reasons for it,'' he argued, adding that many had been mentioned earlier in the debate while highlighting the good relationships between tourism entities it could foster and the development of the product it could encourage.

"Areas that need to be revitalised would be better served by having the Authority.'' Sen. Swan also touched on the subjects of housing, youth and sport, small business and racism during his presentation.

"The Progressive Labour Party made many promises concerning housing for this term,'' he noted, "and many of these are still way off.'' But Sen. Burch pointed out that these promises made in his party's election platform were for the entire five-year term it would sit in Government -- not the first year.

Housing was a "chronic'' situation, warned Sen. Swan. "Don't let those promises come back and haunt you.'' Sport was very important in the community, especially to young men, he continued.

"We have a problem in our Country with motivating young men, particularly young black men, and sport can be an avenue where we can salvage a lot of our people,'' Sen. Swan said.

This was why the development of the National Sports Centre was important as was the assistance of local clubs and sporting organisations which provided a link into the community for people leaving schools.

Sen. Swan then turned to small business and noted how it suffered between 1982 and 1992.

However, it had received little mention in the Throne Speech, he said.

"In these five years, please do not forget small business in the way it was forgotten this year in the Throne Speech,'' he pleaded.

And he called on Government to commission a study into the impact of racism on the Island -- particularly institutionalised racism -- with a view to coming up with concrete solutions to the problem.

It was important that the Progressive Labour Party use its tenure to do more than "fire a few shots here and a few shots there''.

"It will not be stamped out with ad hoc shots here and there,'' Sen. Swan said.

Sen. Burch launched an immediate offensive against Opposition statements regarding the state of crime in Bermuda and the Police Service when he spoke.

"I implore the Opposition, if it has a genuine concern about the increase in crime and the Police manpower situation, statements like those made today do nothing to assist that cause,'' he said.

"You do a tremendous disservice by trying to gain points on the back of a service like this when you undermine what it is doing.'' Manpower in itself was not the problem, he pointed out. The main challenge for the Service and similar agencies was the number of people available for operational tasking.

"It is more complex than just numbers,'' Sen. Burch said.

The recently completed core functions review would help address this area, he continued.

"This will identify areas where there are shortages and will address those,'' he said.

The Senate then adjourned until next Wednesday.

`UBP started ban': Government Senate Leader Milton Scott.

`PLP drifting': Opposition Senate Leader Max Burgess.