Premier Dr. Ewart Brown defended the Government's use of consultants and outsourcing the Bermuda Department of Tourism office in New York City in a heated motion to adjourn in the House of Assembly.

Around 1 a.m. on Saturday morning, after a lengthy debate on the EducationAmendment Act, Shadow Finance Minister BobRichards raised the question of hiring a US company to take over the North American Tourism office.

He said: "Here is a Bermudian government replacing Bermudians with a US firm. There a trend, we see here the farming out of jobs as services that were provided by Bermudians or Bermudian companies.

"What ever happened to Bermuda for Bermudians? Now it must have Made in the USA. It's one thing for a private firm to replace Bermudians by foreigners, it's an entirely other thing for the democratically elected Government to replace them. It's a betrayal of trust."

Opposition Leader Kim Swan also adamantly defended the sales staff that could lose their jobs in five weeks when the US firm Sales Focus is set to take over the running of the New York office.

He said: "Those workers will find themselves without a job at the hands of an uncaring government. Their lives have been turned upside down."

Dr. Brown, however, again defended the decision to employ Sales Focus and the Government's use of consultants where they must.

He said: "We value Bermudian talent but, Mr. Speaker, in 2004 when I became the Minister of Tourism, I went to NYC and met with the entire sales team and told them that was not the model; that it was going to change.

"Tourism was in a bad way and I decided to make it different and better. We tried to use a model where the sales team would change from a context of education and awareness to selling Bermuda as a destination and we allowed that to go on for about three years.

"This is a new day in tourism. The way we have decided to do it is the best way for Bermuda.

"When this Government feels that it must seek consultants – from which ever country in the world – we will do it, and we will do it without reservations. We will do it for the people of Bermuda. "That's why we are bringing free transportation, free day care and future care. We are doing this because as a Government we care.

"And it will be much time before another election."