The Shadow Minister of Social Rehabilitation has hit back at Government claims that the Opposition was ill-prepared to debate new legislation providing for free child care for needy families.

Donte Hunt said he was only warned by Minister of Culture and Social Rehabilitation Dale Butler a few days before that the Child Care Act 2008 would be discussed in the House of Assembly on the Friday, July 18.

He said the last minute briefing gave the UBP very little time to get their thoughts together and no time to prepare adequate amendments.

"Typically we know when things are coming up to be tabled in the House," he said. "About a week before it was tabled it was commented that it wouldn't be coming up until the next session.

"It was a shock to us all. I was called into a meeting with Minister Butler on the Wednesday or Thursday and I was told it would come forward. I am glad he called me into a meeting.

"I am pleased we were able to take a look but it was what I would call a sudden thing.

"What can we really do? We put some things forward that were amended but if we had more time we could have flushed it out."

And Mr. Hunt adamantly refuted claims made by Minister Butler last week that the UBP were not concerned about Bermudians or non-Bermudians.

He said: "It's a total farce. I think there's a little confusion on what we are saying. Of course provide it to Bermudians but consider providing it to others.

"What we are almost saying (with the Child Care Act) is that, if you are not Bermudian, we don't care. It becomes discrimination. These people are taxpayers."

The Child Care Act 2008 was passed through the Senate on July 28 and will give families with income under $70,000 access to subsidised child care.

Families will have to apply for the help through the Department of Financial Assistance and will have to prove that the child is Bermudian.

Limiting the financial help to Bermudian children was in the PLP manifesto, according to Minister Butler, and no problems were raised during stakeholder meetings. However, further confusion appears to have arisen over postings on the official PLP website about who the party were trying to target with the most recent update by PLP MP Walter Roban on July 30.

The posting on the website claims that in the PLP's 'Patterns of Progress' the election manifesto, the party had promised: "Free day care for means-tested Bermudian families though neighbourhood based childcare providers such as churches."

This update apparently contradicts what the printed form of the manifesto states which is "Free day care for Bermudian families" and a posting on the same website last year before the election.

That posting on December 13 said: "The PLP will provide free Day care for all Bermudians. That's a big difference between us and the UBP.

"The UBP will only provide day care for so-called 'needy' families. Our Day care programme will provide free day care for all Bermudian children from six months through preschool."

In an update to the same posting later the same day it states that: "Message to a pro-UBP blogger: everyone's right.

"There will be an application process lest we be accused of sloppy management — however, no child will be denied day care because of the process.

"The needy will have access to the day care programme. And, all Bermudian parents will be able to enrol their children in free day care."

However, since the tabling of the bill, Minister Butler has defended the right to limit the legislation to cover only Bermudian families and last night said that the UBP had more than enough time to comment on the Act.

He said: "Donte Hunt is new and failed to follow through on his concern.

"He raised a few during the meeting and when we agreed we immediately made amendments and handed them in.

"He could have done the same as compared to playing politics. His party had a second bite of it in the Senate and failed again."