stand on taxation.

UBP Chairman Dr. James King said he believed the Progressive Labour Party was discussing income tax and planned to introduce it if elected.

However, "there appears to be within the Opposition a clear and distinct move to fool the public'', Dr. King said in a news release.

The PLP should publicly debate taxation to clarify matters, he said. Recent remarks about income tax by Pembroke West Central PLP candidate Mr. Philip Perinchief confused the public and suggested a rift between the PLP's "newer members and the old guard,'' he said.

At a recent rally in Pembroke, Mr. Perinchief said it was "a myth'' that there was no income tax in Bermuda. "For those who wish to know what the PLP have been discussing in-house, I'll speak with you when I come down from the podium.'' In a later interview, Mr. Perinchief said the party was discussing income tax, but the policy was in an "embryonic'' stage and might not be ready for an election campaign.

Opposition Leader Mr. Frederick Wade called a news conference and said the PLP would not introduce income tax. He claimed Mr. Perinchief was misquoted when it was reported he said the party was working on an income tax policy.

A PLP Government would order a study of the tax system with a view to making it more equitable and finding new forms of taxation, Mr. Wade said. He would not say what new taxes might be introduced, other than that income tax would not be one of them.

Mr. Perinchief has refused further comment, saying Mr. Wade had the last word on the subject.

Dr. King said taxation was a serious issue, and charged the the PLP "old guard'' had "muzzled'' Mr. Perinchief, a first-time candidate.

"I have no doubt that the PLP have discussed income tax and have some sort of plan for its introduction,'' he said. "Where else would Mr. Perinchief get his information? "I don't think, as a lawyer, he would have spoken an untruth of this magnitude, and I don't think it logical to assume that Nelson Bascome would have supported him if it were not true,'' Dr. King said.

Shadow Health and Social Services Minister Mr. Nelson Bascome spoke at the rally immediately after Mr. Perinchief and said: "In Bermuda it is unequal in terms of what we pay and what they pay. We may need to sit down and talk about this a little more.'' Mr. Bascome later denied he was talking about income tax.

Dr. King said Bermudians needed to know "what plans, if any, the PLP have on this issue within their own ranks''.

"I challenge them to put themselves before the public scrutiny by way of a debate among themselves to let Bermuda know just what plans they have.'' After 30 years in Opposition, it was "not good enough'' for the PLP to say it had not finalised plans on taxation, Dr. King said.

He called for debate and clarification on other issues on which the PLP had "contradicted themselves,'' including hikes in Parliamentary salaries, a revamped Cabinet, and formation of a local airline.

The UBP's "Blueprint for Bermuda's Future,'' expected to be distributed on Thursday, "will clearly spell out what we intend,'' Dr. King said.

OCTOBER 1993 ELECTION