The Progressive Labour Party pledged last night to unite the island’s citizens and put its children first as it unveiled its platform for the upcoming General Election.

Party leader David Burt told supporters that the PLP would accomplish more in its first 100 days in office than the One Bermuda Alliance had done in five years.

Mr Burt and his colleagues outlined a raft of proposals that they said would “put our people back to work, educate our children, empower Bermudian entrepreneurs and make Bermudians feel they have a future in their own country”.

The 34-page election manifesto includes conducting an urgent review of health and safety in public schools, phasing out middle schools and implementing a living wage.

MP Diallo Rabain said: “Public education is our top priority. To fix our education system will require hard work and dedication, and for that we need a government that is caring and puts our people first when it comes to education.”

Mr Burt outlined plans to re-establish the Bermuda First advisory group, appoint a gang violence reduction co-ordinator and give extra power to the Price Control Commission to reduce the cost of living in Bermuda.

He said that the party would double the guarantee capacity of the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation to empower entrepreneurs and establish a Tax Reform Commission to make Bermuda’s tax system fairer. And he told supporters that a new PLP government would implement a code of conduct for MPs and a Code of Practice for Project Management and Procurement.

MP Walton Brown told an audience of about 100 that gathered at Young Men’s Social Club in Hamilton that the PLP would complete comprehensive bipartisan immigration reform. He added: “We accept that same-sex couples should have similar legal benefits as heterosexual couples, save for marriage, and will introduce legislation to achieve this aim.”

The platform, entitled An Agenda for a Better and Fairer Bermuda, includes provision for a review of the “privatisation contract” between Aecon and the Government “to see if Bermuda can get a better deal”.

It also contains plans to create a National Development Plan to help prepare Bermudians for job opportunities, the introduction of a local lottery within two years to benefit sports development and the establishment of a technology hub in Southside.

It also paves the way for new tax relief for first-time entrepreneurs and the creation of an Economic Diversification Unit to create new economic pillars. The PLP’s deputy leader, Walter Roban, condemned the OBA for “failing our seniors” and said the PLP would institute annual cost-of-living increases for social insurance pensions and enact a Charter of Rights and Responsibilities for seniors.

Mr Burt told the audience: “The next PLP government will grow our economy by bringing jobs back to Bermuda by creating a payroll tax exemption for any Bermudian company that decide to repatriate previously outsourced jobs back to Bermuda.” He vowed that his party would balance Bermuda’s budget by 2019.

• To read to full platform, titled “An Agenda For A Better And Fairer Bermuda”, click on the PDF link under “Related Media”

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