The PLP this weekend released its long-awaited General Election manifesto as the climax to the party's annual banquet.

And party leader Jennifer Smith pledged "the dawn of a new era for Bermuda'' if her party forms the next Government.

Ms Smith said: "We see the essential mission of the Progressive Labour Party to bring the empowerment of all the people of Bermuda.'' And she lashed out at the United Bermuda Party, which dissolved Parliament and declared November 9 as polling day only a week ago.

Ms Smith said: "In spite of the sobering reality of our Country's current economic circumstances, the outgoing Government's principal tactics in the run up to the election has been to bombard the Bermudian people with unprecedented spending of public funds and grandiose promises.'' And Ms Smith insisted: "They mistakenly assume that, in spite of their failure to keep previous promises, their way to the heart of the Bermudian voter is by again promising multi-million dollar projects.'' Ms Smith claimed: "This is a telling reminder of how little they respect the intelligence of the Bermuda people.

"In the face of this, the Progressive Labour Party emphasises our call for a loyalty to Bermuda that places principles before politics and Country before party in all policies and planning.'' Ms Smith claimed that "structural wrongs'' had held back "the majority of Bermudians'' from achieving their full potential.

The glossy Election brochure sets out the PLP stall under nine separate headings.

The economy is covered under the heading of "Sound Economic Management'' -- with a highlighted commitment to no income tax under a PLP Government.

PLP chiefs pledged to "work in partnership with the key sectors of the economy -- the Chamber of Commerce, the hoteliers, the retailers, the international business sector, the taxi industry and the unions.'' And the document repeated a promise to to bring together business, labour and Government under a National Tripartite Commission as part of a "national planning initiative on economic and social policy.'' The PLP also promised to extend the guarantee of no tax on international business from the current date of 2016 by four years.

And the document said: "We will be a facilitator and regulator who will not compete with private business.'' New standards of revenue management and a promise to "root out waste and inefficiency'' in Government are promised, as well as review of the current tax system.

In tourism, the document blasts an 18-year decline in visitor numbers to the Island.

PLP bosses said they would "start with the restoration of the Bermudian identity in Bermuda tourism.'' They also pledged to allocate marketing resources better in a bid to cut the cost of bringing a visitor to the Island -- a cost they said was among the highest in the world.

Another part of the tourism plan promised to set up new flights from the US west coast, Europe and Latin America, as well as promote niche adventure sports like diving in a bid to give Bermuda a younger, more adventurous image.

In employment, the PLP insisted that all things being equal, Bermudians must come first in the job market over outsiders -- although they admitted international business may have to bring in top personnel from overseas.

And the document said education and training programmes to prepare Bermudians for good careers, linked to immigration policies, was the way forward.

The PLP also promised a "real war on drugs and crime'' and work towards educating offenders, particularly the young, out of crime.