Action on poverty and health care could well be promised in tomorrow's Throne Speech as Premier Ewart Brown outlines his programme for the coming year.

Last year Government promised to establish an official poverty line and a report is in its draft stages.

Sherri Simmons of the Coalition for the Protection of Children hoped the poverty line would be established soon as it was long overdue as a baseline to shape policies to help the poor.

Policies to address core issues facing low income families were needed said Ms Simmons who said high rents forced people to live in unsuitable and unhealthy conditions or work too many jobs.

She hoped for more details about Government's plan to charge Bermuda Housing Corporation tenants a week's income for rent. "I understand that's in the pipeline. I hope it's real close."

And Mrs. Simmons called for price controls on basic food items. She said: "More and more people are struggling to get the necessities of life in a country where a gallon of milk is $6, bread is quite expensive and a bag of oranges is $8."

And with an election not too far away Dr. Brown could be tempted to put some more flesh on earlier promises to boost health care for seniors.

In a speech to the Bermuda Senior Islanders group in May the Premier promised to make healthcare more comprehensive and affordable for the older generation.

The Premier's initiative would do away with basic healthcare coverage and provide retirees with a more comprehensive insurance coverage similar to that enjoyed by those still working.

To pay for the programme Dr. Brown had said Government was exploring a scheme whereby the 20-64-year-old workforce pays slightly more so they can have better healthcare when they retire.

Shadow Health Spokesperson Louise Jackson expects Government to announce news on health clinics in the east and west of the Island.

"I guess they will try to give seniors a bigger pension and probably do something for health care insurance for seniors. I understand Ewart Brown said he would give them something to make them cry with happiness.

"He will probably offer them everything in the world he can think about to try to get their votes."

But Age Concern executive director Claudette Fleming was less confident anything was imminent even though affordable health care for seniors was long overdue.

She said: "It's an ideal he has but the mechanics are yet to be determined. I don't know if the work has been done, I know lots is happening in reviewing health care. If any work has been done it would be a pleasant surprise."

Last year's Throne Speech promised a number of measures to tackle the drugs problem including a boost for the Parishes Achieving Change Together (PACT) programme which was to be expanded across Bermuda.

Social Rehabilitation Minister Dale Butler said PACT had now been scrapped as it had only really taken root in Hamilton Parish but other neighbourhoods had not shown much interest.

Mr. Butler said the $175,000 savings had been ploughed into two special schools and a number of drug agencies.

He said he was disappointed more people had not helped the programme to tackle drugs in their neighbourhoods — a fact he blamed on busy lives and indifference. "And a lot of people say it hasn't yet hit my doorstep."

More information is expected on Government's bid to establish a national drug information network promised in last year's Throne Speech as well as a drug strategy for inmates.

One Government insider predicted the Throne Speech would contain news on hotel developments, links with China and more on proposals for helping young black males.

Chamber of Commerce president Phil Barnett said he hoped for duty relief on building materials for retail so shops could refurbish — just as hotels and restaurants had been boosted by similar measures.

He said retailers understood they needed to raise the bar but they needed help to compete with online outlets with far lower overheads.

And he called on Government to cut the size of the civil service as every Bermudian it hired meant more foreign workers would need to be brought over to fill their places in the private sector — which in turn increased the demand for apartments and vehicles on the road.

Education could well be mentioned in the Throne Speech but Opposition spokesman Grant Gibbons said he wasn't interested in any more promises from a Government which failed to act on its pledges.

"We need to deliver reform of the public education system and deliver a fully integrated technical education curriculum from middle school to Bermuda College."