Opposition leader Jennifer Smith last night hit the campaign trail with her vision of the future.

And she took the opportunity to plug the Progressive Labour Party's credentials for Government.

Ms Smith said: "The Progressive Labour Party's vision for Bermuda beyond 1998 is of a Bermuda in which the social and political climate is supportive in a sustainable, not merely superficial, way of nurturing the health of our people and encouraging educational diversity and advances.'' She added: "As Bermuda confronts this challenging period of economic transition'' -- a period which has seen a dramatic rise in the role of the international business and a significant decline on the standing of the once-domninant tourist industry, which still employs most Bermudians -- we need to unequivocally free ourselves from the social and political shackles of the past to guarantee our human and economic success in the future.'' Ms Smith was speaking at a meeting of Sandys Rotary Club at the Belmont Hotel last night.

She said the PLP view of the future predicted less Government control of vital industries.

She added: "Although, in Bermuda we have never had any real public ownership of vital industries, recent developments concerning long-term monopolies foreshadow an economic and philosophical shift that impacts on the role of Government.

"However, we believe that Governments will always have an important role to play in legislating and policing the ground rules under which the private sector operates. If there is to be any peace in Bermuda's future, we will have to move forward toward a consensus that opportunities should be equally available to all.'' Ms Smith added that the educational equality, once denied on racial grounds, was now a matter of economics and slammed Government's "mismanagement'' of the schools.

And she said the education system needed "fresh blood'' at the top with a "deep-rooted and passionate commitment to the ordinary Bermudians whose children look to the public schools to afford them an opportunity to compete on a level playing field in the marketplace of the next millennium.'' She called on Bermuda to "free itself from the social and political shackles of the past'' -- and took a swing at the ruling UBP for failing to provide a "supportive social and political climate.'' But she stressed: "Let me make it perfectly clear that I have no desire to see anyone throw the baby out with the bathwater. We must not only keep those policies, practices and traditions that are truly beneficial to Bermuda and all Bermudians, we must strengthen them.'' But Ms Smith warned: "We must also take our heads out of the sand and commit ourselves to rooting out those policies, practices and traditions that prevent Bermuda from having the truly supportive social and political environment on which our material and spiritual success depends.'' She added that the Island was likely to become "an even greater melting pot'' of Bermudians and expatriates in the future.

Ms Smith said: "To remain competitive in the global marketplace we will have to carefully balance the need to import labour with the need to guarantee our indigenous labour force pride of place in their own country.''