Opposition MP Cole Simons called for Government to do more to help agriculture on the Island. He said this would help find jobs for less academically inclined young people.

Taking to the floor, Premier Ewart Brown warned seniors they should ?beware? as the UBP appeared to be targeting their vote.

?If I had one single reaction to this reply from the Opposition,? said Dr. Brown, ?it would be: ?seniors of Bermuda, beware.?

?It doesn?t take too much analysis to see that the Opposition has opted to try to take away ten percent of the senior vote.?

The Premier accused the UBP of painting a picture that the Government does not care about seniors.

?Nothing could be further from the truth,? he argued. ?I have more regard for the intelligence of our seniors and I do not believe they will take the bait because they know hype when they see it.?

He said the Opposition had ?shied away? from talking about tourism because figures showed impressive work by Government.

?The truth is there?s obvious improvement in the area of tourism in Bermuda,? he said.

?When a taxi driver comes up to this Minister and says that tourism is improving, then all of us can accept that as a fact.?

Dr. Brown described the Opposition?s stance as ?sour grapes?, saying they tried to deflect praise from Government by claiming improved tourism statistics were a result of extra cruise ships.

The Premier rebuffed Shadow Health Minister Louise Jackson?s plea for the Medical Clinic to remain open.

He repeated his previous assertion that its patients were denied dignity, and added that it had ?the worst financial rationale that one could imagine?.

The clinic treats just 50 patients a week, he said, and pays close to half a million dollars a year to its medical staff. ?That?s poor planning,? he said.

?Healthcare should not be based on one?s financial status ? it should be based on one?s health status.?

He likened changing the centre?s name from the Indigent Clinic to the Medical Clinic as ?spraying cologne on fertiliser?.

Dr. Brown finished by predicting the PLP would increase its margin of victory over the UBP at the next election.

He singled out ?disaffected? Opposition pair Jamahl Simmons and Maxwell Burgess for praise on their budget responses.

He said: ?I have had very little to say publicly about what?s going on in terms of the internal workings of the UBP, but let me say this. Two of the members, and I will merely refer to them as being disaffected, made two of the most powerful speeches in this chamber today. I?m wondering what?s left.

?When we look across the aisle after the next election, there will be fewer seats occupied by the Opposition.?

Responding, Opposition leader Wayne Furbert claimed his party was coming out fighting.

?Despite some of its internal fighting, we are more strong now than ever before,? he said.

?We fell down but we get up. If he believes he can win the election, I say to bring it on.?

Mr. Furbert said he believed the Government should have put money towards a scheme providing children with breakfast at school, and needs to do more on affordable housing.

On sustainable development, he warned Bermuda could look like a ?concrete jungle? in 20 years time.

He added it was vital the Government got to grips with the failing education system.

?We join hands with you, Mr. Premier, in trying to get education right in Bermuda,? he said.