Opposition Leader Wayne Furbert last night vowed to step down if his party failed voters on key issues like housing and health.

Speaking at the UBP's first "consultative forum", at Francis Patton Primary School, Mr. Furbert said: "If we do not deliver on housing or health care for seniors, I will resign."

He also repeated pledges to hold fixed-term elections and referendums on major issues, if elected.

Several members of the Opposition front bench were at last night's public meeting.

And when questions were taken from the audience one man said he was disappointed that Mr. Furbert had not spelt out his party's stance on controversial pay rises for politicians during his 45-minute address.

He said: "I've heard lots of posturing from the Opposition regarding increases that this Government is about to award itself in two fell swoops

"I wanted to hear something of an undertaking about these increases.

"What's the position of the UBP if it wins the next election? Will they put $150,000 (the new salary for a full-time Minister) in their pockets."

And he added: "I'm concerned about the money."

Shadow Minister Without Portfolio Michael Dunkley told the man that the UBP did not like the way the salary hike was handled, and did not vote for the increases.

There was no undertaking from the party on the issue, however, although Mr. Dunkley added that the Opposition would comment further on the subject in future.

Earlier, in an address to an audience of more than 100, Mr. Furbert said the PLP had "snatched victory from the jaws of defeat" in the 2003 election by playing the race card.

He added: "That card will be used again, but I'm confident that the people of this country will not be deceived again."

On education, he said licensed teachers would be in every classroom ? and they would be tested regularly to gauge effectiveness.

He also said the Opposition was going to start giving voters newsletter-style updates on what was happening in the House of Assembly, and how it impacted on their lives. He said they needed "true representation".

Some powers would be devolved, Mr. Furbert added, with community-based bodies given cash to spend on grass-roots work including street light and road maintenance. Every UBP politician would be given a minimum period of time to spend only in the constituency, he added. The aim was to "empower the community" so problems were solved at the level they emerged.

During questions from the audience, Mr. Furbert said that he did not think a new hospital needed to be built. He suggested that a revamp and new equipment could be the way forward, rather than spending millions of dollars on a new site.

On public safety, Shadow Home Affairs Minister Maxwell Burgess suggested that an "amnesia bill" might be needed to tackle the growing problem of witnesses to crime not helping Police.

Other members of the audience raised concerns about the breakdown of family units, the prevalence of drugs in the community and raised the issue of some Bermudians having to work as many of three jobs to get by.