The Opposition United Bermuda Party moved to an election footing today as it unveiled a raft of proposals during its reply to the Throne Speech.

After blasting Premier Ewart Brown's platform, announced last week, for containing nothing new, Mr. Furbert promised a voucher scheme to help parents pick a pre-school of their choice.

Local boards will be responsible for staffing and school performance pledged Mr. Furbert who promised to slash bureaucracy and increase accountability via parent satisfaction surveys and published test results.

Scholarships to Bermuda Collage for students with a B average and 95 percent attendance records were also promised along with a $15,000-a-year interest-free loan for further studies.

The UBP want to reduce payroll taxes for low-income earners and reintroduce housing allowances for seniors based on income and not asset worth.

After lambasting the Progressive Labour Party's dismal record on housing Mr. Furbert promised 100 new homes for affordable rent as well as homes for sale at under $300,000.

Mr. Furbert's party has also promised a better deal for seniors after blasting Government for meaningless pension and prescription benefits in the face of an 18 percent increase in standard health premiums.

Goals include a health clinic to provide free care to seniors with limited or no insurance and free prescription drugs and eyeglasses for hard-up pensioners.

A programme to allow duty-free building materials and fast-tracked planning for people building apartments on their homes for elderly relatives has been suggested.

Announcing a tough law and order programme, the UBP promised to increase minimum sentences for murder, manslaughter and firearm convictions as well as to end parole for drug traffickers.

Drug interdiction would be boosted under a UBP Government with the recruitment of experienced overseas narcotics officers ? some of whom would go undercover.

An independent review body would take a monthly look at drug enforcement while anti-drug and anti-gang behaviour would be taught in schools.

However a young offenders programme to give youngsters guilty of minor offences a second chance would be used in some cases.

Promising "a people-centred government with a servant leader" Mr. Furbert said a whistleblower's act to protect public officials who report Government misdeeds, a binding referendum to be initiated if 25 percent of registered voters signed a petition and fixed-term elections every five years instead of leaving timing to Government's discretion.

Bi-partisan Parliamentary committees would be given more powers to investigate Government activities in public.

Asked later if the reply to the Throne Speech was an election platform Mr. Furbert said: "We have listened to the public and it's important now people know where we stand on important issues and what we will do if an election is called."

He declined to guess when the election would be but Opposition sources said they believe Dr. Brown would seek a fresh mandate within the next six months.