The United Bermuda Party unveiled its election platform yesterday offering tax breaks for the poor, 500 new homes for affordable rent and financial support so any family can afford day care up to pre-school age.

Tax concessions will help the building of homes for sale priced at $350-450,000 while Government will work with financial institutions to make house financing easier.

There are other measures to help the family including extending maternity leave and introducing paternity leave and adding another government run affordable day care centre.

Other key planks of the manifesto are:

• increased Police manpower, an extended CCTV system and Police stations in Warwick and St. George's
• free bus and ferry services for all students and school breakfasts for children in need
• aggressive insurance reform to address gaps in coverage for pensioners and those approaching retirement
• annual pension increases tied to inflationn a duty-free tax system for Bermuda's tourist-orientated retailers
• free Bermuda College tuition for any student maintaining a B average and 95 percent attendence at secondary school.

Shadow Finance Minister Patricia Gordon-Pamplin said her party's plan to abolish payroll tax for those earning less than $42,000 was the equivalent of two and a half week's extra pay in people's pockets.

"If you earn $800 per week, you will have an extra $1,975 per year in your pocket.

"Those earning $600 per week, will get an extra $1,482 again, that's almost two and a half weeks pay extra."

Launching the platform at a rally of the party faithful at St. Paul's Church hall yesterday UBP leader Michael Dunkley said his party offered hope, not hate.

"Our aim is to help people who find themselves caught in a Bermuda that leaves them the little room to breathe."

But he also called on called on the country to unite and said every citizen must to their part to end the division."If you want an island of tolerance and respect, of rules and positive values, of decency and unity, then you, all of you have to be that change. You have to stand up for it and live by it.

"While the PLP has tried to paint the UBP for being right-wing on crime and punishment, he said the platform has a large emphasis on rehabilitation.Instead of jail time those not paying child support will be put into mandated work programmes to pay arrears.Companies hiring an ex-inmate will get tax relief and young convicts could get a restoration order rather than jail. More transitional housing will be available for parolees.

The UBP pledges a dedicated police officer for each of the 36 parliamentary seats and performance indicators to improve Police performance.

Warwick West candidate Mark Pettingill said: "The United Bermuda Party will deliver fully operational police stations in Warwick and St. George's that will be open 24 hours a day. There will be a visible Police presence on the streets of Hamilton, and in every parish, day time and night time."

And he won huge applause when he emphasised that the party wanted to reform prisoners rather than lock them up for longer as a last resort.

He said those guilty of a three serious offences would get a maximum of five years added on to their sentence on the three strikes policy.

But he added:"Our rehabilitation plans will be so robust and offer so much support that we don't expect many people will get hit by the third strike."

Still on justice the party will beef up the Prosecutions department, make the Attorney General a non-political post and, where there is compelling evidence, remove the rule barring a person for being tried for the same offence twice.

At the culmination of the high-energy rally Mr. Dunkley called on the country to unite and said every citizen must to their part to end the division.

He said the election has been marked by the PLP trying to tear down the UBPand its ideas.

"It has been a poor showing by them; and reinforces my view that they are a party of the past, not of the future."

He said the UBP's programme had been crafted from conversations in the living rooms and on the doorsteps of Bermuda that helped the party better understand the needs and struggles of everyday people.

"That process, that doorstep approach to policy-making, is important because for Bermuda to have effective government it must have a government that is connected to people's needs and concerns."