The following is the full text of Opposition Leader Jennifer Smith's Reply to the Throne Speech.

Mr. Speaker, and Members of this Honourable House, as the Leader of the Opposition, it is my duty and responsibility to lead the Opposition's response to the Speech from the Throne. Mr. Speaker, it is a responsibility I accept willingly -- especially as it also affords me the opportunity to present the views and policies of the Bermuda Progressive Labour Party.

Mr. Speaker, the Throne Speech this year seems to be a mixture of old unfulfilled promises, new promises and a piecemeal and cosmetic co-opting of some of the Progressive Labour Party's platform planks. However it lacks the real promise of a Government committed to action. The Speech appeared to include something for everyone, and has already been described as an "electioneering speech'' which raises many issues but seems to leave them there...suspended in mid air.

Mr. Speaker, the recycled promises in this year's Throne Speech include: the establishment of Bermuda's position on the subject of franchises, a community centre at the West End, a Green Paper with proposals to improve traffic conditions and pensions legislation. The Proceeds of Crime Bill; a more user-friendly Building Code; legislation for Roadside Breath Testing and a Drug Recovery Facility were all promised last year. And in spite of Government's promise last year that "steps would be taken to improve the deployment of Prison Officers''; this year for the first time, frustrated Prison Officers were driven to turn out "en masse'' to join workers at the Annual Labour Day Parade.

Mr. Speaker, we are left to wonder what happened to the "steady, experienced hands'' promised in last year's speech. We have seen a change of hands, sleights of hands, hand overs, and fumbling hands. Events both in and out of the House demonstrate that after 30 years of their hands on the reins, Government's hands had become stiff and arthritic -- incapable of holding the ship of state on a firm and steady course.

Rather than the Government that "is well positioned to meet the challenges of the future'', as promised in the Throne Speech, we have a Government with no position on educational goals for national standards, no position on the predicament of long-term residents -- in fact the Green Paper was promised last year as a prelude to legislation -- and there is still no position on resolving the lack of a full restaurant facility at the international airport of a tourist country that calls itself a premier destination.

Mr. Speaker, stating that "Government is well positioned to meet the challenges of the future'', falls far short of answering the public's concern about the state of the community. The public is concerned about the mounting traffic on our roads -- there is no mention of how Government will lessen the intensity of traffic on our roads. Instead, the Speech from the Throne announces plans to create a Transportation Authority. It just seems Government will continue to grow...

Mr. Speaker, the people of Bermuda must be sadly disappointed in a speech that talks of "action plans'' with no time-lines for action -- just more promises.

The promise of equal pay for equal work for women, long requested by the Opposition and most women's groups in the world, is repeated once again in this year's Speech.

Mr. Speaker, we note the omission in this Throne Speech of Government's legislative plan for the year to come of any reference to the presentation of the Estimates of Expenditure for next year. I trust that this is simply an omission, not an indication that the life of this House will soon be ending.

If that is the case, Mr. Speaker, I can inform this Honourable House that the Bermuda Progressive Labour Party stands ready to take on the role of Government and able to serve this country as a Government of the people, by the people and for the people.

Mr. Speaker, recently, the Governor asked both the Government and the Opposition for their views on various aspects of our relationship with Britain -- Government has not seen fit to mention this significant event or what it means to Bermuda and especially, what they are recommending on our behalf.

Mr. Speaker, in our Reply last year, we mentioned "a mounting clamour for action on many issues''; for instance: the status of long-term residents - this year we are promised a debate on the "Long Term Residents of Bermuda'' Green Paper -- no action, not even a White Paper, setting out Government's policy.

We also highlighted the need for action on the issue of health care costs -- this year, we are promised that "health insurance and health care needs will be improved''. Mr. Speaker, by the year 2000 at least half of Bermuda's population will be middle aged. The impact of our ageing population on the availability and cost of proper health care and medication requires our immediate attention.

Our Reply last year spoke of the need for equal pay for equal work -- this year, Government promises "equal pay for equal work will become the law of the land''.

We called for action on imposing national child care standards -- this year we are promised amendments to "strengthen The Protection of Children Act, The Foster Homes Act and the Nursery School Regulations''. (The promise to amend The Protection of Children Act has been recurring since the 1990 Throne Speech.) Our Reply last year talked of the need for action on affordable housing -- this year Government promises "a review of the housing situation with the expressed purpose of achieving fairness, affordability and balance in Bermuda's housing market''.

Last year, the Progressive Labour Party called for the introduction of a pension scheme for all -- this year, we are promised "legislation to provide for the mandatory establishment of private occupational retirement pensions for Bermuda's senior citizens''.

Mr. Speaker, I can only conclude that the Opposition's Reply forms the basis for Government's subsequent Throne Speech.

Under continuous UBP Government leadership, this country has experienced an increase in homelessness, joblessness and hopelessness. The prison population has increased while the number of small Bermudian-owned businesses in operation has decreased. The tourism industry, the largest employer in the private sector, continues in a tailspin, while the future of the reinsurance sector was exposed to needless uncertainty caused by Government dithering in granting ACE/EXEL permission to redevelop the old Bermudiana site.

LABOUR & HOME AFFAIRS Mr. Speaker, ironically, the Speech from the Throne opened the new Parliamentary session by declaring: "A great deal has been accomplished in the past year and Bermuda is more secure as a result...''.

Nothing could be further from the truth when considering the plight of the average Bermudian.

Government's own statistics and reports argue to the contrary and the 1996 Manpower Survey (when officially released) will reveal that the Non-Bermudian sector of the job market, far out-paced the Bermudian share of the job market.

There continues to be too many cases where wrongful dismissals are being reported. Mr. Speaker, we call for a review of this phenomenon with the intent of finding a legislative remedy.

The Bermuda Progressive Labour Party continues to maintain that ordinary free market forces should be allowed to cause Bermuda businesses to invest more real time and energy into the training and preparation of Bermudians for our workforce and economy. And we repeat the view, advanced in our Crime Report, that accurate statistics be acquired regarding the levels of unemployment and underemployment; so that we can identify in which categories of skills these levels of unemployment exist.

To this end, we should establish a research department funded publicly, and privately, at the Bermuda College to conduct ongoing research, examination and analysis to ascertain the scope and extent of, but not limited to: Recidivism in the criminal justice system, the probation system and the prison system.

Persons on the US Stop List and how they fare in the job market; and end up before the criminal justice system; The relationship between current and former students from individual schools being passed through the criminal justice system.

Mr. Speaker, Bermuda will realise its greatest potential only when the many Bermudians who have been left on the perimeter of this society and its economy are made to feel that they are somebody in the eyes of a government who carries out its responsibility by making "tomorrow'' a better day for all Bermudians.

Mr. Speaker, having waited so long for Government's Green Paper on the issue, both Bermudians and long term Residents were more dismayed than relieved, when it was released. While appearing to recommend the adoption of the long standing PLP solution of a "Residence Card'' for long term residents seeking some form of security in Bermuda, the Government alarmed and angered many Bermudians who attended their public meetings by intimating a return to the days when there was wholesale issuing of Bermuda Status to non-Bermudians when they stated: "...The Bermuda community needs to seriously question whether it is still appropriate to maintain the economic and social protectionist practices of the 1950's...

Mr. Speaker, there is a need for an increased number of immigration inspectors to ensure that work permit violations are professionally investigated, prosecuted and reduced. We must ensure that where there are qualified, unemployed Bermudians available, the category is closed to non-Bermudian work permit holders. And, we must make the Government Employment Office more proactive in defending the work opportunities available to Bermudians.

Mr. Speaker, safety in the workplace, and cooperation in the workplace, can only be achieved if there exists fairness and justice in the workplace.

Consequently, the question of `certification' and `decertification' must acknowledge organised labour's long, hard-fought battle to gain both the right of association and representation for the worker in the workplace.

Mr. Speaker, the Progressive Labour Party has always openly supported a policy of "Law and Good Order''! Thus, the Police initiative commonly known as "Operation Cleansweep'' received the public support of both the Party and the Shadow Minister for public safety, Mr. Alex Scott.

Even though Government abandoned its support for the Police Commissioner when his "clean-sweep-broom'' appeared to come close, the PLP acknowledge that some communities -- like Warwick East -- have gained considerable relief from the daily and open trafficking of drugs in their neighbourhood. However, many officers were denied the credit they so richly deserved for the important role they played in the conception and execution of the operation by a disturbing PR aspect.

Mr. Speaker, the PLP's exhaustive study into the causes of crime in Bermuda identified a small, hard-core group of repeat offenders -- highlighting the fact that the key to the real reduction of crime in the Island appears to lie in the isolation of this core group through constructive programmes for our young, both within and without of school. In addition, there must be a concerted campaign aimed at meaningfully reducing unemployment among our young -- especially, young Black men.

ENVIRONMENT Mr. Speaker, once again our national treasures, our shipwrecks, remain inadequately protected. While we recognise that protective legislation is no guarantee, we cannot believe that Government plans to continue giving away fifty percent of Bermuda's artifacts, as the current law allows.

Mr. Speaker, some of our local resources cannot be renewed. Land does not grow out of thin air -- land reclamation notwithstanding -- historic buildings cannot be recreated once they are destroyed.

Concluded in Monday's newspaper.

Opposition Leader Jennifer Smith