Former United Bermuda Party leader Michael Dunkley lamented the party’s use of black people as tokens, in a 2009 interview.And he acknowledged the existence of the consultant’s report, dubbed the “secret plan” by the Progressive Labour Party, saying it was an embarrassment.But this afternoon the PLP continued its attacks on the Opposition party over the matter saying that the 2009 interview contradicted a statement he made yesterday when he said he did not recall receiving the report.At a press conference yesterday afternoon, Cabinet Minister Walter Roban said the saga raised questions of character and reissued the PLP’s challenge to a debate between the two party leaders.“The evidence is overwhelming and it’s time to tell it like it is — this is a cover-up,” said Mr Roban. “This is a very sad tale indeed. What more will they do to perpetuate this fraud to Bermudians? If Mr Dunkley is indeed offended by the report in 2009, why have they remained silent as to whether or not the author of the report, Marius Penczner is still in their employ?“Dr Grant Gibbons and Glen Smith — both now OBA politicians — have thus far refused to acknowledge whether or not they received or have seen the report. This issue should matter to every Bermudian because it speaks to the character of people who want to lead this country.“In light of this cover-up and yesterday’s troubling press conference by Mr Cannonier, we believe that now more than ever Bermudians deserve to have their questions answered in a televised debate.”Mr Dunkley’s comments were reported by this newspaper in September, 2009, when rumours of the report were rife.He said he must have received the report by e-mail but did not recall it and referred further questions to Kim Swan, the man who replaced him as UBP leader shortly after Mr Dunkley lost his seat in the 2007 election.Bermuda Broadcasting Company had first reported the existence of the report in 2009, saying that the UBP had been advised that Mr Dunkley’s profile should have been lowered in favour of “black surrogates”.Mr Dunkley was candid about the issue in the September 2009 interview, admitting that the party had employed tokenism in the past.Asked if the UBP had taken the consultant’s advice on “black surrogates”, Sen. Dunkley replied: “No. It didn't happen. That report was an embarrassment to me and an embarrassment to the members of my party. They said Michael Dunkley was too much out in front. Well, duh, I was the leader of the party.“Give me a break. I don't need to surround myself with anybody other than the people who I trust and the people who can accomplish the goals that we need to accomplish.On tokenism, he said: "It's been there in the past. I have always thought it's been wrong. You can ask anybody. I think it's unfortunate that it's happened. I have always tried to change that. I think we have made great strides on that. It happened a lot more 30 years ago."While as leader of the party and deputy under Wayne Furbert, I always fought against that."The sooner Bermuda politics starts to resemble what Obama did in the States the better, because you vote for the person and the message, not the colour of their skin."The governing PLP has raised the issue again this election season in a bid to cast doubt on the credibility of the One Bermuda Alliance by suggesting its formation was the outcome of a strategy to help the UBP regain power.“I must have received the report by e-mail but do not recall it. As you will remember I was not elected in 2007 and was no longer the Leader of the party. Any questions should be addressed to Leader of the UBP at that time,” Mr Dunkley said today.The OBA later issued an official response saying that they had responded to the PLP’s call for a debate between the two leaders.The Opposition statement also claimed that the governing party had not held a press conference on the “need to grow jobs for Bermudians and while a press conference was held on crime, that “was dominated by news of drug charges against one of its candidates” and the National Security Minister’s statement that Government did not have a gang mediation strategy in place.“The five-year-old “secret” UBP report has nothing to do with the One Bermuda Alliance. The language reported in the report is offensive,” the OBA noted.“And the language used by Mr. Roban questioning the character of OBA candidates is rich considering he was forced to resign from Cabinet just one year ago for questionable Planning approvals given to his colleagues Zane DeSilva and Wayne Furbert.“For Mr. Roban to suggest the OBA is involved in a cover-up is also rich; this being a Government that ‘had to mislead’ the people about the takedown of a Premier just days after her election and that brought the Uighurs to Bermuda in the dark of night.”It went on to say that the PLP and the “now-defunct” United Bermuda Party have joined forces to stop change.“They are more concerned with holding on to power than addressing the basic needs of Bermudians.“The OBA is committed to building a Bermuda based on social and economic equity for all. Clearly the PLP/UBP does not believe this is a priority.”