Keith Collister, Contributor

Those who asked questions Wednesday night (from left): The Gleaner's Damion Mitchell, Nationwide's Emily Crooks and freelance journalist, Earl Moxam. - photos by Peta-Gaye Clachar/Staff Photographer

In his opening statement, Dr. Peter Phillips sought to cast the PNP as the party of social reform throughout its existence. Noting poverty reduction and housing as among the Government's more recent accomplishments, Dr. Phillips admitted that more needed to be done in terms of crime, jobs and educational transformation to allow Jamaica to achieve First-World standards.

Fallen sharply

Dr. Ken Baugh noted that Jamaica had fallen sharply down the league tables in many areas of human development, particularly as a result of its continued failure to grow when compared with countries such as China, India, Vietnam and even our Caribbean neighbours. He argued that despite these obvious problems, unlike the JLP, the PNP saw no need to change course.

Much of the debate centred on more arcane issues of how to manage and afford the health service, the responsibility for the fate of National Youth Service over past decades as well as the hot political issue of how to afford higher quality education.

While Dr. Phillips appeared to have a strong command of these issues, he looked his weakest when he was forced to defend the Government's 18-year record, particularly with respect to crime and corruption. Arguing that Jamaica's crime was a transnational problem mainly driven by drugs and gangs, and detailing recent progress in these areas, is unlikely to have satisfied many Jamaicans' very current concerns about their physical safety.

Reasonable response

Dr. Phillips' reasonable response that the inner cities were the PNP's greatest social failure left him open to Dr. Baugh's charge as to why Jamaica should expect the PNP to fix in another five what they haven't fixed in 18 years.

Although Dr. Phillips appeared a slightly better debater, neither he nor Dr. Ken Baugh succeeded in landing a decisive blow in Wednesday night's debate making it virtually a draw.

Collister

Keith Collister is a business analyst/newspaper columnist.