HEALTH, education, crime and jobs dominated last night’s first of three 90-minute debates between the ruling People’s National Party (PNP) and the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), leading up to the August 27 general election.

During the debate, which focused on social issues, Minister of National Security Dr Peter Phillips, insisted that the government had done enough in the past 18 years to be given another five-year term.

“We have demonstrated this evening that, despite the challenges of a difficult world economy which forced Jamaica to liberalise, despite the need to rescue the financial system, we have kept faith with the Jamaican people in improving social services,” Dr Phillips said.

“What we need to do, as an entire society, is to join in this effort to roll back the tide of criminality and tackle the problems in the communities through social interventions,” he insisted.

Dr Ken Baugh, the JLP’s chairman, questioned what the government has not done in the last 18 years, which it will be able to do in the next five.

“There is no question that our people are suffering from major deficiencies in the social services, especially education and health,” Dr Baugh said.

He focused on the failure of the government to effectively deal with crime over the past two decades, and promised that the JLP would reduce crime through social intervention, as well as through its efforts to effect growth in the economy.

Dr Phillips claimed that the promises made by the JLP in its 2007 manifesto would cost the country approximately $60 million, and questioned how it would be financed.

“There is no doubt that we can find this kind of money within a budget of $380 billion to finance these important interventions,” Dr Baugh responded.

“What is the importance of these interventions in terms of controlling crime, in terms of education, in terms of the health services? These are fundamental to the well-being of the people, fundamental to the economy of the country and fundamental to growth,” he said.

Despite the efforts of the journalists to get definitive answers, however, on more controversial issues like abortion, homosexuality and capital punishment, the politicians did not open up much.