Fiery start to political debates

The barbs were few in last night's first of three national political debates, but those that were flung landed with aplomb at their targets.

Arguably the two best debaters of the night, Floyd Green and Lisa Hanna, took aim at their opposite numbers.

Green, one of the three Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) debaters, fired a wicked insult at the People's National Party (PNP) Raymond Pryce, telling the former North East St Elizabeth Member of Parliament (MP) "you can't go back to that part in St Elizabeth that you referred to".

Pryce was elected as MP for the constituency in 2011 but served only a term after the PNP constituency organisation decided he would not be allowed to seek reelection. Earlier in the debate, Hanna, who is seeking a fourth term as MP for South East St Ann, took on the JLP's Kamina Johnson- Smith, the country's foreign affairs minister.

Hanna said that Johnson-Smith cannot relate to the issues affecting Jamaicans. "I don't think the minister of foreign affairs understands it because she has been on a plane for just too long," said Hanna. Green rebranded the PNP as the 'Pipeline National Party', stating that when it was in government, the party laid a water main and did not connect it to the source.

Water issues

The PNP was further rebranded the 'Propaganda National Party' by Johnson-Smith. During the debate, Hanna charged that what the JLP does is "sabotage PNP communities from not having water." Green, however, said that "we have done a really good job at getting to some of our water issues ... (and) there is a lot more to be done."

Meanwhile, the PNP's Dr Dayton Campbell was chastised for the way in which he handled questions relating to mental illness and COVID-19. While noting that mental health is a serious issue, he joked that evidence of it was in the debate room, but not on the PNP's side. He also charged that the failure of the JLP to prepare transportation protocols relating to transport for COVID-19 patients led to the death of Jodian Fearon. He said that the JLP was busy campaigning in the Clarendon South East by-election when they should have been preparing for COVID-19. Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton, along with Campbell was the weakest of the debaters, said that the comment was unbecoming of the PNP member.