Which party would do the better job of making sure that education is available to every child in Jamaica?

Electors are unconvinced about which of Jamaica's two main political parties would be the better provider of jobs, according to the findings of a recent Gleaner-commissioned Bill Johnson poll.

Both the People's National Party (PNP) and the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), during the recent Budget Debate in Parliament, articulated positions on job creation.

But the poll, conducted on May 5 and 6, found that 34 per cent of 1,008 respondents said that the PNP would do better in putting people to work, compared to 32 per cent for the JLP; 15 per cent said neither party had an advantage in this area, and 18 per cent did not know which party would better create jobs and reduce unemployment.

The similarities between the PNP and JLP ended when respondents were asked which party they thought would do the better job of making sure that education is available to every child in Jamaica. The PNP was in front, scoring 42 per cent to the JLP's 28 per cent, 12 per cent said neither and 18 per cent said they don't know.

Surprising

In light of the PNP's broken cost-sharing promise from the 2002 election, and Opposition Leader Bruce Golding's well-received speech on education in the just-concluded Budget Debate, the PNP's large 14-point lead in this regard is surprising.

"Whatever happened in the past has not been associated with Simpson Miller," explained pollster Johnson. "She is seen as her own individual and people are not blaming her for any fallout they might have had with the Government. As I said before, it is almost like an out of the body experience."

The PNP also stood out in the responses to the question of which party would better handle the fixing of roads. Overall, perhaps taking into account the construction of Highway 2000 and the North Coast Highway, the PNP scored 51 per cent compared to 18 per cent, who said the JLP would do a better job.

On the issue of who would better help the poor, the PNP (39 per cent) outscored the JLP (28 per cent); and regarding who cares more about the problems of the average person, the PNP (36 per cent) is favoured above the JLP (26 per cent).

The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus three per cent.

Which party would do the better job of fixing roads in Jamaica?

Which party would do the better job of reducing crime and violence?

Which party would do the better job of creating jobs, lowering unemployment?