Bermuda's two main political leaders today make their cases for why they believe their parties should form the next Government.

In wide-ranging interviews with The Royal Gazette, Premier Jennifer Smith and Opposition Leader Grant Gibbons defend their parties' records, expand on their visions for the future and outline what they see as the major problems confronting the community.

And both say why they believe their opponents do not deserve to be the Government after July 24. In keeping with her campaign theme, Ms Smith is standing on the record of the first Progressive Labour Party Government.

Dr. Gibbons is primarily selling a government based on the “core values” of “integrity, openness, mutual respect and fairness”.

Citing plans for brand new seniors rest homes and the Alternative to Incarceration initiative (ATI), Ms Smith insisted that social issues have not been ignored in favour of pro-business policies. Asked why the PLP should be re-elected, Ms Smith said: “The most important reason is that we have delivered on our promises. That's the most important reason. The second reason is that we have only just begun. So we have not finished what we have begun.”

Dr. Gibbons also cited the UBP's election team when asked how the party had changes since its 1998 defeat which ended 30 years in power.

He said the party's diverse slate of candidates makes it better qualified to understand the needs of the community and work out solutions to pressing issues. “We've got golf pros, we've got Ministers, we've got business people, we've got people that are very very grassroots, like Kenny Bascome, Gerald Fubler. We've got people like Hillary Soares, who is an ex-nurse and has worked very hard on behalf of seniors,” Dr. Gibbons said. “We've got some experienced people as well - people who have served in Cabinet before. I think our feeling is that this very diverse mix of people which in many respects is representative of Bermuda, is going to be able to come forward with plans and solutions which will be much more effective in terms of addressing a lot of the challenges Bermuda faces going forward. It's the diversity that gives us strength.”

The two leaders clashed over their respective records, with Ms Smith claiming the UBP had made some “superficial” gestures on social issues while her government had “laid the foundation”.

Dr. Gibbons also touched on housing, seniors and ATI- saying Government action on all of them had been inadequate. And he said ATI had grown out of the drugs court which was the UBP's idea, he said. “It's the difference between you making mud pies as a child and your mother made the real pie and you say you made that pie. A mud pie is not a real pie,” the Premier said in response.

Full transcripts of both interviews conducted two days apart begin on Pages 12 and 13.