Gang warfare on Vancouver's streets, the carbon tax and the ongoing recession prompted several controlled skirmishes between party leaders campaigning for the May 12 election.
NDP Leader Carole James attacked the Liberal government for cutting $10 million from its budget for courts and Crown prosecutors and for cutting 100 jobs from corrections.
"How can you say that you're fighting crime when your actions don't show it?" James asked.
BC Liberal Leader Gordon Campbell responded that his government's actions do show it and that the Liberals have bumped up the number of police officers on the streets and added resources for prosecutions.
"That's an effective strategy. It's why our police officers in the integrated task force have been able to arrest 10 major gang leaders."
Green Party Leader Jane Sterk said trying to police a solution to social problems won't work and she said what's needed is a more ground-level approach to ensuring youth have activities and a closer relationship with their community.
On the economy, Campbell touted his government's record and said the Liberals would return to its record of balanced budgets within three years.
He also noted that the NDP voted in favour of legislation requiring a return to balanced budgets in three years, but then introduced a platform that doesn't balance the budget for four years.
But James said Campbell needs to spend more time in rural British Columbia, where the forest industry has been especially hard hit.
The debate was framed around questions recorded from average British Columbians.
The party leaders parried back and forth in a predictable fashion.
Campbell attacked James's lack of business experience.
James repeatedly ended her turn at the microphone with questions for Campbell.
Some he answered. Others -- like the influence peddling controversy around the sale of B.C. Rail -- he didn't.
James rarely referred to the Liberal government, preferring instead to refer to Campbell by name.
"Gordon Campbell will make life tougher," she said in her final remarks.
Sterk chastised both of them, saying that no one party has the right answer alone.
"We just had an example of the blame game," Sterk said following one exchange.
"If something isn't working, the Green Party believes you should do something different."
