VANCOUVER — Premier Gordon Campbell faced a tag-team attack from the left Tuesday, accused by the NDP and the Green party of hurting the most vulnerable British Columbians by breaking promises on the economy and health care.

Despite the double attack, Campbell turned his attention to the record of the NDP as the provincial leaders debated, telling Carole James she leads a party that left the province in a mess when his Liberals came to power four years ago.

"Throughout the 1990s, when we had one of the most prosperous times in the world economy ... British Columbia went from being the best economy in the country to the worst,'' he said.

"British Columbia became a have-not province.''

The hour-long televised debate was the first time the three party leaders have come face-to-face in the campaign. It led to the most lively exchange that has been seen so far before the May 17election in what has often been described as a dull campaign, especially by B.C. standards.

James accused Campbell of taking too much credit for the province's economic turnaround.

"We see Mr. Campbell taking credit for things that he had nothing to do with, high commodity prices and low interest rates,'' said James, dismissing Campbell's claim that lower personal and business tax rates have helped the province prosper.

Green party Leader Adriane Carr, who spent the debate picking apart the records of both the NDP and the Liberals, told Campbell his economic policies have been good for well-off British Columbians.

"People have been hurting in this province,'' she said. "The gap between the rich and the poor has grown to be the biggest in Canada and that's a shameful record.''

James, who observers say had the most to gain from the debate, tried to set the tone by directly accusing Campbell of breaking his promises in the 2001 campaign by privatizing B.C. Rail and expanding gambling in the province.

James asked Campbell if he had plans to sell B.C.'s government-owned auto insurance company and B.C. Hydro, reminding him that he promised to keep the railway in public hands.

Campbell's response that he intended to keep those agencies in public hands didn't persuade James.

"Should we believe you now, should we have believed you then,'' she said.

Carr's appearance in the debate was something of a breakthrough for Greens, who were invited after the party received more than 12 per cent of the vote in 2001, but have yet to win a seat in the legislature.

The debate was also a first for James, who has been NDP leader for two years after serving as chairwoman of Victoria's school board.

In this campaign, she is trying to rebuild a party that was effectively wiped out in the last election when Campbell led the Liberals to power with the largest majority government in the province's history, capturing 77 seats and reducing the NDP to two. At dissolution, the Liberals held 72 seats and the NDP three.

With the campaign at the halfway point, James has focused on health care as she promises to open 6,000 long-term care beds and increase home care visits for the elderly.

In the debate, she told Campbell his policies have meant that some couples, married for 50 and 60 years, have been split up because of cuts to beds in long-term care facilities.

"If you ask British Columbians whether they're better off today in the area of health care than they were four years ago, the answer is a very clear no,'' she said.

"You made a fundamental promise to the seniors of British Columbia and you broke that promise.''

Campbell said his government is in the process of opening long-term care beds, but when it reviewed the state of senior care in 2002, it had to first upgrade facilities that had fallen below standards, including those that no longer met the fire code.

"We found that a number of seniors were living in facilities that just frankly you wouldn't want to have your parents live in,'' he said.

Carr again blasted both the NDP and the Liberals for problems in health care.

"The health care system is in crisis and it has been 14 years in the making,'' said Carr, who promoted the need for more preventative health care.

Campbell also highlighted the personal responsibility in preventing disease to cut health care costs.

"We all have to have five serving of fruits and vegetables a day and get 30 minutes of physical activity,'' he said. "You know, people smile at that, but that makes a huge difference in our health care burden.''