In 2011, I pledged to make a difference in the States and made a commitment to reform our planning system following the re-development of Portelet Holiday village which I considered out of character with Jersey. I had given up my job as practice director of a local law firm to work full time as a States member for three years. I fulfilled these promises to the people in my district and demonstrated the commitment to take on the task of Island wide policy. I could have sought re-election as deputy but felt the long term policy challenges required an all island senatorial mandate.
In 2014 I stood for election as Senator , because despite the state of denial by Ministers , we faced a structural deficit in States finances . At that time none of the ministers accepted that we were living beyond our means. Meeting the unfulfilled needs of our health and education services and public sector modernisation to moderate the excesses of the bloated public sector, are imperatives. I felt our elected Ministers simply lacked the ability to achieve these objectives; reconnect with the public across all sectors of our community or restore lost trust and confidence in our Government. Since the 2014 election Ministers have shown this correct in spades . Their Leadership is simply weak and joined up government is still an illusion.
Now in 2018 these and more major challenges remain having been neglected by an ineffective Council of Ministers working in a dysfunctional and anti democratic ministerial system. Things need to change .
Share with:
