Today Team Voice sent out an e-mail and questionnaire (below) to the 20 States members who were either elected for the first time, or elected to a new post at the Nov/Dec 2008 elections.
We will be publishing all responses we receive in order of when we receive them, a kind of first come, first served basis. Depending on how fast the replies come "flooding in" they might be spread across our 3 Blogsites which, besides this one, include http://voiceforjersey.blogspot.com/ and http://voiceforprotest.blogspot.com/
The e-mail was sent to the following States members.
Senator Alan Breckon.
Senator Alan MacLean.
Senator Ian Le Marquand.
Senator Sarah Ferguson.
Connetable Deidre Mezbourian.
Connetable John Refault.
Connetable Juliette Gallichan.
Connetable Len Norman.
Deputy Anne Dupré.
Deputy Angela Jeune.
Deputy Andrew Green.
Deputy Daniel Wimberley.
Deputy Debbie De Sousa.
Deputy Edward Noel.
Deputy Jeremy Macon.
Deputy Mike Higgins.
Deputy Montfort Tadier.
Deputy Philip Rondel.
Deputy Tracy Vallois.
Deputy Trevor Pitman.
The e-mail.
Dear States member.
It has already, in most cases, been a full 12 months since you were successfully elected to your post, whether you be a new member of the government or an existing member who has achieved election to a new post.
We at Team Voice are very keen to give the electorate an insight into your first year of office and what being a States member entails.
Below is a short questionnaire we hope, with the answers, will give the electorate this insight and at the same time offer you, the elected member, an opportunity, not only to engage with the electorate, but to "blow your own trumpet as it were".
We will be posting this e-mail and questionnaire on one of our Blogsites along with any, and all, responses we receive.
Thank you in advance for your co-operation
Team Voice.
The Questionnaire.
12 months in office
A questionnaire for new Deputies, Constables and Senators elected in 2008
During your first year
How many;
1) States meetings have you missed?
2) Written questions have you asked?
3) Oral questions have you asked?
4) Times have you voted?
5) Have you submitted any propositions or amendments? If yes, how many?
6) Have you achieved Ministerial or Assistant Ministerial office?
7) Do you serve on any Scrutiny Panel(s)? - If so Please give details.
8) Do you hold constituency surgeries? - If so - how often? If not, why not?
9) On average, how many letters - emails - telephone calls do you receive each week from the electorate?
10) Do you employ any secretarial assistance?
11) Do you rent an office for States work?
12) Have you assisted at any Complaints Board hearings?
13) Have you travelled outside of Jersey on States business?
14) On average, how many hours do you devote to States work each week?
15) How many hours do you devote to Parish work each week?
16) Do you have any other employment?
17) Do you feel you have, or are on target of, fulfilling your election promises, manifesto?
Do you really think any of them will take the time to complete and return it? I wish you well but honestly think that many will have acheived so little they will be too embarassed to participate.
ReplyDeleteThis should be most interesting. I have written down those who I think will respond, the majority I fear will not be at all concerned with letting us, the electorate know what they do on our behalf (apart from squander OUR money).
ReplyDeleteI have also pre-empted some of the answers that those who respond will give, again this will tell us a lot.
Can we assume that those who do not reply do sweet FA, and have nothing to offer that can show us otherwise.
Should be interesting. I await an influx of answers but.........I'm not holding my breath!!
Given that most of them have done absolutely nothing for the electorate I doubt you will see a response.
ReplyDeleteDeputy Macon once asked a question about Fort Regent Swimming Pool - quite what it had to do with his electorate or constituency I have no idea - and clearly neither does he or he would be working for the betterment of his constituency.
For the next two years he is probably best preparing to find himself a job.
Clearly you are not a parent with children on the east side of the Island.
ReplyDeleteWell from little acorns great oaks do grow. If enough of us post here to find out what kind of questions you will get in response who knows, if we have memories like elephants and vote accordingly, whether we get answers or not, these questions may have the desired result and make those parliamentary seats pop a little!
ReplyDeleteAnyone wish to stand for election? It is not THAT far away really in the world of politics and still time to canvas like a pro! Even if you don't get in this time there is always next time. Have to develop a skin like a Rhino thought!
Mopinwil is right elections are only 2 years away. We could have a senatorial by election in May or June. Nominate some candidates we would like to see stand here. A bit of public support now might be just what they need to be persuaded to stand.
ReplyDeleteDear Voice
ReplyDeleteVery sorry to see that none of those we supported in the elections have responded (even tongue in cheek and humorously) to your request. Guess they don't really care about us.
I have been in contact with a number of the politicians listed, who have assured me they will be reponding.
ReplyDeleteDeputy Macon, who I am sure is as good as his word, told us if we published his e-mail on VFP (which we did) then he would answer the questionnaire.
If I were a States Member, I, too, would be very wary of answering this questionnaire. A lot of the answers would entail significant effort, and the overall tone is pretty much "anything you say will be taken down and used in evidence against you". A political career tends to be a hiding to nothing already, without extra ones like this.
ReplyDeleteDavid.
ReplyDeleteIt is unfortunate you have not taken the time to read the latest Blog on this subject which is entitled "update"
If you had have taken the time you would have seen, or read this.
"This is most unfortunate because there are a number of them who work tirelessly for their constituents and for the greater good of the island".
What we at Team Voice are attempting to do is to engage elected representatives with the ever growing online community of voters.
For those representatives who are hard working and "representing" their constituents it will offer them a chance to "educate" and "inform" the voting public of their work.
For those who just turn up twice a week to press a button, don't sit on Scrutiny Panels, don't submit written or oral questions, don't submit propositions or amendments etc it will expose them.
There is little doubt whoever replies to the questionnaire will have negative, as well as positive, comments left.
But if not one single representative replies there is a danger they will all get tarred with the same brush of not engaging, or ignoring their electorate.
This, in our opinion, would not be a true reflection of them all because as we have already said there are a number of them that do work tirelessly and deserve recognition for it.
I did indeed read that post before I wrote the last comment. Perhaps, if you had prefaced your questionnaire with something of the sort, some of them would have taken the bait. But, as you sent it, it was peremptory to the point of rudeness.
ReplyDeleteDeputy Trevor Pitman has now written a substantial response to this, that we have posted on our own blog.
ReplyDelete