Saturday 11 February 2017

Is Senator Ozouf Being Thrown Under a Bus?





Following the scandal of the Jersey Innovation Fund (JIF) and Senator Philip Ozouf's RESIGNATION. The question has to be asked "Is he (Philip Ozouf) being thrown under a bus here?"

On the 17th January 2017, in an answer to a question from Reform Jersey's Deputy Geoff Southern (video below) The Economic Development Minister, Senator Lyndon Farnham acknowledged, admitted, or even "confessed" that five out of  seven grants issued by JIF were NOT signed off by Senator Ozouf. Two of them were apparently signed off by Treasury Minister Senator Alan Maclean, three of them were signed of by Senator Farnham, and two by Senator Ozouf. The latter having fallen on his sword and resigned from his Assistant Ministerial duties.......At least for as long as there is an investigation happening into the alleged waste of millions of £'s of taxpayers money that was JIF.

So is Senator Ozouf the only person who should be shouldering all the blame here? We're not saying he does not have serious questions to answer and he must take responsibility for his actions and/or inactions but is he really the ONLY one who should?

Didn't JIF have some kind of an "Advisory Board?" What kind of advice was it giving? Was its advice acted upon or was it ignored? What about the Chief Minister himself? Doesn't ultimate responsibility lay at his door? Shouldn't he (and others) be offering his resignation or "stepping aside?"

It could be that the supposed Inquiry will answer these questions, or it could be that it won't. Who is conducting the Inquiry? Will it be another "Our Chap" Report? Is it, or why isn't it, a "public" Inquiry?

Reform Jersey's Deputy Montfort Tadier has submitted an Oral Question, (below) to the Chief Minister, tabled for this Tuesday 14th February:

Deputy Montfort Tadier.


Deputy M. Tadier of St. Brelade will ask the following question of the Chief Minister –

“Given that Senator Ozouf was not the only Minister to have signed off loans from the Jersey Innovation Fund, will the Chief Minister also be asking Senators Farnham and Maclean to 'step aside' from their Ministerial duties until the relevant investigation has fully reported back?”

It's a fair question when one considers Senator Farnham's "confession" in the video below. But it doesn't sound/look like an absolute confession. One can't help thinking he was trying to absolve himself of any real blame and appeared to be laying it more at the door of Senator Ozouf. That's the impression I got but readers/viewers might get another impression.


Could it be that if every Minister was to resign through incompetence, or malpractice, that we would no longer have a Council of Ministers?

72 comments:

  1. Lyndon Farnham's position is more delicate than Ozouf's was. He was involved in the innovation fund. He steadfastly refused to do anything effective about Condor's failings. Ask Tony the prof and the Farmers Union about the Rural Economy Strategy.

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    1. Slightly off topic, but the cartoon characters in VFC's graphic do rather do remind me of Andrew Liar.

      Did Andrew Lewis once have a good twin brother? A twin in which all the goodness, care, truth and  integrity resided?

      A twin who would not have thrown the last vestiges of hope and justice for state sponsored abuse 'under a bus' by unlawfully suspending the Police Chief and completing the re-capture of law enforcement on the island?

      Did Andrew dispose of this competition at a young age? And did this disposal involve any form of public transport?

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  2. On the day when Ozouf announced that he intended to 'step aside' he wanted to make a prepared ministerial statement, on which questions could have been taken. The bailiff insisted he make a personal statement, on which no questions could be taken.

    I'm a betting man. I'm prepared to bet that Senator Ozouf, as the consummate tactician, would have had some useful questions planted in the audience, ready to be posed by friendly allies, to make sure that it was not only him that took the rap. To use your analogy, several people should have gone under the bus that day.

    As it happens, he was prevented from executing his strategy so we are all now playing a game of wait and see.

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  3. Spot on of course, the two other ministers Farnham and Maclean should be held responsible but it is deeper than that. The Auditor General's independent report, says very clearly that loans were agreed by board members who new applicants personally. In other words the chairman and the board who were all paid by the tax payer, have some serious questions to answer. The report that focused on this shambles is clear.

    The other three, reports commissioned, is the usual States knee jerk reaction to try and appease blame. No doubt they have chosen tried and trusted companies that have given the States good service on previous occasions.

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  4. Anon at 23:01

    Indeed, that is a very good point.

    I wonder if Deputy Higgins or the Reform Jersey deputies would consider asking this question of the Attorney General at the next States sitting?

    "Has Her Majesty's Attorney General received a report from the Comptroller and Auditor General in respect of the conduct of third parties, as outlined in paragraph 15.5 of her report into the Jersey Innovation Fund."

    It's a perfectly proper question. It prejudices nobody. Taxpayers simply want to know if a report of possible criminal behaviour has been made and whether a criminal investigation is underway. We pay all of thes people's salaries and for all of the underlying infrastructure. We are entitled to be told.

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    1. The JEP have asked the question. I guess they must have been reading Team Voice all weekend

      http://jerseyeveningpost.com/news/2017/02/13/innovation-fund-police-launch-an-investigation/

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    2. From the link:

      "Last month Ms McConnell published a damning report in which she concluded that there had been a catalogue of failures in the set up and management of the States-run fund"

      I could have this wrong but I believe the fund was set up by Senator Alan Maclean. If there is "a catalogue of failures in the set up" then that puts his head on the chopping block doesn't it? Which would suggest that he, along with Senator Farnham (and possibly others) is throwing Senator Ozouf under a bus here.

      Time for people to stand up and be counted. Like him or loathe him Senator Ozouf has fallen on his sword and looks to be taking the flack for others just as, if not more, culpable than himself.

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    3. Further from the link above"

      "And she also said that she was considering reporting some ‘third parties’ associated with the fund to the Attorney General because of conduct which she said ‘falls below expected standards’.

      "The Attorney General has now confirmed that he has received such a referral."

      That's reassuring then! The AG is on the case.

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  5. Let's not make excuses for Ozouf - his spectacular failings playing fast and loose in my humble opinion with our taxpayers' money of the years should have seen him booted out of office years ago. He is one of the key architects of the financial black hole.

    But as you rightly suggest Farnham and the equally spectactularly inept MacLean should be asked to resign too. Trouble is as the announcment of serial electoral failure Christian May demonstrates yet again our COM is run as a jobs for the boys club where no cock up will ever see you truly held to account.

    Just as bad there is evidently sod all anyone can do about it, at least until we get a proper party politic al system. If we ever do?

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  6. Ozouf deserves all he gets. Tried to blame others for things enough over the years. The original smoke and mirros man whose financial ineptitude finally caught his bluster out. Good ridance.

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  7. If memory serves Advocate/Deputy Renouf has had a lot to do with the last two committees of inquiries. Good or bad not sure.

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    1. Sorry, meant to say the last two complaints panels, rather than the last two committees of inquiries. Any difference though?

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    2. Indeed Deputy of st Ouen, Richard Renouf, was the Chairman of the Complaints Board who ruled the Chief Minister (Terry Le Sueur) should release the meta data of the e-mails that showed the skulduggery that went on with the (illegal)? Suspension of the former police Chief Graham Power QPM.

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    3. Out of interest, can anyone name the previous complaints board members? And the present complaints board members?

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    4. I can't name them but this current lot look to have done a good job as did Deputy Renouf concerning the e-mail meta data. What I'm waiting for, that surely HAS to happen, is a vote of no confidence being brought against them by the Chief Minister/Council of Ministers. After listening to the debate on the proposition brought by Deputy Mike Higgins for a vote of no confidence in the States Employment Board over the way it disgracefully treated Mr. Alwitri. One was left with no doubt that the Chief Minister and Ministers/Assistant Ministers had a very low regard for the States Complaints Board. We await the proposition being lodged.............But won't be holding breath!

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  8. This whole council of ministers is dire, Really what self-respecting government would have a failedAttorney General, Bailiff and judge like Philip Bailhache as a Foreign Affairs Minister? The man should have been retired forcibly long ago.

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    1. Can the bus reverse up after it is done with Odious Ozouf?

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  9. A couple of nice titbits here:

    http://planetjersey.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=3059.msg61264#msg61264

    The editors described the arguments for a ban as “centred on the Daily Mail’s reputation for poor fact checking, sensationalism and flat-out fabrication”.

    The Wikimedia Foundation, which runs Wikipedia but does not control its editing processes, said in a statement that volunteer editors on English Wikipedia had discussed the reliability of the Mail since at least early 2015.

    It said: “Based on the requests for comments section [on the reliable sources noticeboard], volunteer editors on English Wikipedia have come to a consensus that the Daily Mail is ‘generally unreliable and its use as a reference is to be generally prohibited, especially when other more reliable sources exist’
    END


    But surely the Daily Mail is far more reliable than Jersey's organ the JEP

    From memory The Wikipedia sections on Health Minister Syvret and the Jersey Child Abuse Scandal happily reference misinformation and propaganda in the JEP and present it as reliable fact. Even that 'tooth fairy' press conference by Gradwell was referenced as fact there.

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    1. The Daily Mail is the JEP of Great Britain: bigoted, crap journalism always attacking anything to the left of Margaret Thatcher. Closet racism, narrow-minded hypocrisy aimed at maintaining the rightist status quo no matter how dysfunctional. The only diference I suppose is that that Rag is likely to be gone inside two years while the Daily Nazi remains strong.

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  10. Is that an Assistant Minister in the Petty Debts listing for Wednesday ?

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    1. Don't know. Have you got a link?

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    2. https://www.gov.je/SiteCollectionDocuments/Government%20and%20administration/ID%20JG%20PDCTableWeek%207.pdf

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    3. Clue .....eGov

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    4. Deputy Wickenden will help to deliver a strong partnership between government and the digital industry. He will also work across government, helping to deliver better, more accessible services for Islanders.

      Deputy Wickenden has resigned his position as Deputy Chair of the Public Accounts Committee to focus more completely on his new responsibilities.

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    5. Here is a bloke who has proven to be a total non-entity since being elected three years ago. He has also done nothing in the parish. The truth is that for all of her faults the only hard working representative left in St. Helier No 1 is Deputy Judy Martin.

      Bad enough for the people of my home district. But what I would like to know is how such a complete waste of space, and one who should never even have been allowed to take up his seat given that he failed to secure the required 10 proposers, can be appointed to be an Assistant Chief Minister?

      Gorst is useless enough. Routier even worse. But can anyone really imagine Wickenden fielding questions in the States if both were ill? Me neither.

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    6. If this is the same S.Wickenden that is being pursued for rent arrears as the S.Wickenden who is the Assistant Chief Minister what does that say about the calibre of our government.

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    7. The 'calibre of our government'? Love it. You are a card Anonymous. Sure you know as well as the rest of us when to comes to ability and integrity our council of minister are like a non-alcoholic beer. There's nowt in it.

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    8. I would have added, opaque,tasteless and has no effect other than passing through.
      Wickenden did field a question on how the JEP could no choose to publish the Gazzette type content if it wanted to as our 'Community Paper', and that the use of computer things would help the blind and profoundly stupid. He has all the ability and panache of the little kid with spots who isn't very bright but never gets picked for anything, but in this case he has Assistant Chief Minister .Why??

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    9. An obediant head nodder who will do as he is told. Just happy to now 'be somebody' that is why. Still think he will lose his seat come 2018. Wickenden is town's answer to Deputy Truscott of St. Brelade. Never seen or heard of since election but given places in the government.

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  11. Farnham and MacLean need to be called out in the States. Loathe Ozouf but these two are just as much to blame. Maybe even more so in MacLean's case. he set it up after all.

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  12. No problem paying his rent now Wickenden as alleged nice earner now!!

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    1. If this is him (unlikely its not) this is Wednesday Court listing this week.

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  13. So Christian May was "the best" candidate who applied? Who the hell were the other applicants? Sooty, Nookie Bear and Bazil Brush? Jobs for the boys inc.

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  14. Ben Shenton next Chief Minister. Put a fiver on it even though he is a usless, lazy buffoon. But if you aren't terrified by his likely return just try and imagine his Council of Minister! RUN!

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  15. Jersey is now a police state. read in the Rag about the bloke arrested and fined for offensive language on the telepnone! Big Brother. 1984. He who controls the past controls the future. Winstone Smith where are you? perhaps Wolfie Mezec Smith can tell us?

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    1. Is that right, eh? Someone arrested and fined for swearing on the telephone???

      Well, just imagine that! Just imagine, if there was someone who is infamous and hated throughout most parts of this community, someone who is a notorious harasser of women, known (& witnessed) by the police to make abusive telephone calls, someone who makes threats of violence over the phone, someone who claims to know people's tax-details to threaten them, someone who makes death-threats over the phone, someone who has, on the evidence, committed perjury?

      Well, if there was such a person, it would be very hard for the Police - now - to find an excuse not to arrest them and have them charged with those offences.

      Especially if there happened to be loads and loads of recorded evidence, of this person making these illegal harassments and abusive use of the Telecoms system.

      I mean, just imagine how crazily corrupt the Jersey authorities would be proven to be, if they now failed to prosecute and jail such an individual???

      Interesting times!

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  16. The plain reality of Philip Ozouf is described here: -

    http://freespeechoffshore.nl/stuartsyvretblog/jerseys-public-finances-2004-2014-and-philip-ozouf/

    And the detailed and extensive Report & Proposition I wrote, asking the States - in 2004 - to examine the potential economic & taxation policies the island should have considered, is also appended to that blog-posting. (It's long; it's for those seriously interested in the subject. To this day - and back then, in the debate - I heard nothing from Philip Ozouf to demonstrate he had even read the document in its entirety - let alone having thought carefully about its suggestions.)

    Naturally, Philip Ozouf was at the forefront of opposing the detailed and transparent public study of taxation options I was suggesting.

    So the Jersey parliament failed its community; failed to even examine so many of these potential approaches to public-income and taxation - any number of which we could have in place now - giving greater certainty and security to the people of Jersey.

    Sadly - ten years later - I had to write that blog-posting.

    Another, "I-Told-You-So."

    Yet another, “The-Government-You-Deserve.”

    Yes - I understand, obviously, those so many people who dwell on the stark and overt toxicity of Philip Ozouf as an individual.

    But I suggest that that is not the main problem, risk or manifest threat to the well-being of this community posed by Philip Ozouf.

    His real failing - is his overt stupidity. He has been able to con the system and public over the years in disguising this failing, with the assistance of the msm.

    The man is simply an idiot.

    Fantastically wealthy (or at least ‘was’, past tense) solely via inheritance - like so many Jersey oligarchs; personally talentless, obnoxious, ignorant, arrogant - and dangerously unaware of his own short-comings - but "powered" in the functionally anti-democratic political environment of Jersey on the vacuity of the pure self-hypnosis of the confidence-trickster.

    Whatever the many failings of Philip Ozouf may be - insofar as his role in Jersey government goes - his worst failing is that he is thick - ignorant, talentless, an obvious failure even on his own terms: -

    http://freespeechoffshore.nl/stuartsyvretblog/jerseys-public-finances-2004-2014-and-philip-ozouf/


    The profound danger - the risks and threats posed to this community - by Ozouf and so many other senior Jersey oligarchs like him - that whole generation of Jersey establishment politicians born out of the Horsfall / Walker Years - is the complete absence of any capacity for realistic self- assessment. They are characterised most strongly by - essentially - stupidity, yet are convinced of their own brilliance - in spite of all evidence to the contrary.

    See the following posting, The Horsfall / Walker Years: -

    http://freespeechoffshore.nl/stuartsyvretblog/the-horsfallwalker-years/

    And things have only become worse, in the years since I wrote that posting.

    The government you deserve.

    Stuart Syvret.

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    1. Careful there Stuart.

      Just because it is true does not mean that it can't cause offence! LOL

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    2. So bitter.
      We live in a democracy where any person can stand, and to show so much disdain towards anybody who simply has wealth looks ridiculous when you note the recent success of billionaire candidate Trump.

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    3. JEP Believer, election griever . . . .15 February 2017 at 07:03


      Let's put the blame where it ultimately lies.

      Jersey people are a danger to themselves

      There is a saying: "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me"

      Time after time they fall for this nicely dressed 'safe pair of hands' nonsense.
      The (understandably) disenfranchised stay home and do not vote.

      Politics is a complex game but I would suggest this simple test of a candidate's judgment and moral fibre:
      'do they speak/campaign/vote to protect children or to protect reputation/establishment'

      Let's face it. If they don't vote to protect abused children they are hardly going to vote to protect you.

      "The government you deserve"

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    4. "....ridiculous when you note the recent success of billionaire candidate Trump"

      The embodiment of narcissism, nepotism, cronyism and yes-man-ism

      Reagan and Bush junior were both pretty thick but at least they accepted briefings and listened to their advisers.

      Trump is way out of his depth but too arrogant to notice, or even care.

      Perhaps 'god' will protect him and his country?

      www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-putin-idUSKBN15O2A5

      www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/trump-denounced-nuclear-arms-treaty-in-phone-call-with-putin-%E2%80%93-sources/ar-AAmN1Cp?li=AAmiR2Z&ocid=spartandhp

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    5. One for Stuart Syvret15 February 2017 at 13:33

      "If they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left."
      - Margaret Thatcher

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    6. Says a lot about the likes of Ozouf then. All he ever did was attack Ted Vivert, Geoff Southern, Stuart Syvret, Trevor Pitman et all. He had no real politics. Just deluded spoilt brat bile. Throw him under a bus but not on his own.

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    7. Stuart.

      Will you be considering standing for election under the new system in May 2018?

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    8. 'Throw him under a bus but not on his own'.

      Easy tiger.

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  17. Its non stop.
    The Col is all corrupt and ultra vires.
    Everybody he names in the COM is corrupt and everybody remotely associated is a gangster.
    Then he wonders why everybody takes this bile with a pinch of salt.
    When is the Col Report coming out, thought it was end of last month?

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    1. Agreed.
      Stuart, turn it in, boring.
      The Jersey Care Inquiry Report is not supposed to be seen by anybody for comment before release so I guess it will appear like a flash.

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  18. The COI has to come out by end of March. Doesn't it?

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    1. Surely. Any more delay will send alarm bells clanging.

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    2. Needs to be done properly.
      If they say by end of March then I can wait an extra 6 weeks.

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  19. Quote - 'like so many Jersey oligarchs; personally talentless, obnoxious, ignorant, arrogant - and dangerously unaware of his own short-comings'.

    Ozouf was never my cup of tea either, but I'd love to know what the real problem Stuart has with people.
    I guess this pointless name calling is only going to get worse over the coming months with the release of the Col. A Col I took part in with 100's of others in spite of Stuart's ridiculous attempts to derail it.

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  20. With this P133 shambles being passed about a few short interviews with some of the major opposition figures of recent year to let people know what they make of it all?

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  21. The referendum Farnham is proposing (to keep the Senators). Is it before, during, or after the next election? Does anyone know

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    1. I think there are logistical/legal difficulties getting it set up for the next election. But like most people I'm not entirely sure.

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    2. A referendum won't happen. Public aren't interested thanks to Lord Bailhache sabotaging the last one with his hijacking of the independant electoral commission. This screwed up reform will just be forced on us. The only hope now is the progressive left eventually taking St Helier and building a platform for true island wide reform. To take St Helier though though the progressives need a whole load of good candidates not least being the likes of the Pitmans. It sadly won't happen for years. Just what the worn Lewis and the power mad Bailhache and company want. I'm seriously considering going to live in Spain. Even a little place like Gibralta has a more democratic government than we do here.

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  22. If they have their way. For the next election the 12 Parish Constables will be voted in and will vote much the same way as present. The 8 Senators also will be voted in and will vote much the same way as present.
    If enough thought, time and effort is put together before the next election the progressive left could take not only St Helier, but the whole 28 Deputies spaces.

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    1. I disagree on some of your comment. Firstly the Constables in most parishes won't be voted in because they will be elected unopposed. This would also have applied in a few Deputy seats but now due to multi member districts, that won't apply. As for getting more progressive seats, I think that this will be another election where few progressives will put themselves forward, and not all will get in. I don't intend to sound gloomy, it's just the way it is these days since the days of the likes of the Pitmans, Syvret and Bob Hill.

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    2. Openly Reform Jersey Deputies might well, if of the quality and standing of Higgins and the Pitmans, might well eventually take all the Deputy seats where there is a strong urban population and vote. They won't in my opinion ever take seats where the whole super constituency is in effect still country dominated.

      They would have to box clever and do what the fake Jersey Progressive Party did after the war and get mates to stand as independents leaving the openly party affiliated candidates to go for the strong urban vote areas. This would all mean working together and that is not something the Southerns, Syvrets and Mezecs of this world have ever been that great at.

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    3. I think the above observation is one of the most astute I have read in a very long time. Hopefully Deputy Mezec and his Reform Jersey colleagues are taking note.

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    4. Never mind the progressives. I can't imagin where the Establishment are going to get decent candidates. The shit lying underneath the rotting barrel was scraped last time. They can't give every one of their hopefuls I nice cushy high-profile job like Mr May's can they?

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    5. You are not wrong there. This States is generally appalling no matter what your politics are. Can it get worse? Heaven forbid!

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  23. There are plenty of Nortons & McClintons out there waiting for their chance!

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    1. Please say you are joking, Constables Out!

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    2. The States should be closed down. We would likely function just as well if we had no government at all. As so may people say take Higgins out of the picture and what exactly have we got worthy of being called a politician. This might be a bit harsh on Montford Tadier who I have always respected. But since Reform Jersey became a one man band he seems to have disappeared up his own mandate. Come on Montfort. Start calling the b'astards out again like you used to do.

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    3. Anon. 20th Feb @16.18..... It would be interesting to shut down the States of Jersey. I guess it would then be run by civil servants and lawyers. When the law needs updating a peoples assembly of whoever was there could just pass it onto the crown. Perhaps the chamber could be left to crumble under the elements or turned into a covered amphitheatre.
      Like you said, without Higgins, who is there. However I believe Sam Mézec is trying to do his best. He is usually spot on, save his stance on option B plus. What I think he, Montfort and Mike Higgins all really want (and I exclude Southern deliberately) is the proper rule of law which is the key thing that doesn't seem to apply. My expectation is that nothing profound will ever happen until we have the proper rule of law. Syvret did a good video on the subject that can be found somewhere on this wonderful (thank goodness we have it) VFC blog.

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  24. Maybe a good idea for a new post was tapped upon above. Mike Higgins rightly gets a lot of praise for his principled politics. How about a short interview letting people hear his thoughts on what 2018 could hold?

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    1. What about an interview with Andrew 'Integrity' Lewis so he can explain why he voted for an amended proposition that he had tried to pull because it no nonger resembled what he had lodged?

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  25. The latest round of shuffling the deck chairs fills most of us with the desire to scream.

    That said how about this for a start, firstly I have to say I voted for Option A (i.e Constables out) this group of twelve have been and will be THE biggest block to any real reform.

    The argument on thier side is that they need to be in the States to be able to represent thier respective parish? but wait is that not what the Parish Deputies are there for?

    O.K so here is my take on the matter

    a) Constables can stay but No pay and NO vote.
    b) Their collective 'pay' can go towards the elderly.

    If the above were put in place how many Constables would attend, based on thier premise of wanting to be there for thier parishoners but without the pay packet? Answers on the back of a voting slip please.

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  26. Constables are in in the States because of the money... If they tell you that's not the case ask how many of them are accepting the payment.

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  27. Le Trocquer laughing all way to bank, State pension, Police pension & States "wages"

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