Countdown for Chief Minister

Friday 24 October 2014

Islanders will find out later today if there will be a challenge to Ian Gorst as Chief Minister.

The poll-topping Senator is hot favourite to hold on to the job, after the only rumoured challenger, Senator Alan Maclean, appeared more lukewarm about putting his name forward in comments after last week's election.

The deadline for candidates to file their paperwork is 5 pm this afternoon – after which there will be just over a week of deal-making and horse-trading before the election takes place on 3 November.

Senator Gorst last week became the first Chief Minister to run for re-election, and is now the first to seek a second term in the job.

Whoever gets the role will have more powers over the next three-and-a-half year term – the States have agreed that the Chief Minister should have the power to sack a failing minister, and should be able to force the Council of Ministers to stick to a party line

The one thing that is definite is that there will be some new faces on the Council of Ministers. The Home Affairs, Education and Social Security ministers have all stepped down from the States, and the Environment Minister lost his seat in the election.