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TheyWorkForYou, a new website designed to give islanders easy access to States members' attendance and voting patterns, has invited all election candidates to respond to a short list of questions to give voters a better understanding about the people who are standing for election next week.
The seven questions cover subjects such as the candidates' motivations for standing, specific aspects of their experience and background that would make them a good politician and the positions they currently hold.
Candidates were also quizzed on what being a politician means to them and what are the core values that guide their actions and the way they will work with fellow politicians.
They were asked what conflicts might arise with their other roles and how they would address them, as well as what areas they would invest in, using taxpayers' money, to secure a strong future for the island.
The questions were sent to all candidates by email last week and candidates were given until 12:00 on 8 May to send their answers which have now been published on the website. The answers go along with each candidate's Vote.je's profile, video statement and manifesto, where available.
Launched earlier this year, TheyWorkForYou give islanders easy access to States members' attendance and voting patterns. It also includes each serving politicians' contact details, previous manifesto, and brief summary of their election history.
Pictured: The Chief Minister's, Senator Ian Gorst's page on TheyWorkForYou.
The website was inspired by the one launched by non-profit organisation mySociety in 2004 and developed by the second 2017 cohort of students enrolled in a part-time vocational six-month coding programme run by Digital Jersey. "It is all about making it easier for voters to interpret and analyze data that is already available in the public domain," explained Tony Moretta, Digital Jersey's CEO. "It is not political, it is factual data and the website makes it more accessible to people."
Following the launch of the website, Gailina Liew, Director of the Jersey Policy Forum, commented: “This collaboration (with Digital Jersey, The Infuse Group and the States Greffe) reflects a common objective to encourage greater civic engagement by making information about Jersey’s elected representatives more easily accessible.”
Mark Egan, Greffier of the States, added: "This is a terrific example of how technology can be used with open data to provide easier access to information that is already in the public domain."
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