How much do Ministers care about Brexit?

Tuesday 20 March 2018

How much do our Ministers care about Brexit? And what are they doing to educate themselves about the risks?

A recent response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request provides one potential indicator: their attendance at a series of Brexit workshops over the last year – and some are more dedicated than others.

Of the eight workshops held since February last year on topics spanning fisheries, immigration and customs to financial services, the Chief Minister was the only one to attend all briefings.

The External Relations Minister, Senator Sir Philip Bailhache, attended five – missing agriculture and fisheries, financial services and the ‘legislative work programme’.

Home Affairs Minister Deputy Kristina Moore attended three – agriculture and fisheries, financial services and customs union – as did Environment Minister Steve Luce. He attended the agriculture and fisheries briefing, as well as those on transport and contingency planning.

Pictured: The Chief Minister attended all briefings, and the External Relations Minister went to five.

The Treasury, Education, Health, Housing, Infrastructure and Social Security Ministers only attended two, while Minister for Economic Development Senator Lyndon Farnham only came to one: the most recent session on customs and trade on 2 March this year. His Assistant Minister, Deputy Murray Norton, attended two, similarly to Constable Steve Pallett.

Outgoing Senator Paul Routier, who is responsible for population policy, was the most dedicated of the Assistant Ministers – he attended five. Home Affairs Assistant, Constable Deirdre Mezbourian made it to four, while Deputy Scott Wickenden, who handles the eGov project, came to three. Assistant Treasury Minister Constable John Refault only made it to the first briefing on Agriculture and Fisheries, while Assistant Health Minister Peter Maclinton was one of a handful of politicians who attended zero.

Nonetheless, the FOI response notes that some ministers forming part of the ‘Brexit Ministerial Group’ are provided with monthly updates on the matters covered in the briefings. 

Backbench States Members were also invited to the briefings, but Constables Simon Crowcroft and Sadie Le Sueur and Deputies Montfort Tadier, Jeremy Macon, Russell Labey and Richard Rondel, who has been suffering from ill health, were not marked present for any.

Pictured: Deputy Terry McDonald was the only person aside from the Chief Minister to attend all briefings.

The top attendee overall, aside from the Chief Minister, was St. Saviour Deputy Terry McDonald, who went to every workshop. Deputy Richard Renouf only missed one, while Deputies Andrew Lewis and Tracey Vallois only missed two.  

The figures do not include additional separate sessions on the UK's withdrawal from the EU attended by the panel tasked with reviewing the island's approach to Brexit. Members of that group include Deputies John Le Fondré (Chair), Simon Brée (Vice Chair), David Johnson, Richard Renouf and Jeremy Macon.

Agriculture and fisheries proved to be one of the most popular, while the legislative work programme and contingency planning sessions were the most sparsely attended.

Explaining how the briefings are scheduled, the response states: “Firstly, time is identified in the appropriate Ministerial diaries dependent on the subject matter. The proposed time is then discussed with staff at the States Greffe, who confirm both room availability and the wider availability of States Members. Officials who hold responsibility for organising other States Member events – such as Future Hospital Briefings – are also contacted to ensure scheduling conflicts are avoided. An Outlook calendar invitation is then issued by the Minister hosting the session to States Members, customarily six to eight weeks prior to the workshop. 

“Supporting documents and information are circulated to States Members approximately two weeks prior to the workshop. A reminder is then issued to States Members during the week of the scheduled workshop.”

See the full attendance list here, and the meeting agendas here.