Ministers braced for war

Thursday 09 January 2014

Ministers are preparing for a major showdown when they try to kick Deputy Rob Duhamel out of the Environment Minister’s job.

Ministerial colleagues believe the vote could be tight. Chief Minister Ian Gorst has tabled a motion to dismiss the Environment Minister over his alleged dishonesty and lack of transparency, and for breaking code of conduct rules by meeting developers privately to discuss applications.

‘It’s going to get messy,’ said a colleague, who did not want to be named.

‘This is going to get very personal, and Rob will try to destroy everyone who wants to get rid of him.’

The proposal is likely to be debated on 22 January, and the Deputy has pledged to fight his corner.

The ministerial source said that a final crunch meeting to deal with the complaints against the Environment Minister ran to almost five hours, with Deputy Duhamel meeting almost all of the charges with more questions and delays.

Although some ministers have found the Deputy – who has been in the States for 20 years – impossible to work with because they claim he tries to interfere with their portfolios, he has some support from other politicians who think there is a plot by an inner clique to get rid of him. The vote on the Council of Ministers was not unanimous - two of Deputy Duhamel's colleagues are still wavering over whether to back him or the Chief Minister in the row.

The 39-page dismissal motion filed by Senator Gorst highlights four incidents – the Co-op application at Charing Cross, the JEC substation application in town, the review of the Island Plan and disposal of asbestos – where the Senator says his Environment Minister displayed a lack of judgement and transparency.

The law does not allow the Chief Minister to hire and fire members of the Council of Ministers, or to tell them what to do – States Members elect each minister individually, and they have sole power over their departments.