Move to stop election dirty tricks

Tuesday 15 April 2014

Politicians could be barred from lodging last-minute proposals with the States in the days leading up to the elections to stop them trying to get late headlines in the run-up to polling day.

The States is banned from sitting in the last three weeks leading up to an election, but the rules do not currently prevent sitting States Members from lodging propositions to try to get some publicity.

In the days leading up to the last elections, States Members lodged propositions on raising Income Tax thresholds, increasing old-age pensions, funding a new mobile dental service, investigating price controls, and in one case, paying compensation to a district resident after a Planning dispute.

The late changes, proposed by the Privileges and Procedures Committee, will have to be debated before they can take effect.

In their report accompanying the proposition, the committee said: “In recent years a number of propositions have been lodged by Members who are candidates in the elections, and it could be argued that this gives sitting Members of the States an advantage over other candidates.”

This year’s election takes place on 15 October, but there will be a special Budget debate beforehand. The Budget is normally debated at the end of the year, but it has been moved forward.

The proposal by the Privileges Committee would also change the rules on disciplinary “censure” votes against politicians so that they can only be brought in relation to Members’ behaviour or conduct, minor changes to the period between a proposition’s publication and debate, and allowing Members to vote on extending Question Time.