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Welcome to the second edition of POLITICS DISASSEMBLED from Express. Ahead of every States Assembly meeting, we’ll be disassembling the agenda to help you make sense of the goings-on in Jersey’s political world…and throwing in a bit of insider insight and gossip for good measure.
If there are other areas of the island’s political goings-on you want disassembled, let us know. You can find contact details at the end of the piece.
Here’s your DISASSEMBLED digest for this week’s States Assembly sitting (8 February 2022)…
Facing questions without notice this week – that means no notes and no officer help in advance – are the Ministers for International Development and Social Security, and the Chief Minister.
States Members may well have some questions up their sleeves already, but might we suggest…
HEALTH CRISIS: Senior medics are calling for an urgent independent review of the Health Department’s disciplinary procedures over fears the process has been “abused to suppress free speech of doctors”. Those concerns, which followed the unexplained suspension of top rehab medic Dr Mike Richardson in the days after the Samarès Ward debate, were outlined in a letter to Medical Director Patrick Armstrong.
Since Express broke the news on Friday, all the Government has done is acknowledge receipt of the letter, but has made no further comments.
Perhaps in his capacity as Chair of the States Employment Board, someone might wish to ask the Chief Minister what he thinks the next steps should be?
WHEN INFLATION BITES: Express last week shared a report that should disturb us all – that in an affluent island, the number of people accessing food banks because they can’t afford to feed themselves and/or their families is rising.
The reasons are manifold, but largely relate to pandemic business struggles, the high cost of housing, and inflation on even basic items of food. The latter is a problem predicted to worsen. Tesco’s boss last week warned that food prices will likely rise a further 5% by spring, a trend we may well see replicated in Jersey.
With this happening despite Ministers having pledged at the start of their term ago to “reduce income inequality and improve the standard of living”, does the Social Security Minister think we need to be doing more? And is Income Support currently enough if it’s not covering the costs of basics?
‘THAT’ CAMPAIGN: During the most recent covid press conference, the Chief Minister took the opportunity to announce the start of a “six-week campaign to highlight the achievements across Government over the last four years”.
The Chief Minister maintains that it is about celebrating staff, but others don’t see it that way.
Some critics have since branded the idea as “propaganda”, and, in effect, taxpayer-funded advertising for the Jersey Alliance – a new party largely made up of Ministers, including the Chief himself.
Thanks to a written question from Deputy Rob Ward, we now know the cost of that campaign: £8,273.69. We also know that it was something the Chief Minister himself specifically “tasked the Communications Directorate with undertaking”.
Worth challenging further?
But first there are 11 questions with notice this week - ones that Ministers have been given time to prepare, before they read their answers aloud to the States Assembly. Once the question has been asked, the questioner gets the opportunity to follow up, as do their colleagues, which may make way for some particularly interesting discussions on the following topics...
EYE ON HEALTH: Senator Steve Pallett is asking the Health Minister the last time an independent inspection of the island's health services was carried out and what other independent inspections, if any, have occurred since he took office. His question comes after a senior nurse and more than 1,000 islanders called for an inspection - ideally by the Care Quality Commission - in light of growing concerns about how it is being managed.
SA-SA-SANC-PUTIN: At the moment, Jersey tends to wait for the UK's green light before imposing any sanctions on jurisdictions and individuals of concern. In light of growing concerns about Russia's activities in Ukraine (again), Deputy Mike Higgins wants the External Relations Minister to tell us why the island can't be more proactive when it comes to imposing economic sanctions, particularly in respect of the Russian President and oligarchs who support him.
WOMEN'S SAFETY: The Home Affairs Minister previously agreed to put a focus on stamping out violence against women, following calls from a number of female States Members. One of them, Constable Karen Shenton-Stone, is today following up on that work, asking for more details about who will be recruited to the 'Task Force on Women's Safety', and whether it will include politicians and/or civil servants.
POPULATION, POPULATION, POPULATION: Joy to the world! The day you thought would never come - when Jersey's States Members actually debate a way to put a lid on (or at least control, even just a little bit) the number of new arrivals every year, putting pressure on the island's resources and house prices - is here! ...Except, sorry, it isn't.
Instead of debating a plan to sort out the island's population problem, politicians will this week be debating a 'vision' for "sustainable growth". There's no talk of specific measures or even a number we're happy to grow to.
Confused? Try this week's Politics Disassembled Podcast with the man behind the (sort of) plan, Assistant Chief Minister Deputy Rowland Huelin. We promise his words will help (confuse you further).
As with any population-related debate, the session will likely be used as an opportunity to air all that is wrong in the island (housing, education provision, healthcare...) and maybe throw out a couple of ideas too (which political hopefuls perhaps ought to note - it'll be their to-do list after June, after all).
As the document doesn't contain any hard policies, it'll be hard to vote against. But we suspect that many politicians will be wrestling with their conscience here - will they really want to endorse something that says, and does, nothing on the issue that cuts to the heart of nearly all of the island's ills?
CANCER CARE AT HOME: After hearing stories of islanders' difficulties in having to leave their families to go to Southampton for cancer care, Deputy Montfort Tadier is calling on States Members to support the idea, in principle, of Jersey having its own radiotherapy unit.
Here, the clinical vs political debate will rear its head again.
The Health Minister says he isn't opposed to the idea, but will argue - likely amid a flurry of emotional, and potentially quite personal, anecdotes - that patient care must be put first and that the island shouldn't rush ahead with its own facility if we cannot be assured that the standard of care will be as good, if not better, than Southampton.
RENT SAFE: Senator Kristina Moore will be arguing for everyone who rents a property to others to sign up to a rating system - an idea Ministers will be opposing.
Deputy Rob Ward has taken it a step further, and has proposed an amendment that would mean only those who are accredited under the scheme be allowed to rent out property.
There are a lot of landlords in the Chamber, and tenants too, so the Bailiff may be asked to make a judgement call over whether those 'interested parties' should abstain from voting. However, this presents an issue in itself - perhaps there won't be enough people left in the States Chamber for a vote to otherwise be held? It's happened before...
NOTICE PERIODS: On the theme of renting, spurred on by the recent Spencer Close saga, Senator Sam Mézec will be putting forward a new proposition to increase the notice period for periodic tenancies the longer someone has lived in a home. It comes after he brought a proposal in June 2021 to have eriodic tenancies converted into open-ended tenancies – which was ultimately defeated with only 13 votes in favour.
The Housing Minister, however, will be urging States Members to instead vote for his watered down version of the proposal. If Deputy Russell Labey gets his way, the requirement will not be to change rules around tenancies right away, but instead to "bring forward proposals to improve security of tenure protection" - (potential) action at a later date, not right now.
NEW PROPERTY TAX: New taxes on certain types of property transactions could raise up to £1m a year to be put towards creating more social housing and affordable homes, if politicians agree to plans put forward by the Treasury Minister.
Usually, it's backbenchers who like to suggest pushing back certain plans coming into force - but Deputy Susie Pinel wants to push back her own plan. If the plan is approved, she is asking States Members to accept a delay from seven days after the vote to the change coming in to 4 April 2022. That's because, she says, she has been told that "certain large commercial property transactions are close to being finalised" and that those involved haven't had a chance to consider how the new law might affect them.
STRENGTHENING CHILDREN'S VOICE: Vulnerable children will have the right to an independent advocate to give them a voice, if a new law designed to better protect young people in Jersey is approved this week.
HANGING UP THE ROBE: Another debate worth keeping an ear on is a plan to change the law governing Jurats, which would involve an earlier retirement age.
DRIVING CHANGE FOR CONSTABLES: Politicians will also be asked to vote on whether Constables who are ordered to resign by the Royal Court should not stay in post until a successor has been appointed. It follows a high-profile case in which the Constable of St. John was convicted of dangerous driving before being deemed “not fit for office”.
WE ARE FAMILY: Plans are being drawn up for politicians to be made to declare the business interests of their family members and anyone they have a “close relationship with”, and they are causing quite a stir.
In the final week of January, a briefing was held with States Members to discuss the idea, which, PD is told, largely consisted of: “Oh, I don’t mind about having to declare MY interests, but I’m just worried about it putting off other people from going into politics.” How very thoughtful!
One extremely unimpressed Deputy from the west of the island reportedly said that the idea – which has been developed by the Privileges and Procedures Committee (PPC), a panel of politicians responsible for overseeing States Members’ conduct and transparency issues – needed to be rethought. They said that this should be done by a committee of members they would be more than happy to serve on… Hold on, we have that committee. It’s called PPC!
BENIFIT OF THE DOUBT: Responding to PD’s call for gossip last week, a screenshot of the Microsoft Teams chat during the Government Plan debate was slung our way with a rather interesting way of spelling 'Income Support' from the Minister in charge of just that…
Let's give the Minister the benifit of the doubt. Tpyos happen to the best of us.
ACCEPTABLE IN THE 80s: Senator Lyndon Farnham was spotted giving a cheeky ‘like’ to the following tweet…
But what’s his preferred tune? Answers on a postcard…
Got any States Assembly gossip to fill PD's appetite? Or want to suggest any other areas of political life you'd like disassembled? Let us know! Email us HERE or slide into our DMs on Twitter.
Read the full order paper for today's States Assembly meeting HERE.
If you want to watch the action unfold live in the States Chamber, you can do so HERE.
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