It's time for the people to have their say on the Chief Minister

Thursday 04 March 2021

We cannot continue in a system that gives the States Assembly the sole power to choose the Chief Minister.

In my opinion, the current system shows disregard for the public and can no longer be trusted to act in the public’s best interest.

The self-interests of the Assembly are time and time again outweighing the interests of islanders. They would sooner elect a "kick the can down the road Chief Minister” than elect a leader that goes against their self-interests. 

The disconnect between the people and the Assembly is staggering, and we saw it reflected in the vote of no confidence against Senator John Le Fondré.

Media and social media polls conducted at the time suggested voters had lost confidence - this was simply not reflected in the vote within the Assembly, with around 60% voting against the vote of no confidence.

Pictured: Did the vote of no confidence reflect public opinion?

It raises the question, is there a better way of ensuring the public get to have their say on the Chief Minister?

Senator John Le Fondré fared well in the Senatorial election, but did the public vote for him expecting him to become their Chief Minister? Did Senator Le Fondré himself run expecting to become the Chief Minister? 

As an observer, it appeared that a knee-jerk decision was made, without a plan or vision to lead; in fact, Senator Le Fondré did not declare his interest in the position until he had first negotiated his support from within. 

I am a strong believer in bringing about measured change. Although the system we find ourselves victims of is no longer fit for purpose, nor acting in the public’s interests, it still provides a level of alignment between elected officials and in theory should serve to create a more cohesive and effective Assembly.

It is key our island’s leadership acts with sustainability and fiscal responsibility in mind. Unpopular decisions must be made; that is the harsh reality of governing and leadership.

The People’s Will is paramount to our democracy, and I believe the people have been sidelined for too long by the powers that be.

Some may argue the arrival of party politics will address this disparity and ensure the People’s Will is heard, and that may be correct come 2026 or 2030, but this will simply not be the reality come 2022.

We will be facing an election where the Chief Minister will be voted for by a single district of the public and chosen based on how well they can appeal to their colleagues' interests rather than their vision for our island and their ability to inspire confidence in islanders.

Any new system must address the following shortfalls of our current system.

• Embrace the People's Will - the People’s Will must be at the heart of our democracy and given credence.
• Civic engagement - any new system must serve to bolster our civic engagement.
• Address deal-making mentality - the deal-making mentality of politicians must be systematically managed out of our Assembly.

A new system could be as simple as the following.

1. Interested politicians stand as both Deputies and Chief Ministerial candidates.
2. All Chief Ministerial candidates make their intention known on their nomination papers.
3. All Chief Ministerial candidates run as Deputy for their district in addition to running as a Chief Ministerial candidate.
4. There is a series of debates on key issues facing the island where Chief Ministerial candidates are able to put forward their vision for the island and show their understanding of the issues the island faces.
5. These debates are facilitated by a journalist and are broadcast on local television, radio, and social media.
6. There is an island-wide vote (similar to a Senatorial vote) on Chief Ministerial candidates.
7. The two top polling candidates are made Chief Minister nominees.
8. The Assembly votes on the Chief Minister Nominees.
9. The Chief Minister nominee with the highest votes within the Assembly becomes Chief Minister.

This new system would ensure the public’s preference is taken into account, and creates opportunities for increased civic engagement through the introduction of Chief Ministerial Candidates. It would also address deal-making mentality from within through the introduction of Chief Minister Nominees.

If we continue to abide by a system that has become antiquated and is no longer fit for purpose then we become complacent in its snare.

Change must happen and change must happen now. We must move forward towards a more democratic Jersey and we must ensure the People’s Will is counted, as our current system offers little hope for a leader to emerge.