The new States are working their way through the election process to vote in the Presidents of each of the island’s political committees.
By lunchtime, only two elections had been contested – with the new Policy and Resources President seeing each of her preferred candidates backed by a majority of deputies so far.
Deputy Lindsay de Sausmarez has nominated Deputy Sasha Kazantseva-Miller, Deputy Paul Montague, Deputy Tina Bury, and Deputy Adrian Gabriel for the presidencies of Economic Development, Education, Sport, and Culture, Employment and Social Security, and Enivronment and Infrastructure respectively.
Each nomination was seconded by Deputy Gavin St Pier.
Deputy Chris Blin was also nominated for the ED Presidency by deputies John Gollop and Adrian Gabriel in the only contested election so far.
Deputy Kazantseva-Miller secured 32 votes to be elected as ED President on her second term in office, having served on ED as a committee member during the last term.
Deputy Montague was elected to the presidency of ESC in his first political term by 35 of his colleagues – with four submitting blank papers during the secret ballot this morning.
He was nominated by Deputy de Sausmarez and seconded by Deputy St Pier, and addressed his own political inexperience in his speech.
“While I have spent much of my career in education, I’ve done so not as a passive participant, but as an active agent of scrutiny and challenge. As a long standing union representative, I’ve worked over many years to hold both the department and the political leadership to account, and I have seen first hand the pressures, contradictions and complexities involved in trying to drive forward education improvement on the island. Being an insider, surely has value.”
Deputy Bury secured 37 votes to become ESS President, with two blank papers, before Deputy Gabriel saw his promotion from E&I Vice President to President also secured by secret ballot with 35 votes in favour, one spoilt paper and two blank papers.
Deputy St Pier nominated Deputy Dr Oswald as the HSC President, seconded by Deputy de Sausmarez.
The former MSG Partner said one of his priorities is to get a handle on HSC’s budget and expenditure.
“Cuts in health budgets, amongst other proposed savings elsewhere have been advocated by some. Whatever happens in the face of burgeoning need, we need to try and control costs while providing a service under pressure. To improve productivity may require pump priming, but if a long term outcome is potential savings to the States, this is an argument I will make. One potential example of this is the roll out of the new anti-obesity drugs as a preventive health measure.”
Before the lunch break, a second contested election was underway with deputies Marc Leadbeater, Simon Vermuelen, and Jayne Ozanne nominated to be the Home Affairs President.
Deputy Leadbeater was nominated by Deputy St Pier and seconded by P&R President Deputy de Sausmarez.
Deputy Vermuelen was nominated by Deputy Liam McKenna and seconded by Deputy Andrew Niles.
Deputy Ozanne was nominated by Deputy Sally Rochester and seconded by Deputy Tom Rylatt.
Both deputies Leadbeater and Vermuelen have previously served on Home Affairs. Deputy Leadbeater is in his third term of office, and Deputy Vermuelen his second. Deputy Ozanne is in her first term.