The Chief Minister has put his Economic Development Minister on notice that another significant breach of ministerial rules will see him expected to resign – just two months into the new political term.
In a strongly worded letter to Deputy Gerald Voisin published today, Senator Lyndon Farnham revealed that he had asked the Economic Development Minister to withdraw his controversial letter to the Jersey Evening Post before it was published.
Deputy Voisin’s letter, which appeared in Monday’s JEP and prompted widespread debate over the minimum wage, was published despite that request.
The Chief Minister has now formally rebuked his Deputy Voisin for failing to follow the standards expected under the Ministerial Code – and warned that any repeat could cost him his job.
“Any further significant failure to observe the Ministerial Code or appropriate ministerial processes would lead me to expect your resignation as Minister for Economic Development,” wrote Senator Farnham.
The extraordinary warning comes only around two months into the new Council of Ministers’ term of office, following the election in June.
Senator Farnham said Deputy Voisin’s decision to publish his views was particularly concerning because the Chief Minister had intervened before publication.
“The publication of your views, particularly given that I had asked that the letter be withdrawn prior to publication, caused understandable concern among many Islanders,” he wrote.
Senator Farnham said this was especially true for people reliant on the minimum wage who could have been worried about the consequences for themselves and their families.
The Chief Minister said the intervention had also created uncertainty about government policy and forced him to publicly clarify that Deputy Voisin was expressing a personal view rather than the position of the Council of Ministers.
He told his Minister that, while politicians were entitled to hold strong views, major policy issues with implications across government should be discussed internally first.
By going directly to the media, Deputy Voisin “did not follow the standards and collective processes expected under the Ministerial Code”, Senator Farnham said.
Deputy Voisin has now apologised and given the Chief Minister an undertaking that it “will not happen again”.
He said his intention had been to raise issues he believed were missing from public debate, but acknowledged that minimum-wage policy cut across several ministerial portfolios.
“I recognise that by writing directly to the media I did not allow for this and so I would like to apologise to the Chief Minister, the Minister for Social Security and my colleagues on the Council of Ministers,” he said.
Deputy Voisin also apologised to Islanders who were “concerned or unsettled” and stressed that he would not pursue the abolition of the statutory minimum wage, which he acknowledged provided important protection for employees.
In a joint statement from the pair, Senator Farnham reiterated that the government had “no intention of abolishing the statutory minimum wage”, whilst Deputy Voisin acknowledged that he should have consulted ministerial colleagues before going public and apologised for the concern caused.
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