EXPLAINED: Who’s who in the Class of ’22?

We now know who is Chief Minister, and who stands in for her when she is unavailable, who are the Ministers and Assistant Ministers, who will be reviewing the work of Government in Scrutiny, and who sits on other bodies, such as the Planning Committee and States Employment Board.

With the States Assembly now on summer recess until September, States Members will be preparing for the hard work to begin with the new term.

That said, with the clock on Deputy Moore’s first 100 day plan ticking away, many politicians won’t be getting that much of a holiday, with a mini-budget, creation of a ‘Cabinet Office’, new hospital review, setting up of a co-funded payroll scheme appeals process, establishment of a public service ombudsman and a project initiated to improve islanders’ engagement with the government all planned before the end of October.

So here is the full list of what political representatives will be doing in the Assembly, in addition to their constituency and other roles…

The Government

Chief Minister

• Deputy Kristina Moore (Better Way)

Deputy Chief Minister

• Deputy Kirsten Morel

Assistant Chief Ministers

• Constable Andy Jehan
• Deputy Alex Curtis (Better Way)
   

Treasury Minister

• Deputy Ian Gorst

Assistant Treasury Ministers

• Constable Richard Vibert
• Deputy Elaine Millar
• Deputy Steve Ahier
   

Economic Development Minister

• Deputy Kirsten Morel

Assistant Economic Development Ministers

• Deputy Alex Curtis (Better Way)
• Deputy Lucy Stephenson (Better Way)
   

Education and Children’s Minister

• Deputy Inna Gardiner

Assistant Education and Children Ministers

• Constable Richard Vibert
• Deputy Louise Doublet
   

Health and Social Services Minister

• Deputy Karen Wilson

Assistant Health and Social Services Minister

• Deputy Rose Binet
   

Home Affairs Minister

• Deputy Helen Miles

Assistant Home Affairs Ministers 

• Deputy Hilary Jeune
• Deputy Louise Doublet
   

Environment Minister

• Deputy Jonathan Renouf

Assistant Environment Minister

• Deputy Hilary Jeune
   

Infrastructure Minister

• Deputy Tom Binet

Assistant Infrastructure Minister

• Deputy Steve Ahier
   

Social Security Minister

• Deputy Elaine Millar

Assistant Social Security Minister

• Deputy Malcolm Ferey (Jersey Liberal Conservatives)
   

Housing Minister

• Deputy David Warr (Better Way)
   

External Relations Minister

• Deputy Philip Ozouf
   

International Development Minister

• Deputy Carolyn Labey

Scrutiny

The job of Scrutiny is to be a ‘critical friend’ to Government, reviewing how it is run and proposals for new policy and legislation, and making recommendations for improvement. They are able to gather both physical evidence from Ministers and Government officials – such as reports – and hold hearings where they can question them on their work.

Scrutiny Liaison Committee

The Scrutiny Liaison Committee is a panel made up of the heads of all the other panels, who work together to coordinate reviews. Sometimes the panel will agree that new, specialist panels should be set up – such as the previous States Assembly’s Future Hospital Review Panel, which examined the plans for the new hospital at Overdale.

• Chair/Chief Scrutineer – Deputy Sam Mézec (Reform Jersey)
• Deputy Lyndsay Feltham (Reform Jersey)
• Deputy Moz Scott
• Deputy Steve Luce (Progress Party)
• Deputy Catherine Curtis (Reform Jersey)
• Deputy Geoff Southern (Reform Jersey)
   

Public Accounts Committee

This Committee – known as PAC – is primarily responsible for assessing how well taxpayers’ money been spent and looked after, and whether the Government is properly following the rules for the spending of public money.

• Chair – Deputy Lyndsay Feltham (Reform Jersey)
• Deputy Max Andrews
• Deputy Tom Coles (Reform Jersey)
• (Committee can also have non-elected members)
   

Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel

This panel primarily keeps an eye on the work of the Chief Minister and Treasury Minister.

• Chair – Deputy Sam Mézec (Reform Jersey)
• Deputy Max Andrews
• Deputy Carina Alves (Reform Jersey)
   

Economic and International Affairs Scrutiny Panel

This panel focuses on policies and legislation to do with Jersey’s relations with other jurisdictions and the finance industry. More recently, the impact of Brexit has been a key theme. It normally questions the External Relations Minister, Minister for International Development and Economic Development Minister. Now that the Treasury Minister is being given responsibility for Financial Services (previously in the External Relations portfolio), it is likely that he will also be questioned.

• Chair – Deputy Moz Scott
• Deputy Max Andrews
• Deputy Raluca Kovacs (Reform Jersey)
   

Children, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel

This panel concentrates on the work of the Children and Education Minister, and the Home Affairs Minister.

• Chair – Deputy Catherine Curtis (Reform Jersey)
• Deputy Beatriz Porée
   

Health and Social Security Scrutiny Panel 

This panel focuses on the work of the Health Minister and Social Security Minister.

• Chair – Deputy Geoff Southern (Reform Jersey)
• Deputy Barbara Ward
• Deputy Beatriz Porée (Reform Jersey)
• Deputy Philip Bailhache (Jersey Liberal Conservatives)
   

Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel

This panel is responsible for grilling the Ministers for Infrastructure, Housing, and Environment.

• Chair – Deputy Steve Luce (Progress Party)
• Constable Mike Jackson
• Deputy Rob Ward (Reform Jersey)
• Deputy Mary Le Hegarat
   

Other bodies

Planning Committee 

This Committee sits in public, coming together to hear representations about planning applications and making a final decision.

• Chair – Constable Philip Le Sueur (ex-Jersey Alliance)
• Deputy Steve Luce (Progress Party)
• Deputy Mary Le Hegarat
• Constable Marcus Troy
• Constable Kevin Lewis
• Deputy Tom Coles (Reform Jersey)
• Constable Deidre Mezbourian
• Deputy Andy Howell
• Constable Richard Honeycombe
• Deputy Alex Curtis (Better Way)

Jersey Overseas Aid Commission

The Commissioners are responsible for overseeing the work of Jersey Overseas Aid, which uses public money to support international development and assist with humanitarian crises.

• Chair – Deputy Carolyn Labey as Minister for International Development 
• Constable Philip Le Sueur (ex-Jersey Alliance)
• Deputy Steve Ahier
• There are also three non-States Assembly Commissioners, all of whom are appointed by the States Assembly.
   

States of Jersey Employment Board

The States Employment Board is the employer of all public employees in Jersey and is responsible for fixing these employees’ terms and conditions. It is chaired by the Chief Minister, or their nominee, and brings together two members who are Ministers or Assistant Ministers and two members who are not.

• Chair – Deputy Kristina Moore as Chief Minister (Better Way)
• Deputy Philip Bailhache (Jersey Liberal Conservatives)
• Deputy Barbara Ward
• Assistant Minister Andy Jehan has previously said he will be joining, but has not yet been officially appointed.
   

British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly representatives

This is a collective consisting of members elected to parliaments/legislative bodies within the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Crown Dependencies.

• Member to represent the States of Jersey – Constable David Johnson
• Associate Member – Deputy Rob Ward (Reform Jersey)
   

The Assemblée Parlementaire de la Francophonie will be elected in the new term, and there will be a host of other sub-panels, sub-committees, review bodies and other groups which Members will be involved with.