The 17 candidates standing for the nine Senator seats, have held ten hustings meetings so far, in their run of 12 Parish hustings. At each event, they have given a short speech before answering questions, in turn, from the audience.

In order for you to evaluate the candidates and to prepare questions for upcoming hustings in your Parish, here is a guide to the audience questions that have been asked so far. You will also find links to the recordings of the Hustings and there are timecodes in the video descriptions that will take you to the respective questions. If you find your question has already been answered, this could give you an opportunity to ask a different one.

So far, we have had a variety of question areas, from preventing the need for food banks and stopping ‘wasting’ government money, to Fort Regent, the finance industry and immigration policy.

St. Lawrence

  1. Jersey doesn’t have a coherent and transparent immigration policy in place, do you consider it needs one and would you support one?
  2. As a younger voter, climate is very important, would any candidates champion necessary but unpopular legislation?
  3. Do you think Jersey has a spending problem, revenue problem or courage problem?
  4. We have candidates in the Island who will walk straight into the Assembly unopposed, one or two of them might seek a Ministerial seat, is that an acceptable way to run our democracy?

St. Saviour

  1. What do you know about food banks and how can you prevent their need?
  2. What are you going to do to make the next generation stay in Jersey?
  3. Last term saw a drop in the use of consultants, do candidates believe they have the skills and knowledge to deal with decision-making without experts and how will they deal with decision-making where they have no prior knowledge?
  4. How do you plan to get the younger generation’s attention and get them to vote for you?

St. Ouen

  1. What are the candidates’ opinions on the report ‘Time to Win’ Do they intend to implement the recommendations, what benefits do they bring to ordinary citizens and was cost of the report justified?
  2. Would candidates support a review of the Ministerial government system?
  3. What one word best describes your leadership skills?
  4. How can we encourage our young local talent to return to Jersey given the cost of living and housing?
  5. If you get elected how approachable and answerable will you be to the electorate?
  6. How do you plan to tackle the issue of low voter turnout among young people in Jersey?

St. Brelade

  1. At a time of cutting regulation and costs, what is the logic in bringing in another quango, the Public Services Ombudsman when we have a perfectly good States Complaints Board, it just needs compellability to force Ministers before the Board?
  2. What guarantee do we have that what is put up at Fort Regent is going to be able to pay for itself in terms of ongoing expenses?
  3. Whilst waiting for the new hospital, how will you maintain decent staff and consultants coming in and also there seems to be a lot of people on private health and a lot who don’t have it. How will you maintain a fair waiting list for consultants and hospital care?
  4. In an island where more and more people are relying on food banks why have we poured millions into projects like Broad Street, the crossing on New Street and King Street and the bus lane at the end of Gloucester Street. What will candidates do to ensure money isn’t wasted in this fashion in the future?
  5. There have been many changes over the years in immigration law, now people who work in hospitality for several years can’t stay like they used to. (The questioner had done so many years ago and set up a business in the Island.) What do candidates think about immigration at the moment?
  6. If successful, would you be interested in standing as the Minister for Education and what would be your priorities?

St. John 

  1. Would you keep DFDS, have a break clause or find someone else due to the problems with car ferries to Guernsey? 
  2. Who would be standing if there was no payment for this position? 
  3. Post-graduate bursaries are currently an inaccessible funding model, with part-time studies not supported, what reforms would you prioritise to create a fair model accessible to all?  
  4. If elected, which committee would you like to be able to head up and why? 
  5. Do the States have a duty to fund speciality employment support for disabled and disadvantaged Islanders?  
  6. What are you going to do to reduce the cost of living? Why do we not have French supermarkets over here and why do we not see the likes of Lidl and Aldi here?

St. Clement

  1. Would the Government invest in another airline like it did in Blue Islands?
  2. Have the States considered an experienced leisure company to take on the development of Fort Regent?
  3. Would candidates consider a return to the Committee system of government?
  4. Can the Panel say if they think the estimated £60-£360m to be spent by 2030 on Net Zero is that money well spent or would they rather spend it on things like more doctors and MRI scanners.
  5. If they were elected as a Chief Minister, would they invite one of the members of the two socialist parties in Jersey onto the Council of Ministers.
  6. Would candidates reconsider the double tax situation imposed on pensioners?

St. Martin

  1. Earlier this year Jersey Electricity proposed a solar farm in St. Martin. We led a campaign against this. If elected will you support the installation of solar on agricultural land or are you against it?
  2. Would any candidates be in support of a new hate crime law and why or why not?
  3. Jersey has a number of young shooting athletes on Olympic pathways, do you think this sport should be supported or does it pose too high a risk to public safety?
  4. In lights of recent reports and concerns regarding Jersey’s SEND system, do you believe Jersey’s inclusion model is fit for purpose? If not what changes would you make to better support pupils and school staff.
  5. If Lidl or Aldi did want to come to the Island would you support them coming over and if you have any evidence whether they do or not do please share it.
  6. Population – is the Island full or is there room for more?

St Mary

  1. What is the number one service you would cut, or which of your stated policies would you be prepared to forego for the greater good?
  2. What is each candidate’s position on any future applications for solar panels on Champs Verts (an agricultural field in the Parish)? Do they support it or oppose it?
  3. With the growing use of AI in the workplace to help streamline jobs, how do you plan to protect young people who may not either have the seniority or education to take on any new jobs created because of it?
  4. Could the candidates confirm their position on medical cannabis, and the impending debate on recreational cannabis? Are you supportive or not?
  5. With more than 200 one-bed flats on the market, and the struggles people are facing selling them, what are candidates thoughts on a scheme where Andium Homes can them to use for social housing, rather than build more (of them)?
  6. Regarding the housing options available to people in Jersey on a work permit, what do the Panel think could be done to help them get better housing?

Grouville

  1. Two-thirds of income comes from the finance industry, AI will likely take over 50% of the jobs in finance, and many of the rest will be able to work remotely. What is your 20-30 year plan to protect the income for this Island?
  2. What’s the candidates views on wind turbine projects?
  3. What are the candidates’ views on how redundant glasshouse sites with buildings on can be diversified and brought back into economic life, the sites that have been stifled by the bridging island plan.
  4. What is one quick achievable fix you would prioritise straight away if elected?
  5. How will you cut back on the number of civil servants?
  6. Will you support a new environment minister who provides a PFAS map so that islanders know how to protect themselves and their families?

Trinity

  1. We need a food warehouse for when the boats don’t run or there is a wartime situation elsewhere. Why can’t empty government properties be used as a food warehouse?
  2. When are we going to start looking after States properties?
  3. Should we have a sovereign wealth fund to protect any return from energy from the island’s sea to protect long-term wealth – which is separate from the rainy day fund. Or what alternative framework do you suggest?
  4. How will you ensure children and young people will be treated as a genuine priority in policy making and what actions will you take.
  5. In 2022 the Carbon Neutral roadmap was agreed but the Climate Council said we aren’t on track and need to spend more. Do candidates still support spending upwards of £300m to further reduce our already small carbon emissions when we are already one of the best. If yes explain the tangible benefits to islanders. If no would you be prepared to bring a proposition to scrap the current plan?
  6. All have spoken about cutting government spending but does that apply to healthcare because that’s our largest cost? Do you favour the continued expansion of healthcare or do you see it as an area to reduce?

St. Peter

  1. How do candidates view the relationship between charity funding and the government?
  2. What is your vision for Fort Regent?
  3. Which levers in the first 6-9 months of the Assembly will you bring in to help alleviate poverty and the high cost of living?
  4. What are candidates’ views on bringing in the driver de-merit system to stop speeding cars?
  5. Do you align yourself with Value Jersey?
  6. How are you going to ensure that your decision making is transparent so the electorate can hold you to account?

St. Helier

  1. The Time to Win Report states Government’s buy-in to the financial sector’s competitiveness is inadequate. Of the three areas: Government commitment and delivery of the competitiveness agenda, reform of the FSAB and Jersey’s digital and Fintech competitiveness, which of these three would you choose to champion in the first 100 days.
  2. As the Government no longer includes sport and recreation expenditure within its reports, how can you restore our faith in the claims made of effective transparency and scrutiny when for eg. spending on sport is not even being measured?
  3. Do you support the Elections Asks document from 34 charities, have you signed up to it and do you support modern slavery and hate crime legislation and a review of the 3 year work permit?
  4. Roads are so bad, riding a bicycle has become extremely unpleasant, do candidates think there is joined-up thinking on the way roads are maintained.
  5. There is currently no automatic mechanism in law to permanently remove or disqualify an elected member from office who has been found guilt of deliberate dishonesty, would you support its introduction?
  6. Who would you want to be Chief Minister?
  7. What will candidates do to help deaf and disabled people in the future with more services?
  8. The Planning process is horrendously slow, what single way would candidates suggest could speed up that process?

(British Sign language interpreter at this event)

 

Priority for questions given to parishioners in that area.

You can find out further information about all the hustings on our website.

You can view candidate manifestos here.