Yes, Jersey is still a good place to live and there are plenty of things to be grateful for.
But one of those is not the governments we have endured recently.
We have suffered incompetent government with no accountability – think Hospital debacle (£27 million and counting), Care Inquiry costs (where three inquiry members managed to burn their way through £21million of our money!), proposed £42million pound unnecessary spend on the airport arrivals hall. These are only a few examples, which continue on an almost daily basis.
Cost of living has outpaced wage increases for many.
We need to address this.
The answer is not to introduce new taxes or increase existing ones. The more money you give to government, the more they will waste. Restrict the amount of money available for government spending in the first place and then hold them properly to account.
We all know there is too much management in the civil service and associated enterprises. There are substantial savings and efficiencies to be made which would allow improved increases to filter down to the lower paid manual workers and nurses.
I would also support 4 measures to help the lower paid and aged.
1 Abolition of GST on food.
2 Reduced doctors’ bills for the over seventies
3 Reintroduction of the Christmas bonus for all pensioners
4 2 year freeze on States/Andium rentals
How do we change things?
This year with all of the defections, we have a chance to get some new blood in the States.
We need experienced and qualified mature representatives. Representatives who are not allied to parties or “establishment” factions but can nevertheless persuade others to their point of view. This is something which Reform, despite their sometimes good intentions, has singularly failed to do. I am a qualified accountant with a degree in law and know I can make a difference, given the chance.
The constitution of the Assembly is still not fit for purpose.
For appearances sake, if for nothing else, the Bailiff should not preside over the States sittings.
Constables should no longer have an automatic right to sit in the States. There is or should be no bar to them fighting for a deputy or senatorial seat. Filling both positions is not incompatible; indeed Constables already perform both functions. Change the out dated constitution and we can create further opportunities for change.
Finally, here’s a thought for the supporters of Reform. Candidates Geoff Southern and his wife are hoping to get elected with a total salary and expenses of around £100,000 from the States. Add to that their existing old age pensions and teachers’ pensions, (say £50,000) then he doesn’t seem quite the flat capped man of the people he attempts to portray!
This short manifesto is limited to 500 words. If there are other matters which you feel need a response please call me on 07797 723007 or email me at [email protected]
Thank you
Barry Shelton
