A MINISTER has launched a fresh bid to bring Senators back to the States Assembly, arguing that the return of the Islandwide mandate would counter a sense of “strong disenfranchisement” felt by many voters.
Treasury Minister Elaine Millar wants politicians to scrap the current make-up of the States Assembly three years after it was introduced and have nine Senatorial roles up for grabs at the next election.
Deputy Millar’s proposition, which is due to be debated next month, is the latest in a number of attempts to restore the role – if approved, the proposal would see one Deputy removed for each of the nine electoral districts, leaving the total number of Members unchanged at 49. The number of Constables would remain the same.
Deputy Millar told the JEP she was fulfilling a commitment made at the time of the last election, when she was elected to represent St John, St Lawrence and Trinity.
“I said very specifically [at the time of the 2022 election] that I would campaign for Senators to come back, and although I have voted in favour of attempts by others, I haven’t personally done anything before now,” she said.
“I have spoken to a lot of members of the public who feel very strongly that they’ve been disenfranchised – they valued the Island-wide mandate and in some cases they weren’t even aware it had gone before they came to vote.
“I still meet people with very firm views on this, and this is the last opportunity to get it back for 2026.”
Deputy Millar said that while retaining the role of Constables as Members of the States Assembly was “controversial”, she was in favour of it.
In the report accompanying her proposition, Deputy Millar said: “I understand that, in many respects, the current electoral system is more equitable than its predecessor… by establishing more equally balanced constituencies for Deputies.
“In the process, however, the most equitable office that has ever existed in the history of electoral politics in Jersey – the Senator – was thrown away.
“As a result, many Islanders now feel their ability to shape the membership of the States Assembly, and by implication the government, has been reduced.”
Deputy Millar said she believed it would be “possible for Islanders to have the best of all worlds” by retaining the current “more equal” electoral districts for Deputies, maintaining Constables’ places in the Assembly and reinstating the Senators.
“Under this arrangement, the voting system would maintain its existing level of equity,” she said. “The overwhelming majority of Islanders would still have more votes for Deputy than under the previous system, we would all retain our vote for Constable, and we would all have nine votes for Senators.
“This would create a balanced blend of representation at local, district and Island-wide level – it is a system that served Jersey well for 70 years, and it can do so again for many years in the future.”
Deputy Millar said Senators would bring a perspective and overview that she believed was lacking in the current Assembly, highlighting what she believed was a risk of “becoming too parochial, or district-based, and taking our eye off the big strategic issues that we need to address.”
There was “ample time” to make the necessary changes prior to the general election scheduled for June 2026, Deputy Millar added.
But she also said she was willing to delay the debate – currently listed for 4 February – if other Members wished to discuss with voters in their districts.
