In the second part of our series in which we give States Members 200 words to reflect on their achievements over the past year, the Deputies of St Helier share their thoughts
Deputy Judy Martin, St Helier No 1
SINCE November I have joined the Public Accounts Committee, the Privileges and Procedures Committee, the Jersey Overseas Aid Commission and the Environment Scrutiny Panel.
These panels and committees cover different areas of the States and enable me to work with different States Members, whom otherwise I probably would not get to know.
I have not been able to support the majority of this Council of Ministers’ decisions, especially many of the benefit cuts.
My main concern was the speed these decisions were brought to the States without any good research as to the effect it will have on families, especially the children.
We still have very poor families in Jersey.
Many are working but on the minimum wage and with Andium rents at over £1,000 for a basic two-bed flat they cannot live without help.
After submitting a question I discovered an amount – £157,000 – in the Chief Minister’s and Treasury departments to support ministers – a large sum of money.
I took an amendment to give this to Social Security for the over-75s TV licences.
This was supported by the States.
I will also support a means-tested Christmas bonus, as many pensioners do need this at this time of year.
Deputy Russell Labey, St Helier No 1
ACHIEVEMENTS, you ask? For others to judge, perhaps, and always a team effort, but in September we gained a reprieve for the ‘pocket park’ of protected open space alongside Green Street.
Won by three votes after four hours of good old-fashioned States debate.
The impression given last week of a developer pressing on regardless of that result and putting itself on a collision course with the States may, I’m now told, have an innocent explanation.
Fingers crossed for that and for dialogue; we all want more homes; we all want more trees and green too.
Let’s come together to achieve both. My proposition for a Havre des Pas action plan was lost by three votes.
You win one, you loose… most, actually, with this virtually unassailable Council of Ministers.
But the issue got aired and on the agenda – ‘an achievement in itself’, apparently, according to a couple of consoling grandees.
Talking of airing issues, my tally of asking questions is high and range from Condor’s treatment of its Liberation passengers to the abuse of parking on what were States estates.
Right now I’m helping my Tunnell Street constituents appeal against the inappropriate Gas Place development, where more Millennium Town Park should be. Plus ça change…’
Read what the Senators had to say about a year in the life of the States here
Deputy Rod Bryans (Education Minister), St Helier No 2
IN Education, Sport and Culture it has been a year of positive forward motion on many fronts – with the prospect of more to come.
The redesigned business plan set out our direction: raising standards, a new curriculum, working more closely with families and greater autonomy for schools have been firmly identified as our priorities, and work has already begun this term.
We have opened an impressive new primary school in St Martin, an example of a student-focused learning environment and, following the recent public consultation, a new Les Quennevais secondary school is finally in sight.
The digital strategy is starting to bear fruit, with our students spearheading initiatives in digital learning both inside and outside the classroom.
Links with China are blossoming, opening up international opportunities for our teachers and young people, and our curriculum has been updated to place more emphasis on local culture and teaching of French.
The NatWest Island Games became a runaway success.
Ice Age Island has put Jersey Heritage on the global map.
The value to Jersey of both sport and culture has been clearly underlined.
We have worked through the difficulties of balancing the budget and are now in a strong position to continue the momentum but also tackle issues of concern to the community, including higher-education funding and, crucially, strengthening our soft skills.
Deputy Geoff Southern, St Helier No 2
IT has been a fairly standard year, with some 15 major propositions/amendments lodged and debated and 119 questions asked of ministers.
Amendments to the Strategic and Medium Term Financial plans have seeded the concept of a higher rates of tax for high earners, which we will return to.
The emphasis, as ever, has been to protect the poor and vulnerable from the worst excesses of the right-wing zealots who make up the Council of Ministers.
This has most recently been focused on defending pensioners, the disabled and lone parents from benefit cuts.
The battle continues.
Deputy Sam Mézec, St Helier No 2
SINCE being re-elected last year I have been working closely with my Reform Jersey colleagues and other like-minded States Members to provide whatever voice we can to the thousands of Islanders who are feeling the brunt of the current Council of Ministers’ austerity programme, which, as we found out recently, has seen poverty levels rising to unacceptable levels.
I have been a ‘serial question-asker’, asking more questions in each States sitting than many Members will ask in their entire political careers, to make sure that nothing the government does goes unchallenged and to make sure that the public are kept as aware as possible of the government’s mistakes and blunders.
Reform Jersey and I have lodged a whole host of propositions on protecting pensioners, single parents, the low paid and the squeezed middle.
Sadly our propositions regularly lose because of other States Members choosing to abide by collective responsibility instead of their own manifestos.
As well as this, I have led a Scrutiny review into the Prison Board of Visitors, have been an active member of several other committees, and am a regular pain in the neck at several States departments on behalf of constituents when they are treated unfairly.
Deputy Jackie Hilton, St Helier No 3
WHERE has the year gone!
I have been asked to put into a maximum of 200 words what I have done, achieved and worked on during the previous 12 months.
Where to start?
First and foremost, I have represented numerous constituents, not just in my district but in the wider St Helier and beyond, in various matters personal to them which have included visits to the Social Security Department, Population Office, Planning Department, Health Department and the Children’s Service.
In addition to this, I attend parish assemblies, Roads Committee meetings, Accounts Committee meetings, Youth Committee meetings and various community associations meetings, all of which I take a regular and active part in.
On the Scrutiny side, I was a member of the Health Scrutiny Panel which produced a report into Adult Respite Care.
I am currently working with the Access to Justice Panel.
In the States Assembly, I regularly hold the Council of Ministers to account by asking questions written and oral on a variety of subjects.
In respect of my voting, I continue to support policies which place the elderly, disabled and disadvantaged at the heart of everything I do.
Deputy Andrew Lewis, St Helier No 3
It has been an interesting and challenging 12 months.
In response to demands from the residents of First Tower I managed to get Transport and Technical Services to give the area much more attention, with drains and pavements being cleaned and repairs made in other public realms.
Progress is being made with the refurbishment of St Andrew’s Park and I expect to be bringing forward some exciting plans for the park for public consultation soon.
I have also followed through on my election promise to create a Youth and Community Trust in St Helier, which will be proposed at a parish assembly very shortly.
I have campaigned for the introduction of a living wage and successfully secured support to establish a licence for the Living Wage Foundation to operate in Jersey.
My work as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee has seen significant progress in holding the government to account on their spending, in particular with regard to public-sector reform, financial management such as the way private patients’ hospital income is managed and I have reviewed and made significant recommendations on structure of the States rulebook on financial management (Financial Directions).
Deputy Mike Higgins, St Helier No 3
IT is extremely difficult to answer your question.
During the past 12 months I have been diagnosed with cancer and have embarked on a course of treatment that has yet to be completed.
As a result I have been forced to temporarily scale back some of my States activities and duties and have concentrated in the main on helping my constituents with their problems and other Islanders whose own Deputies and/or Constables have failed to take up or pursue their cases.
I am also working on a number of propositions that I shall bring to the States for consideration in due course.
Deputy Richard Rondel, St Helier No 3
The Deputy is currently being treated for a serious illness.
His automated out-of-office reply to our question says: ‘Due to sudden illness I am unable to carry out my duties as usual and apologise most sincerely to colleagues, to the residents of St Helier 3/4 and, indeed, the wider St Helier community.
‘I am fighting hard in order to be back to full effect as soon as possible.’
Deputy Scott Wickenden, St Helier No 1
The Deputy did not reply.
