Addressing a packed special Senatorial election meeting at the RJAHS Trinity headquarters, Deputy Jerry Dorey told the predominantly farming industry audience he was not afraid to speak his mind.
‘I’m not the sort of person who comes along and tells you what you want to hear because you want to hear it,’ he said.
Water was a shared resource, he said, which should be available equitably for the benefit of the whole community and the environment and those who selfishly persisted in their opposition would not do themselves any good.
The draft law, proposed to give the States greater control of resources and distribution, was also backed by Senator Stuart Syvret, Deputy Guy de Faye – who said water could not be considered an individual property right – and Roger Bisson.
Nonetheless, Graham Le Lay’s question seeking the candidates views on the draft law – lodged last month despite opposition from a scrutiny panel and farmers – gave weight to the detractors case as six candidates, Senators Paul Le Claire and Terry Le Main, Deputy Geoff Southern, Kevin Lewis – who said he had dabbled in water divining – Ben Shenton and Jim Perchard agreed it was a piece of unnecessary legislation.
Senator Le Main said: ‘There is no evidence to convince me I should support the Water Law.
It is just another tax that will see millions of pounds extracted from the public.’ Senator Terry Le Sueur and Freddie Cohen could see the need to protect water resources but thought the law was too regulatory and Denise Carroll said she was not informed enough to answer.
Gino Risoli said the answer lay in science.
Candidate Roy Travert did not attend the meeting.
Chairman Jersey Farmers Union president John Le Maistre said he was double booked.
The meeting was organised by the JFU, the Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural Society, the Land Owners Association, the Jersey Young Farmers Club, the National Trust for Jersey and the Société Jersiaise.
The room was packed, with the audience spilling out into the corridor.
Candidates were allowed to make a three-minute speech concentrating on countryside matters before the meeting was opened to questions.
Terry Jéhan’s question on alternative uses for redundant farmland brought a variety of responses including sport, leisure, tourism, holiday accommodation and diversification into niche market crops.
The majority agreed that such decisions had to be taken with careful consideration of environmental issues and with the support of the Islandwide community.
They also said the Island’s Planning Law and the Island Plan had to be more flexible to the changing circumstances of the rural economy.
