A Week in Politics

So when the hammer comes down on the Budget debate at the start of December, it’ll also be falling on at least 91 years of States experience.

Senators Frank Walker, Wendy Kinnard and Mike Vibert, St Peter Constable Tom du Feu, St Mary Constable Ken Le Brun, St Clement Constable Derek Gray and St Lawrence Constable Geoffrey Fisher and Deputy Gerard Baudains are all leaving the House at the end of the next session. And those are just the ones we know about for now.

Given that, you’d be forgiven for thinking there would be a sort of ‘end of term’ feeling to last week’s States sitting – like those glorious Primary School-style ‘get the board games out’ days at the end of the term when even the teachers had lost interest. Alas, no.

The questions piled up, the debates ploughed on and the speeches stretched ever onwards.

All the speeches, that is, bar the one that should have been a lot longer, and – if you’ll forgive the use of the word – a lot franker.

I’ve got about as much insight and understanding into why Senator Kinnard resigned as Home Affairs Minister now as I did when it was announced, ie not a lot.

But I do find it extremely hard to believe that she weathered the storm over the two damning reports on La Moye Prison, the fallout from her decision to allow effectively unlimited detention of suspects without charge and the whole Police/Customs row last year – only to step down six weeks before she leaves the States, because the Council of Ministers asked for more legal advice on a proposal her department took to them.

Put simply, instead of forcing judges to give juries a warning about how much weight they should give to evidence given by an accomplice in sexual cases, and in cases where evidence comes from a child, the proposal would give the judge discretion, so they might do it, they might not.

The point is this: Senator Kinnard declared a conflict of interest over the proposal anyway (she’s been interviewed by police as a potential witness over the historical abuse inquiry), and didn’t take part in the Council of Ministers’ discussion on the subject ten days ago. And they, apparently, didn’t have a clue she was going to step down until just before Tuesday’s sitting, and didn’t have any warning about her depth of feeling on the subject.

Two resignations, received in two very different ways in the States Chamber. Senator Kinnard’s announcement was greeted with some surprise, turning quickly to irritation and bafflement.

Sir Philip Bailhache’s statement that he was going to retire in 18 months was greeted with some surprise, turning quickly to sustained and thunderous applause when Chief Minister Frank Walker paid a heartfelt tribute to him for his 36 years of service to the States.

While I still think his Liberation Day speech was one of the most ill-judged acts I’ve known, I’ve got to add this: 36 years in the States is an impressive record of service – particularly when you think how spectacularly lucrative the alternatives to public service are for successful lawyers.

And this: I’ve been covering States sittings for eight years, and it’s driven me halfway mental. He’s been doing it since before I was born. Fair play to him.

Bad reputations spread faster and wider than good ones, that’s for sure. So when the death of a States Member who left the House more than 20 years ago was greeted with genuine sadness and regret by the current Members, very few of whom can have known former Senator John Le Marquand, it said something about the man.

Deputy Bailiff Michael Birt’s description of the 39-year States veteran as ‘the father of Jersey’s education system’ also stands out – not least because it’s hard to imagine any of the current crop of Members as the ‘father/mother’ of anything much at all.

If you went to any of the Senatorial or Constable hustings meetings over the last month, or if, for reasons of your own you plan to go to one of the Deputy hustings events, you either have been or will be struck with the central democratic deal.

Which is basically this: you vote for me, and I’ll work hard for you. You won’t hear them talking about the coffee room outside the States Chamber, about the one and a half hour lunch break that States Members take, or about jollies with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association to far-flung parts of the world.

No. They’re a hard working bunch, to a man (or woman). Right? So how long did it take for there to be so few Members in the Chamber that Deputy Bailiff Michael Birt had to suspend Tuesday’s sitting? Up until 2.18 pm. Apparently an hour and a half isn’t long enough for lunch if you’re a States Member. Not enough Members had managed to drag themselves away from their plates quick enough to get back to work on time.

On a similar note, I wasn’t at the hustings meeting in St Clement when the Constables candidates got together to debate their respective virtues. So, for all I know, Senator Len Norman told the parishioners that as soon as he was elected, he’d miss the next States meeting and drive down to Portugal to watch Portsmouth – the team he has followed for years – play in Europe. I doubt it, but he might have.

Either way, I’ve got a confession to make. In February 2005 I went to Stamford Bridge to watch the (vastly superior) Chelsea FC lift their first championship trophy in 50 years. Would I have missed a few days work to see that? In a heartbeat. I’d have lied, called in sick, feigned illness, whatever it took.

The point is this: I’d love to have a crack at him for sacking off work to go and watch the football, but I can’t. I’d do exactly the same.