So, how are the new States Members settling in?

But because of her closing comment: ‘You can’t have it both ways, my sweethearts.’

It was simple, amusing, and highly effective in annoying the small core of Members who were once again voicing their frustrations at the new Electoral Commission and the inclusion of politicians on it.

Of course, her language wasn’t ‘parliamentary’ and the Bailiff, Michael Birt, duly asked her to withdraw the comment. She did and then proceeded to tell everyone she would ‘always love them’. It may have taken her six months but it did make me chuckle.

I’ll also remember how Deputy Montfort Tadier, one of those objecting to the inclusion of States Members (despite the fact that the decision was set in stone weeks ago), took offence at her speech. So he stood up and said something that basically amounted to criticising her for using it to offend other Members who were standing up for their electors. I’m hoping it was a deliberate show of hypocrisy for some kind of comical effect.

But anyway, all of this got me thinking about how the new Members of our States Chamber are really settling in. And the answer is, put simply, some better than others.

There are those such as Deputies Steve Luce and John Young who have just slipped right into the cosy middle ground somewhere between the extremes of Deputy Geoff Southern and company on one side and Senator Ozouf on the other as if they have always been there.

And that isn’t a criticism – this is a good thing. They have both shown that they are willing to take a debate or an issue on its individual merits and then align themselves afterwards as opposed to having a preconceived idea based simply on who wrote a proposition. And we need more of that.

And, importantly, they seem to have been accepted by their peers from pretty much every corner of the Chamber.

Deputy Kristina Moore has also taken to it with apparent ease, quickly becoming an important and effective member of Scrutiny. In doing that, she has also perhaps distanced herself slightly from the ‘establishment’ label slapped on her during the election because of her friendship with the likes of Senator Ozouf.

St Martin Constable Michel Le Troquer has also been a surprising addition to the mix. He seemed to keep himself to himself at first until, a couple of weeks ago, he took to his feet and made a speech about the Tourism Development Fund that had even the most experienced Members questioning their feelings on the pot of money and plans to open it up to private projects.

That move has now been put off pending a Scrutiny review and all because he – a new Member (and former Tourism employee) – looked into the issue properly.

But, it dawned on me this week that not all the newbies in the States are finding the ride quite as easy.

And none more so than Deputy James Baker. Despite being an assistant minister at Economic Development and a member of the new Electoral Commission, the former army captain hasn’t yet carved himself a personality in the new House.

Not only is he a quiet member who rarely speaks except to answer the roll call, but as some of the other Deputies pointed out this week no one really knows how he feels about, well, anything much.

And the likes of Deputies Southern and Trevor Pitman don’t like feeling like they don’t know something.

It was with that in mind that this week they launched a rather unexpected attack on the new Deputy, who wasn’t even in the Chamber at the time.

Now, that was one of their issues – one of the members of the new Electoral Commission wasn’t in the Chamber when the debate about appointing the lay members for that body was being had.

And it would be a fair point if it wasn’t for the aggressive manner in which they co-ordinated their attack. That and the fact that it is unusual for Deputy Baker not to be in the Chamber.

Then they took issue with the fact that his father had been a Constable and pointed out how he had proudly proclaimed that as part of his election campaign as if in some way that is going to influence his approach to States reform.

Basically, they had it in for him and went at him from all sides during the ten minutes or so that they had the attention of the Chamber.

As I said, it wasn’t an attack I was expecting but it was a hugely revealing one. And no, not because of what it says about any of the Deputies involved or the return of petty personality politics to the States.

No, it was revealing because not a single other person rose to Deputy Baker’s defence while he wasn’t there.

Yes, some shook their heads, but mostly they all found it easier to let the vultures circle and then move on.

I just can’t work out if that was an attempt to ‘not feed the trolls’, as the internet saying goes (ie don’t give those dishing it out the attention they crave), or a sign of something more?

I HAVE a grovelling apology to make to those lovely people at Education who I had a go at last week. I made a mistake and said that two new classes had been created at Samarès and Rouge Bouillon schools last year to cope with an increase in demand for primary school places.

What I should have said, of course, is that those classes are being created this year to cope with the extra 70 pupils who have applied to start school in September above and beyond the number that was expected.

With that in mind, I shouldn’t have said that the department would have to find a way to cope with those extra children, as they already have. Instead, the department is now considering options for increased demand in the future, one of which could be a new primary school.

I am very sorry for the mistake and in penance will be putting together a piece on primary school class sizes and pressures so we are all nice and clear. I’m sure that will teach me.