The organisation wants to replace its current panel – made up of business leaders and industry experts – with ordinary Islanders who are concerned about the cost of living.
New Consumer Council chairman Carl Walker, who was formally appointed after a States decision last month, believes that drawing on the day-to-day experiences of Island life will provide the Council with a greater platform to take businesses and the States to task.
Mr Walker, the former deputy editor of the JEP, wants a new team of Islanders comprising parents trying to juggle household bills, students struggling to make ends meet and the elderly finding life hard on a low income.
He said that ‘everything is up for discussion’ – from buying a loaf of bread to buying a house – and that an action plan of what areas to tackle will be created once the Council is formed.
He added that he would look to narrow the scope of the Council to focus on ‘two or three big issues where we can really make a difference’.
‘It is vital, in my view, that as the new chairman of the Council I can sit in front of a politician, a business leader or industry body and be sure that I am relaying the views and expressing the concerns of consumers in this Island,’ said Mr Walker.
‘To do this, we need a broader pool of people involved, so that we can build on the good work already done and take that message forward with confidence.
‘Each and every one of us is a consumer and we all have mixed experiences. To some people in Jersey, a small change to a service – good or bad – can make a huge difference and the decision-makers behind those changes should know the impact that their decisions can have.’
The appeal for Islanders to join to panel comes as the terms of office of a number of the current Consumer Council members is drawing to an end. A number of the business leaders and industry experts who make up the existing panel are to be invited to become Consumer Council Advisers to provide expertise when needed.
Mr Walker added: ‘I would like to form a Council which is made up of a cross-section of the community so that all consumers are being represented. That way we can ensure that they are getting fair representation and that their voices will be heard.’
Anyone who is interested in becoming a member of the Consumer Council is asked to call 611161, or email jcc@jerseyconsumercouncil.org.je.
