Senator Sam Mezéc made the comments days after Reform Jersey announced its intention to form an official opposition to the government following the vote of no confidence in Chief Minister John Le Fondré. Senator Mezéc and Deputy Montfort Tadier both resigned from the ministerial ranks to back the motion, which ultimately failed.
When he announced the new opposition block, Senator Mezéc said that party members would have their own portfolios and would seek to deliver on the party’s manifesto commitments while holding the government to account.
‘We’ll now play the role of political opposition and not just Scrutiny,’ said the Senator. ‘Our members will be able to specialise with their portfolio instead of trying to do everything,’ he added.
‘We will be meeting every week to co-ordinate, and we want to work across the Assembly. If there were Members who would like to join then they would be more than welcome – although I doubt any of the other Members will want to fully oppose the government.
‘However we will be reaching out over the coming weeks to ask about policy issues that Members are concerned about, and if those concerns align with our own then we would be willing to work with them on that issue.’
