During the first day of the States debate, which will ultimately decide whether Jersey spends £800m on a facility at Overdale, some speakers, including Health Minister Richard Renouf, warned the amendment would wreck the project and send it back to the drawing board – sparking counter-accusations that ministers were holding a gun to the head of Members.
The debate will continue into a second day today. Members spent the majority of yesterday debating an amendment from the Future Hospital Review Panel to cap the budget for the project at £550 million, including a £400m limit on borrowing.
External Relations Minister Ian Gorst, who was Chief Minister at the time the hospital project was first developed, said Members needed to learn the lessons of history.
‘There were clarion calls each time that there was a cheaper option around the corner, and each time that argument was proved to be incorrect,’ he said.
Senator Gorst said that he did not like borrowing, but accepted that borrowing at low interest rates for a major capital project was the right thing to do.
But he said that his concern about the Island’s overall level of borrowing was likely to mean he would oppose the borrowing proposals underwriting the Government Plan.
After this, Deputy Renouf outlined the possibility of maternity and paediatric services being cut if the Scrutiny budget cap was approved. He was sharply rebuked by Deputy Louise Doublet.
‘I was disgusted by what the Health Minister said. We are being held to ransom,’ she said. ‘A gun is being held not just to the heads of Members, but to the heads of mothers and babies in the future, and it smacks of desperation.’
Senator Sam Mézec said: ‘It is not the job of the States Assembly to act as a rubber-stamping chamber for whatever the government wants us to do.’
