DEPUTY Kristina Moore is keen not to tempt fate ahead of tomorrow’s States Assembly meeting to determine the next Chief Minister.
But, after securing nominations from more than half of the Chamber, she is in about as strong a position as possible at this stage.
‘I am really humbled by their support. I have been surprised by how straightforward conversations have been and the ease with which I have been able to get their support. I think there is a really exciting opportunity here,’ she said.
The election night was one that delivered an overwhelming call for change, with almost half of the 49 Members being different from the last time the Assembly sat.
And with those election results, the Assembly has a far greater diversity balance, with more women than ever before being elected.
Deputy Moore said: ‘I think we are going to be a breath of fresh air. The public have made some great choices and elected some talented people with diverse backgrounds. That will mean our decision-making will be more reflective of the diverse community that we are.’
It is probably no coincidence that an election which appeared to be driven by a desire for a fresh approach has seen Deputy Moore, who was head of Scrutiny during the last term, emerge as the leading contender for the Chief Minister role. After all, she had spent much of the previous four years in a seemingly back-and-forth battle with the departing Chief Minister, Senator John Le Fondré.
Deputy Moore, who received more votes than any other Deputy candidate in the election, said it was a ‘shame that was seen as a battle’ and that she hopes Scrutiny will play an important role in the next four years.
‘Passions can run deep where there is a difference of opinion but if we face a challenge to our ideas we can make better decisions.
‘Certainly as a minister formerly I really respected the role of Scrutiny and found their challenges healthy and helpful and often they could help us by having a look at things we couldn’t.
‘It is not easy being challenged and I am not suggesting it should always be a comfortable relationship – sometimes you have to be made to feel slightly uncomfortable.’
She said that despite her, at times vocal, criticism of the previous government, her tenure would not necessarily be a case of overturning the past four years of political decision-making – ‘what has gone before has gone but we can strike a new path and define a new direction for the Island’.
However, one key project that might require a rethink, according to Deputy Moore, is the new hospital.
‘There is no hiding from the fact that we do need to deliver a new building or buildings within which those people can work safely. The economic situation globally has changed drastically since the planning application was submitted in August last year and so, if nothing else, that needs reconsidering. I consider that there are many different ways of approaching the scheme but it does require professional input.’
She added that any decisions regarding the hospital project would require ‘careful consideration contractually of where we are and how it might impact other projects’ and incorporating the opinions of medical staff.
As part of her bid for the top job in Jersey politics, Deputy Moore submitted a vision statement with a plan for what would be her first 100 days in office.
And she feels confident that those aims are achievable, despite the fact that the States summer recess falls immediately after the selection of ministers and Scrutiny panels.
‘The election being put back hasn’t helped in terms of timing,’ she said. ‘I think the direction is set clearly. People know what they need to do and there is a talented team of people who will be able to take up ministerial roles.
‘We can all get to work quickly and ensure things are ready to go in September.’
The former Home Affairs Minister said she believes the role of Chief Minister is to ‘co-ordinate people, managing relationships and directing the top priorities’ and that she has been having a series of conversations as to who might form her ministerial team if she is successful tomorrow.
‘I have been talking to a variety of people about what they would like to do, what they see as their vision for different areas and how it fits with my thinking. I am being quite careful not to be put in a position where I have to do any deals or make promises. I need to focus on people’s talents and experience and where they are best positioned to effect the vision we have.’
While the newly elected St Mary, St Ouen and St Peter Deputy would not reveal who had been offered positions in her prospective Council of Ministers, Deputy Moore said that she was ‘starting to get to a place where I am really happy’.
One person who some are speculating could be set for a return to the top table is her close friend and political ally Deputy Philip Ozouf – although Deputy Moore said he would not be returning to his former role as Treasury Minister.
Deputy Ozouf won one of the five St Saviour seats on offer but has been a divisive figure in the past, and some Members have reportedly raised concerns about whether he should return to the Council of Ministers.
Deputy Moore said: ‘Yes, he is a friend of mine but I have many States Members who I consider friends. I would take the view that I would prefer to focus on what he can bring in terms of ability, drive and energy. He is a good problem-solver.
‘A lot of politics is about having relationships with other people, building trust both in ourselves and as members of a group. Some Assemblies recently have been at logger-heads and divided. I hope we will all have a strong relationship. I consider I do have strong relationships with a lot of Members and I will build on those relationships if I am successful.’
Given Reform Jersey’s success at the election, many of the electorate may expect her Chief Minister opponent Deputy Sam Mézec, or some of his party colleagues, to take a place at the Council of Ministers if Deputy Moore is chosen to lead government.
‘I have worked with many members of Reform Jersey and I think we have worked really effectively with each other in the past. It is clear that if we look at their nine key pledges there are areas that many Members of the Assembly, myself included, would agree with.
‘I need to have a conversation with Sam. I haven’t yet had it but I would like to have it. It would be a matter for them whether they want to create a shadow cabinet or whether they want to participate in a truly collaborative, consensus-driven Assembly,’ Deputy Moore said.
She said as Chief Minister she would want to develop a reputation for being ‘polite but direct’ and having the ability to ‘exercise good judgment’, as well as providing a commitment to openness and transparency.
Having spent the previous four years on the back benches, Deputy Moore, who is seeking to become the Island’s first female Chief Minister, believes she is a more well-rounded politician and is prepared for the extra pressure and public scrutiny she will be under if successful.
‘I really think you learn the most from the challenging experiences in life. I have found it a challenging four years in many ways but I do feel I have grown and developed as a person and that I am a lot stronger. I am grateful for that experience.
‘I have always been in the public eye, having worked in journalism and in television particularly. As a States Member you are a public figure – that is a great honour but not one without difficulties. Of course there will be times where there will be stresses and strains but we have a tight family and I am lucky to have that support.’
