A BACKBENCHER has questioned the value of some States trips abroad, claiming that they are a ‘misuse’ of taxpayers’ money – but a fellow Deputy has disputed that ‘everyone is going away on a jolly’.
Max Andrews, who represents St Helier, said that while visits by senior politicians overseas were ‘absolutely important’, he questioned the value of backbenchers participating in foreign visits.
He said: ‘There are trips that are inconspicuous, not [attended by] senior politicians, have no value and have nothing to benefit the Island. Overall some of the trips don’t have any meaning.
‘It’s a misuse of public money. For some it’s just a personal experience.’
Commenting on an upcoming trip to London, Deputy Andrews said he would be paying for his own expenses.
Deputy Andrews, who is a member of the Public Accounts Committee, said: ‘I will be paying for myself. I will not let the taxpayer fork out. There is a government trip to London in January. I’m still not decided on whether I’ll go.’
But Assistant Chief Minister Lucy Stephenson, who recently attended the ninth British Islands and Mediterranean Region Commonwealth Women’s Parliamentarian Conference in Gibraltar, said: ‘I take issue with the idea that everyone is going away on a jolly.’
Deputy Stephenson said: ‘I’ve been on two government trips. They are extremely hard work, you are away from your family and you’ve still got the day job to do.’
Deputy Andrews originally raised his concerns in a Twitter post: ‘I have been disappointed to see the number of overseas trips politicians go on courtesy of the taxpayer. There are some political roles that require politicians to go overseas, of course, but there is a genuine waste of public money being spent on irrelevant trips overseas.’
Commenting on the tweet, Deputy Stephenson said: ‘It was a very generalised and sweeping statement made by Deputy Andrews. We would look at how much a trip cost the Island on an individual case-by-case basis. All States Members have the opportunity to travel.’
Ministers recently returned from a trip to France, which External Relations Minister Philip Ozouf said was designed to strengthen ties between Jersey and its continental neighbour.
