JERSEY’S new government has been urged by former Chief Minister Kristina Moore not to ditch the work of the previous administration.
In a handover letter sent to her replacement, Deputy Lyndon Farnham, Deputy Moore called for a “smooth transition” between the two ministerial teams to ensure stability.
Deputy Farnham’s new-look Council of Ministers was elected during a States sitting on Tuesday, and met briefly for the first time the same day, following days of political turmoil which came after a successful vote of no confidence lodged by Deputy Tom Binet.
In the letter, Deputy Moore stressed the need for the new Council of Ministers to continue with the work already under way.
“A smooth transition between governments is in the best interests of Islanders, particularly at this time of considerable challenges both within our community and around the globe, not least the potential escalation of the conflict in Ukraine,” she wrote.
“There is some element of continuity on the Council of Ministers, which I welcome and believe will assist the work of the government.
“As you will know, or will become aware during your introductory briefings, there is a significant amount of ongoing work which you and your colleagues will hopefully continue. Having listened to a number of speeches from nominated ministers, I am reassured that this appears to be the case.”
Deputy Moore said she was “pleased” that existing plans for a new hospital, which she described as “deliverable and affordable”, would be continued under Deputy Farnham.
She also referenced work to: address recruitment problems within government, particularly Health; the setting up of a panel to look at PFOS pollution; and work to tackle the rising cost of living.
Only two ministers – Economic Development Minister Kirsten Morel and International Development Minister Carolyn Labey – have remained in post.
Two others, Deputies Ian Gorst and Elaine Millar, have found themselves transferred to different ministries – the former switching from Treasury to External Relations and the latter moving from Social Security to Treasury.
Former ministers now relegated to the backbenches told the JEP that they still hoped to make a difference from the outside looking in, with many seeking positions on Scrutiny panels, which hold the government to account.
Deputy David Warr – former Housing Minister
One of only two ministers who contested to keep their seat at the table (alongside Deputy Philip Ozouf), Deputy Warr lost the vote to Reform Jersey’s Deputy Sam Mézec.
Following that vote, he said he would “absolutely” be seeking a position on the Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel.
“Obviously Deputy Mézec will have his own ideas, but we had some good things going on,” Deputy Warr said.
He explained that these included the recently launched shared-equity scheme, the Empty Homes Service, the changes to the Affordable Housing Gateway and the Residential Tenancy Law.
However, he added that there were “other big projects” that he would also be able to focus his attention on as a St Helier Deputy, including plans for the Waterfront and Millennium Town Park.
Deputy Helen Miles – former Home Affairs Minister
Replaced by Deputy Mary Le Hegarat, Deputy Miles also said she would serve on a Scrutiny panel “in some way, shape or form”.
She said that ex-ministers were planning to meet this week and discuss “where we can have the most impact” outside government.
She continued: “Every cloud has a silver lining, though, because this gives me more time to concentrate on the Beautiful St Brelade project which is about community engagement and support.”
One of her key projects as a minister was commissioning the work of the Violence Against Women and Girls Taskforce, which suggested 77 recommendations to the government and various agencies in November.
Deputy Miles was due to publish her response to those recommendations – however, she said the decision to implement them now lies with Deputy Le Hegarat.
She said: “Tackling violence against women and girls is definitely not something I’m ever going to walk away from and I will be continually supporting the work that is being done in this area.”
Deputy Philip Ozouf – former External Relations Minister
Deputy Ozouf lost his contest with Deputy Ian Gorst to retain the role as External Relations Minister, and with that loss still fresh, he said he was undecided on his next steps.
“It would be presumptuous to say what I would like to do before I know what’s available,” he added.
He said that, in hindsight, the previous Council of Ministers had not focused enough on tackling the cost of living and he hoped this would be a key priority for the new ministers.
Deputy Karen Wilson – former Health Minister
Deputy Tom Binet, who is responsible for instigating the make-over of Jersey’s government, now sits in Deputy Wilson’s former seat.
She said that she would not necessarily look to hold a role related to the Health portfolio, saying: “It’s good to broaden your perspective and your interests. I’m not going to confine myself just to the health arena, but I will look at what opportunities there are to make a contribution in the best way possible.”
As a Deputy for St Clement, she said she would continue to serve her parishioners as one of their elected deputies.
Deputy Inna Gardiner – former Children’s and Education Minister
In a letter sent to her staff, Deputy Gardiner wrote: “I will take some time to reflect and ponder what (if any) role(s) I will take up on the non-executive side until the next election, but there is one thing I can assure you of right now.
“I will continue to champion for children and education whether I am on a Scrutiny panel or otherwise.
“I now know much more about the complexities and challenges of CYPES and the breadth of services it provides, and I will use this knowledge to the best of my ability to hold the new government to account and see what success I can achieve for children and families from the back benches.”
Deputy Jonathan Renouf – former Environment Minister
In a social media post, Deputy Renouf said he was “obviously disappointed to lose the Environment portfolio” but said he was “proud” of what his team had achieved in a “relatively short space of time”.
Deputy Kristina Moore – former Chief Minister
During Chief Minister John Le Fondré’s term, Deputy Moore was chief scrutineer and chair of the Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel.
She said she was once again “looking forward” to playing a role in Scrutiny and intended to join the Planning Committee.
In the handover letter sent to her successor, she added that she would be happy to make herself available to discuss policy or provide assistance in relation to any queries the new Chief Minister might have.
