THE Chief Minister has expressed full support for the Economic Development Minister as he continues to handle the process to choose Jersey’s ferry provider for the next 15 years.
Deputy Jonathan Renouf – who grilled the head of Jersey’s government in the States Assembly yesterday morning – said that the process had descended into an “omnishambles” that looked “chaotic” from the outside.
However, Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham was firm that fellow minister Deputy Kirsten Morel was “absolutely right” to “make sure we have done all the work” and take time with the decision.
It was confirmed yesterday that Condor Ferries had rejected the government’s offer to extend their current operating agreement for seven months. Economic Development Minister Kirsten Morel said a new contract would start at the end of March 2025, with a preferred bidder to be announced “within the next month”.
Amid a series of questions that dominated the Assembly’s morning session, Deputy Farnham admitted for the first time that Jersey had been notified of Guernsey’s decision to announce that its preferred bidder was Brittany Ferries – the parent company of Condor – and not DFDS in a Teams meeting on 17 October.
Following a request that Guernsey’s Committee for Economic Development wait to make that announcement, the Sarnians waited until 30 October to make their announcement – at which time, it came as a surprise to the Jersey public and, seemingly, ministers.
Deputy Farnham further confirmed that this Teams meeting, which took place almost a month ago, was the last time he had spoken to Guernsey ministers.
In response to Deputy Renouf’s question about his involvement in the decision process, Deputy Farnham said this had extended to chairing Council of Ministers’ meetings and responsibilities for external relations with the relevant minister “given the diplomatic implications of this particular piece of work”.
He said: “This decision has potentially wide-ranging and long-term consequences for Jersey. There are financial, economic, logistical, diplomatic and legal ramifications. And as we seek to improve our sea connectivity, it is absolutely vital that we maintain a cross-government approach, work together to find a consensus, keep Members and members of the public updated, and seek to find the right solution as soon as possible.
“We need to get a decision made, timetables published and more assurance for the public, and that’s what the minister and other ministers are working to achieve.”
When pressed by Deputy Philip Ozouf to reveal whether he had a preference for Brittany Ferries – as the “rumour mill” was spouting – Deputy Farnham quoted Standing Orders and the Bailiff released him from the requirement to answer the question.
He said: “Whilst it would be unwise to start expressing views on that in the middle of a discussion with operators, I feel the Council of Ministers have acted impartially.
“Both offers have strengths and weaknesses, and my preference is simply to find the very best option for Jersey.
“I neither favour Brittany Ferries nor DFDS in this situation. They are both reliable and reputable shipping companies, both capable of serving the islands well.”
He continued: “One of the key points of leadership is centred around decision making, and that is the ability to make a decision while properly informed, often under pressure, and considering what’s in our very best interests. That’s what the minister is trying to do.”
He added that he thought the offer for Condor to extend its contract another seven months was a “sensible approach” and a “genuine attempt” to provide some assurance for next summer while discussions continued.
The Chief Minister ended the period of questions saying Deputy Renouf seemed to be taking “pot shots” at the government for political gain instead of “focusing on supporting the government to come to a decision which has been properly thought through”.
He said: “The government is addressing this as a matter of top, top priority. We deeply regret that we weren’t able to come to a joint decision with Guernsey. We deeply regret that we’ve had to extend the time-frame, so we can come to the right solution. But I would absolutely stress to members of the public that it is important that we take the appropriate time to get the decision right, because if we get it wrong, there are serious ramifications.”
