A FORMER head of both the Chamber of Commerce and the Hospitality Association is set to stand in the upcoming election.
Ian Barnes will contest one of the three Deputy seats on offer in St Helier North.
An experienced businessman, Mr Barnes was appointed president of the Chamber of Commerce in 1986 and was more recently the president of the Jersey Hospitality Association. He is also a founder member of the Rotary Club de la Manche, eventually becoming its president, and he currently sits on the committee for the charity Diabetes Jersey.
He said that his aim is to bring “business sense” to the Assembly “before it is too late”, and that the government needs to do more to “play its part in providing protection, services and act in the public interest”. He added that Jersey “should not be a place where working people are priced out of their own island”.
“We are now spending more than we generate and we will have significant borrowings amounting to interest payments of £48 million in 2028, and an even more depleted Strategic Reserve and Stabilisation Fund,” he said.
“A weaker balance sheet makes us more susceptible to fiscal and economic shocks, and should anything happen with a reduction in the finance industry in Jersey, we would no longer enjoy the benefits that we have done historically, living on a beautiful island relatively comfortably compared to the rest of the world.
“We need bold leadership to survive and improve the existing disconnect between the general public and government, having historically relied too much on outside consultants and civil servants who have come and gone at great expense.”
Mr Barnes added that he would like to see the creation of a dedicated Tourism Minister role – a position he would put himself forward for if successful at the election.
“I want to be the independent voice of people and industry, and my main promises would be to push for faster decisions, demand public accountability for delays and cut wasteful spending and inefficiency, which is why we are in the current financial state,” he said.
“If the Jersey government were a business, it would have failed miserably by now and it must start delivering.”
Mr Barnes stressed the importance of Islanders casting their votes on Sunday 7 June, with Jersey’s voter turnout historically being poor.
“In the last election, the vote represented only 41.7% of the electorate, the 3rd lowest in the last 30 years and the lowest percentage in all the OECD countries. It does make a significant difference if you go out and vote for the right people, unless you want more of the same of course,” he said.
Mr Barnes becomes the fourth person to declare for St Helier North after Deputies Max Andrews and Steve Ahier and newcomer Victoria Li. The other current St Helier North Deputies Inna Gardiner and Mary Le Hegarat are standing for Constable and Senator respectively.
