THE two candidates vying to be Trinity Constable both said parish matters would come first if they were elected, with the road layout outside the primary school, the play area by the parish hall and speed limits all featuring prominently in Tuesday night’s hustings.
Deputy Andy Howell and Centenier Steve de Louche both want to lead Trinity and set out their stall in a full parish hall on the first evening of hustings before the election in five weeks’ time. It will be the first contest for the role in three decades.
It was a cordial evening, with the independent candidates on the same page for much of the time, which perhaps contributed to audience questions drying up 30 minutes before the allotted two hours came to an end.
That said, you can squeeze a lot of questions into 90 minutes when there are only two sets of answers and a lot of “I agree with …”
That is not to say that everything is perfect in the parish: clearly the current road system outside the school that is designed to make it safer for pupils is a bone of contention, as is the 20-mph zone that stretches from there to well beyond the store.
Stressing that the safety of pupils had to come first, Mr de Louche said that the traffic calming measures outside the school were an “accident waiting to happen” – not great for a busy road that is currently busier due to the roadworks along St John’s Main Road.
Retired dentist Deputy Howell, who is vying to be Trinity’s first female Constable – an aspiration that was met with a solid round of applause – has lived in the parish for 43 years, serving the district for the past four years and, before that, being part of the community support group, Meals on Wheels volunteer and church almoner.
A Trinnetais for 56 years, Mr de Louche, who has worked for the States for almost 50 years, has been an honorary officer for 17. Coincidentally, both candidates have children who are doctors.
Questions from the audience touched on subjects including public transport, how the candidates would balance housing demand with the natural environment, whether they felt Senators should always take the top ministerial roles, and if they would support the Jersey Motorcycle & Light Car Club, which holds a lot of events in the parish.
District Deputy Hilary Jeune asked a pertinent question that it could be argued goes to the heart of parish life: what the candidates thought of a recent Scrutiny review into the relationship between the parishes and the government.
Unfortunately, the candidates’ knowledge of the report was patchy at best with neither making a direct reference to its recommendations.
These include updating the law around parish assemblies, better coordination around access to play provision, and clearer definition of the roles of the Honorary Police – topics that all came up in different forms at other times in the meeting.
Although few Islanders are likely to have read the review cover to cover, it is probably something that candidates vying to be a Constable should be across.
One questioner prompted a collective chuckle when he pointed out that most people in the audience had grey hair, asking what the candidates would do to get young people more engaged in Trinity life, as well as newcomers to the parish.
Both candidates said they would strive to build closer relationships with the school and youth club. More community events and encouraging more volunteering were also shared ideas.
Although Deputy Howell said she would be parish-focused, she did add that she would like to continue her role as an Assistant Health Minister. Mr de Louche said, as a “political newbie”, his priority would firmly be Trinity, although he did not rule out a Scrutiny role, particularly if it involved looking at why “money is being hemorrhaging out of the Island”.
The election for all candidates takes place on Sunday 7 June.
Constable of Trinity
Date: Tuesday 5 May
Location: Trinity Parish Hall
Duration: 1 hour 30 mins
Candidates: Andy Howell and Steve de Louche
What made everyone chuckle: District candidate Peter McClinton, aka Channel 103 breakfast show host Peter Mac, posed the first question of the night (asking what the candidates could “uniquely bring” to the parish). Taking the microphone, he was advised to “hold it close to his mouth” to which he responded: “Thank you, I know how to use one of these”.
What made everyone groan: When Mr de Louche said that “the whole parish is behind the Jersey Rally”, there were more than a few sharp intakes of breath from parishioners who clearly did not agree.
