WITH the election now just a matter of days away, the candidates standing for Deputy in St Mary, St Ouen and St Peter made one final pitch to voters.
With three seats up for grabs, the candidates were convivial and respectful while discussing links with France, the third sector and support for the elderly.
It was standing-room only – with officials on hand to pass out bottled water to those crammed into St Ouen’s Parish Hall – as Reform Jersey chair Helen Evans, Deputy Lucy Stephenson, Russell Labey, David Benn, Arlene Maltman and Chris Rebindaine addressed the crowd.
Audience questions covered a range of the topics candidates will have to grapple with should they make it to the States Assembly, ranging from the investment needed to rejuvenate Fort Regent, tackling demographic challenges and, the key theme of the election campaign, the cost-of-living crisis.
A Francophonie twist to the evening saw candidates debating the feasibility of using French hospitals – with Mr Rebindaine and Mr Labey in favour of sending patients to St Malo, Pontivy or Caen and Mr Benn preferring for the patient to be given a choice. Ms Maltman said that is was certainly an idea worth exploring.
However, Deputy Stephenson and Ms Evans raised concerns about the language barrier, continuity of care and standards used, preferring to keep patients under the UK’s guidelines – though not excluding the possibility completely.
Perhaps the easiest win for the candidates on the stage was when they were given the opportunity to praise the charitable sector – with each receiving a round of applause for offering their support. All had signed a pledge from the Association of Jersey Charities.
This came before one of the more difficult questions candidates as likely to face – what is your most radical idea? Give too radical an answer and risk alienating voters, to safe and it fails to answer the question and gives little insight into any forward thinking.
Mr Benn’s suggestion was for everyone to be taught Jèrriais to preserve the Island’s ailing language – although he supplemented this response with a comment about bringing down the cost of government.
Ms Maltman said she would “shake up the government”, with more energy in the civil service and bring in greater degree of entrepreneurial spirit. She would also want to see a mural on the side of Union Street.
Mr Rebindane wanted to get government HR to speed up the hiring process to avoid losing candidates. He said: “I would like the States’ HR ‘people hub’ to be told what happens when they can’t deliver a contract within a week, people lose jobs this way.
Deputy Stephenson said she would increase investment in preventative health from 2% to 6% – with health a general theme for the night. This, she said, not only makes sense from an economic and health perspective, but would enhance the Island’s sense of wellbeing and community.
Mr Labey cited his previous record as a States Members and pledged to “continue with radical efficiencies and modernisation”, while Ms Evans said she would “push to represent people and govern entirely in the public interest”.
The evening’s final question came from a 72-year-old woman with reduced mobility who worked 30 hours per week in a shop. Her topic has been a political hot potato for several years – tax breaks on States pensions, which was coincidentally paired with one about the Island’s ageing population.
Mr Labey said he wanted an economy “that supports looking after our ageing population”, growing the economy “in the right way that does not increase immigration to the extent that it’s inflationary and feeds the housing problem”. He would support raising the threshold when pensioners pay tax on their States pension.
Ms Evans pointed to long-term care as a Jersey-specific problem, with a desire to bring more care homes into local ownership. But the dependency shift is coming for the whole Western world, she said.
She would like a tax break for Islander working past their pension age – but warned that a blanket tax write-off would cost £20 million and benefit the Island’s wealthiest.
Mr Benn wanted to get people healthier from a young age, with more sporting opportunities, thereby reducing the cost to support them throughout their lives. He added that the tax on the States pension is “iniquitous”.
Ms Maltman said she supported the recommendations from the recent Island of Longevity report as she spoke passionately about the value the older generation brings to the Island. Agreeing with Ms Evans, she added: £I really do feel that we need to raise that tax threshold for pensioners.”
Meanwhile, Deputy Stephenson echoed Ms Maltman’s thoughts and a need to be “mindful” about people who feel they’re made out to be the problem. She committed to supporting the Ageing Well Roadmap and seeing how the Island of Longevity Report can be enacted. She added that she would reintroduce a tax exemption rate for pensioners.
And Mr Rebindaine said the outstanding 2019 tax bill should go into compensating employers and employees. He would like to look at the requirement for retirees to pay social security, but make a tax break “targeted”.
Discussing gender equality and violence against women and girls, Deputy Stephenson was in her element, quipping as her time was up that she “could keep going all night”.
“Our past governments have been complacent about [the gender pay gap],” she said. She endorsed mandatory pay gap reporting, and highlighted that 2023 recommendations on economic abuse haven’t been tackled yet.
Mr Benn said his staff received equal pay and two groups he is involved with – the National Park and Société Jersiaise – are making great strides towards a 50-50 split.
Former European surfing champion, Ms Maltman cited her own record in sport, breaking barriers for female surfers, and endorsed all the recommendations from the VAWG taskforce’s 2023 report.
Mr Rebindane acknowledged he was “struggling” with the question about equality, having worked with productive and helpful female colleagues – but found his feet when talking about the “absolutely appalling” amount of cases he saw going through the courts while working for the Attorney General. Colleagues are dealing with them “all day, every day” when prevention “is better than prosecution”, he added.
Mr Labey highlighted his record refusing to vote on all-male board constitutions as a States Member – a tactic he said made a change, while Ms Evans welcomed broken taboos around gendered violence, but highlighted that disabled and non-white women are underrepresented in many spheres. The Senatorial contest, she added, saw four women face off against 13 men.
Closing out the evening, Mr Labey called his fellow candidates “a smashing bunch” who all get along with each other. If only all politics was this friendly.
