DEAD MAN WALKING?

Having refused to bend the knee to the ego of 'the Man who would be King' over Plemont the word is Jersey's Planning & Environment Minister is now being lined up for a Night of the Long Knives, Jersey style...

If ever you wanted further proof that 'investigative' journalism is all but dead within our MSM (Main Stream Media) the story I outline below surely provides it. Readers/viewers of the Bald Truth blog and BTR videos will no doubt remember I made reference to a new story being leaked to me by my Ministerial Mole over a week ago. Having had no time to publish this myself due to the sad events culminating in this past Thursday's funeral for Shona's step-sister I really did half think (naive fool that I am) that one of our media outlets would have picked up on it by now.

After all, with the exception of the local Pravda whose main role established over generations seems to be to spread as many vicious lies about Progressive politicians as possible; 'breaking important stories' surely is the MSM's core business? Isn't it? So why then you have to ask haven't they picked up on this one - its a beauty and goes right to the very heart of what is wrong with 'Chief Minister' Gorst's excuse for an Executive.

What's it all about? Well, to cut to the chase the real Chief Minister, Senator Philip Bailhache is still fuming and sulking over his defeat in attempting to commit a blank cheque of your taxpayers' money to forcing through the purchase of Plemont via Compulsory Purchase. The consequence?

Instead of taking this wholly democratic defeat on the chin with the same backbone  we Progressives have to do so regularly, the Senator and his trusty side-kick, pretend 'Chief Minister Gorst are, according to my Ministerial Mole lining up Planning & Environment Minister Rob Duhamel for a choice where whichever option he plumbs for he is likely to be well and truly politically stuffed.

Unless that is, enough States Members are willing to stand up and say that whatever one thinks of the Deputy's politics etc in this situation they really have to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him. Otherwise we may as well just sign things over to the Polit Bureau now without any further pretence.

You see regardless of the fact that Deputy Duhamel acted entirely within the law and, indeed, within his mandate in taking and announcing the decision to grant the planning application on Plemont, Bailhache and Gorst, the Mole informs me, just won't accept this. Just like Gollum with the One Ring they have to have their 'precious' no matter what.

Thus the word is that they are now working overtime to try and fly the story that in not publishing the report on the application prior to the decision this in some way negates the whole validity of the Minister's decision. In fact the Mole tells me that the bottom line of all this is that they are attempting to force the Minister to retract/rescind  his decision or face the consequences!

Of course even should Deputy Duhamel feel he must bow to this bullying he will know full well that in doing so his Ministerial career would still almost certainly be over. For he would almost certainly then face a vote of no confidence from some who would use such a decision to oust him as having failed and supplant him with one of the Establishment Party favoured head-nodders.

Yet on the other hand if the Deputy rightfully stands his ground and sticks to his guns he then knows he faces being frozen out of the Executive 'picture' even further than he and a number of others are now. Ultimately being forced out of his job simply for doing it to the best of his ability. With political friends like this, as the Mole says, who needs enemies?

And to think Gorst even has the effrontery to claim he promotes 'consensus' government!

For it is hugely important to remember here that emotive as the Plemont issue is this latest development and quite appalling display of petulant, elitist, far-right politics at its worst has nothing to do with the actual Plemont issue or conservation whatsoever. This is about colossal political egos.

This is about individuals who pontificate via the local Pravda about politicians needing to 'respect' each other; and about not 'wasting time and taxpayers' money by re-debating decisions already democratically taken'. But who are actually so puffed up on arrogance they can't even see the wood for the trees (no Green pun intended, honest!) No. Whatever you think of the Planning & Environment Minister's politics generally on this one you just have to give him your full support.  

Because without it - trust me - he is the aforesaid political Dead Man Walking. And whatever your take on Plemont or right, left, centre or Green politics that just isn't right. He has done nothing wrong apart from ruffle a few large egos. It is democracy at stake here once again, plain and simple. To my colleagues I say: please don't fail it again.

Keep the Faith - The darkest hour always comes before dawn...