THEATRE OF THE ABSURD

Just another day in the Island of many questions but very few answers...

Right now you should have been looking at the Bald Truth Review Episode 14.

The reason that you are not is because sometimes experience tells you that a particular incident defines a problem in such an incisive fashion one would be hard pressed to make the point any better even if you had the length of a whole book to try and do so. The audio accompanying the lovely smiling faces of several of Jersey's finest politicians (and Senator Paul Routier) above is, I suggest, such a piece.

Indeed, it probably ranks up alongside all time great political exposes such as...

Former Senator Syvret rising to his feet to graphically inform the Assembly that he had apparently just been told by no less than the then Health Minister, Senator Perchard to go and 'top' himself. Well, something like that... Or former Senator Freddie Cohen's infamous attempt to defend the immorality of multi-millionaire and even billionaire 1 (1) K residents paying as little as £3,000 tax per annum. 'Because the decision has already been taken for us by a previous Assembly - so WE don't need to worry about the moral issue today'...

Perhaps the audio above even ranks up there alongside Senator Philip Bailhache's classic, prolonged and wild-eyed rant at me in 2012 for having the impertinence to question...

Why not a single Crown Officer (including him!) over a period of 14 years had felt it slightly worrying and inappropriate that successive 'Superior Numbers' of the Royal Court had done nothing about an individual being allowed to sit as a Jurat having refused to look at evidence against a predatory paedophile friend and colleague; but then still writen in the pervert's support. Claiming - amongst other eye-openers - that unless the police pressed charges there 'might be no case to answer' and the abuse could be viewed as an 'unsubstantiated allegation'?

Because though on the surface not anywhere near as bluntly offensive as the three examples I pick out above, the ten minute audion I now post (thanks, of course, to the excellent work of the (TJW) Jersey Way blogsite) highlights for all just what we who actually care about political competence, democracy and  transparency are up against when trying to hold decision-makers to account within States Sittings.

So please do yourself a favour and listen as I and then a number of political colleagues try to get answers to a straightforward question about the secret spending of tens of thousands of pounds of YOUR taxpayers' money. In fact listen to the recording twice, even three times to ensure you pick out all of the many hidden gems.

Such as...

My question being put - quite appropriately - to the Chief Minister, Senator Gorst who then refers it to his Assistant Minister, Senator Paul Routier. Because... the Senator has apparently now become official 'Political Liaison' with the Data Protection Office.

Unfortuantly it soon transpires that the said Political Liaison clearly knows less about the issues at hand than Lance Armstrong probably does bout drug free cycling. But never mind - we can't talk about it anyway because it is all 'sub judice'. Oh, okay...

Only problem here is that despite this assurance further questioning reveals that whilst quite happy to give me this answer the Senator has... never even seen the details of the relevant Court Order upon which he has just based this assurance.

And, as I and my colleagues are seeking information about where your hard-earned cash is going - NOT any details of what is happening in the actual case is the Senator really quite sure about this claim? After all, if my information is correct such an interpretation would likely be a world first. Certainly an island one.

Remember - this is OUR money. Not cash belonging to any of the individuals bringing the case. I'm not even asking how much has been spent by any of the four individuals specifically. Nor am I asking for information as precisely for what this taxpayers' money has been paid out for!

Never mind...

The Senator further assures us that everything IS being handled appropriately and within the law. Fair enough - but once again how does he actually know? Turns out he doesn't. He can't. He hasn't seen any documents at all so is passing all of this off as fact based simply on trust!

Further good news comes when we are also assured that the costs (did I mention this is being met from YOUR taxes?) are being monitored by the Data Protection Commissioner and it is all within that Office's set budget for the year.

Okay, so I'm sounding a bit pedantic now. But yet again - how can the Senator be sure?

In fairness the Data Protection Office's budget certainly is posted up on their website; and very well set out and seemingly detailed it appears. But this worrying little thing remains: the budget isn't actually that big. Only around £300,000 or so - give or take a few Regulatory Breach fines coming in (perhaps for an e-mail incident or something?) And nowhere does the outlay for the case in question appear to be outlined.

But let's move on...

According to my information the costs to the taxpayer in this case started to build up as far back as 2010. So given that this is in essence a case revolving around claimed 'defamation' a reasonable guess would surely appear to be that this has already racked up quite significant costs. (Don't ask me how I know - I just DO!)

So how come, we ask the Assistant Minister, that he cannot even tell us what the limit of the available financial support (taxpayers' money - did I mention that?) from the Data Protection Office is?

To cut a long story short - you guessed it: the Assistant Minister with specific responsibility for this doesn't know. In fact he has, he let's slip, actually based all of this nonsense upon the Hansard report of a previous question asked of the Chief Minister! And anyway...we can't talk about it because it's all 'sub judice'.

So what have we all learnt at the end of this latest farce within States 'Questions without answers'?

Not a lot. Apart from the fact that if you are looking for a spy to drop behind enemy lines. Someone who won't crack under questioning; even torture. Then forget James Bond. Forget John Rambo.

The man you want is 000 Senator Paul Routier. He won't tell the enemy ANYTHING. He doesn't KNOW anything! In a strange and slightly perverse way it almost makes you proud...